Rangers of Linwood (The Five Kingdoms Book 1) (22 page)

“I could kill you with impunity right now,” Tesni said, “but you do not have the same advantage. If you push that blade into my side, the weight of my fall will push my dagger into your evil heart.”

“You foolish girl, it is mutually assured destruction,” Agrona said. “Do you not think that I have already spelled this blade to lift my hand up the minute I die, or that I will find time to stab you even as I feel the tip of your dagger bite my flesh?”

Tesni bit her lower lip. Agrona was right. Either of the scenarios she presented were entirely possible. But Tesni knew something about the magic that Agrona did not, and then she smiled. “So be it. I, Tesni Greenblade, rightful Queen of Linwood, being without spouse or child of my own, do hereby name as my successor the firstborn child of Ryder Greenblade and Arya Summerbreeze, such child being my younger sibling and thereby a rightful heir to Linwood’s throne, and such title shall he hold so long as I remain childless.”

The magic swirled around both Tesni and Arya. Arya’s hands flew to her abdomen, and she knew instinctively what Tesni had just done. Tesni smirked as she realized the incantation had worked and plunged her dagger into Agrona’s chest.

Even as she killed Agrona, Tesni felt the dagger Agrona had taken from her bite into her left side, close to her heart. She fell from the pain as the dagger’s blade slid between her ribs. The last thing Tesni saw as her eyes closed was the wall of ice melting all at once and Arya running towards her.

Chapter 19

On the field outside Agrona’s keep, something happened. A dark mist began to emanate from the woods as well as from Agrona’s soldiers. The soldiers stopped fighting. The Rangers and the royal guard looked on in awe, wondering what to do. Honor dictated that they not continue to attack a foe who had peacefully laid down their arms. But what about that mist? Was it an attack? Or was it something else?

The mists combined and soared up into the air, where it dissipated. The soldiers who had been fighting for Agrona looked at themselves and then at each other. Finally, they looked at the small army ahead of them. One of them stepped forward.

“Please, we ask for peace,” he said. “I am General Cian Nightsun. For years we have longed for our freedom from Agrona’s spell that we might finally serve the true rulers of Linwood. The dark spells no longer fill the woods, for if we are aware and able to put down our arms, then Agrona is dead and Linwood is free.”

Ryder stepped forward. “I’m Ryder Greenblade, horse master and leader of the Rangers of Linwood, and this is Lucas Daystar, head of the royal guard. If what you say is true, then any moment, now, my daughter, who entered the castle to strike the final blow, will be emerging any minute.”

“Your daughter must have a special grudge if you let her go in after Agrona,” Cian observed.

“My daughter is Tesni, daughter of Cliona and granddaughter of King Ithel and Queen Rhiannon,” Ryder confirmed. “She is the rightful heir to the throne, now that her mother and grandparents are dead, and she has proven it by holding the orb. The glow from it was so bright it nearly blinded the entire camp.”

“Then we shall gladly serve her and remain loyal to her for all our lives,” Cian said. “She has freed us, and for that we can never repay her.”

Several minutes passed as they all talked quietly and Aeron removed the illusion spell from Fiona, who had been playing Tesni and riding on Tesni’s horse. Then, as the door to the keep opened, they all turned to look, but it was not Tesni walking out the door. Ryder, more than anyone, was surprised to see Arya walking out, carrying Tesni in her arms.

Ryder’s heart leapt into his throat. How was this possible? He had left his wife back in camp. Had Tesni somehow actually lost? What did this mean?



Arya gave out a cry as she saw her step-daughter fall. Her only consolation was that Tesni had managed to kill even as she was killed. Linwood would now have to wait for nearly two more decades to have a ruler. The babe in her womb fluttered a little, as if sensing his sister’s death and what kind of legacy his sister had left him.

Arya pulled Tesni’s body away from Agrona’s. She sobbed as she tried desperately to stop the flow of blood, clinging to one last shred of hope that Tesni might yet survive. She thrust a blade into the fireplace and then pressed it against the wound, searing a scar on Tesni’s body as the wound was cauterized. Still, though, the girl failed to draw breath, and Arya finally gave in, her tears falling down on Tesni’s face.

