“Until I met you.
“Through the fog. I couldn’t see. Every breath I took.
“You saw.
“Every smile or frown.
“You foresaw.
“I soared. We soared. I saw the birds for the first time and learned their songs.
“Heard their vivid tales, their blitheness, their misery.
“I saw all people beneath the surface.
“I was free. We were free. Our trees stand tall in the quiet of the night.
“Quiet to the untrained ear.
“Innumerable stars shine. Buzzing, purring, humming, rumbling, hissing.
“Thick gray clouds pour.
“Our branches and leaves sway. The winds are strong and cold.
“I never yield. We never yield. The darkness around us is perfectly lit.
“The abyss, a heavy universe.
“This season is a mirage. All seasons are none. We are forever one.
“I rest with you.
“Geniverd rests with you.”
Zawne bowed his head, and a respectful silence permeated the gathered thousands. I had tears in my eyes. So did Tissa. Even Nnati had to wipe his cheeks. The poem was beautiful. Lordin deserved it.
Once the moment of silence was over, Zawne looked back at the crowd and said, “I have one more thing to say. Without Lordin, my life is worthless. I’ve spoken with the Grucken, and he agreed it would be a good idea for me to strengthen my inner soul and find a new purpose through becoming an Aska. I’m not doing this for publicity. I’m doing this for Lordin, so that she may be proud of me in the afterlife.”
Zawne paused, waiting to hear reactions in the crowd. People were gasping and chatting among themselves. I heard Nnati say, “He’ll never make it. My left foot says he drops out after the first day.”
Zawne went on. “My brother, Prince Jaken, believes I have the strength to make it through. My parents, the king and queen, are also supportive, and I know Lordin, if she’s looking down upon me from some ethereal plane, is also behind me. I want to thank the people of Geniverd for coming on this solemn day to mourn the bright life of our beloved Lordin. Goodbye.”
Zawne passed the microphone over to the Grucken and retreated to the back of the stage. He gave the veiled woman, Lordin’s mother, a brief glance, then hugged his brother. I watched him shake Raad’s hand. Then Zawne was gone and the Grucken was speaking.
“Geniverd,” the Grucken said, “thank you for coming. I’ll keep this short. A child of Decens-Lenitas is committed to ashes on this day, and it is too sorrowful for speeches. I will say only that Lordin has not truly died. She has merely transcended her body and mind and all things physical. Lordin is still with you in your hearts, in the souls of every living creature in Geniverd. And Geniverd will never forget. Farewell, Lordin.”
The men of Gaard boomed, “Gaard to Gaard.”
And then the women said, “Breast to breast.”
My friends and I spent the night at NordHaven. Papa had gone to bed early after three glasses of wine, and the hour was late. I sat on the sofa next to Nnati so that Raad and Tissa were forced to sit on the opposite sofa together. The room smelled of fresh daisies, of spring and renewal. After living so long in the city, I had forgotten what it was like to live inside the bubble of NordHaven, surrounded by pleasant smells and perfect weather. Tissa looked more comfortable here than I was. She looked quite at home on the plush sofa next to Raad in his royal vestments.
“Have you considered seeing anyone since you moved to the city, Kaelyn?” Tissa asked me. The talk had turned to dating.
I immediately flushed. “No way! How could I have time for a boyfriend with all the work we’ve been doing?” Then I scoffed at her, trying to get the spotlight off me. “Isn’t this an inappropriate time to be talking about dating, Tiss?”
“It’s the perfect time,” Raad said. He was sitting rather snugly against my friend. “With all the death surrounding us, we deserve a bit of happiness. We all deserve special people in our lives. It’s what Mama would have wanted. Besides, Kaelyn, we both need to be married by next year for the coronation ceremony.”
I rumpled my nose. “And what if I’m not?”
“Then you won’t ascend to queen. If I’m chosen for king, you’ll have to become a solitary leader of the Gaard Clan. You’ll have men chasing you like crazy!”
I sighed, sagging deep into the cushions on the sofa. “I don’t want any of the other heirs. There’s only one man I really want.”
My words came out too fast without me thinking and suddenly everyone in the room was staring at me.
“Who?” Nnati asked. “Who is the one man you want? I can’t believe it. Kaelyn has a crush!”
Even Raad was grinning at me. I noticed his fingers getting awfully close to where Tissa’s hand rested on the sofa.
“I … He’s no one … He’s just …” I sighed, defeated. I couldn’t lie to my friends. “Fine,” I said. “His name is Roki, and we were, dare I say it, on the fringes of love.”
Tissa was bug eyed. “When? Where? How? Spill the beans, Kaelyn!”
“It was over a year ago,” I told them, “before Mama’s passing. We spent every day together. I had never felt so in sync with anyone before. I was sure we could have ruled the world together. I may have wanted to become queen if I had Roki as my king. He was amazing.”
“So it wasn’t just an infatuation,” Tissa said. “It was intense.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It was emotionally powerful. We were bonded. But then Mama died. I couldn’t bear to see him in the state I was in. Then, well … we drifted apart.”
Nnati was grinning mischievously. “So,” he said, “drift back together. Why don’t you reach out to him, explain that your heart was broken and now you’re ready to date again? Things happen; life happens. It doesn’t mean you can’t get back together.”
I blinked at Nnati, totally dumbfounded by his totally perfect rationale. I suddenly
