Page 12 of Of Blood & Bone: The Young Queen

“How are such people ruled? You mentioned a royal family?”

“Yes, my Queen,” Kes replies. “Ailish speaks very highly of the king, who ruled over the country for many years and was much loved. However, in the time she has been here the king died and he was supposed to be succeeded by his eldest son, but it is told that a great tragedy befell him and he became frail of mind, making him unfit to rule. Therefore, the younger prince now rules Ellerban.”

An idea is starting to germinate in my mind. “Tell me more of this prince. Is he married, and do the people of Ellerban face the same challenges as Ardvalla when it comes to procreation?”

Kes smiles. “The prince remains unmarried, my Queen, and the people of Ellerban don't face the same challenges as we do here when it comes to procreation. The Ellerban men are known for their virility and the strength of their seed. They have large families and not always with one woman. This is allowed as long as both families are provided for.”

Her voice drops and her smile widens. “And they have quite the reputation as expert lovers. As Ailish tells it, many women who were taken from other realms in raids by Ellerban men have refused to go back to their homelands when their kinfolk came looking for them.”

I think of my dream and the waves of pleasure visited on me by the warrior and I wonder if this is how Ellerban men mate with their women. If so, I wouldn’t be in any hurry to leave Ellerban either.

I take the moonstone back from Kes and the moment its cool surface touches my fingers it’s like it becomes a lightning rod, channeling a white hot bolt of inspiration to my brain. Everything goes white and I suddenly know what I must do. The Grand Council said the only way I could deny Lord Greythorne’s demand of marriage was if I had another proposal of marriage from a prince or a king. An offer of marriage from a senior member of royalty is one of those rare situations where an Ardvallan is permitted to marry someone from outside the realm.

I fix my gaze on Kes, who is looking at me somewhat bemusedly.

“Ready the finest Khaleeni,” I order. “We ride at sundown tomorrow.”

“We, my Queen?”

“Yes, Kes, have Maneeha ready as I plan to ride with you on this mission.”

“Where do we ride to, my Queen?”

I smile. “We ride to Ellerban.”

Kes raises both eyebrows, a facial expression that is most unusual for her.

“My Queen, are you sure that is wise? If there is something you need from Ellerban, I and the Khaleeni can bring it back for you. There is no need to put yourself in peril.”

I stand up from the table and hold the moonstone in the palm of my hand.

“No, Kes, I’m afraid this is something I need to get for myself.”

“What exactly is it you seek there, my Queen?”

My answer is simple.

“A husband.”

Chapter Four

The flames from the campfire dance into the night sky and I’m glad of their comforting heat as it falls upon my skin. We’ve just crossed the border into the south of Ellerban and it’s much cooler here than in Valensia, the capital of Ardvalla and location of my castle. However, I am thankful for the fact we can at least light a fire tonight, which is something that wasn’t possible for the past two nights as we travelled through the lowlands of Greythorne’s province. If we are caught in Ellerban we can concoct a story that we are merely travellers passing through and pay a tithe to be on our way, as nobody here knows who I am. However, if we were to be apprehended on Greythorne’s lands by his men, I shudder to think of the consequences.

We’ve ridden hard over the past two days as time is of the essence on this mission and I didn't wish to spend any more time in Greythorne’s province than was necessary. My legs and buttocks ache from so many hours in the saddle over unforgiving territory, but I pay them no heed as I wash down the cheese and bread Kes hands me with a swig of wine. It’s a simple meal but better than anything I’ve tasted in a long time, sweetened as it is with the sense of freedom I feel in my heart.

These past few days have been gruelling in so many ways but they have also been liberating. Riding with the Khaleeni through some of the most unpopulated but beautiful parts of my realm, answering to no-one and feeling the wind against my face as I galloped at full speed across the plains of Arywyth has been freeing on a level I never thought possible. For the first timesince I became queen I feel as if I am in complete control of my destiny, and it’s intoxicating.

I look around at the collection of women gathered around me and marvel at how different they all are, but also how at ease they are in each other's company. They come from all over Ardvalla, and one or two, like Kes and Ailish, from other realms. They came to the Khaleeni via a number of ways, and I marvel at how Kes has formed them into a formidable fighting force. We are sixteen in total for this mission, as we can’t draw too much attention to ourselves by travelling in a larger group. At first, they were all a little reticent at having me along on this mission, even though I have trained with them regularly over the past year, so I’m glad to see this evening they are paying me little or no heed.

The aim of the mission is to sneak into the castle at Bawna, the capital of Ellerban, and abduct the prince who currently rules the domain. According to Kes’ sources he has not yet been crowned king, as his brother has not been deemed completely unfit to rule and it seems there is a possibility he may fully recover. This makes me feel a little better about my plan to abduct the ruling prince, not that I'm feeling overly guilty as the Ellerban aren’t exactly averse to a little abduction themselves. So, as far as I'm concerned, they can hardly object when someone, such as a neighbouring queen, decides to abduct one of them. At least they'll be left with a prince who will probably rule someday.

“More wine, my Queen?”’

I look up to find Ailish standing over me with a bladder of wine in her hands. I hold out my cup and she fills it nearly to the brim.

She smiles. “It helps one to sleep after a hard day in the saddle, and we shall all need a good sleep tonight to prepare for the day ahead tomorrow.”

I take a drink of the wine and return her smile. “Thank you, Ailish, and thank you for all you have done in relation to this mission, your knowledge of Ellerban has been invaluable.”

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