The Poisoned Throne

Chapter 26

Elizabeth

Elizabeth looked at the man. He was too slim to be an ordinary soldier, but he was said to be a good scout. However, his skills had proven insufficient for his last mission.

“She gave me a message to convey to you,” he said. He was visibly growing paler by the second, and his hands were shaking. “I-I don’t know how to begin.”

“Begin where she began,” Sir Henry Baldwin suggested.

The scout’s name was Scott - something that might have been a joke, had the circumstances been different - and he had just returned from the Branches, where he had been assigned to keep an eye on Evelyn. He explained that the coverage had not been ideal - there were no tall trees, no bushes or rocks or hills. It was a flat marshland, made up of nothing but fields stretching on, cut through by a net of muddy rivers.

Evelyn had caught him, of course. The only reason why he was still alive was so that he could function as a living piece of paper that she could write her message upon. Her message, Elizabeth had to admit, was written quite clearly upon his face. It was clear that he was not just afraid of Evelyn and her words, but also of Elizabeth’s reaction when she heard them. That was probably the reason why he had asked permission to deliver the message before the entire council.

“Well, first of all, she…” He glanced to Henry Baldwin, who nodded for him to continue. “She has the Yaguars on her side now.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Aryavan has betrayed us?”

Jamie looked at her, and the warmth in his eyes calmed her a little.

“What else?” she asked.

“Well, she told me to tell you.” His eyes flickered to Henry again, before returning just as quickly. “She told me to tell you that she has come to claim this kingdom for her own or burn it to the ground.”

Ishmael let out a breath. “She likes he dramatics, doesn’t she?”

Sir Nicholas laughed into his hand before saying, “Did you get an opportunity to assess her army?”

“It was hard to, sir,” he said. “It was very wide spread, but I’d say at least five thousand men, and women, sir. There were fighting women, as well.”

“In the west, everyone fights,” Hiram said, and soon found himself at the centre of attention. “I suppose I should go,” he said.

Elizabeth nodded. “I will see you out.” She turned to the scout as she stood up. “Thank you for your service. Your bravery will be remembered.”

She followed Hiram out of the door onto the hallway. “I suppose you should pack your things now,” she said. “It’s time to return home.”

He smiled tightly. “Perhaps I’ll go somewhere else,” he said. “Across the sea, where there might be some peace to be found.”

“Then you won’t be fighting against me,” she said, smiling.

He nodded. “Exactly the point.”

She furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“You’re a good Queen, Elizabeth,” he said. “I am honored to have served you. I traveled the world for years, never finding any place that could compete with my home, never finding any people that could remove the ache I felt to return to my own. But this sort of betrayal… if they’re capable of that, then I won’t be able to look myself in the eye if I return.”

She let out a little, nervous laughter. “I’ve heard you don’t have mirrors in the South, so I don’t suppose that will be an issue.”

He shook his head, then placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ve met a lot of leaders in my travels,” he said. “Being a foreigner in such faraway countries made me special enough to even speak to most of them. Some of them managed to do great things, and some of them were better rulers than you, but none of them wanted to do so much good. Your kind don’t become rulers very often.”