Page 73 of Thorns & Fire (The Ashes of Thezmarr #2)
Wren
‘Beware the fury of a patient Delmirian’
– Malik the Shieldbreaker, former Warsword of Thezmarr
T HE MOOD WAS sombre in the makeshift council room as rulers and influential figures gathered around the table.
Audra sat at the head, her Warswords lining the perimeter of the room, with several chroniclers and historians – including Magnus Crane – already scribbling notes on their pieces of parchment.
Torj’s hand rested briefly on Wren’s shoulder before he stepped into place beside Wilder, while Wren took her place beside Thea.
Zavier’s usual chair was empty, and Wren felt a pang of regret as she pictured him lying in the infirmary, his opus having driven him to the point of needing to be sedated.
Naarva needed its prince, now more than ever.
‘Our hand has been forced,’ Audra announced without preamble.
‘The rebel force known as the People’s Vanguard has marched into Delmira.
Their leader, Silas the Kingsbane – the same man who attacked this academy’s very halls – has declared himself the new king.
My sources report that they will reach the ruins of the capital by nightfall. ’
The room erupted. Fingers were thrust across the table, faces reddening in anger, harsh words flung carelessly.
‘This is the Delmirians’ fault. If they hadn’t delayed—’
‘How do we still not know who this bastard is?’
‘I can have our forces at our borders by dawn tomorrow—’
Wren had seen this before. The blame. The festering resentment. All of it boiling over into an uncontainable mess, one that poisoned the minds and hearts of men. Her gaze went to Farissa, then back to Audra, who was watching Thea expectantly.
Wren felt her sister shudder beside her, her expression ashen as her hand drifted absent-mindedly to where she once wore the fate stone that had spelled her death, or so she had thought.
They had discussed it at length since Thea’s arrival at Drevenor. There was a line of succession; there was an armed force threatening the midrealms. Who better to lead their defence than a Warsword of Thezmarr?
Wren saw Thea’s hands clench on the table as she stared at the grain of the wood. The shouting had grown louder, the raised voices adding to the pressure building in Wren’s chest and the panic in Thea’s eyes.
‘What say you?’ King Leiko demanded, his face ruddy, spit landing on the table. ‘Will the princesses of Delmira finally make their choice? We need someone to oppose this tyrant already plundering your lands. We need someone to step up.’ He flung a hand at Audra. ‘Guild Master, do something!’
Audra’s face was lined with regret as she turned to Thea. ‘We cannot delay a moment longer. We need to know: what do you propose we do about the usurper who has claimed the kingdom for his own?’
Thea’s mouth opened and she moved to stand—
Wren covered her hand with her own and squeezed it. As she rose, she whispered in her sister’s ear, ‘I claim this burden as my own, Thee. And you will let me have it.’
She heard the shuddering breath that left Thea, but Wren straightened, pushing her shoulders back and lifting her chin as those gathered stared at her.
‘The false king will be unseated,’ she announced, her voice as clear as day. ‘Delmira already has a queen.’
Stunned silence fell across the room and Wren waited.
‘You’re not the next in line,’ King Leiko blurted.
‘The law of the midrealms states that should the heir of any kingdom wish to abdicate their throne, they have the right to do so, with the next-born heir to take their place,’ Wren replied calmly. She turned to Thea. ‘Do you wish to abdicate your throne?’
Thea was still pale, and she paused, seeming to search Wren’s face for any sign of doubt. Wren ensured that she saw none.
‘I do,’ Thea said at last.
Wren turned to the shocked faces before her. ‘And I therefore take up that responsibility.’
‘This is unprecedented,’ Lady Liora declared from her seat.
‘As are the times, Lady Liora,’ Wren replied.
Lord Lucian’s voice echoed down the table. ‘The enemy has already infiltrated your kingdom, has likely already plundered the only resource you had... You have no funding, no army. How do you expect to win back your kingdom?’
Lightning threatened to spill from Wren’s fingertips; she could feel it begging to be unleashed, could feel Thea’s magic raging beside her as well. But Wren managed to keep it under control. Instead, she used words.
‘We have already had one war of blood and steel, and there will be no shortage of those again. But this battle is a different beast. We must fight alchemy with alchemy, which is a skill I very much have in my arsenal, Lord Lucian.’ She stared down at him.
‘As for the flourishing state of Delmira, I have an answer for that too: it was storm magic that brought it back to life. My storm magic.’ Wren glanced down at her sister, regretting that she hadn’t been able to share the addition to that discovery in private first. ‘We tested Thea’s magic for the same capabilities and have since learned that it is an attribute unique to my own power. ’
She had only just managed to slip away to the meadow before the meeting to confirm what she had suspected. The patch of grass that Thea had poured her own storm magic into had remained unchanged, whereas the small parcel Wren had treated that same day was already sprouting more wildflowers.
Thea didn’t look surprised.
‘So you’re saying that your magic is the key to Delmira being the most fertile lands in all the kingdoms?’ King Leiko asked, eyes narrowed. ‘This was the secret your ancestors kept from the midrealms for centuries?’
‘I believe so,’ Wren allowed. ‘And now I am sharing it with you, as a show of good faith for the kind of ruler I will be.’
They stared. They stared and stared at her, but Wren did not fidget; she did not waver beneath the eyes that threatened to bore holes through her.
‘If there are no objections, I will consult with my counsel and devise a strategy to present to you shortly.’
Wren was trembling as she pushed her chair back, but she met Audra’s gaze from across the room and was shocked to see the Guild Master dip her head in respect.
Wren surveyed those gathered around the table once more. ‘You asked for a queen,’ she said. ‘Now you have one.’