“So, my prophecy has come true at last.”

Arya looked up in shock at the woman who had spoken. “Who are you?”

“I am Ruya, and I was Agrona’s prophetess. I am the one who advised her to seek out the one known as Wits.”

“Then you’re responsible for all of the pain she’s gone through since she was eight,” Arya growled. She was shaking.

“And she has more, yet, to endure,” Ruya said, “for I have seen her future as Queen of Linwood, and she still has many trials to undergo.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Arya whispered. “She’s dead.”

“If I had not prophesized about her to Agrona, and Agrona had never attacked her, she would never have been prepared to face her today,” Ruya said. “In a way, what I did was very good for her. It has made her stronger than you realize.” She handed Arya a small scroll, then, and departed.

Arya opened the scroll and read it, finding that it was the very prophecy Ruya had spoken of. When she got to the final couplet, she gasped, and then looked down at Tesni just in time to see her eyes open. “Tesni…” She threw the scroll away, hugging her step-daughter tightly.

Tesni let out a shriek of pain and Arya backed off with an apologetic smile. “That really hurt,” Tesni gasped.

“Do you think that you can walk?” Arya asked.

“My side hurts too much.” Tesni moved a little and winced. “How did you stop the bleeding?”

Arya’s smile went from apologetic to nervous. “I had to cauterize it with your blade,” she said. “It’s going to leave a scar, I’m afraid.”

“That’s alright, so long as I heal,” Tesni replied.

Arya helped Tesni stand long enough for her to scoop the girl into her arms. She could see the shimmering outline of a ceremonial bow at the girl’s…no, young woman’s back, and she smiled. She carried Tesni down the stairs and out to the field, knowing by sound that the battle outside was over.

As she exited the keep, she saw Ryder and Rowan both running as fast as they could over to her, fear in their eyes that the worst had happened. “Careful,”
Arya said. “That side has a nasty wound to it.”

She helped support Tesni long enough for Ryder to take and carry her, and they walked over to where everyone else was waiting. Tesni smirked at everyone who was watching her expectantly. “Well?” she asked. “What are you all staring at me for? Why hasn’t someone started preparations for a victory party?”

Cheers erupted from those who had fought on both sides.



While everyone else worked on preparations for the party, Enid was busy working on Tesni’s wound. Though Arya had cauterized it well enough, all things considered, Enid found good enough reason to reopen the wound and stitch everything up. She also placed a special salve on the wound to help the whole thing heal faster. “It will also reduce the pain and help to minimize the scarring,” she said.

“I don’t care about the scar,” Tesni said. “It’s a battle scar, a badge of honor.”

“Aye, child, it is, and a mark of courage at that,” Enid agreed. “However, what most people don’t realize is that a scar is not just a mark. You don’t sweat from a scar. Most people have scars so small that they don’t even notice, but this will be large enough that you’ll notice. If you’re not sweating, your body isn’t cooling itself. That’s the real reason it’s important to minimize scarring. It’s not just a beauty issue.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way,” Tesni admitted.

“No, and how could you? You didn’t know. But by minimizing the scarring, we’re also maximizing the surface left available for you to sweat from and minimizing the damage done to your body’s ability to cool itself. You’ll be healthier for it in the end.”

“Thanks, Enid.”

“You’re welcome, Tesni.” Enid glanced outside the tent. “It appears that the celebration is about to start.”

As if on cue, Ryder came into the tent, scooped Tesni up, and carried her onto the stage. Tesni assumed it was because of the role she had played in the day’s victory. She was partially right.

Ryder sat her on a chair and then put a blindfold on her. “It’s not often that we have so much to celebrate,” Ryder said. “Today, Agrona was defeated. Tesni, our rightful queen, can properly claim her throne. Many of you have witnessed her holding the orb, Linwood’s greatest artifact. You have seen it glow so brightly in her hands that it was almost blinding.”

