Rise of Heroes

Chapter 7 - Like Mother, Like Daughter

“Devan Farly is requesting an audience, milady,” the servant announced, and Lillian raised her eyes from the paper she was just writing on. She put the quill back in the inkpot and reached for the sand bottle while giving the woman a sign to bring him in. The servant quickly rushed out of the room, only to return a few seconds later with the man in question. He stopped a few steps from the door and bowed respectfully.

“Leave us,” Lillian ordered. Her servant gave the man a suspicious look and turned back to the queen.

“Your Majesty?” she said in her usual tone, which always meant she thought the act in question was foolish. Well over her fifty winters of age, Pomena, her servant, had been by Lillian’s side from the very first day she arrived in Roder. Lillian even liked the woman, but she thought Pomena allowed herself too much freedom for a servant.

“Leave us, Pomena,” Lillian repeated in the same calm manner, letter still in hand. “I’ll call you if I need anything.”

The woman hesitated once more, then performed something distantly resembling a curtsy. Lillian had given up on her attempts to teach her proper manners and now just ignored her inability to understand even basic etiquette.

When the door finally closed, Lillian turned her eyes toward her Guardian. ‘The years had spared him,’ she thought to herself every time she looked at his strong, confident stance and serious expression. He had come with her to Roder as her Guardian almost twenty-five winters ago and even though he did little apart from following her around and keeping her company, he still looked in his prime, ready to rush into a blazing fire to protect her.

She had been just a young girl back then, forced into a marriage she dreaded and sent off to a kingdom so different from hers that she considered ending her life on more than one occasion. She was infatuated with her young, strong, and handsome Guardian back then, and many times she had considered running away with him.

But then she gave birth to a son. Tamara followed, bringing her even more respect and support, but then she made a mistake and Estelle was born. Ever since then, Lillian was always on guard. She couldn’t afford for her secret to be found out by anyone.

She had had her youngest daughter in her home in Keldar since her pregnancy had been a difficult one, and Roder was in no way a good place for the weak, pregnant queen. Lillian could have stayed there if she decided to; she doubted her husband would look for her or demand she went back, especially with Tamara and Jaden already by his side.

And still, she chose to return. After all, in Keldar she was nothing while in Roder she was the queen. A title that she could have had in her own homeland had it not been stolen by her cousin.

Lillian shook her head to get rid of those annoying thoughts, focusing on her Guardian’s stiff posture instead.

“Why do you keep asking for audiences when I told you many times that you don’t need them to visit me? You’re my Guardian. You’re supposed to be around me,” she said, rising from her chair. He moved a few steps closer and took out a pile of letters from his inner pocket, carefully bound by a blue cord.

“There are enough rumors as it is. Some discretion wouldn’t hurt,” he replied in a mild tone and gave her a slight smile, which quickly disappeared. “I stopped those from being sent, but I’m afraid there might be more of them. Whatever they are, they bear the king’s seal,” he said, handing her the envelopes. Lillian grabbed them, and her expression changed instantly when she opened the first one.

“He has appointed a date!” she hissed angrily, knocking everything off the writing table. Paper, ink, and sand scattered on the polished floor, but this helped little to quench her anger. “The wedding is to take place two months from now! He is out of his mind!”

“Calm down,” Devan said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She froze. He then used the same hand to push away a strand of hair that got entangled in the edges of her crown. “There is no point in being angry at something when it’s already done. He is the king of Roder, and your son will do whatever his father wishes, regardless of your opinion. It’s already done.”

“Not if I can help it!” she snarled, stepping away from him and heading toward the door. Devan reached out and caught her by the wrist, forcing her to face him.

“Why are you so determined to stop this marriage? The alternative is marrying him to your cousin’s daughter. Do you really want to do that?” Lillian stared at him for a short while, then took a step back, halting right next to him. She raised her hand and placed it on his cheek.

“Believe it or not, I’m trying to save this kingdom from the decisions of a man who should have never been crowned king. Joel is a good person, but he is a poor ruler and an even worse tactician.” Devan kept staring at her intently, his face moving under her palm, brushing against her fingers. He closed his eyes for a moment; just as he relaxed, Lillian pulled away. “I must speak with him!” She then stepped back and headed toward the door before he could talk her out of it.

“It is pointless, Lillian!” he called after her, but she didn’t turn. She opened the door and stepped into the corridor without even glancing toward the two guards on duty. They seemed surprised for a second but quickly caught up with her. “Your Majesty!” Devan’s voice echoed through the hall, but she didn’t stop, nor wait for him. When he finally appeared next to her, she shot him a glance, but nothing more.

When they reached the king’s private chambers, they found two guards standing in front of the door, and to her surprise, they blocked her way the moment she headed toward it. She stepped back, eyes wide in indignation, but the guards didn’t look like they cared if they caused offense.

“We are under orders not to let anyone in. The King is feeling unwell, and he is resting,” one of them said in a respectful, but cold tone. Lillian straightened her back.

“Of course you are!” she sneered. “I’m sure that doesn’t include his wife! I must speak with him at once!”

“Nobody is to go in there tonight,” the same guard repeated, completely unabashed. His eyes lingered on Devan as if expecting him to do something. Lillian’s palms curled into fists, but she made sure her face remained calm.

