Chapter 20
"Shumaredena," the Duke of Genese said when we entered his dining room. "I heard you were back. And that you brought me some guests."
Edgerton had yet to arrive, but Bokham and the Lady Tabitha were with us. Bokham wore his red and white uniform. The Lady Tabitha wore a dark blue gown.
The only people in the room besides the duke were four young women, two sitting on his right, two sitting on his left. They wore gowns cut in the same style as what Shu, Tabitha, and I wore. Where our gowns were black, dark blue, and dark green, theirs were made from pale pastels, green, blue, rose, and yellow. The girls themselves weren't particularly pretty. But they did seem to be fawning over the duke, which I suspect made him happy.
The duke looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had dark brown hair that reached to his shoulders. He wore it in a ponytail and had a neatly trimmed beard. He had a narrow nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. His eyes were a pale blue. I couldn't tell how tall he was since he was sitting, but he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
He was expensively dressed, in black silk knee breeches, a black silk shirt that tied in the front, and a gold velvet waistcoat. He used a gold ribbon the same color as his coat to hold his ponytail in place. He was handsome, but not unusually so.
"Princess Lila and the Lady Tabitha," Shu said, introducing us. "And Captain Bokham of the Queen's Guard."
The duke stood. He wasn't as tall as Bokham, but he wasn't short either. He clicked his heels together and bowed. "Britt Torrell, Duke of Genese. May I say, it's a pleasure to have a princess as my guest."
He was addressing himself to the Lady Tabitha. Perhaps because Bokham was walking beside her. Perhaps because she stood out walking beside two dark haired girls.
Before Shu could correct the duke, he turned to the two girls sitting on his right and told them to move next to the two girls on his left. They didn't look happy about it, but they obliged. The duke pulled out the chair closest to him and smiled at the Lady Tabitha, waiting for her to take it. She glanced at me, not quite sure what she should do. I nodded, letting her know it was all right with me if she sat next to the duke.
The Lady Tabitha sat and the duke slid her chair toward the table. He held the next chair for me. I sat. He slid my chair toward the table, saying, "Lady Tabitha."
"I'm Lila," I said. "She's Tabitha."
The smile disappeared from the duke's face, and for a second, he looked apoplectic. He covered his mistake by pulling his chair out and smiling at Shu. "Why don't you take my chair, Shumaredena. I'll sit between the princess and Captain Bokham. That way the captain won't have to listen to you ladies talk about the latest fashions, or whatever it is ladies like to talk about."
Shu accepted the duke's chair. The duke took the chair on my right, with Bokham sitting on his right. He clapped his hands a couple of times and the servants brought dinner, which consisted of roast venison, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, and freshly baked bread with butter and honey. A dark ale was also served.
"I wasn't aware there were any princesses in this part of the world that I haven't already met," the duke said between bites of venison.
"I'm not from this part of the world. My country lies on the other side of the Great Desert. What we call the Desert of Shifting Sands."
"May I ask what prompted you to travel so far from home? The hope that Queen Catlett will make you her heir?"
"A dart with a knockout drug, a gag, and some sturdy rawhide around my wrists and ankles is what originally prompted me to come here."
“You were kidnapped?"
"That's one way to put it."
"I'd offer you sanctuary, but my brother, the king, has an alliance with Queen Catlett. I don't think he'd appreciate it."
"That's all right. I've come this far. I figure I might as well meet her. She sounds like an interesting person."
"Some think so." The duke's tone made it clear that he didn't agree. "You do know she's a parvenu royal."
"I've only been speaking the Common Tongue for about three weeks. There are words in your language I have yet to learn."
"Three weeks?" The duke made no attempt to hide his surprise. "It took Shumaredena two years to learn to speak the Common Tongue, and she doesn't speak it nearly as well as you."
"Once again, Britt, your manners demonstrate why you are a duke and not a king," Shu shot back.
The duke ignored Shu's comment and turned back to me. "You must be exceptionally bright."