Cheers erupted. Tesni’s ears picked up the sound of steps coming up onto the stage to her left. She could sense someone standing next to her, and by the way the footsteps fell, she could tell that it was Arya. “But Tesni has achieved more than her throne,” Arya said. “Hold out your hands, Tesni.”

Tesni held out her hands and felt a weight appear in them. She could feel carved wood beneath her fingertips, and when she stretched out her thumbs, she felt a tight string. Someone pulled off the blindfold, and Tesni saw in her hands a ceremonial bow.

The bow was made of yew wood and highly polished. The tips, where the silver string was notched, were capped in silver with intricate scroll work. The same patterns were repeated in the wood itself, where it had been carved and inlaid with silver, gold, and green enamel in ways that the patterns interwove with each other. From the top of the bow hung a little charm, onto which was carved the royal crest of Linwood.

Ryder leaned down, placing his mouth next to Tesni’s ears. “We’re proud of you,
aneyla.
”

“Thank you,
atar
,” Tesni said.

“You know what to do,” Arya said, handing her a special arrow.

Tesni notched the arrow and, with the help of her parents, stood upright. She took careful aim at the bonfire in the center of camp, not yet lit. Arya lit the arrow, and Tesni released it. When it hit the bonfire pile, the wood flared up into bright orange flames symbolizing the beginning of Tesni’s life as a full Ranger.



A week later, Tesni was able to stand on her own, which was a good thing, because it was her coronation day. In her new chambers in the palace, she was growing irritable as Fiona brushed her hair out. “Why does it have to be so fancy?” she asked. “Why can’t I just wear my normal braid?”

“Tesni, you’re the queen,” Fiona said. “People have very high expectations of you, higher than you realize, and they expect you to
look
like a queen”

“How do they even know what a queen looks like?” Tesni asked. “How many of them saw my grandmother when she was alive?”

“Most of them, actually,” Fiona said. “I may have been young at the time, but I remember that your grandmother made many, many public appearances. She was always very regal. My mother helped to dress her and did her hair, just as I’m doing for you, now, and will continue to do so until you find someone you want to hire.”

“I don’t see why I have to hire anyone,” Tesni said. “Why do I have to be my grandmother?”

“Nobody expects you to be your grandmother,” Fiona said. “Everyone understands that you were not raised royal and that you will bring your own ways to the throne. There, all done,” she declared at last.

Much of Tesni’s hair had been left down, but Fiona had taken the side lengths and woven them together into a beautiful plait. “It’s pretty,” Tesni said.

“I’m glad you approve,” Fiona replied as she placed a beautiful necklace around Tesni’s neck.

“I thought about wearing the set with the head dress,” Tesni said, “but then I thought better of it. I will wear that jewelry set when Rowan and I wed.”

“A wise choice, considering there needs to be room on your head for the crown,” Fiona said.

As soon as Fiona declared Tesni ready, she took a deep breath and walked to the doors of the throne room. She knew that there were already many people inside, and many more outside the palace walls, waiting for her to appear at the balcony. She started to hyperventilate.

A familiar hand fell on her shoulder. “Didn’t I tell ye that ye were meant for somethin’ bigger, Wits?”

Tesni smiled, suddenly calm again. “Aye, that ye did, Knives.” She turned around and hugged Alastar. “How are you?”

“Feelin’ brave,” Alastar said. “I’m th’ only member of th’ Thieves Guild willin’ to come all th’ way t’ th’ palace, Wits. Th’ lads are all afraid of gettin’ caught.”

Tesni laughed. “Well, give them my love, anyway.”

“An’ they send theirs,” Alastar said. “Ye nervous?”

“Aye, a bit,” Tesni admitted. “But I can do this.”

“That ye can, Wits. That ye can. Go on, then. I didn’t get one of th’ official invitations, ‘cause I’m no noble, but I’ll be visible from th’ balcony, ye can count on that.”

Tesni nodded and entered the doors as trumpets blared. She walked down the aisle, which seemed to her to be far too long. Eventually, though, she reached the dais. She knelt down, wincing in pain as she did so. She was still not fully healed. She was surprised to see her father next to the crown, but she kept her features schooled.