“Which were only said because Elder Jacobs pushed her into it,” Andreus snapped back.
“None of us could have seen this coming, but now that it has we are bound by our duty to deal with it under the laws of Eden.” Elder Cestrum looked at Andreus and then at Carys, then stepped in front of the other members of the Council of Elders. “The coldest months are almost upon us. A war is being fought and Eden has no ruler. We must see a monarch crowned as quickly as possible in order to safeguard the country and its citizens.”
Carys looked over at Andreus, then back at the Chief Elder. “My brother and I are ready to do whatever is necessary to see that Eden remains safe. It is our duty and our right.”
And something his sister never wanted. Neither had he. Not with the curse hanging over his head. But, if he must rule, perhaps he could do it alongside Carys. Perhaps, as always, they could share the burden.
“Sadly the Council of Elders has made a study of the laws of succession in recent days,” Elder Ulrich broke in. “It appears that the circumstances of your birth make it legally impossible for us to install either one of you on the throne.”
“That makes no sense.” Andreus looked at his sister, who was staring intently at Elder Ulrich, trying to hear what was unsaid. “Our blood is no less royal than Micah’s and he was the acknowledged heir to the throne. How is it that the Council of Elders believes I am less acceptable than my brother?”
“There is no question that your blood is that of King Ulron, Your Highness,” Elder Jacobs offered, taking a leather-bound book from one of the Council’s pages. “You are a prince of the realm. Your sister is a princess. But the law is clear.” He opened the book to a page marked with a piece of silk and read: “Only a successor whose right to the throne is acknowledged as greater than any other claims can be awarded the crown. If the current royal family has no successor that meets the succession threshold, the Council of Elders will legally choose a new successor with the most powerful claim to start a new line and do all that is necessary to make sure the kingdom thrives under the light.”
Chief Elder Cestrum sighed. “Both of your claims are equal. Neither is greater than the other. Therefore neither meets the threshold of the law.”
“Equal—because we are twins?” Carys looked at him. Her chin was raised. Her stance was defiant, but in her eyes he saw worry.
“That’s crazy,” Andreus said.
“I wish it was, Your Highness.” Elder Cestrum took the book from Elder Jacobs. “Unfortunately, the laws of Eden are quite clear. It is illegal for the Council of Elders to allow anyone to rule who cannot be declared, with absolute certainty, to be the next in the line of succession. Since none save your mother and her midwife were present at your birth, there is no one who can give first-hand testimony as to whether you, Prince Andreus, or you, Princess Carys, were born first.”
The midwife was dead. She had passed not long after their birth.
And their mother was mad.
“My brother is the eldest,” his sister announced. “My mother has always said as much.”
“The passage of the crown cannot be based on hearsay,” Elder Jacobs said, his voice tinged with what was supposed to be offense but sounded more like glee. “Since neither of you can fulfill the terms of succession, a new line must be installed.”
“A new line?” Carys’s voice cracked.
Out of the corner of his eye Andreus saw guards appear through the side entrances of the Hall. He tried to signal his sister, but Carys was focused on the Council. “You’re saying you plan on setting our family aside even though the Queen is alive and there are two children of King Ulron standing right before you? And you think the kingdom will meekly accept that? Do you believe we’ll allow them to?”
“Is that a threat, Your Highness?” Elder Cestrum asked as he signaled with his iron fist for the guards to approach.
“Carys,” Andreus whispered as he stepped closer to her and reached for his sword. “Be very careful.”
“I’m not threatening anything, Chief Elder,” Carys said with a calm Andreus could not help but admire considering the guards currently drawing their swords. “I am suggesting that the kingdom is already at war and there are those in the realm who believe that the Bastians living in exile are the rightful rulers of Eden. Setting our family to the side in favor of a third will only divide this kingdom further. That is chaos. I can’t imagine you’d want that.”
