The Reign of Trees (31 page)

This time when the crowd cheered for their queen, her heart felt inflamed, as if it had been cut with the sword and then had quickly succumbed to gangrene.

Chapter Twenty-Three

The day went by in a whirlwind, and the whirlwind brought with it a mighty weight that found home on Illianah’s shoulders. She was crowned queen. It was not about the splendid gown and the opulent crown, like she had once imagined it would be. Wearing the crown of the Queen of Burchess weighed her down as well, making her feel like she was too small and lowly for the task of ruling the kingdom. During the coronation, as well as after, she heard many men exclaim, “A queen without a king. How marvelous! This is a great day in the history of Burchess!”

That was something Illianah had never imagined either. It did feel good to be entirely independent of any man, yet at the same time, she felt more alone than ever, even though Donovan was there offering his support. He smiled ear to ear in a manner that made him look more boyish than he had in months, and his eyes were warm with encouragement for Illianah. But he was merely a witness, not a participant, and that fact poked at Illianah’s soul like a worm burying itself in an apple. Her upbringing had taught her that a queen without a king could not be queen at all, but that is not what this feeling was. She felt incomplete without having Donovan wear a matching crown—almost like she was trying to run without legs.

There was not time to dwell on these thoughts though, as the solemnness of the coronation ceremony was quickly replaced with pandemonium. There was so much that needed to be done, and so urgently.

Illianah’s second official task was to fill her council. She selected Sir Tannin and Sir Partlet, as well as other leaders of the opposition, creating a council of ten. She then broke custom by pronouncing Prince Henrick a council member as well—making him the first foreigner to sit on council in Burchess. And since she was already breaking custom, she took it one step further and pronounced a woman to be the twelfth council member—Madame Partlet.

Sir Tannin warned Illianah that too many radical changes might not be well accepted by the people of Burchess, to which Illianah replied, “Madame Partlet put her neck on the line so I might save mine. She has earned a voice in court. Any citizen who shows me such loyalty—male or female—will also earn a place on my council.”

Once the cabinet was filled, they met to discuss the most pressing matters, which essentially was preparing for battle against the Burchessian troops, most of whom were in Deltegra and likely making their way back to the capital. It was assumed that most of the captains would have a fierce allegiance to Prince Harrington and would fight viciously to free their leader. They could expect the cavalry to start arriving within the next two days, although it would take well over a week for the majority of the troops to march from Andoradda. Prince Harrington would be dead by then, but Illianah did not know if his death would stop the battle or further ignite it. Sir Tannin worried that some of Prince Harrington’s captains would feel better qualified to lead Burchess than a woman and would fight to overthrow the current leadership.

“We need help,” Illianah said. “Liksland will likely attack as well in retribution for our punishment of Prince Harrington.”

The cabinet members looked at Illianah blankly, as if they had no advice to offer on this terrible prospect. Her crown seemed to be pushing further into her scalp, making it feel as if her head was beginning to bleed. She might be in agreement with Prince Harrington’s captains: she was not the best man for this job.

“Vieve,” she replied. “I shall write to them to plead for their support. I shall write to every neighboring country and request assistance in keeping the throne of Burchess in the bloodlines that have been here for five centuries.”

“That is very well,” said Sir Partlet, “but I do not know that we can count on help. We need a battle plan.”

“Who is the most qualified to lead the battle?” she asked.

Various names were tossed around the room; several of her council members were mentioned by others, but the name that was most mentioned was Count Leopold, who had sat on council with her father for Illianah’s entire life.

But Count Leopold shook his head. “My Queen, I would be glad to assist with the battle plans, but that is what I do best: assist. I could not sleep with myself at night if I had the weight of leading the resistance on my shoulders.”

Illianah was about to chide Count Leopold for lacking courage when he said, “However, Prince Henrick does have more experience in making war-time decisions than anyone at this table.”

