Crown of Hearts (The Twisted Crown Trilogy #2)

Chapter 1

Elara

The crown felt heavy and cold as it rested atop my head.

“I believe it suits you better than it did your predecessor, Your Majesty,” Rhen, the captain of my guard, commented. He was standing below the dais, wearing half a smile. I wondered for a moment if my discomfort was that obvious. Who knew crowns could be so impractical?

It was an autumn afternoon in the city of Levernia and the throne room was quiet enough that it gave the illusion of peace and tranquillity.

“You reckon?” I pushed the gem-covered crown a little to the left to keep it from slipping off my head. I had not yet become accustomed to wearing the heavy piece of jewellery. Not just because it often caused the muscles in my neck to strain but also because it represented the unequivocal truth that I was now the Queen of Everness.

“Well, your head is so much bigger than Prince Lance’s, so it would make sense that it’s a better fit.”

Weeks had passed since the rebellious uprising led by my uncle and his clan of thieves, the very rebellion that had placed me on the throne. One of my first orders as queen was to reinstate Rhen as head of the palace guard, with an official pardon from the Crown. Lance had imprisoned him for aiding me and Uncle Arthur during this period of chaos and violence. Instead of helping my wicked brother in his quest to steal heirlooms from the prince of Norrandale, Rhen and his sister, Cordelia, had sided with us.

Lance had me believing he was going to have Rhen executed for treason, when in reality Rhen carried a very precious secret — the knowledge that I was the heir to the throne.

Some days, I still questioned why he hadn’t told me the truth earlier. But I couldn’t be sure that I would have believed him. I hardly believed I was the lost daughter of King Magnus now, and I’d been living in the palace for more than a month. Nonetheless, it soon became clear that I needed Rhen as more than just my personal guard. He had become a friend and valuable advisor since my coronation. With the aftermath of the rebellion and the death of Uncle Arthur, Rhen was one of the few people left that I could trust. The irony wasn’t lost on me. The same person who’d once placed me in a prison cell, so that Lance could blackmail me into stealing from our enemy kingdom, was now my right-hand man.

“Very funny,” I muttered. “I rather think I look much better than Lance did, thank you very much.” I traced my hands across the velvet armrests of my throne, the material slightly worn from age and faded from the sunlight streaming through the windows.

My throne.

My crown.

It wasn’t that long ago that I stood, shackled and chained, facing this very throne. It had looked bigger from below the dais, more intimidating. The throne had housed Evernean kings for centuries. Powerful men and warlords had perched in this spot as they looked over their subjects. And now, it housed me, perhaps one of the last people in this kingdom who belonged there.

A long time ago, there wasn’t a single throne, but two, seated next to each other.

I never saw it in person but there were a few old paintings around the palace that proved this to be true. I couldn’t bring myself to ask why there was now only one. Like most parts of Evernean history, I feared an answer that was dark and unwanted.

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Rhen responded with a hint of a smile. “Lance could never compete with your beauty, after all.” I simply shook my head at him, unable to remain annoyed.

There was a sense of relief at no longer having Lance sit on the throne. And while his only interests now seemed to be finding the bottom of a glass and annoying his prison guards, it didn’t stop me from believing that ulterior motives could be at play. No one as self-serving as Lance would simply give up or retreat. He might not have any particular interest in the responsibilities of the monarchy, but he’d been willing to use me as a pawn in his political games, and I would be a fool to think he’d set all his unholy desires aside just because he was momentarily behind bars.

It was harder still to believe that Uncle Arthur was in his grave. Even after everything he’d done and after all the lies, some distant part of me felt guilty that I didn’t say goodbye. He was, after all, the only father figure I’d ever known. Even if he didn’t tell me the truth about who I really was. Even if he wanted to put me on the throne so that he could control me. I knew it would be for my own benefit to forgive him... and yet... The more I thought about it all, the less I seemed to have anything figured out.

Princess Eloisa was still missing. My guess was that she was hiding somewhere in the country. If she’d heard the news that her brother was in prison, she could be waiting to see how things played out. She had no way of knowing if her return would be well received.

