Page 48

Chapter 48

Beatriz

There was nothing left for me to do but attempt to comfort Zichri’s pain, tears, and regret. I finally met Griselda and saw Milo, Gonzalo, and Blas again. The reunion held the joy I would have imagined, though it was tainted with sadness. Milo greeted me with a kiss on the cheek, Gonzalo and Blas bobbed a quick bow. I nodded and hadn’t any words to say. Emotion clogged my throat. Laude and I stayed at Himzo Palace late into the evening, and then Minerva brought us back home into Cosme’s sitting room.

My brother lounged in an armchair, muddied boots, disheveled hair, and eyes half closed despite our sudden appearance. Lucas snapped his attention toward us from the couch and Fermín gave a limp wave.

“Papá said you went to Himzo.” Cosme’s voice came out gravely and slower than normal. “Something about Zichri’s brother.”

My throat constricted with pent-up emotions. It must have been evident in my expression. Laude sidled closer to me with red rimmed eyes, swollen and sorrowful. Cosme’s eyebrows furrowed, and he leaned forward.

Witnessing Zichri’s unrestrained tears by his dead brother’s bedside played through my mind. “We didn’t make it in time.”

Cosme scratched at the side of his face. “ Caramba . First one brother, then … what about his father?”

I shook my head. Tears streaked down my cheeks. Though I hadn’t known the king, I felt Zichri’s pain and would have sunk into my own black pit of pain if that loss had happened to me. Zichri had gotten the blessing from Papá but had lost most of his family. Was it my fault? Should we have not dreamt of an impossible alliance?

“That’s horrible.” He stood. “I should give my condolences and the news.”

“What news?” I asked.

“The island is ours, but we couldn’t find Whyzer Patro.”

Ancient One, help us all. I prayed under my breath.

“You should go to sleep.” Cosme strode toward me and gave me a hug.

The oddity of the gesture left me stiff and caused me to send Laude a puzzled look. Laude’s mouth hung open, so the strangeness of the moment hadn’t been all in my imagination. I crinkled my nose at the whiff of a tangy body odor emanating from my brother.

“You know,” Cosme pulled away keeping his grip on my shoulders, “you could have done a lot worse than Zichri. He really loves you.” His mouth tipped into a mirthless smile, and he let go of my shoulders.

Now, my lips worked, trying to form a reply that wouldn’t come. A thank you didn’t feel right, yet I couldn’t think of the words to convey my appreciation.

Right before he touched the rippled air still open from Minerva’s portal, he stopped mid-step and twisted his head around. “Does this mean Zichri will be the new king?”

I could have swallowed a beehive right in that moment. With his brothers and his papá gone, my betrothed would rule Himzo.

Cosme didn’t wait for my response before stepping through the portal.

Laude looped her arm through mine, bringing me back into the moment. “We should get fresh clothes and head to bed.”

We slogged through the corridors to our chambers. A steady flow of dreary emotion poured through my connection with her, but I didn’t need my gift to understand she must have been juggling with her emotions if she wasn’t speaking at her usual galloping pace.

Our chambers stood on each side of the passage, ready for us to part ways.

“Want to talk about it?” I gestured to my door like old times when we had returned from our trip to Valle de los Fantasmas.

Laude couldn’t resist the opportunity to painstakingly spill every detail of what had happened and dissect every facial expression into the many hidden messages she could discern. We sat on the terrace on a settee wearing fresh gowns and enjoying the moonlight and each other’s company.

This whole time, I had paddled her with my words and actions for not telling the truth, yet I had held back this deep-seated fear in my heart.

“What’s wrong, Beatriz? You haven’t said anything in at least an hour and you’re not falling asleep on me, so I know you’ve got something on your mind.”

I chuckled at that. “You know me too well.”

“Yes, so spill the frijoles .”

“What if I make a terrible queen?” The moment the question escaped, I wanted to reel every syllable back into my heart and pretend the fear didn’t exist.

“I wonder the same thing … but not about you, about me because I am technically the next in line for Pedroz. Ugh, Laude, quiet your tongue. What I mean to say is, you aren’t alone, and the Ancient One placed you here for such a time as this.”

“Do you believe that?” I watched Laude lift her knees to her chest and wrap her arms around herself.

“It says it in the Ancient Tomes, so yes.” She flicked a furtive glance at me and laughed. “Well, it’s easier to believe about you than me.”

And we both laughed despite the exhaustion, the sorrow, and the future.

Days passed and I joined Zichri in the funeral processions through the cobblestone roads in Himzo.

On the day of Prince Hugo’s ceremony, I stood by Zichri’s side as he donned a fine black doublet and a strong chin held up high. A group of servants in white carried the casket to its final resting place on the other side of the mountain from the palace.