"Not compared to my sister, Iderra. You still haven't told me what a parvenu royal is."
"It's one whose family has recently come to power," Shu said.
"Queen Catlett's grandfather wasn't a king," the duke said. "He was just an adviser to the king. A king that died young, leaving no direct heir."
"But he was of royal blood," Tabitha said. "One cannot assume a throne unless they are of royal blood. And the king did designate him as his heir."
"He was a baron." The duke made no attempt to hide his contempt. "The lowest level royal you can find. What's more, King Vonnut only made him his heir because he was dying and there was no one else around."
"How long has your family ruled Holt?" I asked the duke.
"Six generations," the duke said proudly.
So, you are also a parvenu royal.”
The duke glared at me with a look that could kill. “How long has your family ruled?”
"My mother was the twelfth Queen of Adah. My sister Bedonna, who in my absence has undoubtedly consolidated power, is the thirteenth."
The duke gagged on his venison. "Thirteen queens?"
"Thirteen true queens. Others have assumed the throne briefly, but we don't count them."
"How many kings?"
"None. No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."
"That's something you don't want to advertise around here. It'll make you a less promising prospect."
"Prospect for what?"
"A wife, of course."
"The women in my family don't marry. We take consorts."
"Male consorts?"
"Usually, but not always."
"I'm surprised your country hasn't been overrun by one of its neighbors."
"We have a standing army of over fourteen thousand men."
The duke gagged on his venison again. "Fourteen thousand professional soldiers?"
"Most of them are stationed on the border of Sorea. A country ruled by a group known as the Dark Wizards of Sorea."
"Sounds mysterious," the Lady Tabitha said.
"It is. Sorea has closed borders. They trade with no one. They have diplomatic relations with no one. There's much speculation about the people that live there and very little fact. A heavy forest separates our two countries. Very little is known about what lies beyond that forest. No one who has ventured into it has ever returned."
They asked me about the other countries found in my part of the world. They had heard of Gibney because the merchants in Gibney traded with some of the coastal cities in southern Standish. They were fascinated by the Sugar Islands and the fact that slavery was not only legal there, but a booming business. When I finished talking, they started up a conversation on the pros and cons of slavery. I don't know who took what side, or if they even took sides, because I had another vision.
This one involved the duke. I saw him enter my suite, sword in hand. There was a gold medallion around his neck. Engraved on the medallion were crossed swords and the letters KRB. The duke must've thought I would be in bed sleeping, because he seemed surprised to find me awake. I was wearing a nightgown, a short sleeved ankle length white cotton shift. The duke was wearing the same outfit he was currently wearing, which made me think this was going to happen tonight.
"You're awake," he said. "Good. That'll make this easier."
"What do you want?" I stopped brushing my hair, grabbed the bone handled choker I used to tie it back, and quickly tied it in a ponytail.
"This medallion I'm wea
ring means I belong to a secret society. The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."
"So?" I moved to my cutlass and pulled it out of its scabbard. The duke didn't try to stop me.
"The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood were formed after Queen Catlett assumed the throne of Vassa. Our goal is to ensure no woman ever assumes a throne again."
"Why?"
"Because women aren't fit to rule."
"Let me guess. Maximillian Bedard started this society. Then he recruited frustrated low level royals like yourself to join him in his quest."
The duke bristled over my calling him a low level royal. He raised his sword with both hands and advanced toward me. "I'll shall make this quick."
I raised my cutlass and assumed a defensive stance. "It won't be a quick as you think. I've been sword fighting since age six."
"Probably against other women. I think you'll find fighting a man is a bit more difficult."
"I've fought both men and women," I said. "And some of the women were bigger and stronger than you."
The duke laughed and the fight began. He was bigger than me, but so was his sword. It was a broadsword, bigger and heavier than my cutlass. It took muscle to wield it. To wield it quickly required even more muscle, which the duke didn't have. Rather than letting him take the fight to me, I became the aggressor. I brought the fight to him. I forced him to parry my thrusts. I forced him to swing his broadsword at a speed he wasn't used to.
