Epilogue
It was decided I would go on a diplomatic mission to Kairos.
The coronation was a hurried affair. A formality with little pomp and circumstance. The people needed me to officially be the queen, but we also could not afford to waste time or resources. If I wanted to rescue my mother, we needed Kairos’ help, and we needed it soon.
I officially appointed Lord Adryon as my steward. He would look after the kingdom while I petitioned Kairos. The decision only came after a lengthy and heated discussion. I did not want to leave my people so soon after returning, but I didn’t have a choice. In order to get Kairos on side, I needed to be the one to approach them. They needed to see I was alive and well. They needed to know the truth about my ‘kidnapping’ and Querencia’s plan.
Not that we really knew their plan.
There was also the small matter of the magical item I was sure was in their possession. And the princess.
No one knew which princess—the ash or the tower—was in Kairos. Prince Char only had brothers, so I didn’t know how the princess fit in. Elil had three brothers and two sisters, so one of the princesses could, conceivably, be one of his sisters, but which one? I had only met them once, at the birthday celebration. I hadn’t thought much of them, in truth, and had forgotten all about them. When I was in Querencia, I had met no one, confined to my room as I was. None of the women I had seen in the mirror sparked any memory, so although it was possible one of them was Elil’s sister, it wasn’t an absolute.
As for the magical item I was sure was in Kairos’ possession, that was another reason for me going. I hadn’t shared that little revelation with anyone. I probably should have, and I still might tell Parisar, but not yet. I wanted to see if I could find it myself first.
Despite being the queen—officially—I still felt powerless. The lords and ladies—trusted advisors of my parents—knew far more than I did about the working of the castle and the governing of the kingdom. After all my fears of Lord Adryon taking control of the kingdom, I had been the one to hand it over to him. I didn’t regret it, but that didn’t make it easier. I trusted him…mostly. In truth, I trusted Parisar, and he assured me his father had nothing but my best interests at heart.
‘Princess,’ Tain said with a smirk and a bow.
I rolled my eyes at her. ‘It’s queen now,’ I replied.
‘I know but it doesn’t roll off the tongue quite so well.’
Tain and I had become friends of a sort. I trusted her with my life, which was why I had agreed when Parisar suggested she lead my personal guard. But I still wasn’t sure if she respected me. And, as floundering as I was, I didn’t blame her.
‘We’re ready to go when you are.’
I sighed and nodded to Tain. It would be the seven of us making the trek to Kairos. Parisar, Tain, Cor, Sim, Weylei, Zeyr, and me. The generals had argued that we should take a retinue of soldiers, but I dismissed the idea. The soldiers needed to be in Eudaimonia, protecting the people. Besides, we could move faster with just the seven of us.
On the practical side, we couldn’t carry a trunk of clothes fit for a queen, so we sent messengers ahead with an order for a local tailor near the Kairos palace. I couldn’t very well call on the king and queen wearing breeches and a tunic.
At least we had horses and wouldn’t be making the trip on foot.
The sun had yet to rise, although it wouldn’t be long before first light. I didn’t want to leave with a lot of fanfare, but it did feel like we were sneaking out. My mission wasn’t a secret. I actually hoped that someone would alert the king of Kairos that I was on my way. At least that might stave off any rumours Elil could try to spread.
Parisar stepped up beside me as I smoothed my hand down my horse’s mane. Tain moved away, giving us privacy.
‘Are you doing okay?’ Parisar asked.
I nodded, turning to look at him. There were still so many things we needed to say to one another, but they would have to wait. We were in the middle of a crisis, with the very real threat of war hanging over us, so it was not the time to confess my feelings to him. I really hadn’t processed them myself yet.
Parisar lifted his hand to smooth the hair off my forehead. I’d had it cut again, this time by someone who knew what they were doing. I liked it short. I think he liked it too.
‘Tell me it is going to be okay,’ I said in a moment of weakness.
He smiled affectionately. ‘It’s going to be okay,’ he replied warmly.
I huffed out a breath and nodded. ‘We’re doing the right thing,’ I said, more to myself than to him.
‘We are,’ he repeated and then dipped his head to brush his lips across mine.
I tilted my head up. He hadn’t kissed me since we had come back to the palace. When he tried to pull away, I gripped his tunic and brought him back for another kiss. We might not get a chance like this again for a while, and I wanted to linger in the moment for a bit longer.
Tain coughed, and I reluctantly let Parisar go. He smiled down at me, and I prayed to Irys I could live up to what I saw in his eyes. I could be leading us all to our deaths, if Elil had arrived in Kairos before us.
‘You’ve got this, Snow,’ he said.
‘We’ve got this,’ I said, returning his gaze.
‘Together,’ he said with a nod.
‘Together.’
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