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HALFREDA LEAVES EVERLEIGH in her chamber with Lanorie and a promise to keep quiet about what has happened at the river.
Everleigh is quiet but her mind is full of what has happened. She keeps seeing it in her mind’s eye; the river rising up and up and up until it ran over the whole island and wet her feet.
But at the same time, she can’t stop believing that she will die soon and accept that she might live and rule. It’s too much of a jump. She is the Kingmaker and she is going to die in less than a week.
Lanorie puts an arm on her shoulder, “Are you well, princess?”
Everleigh turns to her friend and her maid. Will Lanorie call her Queen one day? She cannot imagine her saying the words.
“I’m tired. My walk wore me out and I didn’t sleep well.”
“Shall I do what, um, Halfreda said and get you some food and drink. Or would you feel better going down to the hall, seeing your father and brothers?”
Everleigh shakes her head. If they see her now they will know that something is amiss – especially Macsen. He is the closest to her, apart from Addyson and she is too little to read how anybody feels.
“No, I’ll eat here. Please. I want a fire lit. I want a bath made up. And a drink. Then I will sleep and then I will eat.”
Lanorie nods. “If you’re sure.”
Everleigh nods. And thinks again about the river. She is used to every person in the castle following her commands; she is a princess and a Kingmaker. She must be obeyed. She isn’t bossy, she never asks too much, or rudely, but she is waited on by everyone.
If she wants a fire she gets one lit for her. When she is hungry or thirsty, at any time of the night or day, food or drink is brought to her. Baths are made for her; her hair and body are washed for her. Her hair is brushed for her. She is literally helped in to her clothes.
How different, though, to command a river. She has never known or seen anyone do that. She wonders if her father, the King, can do it. She would have to ask him.
But what would happen now? Was it true? Was she to live?
Everleigh shakes her head. How could all that she knows about herself and her destiny be wrong? She is the Kingmaker. She just is. She had learned the truth of it and accepted it a very long time ago. How could it not be the case anymore?
It just wasn’t possible. She knew what she had seen at the river but there had to be a mistake. There had to be some other explanation.
She was the Kingmaker. She always had been. Like her aunt before her.
She would die and either Macsen or Millard would be King.
But then if she lived, so would they. But would they even want her to live and steal the crown from one of them?
Everleigh starts pacing her chamber. She wants to scream and shout and question Halfreda. But although Halfreda had bowed to her and named her Queen, when Everleigh had asked her what was next, she hadn’t been able to answer.
If Halfreda didn’t know, how could she?
Everleigh paces and paces her thoughts like so many birds flying around in an enclosed room. Her thoughts are in a frenzy and she doesn’t know what to do about them.
There is a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she calls. One of the little maids comes in with a jug of wine and a cup. She pours a cup full then curtsies and leaves.
Everleigh drains it in one long mouthful and pours another. There’s another knock at the door. “Come in,” she says, and another little maid comes in, this one to make up the fire.
Everleigh smiles at her and then walks to the window with her drink. The day is crisp and clear, but she is ready to sleep it away. Her mind is full of questions and she has nobody that she can speak to about it.
She has promised Halfreda she will keep it a secret until she decides what to do next.
The problem is that women are not rulers. Men rule and women serve. Women bear children, and do as they are bid, firstly by their fathers and then by their husbands.
How can she be Queen? How can her father, her brothers, the whole of the Realm accept her destiny? Won’t they just kill her anyway?
Everleigh doesn’t know what to do. She drains the wine and pours another. This time she sits in front of the fire with it, watching the flickering flames. This serves to remind her of her morning at the river, when the river she called to rise swirled right over Halfreda’s fire and put it out.
She must be Queen if she could command mother nature. But could she command men?
No woman has ever been Queen in her own right and commanded men.
There is a tap at the door and Lanorie comes in. She has two little maids behind her with jugs of hot water. It will take an age to fill the bath.
Everleigh calls Lanorie to the window. “Did you enjoy your morning off?”
Lanorie nods, smiling. “I had a sleep. I hid from Cook or she wouldn’t have let me.”
Everleigh laughs. “She better not find out.”
Lanorie shakes her head. “I know all the hiding places. How was your walk? You seem a bit...” Lanorie can’t seem to find the word she wants.
Everleigh smiles. She wants to tell Lanorie but doesn’t know if she can trust her. Lanorie has been with her since she was seven and now she is fourteen. That’s seven years of spending most of her time with Everleigh. She dresses her and bathes her; she fetches her food and drink. She sews with her and talks with her. She walks out with her and rides a horse alongside her. They share so many things. Could they share this?
Everleigh smiles and puts her hand on Lanorie’s arm. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Lanorie nods. She is younger than Everleigh but she is her maid and her friend both. They laugh together and talk about so many things.
“I want to tell you something that happened today,” Everleigh says. Lanorie straightens up and smiles. “Ooh?”
Everleigh shakes her head. “No, it’s important. And serious.” Everleigh lowers her voice, glancing at the two little maids. They went out to fetch more water. “And a secret.”
Lanorie’s eyes widen. “A secret?”
Everleigh nods. Is this wise? A Queen needs to be wise.
Lanorie moves closer to her. “You can trust me,”
“I met Halfreda at the river this morning. She told me about a prophecy,”
Lanorie wrinkles her nose, a confused look on her face.
Everleigh explains: “A prophecy – something foretold by someone wise, someone with the sight. Like they have seen something that will come true. The prophecy is that one Kingmaker will not die.” Lanorie’s eyes widen even more at this, though Everleigh can see the doubt written on her face. “They will live and they will rule. As Queen. She wanted to test me to see if I was that Kingmaker. If I would be Queen.”
Lanorie’s mouth is open now. “What happened?” Her voice is but a whisper.
“She asked me to command the river to rise.” Everleigh smiles; it’s good to relive the power she had felt.
“Did you ask? Did it rise? Oh, my goodness.” Lanorie has a hand on her heart now.
Everleigh laughs. “Lanorie, I did, I told the river to rise. And it did. It rose and rose until it covered the whole island and put out the fire that Halfreda had lit.”
“Princess?” Lanorie is pale.
“Lanorie, I did it. I am the one. I will be Queen.”
Saying it makes Everleigh feel excited. She won’t die, she will live. She won’t just live, she will rule.
“Queen?” Lanorie looks as though she might faint.
“Lanny, you mustn’t tell anyone. Not Cook or anyone else. You must promise.”
Lanorie nods quickly.
Everleigh looks right in to her friend’s eyes. “Promise?”
Lanorie nods again. “I promise.”
Everleigh smiles. “Imagine me being Queen.” She laughs at the thought of it. How her life has changed. All in one morning.