The Red Throne | TUQ Book Two

24 | glory

To my dear sister the Queen,

       The phoenix smiles upon us. We have defeated the Terrawinian troops, and it will take years for them to recover from this loss. However, the coward Henri du Terre lives, presumably running for his life with his tail wagging between his legs. 

  We have captured the cities of Irakli and Valenfort, thus dividing Terrawyn into half. The King has been informed about this, though I fear that he might order us to return these territories for the sake of peacemaking. But this is our chance to finally conquer the continent, to form a whole, united Great Phoenicia. Isn't that grand ? Annie, I implore you to persuade him, for the better of the kingdom. Burn this.

Your brother, Gilbert

I threw the slip of parchment into the fireplace, allowing it to be engulfed by flames, where it withered into unrecognisable slivers of ash. My brother's words however, linger in my mind still.

        A whole, united Great Phoenicia. It sounded grand indeed. When that day comes, Edmund and I shall rule supreme on this massive continent, and my family's power will soon become unshakeable.

The three red barbed roses of the du Terres will be forgotten, and only the Winterbourne periwinkle may flourish on this soil.

             "Have you heard from your brother, Anne ?" Edmund says as he walks into the room, eyes full of inquisitiveness. 

              "I have," I respond, my lips curving into a smile. "A splendid victory, isn't it ? Margaret will never dare to go against you again."

Edmund smiles as he settles on the seat beside me. "There is also the matter of the territories that had been captured, Anne," he begins with a frown, and I began to fear for the worst.

                "You can't possibly be thinking about giving it back," I say with a frown.

                "No, of course not," my husband refutes. "Actually, I plan on bestowing the title of the Duke of Irakli on my nephew, Edgar. What do you think, Anne ?"

                 "That'd be wonderful," I say curtly. "If he has a title of his own, then his mother would stop reaching out for what rightfully belongs to my daughter."

                  "She will stop eventually when our son is born," Edmund affirmed fondly as he stroked my stomach.

I had discovered that I was pregnant just a little over a week ago, and this time I am certain that it is a boy. "When your brother returns, he will be granted a reward for his bold efforts. He shall be made Duke of Sutherland."

I promptly turned away, staring at him with disbelief. My brother had performed a great deed for this kingdom, and all he gets is a wasteland.

Sutherland was essentially a wasteland, with no gold or diamond mines, no fertile land to plant produce, and the surrounding sea was all muddy and brown in summer, and in the rainy seasons, the waves would be so big that you would think the end days have come.

                    "Sutherland ?" I repeated. "If that's all he is going to get, then you might as well not give him anything. The land is barren, trade is nonexistent, and the people are stubbornly loyal to the previous king. And they hate us Winterbournes!"

Edmund smiles. "Rhyland was in the same state before your ancestors rose to power. Gilbert is a Winterbourne, no ? If all your ancestors before you could do it, why can't Gilbert ?"