The Eternal Darkness (5 page)

Currying the favor of the nobles had prevented her from directly intervening to stop the gossip and innuendo being spread about Marcus.  Their relationship was not a secret, but the role his family had played in the attempted coup had made him the subject of baseless charges.  There was an organized effort to cast the disgrace of his mother and brother on him.  Aspersions of his loyalty to the crown circulated amongst the gathered nobles.

To make matters worse, he had made no effort to respond to these attacks.  “As long as you know what is in my heart, I am content,” he had told her when they were alone.  “I cannot ignore what my family wrought, so I will not attempt to defend our name.”  She had argued that he was now the rightful lord over a large and wealthy holding and must protect those that served him, but he rejected that notion.  “If I am seen as needing to respond, as if my actions have not proved my loyalty, it will give credence to these accusations.  Due to our relationship, that could also undermine you with some of the nobles.  That is something I will never do.  It is better if I simply keep my peace.  The truth will always win out in the end.”  Despite her misgivings, knowing his stubbornness, she had let the matter drop.

Even if Marcus was unwilling to respond, only the intervention of Jonas had stopped her from confronting his critics during court.  She was not blind to the fact that certain families were trying to make Marcus suspect in an effort to prevent her from marrying him.  She endured a constant stream of would-be suitors, each pointedly proclaiming their loyalty to her.  It made her seethe inside, but as with Genela’s presence, Jonas had counseled patience and calm, so she allowed it to continue.

Jonas had suggested another way to deal with Marcus’ situation.  With Marcus’ consent, she had appointed Sir Alleon as the Crown’s Regent over Marcus’ holdings.  Alleon and the Guardsmen that had left the city with him were tasked with confirming the loyalties of the men-at-arms that had remained at the holdings.  Jonas made the point that an investigation by a respected outsider like Alleon would reassure all that the plot had died with Lady Arelia.

“My Queen,” a voice called over to her, interrupting her thoughts.  She glanced over at the doors that led to the main hall and saw Commander Helgrant standing just inside the open door.  He was dressed in ceremonial Royal Guard armor, which gleamed in the sunlight.  In his hand was the royal sword.  “The nobles are assembled and Brother Jonas is ready.  It is time.”

Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Keria smoothed her robes and walked over to the doorway.  She saw the assembled nobles waiting in the hall, the soft murmur of their conversations echoing against the stone walls, their attention focused on the doorway.  “Be brave, my queen,” Helgrant whispered to her as he signaled the herald.

The herald loudly rapped his short staff three times against the marble floor of the hall.  “Her Royal Highness, Keria, Princess of the Realm and rightful heir to the throne, comes!” he cried out, his deep voice carrying throughout the hall.  “She comes!”

Helgrant led her out, walking a few steps ahead.  She kept a serious look on her face as they slowly made their way to the throne dais.  Her gaze drifted over the assembled crowd, as they bowed and curtsied to her.  She nodded politely in response as she continued forward.  She saw Jonas standing at the base of the dais, the golden crown held in his hands.  She nodded to him as she stopped in front of him.  Helgrant continued to the other side of the dais, and then turned to face the hall, the royal sword cradled in his arms.

Jonas’ voice seemed loud in the silent hall when he began the ceremony.  “Who comes to claim the throne of Sanduas?” he asked.

“I, Keria, do so,” she responded formally.

“By what right do you claim the throne?”

“I am the natural-born daughter and only heir of the previous king, Kristin the First”

“Do any here assembled challenge the daughter of Kristin’s claim to the throne?” he asked the crowd.

Keria saw some in the crowd glance around, but only silence answered Jonas.

“Hearing no objections, I deem the claim of Keria to be valid,” Jonas proclaimed.  “May the blessings of the One shine on us.”  Giving her a small smile, he gestured for Keria to ascend to the throne.

Once she settled in the chair, she sat upright, back straight.  Jonas followed her, stopping next to the throne.  He faced the assembled nobles, the crown lifted above his head.

“As Chief Cleric of Sanduas and by consent of the nobles present, I proclaim Keria, daughter of Kristin, Queen of Sanduas,” he intoned.  “She is now known as Queen Keria the First.  May she rule with honesty and fairness, under the protection of the One.  Let all here acknowledge her queen!”

