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“The spire is large. How am I supposed to find this knowledge?”

“You won’t. Start climbing and it will find you.”

“Must I do it alone?”

“You can take Gustav with you, as there are dangers in the mountains. However, when the time comes for the spire to reveal its secrets, you will find yourself separated from him.”

Mysterious and unexpected. Avera didn’t know much about the spire and now wondered if that lack of history was on purpose.

“Very well. Should you die and I’m made queen, I will leave right after the coronation.”

“There is no ‘if’ about it. I will die, and shortly. It will be up to you to find the traitor. Make an example of them and rout out any that might have aided. Avenge our deaths.”

“I will.” A solemn vow not so much made out of affection for this woman Avera barely knew, but because of the barbaric nature of the crime. They’d killed a child in its crib! An innocent baby. That kind of depravity deserved the worst kind of punishment.

“As soon as I’m dead you will host a somber but lavish coronation. It might sound garish given the tragedy, but it will reassure the people they have a leader. It’s important they know you’re in control lest anarchy flourish. It’s also a power move to show the lords and ladies you are in charge. Even then, expectthem to try and manipulate you for their gain. They need a stern hand to keep them in line.”

“They won’t be happy that I’m queen.”

“If they disrespect you, throw them in the dungeon,” her mother hissed.

“That doesn’t sound like a good way to get them to like me.”

“You must be strong from the start or they will walk all over you. Over time they will recognize you are taking care of them and that their lives are the same or better under your rule.”

“Is there anything else I should know?”

The queen’s lips tilted downward. “Too much to cover with the scant moments I have left. I’d rather use what’s left to give you an apology. I know we were not close, and while I cannot change that, I do regret it. Of all my children, you resemble me most.”

Avera couldn’t help but blurt, “Me? But we look nothing alike.”

“I speak more of temperament. I too was curious. When you get a chance, look in my armoire. You’ll see what I mean. Alas, I had to put aside my passion for duty. As will you. Being a queen is hard work. It is also lonely as there are few you can trust or call friend. Many will claim to be both, and yet you will soon discover most want something from you.”

“I’m already aware of that.”

“You can do this, Avera.” Her mother squeezed her hand. “You are strong. Just like your father. Smart, too. Much smarter than your brother. You’ll make a better queen than he would have made a king.”

“Except he wanted to rule. I don’t.”

“Which is why I think you’re better suited.” Mother suddenly coughed and gasped as she writhed in pain.

Avera’s eyes widened to see her mother hurting and ran to the door to fetch the doctors. “Come quick. My mother is in grave discomfort.”

For all her agony, the queen refused any drugs. She barked orders until almost her last breath.

The last words she spoke were reserved for Avera, whose hand she clutched. She whispered, “I love you.”

It left Avera teary-eyed and might explain why she could have sworn she saw a bright mist rise from the corpse. An ethereal wisp that dissipated, leaving behind a world changed.

Avera felt it in her bones. Her life would never be the same.

Chapter 4

Within momentsof the queen’s passing, bells clanged a death toll. It resulted in a strange humming from outside.

“What is that sound?” Avera asked Gustav who stood by her side, helmet tucked under his arm. She had her hands clasped in front of her, uncertain how to look, act, or even feel as she watched her mother’s body being prepared.

“It’s the people mourning,” he replied.