Spring might have been on the horizon, but the deepest nights were still cold. But Adina, the Southern Queen, was certain it wasn’t the cold seeping through the thick walls of the castle and the twice-thickened material of her night shift that had woken her. Shivering slightly, Adina slid her long, lithe form out of the bed that was very different from the straw mattress she’d slept on even just four years before.
Four years a Queen, and three of them without peace in the land. Adina missed the late Eastern Queen with a vengeance. Since her death, she had received reports of warring tribes, brutal massacres, and children gone missing in the night. There were whispers it was the night monsters, terrifying beasts that feasted on the innocence of childhood and tender flesh.
A shiver passed over her again despite the fire she saw roaring in her fireplace. She missed her family’s hut, with the warm night air wafting through and the thin blanket that kept the bugs off her. Her castle chambers were comfortable enough, but they were big and drafty and she could barely see the spires in the distance marking the gateway between Meridian where she now ruled and the Southern Kingdom where she once grew up.
“My Lady?” a soft voice asked from the doorway of a smaller chamber adjacent to her bedchamber.
Adina turned, her fingers pulling at the braids that fell past her shoulders. It would be time to change her hairstyle again.
Deka, her protector who had come from the same village as her, stood in the doorway, her hair cropped short and her dark skin glowing in the firelight. In one hand was her sword, unsheathed. She’d already pulled a jerkin over her own thick night shift. Or perhaps she slept in it. Adina couldn’t be sure. Deka was a fierce warrior, strong and well-built, once the pride of their village when she’d slain dozens of attacking tribesmen on her own, now sole protector to the Southern Queen. Oh, there were plenty of servants scurrying around the castle, serving the three in-residence Queens, but the only other person Adina trusted was Deka.
“I’m just cold,” Adina said softly, her hands rubbing at her arms.
Deka frowned and strode into the room. She pulled a thick robe from a hook beside Adina’s bed and helped the Queen into it.
“You must be careful,” Deka quietly admonished. “If you become ill and die, that’ll be two empty thrones and the world thrown further into chaos.”
Adina gave her a wry smile. “Don’t worry, Deka. I have no plans of dying any time soon. I’m only twenty-nine.”
But Deka still frowned.
“Come on,” Adina said briskly as she turned to leave her bedchamber.
“Adina, where are you going?” Deka demanded.
“I’m not sure,” Adina called back. “But I think I have to be somewhere right now.”
Behind her, Adina heard her protector swear, but her heavy footsteps reassured her Deka would be at her heels before long. She had been honest with Deka; she had no idea where she was going or why, but there was a tugging in her chest and she felt compelled to follow it.
They made their way out of the Southern Wing. The gray walls had been decorated to reflect her home, but they made her flinch sometimes. Of course she missed the Southern Kingdom, especially its warm weather, but she’d been an outcast since she was seven, when she had been growing up as a boy but liked to play with his sister’s dresses instead of the branches shoved into his hands for swordplay. Things hadn’t gotten better when he’d transitioned; it had been almost a relief when the Southern Throne selected her, and Deka had been smart enough to spirit them away in the middle of the night before the biologically female girls could vent their outrage.
Not that living in Meridian was much better. The Western Queen, Odalis, was a wealthy, spoiled child. Barely sixteen, she only knew how to eat from golden spoons and expected anyone, even Adina, to serve her as she pleased. She had her family parading in and out of the Western Wing whenever she wanted, making it so loud with laughter and demands for music and more food that Adina’s ears hurt just to pass by. But she was still better than the cold, calculating Northern Queen. Malin looked icy with her pale blue eyes and white blond hair, and she made no secret of wanting to rule on her own. If it weren’t for Meridian’s laws preventing the Queens from killing each other, Adina was certain she and Odalis would have been dead.
