Page 6

T he Corlixin ‘box’ turned out to be a single plinth standing at the end of a vast meeting chamber. Chairs covered the floor, and seated upon them were dozens of advisors quietly writing on scrolls. As I was pushed down the hall, voices filled the chamber, their words punctuated by my loud footsteps. I couldn’t see any speakers, though. And it was only when the guard led me up to the plinth, before hurrying out of the meeting chamber, that I realised why.

Above me, jutting out from the cream walls were five decorated balcony stands – each one themed to a different kingdom. Waves and ships, carved from stone, framed Ryntook’s balcony. Hallshire’s stand was decorated with carvings of wheat and grazing cattle. Dalking’s featured weaving branches and vines, while Drothmore’s was framed with stone and sword carvings. And finally, there was the fifth box, framed with carved potion bottles and familiar herbs.

The actual Corlixin box.

Except, for some reason, I wasn’t standing in it. I was alone on an empty dais, feeling like a prisoner about to be tried. While high up in the stands, seated on ornate thrones, were the rulers of the other kingdoms.

“Oh! Princess Naria, you’re here!” Queen Cora, the regally dressed ruler of Ryntook, smiled down at me. Beside her, with an equally welcoming smile, was her husband, King Ronan.

I tried to curtsy in greeting, but with the intense stares of everyone in the chamber now locked onto me, I could hardly breathe. Frantically, my eyes searched for Lukas’s, but for some reason his box was empty.

“It is a delight to see you again,” she continued, not bothered by my nerves. “Both Ronan and I were so pleased to hear that your people are receiving support from Drothmore. We only wish there were a way that we could help too, but with our difficulties in the seas, all our soldiers are still occupied.”

It calmed me a little to hear the genuine kindness in her tone – the same kindness that was present when we first met a few months ago at the Summer Ball. I couldn’t remember much of our conversation. Lukas had handled most of the talking that night while I was busy drowning my anxiety in crimson wine. But I remembered the pleasant way she spoke to me, and how she and her husband were one of the few nobles who seemed to treat me as an equal rather than a lost princess without a crown – or just another one of Lukas’s playthings.

“Although,” Queen Cora went on, the jewels in her dark hair glinting, “it is a little surprising that you are joining us so soon? And why weren’t you shown to your box?” She tilted her head. “Did you not arrive just today? I was expecting to give you and King Lukas a tour of the palace first before we began our negotiations. And speaking of…” She glanced around. “Where is your dear betrothed? Will he be joining us soon?”

My eyes narrowed. Before I could remind her that it was her orders that brought me here and that Lukas was currently being escorted by her guard, another unfortunately familiar voice cut through the air.

“Oh Cora, don’t expect too much of the girl,” the Hallshire Queen chuckled from her stand.

I whipped my head towards the farming kingdom’s box to see Queen Marigold and her bored-looking husband, King Thorian. The scowling man lounged in a smaller throne behind hers.

“She’s from that silly little village in the woods, remember? You can’t expect her to have an ounce of decorum.” My insides curled at her tone. “King Lukas is probably still recovering from his travels and his pet just decided to wander in here. Let’s not pay her too much heed.”

My lips parted in a scoff, but before I could retort, I spotted the same guard from the gate slipping into the Hallshire box and standing beside Queen Marigold. He tossed me a wink when he noticed me staring, and my stomach dropped.

“Where’s Lukas?” I demanded.

Everything made sense now. Of course, this was just some trick courtesy of the Hallshire rulers: separate me from Lukas, then make me look like a fool in my first proper appearance here.

Queen Marigold chuckled, her tight black gown straining with each laugh. “How would I know, dear? I’ve spent all morning in this meeting chamber.” She adjusted in her throne, huffing as she dug out a paper fan from within her skirt folds. “That being said, we best get back to it. Surely it’ll be time for dinner soon. You should run along, dear Naria.” She barely spared me a second glance as she fanned herself slowly. “Perhaps there’s some flowers for you to pick outside? Or maybe your king’s servants need help with the carriage?”

“How dare you!” I snapped. I’d never been a violent person, but in that moment I’d never wanted more than to show off how easy it was for a healer to inflict pain. “How dare you treat me this way, when I have just as much right to be here as every other ruler in this room.”

Queen Marigold cackled. “Naria you’ve just waltzed into a ruler’s meeting, dressed absolutely awfully might I add, and now you’re interrupting everyone here with your little tantrum,” she cooed while my cheeks reddened with anger. “Do you actually have anything important to say or did you simply wander in here whilst looking for a playroom?”

“You know perfectly well why I am here,” I seethed.

“Oh what a shame,” Marigold chuckled. “The poor girl is mad.”

Confused laughter rippled through the audience of advisors, but before I could speak again, the Ryntook Queen raised her palm.

“Clearly there is some context we are missing here.” She narrowed her eyes at Marigold.

Ignoring her, Marigold just fanned herself with a bored expression.