“Of course not, Your Highness. Which is why the Council of Elders is meeting tonight. We wish to determine the best way—within the laws of our realm—to install the new ruler of Eden and keep the peace. Elder Ulrich has come up with a plan that should satisfy the law and the virtues our kingdom holds dear.”
“And what plan is that?” Andreus asked, anger burning deep in his throat as he tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it at any moment.
Elder Cestrum smiled. “There is one successor whose claim is above all others. His grandfather fought against the Bastians. Your grandfather, upon taking the crown, declared him to be his successor until natural heirs were born.”
Carys gasped a moment before he did and said, “You can’t mean to put High Lord James on the throne.”
James’s cruelty as a High Lord was known throughout Eden. He claimed it was his duty as lord of the district that represented the virtue of strength to rule his subjects stringently. The one time Andreus and Carys had been allowed to travel with their father to visit the Stronghold, he saw from the slumped shoulders and terror-stricken faces of the castle servants how strength could easily be turned from a virtue into a vice.
“No, we cannot,” Elder Cestrum agreed. “I was informed earlier today that High Lord James succumbed to illness a week ago. His son and heir, Garret, will appoint a new High Lord of the Stronghold after he is installed as King.”
Garret. Micah’s former best friend. Elder Cestrum’s nephew. Andreus should have realized that’s what the Council had planned. With Garret on the throne the Council, and especially Elder Cestrum, would have the kind of authority they had always wanted.
“And what is to happen to us?” Andreus asked, wondering how quickly he could slide his knife from his belt and pass it to Carys while also drawing his sword. Carys was at least as good a fighter as he was. She should be after practicing with him in secret all these years. They wouldn’t be able to kill the dozen guards waiting for the Chief Elder’s signal, but he and his sister would send some to their graves before they fell. “Are we to be treated like the Bastians were?”
That any of them survived the slaughter was still hard to believe.
“I think we all can agree there has been enough tragedy in Eden,” Elder Cestrum said. “As long as neither of you oppose Garret’s coronation—”
“Of course they will oppose it.” Imogen stepped from behind one of the gold pillars into the light. She was still wearing the white dress from earlier. When had she come into the chamber? And how had she not been detected doing so? “The Council of Elders will oppose such a coronation, too,” she continued, “since it not only betrays the oath you took to uphold the laws of the realm but will also plunge the kingdom into the shadows that the virtue of light cannot reach.”
A guardsman drew his sword, but Elder Cestrum held up his iron claw to stop him. “The Council of Elders has made a study of the laws of Eden, Seer Imogen, as is required by the oath we took. And Garret’s coronation—”
“Is premature.” Imogen’s white dress against the white stone of the Hall of Virtues gave her an almost otherworldly glow as she glided across the floor. She turned and nodded to the doorway of the Hall, and a young girl carrying a large black leather book with the gold seal of Eden on the cover stepped out of the shadows. When she reached Imogen’s side, the seeress said, “Since taking my oath to serve the Kingdom of Eden, I have spent my days reading the histories of the land and my nights studying the winds and the skies. I’ve read the laws you are quoting now. But I fear in your haste
to find the solution you sought, you did not consult the Book of Knowledge.”
The Book of Knowledge. The history of the first years of the kingdom as recorded by Eden’s first seer. Growing up, Andreus’s tutors spoke of the book, but none had actually seen it. Most believed it had been destroyed when the Bastians had taken a torch to the castle in an effort to leave nothing of value for their usurpers to claim.
“Since you haven’t consulted the text, I shall read it to you now.” The pages of the ancient text crackled as Imogen opened it to the page she sought. Imogen read, “If two or more members of the royal family have equal claim to the Throne of Light, a series of trials must be held in order to determine the rightful heir. The Trials will be devised and administered by the Council of Elders, the designated representatives of the districts, and will measure the claimants’ abilities to uphold the seven virtues necessary to wield power and avoid the temptations elevation to the crown can bring.”