Her feet took her into the main hall of the castle, a towering three story section with balconies on the top two from which doors opened up. On the lowest level, the entrance hall was grandly decorated to reflect the four Kingdoms, a plush red rug quieting footsteps as visitors entered to seek counsel from the Queens. Individually, they each had offices in their own wings. When their collective presence was required, they gathered in the Throne Room, where the four Thrones stood.
It was there that Adina’s feet took her. As soon as they descended the stairs, she could see why.
The door was slightly ajar, when Adina knew it was always closed up tight every night. A soft golden glow haloed the double doors. Her breath caught in her throat as she practically tripped the entire way over, her feet unable to catch up with her need.
Gently, Adina pulled the door open and peeked in. A golden light suffused the room, emanating from the Eastern Throne. With a sharp intake, Adina leaned heavily against the doorframe, relief making her body weak.
“Deka,” she said hoarsely. “The Eastern Queen comes.”
“Is that what all that light means?” a sleepy voice asked.
Adina turned as a plump girl, her wild dark curls cascading around her face, walked over to her. Odalis yawned and peered around Adina, her eyes blinking rapidly against the light.
“Hmm,” Odalis said, planting one hand on a hip. “I suppose harmony will come over the lands soon.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” a low, dangerous voice said.
Adina and Odalis turned to behold Malin as she stepped towards the door, an icy blue robe around her shoulders and her pale hair hanging down her back like a waterfall. Unlike Adina, she was fully dressed and, unlike Odalis, she was wide awake, her protector, a dangerous woman called Teresia, trailing behind.
“What do you mean?” Adina demanded, because Odalis, having arrived just before the Eastern Queen died at only thirteen, didn’t care much for her duties unless it tipped the balance in her Kingdom’s favor.
“Four Queens will mean harmony. One Queen will mean sole rulership, and a world of the Queen’s making.”
Adina’s blood ran cold. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Don’t I?” Malin challenged. “You’re lucky I arrived only a year ago.”
With a savage smile, Malin turned and swept out of the hall, Teresia following close behind, her eyes glittering ice chips as she glanced at the other two Queens.
Odalis frowned and crossed her arms. She had a thoughtful look on her face, but didn’t share any of them with Adina before she, too, left. Adina traded an uneasy glance with Deka. Holding on to the peace they currently had wasn’t going to be easy. She hoped the Eastern Queen arrived soon.
Previously….
The Warlord’s palace was bustling, and An Lan was hurrying with the rest of the servants, her heart in her throat. It had been years since the city had last been attacked, years since their Warlord had reached a tenuous peace with the others in the Eastern Kingdom. But, with the Eastern Throne still vacant after three years, peace and harmony could not be maintained.
An Lan nearly tripped over the hem of her pale pink skirt, her heart jumping out of her throat because a tear in the linen would mean a beating later on. She gasped and flung her arms out to her sides, thankful she wasn’t carrying a tea service on her tray any more.
“Careful,” a sharp voice barked as a strong hand gripped her elbow. “There is enough chaos today. Do not create more.”
An Lan didn’t dare look up as she bowed, her tray clasped at her middle. She knew the voice of the Warlord’s most trusted commander, Li Feng. Everyone knew his sharp voice, and most with any sense ran from it. He wasn’t a mean man, but he was demanding and tolerated very little.
His cloak swished as he continued on his way, his feet silent. An Lan waited a moment to let her heart settle back into her body, but the hustle of her fellow servants around her quickly prodded her back into movement. At these times, it wouldn’t do to be found standing still.
Her feet carried her over small bridges arching across serene streams and around the gardens that would be blooming in just a few short weeks. Spring was coming, and so was war. Everywhere she walked, she heard whispers. Some said it was the Warlord to the north who had decided to descend and attempt to expand to warmer waters. Others said it was from the west, the Warlord there seeking a sea route despite his lucrative land trade routes. But she didn’t care. All that mattered was serving well, and staying alive.
