Page 12 of Iris of the Crowned Flame
He looks around with the same boyish charm he always had when he was late for lessons. I shook my head, a smile spreading, enjoying the moment of nostalgia.
“Ethan, you need to be more mindful of your day and not keep people waiting. It’s poor form and can cause your sister a lot of grief if she relies on you through her rule.”
Father was most definitely not used to this, and his frustration with his lateness showed it. I already knew better than to plan for Ethan to show up to anything on time if it started before lunch. I probably would have told him this meeting started an hour earlier than it did if I had scheduled it. Ethan wasn’t one to manage his time well, but it was easy enough to manage him.
“Yes, sir.” Thankfully, Ethan had the intelligence to know when to sass at Father and when not to, and this was a moment for the latter.
“Lyla, are you ready? Have you had the chance to decide if this plan will work?”
I nodded. “Yes, I think this will. If the Council objects, I will let them know Spencer will be the choice if they must force my hand, but that I would prefer time to learn and compare him to Prince Egan and Prince Frederick, so that I could make the best choice for the future of the kingdom. While I don’tthink they’ll dislike Spencer, I think they would prefer one of their suitors, so it should benefit us. I can’t imagine that anyone could argue effectively against a plan that puts the needs of the kingdom ahead of my personal desires, after all.”
Ethan grinned. “You certainly learned how to play this game well. I hope it works. Well then, is there anything else we need to discuss before the Council meeting in twenty minutes?” He glances at Father. I’m so glad he took this lead and steered the conversation well past Father’s question from earlier. Father nods, and Ethan stands. “It’s been a pleasure, and I’m glad we all know the plan going into this meeting. I’m going to find some food before it starts.”
I released a short laugh as I shook my head. “I’m so glad to see you’re in better spirits today. It’s refreshing.”
Ethan turned and bowed as he approached the door. “I live to serve, my Queen.” He winked at me as he turned to open the door.
“Just a moment, you two,” Father called out while moving to stand at his desk. We both paused, turning to him. “There was one other important news to bring to the attention of both of you, but one that for now, we need to keep from the Council.”
He motioned to us to sit back down, and we both sat on the sofa near the desk. Father offered me a small handkerchief before he spoke again. “The physician has confirmed with me that your mother did not leave us through natural causes. He is still investigating what has happened, but he finds no evidence of any disease that would take her at her age. The only suspicion he has to work from is that unexplainable char mark on your mother’s shoulder. I confirmed with him I saw nothing the evening before she….”
His voice wavered, and tears threatened to wash along his cheeks. After clearing his throat and blinking a couple of times, he continued. “Well, anyway, I must advise you to suspect all those who surround you, especially you, Lyla. Anyone wishing to gain the throne could have made that move.”
Ethan reached for my hand, and I stared ahead, numbly. Just like that, the jovial mood had disappeared.
We sat in silence, taking in this information. A few moments pass before Ethan broke the silence, “Are there any leading suspicions about anyone?”
“Two of the Councilmen have been disagreeing with Mother on positions as of late. They seem to resent that she has authority over them. They wish to further a power imbalance that favors men.”
Without naming names, I immediately knew who he was speaking of. And my heart dropped, as those two councilors were sponsoring my choices. I finally broke my stare to turn towards Father, to find him observing me. He softly added, “I don’t think you should change course. Perhaps the councilors’ sponsorship of those princes was politically motivated, but that doesn’t guarantee the princes will pursue the councilors’ ambitions. But I want you to have all the information you could as you make this decision.”
It was too late for me to change my mind, anyway. The meeting was here, and I really didn’t see anyone else of any caliber last night. I pushed up from the sofa, turning to Father, “I’m going to stop in my room quickly for some water, and I will meet you in front of the Council chambers in ten minutes.”
I was determined, despite my reservations.
CHAPTER 9
Imet Ethan and Father waiting outside the Council chambers. As I glanced in the mirror in this hallway, I realized I was starting to get used to this, and it almost felt right. I had already changed so much since Mother died. The first time we stood here, I was so nervous about these men, and worried about how they will trample on me. Now, just a few short weeks later, I already felt confident in my ability to navigate them, at least with Father’s input. As I examined myself in the mirror, I smiled, confident that I would once again get my way.
The doors opened, and we were announced to the Council. Their chatter died down, and they watched as I walked in, with Father and Ethan behind me. This is not a typical meeting, so I imagined they hadn’t had a chance to really get deep into conversations before inviting us in. We took our respective seats, and Lord Luther called to start the meeting.
He immediately turned to me and coldly asked, “Princess Lyla, your event was last night. I believe you owe us your king’s name.”
The ire he held for me oozed out of his glare at me.
I smiled at him, offering the courtesy he attempted to deny me. I briefly allowed my thoughts to wonder towards whether he is the reason my Mother is gone before I stood andaddressed everyone. “Good morning, Councilors. Thank you for prioritizing this special session despite your busy schedule. I have a decision after last night. I must admit, the evening was quite intense. Trying to meet all the suitors presented to me was a delicate and daunting process, but I was able to meet with each and evaluate them. However, I must admit, I find the idea of choosing a king, someone who would influence the future of our kingdom for decades to come, after just one or two songs with each of these men, to be unfair.” I paused, as many of them murmured. I glanced at Lady Mallard and noted that she was hiding a smile. She came from a province that would prefer to see two women ruling, as they thought that a matriarchal realm would fall more in line with the will of the Gods. I was so very inclined to agree with their beliefs, especially when I considered how Amyra could then stay with me as my queen consort, but unfortunately, that wasn’t something the Council at large would agree to.
I returned her smile before continuing. “I know. You want to have a name today. I can confidently tell you I have narrowed my choices down to three. If you would so allow, I’d like to run a tournament of challenges on these men. I feel that through the process of competing amongst each other, I will get a better grasp on their strengths. In the process of preparing for and executing these trials, I can also take time with each of them to understand them at a deeper level and build a strong trust in them they will hold the values and needs of our kingdom at the same level of high regard that Father and Mother had shown me is necessary for ethical, fair governance. Would the Council allow for such an endeavor?”
As I expected, there were a lot of questions. I allowed them to shout over each other in a chaotic manner for a few minutes. Once it seemed like they would listen again, I cleared my throat. “I appreciate the enthusiasm over this proposal, truly. Unfortunately, I’m not able to understand the concerns present when you ask all your questions at the same time.”
I smiled with my pause, allowing the Councilors a moment with their embarrassment, and glanced to my left. With a tonefilled with honey, I asked, “Lord Luther, would you like to go first?”
His eyes shot daggers for just a split second, then his face returned to neutrality. I had gotten under his skin with this decision. He hadn’t expected the decision and was unprepared for it. While I didn’t want to view the Council as my enemy, I was glad that I had the upper hand here. I needed that to help me with my goal.
“Yes, Princess Lyla, I suppose first I would like to know who would be your choice if we insist you can only name one person?”
Exactly the move Father and I expected.