On the day of Prince Agustín’s remembrance, I kept my shoulders pressed so tightly back that my muscles ached from the unnatural hold. The people of Himzo waved white flags through the streets as our carriage pulled Zichri and me to the cemetery. This time Zichri shed a single tear while throwing a rose onto the casket.

The third day, King Velasco’s funeral, Zichri wept the entire carriage ride through Himzo. It wasn’t the bent over, uncontrolled sight I would have expected of Laude, but he constantly sniffled and swiped at his cheeks. Perhaps the third day of such processions finally struck his heart with such a force that he couldn’t contain himself even in front of his people. Perhaps it had more to do with his close relationship with his Papá.

So, when a week had passed and the celebrations in Himzo arrived, my betrothed stood before me, still as Prince Zichri, in an upper room, not quite ready to head to his coronation ceremony. The grand sitting room had gilded portraits of the kings of the past, so big and ostentatious that my body appeared small before the painted canvases. The dozens of carved couches with embroidered cushions remained empty, save for Laude acting as a distracted chaperone with her beau in the corner.

“Are you ready?” I crossed through an arched doorway to the balcony overlooking the city of Himzo.

Zichri spun around in the finest doublet I had ever seen him wear. It was adorned with sparkling gold stitching throughout the entire ensemble. His tan skin glowed in the morning sunlight, and his hair had been trimmed closer to his head. He could be painted on one of those portraits inside the sitting room.

The artist wouldn’t even have had to embellish those soulful eyes and curled lashes. His chiseled jawline would make him seem strong, and the perfect curve of his nose and lips would make any maiden swoon in this generation or the next.

He took me in his arms, wrapping his hands around my waist. “You are beautiful.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” I placed my hands on his shoulders.

His head tipped back, and he sighed. “You know I never wanted this.”

“I know. That’s why you’ll be great.” I traced my fingers along his smooth jawline.

He caught my hand and kissed my palm. “Do you still want to marry me after all this? You know being queen won’t be the same as us running off together in the woods.”

“People have always had expectations of me.” I touched the other side of his face and kept my focus on him. “Yes, I want to be by your side like I was at the funerals, even on the day of your coronation and throughout your reign. Though I’d still like to occasionally escape to the waterfalls and pretend we haven’t a care in all Agata.”

He kissed my knuckles, warm lips pressed against my skin. A wicked grin cocked into the crooked smile that melted my knees every time. “First matter of business will be for the king of Himzo to finally sign the treaty with Giddel.”

A warm tear spilled down my nose.

“Then our double wedding and the never-ending list of things to do.” He let go of my hands and pressed his palm against the small of my back.

“Please don’t remind me.”

“I must, beloved, because I take my vows very seriously.” He leaned down and pressed his forehead to mine.

My heart galloped. Our breaths mingled, and I longed to rock onto the balls of my feet to kiss him. He swiped the tear that had made its way to my chin and tilted my head upward. “Did I not promise you a kiss upon my return?”

“You promised a treaty, then a kiss.”

His mouth stretched to reveal his perfect teeth as he inhaled sharply. “That’s a shame. We’ll have to put this kiss on hold until tomorrow.”

I slapped his chest playfully. “You wouldn’t tease me like that.”

“Who said I was teasing?” Zichri straightened his posture.

“Prince Zichri of Himzo,” I reprimanded. “You come back down here.”

He chuckled, a full hearty sound. It had been too long since any joy had tumbled from him into my senses like a spear of light breaking the darkness. And though I did not like how he teased, I knew this betrothal wouldn’t last long. I’d get my promised kiss eventually.

The chain around my collar suddenly felt heavy and I pulled it out. “It seems the Himzo relic will make its way back to Himzo.”

His expression grew serious. “The kings of Himzo have always kept the relic nearby. They claimed it kept us safe by showing us the future.” He dragged his finger down the slick metal cover and opened the pocket watch. The small contraption rang, sweeping us into its haunting melody.

Shimmering light shone about us as if we’d stepped into a strange vision. The furnishings within the palace had shifted, and I couldn’t see Laude and Jaime in the corner talking anymore. Zichri pointed to the right where a couple in fine garments entered the stately room. The lady could have passed for Mamá in the way she held herself upright, but her facial features were shaped just like Papá’s. She was me, about ten years older. Children burst through the doors behind them, and the man spun a boy and girl in his arms.

I met Zichri’s wide eyes. “What is this?”

He smiled proudly. “Beloved, it’s our future.” He closed the pocket watch and lifted my chin with a gentle touch. “I can’t wait to live life with you.”

THE END