Icy wind blasted from the west as I approached the rail. Dread knotted in my gut as the same violence of last night came again. The screams, the cries, the flames licking the starry sky.
“Wil, get back inside.” James pressed a hand on my shoulder. “Give me time to assess whether the balcony is safe. Remember what happened to Tobiah.”
As if I could forget.
Already, I saw castle troops moving into the city, but the truth of these riots burrowed into me. “They’re going to do this every night,” I said, letting James draw me away from the edge. “They’ll rush in and riot, then leave before you can catch them.”
At the door, Melanie nodded. “Every night, until everyone from the Indigo Kingdom is gone and you are crowned queen, with Patrick as your king. I think that’s why he took the city so early. You turned on him, and he needed to secure your dependence to him.”
“By destroying the city from the inside out?” My whole body shook as I stepped inside and James locked the balcony door. “Only Patrick would think that was a reasonable option.”
James dragged the curtain over the door. “We can’t take much more of this, especially not over the winter. If they burn supplies . . .”
Then everyone would starve. Not to mention the morale. “What do you propose?”
He leaned on the table. “You won’t like it, but I think a citywide curfew is the place to start.”
“Enacting a curfew doesn’t send a good message,” Melanie said. “Especially so early in her queenship. It says she can’t protect people from the Red Militia.”
“It says she’s willing to take measures to protect them.” James met my eyes. “They need to have confidence you’ll do what’s necessary.”
Was a curfew necessary? Taverns and inns, which made their business off late-night customers, wouldn’t be pleased. No one would.
But if there were no civilians on the streets, it might be easier to catch the Red Militia, and that was surely something we all wanted.
“Willingness to obey a curfew will only last so long,” I said after a moment. “They’ll need regular proof of our progress, as well as assurance that civilians won’t be hurt or arrested for being out, just escorted to their homes.”
James was nodding. Melanie was frowning.
“Only police will engage civilians. No military. We’re not under martial law.” Not that police were incapable of being cruel. I’d seen that much in Skyvale. “Anyone caught using violence will be brought to me.”
“Fair conditions,” James said.
The Red Militia here. The wraith in the west. Everything seemed eager to destroy my kingdom.
“If you’re going to do this,” Melanie said, “then you’ll want to make a statement about the decision and how you hope it won’t take long. Which means writing a speech. Tonight.”
So much for sleeping. “Tomorrow I want to see the city.”
“We’ll see.” James turned a chair out for me. “There’s not much time for it, and the Queen’s Guard is still untrained as a unit. Ensuring your safety on a visit to the city will take time and preparation.”
Which meant I’d see only the elite parts of Aecor City, where everyone was cleaned up and wearing their best behavior. I wouldn’t see the city as it truly was.
“Fine,” I said. “Prepare a tour for me as soon as you can.” It was certain to be a sterile, useless tour, but it might keep James from thinking too hard about the black bag under my bed.
But by the time everyone left my room, I had only four hours to sleep before I had to start another day as queen in name only.
Several more days proceeded in the same manner. I was overprotected and under-slept, and the castle walls seemed to grow closer every hour. But finally, I had a relatively early night, and a letter from Tobiah waiting in the blue notebook.
Wilhelmina,
Sorry it’s taken a few days to reply.
Here’s the truth: I’m not ready, either.
Power and responsibility don’t wait for us to feel ready; they are thrust upon us, always too soon.
Last week, I sent a contingent of soldiers to scout the wraithland border and bring back as many live beasts as possible for our barrier. The soldiers were on horseback, so it should have been a fast journey, especially now that the border is edging up into the mountains. It’s close, Wilhelmina. It’s so close.
Now I hear the soldiers are missing. Five hundred men. I made myself read their names again this morning, because I was the one who ordered a team to the wraithland. If they are dead, then the weight of their lives is on me.
My father often talked about this kind of responsibility, but I never understood it until now.
You’re not ready. I’m not ready. How can anyone be ready to take responsibility for an entire kingdom’s safety?
More than anything, I want to escape into the city and be Black Knife for a few hours. But I can’t. Not anymore.
Tobiah
I closed the notebook without replying. There was nothing reassuring there. If he’d spent his life preparing for rulership and he wasn’t ready, how could I be?