But the truth I found most difficult of all was the fact that royal blood ran through my veins. The family I’d been brought up to despise. The family I’d never known. I was the next rightful heir to the throne, burdened with a responsibility I wasn’t sure I could carry.

My eyes travelled to the marble floors, worn by centuries of being walked upon. An image entered my mind, of the blood that had coated the floors on the day of the rebellion. Puddles so dark, I’m surprised they didn’t leave stains. Weapons clashed as the rebels fought against the palace guards. Fought for what they believed would be their freedom. Fought for what they believed was a better future.

I pushed the images out of my mind. The palace interiors carried tales of horror along every crack and corner. Would that eventually become my fate too? Another crack in the wall, in the history of Everness.

I tried to think of something more light-hearted. “Have you heard anything from your sister recently?”

“The last I heard from Cordelia were those letters from a few weeks ago,” Rhen responded.

I’d been both happy and relieved to receive an envelope with Cordelia’s handwriting. I couldn’t blame my former lady-in-waiting for wanting to leave with Jack, the head of Cai’s guard, but I missed her presence and softness, her ability to care like a sister. Cordelia’s friendship mattered more to me than I ever allowed myself to admit. Her letters contained stories of Norrandale’s beautiful and vibrant towns and people. I had replied to her but kept my responses vague and subtle. More than anything because I feared that whatever news I sent would eventually reach him .

The day Rhen informed me Cai had been crowned king of Norrandale, I found myself quite taken by surprise. It was always bound to happen someday, but Cai had left because of his mother’s failing health, and instead it was his father who’d passed away. It was difficult to fathom that the once rogue bandit and the charming prince were now the queen and king of neighbouring kingdoms.

I hadn’t heard anything from Cai. Not a single word. No letters, no messengers, and certainly no visits. Though I was the one who’d told him to leave, out of anger, I was so sure he would’ve reached out by now. Instead, I busied myself with anything and everything else to avoid thinking of him. Because I couldn’t afford to. Not with my new duties as queen. Cai’s silence had told me enough.

There was a soft tapping from above. A crow was outside, pecking against one of the high windows of the throne room. Its dark silhouette shadowed the stained glass, and I frowned in annoyance at the noise. I didn’t believe in omens but there was something eerie about the dark-feathered bird. Rhen didn’t appear to hear anything.

“Well, as long as Cordelia is safe and happy,” I said, matter of fact, and stood up, lifting the hems of my dress so I didn’t trip. “Let’s go for a walk, shall we?”

The throne room was an enormous hall with high ceilings and large windows, but it now felt stuffy and uncomfortable. It reminded me of the day I was captured and brought to the palace as the Masked Bandit. I could’ve never imagined that one necklace could bring me so much trouble. A necklace I still held in my possession, even if it didn’t truly belong to me. A necklace to serve as a reminder — of what, I wasn’t certain.

“Is that jealousy I sense in your tone?” Rhen enquired with a curious grin, following me as I walked away from the dais.

“Of course not,” I scoffed, clenching my jaw. “Why would you think me jealous?”

“Because my sister chose love over her friendship with you? And now you’re all alone here in Everness, with your kingdom at risk of falling apart.”

I halted at the threshold of the throne room. “My kingdom is not falling apart.”

Nor would my pride allow me to admit to any kind of jealousy. I really was happy for Cordelia. But coming to terms with how everything had worked out was going to take some time and adjustment.

“Well, it’s not falling together, Your Majesty.” He said the last part of the sentence with a hint of mockery in his voice and I refrained from rolling my eyes. Rhen had two ways of using my title when he spoke. The first was in public to follow protocol, and the second was with a specific tone when he was trying to get a point across.

“What would you like me to say? I wasn’t raised to be a queen.” Which we both knew all too well. Most days it was an effort just to remember the little formalities and which damn forks I was supposed to use at the dinner table.

“Don’t you see that it can be a good thing? It’s because of your past that you have a chance to make better decisions for the kingdom. You understand the lives of the people better than anyone raised in a palace ever could.”

