By Any Other Name

Twenty Eight

Briar changed the moment they crossed the border into the capital city. She was still her, the same woman Sterling had fallen in love with, but her royalty was so obvious that he wondered how he had ever missed it. She held her head high in regal fashion as people came out of their houses to watch them pass. She smiled and nodded to her citizens who gazed up at her, wide eyed, in a trance.

Only he saw the strain on her face to keep the smile. Only he saw her white knuckles gripping the side of the carriage too tightly. Only he saw the slight shaking of her hands.

Then he noticed it, the first sign of the trap that awaited them. There was a man, standing just outside the door of a tavern, leaning against a pillar and glaring at their procession. And pinned to his shirt, a golden fist clutching a dagger by the blade.

"Princess-" Lord Huntington started to whisper down into the carriage from where he rode atop his horse but he was interrupted by a loud, booming voice.

"Princess Briar Aldrich!" a man cried from the top of the palace steps. He was dressed in gaudy ornate clothing of various brightly colored hues and wore a crown on his head that tipped sideways when he walked. He handed his goblet to a nearby servant and smiled wide as he held his arms outstretched and made his way down the stairs to greet them where the carriage was now coming to a stop. "Oh, how long it's been!"

The door flew open and before Sir Alfred could finish stuttering a surprised apology, a hand snaked its way into the carriage and grabbed Briar by the arm.

The man whom Sterling could only guess was the Prince of Baliene pulled her out into the brilliant sun. Sterling looked around and saw a gathered horde of Balienese soldiers and rebels, commingled and smiling sinisterly at the princess.

"As beautiful as always!" Lucien shouted to the crowd who all cheered back in unison. He pulled her close to him, embracing her as one might an old friend, and that's when he whispered his threat, loud enough for her entire party to hear but not so that his own far away soldiers could. "Oppose me and I will end you on these very steps. They will even applaud me for doing so."

Briar was too stunned to answer as the prince pulled away and turned back to his adoring crowd.

"My betrothed has returned!" He announced and they cheered again, raising their own goblets in some sort of facetious toast. Briar's wide eyes found Alfred. He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, the sort of nod one wouldn't see if one hadn't been looking for it.

"Lucien-" she started, feigning confusion and shock perfectly.

Sterling heard hoofbeats and turned to see that his brother had ridden up beside him. Theodore was on edge, that was clear, and he met his brother's eyes with a frown as if to say that no matter how much warning they'd had or how well they thought they'd diverted the prince's plans, this was one crafty man and they'd better be careful.

"I'm so pleased you've agreed to marry me, dear," the prince sneered as he turned his eyes back to her, expression full of meaning. "Given the rebels' demands, I know you wouldn't let your countrymen die in a bloody civil war for some silly notion of independence."

"Actually," Briar began, extricating herself from the prince in a way that seemed entirely graceful. "I have already agreed to the rebels' demands and I've returned to the capital with my husband. Sterling?"

She turned back to her own procession, smiling and holding out a hand. Sterling dismounted his horse and approached, one hand on his sword in case this should come to blows.

The news swept over the gathered soldiers in the expected way, resulting in shocked muttering all along the palace steps.

"My apologies, Lucien," she said politely, turning back to the prince as Sterling reached her side and entwined his fingers with hers. "I wasn't aware that we were expecting a Balienese delegation. I had hoped to have the time to write to your father to explain the situation. Unfortunately, the rebels chose to force my hand so I couldn't possibly wait while you journeyed from Baliene to meet their demands. As you said, lives were at stake. I am the Queen. I had to do what was best for my people in the most prudent fashion I could. I'm sure you understand."

Sterling fought to keep his smile at bay. Finally, he saw what she was doing and it was brilliant. Baliene had aided the rebels, had devised this plan with them to trap her into finally marrying their prince while giving the rebels the male leader they desired but she had flipped it on them. She had used their own plan against them, the very urgency they had created, she had used to her advantage.

"But-" the prince stuttered now as Briar smiled kindly back at him. "You-"

"Lord Morgan," Briar called out.

The man in question stepped hesitantly forward, blinking rapidly and looking around as he attempted to catch up to how his plan was falling entirely apart around him.

"Have I satisfied the terms of our arrangement?" she asked.

"Well," he started, looking from her to the prince and back again. "I suppose so."

"Excellent," she replied, lifting her skirts and starting up the stairs toward the palace, pulling me along beside her. "In that case, I invite you all in for further negotiations. I wish, more than anything, that this will not come to bloodshed. I believe we can reach an agreement that will satisfy both parties and that Isalovia can be made whole again. Come, treat with me and meet your new King. Sir Alfred, come along. Oh, and Lucien..."

She stopped at the top of the stairs, just in front of the doors to the palace, and turned back to the stunned Balienese prince still standing below.

"Of course, you're welcome as well," she told him, her voice sickly sweet and Lucienious. "Once we've discussed the future of Isalovia, I would love to determine how Baliene fits into that future as well. Given the alliance between our countries."

Then she turned on her heel and headed into the palace, pulling Sterling along with her.