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Queens of Treason #926175 added March 29, 2019 at 7:40pm
Restrictions: None
Chapter 2
 
 Chapter 2
Princess Saedah
Princess Saedah squared her shoulders and made her way into the palace’s council hall. After glancing towards the end of a long, horseshoe-shaped table with a marble dais and podium at the center, she turned to a seat next to where her father should’ve been sitting. When she gazed at the throne, an ache formed in her throat. The Nardorian banner hung above the golden seat, displaying the hues of red with a gold circle of laurel leaves at the center. Near the edge of the council hall, four large, ornately-designed pillars stood with two fountains in between them. The ceiling had several windows which let a host of natural light into the room, complimenting a candle chandelier as well as the two large candle sconces next to the throne.
Several nobles made their way into the room, making small talk with one another. Once the courtroom came to a hushed silence, Princess Saedah stood. After a brief internal reminder that she’d practiced her speech, she willed herself to relax as best she could. “My lords and ladies, I thank you for meeting me today. As you all know, His Majesty was murdered a week ago and now we are left to lead our kingdom in his legacy. In order to move forward, I am going to Vestare to meet the four other sovereigns to argue for my right to rule.”
Lord Sevinor stood once she sat down. “Your Royal Highness, have those Vestarian dogs swayed you into going there? You lose your upper hand when you go to another court for something so significant.”
Princess Saedah inhaled a deep breath. She and her father faced this same question every time they discussed Vestare. “We have to be careful with our Vestarian neighbors. Of all the sovereign rulers we need to be concerned about, King Lacaros is the one who will try to conquer us if we give them a foothold. Nevertheless, going to Vestare should be a sign of goodwill towards some of the most prominent states within the world. Besides, it’s the unsuspecting rulers who are more prone to falling under the weight of their enemies.”
Her breath hitched. As she talked, she remembered her father moments before his assassination. She glanced at his throne once more. It felt wrong to imagine herself sitting on the throne far sooner than she had ever expected. Once again, the empty throne and her own words were a small reminder something large which was missing from her life. The hollowness inside her became an even clearer sign that she should’ve taken a day off. Maybe she shouldn’t be going to Vestare at all. But she had to do this. She had promised to guide her kingdom.
The next morning, Princess Saedah and her crew embarked on a ship, sailing around the coast of the Eganzias Sea and making their way through a river canal which lead to the Vestarian capital of Casindar. Princess Saedah stood on the upper deck of her ship and watched as the grey Vestarian palace fortifications came into view. Large, dark-grey walls surrounded the palace. When she walked up to the walls, she had to crane her neck to see all the way up to the top. Above the walls were many slits which gave room for archers to shoot their arrows.
Two trumpets blared from above. Once they finished, the gates opened. Inside, a man with a great white beard, a matching tunic, and a golden sash across his waist waited. Princess Saedah stepped up to the man, her heart racing. He gave her a subtle bow. Heat rushed in Princess Saedah’s chest and cheeks.
“Welcome, Your Royal Highness,” the man said. “King Lacaros is waiting for you.”
Princess Saedah nodded. “Forgive me for asking, but who might you be?”
“I am Mygros of Sirican,” the man said. “Head adviser to his majesty.”
Mygros lead her through the first ring of the palace walls. Many different group houses as well as armories lined both sides of the wall. Several stables filled the area as well. Princess Saedah’s stomach curdled as they made their way into the second ring of the palace. In this ring, there were many different houses for those who worked at the palace, each ornate and imposing. A few temples and fine shops scattered throughout the area, easily visible due to the rise in elevation.
Finally, they made to the third ring of the palace. At least seven major towers stretched up into the sky. Inside the third ring of the palace, a large building with ornate carvings from an ancient mythology jutted out of the ground. The building was just as beautiful as it was intimidating. As she made it into the throne room, her stomach churned.
“You must go alone to the king,” Mygros said. “no guards in the throne room upon the first meeting.”
Princess Saedah opened her mouth to speak, then she paused. She glanced back at her guards. Five days ago, she’d warned her father to call the guards. He lost his life when he refused. She sighed. This had to be different, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t. “What does he want from me?”
“Merely to give you a welcome into his palace,” Mygros said. “you are one of our guests of honor, are you not? One of the guests of the highest honor, even?”
Her stomach turned into a tightly-pulled knot. His words suggested flattery more so than they implied truth. Her welcome would most-likely be to assert power over her. A deep sense told her to say no and to refuse the welcoming meeting. But with King Lacaros, Princess Saedah felt as though he would be just as angry if she refused and take his anger out on either her or one of her guards.
Inside, King Lacaros sat on a throne which was similar to her father’s. Only the throne was elevated on an elongated dias. Above the throne, the Vestarian colors hung. Whereas her throne room was for meetings between the nobles, his was most-likely to discuss the trials deliver the harshest verdicts to his subjects. The doors to the throne room slammed shut, leaving her to face the king and his entourage of at least a hundred guards who no-doubt came from the regions he had conquered during his reign.