I couldn't get close enough for a kill, not as long as he could lift his sword, which was longer than mine. So I continued to press the fight, continued to keep him on the defensive. He was fit, but he wasn't as fit as me. I spent my life training against opponents that were bigger and stronger than me, learning to defeat them through speed and endurance. I trained to fight Bedonna, who was bigger and stronger and better with a sword than the duke could ever dream of being.
While we fought, the duke chattered, explaining how women weren't fit to rule, and that it was his duty to ensure I didn't become the next Queen of Vassa. I didn't respond to any of his comments. My goal was to conserve my strength and wear him down. He laughed at my inability to cut him, let alone hurt him. I ignored his taunts. The longer the fight lasted, the more it tilted in my favor.
As the fight wore on, sweat broke out across the duke's brow and he began to slow down, his parries grew sloppy. I slid around to his left and thrust at his side. He tried to swing his broadsword around in an attempt to parry my thrust but he was too slow. The point of my cutlass penetrated his side, going in deep and coming out crimson. By the time his broadsword reached parry position, I was behind him, slicing his right hamstring. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees.
The vision faded and I found myself back at the duke's dinner table. I didn't see the final blow, but I had seen enough. The duke belonged to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood. A group of men opposed to women sitting on thrones. After everyone went to bed, the duke planned to enter my room and kill me so I couldn't assume Queen Catlett's throne. I also saw that I could defeat him in a sword fight, through speed and endurance.
After dinner, Bokham pulled me aside. "You had another vision."
"How did you know?"
"I've been around you long enough to recognize the trance like look that crosses your face."
"You ever heard of the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood?" Bokham shook his head, so I continued. "It's a secret society of men that are opposed to women sitting on thrones. Maximillian Bedard founded the group. I don't know how large it is, but I do know the members wear gold medallions around their necks. There are two crossed swords engraved on the medallions as well as the letters KRB."
Bokham glanced at the duke, who was busy flirting with the Lady Tabitha on the other side of the room. "And the duke is a member of this society?"
"He is, and he plans to kill me tonight, after everyone has gone to bed."
“Perhaps we should leave,” Bokham said. “Continue our journey to Vassa.”
Leaving would've been the smart thing to do, but that would've meant running. Again. Truth be told, I was tired of running. I had been on the run since I had the vision of my mother dying. First from my big sister, Bedonna, then from Maximillian Bedard's assassins, then from Jarvo, then from Bedard's pirates.
“No,” I said. “We're not leaving until Captain Hubbard and his men reach us.”
Bokham reached for his sword. "Then I shall hide in your room. If the duke tries to harm you, I'll kill him."
"Not necessary," I said. "I can handle the duke by myself."
"I shall hide in your room." Bokham glared at me, letting me know that he wouldn't have it any other way. "I've already been remiss in my duty to protect you, allowing you to be tossed into the high sage's harem. I will not let anything happen to you again."
"Fine. You can hide in the wardrobe." I stuck a finger in Bokham's face. "But as long as I have a sword in my hand, I expect you to stay there."
Bokham bowed. "Understood, Your Highness."
We didn't retire right after dinner. Instead, the duke gave us a tour of his castle, specifically, a room on the first floor that he liked to call his trophy room. Mounted on the walls were the heads of elk, deer, and wild boar that he had killed in successful hunts. He told us how he had killed each and every one. Well, he told the Lady Tabitha how he killed each and every one. The rest of us just kind of followed along behind.
Halfway through his stories, I excused myself, claiming fatigue from our journey. Shu and Bokham did the same, leaving the Lady Tabitha with the duke and the four ladies that had been dining with him. All four feigned great interest in the duke's hunting stories, as did the Lady Tabitha. A fact which made Bokham none too happy.
On the way up to our rooms, Shu fell in alongside of me. "Something is wrong?"