She caught herself smiling from Count Leopold’s remark. Her foreign councilor had been accepted as a member of Burchess. She quickly wiped the smile away, knowing it would make her look too weak and girlish to be sitting in the privy chamber. “Prince Henrick,” she began, “what do you suggest we do to safeguard the city of St. Moraine?”

He glanced at her momentarily, letting her see the spark of the happiness in his eyes, and then he addressed the council. “We need to get a large number of men outside the city of St. Moraine as quickly as possible. We need to send our people out into the outlying villages to get pledges for help. We arm the new pledges, seal off the city by tomorrow at this time, and have our vast majority of mercenaries hiding in the farmlands surrounding St. Moraine. While Prince Harrington’s troops are engaged in trying to bring down our wall, we attack from behind. They will not expect that. They will expect us to be hiding behind the tall walls of the city.”

After a short discussion, it was agreed that this would be the best course of action, even if it put the mercenaries in danger of getting caught in the middle of the battle when the remaining troops arrive from Deltegra. But Illianah was confident she would get help from Vieve, for she knew something her council did not.

***

Illianah went to her bedchamber to compose the letter to King Reginald. She decided that she should address both the king and the queen, as the queen had spent more time with Illianah than the king, and it was likely she could get Queen
Margarit
to support the cause.

In her letter, Illianah gave great detail about her capture at Freidlenburg and her awakening while in Deltegra; she told about the monstrosities committed by her then-husband and her never-father, and about the lies spread around the continent to cover crimes and deceptions.

She told of her return to Burchess to save the life of Prince Donovan and about the charges of adultery, wanting to make certain to dispel rumors that the new Queen of Burchess was a wonton woman. And then she told of her miraculous escape with death and of the battle to overthrow the throne.

I can assure you that it was not my intent to take my father’s throne, but I can say that I did not feel as if the throne should belong to anyone else. These are my people. They found the courage to fight against their king only after I spoke out against him. I know I can lead them in restoring Burchess to righteousness, but I cannot do it without you.

Illianah then went on to explain how they awaited an attack from the troops who were once led by Prince Harrington, and how an attack from Liksland was likely eminent as well.

Should Liksland come to attack, it is certain Prince Harrington will be dead before they get to our shores. They will not fight for vengeance, but for control of the crown. You must decide who you want for your neighbors; if Burchess is left without aid, you will soon find yourself a very small kingdom next to the empire of Liksland who will control the isles, Deltegra, and Burchess. You must ask yourself if you will ever feel safe having that force pushing at your border.

Illianah gave them her promise of fair trade commerce, and told of her plans to restore King Henrick to the throne of Deltegra, diminishing imposition from Burchess in the Western Corridor.

Her last paragraph of the letter was this:

You may say that you do not wish to get involved in affairs outside of your own border. You may say that Burchess’ troubles are not your troubles. But that is where you are wrong. You are already involved in the war, as you hid and sheltered me for nearly a month as I tried to find the courage to face my father. Yes, I was in Vieve, right under your noses. For a time, I stayed on the coast where I was kept captive because of my unfortunate circumstances. The treatment I received there by a nefarious sailor—who shall remain nameless—was worse than the treatment I received as a prisoner of war in Deltegra. But that is not important. I made it back to where I belong. But I do worry that Liksland will assume you to be my ally because of my intrusion within your border and they will find it in their best interest to beat you into submission, just as that sailor tried to do with me, regardless of where your heart might actually be bound.

I found refuge with you once, and I hope to find it in your open arms again.

Yours in friendship,

Queen Illianah

Writing the word “Queen” before her name did not give her the satisfaction she thought it would. It troubled her.

Once the letter had been sent with five of Sir Tannin’s most trusted men, Illianah had eaten supper and then ordered the destruction of the house on Tower Row so the castle could not be accessed from outside the curtain wall. Then she finally found a moment alone with Donovan.

“You do not look happy,” he said once they were within the castle’s solar.

“I do not feel like I will ever be allowed to smile or laugh again,” she replied.

“That is understandable. You have just had the weight of a kingdom land upon your shoulders.”