Queen Cora turned back to me. “I apologise if there have been any misunderstandings here today, Princess Naria.” Her words were soft, edged with sympathy. “My family have always valued the kindness of Corlixins, especially after your parents were able to save my own father from such a cruel illness.”

My anger settled. I never knew that…

“And yes, while we were in an important meeting,” Cora shot a scowl at Queen Marigold, “we had actually just reached the end of a topic.” She turned back to me, straightening in her throne. “So please, if there was something today that you wished to discuss with us about your kingdom, then do not be afraid to speak your mind, Your Highness.”

An expectant silence settled over the hall as all eyes returned to me. The anger rocking my stomach immediately fizzled out as my mouth felt dry. What was it that Lukas told me to speak about again?

“I… Umm…” My voice wavered. In the corner of my vision, I noticed Queen Marigold smirking to her husband.

I cleared my throat. “I believe that—”

The door to Drothmore’s box swung open.

“Naria!” Lukas called out to me. Everyone’s heads spun to face my out of breath fiancé as he stomped to the edge of his box. Chest heaving, he whirled to face Queen Cora. “Your guard is an absolute menace,” he seethed. “He had me walking all the way to the other side of the palace then had the gall to try and convince me he was lost. You’re lucky he was cowardly enough to drop the act after a bit of persuasion from myself.” I didn’t miss the splashes of blood on his face as he spoke. It didn’t appear to be his own, though. Thankfully.

“Please forgive me, Your Majesty,” Cora said, rising from her throne. “I’m afraid there’s been some sort of misunderstanding. There was no reason for you both to be brought to this meeting. This was supposed to be just a short discussion about our trade routes with Hallshire.”

Lukas’s eyes narrowed, then he glanced at Queen Marigold and the familiar guard by her side. The Queen’s smirk had vanished, replaced by a nervous grimace as she fanned herself rapidly.

I couldn’t help but smile as he pieced it all together.

“Hallshire…” he murmured. “Of course.”

“Your arrival actually just interrupted Princess Naria,” Queen Cora said, redirecting the attention back to me. “I believe she was going to discuss with us something about Corlixir?” She passed me a reassuring smile before returning to her throne.

I glanced at Lukas. Concern was etched onto his tired face, but eventually, he nodded and somehow that gave me the courage to speak again.

Taking a deep breath, I started, “My people are very grateful for the amount of support we have received. Corlixir now has a small village’s worth of houses, market stalls, surgeries, and even a school. We will never be able to thank Drothmore enough.”

My heart glowed while I thought of my teachers and the village elders back in Corlixir – how happy they’d looked when I’d last seen them. It’d been the day Lukas had told me he was rebuilding my kingdom. The day he’d whisked me away to Corlixir, proposed in the midst of that pretty grassy clearing, and then… The glow in my heart faded. Visions of a certain faery prince glamoured as a black cat flooded my mind.

No . Shuddering, I took another breath. Focus, Naria .

“I understand that there may be concerns about what rebuilding Corlixir will mean for the other four kingdoms, but I would like to reassure you that my people pose no threat and are already working on multiple projects that will benefit the realm.” My racing breath settled. “For example, King Lukas has generously provided the funding for us to resume our research into a process that will allow us to control a patient’s sleep.” Excitement buzzed in my voice. “If we can get this right, patients will be able to sleep through complex surgeries with no pain or trauma! And then there’s our research into new dental practices too. Soon we won’t have to—”

“What are your thoughts on people leaving other kingdoms to make new homes in Corlixir?” The Hallshire Queen’s voice sliced through mine like a carving knife.

I blinked. “Well that’s—”

“Those are our people you’re stealing,” she carried on. “Why, just the other day I had a Duke announcing he would be leaving Hallshire with his family to see if he could help with one of those silly research projects. One of my dukes!” She scoffed.

My eyes narrowed. “I’m sure my people would see no issue with citizens of other kingdoms crossing over into ours – as long as they have a passion for healing, they should fit in quite nicely.”

“Yes but what gives you the right to rule them, silly girl?” Marigold seethed.

Disapproving murmurs rippled through the audience before Queen Cora’s voice silenced them. “If you cannot show respect to our visiting princess, then you will be asked to leave,” she warned the Hallshire Queen.

“I’m only saying what we’re all thinking,” Marigold shot back.

“No one is thinking that.” Lukas’s low tone settled the nerves that were building in my stomach. “Naria has proven many times to both myself and others that she is a capable representative of her people. And you are a fool to treat her with anything other than the utmost respect.”

Quiet clapping and sounds of approval echoed through the audience as I loosened my grip on my skirts. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever truly feel like a real princess, let alone a queen, but with both Ryntook and Drothmore on my side, this seemed like a nice place to start.

“Thank you, Your Majesties.” I nodded, standing a little taller. “As I was saying, we are already making good progress with our research and while we may still be small in numbers, we are thriving. And—”

“What have you actually done in the past month to lead your people?” the Hallshire Queen cut in again.

“Marigold…” Queen Cora warned.

