The Heirs

Chapter 4- Blood Ties

two crowned Kings, and One that stood alone
with no green weight of laurels round his head,
but with sad eyes as one uncomforted,
and wearied with man's never-ceasing moan
for sins no bleating victim can atone,
and sweet long lips with tears and kisses fed.
girt was he in a garment black and red,
and at his feet I marked a broken stone
which sent up lilies, dove-like, to his knees.
now at their sight, my heart being lit with flame
-

Seraphina found her mother in her study, writing something on a parchment, her expression long-suffering.

But when she looked up and saw her youngest, she smiled.

"Elani. Aren't you supposed to be training at the moment?"
Her daughter, despite being passive and meek, was a born fighter, and Sanya had encouraged her training with the army. It was good, she thought, that she was learning to defend herself as well as that she had some way to vent out her feelings. Heavens knew everyone needed to vent.

"I- er-" She'd almost forgotten about the almost-kiss. She hoped she wasn't tomato red again. "Yes. But Selene-"

"Oh, have they left?" She set down her quill, her expression questioning. "I haven't said goodbye yet-"

"No, they're still here." She said, before taking a deep breath. She had something to say- ask- but before that, she had to know, "Is Jemmy really in danger here?"

Sanya looked down, pursing her lips.
"I don't know." She finally said, looking up at her daughter. "I've never had an attempt made on my life- not an assassination, at least- so I'm not sure of how it goes- but I assume that if the first attempt fails, there are several others later on."

"But if it's a Narnian trying to kill him- shouldn't he stay here?"
She'd asked Jem the same, but he'd been too preoccupied with the knowledge of his would-be assassin's nationality to worry about his place of residence.

"Narnia's a land of magic. Rihaaya isn't. Magic will protect him." She shrugged, though her tone wasn't convinced. "He has better protection there, than here. Human guards aren't much compared to minotaurs and tigers."
And there were fewer ones there who had fae blood. In Rihaaya, everyone did. In Narnia, there weren't many.
It was a precaution, and perhaps it would be of no use, but she'd do anything to keep her son safe.

"But can't you protect him?" Seraphina asked- almost pleaded, her tone plaintive. "You're the High Queen- you have powers-"

"Powers I've barely used in twenty years, unless it was to amuse you before bed, or other children when I walk the city." She shook her head, before sighing. "Believe me, Elani, there's nothing I'd like more than to protect him- to protect you. Protecting him has been my life since I was seventeen." She still couldn't believe how old he was now. "But unless you want me to lock him in a trunk and throw away the key, there's nothing I can do. He's the High King of Narnia, not a little boy anymore."

"Then can I go with them to Cair?"

"What, now?" She picked up her quill again. She'd been procrastinating this letter for three days now. "You'll go there for Christmas anyway in a few weeks-"

"No, Mother." Seraphina spoke quietly, but she was determined. "I meant for good."

Sanya looked up again, her lips pressing into a thin line. Her hands may have shook, and this may be one of her worst fears coming true.
"For- good?"

Seraphina nodded tentatively.
"I've been thinking about it for a while- I love Azraq, I do- but Cair Paravel was where I was born-"

Her mother shook her head, "You can go for Christmas, and stay till Selene's birthday- that's over a month-"