25: The first day as Queen

"All aboard!" The captain of The Lady Blue moon called out, summoning the soldiers and sailors on to the ship. With a heavy heart that was growing heavier by the minute, Ivailo turned back to face Amaris.

Her face, her beautiful, porcelain white face, perfectly illustrated his emotions and feelings.

"Do you really have to go?" She asked sadly, as if regretting encouraging him to start this war. Then again, he regretted that she had suggested talking to Falael and Rinomve.

"Unfortunately, I don't have any other choice." He replied, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I love you." She whispered softly in his ear, as if she would never say those words again.

"I love you too." Ivailo planted an all to short kiss on Amaris's lips before Kafei disentangled the pair and dragged Ivailo onto the ship.

Seeing that ship set sail from its mooring at the docks is like having a thousand icy daggers pounded into your heart a thousand times, Amaris thought as The Lady Blue Moon set off from Craester docks. She continued to watch the dread filling sight until they could see the ship.

With much difficulty and a heavy heart, Amaris fought the paralysis that had temporarily rooted her to the spot where she had said goodbye to the only good thing that ever happened to her. It was as if someone had taken her feet away and replaced them with blocks of stone that were so heavy she could barely move, but move she did. Off the dock, out of the port, out of town and finally back to the castle that had once held so much promise of light and joy, but now was a foreboding castle of painfully happy memories and placating promises of a return to those happy times.

Not paying attention at all to anyone else, as soon as she and Lyra got back to the castle Amaris went straight up to her bedchamber, collapsed on her bed, and cried so hard that when she eventually dried her eyes, she was surprised that she had maintained a physical form and not turned into a puddle of water.

"Is everything alright, milady?" Kenia asked as she cautiously entered the chamber carrying a tray of tea and cakes.

"No, everything is not okay. But it will be, soon enough. Thank you for the tea and cakes."

"You are quite welcome, milady. Although I suppose I should start calling you Your Majesty."

"Please don't." Amaris pleaded, getting off the bed and walking over to the tray of treats that Kenia had brought. "Please help me keep my sanity by continuing to call me milady."

"Yes, milady." The lady's maid bowed.

"Is that all? Or are people wanting to talk to me?" Amaris asked, unsure whether she wanted to know the answer.

"Lady Lyra is requesting that she have a private audience with you, milady."

"Then let her in. She can help me enjoy these delicious cakes."

"Yes, Milady." Kenia bowed and left the room.

Moments later the door to the bedchamber opened again. Amaris lifted her head from where she had been staring at the floor, trying to come to grasp with the idea that the entire country was at her disposal, only to notice Lyra entering the room

"Your Majesty." Lyra said, curtsying deeply.

"Please don't be so formal with me, Lyra. Too much has changed already, if my friends change the way they interact with me I might not survive this." Amaris said. "An sit down, these cakes are not going to eat themselves." She motioned towards the platter Kenia had set out. "Tea?"

"Very well, Amaris. And no, thankyou for the tea." the werewolf said as she took a seat. "But you do need to start performing the role of queen, the sooner the better. Acad simply cannot survive without a monarch of some description."

"I know." Amaris said as she poured herself a cup of the still steaming tea. "So, what is first on my agenda as interim Queen?"

"The first thing is for you to appoint your high council. Now, we have already decided who will fill in the places of the Lords or Ladies of Finance, Infrastructure and Spies, we just need to formally appoint them in a ceremony similar to the one that you had, in the throne room."

"So who do I tell to order people into the throne room?" Amaris asked, putting the raspberry and lemon cake that she had been eating back onto her bread plate.

"Raphael normally arranges for such people to be in one place, so you should call for him."

"Very well then." Amaris got up off the low sofa and pulled on the rope that called Kenia to her assistance. "What next?"

"You should hold a high council meeting. The councilors need to know who you are as a Queen, not just as the person who the Emperor is allowing to visit his bed." Kenia re-entered the room.

"Is everything okay, milady?"

"Can you go and find Raphael for me?" Amaris asked, settling back into her seat on the sofa.

"Yes, milady." Kenia bowed and left the room again.

"You have a good servant." Lyra commented.

"Kenia is more like my sister than my servant." Amaris said thoughtfully. "Right, so I need to summon the candidates for the open positions on the high council, anoint them as members of the high council and have my first official council meeting. Is that all?"

"No, you should also hold at least one hour's worth of court tomorrow morning. As good as it is being a member of the high council, being a member of court is just as important. You, as queen, should make yourself known to not only the new members of the high council, but also the rest of the courtiers that call Craester town home."