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An equally frantic knocking followed the footsteps. My heart surged into my throat from the sudden sound, but also because something likememorywas starting to bubble up. Not just one memory, but many memories. My grandmothers. Earth, Tallin, Gullie, Melina—Valerian.
Valerian.
“Valerian?!” I called out.
The knocking stopped. “Who?” came a muffled voice from the other side.
“Valerian, is that you?”
A pause. “Valerian… the contestant? Your grace, please, you must open the door.”
“Wait, is thatTellren?” I recognized his nasally voice, then.
“Who else would it be?” Another pause. “I apologize for the intrusion, your grace, but will you be coming down to greet contestants today, or is her majesty… unwell,” and yet another pause, “Again?”
I could hear the desperation in his voice just as clearly as I had heard that sigh. I wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, or why any of this was happening, but I wasn’t going to get any answers from my bed. I got up and planted my feet on the cold ground. The first thing I realized was, I wasn’t hurt. I remembered being mauled, scratched, clawed—I remembered losing so much blood I lost hold of my own consciousness.
But I was entirely unhurt right now, and as I checked myself in the mirror, I was relieved to find I hadbothmy eyes.
“Your grace?” Tellren asked from the door.
I rushed over to the door and gently opened it enough that I could see him. “Your grace?” I asked. “That’s my mother’s title, isn’t it?”
Tellren was a tall, gaunt Fae with a long, pointed chin and even longer, pointier ears. He was the Fae responsible for my training, for most of my studies, and for organizing the Royal Selection and corralling its contestants. The Selection was over, wasn’t it? None of this made sense, but what he said next made even less sense.
“Your mother…” Tellren softened. “Yes, your mother was Queen of Windhelm, and her title was Your Grace, but that title is yours and has been for some time. Are you truly unwell?”
“ShewasQueen… I’m Queen…” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I think I slept badly.”
“I shall have the nurse check on you at once.”
“No, no. No, that’s okay. Just… can you tell me where Radulf is?”
“Your brother is waiting for you downstairs, as are your grandmothers and your… pet.”
“Tallin! Oh, no, don’t let him hear you calling him a pet. He gets really touchy.”
“Right.” Tellren eyed me up and down. “Will you be greeting contestants wearing… ahem… that?”
I was wearing blue pajamas. They were comfortable, and warm, but not at all royal attire.
I opened the door fully. “Actually, yes,” I said, and I rushed past him.
“Your grace,” he yelled, “I really must insist you change!”
I couldn’t hear him. Or… Icould, but I didn’t want to stop running. Everywhere I went faces swam past me like ghosts. There were people here, people I recognized—and more importantly—people who recognizedme. No one was trying to run me out of the castle, no one looked at me like someone who shouldn’t exist.
When they looked at me, they saw Amara Wolfsbane, not some impostor. They also seemed to see a Queen, because they would all stop whatever they were doing, stand aside, and let me pass. My mind was racing. How was I Queen? Where were my mother and father? What in the world happened on that rooftop in front of the Frost Stone?
Questions! So manyfuckingquestions!
I didn’t exactly know where I was running exceptdownstairs.That was where Tellren had told me the contestants were waiting for me orwouldbe waiting for me. I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t exactly let him finish before I came rushing out of my room like a bat out of hell.
I hit the central stairway hard and fast, leaping down them three at a time, before emerging at the main, sprawling landing that gave way to the palace’s main hall. As soon as I rounded the corner, a fanfare erupted for me. Trumpets blared, magic lights burst into the air and exploded like silent fireworks that burst into snowflakes, and even though some of the trumpeters were looking at me in my blue pajamas with awkward expressions in their eyes, the fanfare didn’t stop even for a second.
Not until it was finished.
“Introducing!” came a loud, booming voice, “Your Regent, Queen Amara Wolfsbane the First!”
