Trying to subdue her nervousness, she leaned forward in the saddle and lifted her voice to address her city’s protectors. She had been grasping for the correct words to say since Jon Tayt left the castle a few hours earlier. In an instant, her thoughts were suddenly clear. It felt as if the Medium were guiding her mouth.
“At my coronation, I was given this ring.” She raised her hand, almost as if she were making the maston sign, and let the sunlight play off her glittering coronation ring. “I am now wedded to the realm. This ring has never left my finger since that day, and it never will. I am the trueborn daughter of King Brannon and Queen Catrin.” She lowered her arm and leaned forward, her hands resting on the saddle horn. “And you are my people. I do earnestly and tenderly love you, as a mother loves her children. I will not abandon you, as I was abandoned. I will not punish you, as I was punished. I will defend you, even if only a few will stand with me. I will give my last drop of blood to preserve your lives.” She swallowed down a swell of emotion as she stared down at them. Some of the men had tears in their eyes, and everywhere she looked there were expressions of fierce determination. “My father imprisoned those who did not obey his unjust laws. Let the prison doors be opened this morning. Some of you have committed crimes for which you ought to be punished. Some of you are here because you could not deny your conscience. Today, I pardon you all. You have a new chance at life. A new chance to serve your kingdom and your queen, to defend your realm from injustice. On my word, I promise to pardon you this day. Come and stand tall in defense of your queen. I am your servant, and you are my family.”
She felt tears moisten her eyes, but they did not fall. A cheer went up from Ludgate. The lord mayor was staring at her, she noticed, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gave the order and the watch began to open the prison doors.
There was an audible sigh from the crowd as men began filing through the inner doors of the gates. Men dressed in ragged clothes, some showing purple disfigurations from recent beatings. Some bore scars from torture. Her heart clenched with pain as she watched them file out . . . some barefoot, some with tattered shoes. Richard and Jon Tayt awaited them with chests full of clothes: tunics, boots, liveries with her colors. Some of the ragged men had long beards and hair, their faces tight and drawn with suffering. Some were bone thin and weary and had trouble even walking. Some were proud and defiant. One thing united them . . . and they came to her in droves.
Captain Carew brought up his soldiers to shield Maia, but she waved his men aside and allowed the former prisoners to approach her. Men shuffled toward her to give her some form of salute, whether a nod or a humble bow. There were even a few women who had chosen to suffer in prison with their husbands rather than be parted from them. Some kissed their own hands and then gestured toward her, as if they were too ashamed and rough to kiss her coronation ring. Her heart welled with compassion for these suffering people. The numbers kept pouring forth, dazzling to behold.
One man in the crowd particularly caught her gaze. She recognized him from her coronation day. The knight named Hove who had challenged her right to rule. She noticed him because he was replacing his black-and-white tunic with a royal one. It made her smile. It made her hope.
Suddenly, a shout sounded from outside the crowd, and a rider came charging down the far side of Fleet Street, moving toward the portcullis. He was shouting as he rode at breakneck speed. He dismounted when he reached the gate and the lord mayor met him on the city side of the gate.
“The army is behind me,” the rider panted. “Schuyler’s army. They are marching toward Ludgate this instant!” His eyes flew to Maia, still mounted on her horse, then to the crowd behind the gate. He did a double take when he realized the numbers of their force had perhaps doubled. “By the Blood, where did all these come from?”
Jon Tayt and Richard pushed through the crowd to reach Maia’s side. “Get back to the palace,” the hunter growled. “The fighting is about to start. You will get word on what happens here. Go.”
Maia looked down at him and shook her head. “No, Jon Tayt. I must stay.” She leaned down in the saddle so that they both could hear her. “There are Leerings on the walls. They are part of the city defenses. They will help repel Schuyler’s army.” She reached down and clasped Richard’s shoulder. “Send Suzenne, Jayn, and all the mastons you can find to the city’s gates. Have them start summoning the Leerings to protect us. I will invoke these.”
A confident smile stretched across Richard’s face. “As you command. But what about you?”
“There may be mastons in Schuyler’s army. A few, probably. I will stay in case they try to silence the Leerings. I think we all know we will fail if we do not hold Ludgate.”