What I wanted to say was “How am I going to be responsible for a nation of people when all I wanted to do was run away from it all?”

Instead, I said, “I know you’re trying to lure me into talking politics.” A subject I wasn’t extremely eager to discuss at that moment.

“Can’t blame me for trying.” He shrugged. “And you can’t avoid the subject either.”

“Fine. What would you like to discuss?” I hadn’t had proper sleep for days and every little thing pricked my temper.

Rhen didn’t respond with anything other than two raised eyebrows, annoying me slightly more.

“Why did your sister have to leave me here with you?” I said, more to myself than to him, as we exited the throne room. “Tell me how things are going in the city of Levernia, then.”

“Things have settled rather well this side of the kingdom. Most of the aristocrats are pleased you returned the land King Magnus took from them. You’ve won them over, if nothing else, but as you well know, they can be easily swayed.” He paused for a moment. “There are, of course, those who disapprove of your reign.”

“Who?”

We continued our walk through the long corridors. We passed the occasional servant with their head bowed, and I cringed inside. I wished they didn’t have to do that. I couldn’t care less if people bowed for me. It made me feel like some kind of imposter. Couldn’t they tell I was nothing more than a bandit wearing a crown?

“The grand dukes of Brett and Creston.”

I sighed. “I’ve already rewarded them for their loyalty and service to the Crown over the past decades. I can’t bleed the treasury anymore just because they have an attitude towards me. If I spend any more money, I’m going to run into serious debt.” It had been one of my first tasks as queen. I should have been less surprised that loyalty was bought in this place.

“It’s more than that,” Rhen responded. “They don’t believe you to be the true heir of Everness.”

“What do they want, some kind of proof?” I asked. “My parents are dead.”

“I’m serious.”

“As am I. Besides, I look exactly like Eloisa.” Or Eloisa looked exactly like me. I didn’t want to think about it too much.

“You’d be surprised how little the people actually see of her. I think if Eloisa were to walk the streets, no one would even notice.”

I momentarily stopped walking and turned to Rhen. “Magnus and Arthur are dead. Lance is behind bars and Eloisa is who knows where doing who knows what. What exactly do they want me to do? Who do they expect to rule?” Lance may have bought his popularity but only a fool would believe his reign could have lasted very long.

“Your identity as the Masked Bandit hasn’t been revealed, but it is known that you were raised as a commoner and then suddenly you show up out of nowhere during Arthur’s rebellion and put yourself on the throne.”

“I didn’t ask for this! The royal council gathered, and it was their vote that put me on the throne.”

Everness wasn’t the largest kingdom — in fact, in comparison to many kingdoms on the main continent, it was quite small. Across the ocean that separated Norrandale and Everness from the continent lay vast and mighty kingdoms, some almost as old as time itself. Had it not been for the wars they had among themselves, Everness might have been a much bigger target. When it came to our little kingdom, the land was divided among the aristocracy, the most powerful of whom formed part of the royal council. I’d always thought a king had sole authority, but the council was involved with many of the important factors in ruling the kingdom. On the one hand, this could provide assistance with a lot of the decision-making, and with the right people on your side, you could be a very powerful monarch. But I was beginning to learn that this was a double-edged sword. If the council did not approve of you, for whatever reason, the very aristocrats who claimed loyalty could be your downfall.

“Some people still see you as unfit to rule. This is not uncommon for kings and queens, however. We must simply deal with it in the correct manner.” Rhen’s tone was frank. I never grasped how he approached everything so practically and logically while my emotions went on a rampage with every minor inconvenience.

“Well, it’s not like they can just kill me,” I grunted, and then remembered Lance was lucky to still be alive.

“Not outright.” He shifted his weight, considering his next words. “But these men have influence and there has been unrest in the far east. Country folk in the smaller towns have been rebelling, refusing to pay taxes and spreading words of treason. The people do not know you and therefore they do not trust you to have their best interests at heart. The kingdom is still in turmoil and many of the people live in poverty. Everness is reliant on good crops this year and new trading alliances, the second of which you are responsible for.”