Her hands had stopped their trembling by the time she returned to the kitchens. There, it was madness as the servants there had begun to prepare for an influx of people from the city. Thousands of mouths would need food, and soon.
“Here,” the woman who led the kitchens said, thrusting a new tray into An Lan’s hands. “Take this to the Warlord’s daughter.”
An Lan bowed and quickly traded the trays. She liked the princess, who had been trying to convince her father to let An Lan serve her, but, with three other attendants already in her service, it was difficult, especially when An Lan was dutiful and easily ignored as she served the men and women the Warlord hosted.
She quickly crossed through gardens and over bridges, heading for the quieter north wing. Well, it had been quiet, but the princess was a skilled archer and would insist on manning the walls with the soldiers. Armorers were hurrying through, carrying armor and bows and arrows for the princess to look over. Other servants were carrying bundles of cloth and closed baskets.
An Lan followed the other servants to Faithfulness and Tranquility, where the princess lived. The doors were wide open as servants flowed in and out. Inside, she could hear the princess’s voice, clear and commanding, but never hurrying.
The wood floor creaked slightly under her feet, but, under the noise, it went unnoticed, though An Lan noted it would need to be repaired. She carefully wound her way around two men arguing over which arrows the princess should use, but they looked exactly the same to An Lan.
She found the princess sitting on a dais, conferring quietly with a matronly woman An Lan recognized as the Warlord’s wife. Just behind her was a slightly younger woman with worried eyes. The Warlord’s concubine was the princess’s true mother, but, as the only child, the princess had been taken to be raised by the Lady.
“An Lan,” the princess suddenly called out, turning her head slightly. “Is Li Feng here yet?”
An Lan bowed, the tray still clasped in her hands. “Yes, Princess. I just saw him not long ago.”
“Excellent. Have him come here and deal with those two men,” she said, waving a long, graceful hand. They’re giving me a headache.”
“Oh, darling,” the Lady cooed, reaching out a hand. “Really, your father and Li Feng will take care of everything. There is no need for you to endanger yourself.”
An Lan silently ghosted forward and set the tea tray on the table between the princess and Lady. A nod from the concubine quickly dismissed her to do as the princess asked.
“An Lan,” the princess called out, stilling the girl’s feet.
She turned and bowed her head, her empty hands now clasped at her waist. “Yes, Princess?”
“Am I better shot than half of my father’s archers?” the princess demanded.
An Lan bowed her head. “Yes, Princess. I have seen you best nearly all of them.”
“It’s too dangerous,” the Lady stressed. “Stay here where you will be safe.”
The princess rose. “I am a Warlord’s daughter, Mother. I have a duty, as do you. An Lan, please summon Li Feng.”
With a bow, An Lan quickly retreated from the hall, leaving the Lady and the princess to argue and the two men to raise their voices to shouts. More than anything she wanted to place her hands over her ears, but the rest of the palace was no better. The news must have worsened, because there was a state of panic in the way the servants moved and the quick clip of the soldiers’ steps. In the distance, she could hear the loud creak of the palace gates being pulled open.
Her heart quickened as she began her hunt across the palace grounds for the commander. If the people flooded in before she could find him, well, she wasn’t sure she would be able to fulfill the princess’s order.
“I said to be careful,” a voice snapped as she once again tripped on her hem and a strong hand gripped her elbow.
“Apologies, my Lord,” An Lan said breathlessly as she managed a proper bow to the commander. “The princess requests you attend to her.”
Li Feng muttered darkly under his breath, but An Lan didn’t dare peek up at him through her lashes. There were numerous drawings of the commander and his famous scowl, the one that darkened his handsome features and lowered his dark brows. His long dark hair would be tied up in a knot on top of his head so tightly the frown lines on his forehead wouldn’t even be visible.
“Smelling salts,” the commander snapped. “Do you carry them?”
“Yes, my Lord,” An Lan said with another bow.
“Good. Come with me. The Lady will probably need them.”
