AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PartOne
A Gilded Cage
ChapterOne
The Lady
It appears I’ve become something of a monster.
ChapterTwo
The Lady
Riona set down her quill and stared at the parchment before her, the elegant cursive in stark contrast to the harsh truth of the words. She knew what the people outside this palace whispered about her. She knew the stories of ruined villages and forbidden magic, of blood and bodies and broken thrones. Perhaps they were right to fear her.
She sat at a long rectangular table in a vast, empty room. The doors behind her were open, and a sweet, floral breeze swept through them, sending the silk of Riona’s skirt fluttering against her legs. Everything here was bright and clean: the floor white marble, the walls pale blue, the chandelier a glittering mass of silver and opals. It was so different from the castle in Rivosa, with its iron-latticed windows and drab gray stone.
It appears I’ve become something of a monster.
She picked up the quill and dipped it in the ink once again.
They stole everything from me. I suppose it was only fair that I repay them for their kindness.
The doors across from her parted, and a boy—no, a man—with unruly curls and a tall, lean build stepped into the room. The quill slipped from Riona’s fingers and clattered on the table, leaving a smear of ink on the parchment. It had been a few years since she’d last seen him, and although his hair was longer, his posture more confident, his muscles more sculpted, she would have recognized Percival Comyn anywhere.
He closed the door and leaned against it, crossing his arms. A grin tugged at his lips. “I hear you’ve been quite busy since you left Beltharos.”
“Yes, and look where it has gotten me,” Riona responded, her heart aching at the sight of his smile. She’d missed him more than she could put into words. “A prisoner in a gilded cage, once again.”
“It also won you the crown on your head.”
She reached up and ran her fingers lightly over the emeralds set into the gold band. “A crown I will have little use for if my enemies get their way.”
“What enemies? You’ve killed them all.”
No. Not all of them.
Riona folded the parchment and pushed it aside. There would be time for writing—forexplaining—later. “How have you been?”
“Trying to change the subject?”
“Catching up with an old friend.”
Percival’s smile faded at that, a mixture of sorrow and nostalgia on his face. He pushed off the door and claimed the seat across from her. “Things have been difficult since Tamriel and Mercy freed the slaves. Many lives were lost to the war with the Cirisians, and those wounds are still healing. The humans like to take their anger out on the elves, and the elves are no longer afraid to strike back. Celeste says that change takes time, but I don’t know how much longer we can endure this tension. I’d thought having an elven queen would change things, and it has, but not as much as any of us would have liked.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Thank the Creator we’re no longer the ones wearing the Beltharan crowns.”
“Are Mercy and Tamriel faring well, all things considered?”
“They have each other, which is all they’ve ever needed. They’re still as in love as they were the day they were married.”
“I wish I’d been there. I should never have gone back to Rivosa.”
Percival smiled sadly. “…No, you shouldn’t have.”
“I should have done many things differently,” she murmured, glancing away. The movement sent flecks of colored light across the room, the sunlight from the palace gardens reflecting off the jewels in her crown. She wore it, even here, even now. The Emperor may have stripped her of her freedom, but he could not strip her of her royal blood. “Well, nothing to be done about it except face what’s to come. Have they set a date for my execution yet?”
His brows furrowed. “You haven’t been sentenced to execution, Riona. The Emperor wishes to hear your story.”
She sat up straighter, surprised. After all this time, he had finally agreed to hear her out? Even if it didn’t save her life, at least it would set the record straight, which was all she’d wanted since coming to the palace. People spoke of her all across the northern and southern continents—the girl who had not only stolen a crown, but razed a kingdom. The girl whose blood was something to be feared. They were already telling stories about her; she might as well make sure those stories were true.
