***
One half hour later, I walked into the throne room with the Princess Vanessa at my side.
Edgerton, Commodore Hubbard, Bokham, Conklin Eades, Patera, Vomeir, and the other Adans followed behind us. Vanessa's personal guard, four soldiers in silver and blue, brought up the rear.
Our guests were already there. Perhaps, I should amend that. All of our guests that were still alive, or hadn't fled the city, were already there. That included Vassa's barons and baronesses. The dukes and barons from the other Finger States, as well as their counselors, guards, and servants.
I wore a new outfit. Black leather breeches tucked into black riding boots, a long sleeved red silk shirt that laced up the front, and a black velvet waistcoat. My hair was in a ponytail, tied back with the choking device. The cutlass I killed the Duke of Genese with was buckled around my waist. Queen Catlett's crown of seven peaks was on my head, still tarnished by smoke and scorch marks.
I strode up to the dais and sat on the throne. Vanessa followed me, standing at my right hand. There was supposed to be an elaborate ceremony when one became queen, but we just had one elaborate ceremony and no one was in the mood for another.
"Queen Catlett is dead," I said. "So are the kings of Holt, Enid, and Tash. The wives of the kings of Enid and Tash are also dead."
"Who killed them?" someone yelled.
"Look around," I said. "Who isn't here?"
"Bedard," someone else said.
"And Roehl Tharrington, his alchemist and newest ally," I said. "They fled the city on Bedard's ship."
"Are you saying they did this with alchemy?" someone said.
"I am indeed."
"And you know this because?" the Baron of Selve said.
"I have a sister who studied alchemy. She told me that certain elements can cause explosions. Plus, I saw Roehl Tharrington talking to Maximillian Bedard, explaining how the explosions could be delayed when the elements are mixed in specific amounts."
"Saw them when?" the Baron of Selve said.
"This morning, on the deck of Bedard's ship."
"How could you see them talking on his ship when you were here in the castle?"
The Baron of Selve had decided to challenge me, challenge my authority as the new queen. I wasn't surprised. He still resented me for arresting his youngest son. I expected this and knew what I had to do, so I closed my eyes and pictured myself standing to the left of the throne. A second later, my point of view shifted. I saw my body sitting on the throne. I saw the crowd gasp as they saw my image standing next to my body. I let the image remain transparent for a few seconds, then pictured it looking exactly like I looked sitting on the throne.
The crowd gasped again as my image seemed to solidify. I had my image step off the dais and walk toward the crowd, which collectively retreated. I walked my image up to the Baron of Selve and looked him right in the eyes. His face blanched with fear and he stepped backward, stumbling into the people behind him. I figured I had made my point and let my image fade.
"That's how I know who's behind this," I said. I stood and placed my right hand on the hilt of my cutlass. "Does anyone else wish to challenge my knowledge or authority?"
I wasn't thrilled about letting people see what I could do, but these were Queen Catlett's friends and allies. If they were to be my friends and allies, I needed them to trust and respect me.
No one spoke. No one challenged me. They were all too stunned or too scared. Maybe someday that fear would become respect, but until then, I would take what I could get.
"Why would Bedard do this?" someone asked.
"Two reasons," I said. "First. He lusts for power. He isn't satisfied ruling Dunre. He wants all of the Finger States, as well as Landish. Second. He wanted revenge against Queen Catlett. He's sought her death since she rejected his marriage proposal. Many of you know this."
“Why is the Princess Vanessa with you?" someone asked.
"Because she's safe with me," I said. "Bedard knows that I'm a seer. That's why he didn't try to kill me. If he had, I would've seen what he was going to do and been able to prevent it. To ensure her safety, the Princess Vanessa will remain with me until Maximillian Bedard is dead."
"What do we do now?" someone said.
"We need to declare war," someone else shouted.
"We don't have the manpower to declare war on Dunre," I said. "Maximillian Bedard has an army of over two thousand men at his disposal. An army trained to fight as a single unit. We can muster one thousand men at the most, even then, they're disjointed groups that aren't trained to fight as a cohesive unit."
"What would you have us do?" someone said.
"Go home," I said. "Crown your heirs, help them solidify their power. Strengthen your armies as best you can. Act swiftly. Act with purpose. Act with unity. Bedard did this to try and create a power vacuum in the Finger States, which we cannot, and will not, let happen. When the time is right, We'll make Bedard and Tharrington pay for the misery they've caused us. On this, you have my word."
I waited for someone to challenge me. No one did. The kings of Enid and Tash had married late in life and their oldest sons were still young, barely into their teenage years. The King of Enid's eldest boy was a plump lad of fifteen. The King of Tash's eldest son was a thin lad of fourteen. As luck would have it, I was now the oldest leader in the four remaining Finger States. The only one prepared to take command.
I rose to my feet, drew my cutlass, and raised it high into the air. "To the still united Finger States. Holt, Enid, Vassa, and Tash."
Those that had swords raised them high into the air. Those that didn't raised a fist. As one, they cried out, "To the Finger States. Holt, Enid, Vassa, and Tash." Each group shouted loudest when their own country was mentioned, which was how it should be.
Commodore Hubbard stepped forward, faced the crowd, and raised his cutlass into the air. "To Queen Lila. Long may she reign."
"To Queen Lila," the crowd repeated.
I sheathed my cutlass and strode to the throne room's entrance. I took up a position in the doorway and made a point of taking the hand of every single person that filed out of that room, be they baron, soldier, or servant. The last one out was the Baron of Selve. When he reached me, he placed both hands on my shoulders. "I can see why Catlett went to such great lengths to bring you here."