“You want us to compete in some kind of public contest?” Carys asked before Andreus could react. She chuckled. “No. I am happy to step aside and let Andreus rule. He understands wind power, so the Masters respect him. He’s studied with the Captain of the Guard, so he understands the men he would command in battle. If I abdicate my position, his claim is greatest. There’s no reason for us to have to perform as if we are street entertainers.”
“Carys . . . ,” Andreus started to protest, but his chest swelled. His sister had proclaimed him the worthier heir to the throne—here, in front of the Council. No other member of his family would have done so.
“Both of you have skills that would make you strong rulers, but it is not for you or the Council to choose the next defender of the light. The law demands a series of trials.” Imogen straightened her slight shoulders and locked eyes with Andreus as if willing him to trust her. “It is your duty to follow the law just as it is the Council of Elders’ duty to see that it is administered.”
Turning back to face the Council, Imogen said, “Ever since I took my oath and began my duties as the Seer of Eden, there is one vision that appears to me when the stars are at their brightest. I see two paths stretching from Eden’s orb. At the end of both paths is a crown. One path is covered in darkness. The other bathed in light. One littered with war and unrest. The other with prosperity and peace. Never has a vision been so strong or the purpose so clear. You must follow the ancient law of Eden as your oath commands of you. Only then can we be certain we have followed the path of light.”
Imogen slammed the book shut. The sound rang through the cavernous room. “If you do not adhere to your oath, if Prince Andreus and Princess Carys do not compete for their place at the head of the Hall of Virtues, you will set the kingdom on a course toward war and suffering and a darkness that stretches on beyond time.”
Elder Cestrum smoothed his white beard to a point as he studied Imogen. She was so calm and beautiful under the Elder’s scrutiny. So unlike the girl they were used to dealing with. And it was because of Andreus. She was taking this chance—thwarting the plans of the men who wished to do her harm—out of love.
“May I have the book?” Elder Cestrum asked, holding out his iron-clawed hand.
“Of course, my lord. The page I read from is marked.” She turned the book over to him, then folded her hands in front of her as the Council of Elders huddled around the tome.
Andreus tried to catch Imogen’s attention, but she didn’t glance his way. She kept her eyes on Chief Elder Cestrum and the rest of the Council as they whispered and flipped pages and argued.
The seer folded her hands together as the conversation became more heated, but she never flinched or turned away. And in that moment, Andreus realized something. He couldn’t compete in public trials. Not without risking the Council of Elders being reminded of his curse. If any of them saw Andreus in the throes of an attack, they would declare him unfit. They would realize Carys and the Queen knew of his affliction all along and pronounce them all traitors. A contest would kill them all.
Which Imogen had no way of knowing.
He shook his head. “I think Lady Imogen’s appearance with the Book of Knowledge demonstrates how many laws govern succession. None of us knows them all.” He nodded to the guards. “The people simply assume either Carys or I will take the throne; we should assure them of this. And in the meanwhile, we should thoroughly study all the laws and determine the best course for the—”
“Excuse us, Your Highness.” Chief Elder Cestrum motioned to the rest of the Council, who gathered around him. As the Elders spoke in tones too muted for Andreus to make out the words, he looked at Carys and Imogen. In his sister’s eyes he saw the storm of uncertainty that must be reflected in his own. The world had been yanked upside down and neither of them had any idea how to right it. Imogen’s face remained assured, placid. Almost eerily so.
Elder Cestrum cleared his throat. “Delay won’t be necessary, Prince Andreus. The Council of Elders is in agreement and we thank Lady Imogen for her study and guardianship of the realm’s history. If it hadn’t been for the seer, we might have made a grievous error that violated our oaths.” The Elder smiled at Lady Imogen while, standing just behind him, Elder Jacobs glowered with open contempt.
“And we wouldn’t have wanted that, would we?” Elder Jacobs drawled.
Andreus squelched the urge to shield Lady Imogen from his malice. Instead, he tightened his grip on his sword and tried to feign the confidence his sister was projecting beside him.