“Your Majesty,” she said as she knelt. Her knees ached on the cold, hard floor. Heat filled her cheeks. Princess Saedah almost had to bite back a cruel laugh as she spoke. “It’s an honor to be graced with your presence.”
The king rose from his throne and offered her his hand. “Rise, Your Highness.”
Princess Saedah took his hand, but she couldn’t hold back her question any longer. “What do you want?”
The king gave a sly smile. “I just hope that your rule is a lot kinder than your fathers’ was.”
Princess Saedah curled her fingers into tight fists, but she paused. She couldn’t anger this man yet. “And this is relevant to my welcome to the palace? To this meeting. I thank you for your kind words, but I would prefer if we got to the point. With all due respect, Your Majesty.”
“Indeed,” the king said. “extending good will as you have done by coming here isn’t amiss, is it? Regardless, I want to make something clear to you before any of the proceedings tomorrow at the Sovereign’s Council. Here in Vestare, the Laws of Blood also apply to our treaties as well. Backing out of any agreements you or your ancestors made is ground for war.”
She inhaled a deep breath, then took a step back from the king. Even with a few strands of grey in his dark hair, his face hadn’t aged. A sword still hung at his side, and Princess Saedah guessed that he knew how to use it and that he could still use it like a young warrior still in their twenties. His pale skin contrasted with his dark clothing with a golden pattern on his chest. Compared to Princess Saedah or her father, the king wore less jewelry than either of them.
“I will follow these laws to the best of my abilities,” she said, willing her anger out of her voice. “I still must do what is best for my people, after all.”
King Lacaros unsheathed his sword and placed it at her neck. “Keep in mind that you are at my mercy while you are here in my palace.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Princess Saedah said.
When she made her way into the feasting hall, Princess Saedah found herself faced with a feast which had an unholy amount of foods and wines. Multiple royals sat at the long feasting table, chattering away in different languages according to where they were from. According to a message King Lacaros sent earlier, she was summoned to sit at his right hand. When she sat down, she kept her eye on the other royals and placed her hand on her sword.
King Lacaros turned to her, eying her sword. At first, Princess Saedah felt awkward. Even though amusement sparkled in the king’s features, it was as if a serpent were lying underneath. “How often do you carry a sword to royal proceedings?”
“It’s a symbol of security,” she said. “especially after what happened to my father.”
Once the feast started, Princess Saedah focused on her food as much as she could while listening to the other royals. The Katrovan king had pale skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. He appeared to be much younger than King Lacaros but much less able to defend himself in a fight. King Iskivor of Katrova seemed deep in a conversation with the Norovian entourage. Both of the Norovian royals had pins depicting a crown with two swords across them. Their long braided red hair marked key Norovian traits. The final entourage was the one she was most familiar with. As a younger cousin to King Yahandi of Kierdahn, she had often spent her summers at the Kierdahnese palace. King Yahandi sat next to her, his eyes both intent and contemplative as he, too must’ve been listening to the conversations.
His umber skin matched hers. With golden rings in is his elongated braids and a muscular build, King Yahandi looked more like a powerful warrior king than the cousin she’d known when they were children. Even still, a sense of familiarity struck her in an odd place, leaving her to wonder how she would handle the elaborate feelings inside her.
“Good evening, Your Majesty,” she murmured.
“A good evening to you, too,” he said, smirking. “You can call me Yahandi. Time does not change our family relations.”
She shook her head, glancing at the other royals before she whispered. “I need to keep a veil of power on while I’m here.”
Before she could say anything more, two guards brought a man with neat hair and a long beard before King Lacaros. One guard gave the king a subtle bow and nodded. “Your Majesty, we apologize for your inconveniences, but this man was found to have committed treason.”
“Go on,” King Lacaros said, a wicked gleam in his expression. “tell me more about what you found. There’s no need to hide his deeds from our guests.”
“He was bribing his servants to hide plots against you and your most prominent supporters,” the guard said. “they found evidence in the form of letters.”
“Behead him,” the king said.
Princess Saedah watched, both interested and sickened by the the following. One of the guards made to leave the room, but the king held up his hand. The wicked smile on his face grew. Princess Saedah studied the expression as best she could, trying to see behind the mask.
“You do not need to go far,” he said. “it should be a good show for our guests if you commence the proceedings here.”
The guard forced the man to kneel then he unsheathed a sword. The man kneeling gagged as the sword swept through his neck and his head fell to the ground. The body collapsed, blood pooling near Princess Saedah’s feet. Princess Saedah stopped in mid chew but resisted the urge to cover her mouth. The other rulers spared one glance before turning back to their conversations. As servants cleaned up the blood pooling around her, Princess Saedah turned towards King Lacaros.
“Your Majesty, that was quite the show of strength,” she said.
“Here in Vestare,” the king said, “I showcase my strength by not letting a single crack show through my defenses.”
Princess Saedah gulped. “Alright. Fair enough. But in Nardor, we don’t murder people while we are at a social festival. Can you tell me what you intend for us to see with that display?”
