Queen of Fire (A Light-Bringer Prequel)

Six

People stared at the procession, either wide-eyed and in awe, or in tears.

Marilyn stared ahead, her face blank. She didn't bother sparing Ashlynn a glance. In the distance, a church bell tolled every minute. The bell would toll a total of eighteen times—eighteen times for Damon's eighteen-year-long reign as King of Lucis.

Marilyn looked behind her to the two cannon carriages, and the flag-covered coffins, being drawn by horseback. The carriage in front had Azar sheathed and laid where Damon's folded hands would have grasped the hilt; at the head of the coffin was her father's crown—a golden circlet that swept up and peaked between his brows. The carriage behind it was relatively similar in appearance, however, instead of a crown and sword on the lid, there was a large bouquet of flowers on the top, covering the red and gold lotus flower.

No matter how hard she looked in the large rows of soldiers, Marilyn couldn't find Miles, even with his olive skin. All she could see was marching soldiers—their muskets in a reverse position as a sign of respect to the late monarchs.

The bell tolled again, and Marilyn turned around.

The sun shone on the water of the Jumelé Droit as the procession passed Roman Novels and continued down the main street.

Once all eighteen bell tolls sounded, Marilyn waited atop Starlight as over a dozen guards approached the coffins, and carefully took them off so as to not disturb the items on top. As the pallbearers set the coffins down on wooden pyres constructed for the occasion, Marilyn and Ashlynn dismounted their horses and walked to the pyres.

A warm breeze blew off the Jumelé Droit, and a priest approached the pyres, his back facing the water.

"Before we light the pyres, I will let you two say goodbye to the late monarchs," said the priest. "Queen Ashlynn, if you will."

Ashlynn approached Calista's coffin, her hand on the lid, and said, "Goodbye, Mother."

She walked from Calista's to Damon's, looked down at the coffin, and Marilyn could have sworn she heard Ashlynn hiss, "Good riddance, my King," before she turned and walked back to stand beside Marilyn.

"Princess Marilyn, it's time to say goodbye," said the priest.

Marilyn walked up to her mother's casket, and placed a hand on the lid, the rough cloth of the flag under her fingertips. "I need you. I'm the true heir to the throne, and I don't know what to do. If I could bring you back, I would. I will forever miss you. Farewell, Queen Calista."

Marilyn moved on to her father's coffin, and placed her hand on it. "We may have had a rocky relationship over the past few years, but I know that on some level, you loved me. May Baldur guide you, and may Sol take you with open arms. You will be dearly missed. Farewell, Lord of Fire—my father, my King."

Marilyn turned to the sheathed Azar, and delicately picked up the sword by the hilt and sheath and walked towards Ashlynn, the sand shifting under her feet. She kneeled before Ashlynn, and held Azar up to her. She felt Azar's weight being taken off her hands, and she looked up to see Ashlynn holding the sword.

Marilyn stood up, and took her place next to Ashlynn.

A boy in the same robes as the priest walked up with a purple velvet pillow in his hands. The priest picked up Damon's crown and set it on the pillow while two soldiers took the flowers off of Calista's. Four more soldiers approached the coffins from either side, stood at the ends, grabbed the flags from the corners, and began folding them.

After the flags were done being folded, the flowers were placed back on Calista's coffin, and everyone took a large step back.

"Marilyn, light the pyres," said Ashlynn.

Marilyn looked at Ashlynn like she was crazy. Why didn't she light them? Reluctantly, Marilyn looked away from Ashlynn, held up her hand, and snapped her fingers.

Smoke rose from under the caskets before flames began to engulf the coffins above—and the bodies within.