The hall rippled with a wave of bows and curtsies as the Royal Guard drew their swords and held them aloft.  “All hail, Keria, Queen of Sanduas!” they cried.  “Hail!”

Jonas gently placed the crown on Keria’s head.  It felt cold and heavy to her.  “May the One guide and keep you, Keria.  Your parents would be proud of the woman you have become,” he said softly, his voice only for her.  She fought back tears as he turned back to the crowd.

“Let all of the nobles come forward and proclaim their fealty to the new queen,” he announced.

She saw the nobles begin to form a line, based on precedence, but she sought out only one face.  She found Marcus, dressed in a fine forest green doublet, standing next to Norlan, Madalin and Cherise, dressed in their finery.  Because of all they had done for Jake and Marcus, she had invited the family to attend the ceremony, which was normally restricted to the nobility.  Marcus’ handsome face was determined as he spoke quietly with Norlan.  Norlan leaned closed as they talked, concern written on his face as he watched the other nobles.

Jonas told her what Norlan had done in the dungeons.  “I don’t believe I would have succeeded without his support, as he defended the door and freed me to confront the demon.  I know that I would not be here today if he had not followed me in,” Jonas had stated. 

She had another reason to grateful for Norlan.  Marcus had grown close to him since the palace battle.  He had offered the use of his smithy whenever Marcus needed an escape from the palace.  Despite his stated indifference, she knew that Marcus was troubled by the campaign against him.  He told her that working with his hands allowed him a chance to burn off some of his frustrations and focus on what was important.  In those conversations, it was obvious that he clearly valued the advice that Norlan offered when asked.

Standing right behind Marcus were his friends Daen and Nathen, dressed in their Royal Guard uniforms.  Because of their friendship, she had asked them to discreetly provide a guard for Marcus.  She hoped that the rumors would not lead some to resort to violence, but she felt better knowing that he was protected.

With a final word to Norlan, Marcus moved forward to the line of nobles.  He was now lord of one of the richest holdings in the kingdom.  By rights, he could claim the head of the line.  As Keria nervously watched, Marcus strode up to where Genela was standing, the first in line.  Based on the look on his face, Genela was clearly not planning on moving aside.  They stared at each other silently, the other nobles growing quiet as they became aware of what was happening.

Jonas, observing the situation, started to go down as the tension began to grow, but Keria stopped him.  “Marcus must handle this,” she whispered to him.

After a few more tense moments, Marcus gave Genela a slight nod and gestured him forward.  “I know that the queen has been grateful for your counsel, Lord Genela, so it is right that you should lead us in the swearing of the oaths,” he said loudly, his voice echoing in the hall.

Genela appeared surprised by the gesture.  He gave Marcus a nod.  “Thank you, Lord Marcus,” he said simply.

Genela climbed the steps to the throne.  He knelt in front of Keria, who held out her hand.  Genela reached out and took it.  “By my sacred honor, I, Lord Genela, with the One and all of the others gathered as my witnesses, declare my and my family’s loyalty and fealty to you, Queen Keria, and will obey your commands,” he said clearly.  “I am your servant.”  With that, he leaned in and kissed the royal ring on her hand.

“I thank you, Lord Genela,” Keria replied formally.

Once Genela rose, Marcus took his place.  He repeated the words that Genela had used, but added as a whisper only she could hear, “You are my heart and love.”  As he went to kiss the ring, Keria moved her hand slightly, so his lips found her skin rather than the ring.  With a smile meant only for her, he rose and retreated down the steps.

Each of the nobles came forward to declare their loyalty.  Keria tried to endure it with patience.  After what seemed to be an eternity, the last noble declared his loyalty and the crowd watched her expectantly.

Keria rose from the throne.  “I am honored and grateful for your support and loyalty.  I swear that I will, with all of my strength, govern with justice and fairness to all.  I will defend the people of Sanduas against all enemies, even with my life.”

“Hail, Queen Keria the First!” Genela called out.  “Hail!” the other nobles answered.

She smiled and gave them all a nod of her head.  She was officially queen.  As she sat back down, Keria let out a breath she had not realized she had been holding.  Now, she could act.