"Not really." I paused for a second, then said, "If the duke were to die unexpectedly, who would take his place?"
"I don't know. He's not married, and he has no children. I guess his brother the king would appoint somebody in his stead. Why do you ask?"
"Because the duke is going to die tonight."
"You had a vision of him dying?"
"I did."
"How does he die?"
"I kill him in a sword fight."
"Do you know why you will kill him?"
"Because he's going to try and kill me."
"Do you know why he is going to try and kill you?"
"Because he belongs to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."
"I've heard of it," Shu said. "It's a group of royals that are opposed to Queen Catlett sitting on the throne of Vassa. I didn't know the duke was a member."
"He is. And it's not just Queen Catlett. They're against any woman sitting on any throne."
"Perhaps we should leave, slip away while the duke is busy."
"I'm tired of running," I said. "I've been on the run for what seems like forever. There will be no more running. Not for me. From here on, I'm standing my ground. From here on, I'm fighting."
"Can you defeat the duke in a sword fight?"
"I can and I will."
"You'll need to change into something more suitable for dueling," Shu said. "I'll bring you some clothes from my room."
We reached the second floor. Shu headed for her room. Bokham and I headed for mine. When we reached it, Bokham went in first and checked it out, making sure there were no assassins hiding inside. Once he was sure it was safe, he motioned for me to come inside, then stepped outside, saying, "I'll be right outside the door, let me know when you've finished changing."
"Why don't you come inside for a second," I said.
Shu wouldn't be back for a few minutes and there were no servants around. I needed someone to unlace the getup I was wearing. Bokham stepped into the drawing room and shut the door behind him. I turned my back to him and held up my hair, so he could see the lacing on my dress.
"I need you to untie a cou
ple of things."
Bokham unlaced the gown, going far enough down so he could also untie the corset. Shu arrived with an armful of clothes and Bokham stepped back outside. I peeled off the gown and corset and scrambled into the clothes Shu brought, black leather knee breeches and a long sleeved white cotton shirt that laced up the front. She also brought a pair of black riding boots. It was the perfect outfit for a sword fight.
"Tell Bokham to come in," I said, tying my hair into a ponytail.
Shu went to the door and told Bokham to come in. Bokham entered the drawing room, shutting the door behind him.
"When the duke slips into the room, I want you to move to the door and block it, so he can't escape."
Bokham bowed. "Understood."
"But your sword stays in its scabbard. He's mine to kill." I pulled my cutlass from its scabbard and tossed the scabbard aside. "I would like to warm up, Captain."
Bokham bowed again and drew his broadsword.
"Do you want me to move the furniture out of the way?" Shu said.
"Not necessary," I said. "I've trained in crowded rooms."
"Do you want me to stay?"
"Better you're not here. That way no one can accuse you of taking part in the duke's death."
Shu nodded and left. Bokham raised his broadsword. I raised my cutlass and we began to duel. Bokham was taller than the duke, with broader shoulders. Like most people that had been trained with a broadsword, he wielded it with two hands. My cutlass was smaller and lighter and could be wielded with just one hand.
"How do you intend to defeat a man with a broadsword when all you have is a cutlass?"
"I'll wear him down. Eventually his sword will grow heavy. When it does, I'll strike."
"Like a mosquito and a horse?"
"Something like that."
We fought for a couple of minutes, long enough to loosen the muscles, but not long enough to tire either of us out. When I was ready, I stepped back, lowered my cutlass, and bowed. Bokham did the same, sheathing his broadsword.
"You fight well for a girl."
I smiled. "You fight well for someone who's angry at the Lady Tabitha."
"Is it that obvious."
"Perhaps not to everyone, but you and I have been together for awhile now, and I've learned to read your moods just like you've learned to read mine."
"Watching the Lady Tabitha flirt with the duke reminded me that she has options that I don't have. She's of royal blood and can marry a duke or a baron. I'm just a commoner, a captain of the guard. I can't offer her the things that they can."
