Page 194 of Golden Queen
Many of the buildings were topped by gilded roofs. Others featured huge plazas where gardens and meandering walkways could be seen. They were somehow all green and lush, with neatly trimmed lawns and bright flowers in bloom—even in the absence of any sunlight.
As Veles aimed for a wide platform, I could see a long pool of glassy water in a central courtyard. It was lined with a few neatly sculpted trees, their dark-green leaves draped with pale hanging vines that I was sure were moonflowers.
Once we were close enough, I could see more of the vines hanging from walls and structures across the academy grounds. I was surprised to see them there in the frozen mountains. Moonflower usually only grew in warm climates, though the air inside the cavern was almost muggy. No doubt thanks to the lava that pervaded every part of Darkwatch just beneath the surface.
Young people milled about the courtyard. Others raced over the cobbled stones with their heads bent, hurrying past as though late to some important lesson.
Most looked up as the big dragon landed, though. Their eyes widened in recognition, and they bowed before hurrying away.
Io helped me down, and I took a moment to smooth my rumpled clothes.
They were similar to the ones Master Juriae's wife Cazmiri had lent me; high-waisted black trousers and a fine white shirt under a dove gray fitted jacket that I was certain was nesericum silk.
Io wore his usual fine black clothes—likely also made from spider silk. They were cut perfectly to fit those long, powerful lines of his body and did not have a sigil or a single bit of embellished stitching. Somehow that managed to make him look more regal than if he had been wearing a crimson cape lined with godslion fur and holding a golden scepter.
"What?" he asked as he reached for my hand to lead me across the courtyard.
I realized I must have been staring at him like a fool, but I answered him honestly. "I was just thinking that you look like a king.”
He laughed. "That is something that, thank the gods, I will never be."
My brows drew together. "You are not so far removed from the throne as to make that an impossibility, especially since your brother has no heir."
"I have never been in line for the throne, Sera," he said, surprising me. "My duty to Darkwatch far outweighs any responsibility to the kingdom. If my brother died, my sister would be queen."
"Why do they call you Heir to the Throne of Nightfall, then?" I asked, remembering that was precisely how Aben had introduced him in the godsgrass.
"It’s little more than a status symbol and acts as a deterrent in much the same way as my sword. If I am the heir, then striking against me would be striking against the crown. It works because it is not widely known that I will not inherit the throne." He spoke low as we crossed the courtyard, but I didn't get the sense that he was trying to be secretive, just respectful of the hushed atmosphere of the Citadel.
He continued as we reached a set of red stone steps. "It was the old way and had been since the Darkwatch dragon riders took the rest of the continent. The Lord of Darkwatch would not bow to the throne, but he would also have no part in it. It's only in recent years that people have forgotten the old ways. The second son should lose any claim to the throne the day he’s handed to his uncle in Darkwatch. He would spend the next hundred or so years learning how to be a proper guardian of the land and the secrets of the Citadel."
"So how are you already Lord of Darkwatch, then?"
"By rights, I should still be serving under my aunt here—until she dies. Yadala is a good woman, but she is much more a mother than any kind of guardian. She never lived in Darkwatch with her own uncle, Lord Kaigan. My grandfather never cared to make her go. It was the source of centuries ofanger among the masters who believed they were putting Darkwatch at risk when she refused to take up the responsibilities of her birthright.”
I considered what the true role of the lord was if their absence could put the realm at risk. I felt a jolt of excitement that I would soon be privy to the legendary secrets of the ancient Darkwatch druids. They were hailed as the warriors who had restored the lands to order after the cataclysm that destroyed so much of the world.
I listened intently as Io continued while we strode across the wide courtyard. “When Lord Kaigan died, leaving Darkwatch without a guardian, the masters all agreed that Yadala’s husband, Vidar, would take her place. He would hold the seat for me—until the masters judged me ready for it."
"And they judged you ready at…" I trailed off, trying to calculate how old he would have been when he became Lord of Darkwatch.
"Twenty-three,” he supplied. “And not exactly. When my father died, my aunt left Darkwatch to go to my mother in her grief. They have always been as close as sisters. My mother struggled for so long, though, that Yadala would not leave her. Eventually Vidar followed his wife to Orin—something a true Lord of Darkwatch would never do. I was left as lord by default, and the masters had no choice but to accept me, even as young as I was."
The idea of his mother's grief at King Aris’ passing shocked me. I could not imagine mourning the man who not only beat me, but my child as well. But I didn't say that. Io had not shared with me what his father had done, and I had no plans to betray Aben's confidence.
The inside of the Citadel was even more impressive than the outside. It was cavernous itself with wide, sweeping stairs running off in every direction to what looked like endless levels.
The first guards I had seen since arriving in Darkwatch were fanned out across the entrance in full battle armor, holding long blade-tipped spears. Their faces, severe under silver helms, watched us as we approached.
When we reached them, they straightened, striking their spears onto the marble floor twice before bowing their heads and moving to the side to allow us to pass.
"Afternoon, gentlemen," Io said breezily as he pulled me past the guards.
I turned to watch them move back into place in line behind us.
As we continued down the hall. I wondered what abilities they might have. Those spears were sharp, and they looked like massively strong warriors. Each of them was thickly muscled and nearly as tall as Io, but I was sure they were also powerful mages to have been given the duty of guarding the Citadel of Darkwatch.
We passed through what felt like endless chambers. Some were full of studious-looking youths arranged at desks throughout the rooms. Many of them seemed to be writing in one book as they read another.
