“Before her death,” Ferdinand explained, “General Koldo of Ardenia reported upon an incident at the tri-border of Myrcell, Ardenia, and Basilica. Soldiers were planning to drug the water source to kill Ardenian soldiers. An investigation proved both Basilica and Myrcell to be complicit, though the poison came from a sample Basilica received from Pyrenee.”
Asan simply replied with a finger whirling in the air, “See, round and round.”
Amarande didn’t like Asan’s trivialization of the brutality they laid upon each other as allies. This was exactly what they needed to stop, not dismiss with a laugh to avoid a harder conversation—
“You’re right.” Luca was addressing Asan, but then his eyes swung to Zavier with an honest lean and open face. “But I’m glad you asked me, Your Highness.” Then, because he was Luca, he added, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Zavier’s cold expression flickered as he gathered yet another parry upon his tongue when Luca cut him off with a polite smile. “Perhaps we should continue this discussion later and yield to Queen Amarande? She has yet to have her time on the floor.”
Grateful for Luca’s tact, Amarande tried very hard not to beam at him—having a partner here under these conditions, especially while navigating this after the loss of Koldo, who always had her back—made it nearly bearable to sit en suite with the Sharks and Bears.
Kirana made a motion of agreement.
“I, Amarande,” she began in a clear, confident voice, “daughter of King Sendoa, may he rest in the stars, and former Queen Geneva, was named queen of the Sovereign Kingdom of Ardenia in a ceremony a week ago, after the abdication of my half brother, Ferdinand, who chose to concede the throne to me. It is Ardenia’s will that we will serve the kingdom side by side—he is now the First Knight and Protector of Ardenia, and current regent commander of our army with the untimely death yesterday of our beloved General Koldo.”
“Our condolences on your losses.”
The response was somewhat sincere, and repeated around the space, and so the queen accepted it with a nod, and even Ferdinand’s stiff posture twitched. Unbidden, Amarande’s hand rested gently atop her brother’s massive forearm. Both in support and in search of it.
The silence was gaining heft. Growing like a storm but amassed like a cannonball—condensed and deadly when perfectly aimed.
As the condolences petered out, the shot was fired. Just as direct as the blow to Luca. And every bit as brutal.
“That being said—” It was Asan who took the lead. And he wasn’tafraid to look Amarande straight in the eye as he dealt a blow. “The Kingdom of Myrcell takes issue with the legitimacy of your claim, Your Highness.”
Before Amarande could parse what Asan was truly saying, her uncle’s voice cut in.
“The Kingdom of Basilica does as well.”
A single alarm bell started in Amarande’s mind, and a quick glance at Luca showed the same unease ticking against his tense posture. At her back, Ferdinand was leaning forward, seething beneath his aurora of earnest stoicism. She bared her teeth but kept her tone as measured as possible. “On what grounds?”
“The laws of this continent were built to fortify our union of kingdoms and keep us safe,” Zavier recited, clear and cold. “We are not large, but we are diverse, wealthy, and because of our continent’s unique geography—being surrounded by water on all sides—we are constantly ripe for takeover.”
Amarande’s heart skittered in her chest. “An issue Ardenia knows far too well as the protectors of the Sand and Sky.”
“Yes, but it is not just your men and ours that protect our continent. It is our way of life.” The smile that crossed Zavier’s face now was pedantic and no less cruel than any expression he gave Luca while attacking him for his daughter’s choices. “For a thousand years we have successfully remained intact. Despite the ambitionsof a few,we have maintained our success because of those foundational decrees our forebears created before retiring to the stars. It is my estimation, and it sounds as if Myrcell agrees as well, that we continue the Sand and Sky’s patriarchal history.”
A few.Not Domingu nor any of the other men like him who’d tried to take the continent for themselves. No, a few women.
Inés. Geneva. Me.
Amarande had expected pushback from her so-called allies, yes. But this—this wasn’t a stiff-arm or even an obstacle, it was meant to be an unscalable wall.
“Surely that is unnecessary, Your Highness.” Luca’s tone was even but his golden eyes were clouded with fury. “That particular law hasn’t guaranteed our safety. I come from a kingdom that was burned to ash despite having a male heir. Queen Amarande has more than proved she has what it takes to rule on her own.”
“I second the Otsakumea’s assessment,” Ferdinand agreed. “I ceded power to my sister not because she is older than me or because she was the product of a legitimate marriage. I ceded power because she is the right person to lead Ardenia.”
Asan flashed the same brilliant smile his nephew wielded with impunity. “We don’t pose issue with her leadership skills, we pose issue with her defiance of the laws as they are set.”
“We’re hereto rewritethose laws,” Amarande blurted out before hauling in her anger and speaking as rapidly as she could so that she might not scream. “That is the point of this conclave, is it not? To build the Sand and Sky backbetter than before? To modify what was there so that it may better serve us? These rules are nearly as old as the rock beneath our feet. Our continent has changed.Wehave changed.”
She looked to each of them in turn, the cords of her neck straining, barely hidden by her long fall of hair. “Where was thisissuea week ago, when representatives of all kingdoms were ensconced within the Itspi and thus attended my coronation?”
Here, her uncle smiled—far less useful than what Asan had to work with. “You mean when our kingdoms were reeling from intrusion, and were forced to sit,wounded,in your rushed service?”
Forced? Rushed?
“Excuse me, Your Highness, but that was not the case. Not a single person in attendance specified thatissue.And if those of you in attendance will recall, there were plenty of opportunities given andtakenduring our union meetings between Inés’s death and my coronation for your grievances to be shared.”
