The Queen of Stones

Chapter 13

As I walk to my office the next morning, silently pacing through the palace corridors, I notice how everything looks the same. For some reason, I expected the worst the minute I left my room, but things are normal. Probably too normal. Like always, the guard in front of my office opens the door for me to enter.

"Tell General Culpepper to come to my office," I say to the guard.

I fall back in my chair, tired. Somehow, the Asteria pile has multiplied since yesterday. I rub my eyes with my left hand and turn on my computer, opening Google navigator and typing news. Human trafficking, high temperatures, corruption. I massage my temples and turn off the computer. Asteria is more important.

I start reading Ernest Van Coren's files about Allerick Grinald, which, I discover, is why the pile in my desk has gotten so big. I wonder if I can still trust any of the dukes. Van Coren's smile during what happened last night stuck in my head, which, somehow, brought me the idea that he sees me as the rightful heir. Grinald is, obviously, not to be trusted ever. But Sebastian Coldwell brings me doubt. I don't know where he stands and, because of that, I should not trust him, but he seems like someone who can be persuaded.

I start to write an announcement of the new events to be reported in the news but end up rewriting the entire thing a dozen times. I have no idea how the population will react to this. I wonder if at least my people will stay on my side against the Duke of Aminour, because I'm pretty sure that the nobles will not.

I hear a knock on my door. "General Achilles Culpepper is here to see you."

"Let him in." I order.

My general walks in. The strong forty-year-old man, who normally already looks angry, seems furious today, with throbbing veins making an appearance in his neck and face.

"General Culpepper, you may sit."

He takes the seat I show him and places both of his hands on the table. "So, you are arresting nobles now."

"Well, he committed a crime." I say tapping my fingers on the table. "I just called you here to ask you to request the executioner to come to Aridell. I know he is in Sofia right now, but I think he can get here until tomorrow morning so⏤"

"Wait, are you planning to kill Alastair?" He closes his opened mouth and coughs. "What I mean is you can't execute the Duke of Aminour. He is a duke."

Great. Another man in my life to question my every decision because they think they know better.

"I must remind you, General Culpepper, that you do not make decisions; I do." I raise my chin and make eye contact with him. "So, if you wish to keep your job, I advise you to do as I ask."

"What will this mean to the other nobles?" His voice begins to shake. "They won't feel safe under your rule anymore."

"I have made my decision."

"I just think that you could keep him locked up, you know, for a while." He slowly swallows his saliva. "Until you see what the nobles think about this."

I cross my arms. "Were you concerned with this when you executed my mother?" He opens his mouth, but I'm quicker. "Don't even try to deny it. The old general retired months before it happened, which means that one of your first acts as general was to decapitate my mother. And she was not only a Bonavich by birth but also a queen. So⏤ I ask again⏤ were you concerned with the nobles' opinion back then or is your problem with my rule?"

He looks down. I spend a minute watching him in silence, noticing when he hides his hands under the table. He doesn't dare to look at me.

"So, you'll request to executioner to be here tomorrow morning," I say. "Are we clear?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. May I leave?"

"Yes."

He crawls out of my office, dragging his feet on the floor. I watch as he leaves. Another person I can't trust inside this palace. For the way that he reacted, he clearly does not trust my judgments as queen and, given the chance, would easily align with somebody else. Probably a man. To lose the support of the army is a very dangerous thing for a ruler, I should definitely replace him with a new general.

I wonder how the dukes will react to this sentence. Badly I suppose. If a man who doesn't even possess a nobility title reacted this bad, the ones who actually belong to the five families will probably react way worse. I look at the clock and lay my head on the table. I have more twenty minutes until the council meeting, so I raise my head, sit straight and go back to work on the documents on my desk.

When the time comes to go to the privy council meeting, I walk slowly, enjoying the natural light peeking through the windows of the palace as I stroll. Everyone is already at the table when I walk in and sit in my place. For a few minutes, we just look at each other's faces. No one says anything.

The pieces of marble that were destroyed last night during my outburst have been replaced, making it look like nothing had happened. However, the awfully heavy atmosphere and the empty chair that once belonged to the Duke of Aminour are proof that the events from the night before were real.

I look at Davi, searching for the strength to get me through this, and the memory of him comforting me last night comes to my mind. I feel better. I notice that this is probably the first time Davi is on time for a privy council meeting. I put a note somewhere in my mind to congratulate him later and breathe in, getting ready to face the meeting.

"What is today's topic?" I ask.

"I am sorry, Your Majesty," Sebastian Coldwell says while looking around to search for the approval of the remaining members. "But we were hoping to hear what you are going to do about the Duke of Aminour's situation. I am very confident that, if you choose to release him, he would forgive ⏤"

"I am not interested in his forgiveness, Your Grace," I say interrupting him. "The Duke of Aminour, Alastair Bonavich, for his offenses against the crown, will be executed tomorrow morning in front of the population of the capital of New Royale, Aridell."

"You can't execute a noble! Much less a representative member of the five families." Allerick Grinald says hitting the table. "The population will think that we are in the same level as them."

"I do not care about your status quo, right now," I say strongly. "The Duke is a threat to my reign and will be treated as such."

They are speechless. In Asteria, nobles would always have a way of skipping consequences, no matter what they did, they would rarely end up in prison. So, obviously, execution has never really been in the table for the high born.

Until now.

"Don't we get a saying in this?" Ernest Van Coren says calmly. I can see that he is walking in eggshells, trying to reason with me in a peaceful way. "After all, we are your privy council."

"Not today." I state.

I notice their unsatisfied looks; however, no one says anything. In the past, a situation like this, in which they would all be against me, I would always lose, having to give up on my opinion and abide by their wishes. But, now, they finally obey me. It feels like, for the first time, I'm actually being respected as queen.

I get up and stand aside my chair.

"This meeting is over." I wait as they all stand and bow.

I start to walk away. Davi quickly gets up and follows me.