The Queen's Champion
A/N Thanks to all of you that reviewed the last chapter. I'm glad you all liked it! Anyway, here's the third chapter, so enjoy!
Chapter Three: Coronation
Kalasin
I was once again in darkness, on my knees with sweat running down my face. My heart was beating wildly and my lungs struggled to bring air into my body. I felt as if I had run the longest race of my life.
My mind still screamed in horror at what I had seen. I earnestly prayed that this scene that just glimpsed would never come true. Never again would I look at a battle the same, and never again would I take my friends for granted.
"You'll do," a scorning voice spat. Then the voice laughed.
"Kalasin of Conte," the voice said after a moment, "You've proven yourself to me, not once, but twice. You are ready to take on the trials of a ruler."
Thank you, I whispered in my mind, still obeying my promise to myself to keep silent throughout the entire Ordeal.
"But," the voice of the Chamber continued, "Your reign will be one of the most perilous in the history of Tortall."
Suddenly images flew past me. I saw swords upraised as men rode into battle. I saw villages on fire. I saw the innocent eyes of children filled with terror. More flashed by and I saw battles being fought; men in the royalred of Tortall fighting each other.
Yet the most horrifying image of all was the sight of seeing Corus aflame.
I choked back a sob.
"What you see is what will come to pass if the kingdom does not accept the Chamber's chosen one as their ruler," the Chamber said. "Only the choice of your people will decide the fate of Tortall."
I nodded solemnly.
The Chamber once again fell silent, but then said, "I see you have a question on your mind."
Yes, honored one, I replied, thinking it once again.
"Ask it, because I am the only one who will answer it."
I swallowed back tears that threatened to surface as I thought of Roald. Why me? I thought, why did you choose me to rule?
For a breath the Chamber was silent, and then it answered me. "It was not I who chose you. I only saw that you were a fit ruler. The gods themselves chose you." TheChamber paused, then added, answering a question I had asked myself for years,"I did not decide to allow you to live while your other siblings died, the gods decided thatit was their time, as will they decide yours."
But, why?
"That is for you to learn." The Chamber chuckled. "Mirthos also said something about it being time that a lost lion cub found where he belonged."
What does that have to do with my question? I thought, confused. What did it mean about a lion cub figuring out where he belonged? As far as I knew, I didn't know of any lost lions. But what did a lost lion have to do with me becoming a ruler?
"Everything," the Chamber answered.
I bit my lip in puzzlement. The Chamber laughed softly.
"You will find out in time."
The doors to the Chamber slowly creaked open, letting the bright morning sunlight into the small cell like room. I held an arm up to block the sunlight as I stumbled out of the Chamber and into the Chapel of the Ordeal.
The perimeter of the room was crowded with men and women dressed in their court finery. All were silent as I slowly made my way to the center of the room, waiting to see if I would fall over dead. They all feared that I would share the same fate as my brother. But not for the same reasons though. It was written all over their faces. They thought because I was the only woman to enter the Chamber without being trained as a knight that I would die, and be rejected by the gods as the next ruler of Tortall. A sign to all that only the men were allowed to step up to the crown and wield the Dominion Jewel.
Yet, I walked to the center of the room by myself, without the help of anyone. I occasionally stumbled, but I kept on walking, determined to show these people that I was the chosen ruler, hand picked by the gods.
And so, I was the first ruler in the history of Tortall to walk by myself out of the Chapel of the Ordeal.
My coronation followed soon after, and I sat silently through the whole thing.
By the time the priest motioned for my father to step forward to place the crown atop my head, my knees were beginning to become numb. Even with the cushione, I was loosing feeling in my legs. I didn't want to move as to cause a ruckus, so I sat still, silently praying that the priest would have me move soon so I could get some feeling back. But, my guess was that it was going to be as unlikely as the stars smiling.
Father placed the crown on my head, and I felt as if it was weighted with lead. I knew the traditional crown was rather heavy and was only used in ceremonial practices, such as crowning the new monarch. I would wear a lighter crown or a thin gold circlet otherwise. But, I never expected it to be THAT heavy.
The priest paused as the silver crown began to glow, enveloping me in its magical silver light. The people gasped as the crown caused me to glow, binding me to Tortall. I guessed that they were thinking that the crown would refuse to bind a woman to the land, but the crown showed them otherwise, proving that I was indeed the chosen of the Gods.
Alanna presented me with the Dominion Jewel which bound all of Tortall together, and had been given to my father by the Lioness thirty-one years before. It was only fitting because she had brought back the Jewel in the first place and she would serve as my temporary Champion until I could assemble my own court, due to the fact that my coronation had been rushed.
As I took the large violet gem into my hands, I felt it heat and saw it begin to glow. Out of the corner of my eye I saw my father smile to him self. It was obvious that he was remembering his own coronation where Tortall was almost torn apart.
My eyes were drawn to the gem, and I watched it shimmer as it was alive. As the priests droned on, my eyes were drawn to how much the Dominion jewel reminded me of a cat, purring in all the attention it was getting. I stifled a giggle at that thought. Who ever thought of such a powerful relic as a cat? But the Jewel seemed to like it and shimmered even more.
The priest kept on talking, and I felt like lopping off a couple of heads. My neck was killing me. That, along with my numb legs was getting on my nerves. But, I couldn't say anything least I cause a scene. I wondered if Father had felt like this at his coronation. But then I remembered that he was saving Tortall at the last coronation. He had no time for discomfort.
Finally, the priest said the last blessing, and my torture was finally over.
The priest motioned for me to stand and I rose to my feet.
"I present to you, Queen Kalasin of Tortall," the priest called out to the nobles in the chamber.
"Long live Queen Kalasin!" Alanna cried out, unsheathing her sword and holding it high.
"Long live the Queen!" Sir Keladry of Mindelan bellowed, also unsheathing her sword and holding it high. She and I were close friends now, even though we had some differneces between us five years ago. And now she stood along with Alanna, supporting her new ruler.
"Long live the Queen!" Buriram Tourakom of the Queen's Riders, along with each of the Riders present said following suit, raising their swords to the sky.
"Long live Kalasin!" Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak bellowed, and following him, the King's Own also raised their swords.
"Long live the Queen!" The Own and Riders chanted with Sir Kel and Alanna. Knights also lifted their swords and began chanting along with the others, elevating in loudness so that the chant almost became deafening.
But as the chanting went on, I saw several knights of varying colors of surcoats slip out of the Hall of Crowns. The images of destruction flashed across my mind as I watched them leave. I knew then that I would have to fight hard to keep Tortall together in the coming years, or else we would all fall into chaos.
I wrenched my mind back to my supporters and I pumped a fist into the air. A deafening cheer sounded throughout the Hall as I became not Queen of the Kingdom of Tortall, but the Queen of her people.
A/N If you are wondering why Thom hasn't made his appearance just yet, don't fret. Thom will make his appearance in good time. The next chapter in fact! Anyway, I hope you've liked the story so far.