Chapter 13 #2
“Terrible mess the clerics made of our sacred mountain. Polydorus and Lady Batea funded its dismantling while you were detained in Boreas. Some of the building remains, and the scars it left will take time to heal, but the whole of the offending material should be cleared soon, provided the mountain spirits allow us entry. The process might proceed faster should you come yourself, Your Majesty. And that is my second petition—that you visit the site of the tower and do what you can to pacify the spirits there. If you have a queen by then, all the better.”
“Your petitions have been heard, Lord Vettias,” Batea announced.
“Blessings of the Triad on the sun of Aureum.” Vettias bowed and backed up.
“Next petitioner,” Batea called.
The next was the lanky Lord Gallus, a cousin of Lady Ino and one of her most ardent supporters in trying to see her with a queen’s crown atop her head.
His sable curls bounced with each officious step, his pale blue eyes radiating determination.
Theron braced himself for what was about to come out of this courtier’s mouth.
“Blessings of the Triad on the sun of Aureum. Congratulations on your recent marriage, Your Majesty.”
Theron waited, gesturing for Gallus to continue.
“Our family has worked tirelessly for many years to protect the Dragon’s Flank, and Lady Ino has spent many months in the capital purifying the waters here with her magic.
She has already proven her fertility by bearing the son of her late husband.
Lady Ino is a wise and beautiful woman with powerful magic, Your Majesty.
There are no truer allies in all of Aureum than our family.
I come today to petition for you to take my cousin as your second wife and make her your queen. ”
“Blessings of the Triad on the sun of Aureum. May I speak, Your Majesty?” Lord Leukos stepped forward and knelt.
Just what he needed. Theron bit back a sigh.
“You may.”
“If you are considering appointing a queen, then no one has a better claim than Princess Aurora. Her High—”
“And where is she, Viridian? Your princess doesn’t even deign to attend court,” Gallus interrupted.
“Neither is your Lady Ino, Lord Gallus. My princess is right now writing to her mother, Queen Flora, to help calm tensions between Viridis and Aureum. Or do you suppose that the peace of Trisia is less important than a few court cases that His Majesty was more than capable of handling on his own?” Leukos asked, raising a dark brow.
“What could some foreigner possibly do to keep your mad queen from attacking our kingdom? She holds no love for your princess.”
“By all the laws that matter, Her Highness Aurora is the daughter of Queen Flora and a princess of Viridis. Unless Aureum has stopped recognising legal adoptions? That would be a pity for you, Lord Gallus. Were you not brought into your family’s fold through such means?
” Leukos asked calmly. When Gallus’ face reddened and he had no more to say, Leukos turned back to Theron.
“As I was saying, Your Majesty, Princess Aurora ought to be considered first for the position of queen. Not only is she of higher standing than Lady Ino, she has proven herself to be brave, self-sacrificing, and compassionate many times over. Her Highness has saved your life against monstrosities more than once, and she is your fated. If both Fate and Passion have seen fit to place her by your side, I can think of no one better suited to be your queen.”
The courtiers whispered amongst themselves.
That no one dared call Aurora mad was an interesting development. He thought it would be the first thing Gallus named as a reason to exclude her from the running. Had Lady Ino warned her cousin not to mention it in court?
“Your Majesty,” Gallus said, stepping forward once again, “the matter of the queen is of great importance. Let us all make our opinions known on this matter. Allow us to show you who among us supports Lady Ino and who supports the Viridian princess.”
That wouldn’t do. Lord Gallus was feeling much too bold. And Theron wouldn’t allow his nobles to sway him on who he would make his queen, no matter if they all sided with Lady Ino. Was the lord so foolish as to forget what happened to those who thought to dictate terms to him in his own court?
“Lord Gallus, do you presume to lead my court?”
Unfortunately, Lord Gallus seemed intelligent enough to know he’d overstepped. He blanched and knelt.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty. No one could ever lead this court but the sun of Aureum.”
It was then that Polydorus whispered in Theron’s ear.
“It might not be a bad thing to see who here will cause you problems depending on your choice of queen.”
“That supposes they’re honest with their votes here,” Theron whispered back.
“Yes, well, knowing either way will assist me in dividing up our spies.”