“I am only upholding my duty to Eden,” Lady Imogen said. “I take my charge to search the stars and call the winds seriously. Without them, I can only imagine how hard it would be for the throne to keep the confidence of the people through the cold months ahead. It is important for all of us to work together to see the throne passes to the true Keeper of Virtues and Guardian of the Light. Or darkness will descend upon us all.”
Smooth words covering the iron steel of a threat.
Elder Cestrum tightened his hold on the book, but his expression never wavered. After several tense moments, he nodded to the guards, who took their hands off their weapons, and Andreus let out the breath he’d been holding.
“We all serve the Kingdom of Eden,” Elder Cestrum said. “Which means the Council will create a series of trials for our prince and princess to participate in that will decide the true successor to the Throne of Light. The Trials of Virtuous Succession must be designed to demonstrate the claimants’ dedication to the realm and the virtues that guide it. And once the Trials of Virtuous Succession begin, the contest must continue until a successor is declared victorious or all other equal claimants to the throne are dead.”
9
“Dead?” Carys stepped forward. “You wish us to voluntarily participate in a series of contests in which one of us could die?”
“I wish nothing,” Elder Cestrum said with what Carys was certain was supposed to be a shrug.
Only he wasn’t sorry. She could tell by the glint of delight in his eyes.
“The Book of Knowledge that our seer so kindly presented to us demands the Trials contain risks to those who would take the throne. No doubt to prove that once the new monarch receives the crown he or she has the ability to keep it. After all, the getting of power is often the easy part. It is keeping it that can prove difficult. The Council of Elders must do its utmost to make sure the person who wins the Trials has the ability to lead Eden through the difficult times ahead.”
“And if we refuse this insult to us and to our father?” Andreus asked.
“Then Lord Garret will ascend the throne and he will decide how best to handle any who could jeopardize the legitimacy of his reign.”
The Bastians, defeated by Carys’s grandfather, were executed in Garden City in the exact spot where the Tree of Virtues now stood. Those who escaped and their heirs had plagued Eden with the threat of war ever since. Carys had no doubt the Council of Elders would advise Lord Garret to kill her, Andreus, and their mother, and the
kingdom would say nothing against it.
“Prince Andreus and Princess Carys.” Elder Ulrich stepped out of the cluster of councilmen with his hands raised. “I understand this all comes as a shock. None of us expected your mother’s mind to collapse under the strain of this tragedy. Unfortunately, there is no turning from these unfortunate consequences. The Kingdom of Eden is depending on all of us to do our part. Can we count on your honorable participation?”
“We are the children of King Ulron,” Carys said before her brother could voice the denial she saw on his lips. “Our father was the Guardian of Light and Keeper of Virtues for more than two score years. He taught us that it is our responsibility to do what is best for the realm. We would not dishonor him by turning away from our duty to Eden.”
Andreus opened his mouth to speak, and Carys gave him a look willing him to trust her. Yes, she knew he couldn’t compete in physical trials—ones that could result in death. The strain of whatever the Council of Elders devised could trigger an attack. If Carys couldn’t help conceal it, Elder Cestrum would see Andreus’s struggles to breathe and he would recall Seer Kheldin’s prediction. The Council would seize on Andreus’s weak heart in order to remove him from contention for the throne.
Virtues went out the window when self-interest was at stake.
But knowledge was power and right now Carys wouldn’t let the Council know that she and her brother weren’t going to play this game.
Her brother frowned, but gave a slight nod before saying, “Princess Carys and I understand the importance of our duty. We will do what we must to ensure King Ulron’s legacy lives on. I’m assuming the Trials will start in a few days, once the Council has time to prepare?”
Elder Cestrum waved off Andreus’s assumption with his iron hand. “While circumstances surrounding the upcoming coronation have changed, the need for a quick transition to a new monarch has not. Eden needs a king or queen to secure the realm. The Council will meet throughout the night to create the rules and tasks governing the Trials that will commence at the tournament tomorrow.”