Jonas gave her a smile and a bow, and then descended the dais and went over to a cleric near the front of the crowd.  He took back his staff that she had been holding and stood there quietly, watching Keria.

She straightened on the throne.  “Before I present myself to the people, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge those that fought against the recent demon threat.”  She gestured to Helgrant.

“Guardsmen Daen and Nathen, come forward!” he called out.

Marcus’ friends approached the throne, bowing to Keria.

“Kneel,” she commanded as she rose and descended to stand before them.  With a quick glance at each other, they both took a knee.

“While all those who fought against the designs of the demon have my gratitude, I know that you both volunteered to enter the palace in an attempt to rescue me,” she said with a smile.  “Despite overwhelming odds and great bodily risk, you successfully battled your way to me.  Once I was rescued, you continued to fight to free the palace from the usurpers.  Thank you for your courage.”

“It was my pleasure, my queen,” Nathen declared lightly, glancing up and giving her a roguish smile.  Daen shook his head slightly and looked with disapproval at Nathen, but stated, “You honor us, Your Majesty.”

Helgrant handed her the sword.  She raised it up.  “Do you swear to the One to obey the will of your sovereign, to always speak the truth, to carry arms to defend this realm, to protect the weak and infirm, and to give your life, if needed, in the service of these causes?”

“I so swear, Your Majesty,” they both replied formally.

“Then, by my power and authority, I make you knights,” she said as she gently laid the flat of the sword blade on first Nathen’s, then Daen’s head.  She handed the sword back to Commander Helgrant.  “Arise, Sir Nathen.  Arise, Sir Daen.”

After they both stood and bowed to her, she dismissed them with a smile.  Once they had returned to their places, she called out, “Mastersmith Norlan, approach the throne.”

Norlan seemed startled to hear his name called, but he confidently strode over to her, stopping and bowing.  “How may I be of service, Majesty?” he asked politely.

“Mastersmith, you have already rendered much service to the throne,” she replied.  She raised her voice so all could hear.  “Despite being a craftsman, you have fought against our enemies, showing as much courage as the bravest solider.  You rescued Brother Jonas when he was gravely injured freeing the city from the grip of the demon.  Your family took in Jake when he arrived and paid a price for it.”  She paused for a moment.  “All of this shows the nobility of your spirit.  I would have your status reflect that.  I would make you a noble.”

There were some gasps and muttering in the crowd at that.  Keria ignored it, watching Norlan’s reaction.  He seemed taken back, but recovered quickly.  He glanced back at his wife.  Madalin remained calm while Cherise was nearly bouncing with excitement.  They exchanged a look, and then Norlan turned back.  He had a slight smile on his face when he addressed Keria.

“You honor us, Majesty, but I must decline,” he stated.  That caused even more murmuring in the crowd.  “I would make a bad noble.  I prefer to work with my hands and tend to speak my mind.  That you think so highly of me is reward enough.”  His grin widened.  “Of course, a royal seal of approval never hurts business.”

Jonas had told her that he may decline, but it was still a surprise.  Keria raised a hand and the crowd quieted.  “I would never force a person to accept that which they do not wish to have,” she said, “so I withdraw the offer.  However, I hope that you would be willing to speak with me from time to time.  I would appreciate your honest opinion.”

“I would be at your service, Majesty,” he replied with a bow.

Keria saw Cherise’s disappointment when her father declined the offer.  “I would be remiss if I did not grant you some reward.  I would make your daughter one of my ladies-in-waiting, if you would allow it.”  Keria was breaking a long-held tradition where only the daughters of nobles were allowed that privilege.  “I will allow her time to continue her training as an artist.”

Norlan glanced back at his family.  Seeing the hope on Cherise’s face, he looked the question to Madalin.  She hesitated for a moment, but nodded.  “You do us a great honor, Majesty,” Norlan said.  “We accept your gracious offer.”

“Then go with my thanks, Mastersmith,” she said with a smile.  “I will have instructions sent over for Cherise.”

She watched Norlan go back over to his family and be greeted with a hug from his daughter.  That happiness gave her the resolve to deal with the issue closest to her heart.  Jonas had counseled a delay, but she was done waiting.

“Lord Marcus,” she called out.  “Please approach.”