“Very well,” she replied in a more official tone. “I’ll come back tomorrow to see him. Send for me if he needs me.” She added, and the guard gave her a sharp nod.

Lillian waited a few more seconds, half expecting him to change his mind, then turned around and headed down the corridor she came from. When Devan and the guards caught up with her, she stopped and turned to face the Roderians.

“You may leave now,” she told them impatiently. “That’s an order! Go!” They bowed and hurried away, the sound of their heavy steps echoing through the corridor long after they were out of sight. Lillian was just about to continue on her way back to her room when she noticed they weren’t alone. Leaning idly on the wall stood her youngest daughter with a daunting smile gracing her face, her porcelain skin paler and more transparent than usual. Her black dress fit her skinny body tightly, revealing a pair of bony hands and shoulders.

“Dear Lord, Estelle!” Lillian jumped, tripping on her skirts and swaying in a very unladylike way. She shot her Guardian a glance, but he pretended to have not seen that. “You almost scared me to death!”

“Forgive me, mother,” Estelle replied in a sweet, quiet voice and pushed herself off the wall. She grabbed her mother’s arm, pulling it ever so slightly.

To Lillian’s relief, Estelle hadn’t turned out like her sister. Maybe it was because she was so thin and fragile compared to Tamara, or maybe it was because she had spent more time in the high society of Keldar. Lillian had managed to convince Tamara of a Keldar visit just once, while on the other hand, Estelle was always eager to go. She was glad to have at least one child more like… herself.

“What is bothering you, mother?” Estelle asked while completely ignoring Devan, who was trailing a few steps behind them.

“Your father,” Lillian replied, and her face flushed with anger as she remembered her failure to confront him.

“His condition?” Estelle inquired with an even tone, her eyes locked on the long, bare corridor. There were no paintings on the walls, no decorations of any kind — just stones upon stones. Even the windows were smaller than they should have been, a cautious measure against attacks, no doubt.

“No,” Lillian sighed again. “It’s nothing you should worry about.”

“He has already appointed a date?” Estelle raised her eyebrows and Lillian’s head snapped toward her. Joel had tried very hard to keep it a secret, but apparently, he was not very good at that either, if even Estelle already knew about it. “Well, that was fast. Jaden won’t be happy to hear it.” She seemed more amused than concerned as she said that, a playful smile dancing on her lips. “When I think about it, nobody will be happy with this marriage. Can’t wait to see how this turns out!”

They continued to walk in silence for a few more minutes, both lost in their own thoughts, until they reached a turn that led them to one of the few terraces gracing the higher levels of the castle. This one offered a breathtaking view of the harbor further down the ocean shore, where a dozen Roderian ships had formed an almost perfect line at the docks. In the opposite direction, they could see the rocks that were rising behind the castle, providing a natural defense that was impenetrable. The city was carved into the very same rock but polished and smoothed over the centuries. At the top of the cliff nested an enormous lighthouse that helped the ships moor safely at the pier.

“Can I ask you something, mother?” Estelle said just as the queen was relaxing on the rail.

“Of course,” Lillian glanced toward Devan, who still stood close enough to be of service but not too close to invading their privacy. His eyes stayed locked on the horizon, and he didn’t even notice the stares of both the queen and the princess. When Lillian moved, though, he focused his attention back on her, and after she made him a sign to leave, he nodded and returned to the corridor. “What is it?”

Estelle hesitated for a second and then took a small leather-bound book, the size of her hand, out of her sleeve. Without opening it, she offered it to her mother.

“Do you know what this is?” she asked and for the first time, there was an emotion in her voice. Her eyes had brightened up and her hands had clenched together after handing the book to Lillian. A few pages into the book, Lillian looked at Estelle in shock.

“Where did you get this book?” She asked in a shaky voice. “Estelle!”

“The library.” The girl shrugged. “Well?”

“Does your father know you have this? It’s a spellbook, Estelle!” Lillian shook her head and pressed the book back into her daughter’s hands. “Does he know?”

“Of course he knows. He has his dog, Reinhart, watching me.” The princess sighed with annoyance. “Like he is any good at that! He could barely hurt a fly, let alone go against me.” She chuckled, but then her face turned serious again. “From your reaction, I gather you’re familiar with such books. And don’t tell me you have no knowledge of magic. Please do share what you know, mother.”

Lillian could feel her heart pounding heavily as she watched Estelle’s pleased expression. It took her a good minute to recover. She turned to look around and even though there was nobody, she still felt uneasy as she spoke.

“I know little of those things, Estelle. Magic is against the law in Keldar,” Lillian said. She had never thought her children would have it — she had hoped they wouldn’t, she still did. She had seen what happened to people who possessed any powers; she doubted she’d be able to forget their faces, their screams. Her own brother was one of them, and his noble blood meant nothing as he got executed by their own father.

“This is not Keldar, mother. And as you have guessed by now, I do have magic,” Estelle said nonchalantly and Lillian closed her eyes, letting go of any further illusions. “And for me to have it, one of my parents has to have it. Or somebody in the family.” She said matter-of-factly, her dark eyes piercing her mother like spears. Lillian had never felt so at a loss for words — even back in Keldar, she had always found something to say in any situation. But her life in Keldar had taught her that some things were better left unsaid. “So?”

“I’ll tell you what I know,” Lillian finally sighed. “But not here. Come with me.”