“The princess requests you deal with the men arguing about arrows.”
“I’ll deal with them, too. Hurry up, girl.”
An Lan quickly followed after the commander, keeping her head down and her hands clasped at her waist. It was easy following him; his sheer presence forced the servants from their path, so there was no one for her to weave around.
If the princess’s hall had been quiet before, it was impossible for An Lan to say the same now. The two men were shouting and waving their arrows in each others’ faces and even the Lady and the princess could be heard practically yelling. It wouldn’t be dignified to truly be shouting, but their voices had risen to do battle with the mens’.
An Land watched through lowered eyes as Li Feng strode towards the two men and snatched the arrows from them. They both quickly bowed to the commander, finally growing quiet.
“What’s this about?” Li Feng demanded. “We’re about to be attacked and you’re arguing about arrows?”
“The princess will require the finest arrows we have,” one of the men said. “Mine is surely better than his.”
“The princess will use any arrow she sees fit. Leave them outside her hall. Now, go!”
With hasty bows, the men scurried off, the hats on their heads nearly falling off in their haste. But the commander didn’t pay them any mind; he merely gestured to An Lan before striding in to deal with the Lady and the princess.
An Lan scurried after the commander. Now that the two men had left, the Lady and the princess had quieted their voices, but they still argued even as Li Feng strode in, his cloak shifting behind him, one hand on the hilt of the sword at his side. She saw the princess standing on her own, the long, billowing sleeves of her robe swishing as she gestured towards the palace walls. On the other side, the Lady was supported by the concubine, who looked about ready to cry.
Li Feng offered a deep bow, drawing their attention.
“Commander,” the Lady called out, “please talk some sense into the princess.”
“Don’t you dare,” the princess snapped. “Li Feng knows as well as everyone else I’m a better archer than most. He’ll need me on the walls.”
“But you’re the princess,” the Lady said, her voice strained. “There’s no one else to take the Warlord’s place when he dies.”
“The princess is correct,” Li Feng said, smoothly cutting in. “We require her skills. But do not worry, my Lady. She will be well protected.”
“There,” the princess said as she crossed her arms, her voice triumphant, “you see? I’ll be perfectly fine.”
“But, my dear,” the Lady started.
An Lan didn’t hear the rest of the Lady’s sentence. Her attention had been drawn to a sudden warmth in her hands. Startled, she looked down at where they were tightly clasped at her waist and pulled them apart as a golden light suffused her skin. Her hands trembled, but it didn’t shake off the glow.
“The Eastern Queen,” someone breathed, even as An Lan shook her head and took a step back.
“You are,” the princess said as she grabbed An Lan by the arms and forced the servant to look up into her bright eyes. “You’re the fourth Queen. Quickly, we must get you to your throne. The Eastern Kingdom needs you there if we are to survive.”
“No, Princess,” An Lan said, shaking her head. “I can’t be. I’m just a servant.”
“The Thrones do not care,” the Lady said softly, her voice full of gravity. “They select who they wish. The Princess is correct. You must hurry.”
“I don’t,” An Lan began, her hands beginning to shake harder as the light refused to dim. “I’m not…”
She squeaked in surprise as Li Feng, the Warlord’s most trusted commander, went down on one knee before her and bowed his head. With her hands shaking so badly, she couldn’t clasp them again. So she took another step back, her eyes wide as she took in the kneeling commander, the princess with her glowing eyes, the solemn Lady, and the concubine who looked like she was ready to faint.
“Three years ago,” Li Feng said, “I made a vow upon the death of the last Eastern Queen. It will be my duty and honor to serve as your protector, to guide you to your throne, and protect you and your life thereafter.”
“But,” An Lan said, her eyes darting around, fear making her lips tremble and her voice quiver, “what about the attacking Warlord? Ours needs you.”
“Then quickly travel to your Throne,” the princess said, “and the land will know peace.”
The Lily Cafe 