“It is a perfectly valid question.” Marigold shrugged, before smiling cruelly. “After all, I’ve heard reports that you’ve barely visited your kingdom since its construction, and that’s not to mention the issue of your title,” she purred. “Why, dear, are you still a mere princess when you’ve surely stolen enough citizens from the other four kingdoms to warrant you calling yourself a queen?”

My throat tightened. Seconds passed that felt like minutes while confused murmurs rippled through the hall.

“Naria has been very diligent with responding to letters from her people while remaining in Drothmore,” Lukas answered for me. “She does not need to be in Corlixir all the time. Many of us barely leave our palaces and yet we are still able to deal with issues in far villages.”

Guilt gnawed at the back of my mind. Only a few days ago he’d suggested I spend more time in Corlixir. ‘ Just at least a few visits a month ,’ he’d suggested, and I’d made some weak excuse about why I’d rather stay in Drothmore. Like a coward.

“And in regards to her not officially claiming her crown,” Lukas continued, “Naria has expressed to me that she’d rather wait until all of her people are housed and have enough resources to sustain themselves before she officially ascends to the throne.”

“But that could take years,” Marigold huffed. “How can anyone respect the little fool if she—

My furious response slipped out before I could stop myself. “I’ve never needed to call myself a queen to gain their respect before. I find that basic manners are usually enough.” Chest heaving, I glared at the dark-eyed queen. But deep down, my fury wasn’t for her – it was for him .

I hadn’t even married Prince Arenn, but it was almost as if he’d already stolen my kingdom from me. How could I be crowned queen of a kingdom I was too scared to return home to?

“What about you then, Your Majesty ?” Marigold finally shifted her heavy gaze from me and pinned it on Lukas. “Is it true that you’ve been assisting young Naria here with rebuilding her kingdom, even at the detriment of your own?”

“There has been no detriment,” he shot back. “Naria has been handling most of Corlixir’s affairs by herself.”

I winced. That was a lie. I’d been trying my best to handle things, but really, I was clueless. I was happy to be a voice for my people, but when it came to actually running Corlixir, Lukas had been in charge of pretty much everything. And while it might not be jeopardising his own kingdom just yet, I hadn’t failed to notice the dark circles under his eyes.

“So my sources were incorrect when they claimed you had been working late into the nights to manage affairs for both Drothmore and Corlixir?” Marigold went on.

“Very much so,” Lukas lied again as my heart sank.

“And what about the report of Princess Naria being spotted in a tavern?”

Gasps filled the hall. My palms buried themselves back into the fabric of my skirt, desperate for something to fidget with.

“False again,” Lukas replied as my lower lip began to tremble.

With a scowl, Queen Cora rose out of her throne. “Is there a point to these accusations?”

“Of course,” Marigold sneered. “I merely wish to assess whether or not she is competent enough to lead an entire kingdom. She grew up in a forest, after all. Why give her a crown when she could be using it to build an army of savages?”

“That’s absurd,” Lukas growled. “Corlixir is her birthright.”

I opened my mouth to agree, but then my mind caught on something Marigold had said. Why give me the crown?

“Her parents may have been rulers but she’s certainly not,” she carried on, despite me barely listening. “Look at her. Shaking like a little mouse.”

She was right. I was shaking. But by that point it was more from excitement than fear. How had I never thought of this before…

“Speak ill of my future wife again and you’ll learn what true fear feels like,” Lukas snarled.

The two leaders continued their argument, drowning out any protests made by Queen Cora. I would’ve joined in. I really probably should have. But then three words forced every ruler, along with the squabbling crowd of advisors below them, to slam their mouths shut.

“Marigold is right.”

It took me a moment to realise the words had come from my own lips.

“Naria, don’t you dare agree with her,” Lukas called down to me while Queen Marigold erupted into a fit of laughter.

“That’s probably the first clever thing you’ve said all day, girl,” she cackled. “Give your kingdom’s land to Drothmore. I’m sure Lukas can find you a nice cottage in the woods to sell herbs from. You’ll never have to—”

“I don’t need the crown.” For once I cut her off, my voice strong. “But I can help elect a board of Corlixins who do. And together, they can manage the kingdom and vote on policies my people care about.”

“Naria…” Nerves weaved through Lukas’s voice. “Think about this.”

“I have.” I swallowed. “Anyone can see I’m not fit to rule a kingdom. I don’t even know what half the words you say during meetings mean.” More gasps rippled through the audience as I continued, “But I’m sure I can find people who do understand all this. And perhaps my people can even help to elect them. We’ll hold an anonymous vote! It’s the only fair way.”

Silence dropped over the hall. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. As I glanced up, horror washed over Queen Cora’s face, while Queen Marigold seemed to be biting down on a grin.

One of the two Dalking Queens who’d been silent during our whole exchange rose suddenly from her throne. Her long brown hair, decorated with petals, hung in waves around her paling shoulders. Panic took root in her voice as she spoke, moments before the hall descended into chaos.

“You’re suggesting a democracy.”