“It’s not that simple,” I retorted. “It’s a very isolated kingdom and these things take time.”

“You might not have that much time.”

I glanced at some of the large paintings and tapestries, depicting scenes of nature, that decorated the corridor walls. Anything to distract me from the anxiety growing inside. “I don’t have the strength in me for another rebellion, Rhen.”

“Well, it’s not entirely out of the question yet, unfortunately.” He shrugged. “I’m afraid you don’t have many choices.”

I clenched my fists, still somewhat in disbelief that I’d got myself into this situation. Two guards opened the glass doors that led out into the gardens. I kept myself from thanking them. They weren’t going out of their way. They were merely doing their duty, a duty which was an honour in most eyes. Their uniforms reminded me of Damon and how his eyes would follow me like a hawk when I was still pretending to be Eloisa. I’d never taken any sort of liking towards the guard with the scarred face, but Rhen had told me Damon was one of the many who did not survive the day of the rebellion.

“So, what are my choices, then?” I enquired hesitantly.

“You could marry an Evernean lord who would become king at your side. If it’s a suitor the people approve of, it could strengthen your claim to the throne, especially if you have an heir.”

This solution appeared to solve only half my problems.

Rhen picked a leaf from one of the hedges we passed.

“And my other choice?”

“You could marry Cai,” he said, and my step faltered.

I almost choked out a laugh. “You’re kidding, right?”

“On the contrary, I’m being perfectly serious. There was a reason the alliance between Everness and Norrandale was arranged in the first place, even if Lance managed to make an absolute disaster out of it. If you were to align the two kingdoms, the economic and military advantages couldn’t be overlooked. It would increase trade and the strength of both kingdoms. Though some conservative Everneans might be opposed because of the kingdoms’ past. Of course, Everness isn’t an exceptionally powerful kingdom at this stage, being so divided, but we do have a large army that has finally returned from the continent.”

“Even if I agreed to this . . .” I entertained the idea for a moment, imagining Cai ruling by my side as king of Everness. The thought only reminded me of his absence. “. . . we have no guarantee that Cai would do the same. He departed Levernia very abruptly and I haven’t heard from him since.” I didn’t mention that I was the one who’d told him to leave. “I think that sends a pretty clear message.”

The hems of my velvet green dress with lace trimming scraped over the cobbled pathway between the hedges. I could hardly remember the last time I’d worn anything but heavy skirts and tight bodices. They were beautiful, of course, but I often forgot how easily the dresses could get damaged or dirty, especially when outside.

The red roses drew my attention, and I picked one from the hedge. It reminded me of the night Cai and I had walked through the gardens of Woodsbrook Manor. I’d lured him from his rooms in the hope that Cordelia would steal his sword so that I could free myself from the deal Lance had blackmailed me into. Instead, I fell victim to his flirtations and charms.

“His mother was dying. He had to leave,” Rhen reminded me.

“I heard news that she’s recovered. I don’t believe it would kill him to reach out.”

“And his father has just passed. He was unexpectedly thrust on the throne. My guess is that he has a lot to deal with right now.”

As if I didn’t know what that felt like.

When I didn’t respond, Rhen said, “Why don’t you just send a message to him?”

“He’s the one who left, why should I write?” I tossed the rose away, watching it tumble into the nearby flower beds, not willing to admit that perhaps my pride was getting in the way of me reaching out to him.

Rhen’s expression at my immature comment hinted at mild agitation, though generally his patience with me was applaudable. “I don’t understand you sometimes.”

“Only sometimes?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Then I suppose you can’t complain about the fact that you must obey my every command, as your queen.”

“Oh, believe me, I complain. Just not out loud.”

We emerged from the rows of hedges, and I looked over the rest of the gardens. There were weeds growing in the flower beds and trees that needed to be trimmed. I realised I had yet to learn who oversaw the maintenance of the palace gardens. It had suffered some damage during the rebellion and there was much work left to be done.

“You know, some days I want to hate my uncle for placing me in this position, but I can never quite bring myself so far.”

