The Queen's Champion

Summary: It has been over ten years since the war of the Immortals has ended and Tortall is at peace. Yet, a tragic event causes Tortall to be launched into turmoil once again as a new monarch, Kalasin of Conte, ascends the throne and takes the possession of the Dominion Jewel. War threatens as the first woman monarch to singly rule Tortall begins her reign with the son of the Lioness at her side. But, will this bold lion's heart be broken once again by the one woman he loved six years ago?

A/N This story switches between Kalasin's point of view and Thom's. Oh yeah, I DO NOT own Kalasin, Thom, Alanna, Jonathan, Shinko or Roald.

Chapter One: The Death of a King

Kalasin

"Roald is dead."

Those three words spoken by Gareth the Younger caused my heart to freeze mid-beat in my breast. How could my older brother – so full of life and laughter – be dead?

I hurried from my place in the crowd of onlookers to my brother, hoping that my brother was still alive and just unconscious. Yet, the limp pale body lying just outside the doors of the Chamber confirmed my deepest fears.

Sir Alanna of Pirate's swoop shook her head towards me as I knelt beside her. I smoothed back a loch of blue black hair that had always fallen into my brother's laughing sapphire eyes. Yet, as I looked into those eyes, I saw that they were no longer laughing, for the white glaze of death had already settled over them.

Still dressed in the white shirt and britches he had worn into the Chamber of the Ordeal, he looked almost serene. My guess was that the Chamber had deemed that my brother was not fit for the role of becoming the future king of Tortall. For reasons unknown, the Chamber had killed him. He might not have been strong enough, or he might had succumbed to some unknown fear. Or it might have been the fact that my father was still alive. But, we would never know why exactly he had died. All we did know was that the Chamber had rejected him.

Shinkokami settled down beside me, her silent tears of anguish flowing down her face as she gently touched my brother's cold features. She and my brother had only been married a year, and was holding onto the hope that they would someday have children. Yet, in a single hour, those dreams had been dashed to pieces, and my dear sister-in-law was now a widow.

My vision clouded with unshed tears, and I desperately tried to swallow the tide that threatened to sweep me away. This could not be happening to me! Not only had I lost my mother, now I had lost my only brother too! I have to remain in control, I told myself, momentarily putting the pain out of my mind. My father needed to rely on me right now, as did Shinko. It was only the three of us left, now that Roald was gone.

Father stood behind me and grasped my shoulder as I tried to grab a hold on my whirling emotions. I could feel his hand shaking on my shoulder as he struggled to keep from falling to the ground sobbing. I placed my hand over his and gave him a reassuring squeeze, telling him things would turn out alright.

Our whole family had struggled to stand strong this past year as we had mourned the death of my Mother, Queen Thayet. Her death had come as a shock to us one summer morning when a Queen's Rider had come to us with news of my mother. As she had always done, my Mother had ridden out to help a Rider group in need. Yet, this time, she did not come back. The Rider told us of my Mother riding gallantly at the head of the group and into the bandits' trap. The group had been caught by surprise, and had fought valiantly. But, the entire group had been wiped out, each rider killed, as well as the queen, a single arrow stilling her heart in her breast.

The entire kingdom was sent into mourning, and Father became an old man. Only fifty-five, King Jonathan had been as vigorous as a young man of twenty. But with the death of my Mother, his once raven hair turned white, and he had lost the laughter that once shone in his eyes.

Only a month before, he had abdicated the throne, saying that it was time that Roald take the throne. Roald had just turned thirty, and Father thought that Roald should take control of Tortall, because he felt that the people needed a younger king. Roald had accepted only because he knew that Father would be there to guide him along the way for a while. If Father had not said that he would act as an advisor, Roald would never have accepted. I only knew of that because Roald had trusted me with it.

Yet, now Roald lay cold on the floor, and Tortall had no ruler to take the place of the abdicated monarch. There was only me.

I stood slowly, sliding a mask over my features to hide my grief. I turned to face my father, meeting his gaze. I could see the question in his eyes, asking me if I would accept my brother's position and become ruler in his stead.

Doubts ran through my head. Was I strong enough? Would the Chamber accept me? But the biggest doubt of all was if the people would accept a female ruler. If I chose to rule in my brother's stead, I would become the first woman monarch to rule Tortall without a king. I did not know what the people would think if I became their queen. I had no idea if my choice would cause an all out civil war.

But, looking into my father's eyes, seeing that all his hopes rested on me now, I knew that I could not refuse.

Silently, I nodded my head.

Then, he broke away from my gaze and said, "Long live Queen Kalasin!"

Alanna stood and shouted, "Long live the Queen!"

Soon, the entire room was chanting my name, proclaiming me as their queen.

Father reached down and took the gold circlet that had fallen from my brother's brow and placed it upon my own. The chant swelled as father took the Tortallan crest from around his own neck and placed it around mine.

I, Kalasin of Conte was now the Queen of Tortall.