The Pirate's Legacy: New Identities

Chapter 41: Palace Unrest

The parchment's elegant script mocked the queen of Tarym, even as it minutely detailed every crime Annalyn Draconigena committed before and during her short tenure as monarch. The spiky peaks resembled pikes. Loopy finishes reminded her of nooses. Curved embellishments looked like Death's reaping sickle. At the very bottom of the death warrant were all her council members' signatures. Everyone had voted unanimously for an execution by beheading. None of the men had had any of the same reluctance the queen felt about taking the life of a former monarch. This was because none were related to the disgraced woman to have any qualms, even if the ties holding Em to Annalyn were merely blood related.

The deliberation process, the vote, and the meeting were long over. The members had drawn up the document and put down their consent in black ink. At the behest of her closest advisor, the queen left her apartments for the first time that day to travel to the council room. As soon as the queen had taken her seat underneath the royal blue canopy, Cecil Leyal, the only one of the council members who stayed behind to be with the queen during this odious business, placed the offending document in front of her, and slipped a fountain pen in her cold left hand.

The short column of signatures at the bottom of the arrest warrant chanted for Emelia Kraven Quiesco to add her name, thus authorizing Annalyn Draconigena's execution. However, Em paused where Cecil would not in his urging for her to sign in all posthaste. The word "veto" perched on the tip of her heavy tongue, but her advisor, sensing the queen's intent, cautioned her to think twice.

"You mustn't press for a lighter punishment, My Queen. The punishment on which I and the council have voted is just and, above all, pain-free," he defended. "Draconigena would not feel a thing when she goes to her death. See here." He bent over Em's left hand, which clutched the fountain pen tightly with white fingers, and pointed to a provision in the document which had failed to catch the queen's notice during her brief perusal of said document. "We endeavor to hire the best swordsman in Tarym, so there is no chance of a botched—"

Em's right hand shot up, silencing the royal advisor. He retracted himself from the table to allow his trembling queen room to recollect her wits. Sadness shrouded the hard rock of determination inside Cecil. He bowed low.

"I beg your forgiveness for upsetting Her Majesty," he murmured, his light green eyes bright with concern for the young woman. "My words were made callously. I know this is difficult, but the council and I made your feelings on the matter an essential aspect of our deliberation." He straightened at the wave of her hand.

Em placed the fountain pen on the table and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again, resolve had taken over her entire being. The dark brown eyes were set in steel determination. She turned in her chair to face the old man.

"Cecil, I cannot condone signing away Annalyn's life," Em said. " 'Tis within my power to preserve that life rather than extinguish it. I intend to veto this warrant and take up with the full council about the idea of banishing Annalyn to the countryside where she could live for the remainder of her days."

The royal advisor paled, and the outline of his eyes darkened red. He dared not speak until his incredulity had been reined in. "My Queen," he objected in even tones. "I entreat you to make an exception this once from the good intentions of your nature. No peace can live in your kingdom while Draconigena coexists."

Em pushed her chair backward with a loud scrape. Then she was on her feet, bearing down on the old man with an ugly flush on her face. "You would have me kill a former queen and my sister?" she demanded.

Cecil stood his ground in the face of his queen's outrage. His light green eyes looked sharply into the fires of Em's dark brown eyes. "You must not cloud your mind with such sentiments, Your Majesty," he insisted. "Draconigena was never considered a true ruler. She was, and always will be, a bastard of a sinful union."