“What should you see?” the king said.
“We are your equals, are we not?” Princess Saedah said. “Showing us how you run your judicial systems is hardly a relevant display of power, is it?”
“Not while you’re in my courts,” the king said. “while you are here, you are subject to the same judicial systems as per the Treaty of Justice states.”
Princess Saedah swallowed hard. She’d known that the king was a ruthless main, but seeing the display while she ate made it much different. She turned back to her food even though she didn’t feel like eating. The display of power felt off, too. King Lacaros would do anything to subject her and her followers to their rule. It was the natural way of power.
“Your Majesty,” she said. “I shall respect your court systems. I was just asking so I could get to know your empire and ways a little better for when we do business together in the near future.”
King Lacaros brightened. A sting of pride filled his features. “Under my father’s rule, Vestare was nothing more than a mere petti kingdom. But after many conquests, I made it what it is. I prefer to showcase strength to my subjects so they know not to cross me.”
Princess Saedah sighed. There had to be more to his system. Something for the subjects to believe in for them to support him. Regardless of what the murder was, the way he performed it felt off. Like he was trying too hard. “Very well, Your Majesty.”
The next day, the royals met in a meeting hall specific for international diplomatic meetings. Of course, King Lacaros always reveled in the fact that his palace was in the middle of all the others when it concerned geography. The morning before, Princess Saedah stayed in her guest quarters to eat breakfast. She summoned a few of her guards to eat breakfast with her. The sense of familiarity helped to combat the homesickness inside her.
When she made it into the international council hall, Princess Saedah was offered a place next to King Lacaros. She often tried to make sense of the flattery. Of course, the king would offer her accommodations for her welcome, but was he trying to tell her something else at the same time? She eyed the sword at her side, once again feeling a certain amount of queasiness inside her. Other than what her father told her when he came home from these meetings, she knew very little about these royals. Trying to sway them would prove to be almost impossible.
Servants brought drinks and some light dishes into the meeting before the meeting. Prince Loriason of Nardor accepted his tea with great grace and took a fair amount of the tarts. Princess Saedah eyed him, then she turned back to her own food and drink. To decline the gesture of goodwill might suggest impoliteness, but she couldn’t imagine herself supporting King Lacaros’ side in the meeting. Nevertheless, she accepted the kindness herself.
Once everyone sat down, King Lacaros stood. “Welcome, royals. To let this meeting commence, we shall start by letting Her Highness Princess Saedah of Nardor speak her piece.”
Princess Saedah stood and she gripped a podium in front of her table space. “As you all know, my father was murdered unexpectedly in his own quarters by an unknown assassin. While there are many other questions as to who committed such a murder, we must turn our questions to the future of Nardor. I recognize that I am but eighteen years old, but those of us from Nardor cannot stand without a leader for such a long span of time until I am of age to rule. Such a thing will only bring chaos into our borders. It is because of these things that I ask you to support my ascension to the throne outside the treaty limits.”
Once she sat down, King Yahandi stood immediately. “I echo her words. Nardor is one of our leading trading partners and they have been for a while. We must make her an exception because without an heir, Nardor might fall under the weight of chaos. I am in favor of voting Princess Saedah as new sovereign of Nardor.”
King Lacaros stood, his face reddened. “I cannot support the change. Can you imagine the repercussions if we let child rulers in charge? Do you not remember what happened after the Harntas dynasty fell, leaving the north in chaos?”
Princess Saedah’s stomach ached. She glanced down at her tarts. She’d only taken a nibble out of one of them. She scarfed the tart as best she could to avoid the confusion. Once King Lacaros sat down, he gave her a threatening glare. She pretended to ignore it, but she couldn’t shake the weight of the threats within his eyes.
A loud thud echoed through the International Council Hall. Princess Saedah jumped up from her seat, inspecting what had happened. Prince Loriason had apparently collapsed on the ground. Two of his guards bent over him, one clasping his hands.
“He’s dead,” the guard said after a few silent moments, his gaze on the floor.
Princess Saedah looked at her own tea and drinks then she turned to the servants. “Take these away.”
King Lacaros gave her a dirty look.
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Princess Saedah said. “but I don’t think any of us are safe drinking the tea.”
His eyes narrowed.
“It was likely that the prince was poisoned,” Princess Saedah murmured.
“We’ll take care of him,” the Norovian king said. “have the physicians perform an autopsy. But we will consider your theory, Your Highness.”
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© Copyright 2019 Anders J. Miller-Go Big Red! (UN: andersmiller at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
Anders J. Miller-Go Big Red! has granted InkSpot.Com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work. |
About This Author
Fantasy novelist, poet, college student, Kerri J. Miller spends much of her free time thinking about her writing. She has eight novels in the rough draft stage, two incomplete novel drafts and several ideas she has yet to hone and craft. Her main goal in writing is to produce quality works. When she's not writing, Kerri can be found working on digital art, tinkering with personality tests, or surfing the internet.
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