Chapter Fifty-Eight – Scarlett
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Scarlett
I had won.
That was the thought going through my mind as I climbed the steps of my mother’s austere tower, the raven I had once resurrected circling high overhead.
I had achieved everything Zandri had convinced me I should want: the Ravalian Empire was mine, and my coronation was to take place in less than a week. The nobles who had once sneered and dismissed me now bowed before me, and it wasn’t only respect or deference that made them bow. It was fear.
Selussa’s presence had wiped away the taint of blood magic within me, but even without my death magic as a barrier, none of my subjects ventured too close.
My mother would call me a fool for wanting their love. Love is fickle , she would say. Far better to be feared.
I walked past the benches in her workroom, still cluttered with jars and vials. I had left everything exactly as it was, and part of me expected Zandri to sweep inside, ready to lecture me about neglecting my lessons or all the ways I needed to consolidate my rule.
I missed her more than I thought I would.
The servants couldn’t understand why I spent so much time in my mother’s tower. I had already destroyed her store of blood rubies in the cavern, freeing the members of the Orders from magical control and allowing them to choose to serve me. There was no reason to come here except to torture myself.
But ruling was emptier than I expected.
It didn’t matter that I held weekly petitions to address the concerns of my subjects, or that I regularly visited the Lower Districts, supervising construction to raise living standards.
It didn’t matter that my nobles were desperate to impress me with lavish gifts, or that I had hundreds of suitors vying for my attention, throwing feasts and dances and fighting matches in my honour.
There was something missing. Something crucial.
My whole life had been about conflict. Someone or something had always stood in the way of my goals. Without an enemy to fight, a threat to be dealt with – perhaps I didn’t know how to be happy.
The only times I had felt content were the moments I had spent with Severin. Moments when I hadn’t been thinking about plots or countries or crowns. Moments when I had simply existed .
But I tried not to think about Severin. I avoided the battlements where he had died, and of all the Orders, the hardest to deal with were the Artisans. Only Selussa’s soothing presence kept the memories of him at bay. The sadness.
You’re wallowing , Selussa said softly. This is your victory. Savour it.
I took her advice. I let my ladies in waiting bathe and dress me, and I tried to relish the sensation of silk against my skin, to delight in the fact that I no longer had to concern myself with poison or attempts to kill me. I was protected now. Safe.
Just like I had always wanted. Except I now knew that what I had realised in Damar was true.
I had wanted all the wrong things.
I sat on Emperor Kalias’s throne that evening, the sharp steel talons on my fingers tapping against the armrest. The satisfaction of claiming my father’s place had faded.
Even staring out over the crowd of nobles no longer excited me.
They belonged to me now – this entire empire belonged to me – but that was precisely the problem. There was no challenge.
I supposed I could visit my brother at Caleah Fortress.
He hosted nightly parties for nobles and visiting diplomats, and by all accounts, they were quite entertaining.
But though I had made Cassius my heir and Crown Prince, I didn’t want to intrude on his domain – and I knew he used those parties to gather useful information.
People would be less likely to talk if their empress was in attendance.
So I remained where I was, my focus drifting around the hall until it settled on Lady Verne. She was speaking with a dark-haired woman – Lucia. She had been the newest addition to Empress Ivalene’s ladies, and the most outspoken when I had banished them to the desert along with their mistress.
It was Lucia, I suspected, who had finally killed Ivalene. Though I was sure Lady Verne had been the mastermind.
‘More suitors are arriving tomorrow,’ Lady Verne told me when she reached the dais.
She didn’t curtsy – she knew I found such displays irritating – but she did incline her head in respect.
‘I do hope you will entertain a few of them this time. The nobles are already whispering about how quick you were to dismiss–’
‘Let them whisper,’ I cut in. ‘The nobles only have power because I decide to give it to them.’
Lady Verne raised an eyebrow. ‘May I be frank, Your Majesty?’
‘I’ve never known you not to be,’ I said dryly. Lady Verne had never pretended to like me, but she did take her position as adviser seriously, and I had come to appreciate her candour.
‘Certain traditions come with ruling. Marriage is one of those traditions.’
‘I defeated Roran and Zandri without a husband at my side. Perhaps you can remind the nobles of that.’
