Elizabeth Haydon - Destiny - Child of the Sky

Rhapsody drew a soft cloak around herself, pulled on her boots, and left her chambers, seeking Rial, now her viceroy and chief advisor. Over the short time of her reign she had come to rely on him almost exclusively to explain the intricacies of the court, and advise her in matters of state. She was confident he would know what was going on.

She found him near the wall, very close to the convocation, watching grimly as guards and palace clerks catalogued the visitors and the items they seemed, without exception, to have brought with them. She slipped up next to him and touched him on the sleeve.

“Rial, what on Earth is going on?”

Rial turned to her and quickly took her arm, steering her hurriedly away from the crowd. They walked until they came to the curved wall of the guard tower. When they were out of sight of the throng he took her hand and kissed it.

“Good morning, m’lady.” He smiled down at her, his elderly face wrinkling into the kind expression Rhapsody had grown fond of. “I thought you were away on the practice fields.” His breath formed an icy cloud in the air between them.

“I was, but there’s only so much physical abuse I can take; Hiledraithe and Kelstrom took particular pleasure in beating me into submission today. What’s happening? Who are these people?”

-

Rial sighed. “Suitors, Your Majesty.”

“Suitors? Suitors for whom? I thought you told me that the Lirin did not have a marriage lottery, that women were free to choose their own mates.”

“They are, Your Majesty. These men are suing for your hand, or they are emissaries of lords who are.”

Rhapsody walked to the edge of the tower and peeked around. The line had grown even fuller, and the boisterous sounds were becoming deafening. “You must be joking,” she said, staring at the crowd. “There are scores of them.”

“Hundreds, actually, I would guess. I am very sorry, m’lady. I had hoped to spare you the sight of them.”

Rhapsody’s face clouded over in dismay. “I don’t understand, Rial; why are they here, on such a cold day especially? I didn’t say I was seeking a suitor, did I?”

Rial offered her his arm; as she took it he led her back to the palace. “No, Rhapsody, but they are insidious. Normally within the first year we would have expected to see some of them, seeking to ally themselves with Tyrian by means of a marriage of state. Usually the first to arrive are the lords of the elder Lirin houses, since they have the early word when a new monarch is crowned; it was thus with Queen Terrell in the old times.

“My father was a page in those days and he described the scene to me often. Apparently a dozen or so of them came to the palace wall and waited all night after her coronation. The place was abuzz with excitement for days. “That, however, cannot begin to compare to this. Many more of them out there are not Lirin. They are regents of other lands, some as far away as the Hintervold; undoubtedly they are looking to bind their kingdoms to yours. But if you would permit me to guess, I would say that word of you has spread for other reasons. I think it has more to do with you personally than with a desire to rule over Tyrian.”

“What do you mean? None of these people know me; at least I don’t see anyone I recognize.”

Rial chucked. He was becoming used to her view of herself, and it amused him. “I think it’s possible that there are some things about you that might cause the word to spread faster than it normally would.”

Rhapsody shuddered. “What are they bringing with them? Is it a bride-price?”

“Not exactly. They are gifts of state, similar to the others that came upon your coronation, but of greater worth. Traditionally, when you choose a mate, his gift is put on display in the Great Hall as a means of announcement. The others become part of your treasury, and Tyrian’s. So you can imagine the competition that exists, trying to assure that a gift will suitably impress you, and will showcase the wealth of the suitor’s lands, and his personal taste, to their best advantages.”

Rhapsody’s face was becoming somber. “Return them, please, Rial, and send these men away. I don’t want to entertain any suitors at this time.”

As they entered the palace rotunda Rial stopped and took both of her hands, looking seriously into her face. “I’d advise against that, Your Majesty.” he said gently, trying not to upset her. “It would be perceived as a great insult. A better way is to accept the gifts and catalogue the requests, as the clerks are doing. Then they will return to their lands and await your invitation to those whose courtship you are willing to entertain. This way your desires can be accommodated, and the army will only have to fend off one or so at a time if they should become impatient.”

Even in the light of the roaring flames of the great hearth Rial could see her face go pale. “What do you mean? Are you saying they might attack Tyrian if I don’t accept suit?”

Rial stopped a page as she ran by. “Bring Her Majesty some cider, please,” he said; the girl nodded and left. He brought the queen closer to the fire and sat with her on the wide bench before the hearth.

“It’s always possible that, until you choose to marry and remove the possibility for other alliances, some of the regents will try and test your resolve by means offeree. Do not worry, m’lady. This is unlikely, at least for a while, and the Lirin army, now that you have united all the factions, is a match for all of them.

“You not only have the loyalty of the soldiers, you have their hearts as well, and they will gladly protect your right to choose your time and your mate. Tyrian is a nightmare for invaders, and the casualties on their side will far outstrip our own. Someone will need to have a serious desire to make an issue of it before they will attempt to broach the forest. So please don’t let it trouble you. Take your time; it’s an important decision, and one I mean to see that you are able to make in peace.” The page returned with a heavy goblet and offered it to her. Rhapsody accepted it numbly.

With a polite gesture Rial dismissed the page, then looked into the face of the queen. He watched, fascinated, as the unguarded luster in her eyes receded and her face hardened into a resolute mask. She lifted the goblet and took a sip.

“I will follow your guidance, as always, Rial,” she said steadily. “When you have a chance, please send a messenger to my offices. I have a missive I need to send.” v_ hat was a marvelous meal,” Anborn said, finishing the last of his wine and setting the goblet on the table. He cast a glance around the balcony at the bare, glistening trees that rose above the ornately carved railing. The day was brisk, but dining outside on the balcony had been pleasant, a refreshing change from the heavy smoke of the winter fires.

He was glad that he had responded in such a timely fashion to Rhapsody’s invitation. Generally he made the issuers of such requests wait, just to be obnoxious. But he was pleased to have a chance to see her alone and assess her health and state of mind, which had been impossible to do at her coronation. She seemed much better than he could have imagined she would be after her experience in Sorbold and the forest, but then, she had been to the Rowans, and had undoubtedly passed far more time there than the rest of the world had marked.

When she had greeted him she was wearing the diadem, and he was fascinated to see it hovering above her head, whirling in a blazing halo of tiny starlike gems, transformed, it seemed, into glistening points of light. Once they had been left alone, however, she had removed it, and now was crowned only by her own resplendent hair, braided in the intricate patterns that none but skilled Lirin hands could weave. She was splendid lunchtime company, entertaining him with amusing stories and laughing unabashedly at his rude jokes. Even so, there was a reserve about her that he couldn’t quite pinpoint; it was as if a piece of her were missing.