His words did not comfort; in fact they seemed to push her down even further. She grabbed onto the edge of the bureau for support. Donovan grabbed her affectionately by the elbow. “I know you will worry greatly about the welfare of your kingdom. You will be a good queen, as you are giving no thought to your own needs and desires. That is all Burchess needs—a selfless leader.”

She nodded, although she did not entirely agree. Selflessness was key, but there was so much more to worry about. She could not protect her people from an invasion by merely thinking altruistically. Illianah had been trained to run a castle, not lead an army. But Donovan had. “I need you, Donovan,” she said, knowing she sounded desperate. “I cannot do this alone.”

“You do not have to. I will stay and help as long as I am needed.”

Her shoulders felt lighter, knowing Donovan would stay in St. Moraine. “What of your kingdom?” she asked. “We need to restore order and …”

“Deltegra can come second. Focus on securing your border first. When your military is under control, we can then restore order in Deltegra and put my father back upon his throne.”

“How can you be so certain? I cannot offer a single guarantee. I cannot even say for certain that I will still sit on the throne come morning.

He let out a small laugh, which made her brows instantly crease. Then he smiled reassuringly and sighed heavily, almost like he was going to scold her. “Stop and think for a moment about all that you have accomplished since you left Deltegra. Stop and think about how you have changed since you last lived in Burchess. All the misery—all the pain—you have suffered these past months has strengthened you. I do not worry about the future of either of our countries because … because I know who you are, Illianah. You will not fail, for it is not in your nature.”

The warmth of his words surged through her entire body and lifted it, renewing her strength and fortitude. The trials of the past few months now felt like cogs on a wheel, lining up with the greater wheel of life and propelling her forward. It was no longer like the trials were impossible obstacles to go around; they were the momentum she needed to step into the shoes of the Monarch of Burchess. Had she stayed at Leif’s side, she would have never known of the injustices of their government and the day would have come that she would have been dethroned while sitting alongside Leif. She would have remained in ignorance, thinking the rebels sought after their own fame and power. As it was now, she was actually able to do good. She was able to make a difference in the lives of thousands. Her heart felt as if it was beating warm honey through her body and she could not help but to smile. “I once thought that my stubborn nature would be my demise,” she said.

He put both his arms around her waist, laughed softly and said, “That is ironic: because I once thought your stubbornness would lead to
my
demise. The moment you decided to claim my heart, I knew I was lost to you forever. No one can resist the powers of Queen Illianah of Burchess.”

She wanted to scold him for teasing, but as she held her eyes on him, she realized he was not being a sycophant. The devotion within his black eyes said that he was hers, forever. A chill ran up her spine as she realized the trust and responsibility that she had—not only as queen, but also in caring for Donovan’s heart.

Illianah could not think of anything to say that would express how she felt about the sacred privilege of owning his heart, but she thought she should show him instead; however, he stopped her by placing a finger to her lips. “Do not be angry,” he whispered. “But I do think it is best savoring the memory of yesterday’s kiss.”

This did not anger her, although it did disappoint her. She did not know his reason for not wanting to kiss her, but she knew whatever his motivation was, it would be a wise one. “Very well,” she said, “but so long as that memory does not have to last me a lifetime.”

His brows furrowed and he said, “I am offended, Illianah. That kiss will be imbedded in my soul for eternity. I cannot believe you wish to forget it.”

She inadvertently let out a laugh. “That is not what I meant,” she said.

“A laugh?” he replied. “Did the queen just
laugh
?”

“Stop,” she said, again laughing. “Do not tease me.”

“Is that an official order?” he asked. “Because unless you directly order me that I may not jest while in the queen’s presence, I will never stop trying to make you laugh. I consider it my duty.”

“I did not know you had a desire to be court jester, or I would have given you that title rather than adding you to my council.”

“I do not wish to be a
court
jester. Just …
yours
.”
 

Illianah smiled, finally feeling that they did have a future—and not meaning just her and Donovan, but Burchess as well.