‘The nobles already know how powerful you are,’ Lady Verne replied. ‘They don’t need to be reminded of your military victories. They need an assurance that you will provide them with an heir.’
I smiled at Lady Verne, and though I hadn’t done it to scare her, I delighted in her unease all the same.
‘I already have a successor,’ I reminded her. ‘There will be no children, and no heir. Cassius is the only person I am willing to entrust the empire to.’
Not that I had any need for a successor. The Ravalian throne was mine – and it would be for centuries, now that the blood of the Sorceress ran through my veins. Immortal blood.
Lady Verne nodded and backed away, but my satisfaction at her deference quickly faded.
Centuries. I had centuries ahead of me – and I was already sick of ruling.
It hadn’t even been a month.
I should have remained in the Ravalian Court, ruling my kingdom by overseeing hundreds of tedious decisions. Instead, I sailed around the continent and rode towards the Western Lands.
Selussa didn’t try to convince me to return. A sense of relief radiated from her – and something else.
Anticipation.
I remembered that Zigilia had dedicated entire temples and monuments to the Sorceress. No doubt Selussa had a particular fondness for the Western Lands, and I wondered if she missed exploring the world. If the restless itch beneath my skin was coming from her or from me.
Perhaps it was coming from us both.
Selussa wasn’t the only one who had been trapped. I had been trapped and controlled for so long that I didn’t even know what freedom – true freedom – felt like. But this came close: the sensation of the wind whipping through my hair as I galloped across the desert dunes.
The city of Damar was ordered and calm. Riding through the dusty streets, I noticed signs of stability: the people were quicker to smile, flowers bloomed in the terracotta pots crowning the flat mud-brick roofs, and I heard the distant laughter and shrieks of children at play.
When I reached the palace, I expected the guards to stop me. They merely bowed and opened the ornate double doors.
Their lack of surprise was disconcerting. I hadn’t sent word of my arrival – but I supposed Malek had told them to expect me. The benefits of visiting a king who was also a seer.
Cool air greeted me as I was brought inside the main hall, but Malek was nowhere to be seen.
‘Your Majesty,’ Avril said with a deep bow and a rare smile. ‘I’ve been looking forward to your arrival.’
My gaze swept over her, noting how well she looked. Her dark skin glowed with health and vitality, and her white linen dress suited her much better than the black combat clothes she had worn as a Mask.
‘I was going to ask how you’re enjoying being back in Zigilia,’ I said wryly, ‘but I don’t think I need to. Still–’
‘You want to know if I will return to Ravalia with you. If I will become the head of the Order of Masks.’
‘Did Malek tell you that?’ I asked with a hint of exasperation.
Amusement warmed her eyes to a golden brown – almost the exact shade that Aric’s had been. I felt a slight pang at the reminder, but it was no longer painful. For the most part, I had made my peace with those I had lost.
‘I’m sure you’ve heard by now that I destroyed the blood rubies,’ I continued, ‘but there will always be a need for the Orders. You have a keen mind for politics; it seems a waste for you to serve here when you could be a leader back home.’
‘This is my home,’ Avril replied, softly but firmly. ‘And my abilities aren’t wasted here. Already, Malek and I have done a great deal to improve relations between Ravalia and the Western Lands. I intend to ensure there is a lasting peace between our countries.’
‘You? Not Malek?’
Avril’s smile widened, but all she said was, ‘You can ask him yourself if you like. He’s expecting you.’
She escorted me through the palace and into the lush central courtyard. Somewhere amongst the foliage, I heard the gentle bubbling of a water feature.
Malek inclined his head at my approach but didn’t bow.
He was dressed in the Western fashion Severin had always preferred – a crimson vest trimmed with gold and loose linen pants – and the sight made something in my chest ache.
His hazel eyes raked over me as if he was taking me in just as intently.
No doubt he had heard a great deal about my exploits. And Seen even more.
‘Scarlett,’ he said with startling informality. ‘Come with me. I have something to show you.’
A pebbled path wound through the courtyard. I followed a few steps behind Malek, conscious of Avril’s receding footsteps.
‘You brought me here to admire the gardens?’ I asked, bemused.
Malek simply continued on, an expectant smile upturning his lips. ‘What do you think?’
I frowned at his enthusiasm, not understanding the reason for it. And then I took in my surroundings properly.