The Baron of Selve strode out of the room on his long legs, his newest wife and eldest son in tow. I breathed a sigh of relief. He had been my biggest critic, and for the moment, I had won him over.
"Your mother would be proud of you," Patera said, coming up to me. "You took command and silenced your critics before they could raise their voices. Bella couldn't have done it any better."
"Thank you, Captain," I said in Adan.
I looked at Princess Vanessa, who stood silently at my right hand. She looked like a smaller version of myself, having changed into black boots, black breeches, a red shirt, and a black waistcoat. She had tied her chestnut hair in a ponytail, and even wore a small sword around her waist.
I couldn't help but wonder, when had I become the one people turned to for leadership? When had I become the person to emulate? Yesterday, it look like it would be years before I would have to worry about commanding anything. In a matter of seconds, everything had changed.
"What time is it?" I asked no one in particular.
"Nearly noon," Bokham said.
I realized that I hadn't eaten since yesterday, that the Princess Vanessa hadn't eaten since yesterday. I smiled at her, and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry."
"Me too," she said. I gave her my hand and we headed off to the dining room, our guards in tow.
"We cannot let Bedard get away with this," Edgerton said, when we were in the dining room, eating a lunch of beef stew, fresh baked bread, and apple cobbler.
Most of our guests had left, including Vassa's barons and baronesses, who seemed in a hurry to get back to the safety of their own estates. Only Vanessa, Shu
, and Romeus remained.
"He won't get away with it." Edgerton sat on my left. The Princess Vanessa sat on my right. Everyone else was on either side of them. "But we will move at a time of our choosing, not his. The worst thing we can do right now is chase after him. That's exactly what he wants, what he's prepared for, what he's hoping for."
"How will we go after him?" Bokham said. "You said it yourself. We don't have the manpower."
"First, we will build a fleet of ships faster than anything afloat. Then we will rid the Istansada River of his pirates."
"Where will we get the knowledge to build such fast ships?" Conkling Eades said.
"My sister, Iderra, already possesses such knowledge. Even as we speak, she's on her way here. Commodore Hubbard and her will work together to design these ships."
"Can your sister speak the Common Tongue?" Shu asked me.
"By the time Iderra reaches Vassa, she'll be fluent in every language spoken in this part of the world."
"We'll need wood," Commodore Hubbard said. "Lots of it."
"The land Edgerton gave me contains an untouched forest. We'll build our fleet from those trees. I'm told it's good hardwood."
"We'll need to hire woodsmen to cut the trees," Edgerton said.
"Then make it so," I said. "Have them send the logs down the East Hooks River."
The East Hooks River cut through the middle of the land Edgerton gave me and connected with the Istansada River just east of the city. The ship builders could set up their operation where the East Hooks River flowed into the Istansada.
"And the money to pay for the workers?" Edgerton asked.
"The Barony of Haran is ready to harvest and sell its crops," I said. "Use that money to pay the woodsmen. The money for the ship builders can come from the Duchy of Laamatt's treasury."
When I became queen, I also inherited the land Catlett still owned, which meant all of the Istansada River Valley within Vassa's borders, the taxes and other profits that went with it, were now mine.
"Consider it done," Edgerton said.
I leaned forward and looked down the table at Vomeir, who sat on the other side of Vanessa, Shu, and Romeus. I switched to Adan, and said, "I need you to send Sardis, Militus, and Derbe to Unrein to meet Iderra and escort her back here. They'll need an interpreter, so Commander Eades can accompany them."
I switched to the Common Tongue and told Conkling Eades what I just told Vomeir. He nodded in acknowledgment. "When do you wish us to leave, Your Highness?"
"You can leave after the queen's funeral. Iderra's ship won't reach Unrein for a couple more weeks, so there's no hurry." I turned back to Edgerton. "How tall is the ceiling in the throne room?"
"Twenty-five feet," Edgerton said. “Give or take a foot.”
"I want you to find a sculptor, one that works with marble or granite. Tell him that I want two statues of Queen Catlett, Both to stand sixteen feet tall. I want them placed in the throne room, one on each side of the dais. I want her to look like she looked yesterday. She was the first Queen of Vassa, in what from this day forward will be a long line of queens, and should be honored as such."
Edgerton didn't ask me what I wanted to use to pay the sculptor. I suspected he would take care of that himself. Instead, he changed topics. "I realize that this isn't the best time, but you should designate an heir, Your Highness."
"Iderra is my heir," I said. "Should something happen to me, she will take my place on the throne. Should something happen to both of us, you will send someone to Adah and inform my eldest sister, Bedonna, that she is the new Queen of Vassa. You will tell her how this came about and who killed her sisters. She will do the rest."
If Maximillian Bedard succeeded in killing Iderra and myself, then I would give Bedonna what she wanted the most, a world waiting to be conquered. I hoped it didn't come down to that, but if I had to choose between giving this half of the world to Bedonna or Maximillian Bedard, I would choose my sister. She killed Salisha, but she gave her a chance to defend herself. Bedard didn't even do that. He took the coward's way out. He planted explosives then ran away.
"What about Roehl Tharrington?" Conkling Eades asked. "He betrayed those who trusted him. He betrayed his father's and grandfather's wishes. He betrayed all of the Finger States."
I reached up and touched the bone handled choking device I still used to tie my hair back. "I'll take care of Roehl Tharrington personally. That's all any of you need to know."
We had one thing going for us when it came to dealing with Roehl Tharrington. He had aligned himself with Bedard, but didn't know that we knew. I was betting that when the dust settled, I could lure him back here, lure him into my bedroom. If not, I would travel to Kavel. One way or another, one of us would not come out of that bedroom alive.