I had had a small private funeral for Arthur. Only a few of his trusted men were there.

I don’t know if he ever told them the truth about my heritage, if that was the reason they supported his cause in the first place. But no one seemed to complain. I wondered how many of them went back to Fairfrith camp or started new lives in the nearby towns. Some had even joined the royal guard. Either way, I hadn’t heard anything, which I supposed was a good thing in its own way. The same went for the Baruk clan, which led me to wonder what sort of deal Uncle had made with Olwin. I still hadn’t heard news from Ray either, which left me to imagine the worst.

“The man is dead. And we must all move on.”

“He made such a mess of things because he couldn’t get along with his brother,” I said, more to myself than to him.

“Does this mean you intend to do things differently?”

“I mean, I haven’t planned Lance’s execution yet, which has to count for something.” I hadn’t seen Lance since he was imprisoned and forced to abdicate. I couldn’t bring myself to go down there into the prison cells where I had spent a night myself. In fact, I refused to think about him at all, if possible. No good could come from it, anyway.

“So, you’re just going to keep him locked up for ever?”

“I haven’t decided yet.” I turned to face Rhen. He hadn’t shaved in some time but still looked impeccably neat in his royal guard uniform with his hands resting behind his back. Always at attention. Always looking, always watching. Eyes scanning for possible danger. I relaxed a little.

“Let’s say I do decide to marry an Evernean lord.” I reverted to the previous subject. “Who would my potential suitors be?”

We reached the centre of the garden. “There’s the Duke of Dankershire. He’s young and rich and owns a considerable stretch of land.”

“Only because I gave it back to him.” I gave him a sideways glance.

“You disapprove of the duke?”

I thought back to our encounter a few weeks prior. There wasn’t a big difference in age. But the scrawny duke with hair of snow could never quite meet my eyes. When the duke’s father died, he was placed in charge of the estates at a very young age. Making conversation was difficult until we’d heard the horses being exercised outside.

The sound alone made him pipe up and immediately he started to converse about his love for the equine. The only problem... the man didn’t stop.

“It’s not that I disapprove so much as the fact that he is a complete and utter bore.”

“I think that’s subjective,” Rhen countered.

“Rhen,” I huffed. “He showed more interest in my horse’s flanks than in me. He wouldn’t shut up about the damn fillies, and I like horses as much as the next girl, I really do. But it’s the only thing the man talked about all day. All day, Rhen.”

He nodded and there was a faint grin on his face. “Okay, so maybe not horse boy.” Rhen thought about it for a moment. “There is always the Duke of Darwick’s son.”

“You mean Edgar Darwick?” I tried to keep my expression neutral but my distaste must have been obvious.

Rhen pressed his lips into a line. “I take it you have something against him as well?”

“He wouldn’t stop staring at me the night we stayed at Darwick’s estate.” The night I got intoxicated on the wine and wanted to kiss Cai outside my bedroom door. The night I drunkenly told him that I was his.

“He was probably just admiring you.”

I felt a chill, remembering Lord Edgar’s gaze. “There is admiration and then there’s what he did. Edgar kind of makes me uncomfortable.”

“Even so, the Darwick family is not only incredibly rich, but they are one of the most influential families in the kingdom. You could do much worse than Edgar.”

“Still,” I protested, “I could also do much better.”

“Like whom?” Rhen crossed his arms and tilted his head in taunting question.

“Well.” I smirked. “I could always marry you.”

His face fell immediately. “Please don’t.”

I laughed. “Don’t worry. We both know that we’d kill each other before the wedding was even over. And then I would lose my right-hand man.”

“Yes, how would you ever get along without bossing me around all the time?”

I could tell he was getting frustrated. I wasn’t fond of the idea of meeting with the Darwicks, but Rhen was right: they were a powerful family, and if they were not my allies, then I’d better keep my enemies closer.

“Careful now, sir.” I turned and started walking back to the palace doors. “It is a queen you’re addressing.”

“Yes, it is.” Rhen replied with mild satisfaction, at what I presumed to be hope that I would finally step into my role.