Theron sighed. Polydorus had a point. Better to know just how many Lady Ino had definitively sunk her claws into. And if he forced them to either make or break alliances here and now, it might cause fighting amongst the nobles and give him a chance to redirect their attention.
“Let your king see who it is my court favours. Those who favour Lady Ino will stand there. Those who support Princess Aurora may stand there. And all those who are either undecided or who favour neither may stand in the centre,” Theron ordered.
It seemed Lady Ino had increased her number of supporters while he was away.
Damn the woman. Those who supported Aurora were, predictably, all the Viridians present.
The largest group by far was in the centre of the room—until Lord Vettias’ cane clicked against the mosaic floors as he shuffled over to stand by the Viridians.
Theron schooled his features, doing his best to hide his shock.
Not as well as he might have hoped, though, if Vettias’ wry chuckle were any indication.
“Who am I to argue against the will of goddesses? Against the weaver of the Tapestry Herself? No, I made that mistake once with your aunt, Your Majesty. I was wrong then. I will not be so foolish again.”
Once Lord Vettias stood amongst Aurora’s supporters, more came than Theron expected. Now, the smallest group was those left undecided. Both Lady Ino and Aurora commanded the same number of supporters. Theron had never been so relieved for a tie.
“Your positions have been made clear. I will consider them as I decide upon my queen. And I will commit to visiting the mountains to pacify the spirits there, Lord Vettias.”
“Court has ended,” Batea announced.
His courtiers bowed as one and chanted as one.
“Glory to the sun of Aureum.”
“Go with the sun’s blessing,” Theron replied.
They left, and it was Canthus who spoke first.
“Vettias’ support will be a boon to your wife and a thorn in Lady Ino’s side.”
Yes, he would be. He’d single-handedly convinced all but the most stubbornly neutral parties in the Aurean court with a few words. He’d never seen fit to throw his weight around before. It was a shock that he’d done so now, and in Aurora’s favour.
“See that no harm comes to him,” Theron said.
“Your Majesty?” Canthus asked.
“Lady Ino is not one to forget or forgive such slights,” Theron explained.
“Harming Lord Vettias seems a step too far, even for her,” his shield bearer said, frowning.
“The threat to Lady Ino’s ambitions has never been so real as it is now. Do not underestimate what she’ll be willing to do to obtain a crown,” Theron said, shaking his head.
She’d already frightened off every suitable Aurean lady, and that was when he was merely promised to one of King Enalos’ daughters.
What would she do now that he’d taken a wife in truth?
One a number of the Aurean courtiers supported because Lord Vettias had shown his support?
Theron shuddered to think of it. He had no desire to crown that snake of a woman.
But then that left the wife who wanted nothing to do with him—who despised him, thought the worst of him, and had a mind slipping further into the abyss every day.
Triad’s tits, he felt exhausted already.
“If there are no more pressing matters, I’ll be in my garden.”
“What about my beasts?” Batea asked. While her posture indicated she was ready for a fight, her tone was careful.
“Drakon will need to be slain, but not today. Not until both the courtiers and the kingdom are more settled.” He stared pointedly at his cousin. “A position that would not feel so tenuous had you not told everyone I was a soul-swapped Viridian.”
“I bear the blame as well, Your Majesty,” Polydorus said.
“Then the two of you had best do all in your power to silence those rumours.”
“Your Majesty,” both Polydorus and Batea said as they bowed.
Theron swept by them and went back to his rooms where he was dressed in something better suited to rooting through the rich soil of his garden, pulling weeds, watering his prized orchards, and tending the small garden with his newest rose variety.
It had been so long since he’d seen them.
Had his royal gardeners been taking proper care of them in his absence?
Had the ones he’d been breeding flowered yet?
It was almost a relief to fill his head with such small matters.
Kings were rarely allowed to set their crowns aside and just be. Gardening was Theron’s one escape. Something that he did just for himself. The gardens cared not for his crown and responded only to the care with which he tended them.
In his father’s time, his mother had overseen the garden, but she had never once sunk her fingers into the dirt.
Content to allow the royal gardeners to ply their trade and follow her requests, she was more interested in nurturing the courtiers and demanding perfection of her sons.
It was Theron who had made the gardens the envy of Trisia.
In every season, his garden flowered splendidly, a riot of colour, perfume, and beauty.
Even in the cold season, his garden stunned what few visitors were allowed entry.