"Is that why you've never asked her to marry you?"
"I have asked her to marry me," Bokham said. "She turned me down."
"Because she hopes to marry a duke or a baron?"
"She never gave me a reason, but we both know that's one of her aspirations."
So, Bokham was in love with the Lady Tabitha. The Lady Tabitha might be in love with Bokham, but refused to marry him because he wasn't of royal blood. From my perspective that made Bokham fair game.
"My mother never married," I said. "Nor did my grandmother or my great-grandmother. In fact, none of the women in my family have ever married."
"Yet your mother had four daughters."
"She took consorts." I looked into Bokham's blue eyes. "If I were to ask you to be one of my consorts, would you refuse?"
"Queen Catlett ordered me to accompany the chancellor on his journey, and to protect and serve any princess that he brought back."
"That doesn't answer my question."
Bokham bowed. "I'm prepared to serve in any manner you require."
"What do you think the Lady Tabitha would do if she found out you had become a consort to a princess?"
"In truth, I'm not sure, Your Highness."
"Perhaps, she'd be jealous."
"I'd like to think so."
"Perhaps, she'd stop thinking of you as just a captain."
"Perhaps, she'd never talk to me again."
I smiled. "Perhaps, you'd no longer care."
Bokham returned my smile. "Perhaps, I'd like to find out."
It was the first time I could remember him smiling, let alone flirting. It was nice to know there was a man beneath the uniform. I wasn't planning on taking him as a consort, not tonight anyway. I was just trying to cheer him up.
Now that I knew the Lady Tabitha had rejected his marriage proposal, I considered him to be fair game. He was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders. His hair was a pale blond and almost as long as mine. You just never noticed it because he always wore it tied back in a braid or a ponytail. His eyes were pale blue and he was clean shaven. I'm not even sure he could grow a beard if he wanted to.
"One point," I said. "If I do take you as a consort, and if we are alone like this, I'll expect you to refer to me as Lila, not Your Highness."
Bokham bowed. "Understood."
Our conversation was interrupted by the door opening. I hid my cutlass behind my back. Bokham tightened his grip on his broadsword and slipped behind the door. It had to be the duke, since anyone else would've knocked before entering.
I wasn't worried about the duke killing me. My vision already showed me that I could defeat him in a sword fight. I had no idea what would happen after I killed the duke. How would his brother, the King of Holt react? How would Queen Catlett react? Would she still want me as her heir, or would she consider me to be too much of a barbarian? Although, I suddenly realized that I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was at peace. I was at peace with my decision to stand and fight. I was at peace with my decision to do more than just survive.
I was an Adan princess. I was raised to take on anything life threw at me. I was raised to make a difference. From here on, that's exactly what I would do. From here on, there would be no more running. From here on, I would take on all challengers. From here on, I would make a difference. I would be as brave as Bedonna, as beguiling as Salisha, and as smart as Iderra. From here on, Lila the Insignificant was no more.
DESTINY'S QUEEN
Lila has changed but that doesn't mean her adventures are over. In DESTINY'S QUEEN, she has to deal with the Duke of Genese, his brother, the King of Holt, and Queen Catlett.
Along the way, she will discover that someone has been pulling Maximillian Bedard's strings, ordering him to kill her. That someone turns out to be her father. A man she's never even met. He's a seer, just like her, and has had a vision of Lila destroying him, which is why he'll do anything to kill her, including going to war.
Even if Lila manages to defeat her father, she will still have to deal with her big sister, Bedonna. Bedonna may be on the other side of the desert, but she's planning a war that will make the one Lila's father is planning look like child's play.
To defeat her father and her sister, Lila will have to do more than stand and fight. She will have to become the woman the prophets wrote about long before she was born. She will have to become the woman known as DESTINY'S QUEEN.
BOOKS BY J.D. ROGERS
Dirty Little Mermaids
Princess Wars
Destiny's Queen
Lost in Time
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
J.D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J.D. makes his home in Montana.
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