Judging by the grim expressions of those gathered, she wasn’t alone in these sentiments.
Ignoring the fact that the throne was built to accommodate a height and breadth of a landshaper, Lannahi took care not to slide deeper into her seat. Instead, she turned her attention back to the Arbiter.
Nimmat broke the silence. “In the Royal Duel at stake is not only power but also the monarch’s life. Lizaar, you have surrendered your crown. Now prostrate yourself before your new queen as a sign that you are relinquishing your life to her.”
Lizaar’s face flooded with emotion. A muscle in her neck twitched wildly and anger boiled in her eyes was so hot that despite their dark hue, they resembled glowing magma. A long moment passed before the woman took a few steps and stood with her back to the audience, directing the force of her gaze to Lannahi.
Remember your promise, her eyes were saying.
Lannahi held her gaze, but her stomach tightened into a tight knot. She had no doubt that the former monarch wouldn’t like what she was about to hear.
Slowly, Lizaar sank to her knees, lowering her gaze, and Lannahi instinctively understood her. The world could see her anger, but she didn’t want to show anyone the humiliation she felt. Finally, Lizaar leaned forward to touch the marble floor with her forehead. One of her hands was still clenched into a fist.
“Lizaar, daughter of Mahrur,” Nimmat said in a voice devoid of emotion. “From now on, your life belongs to Lannahi, Queen of Goldfrost. You are now a slave, which means you are not protected by the Revenge Law. Any harm done to you cannot be used in court as an argument to justify an attack on your master and her city. Anyone who commits an act of violence because of you will be accused of violating the Black Tower Rules to which you too are still subject to.”
In other words: Lannahi could do as she pleased with Lizaar, and no one had the right to interfere.
“Lady Lannahi, Lizaar’s life belongs to you,” Nimmat addressed her. “You can freely dispose of it, but you can also end or return it. Do you wish to exercise any of the last two rights now?”
Lannahi easily imagined a similar situation between her and Nihhal. The thought that she was about to deliver a judgment that he would gleefully have done to her made her feel ill. The fact that Nimmat was looking at her with similar anticipation as Lizaar had moments earlier only made matters worse.
Remember your promise.
“No,” she said in a calm voice. “Lizaar will remain my slave until I decide otherwise.”
Lizaar flew to her feet. “Liar! You said you would free me!”
The murmur around them grew louder, and Lannahi raised her voice to be heard. “I said I would return your freedom, but I didn’t say when. I will keep my promise in due time.”
A stunned silence hung in the air before her words settled into the minds of those in attendance, including Lizaar. Lannahi stood up slowly taking care to ensure that her crown did not slide off.
“What do you mean ‘in due time’?” Lizaar asked, shaking with indignation. “When will it be?! When will you free me?!”
“When I decide on it.”
Lizaar looked like she was about to attack her, and Lannahi tensed, ready to reach for the knife hidden in her sleeve, but when she heard the cry of “earthquake!” her confidence started to crumble. She didn’t feel the ground beneath her feet shake, but that was a poor consolation. Some earthquakes could only be sensed by landshapers, but that didn’t mean that the situation wouldn’t escalate.
“As Arbiter, I remind you of the Rules,” Nimmat raised her voice. She was addressing the crowd but stepped closer to Lizaar. “If anyone present attacks Lannahi or provokes an accident that results in her suffering, it will be treated as a crime.”
“Lizaar,” Ashared said. “Calm down.”
Lizaar tore her glare away from Lannahi and pinned them on Ashared. Neither of them spoke, but after a while the blaze in Lizaar’s gaze dimmed. She turned her head and closed her eyes.
When the cry “is ceasing” swept through the hall, Lannahi regretted getting up from her throne and longed for something steady beneath her. Why did she think she could handle the wrath of the landshapers? If one of them lost control of their emotions, her magic wouldn’t be enough to stop an abyss from opening under her feet or boulders crashing down on her head.
Lizaar opened her eyes and Lannahi struggled to control her expression. Back in the arena, her opponent clutched at life in a panic reflex, but now Lannahi saw the seed of her own thoughts from a few months ago.
The thoughts of how she would rather be buried under a pile of stones than be someone’s slave.
“Arbiter,” Lannahi addressed Nimmat. “Have we gone through all the formalities?”
Nimmat hesitated. She glanced at the landshaper standing next to her, but the latter didn’t take her eyes off the Lannahi. “That is all,” she said eventually.
Lannahi nodded as much as her crown allowed and swept her eyes over the restless crowd. “The ceremony is over,” she announced. “As your new monarch, I would like to express my gratitude for your presence here and assure you that from now on the welfare of Goldfrost will become my main priority. This week I will meet with officials and representatives of groups involved in the development and function of the city to learn about the plans and problems of its residents. I count on your peaceful cooperation and express my deepest hope for finding an agreement between us.”
Lannahi sensed the distrust, but most of those present controlled their expressions to a degree that made it impossible for her to say unequivocally how much they despised her. Certainly, no one was happy with the outcome. She didn’t doubt that they saw her as an enemy, but though she scanned the crowd for a potential troublemaker, she didn’t find much beyond caution and calculation.
I will find out soon enough, she thought with bitter irony and looked at Lizaar.Though probably no one can match her.
