The Poisoned Throne

Chapter 34

Evelyn

The fog rose after the battle and the field lay clear and crisp the morning after. Bodies lay scattered. The survivors of both sides had long since been taken to Evelyn’s camps so that doctors and nurses and Servants could try to save their lives. There was really no point in killing of Elizabeth’s men. She had lost, unquestionably, and no one in their right minds would try to put a fight against what was now a fact.

Amalia stood in front of her family home when Evelyn returned, wearing a pale green dress with white embroideries and pearls. She tilted her head. “You survived.”

Evelyn smiled. “Dying wasn’t worth your forgiveness for leaving, I’m afraid.

“A sensible choice,” she said. “I would never have forgiven you for dying.”

Evelyn continued past her, gesturing for her to follow. They moved together out of public sight, walking beside each other the way old friends did. When they reached the shadows inside the castle, however, Evelyn turned around and took Amalia’s hand.

“Come with me to Westhall,” she said, drawing closer. “I want you to be there when I recapture my kingdom.”

Amalia nodded, but she was still leaning backwards, staring into Evelyn’s eyes with resolve. “Just remember that you’re recapturing a kingdom, Evelyn, not me and not the way things used to be in the past. The fact that one of your mother’s children once more sits the throne of Etheron does not erase the past two years.”

Evelyn shook her head. “Nothing can erase what has already happened,” she agreed, “but it can’t become a waste. Before this - before Elizabeth - I took it for given that I would be a Princess, at the very least, my entire life. Elizabeth cast me down and forced me to rise again, and I’ve done exactly that.” She let her eyes fall closed as memories flashed before her painfully. “I didn’t let resistance stop me. I don’t need to sit on a throne to make my life memorable anymore.”

She was surprised when she felt Amalia’s lips against her cheek. “You never needed a throne to be memorable.”

She shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she said. “It’s… One day, we’ll die, and now I know that people will remember me centuries from now. I’ll be Evelyn Turell, Queen and Conquerer, not just some princess who lived and died.”

Amalia smiled. “I don’t think I understand, no,” she agreed.

Evelyn took hold of her hand and started to draw her further down the hall, but she stood her ground.

“Do you think it’s that easy to get me to bed?” she asked, smirking.

Evelyn tugged at her hand. “I’m not going to take you to bed,” she said. “I want to talk to you, in private. There’s something…” She swallowed deeply. “Please come with me?”

Amalia took a moment to nod, and Evelyn led them both down the hall to her room. While Amalia watched, she began to remove her armor, putting it carefully down on the floor until she was just wearing her soft red dress. She moved to sit on the bed.

“I thought you weren’t going to take me to bed,” she teased as she crawled to the middle of the bed.

“I wanted to tell you something.” Just getting those words past her lips was a struggle. Her throat had clogged up. What will she think of me when she knows? she wondered, blinking as tears rose to her eyes. “It’s a secret. No one else on this earth knows.”

Amalia giggled, but Evelyn could tell it was forced. “Let me guess, you killed those who knew?”

The corners of her lips tugged upwards. “Close, but no,” she said. “I got my brother to kill my husband, and then Christian died, so… those were the only two that knew.”