Page 154 of Reign of Light
Not even Brynne is around, having disappeared unannounced. If it weren’t for my mother’s miraculous wakening and Tila’s constant involvement, I would feel completely alone, lost and trying to find my way with no one who was supposed to be by my side.
But I can’t say I would be completely alone. Once the news of my father’s death spread to the other kingdoms, many of them reached out, offering condolences or assistance. Even Berrendahr, our closest neighboring kingdom and partner in trade, immediately sent a representative to stay at the castle as one of my ladies. Signee may be the princess of her own kingdom with duties and responsibilities of that she has pushed aside, but over the past month, especially with the preparations for the coronation, she has become a friend, stepping in and filling the void Brynne’s disappearance left.
I can’t even describe how it feels to finally have a friend, one who isn’t bound to me by duty or obligation. As princess of Berrendahr, she’s not obligated to be here at all. She stays because she wants to, and her kind and caring yet sarcastic and direct nature is exactly what I need to pull me through all of this. It’s the kind of friendship I’ve always wanted, despite my father never allowing it.
My mother’s fingers trail back and forth across my bare shoulders in a movement I’ve come to know as her way to comfort, and I lean into her touch.
“I have missed thousands of moments I wanted to experience with you, and I know the significance of this day means I’ve lost Rem, but despite all that, I am beyond grateful to be here with you on this day.”
A lump forms in my throat, and I try to swallow it down as tears pool in my eyes. “Me too, Mother.”
She swipes at her own eyes. “Ach. None of that.” Shuffling around until she faces me, she dabs my eyes with a cloth she pulls from a secret pocket in her skirts. “Tila will never let us hear the end of it if she has to fix your eyes before the ceremony. Gods know she’s done it for me too many times.”
My laugh is watery as I feel deep down how similar we are, and in just a few weeks we have only scratched the surface. We have a lifetime together now.
She shoves the cloth in her pocket and lets out an uplifting sigh. “Let’s get a move on. We can’t keep the other kingdoms waiting.”
I don’t bother taking another look in the mirror, because I know there’s nothing I could or would change, anyway. Turning on my heel, I stride through the room and out into the hallway, trying to push down the incomplete feeling caused by my missing necklace.
Every corridor is empty as we weave through the castle. All the staff are probably already seated and waiting in the throne room as a musical ensemble entertains them until the ceremony begins. That was my mother’s idea. She hated the dreary silence of the castle that I had become accustomed to, and it was one of the first things as queen mother she suggested we change.
We descend the steps down the main staircase, arm in arm, and weave through the halls until we approach the throne room from the opposite side. Whenever I have had to use it, I typically enter from my private entrance on the side, but not today. Not when I have to follow the ceremonial steps and allow everyone the chance to gawk at the queen they’ve never seen. Just before we round the corner of the final corridor leading to the black wooden doors that await my arrival, I spot Addy briskly walking toward me.
“Addy!” I call out, releasing my mother’s arm as I approach her. “Have you seen my necklace? I can’t find it anywhere, and I need it.”
She drops into a deep curtsy before righting herself again, and I can see she’s mildly out of breath. “No, Your Majesty, I haven’t.”
My stomach sinks, and it takes all my focus to keep my hands relaxed at my sides instead of worrying my fingers. It isn’t queenly behavior, especially right now. I can’t let anyone see the current of nerves surging just beneath my skin.
“Alright,” I sigh. “If you find it, just bring it to me, please.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“We’ll see you inside, Addy,” my mother says with a smile.
Addy drops into a nervous curtsey, her hands clutching in her skirts. “But oh, I’m so sorry, Queen Mother.” She worries her lip and then turns back to me. “Your Majesty, I was actually coming to find you. We have a bit of an issue in the entrance hall.”
My head quirks and my brows draw in as I process her statement. There should be no issues to deal with right before the coronation. Everyone who has been invited should already be seated. Mason made sure of that. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“There’s a man here. He says he needs to speak to you.”
I huff a laugh. There’s nothing anyone could need to speak to be about in this moment that couldn’t wait until the end of the evening. “He can speak to the guards. If he doesn’t have an invitation to the first part of the ceremony, he can wait on the grounds for the ball.”
She shakes her head. “I tried, Your Majesty. He was insistent. He says he will speak only to you. He’s claiming to be the First Guard.”
Another wave of irritation washes over me. I need to be focused on the ceremony right now, not dealing with a delusional man showing up at my doorstep, demanding to see the queen.
“I haven’t chosen a First Guard,” I say through gritted teeth. My mother clears her throat softly behind me, and my eyes fall closed as I take a deep breath. I can’t let something this simple fluster me, despite the other inconveniences that have already altered my mood. When I think about what my mother would do, how she always prioritized timefor those in our kingdom, I decide to lock away my feelings and take care of it. At least if I do, I won’t spend the entire ceremony wondering what is going on in the courtyard.
“Fine,” I concede. “Take me to him.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Addy breathes. She drops into another swift curtsey before turning on her heel and leading us through the empty corridor and toward the entrance hall.
Just before we reach the giant black doors that lead into the entrance hall, Signee steps through the archway beside them, a look of relief on her face. “There you are. Everything’s ready, Lennox. We’re just waiting for you.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I need a few minutes. Someone is in the entrance hall demanding to see me, claiming he’s the First Guard.”
Signee’s mouth closes abruptly, her features schooling to indifference before she takes a few quick steps forward and falls into place behind me. “I’ll come with you.”
