Winter King by Sloane Murphy
1
Cade
Itake a deep breath and look in the mirror. This is the day I’ve been waiting for my entire life, but now it’s here, I don’t know if I want it. Heavy lies the crown, I always thought it was the weak that used it as an excuse for their failures, but now I know it to be true. My father raised me to be a King, a soldier, a man ready to do whatever is necessary for my people. What he couldn’t foresee was that Emilia would be the woman sitting opposite me, being the perfect counterbalance for the cruelty he instilled in me. She is the perfect other half of me, my soul mate. My fated one.
Everybody is looking at us, to be strong, to lead, to get us through what is to come. To join forces with the Summer Court as my father arranged, but with half of the Summer Court scattered to escape the fight that is coming, the weight sits firmly on my shoulders to make things right for our people alongside Erion as the new ruler of the Summer Court. Today I take the crown, and I take the throne, with it everything that comes with the responsibility they carry, but with Emilia at my side to anchor me, my fear lessens about what we are going to face.
“Studying your pretty face pretty intensely there, brother.” Rohan enters the room and clasps my shoulder in his hand. He may be younger than me, but these days you can barely tell. He almost matches me in height and size, and the darkness I tried to keep from him lingers behind his eyes. “Did no one tell you today is meant to be a happy day? The happiest of your life,” he winks.
“Just making sure my beautiful face is matched in equal beauty by this bright and shiny outfit,” I laugh with him as I pull at the high collar of my white shirt and jacket. He’s wearing the same thing I am, but his is blue instead of white, and I’m sure he feels as ridiculous as I do.
“You ready to be tied to one woman for the rest of your life?”
“I’ve been tied to her my entire life already and you know it. Emilia bewitched me long ago, though I have to say our journey has taken a much different path than the one I imagined originally.”
“Oh, I know. You are one lucky man, and the important thing is that you got here in the end. I know these last few weeks have been hard, saying goodbye to Father, dealing with Mother spiraling out of control, trying to just keep going, trying to not disappoint anyone, and help our people rebuild and mourn while keeping them safe. It’s been a tall order, but you’ve shouldered it well big brother. He’d be proud of you. He definitely would’ve gone about it differently, but you’re not a cold as he was.”
“There’s still time.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. And if you happen to stray off course, I’ll be here to kick your ass back on the path.” He knocks my shoulder with his and graces me a small smile.
“You know we’re not meant to talk like this right? If anyone heard us, they’d accuse us of spending too much time with the women in our lives.”
“Maybe they’d be right but fuck them. If I want a sappy moment with you, then I’ll damn well have one. You ready to go out and face your adoring public?”
I take a deep breath and nod, the gold buttons and accents of my suit and robe catch the sunlight as we move. “Let the games begin.”
I push the door open and walk through the halls of the palace. My Palace. The weight of the responsibility that is about to officially be mine bears down on my chest, making breathing that little bit harder. Rohan stands beside me, shoulder to shoulder as we wait outside the lower doors to the ballroom. I can hear the people from here already, as they filter in taking their seats, the society climbers wanting to see how they can get their hooks into us, the little family we have left at the very front, and then we’ve opened up the rest of the seats to anyone who wants to be here. The amount of security here is incredulous, but it is needed considering the threat that still exists beyond these walls.
I touch the sword at my waist, there more for decoration than use today, but I feel better with it at my side. I should be happy right now, excited, but I can’t help the foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me something isn’t right. The doors in front of us open to the side of the alter in the ballroom and a hush descends across the hall. We take our places, me front and center, with Rohan behind me and to the left.
“We are here today to witness the crowning of our new King, and to join him with his new wife,” the master of ceremonies’ voice rings out across the room, clear and crisp. “We have seen much sorrow in recent days and we have much to rebuild, loved ones to grieve, justice to seek, but this day is the start of a new journey, of a new path. One of happiness, prosperity and love. A look to a new future, with peace on the horizons. Where we honor the old ways, but embrace the new path we are lead down. That new path starts here today, with the joining of our Courts, and long may we prosper.”
The string quartet starts to play, and I smile inwardly, of course she picked this song. It was a favorite of hers years ago, the one I taught her to slow dance to before the first ball she was allowed to attend, since neither of her brothers would. I wait as the music plays and the doors open, but the person I see there isn’t the one I want to see.
Erion rushes down the aisle to me and pulls me aside, and the people stir, their voices rising.
“What’s wrong?” I ask amid the noise of the chapel.
“It’s, Emilia. She’s gone,” he tells me quietly.
“What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” I stare at my old friend, trying not to let panic overtake me. To not let it show that anything is wrong.
“I mean, no one can find her, her room is empty, and no one has seen her. It’s like she disappeared from the palace. I’ve already had the staff check the palace and the grounds twice. She’s not here,” he tells me, I can see his well-hidden panic and try not to let it feed mine.
“Take a few of my trusted guards and go and search the towns nearby. Someone somewhere has to know something. I know you have your own responsibilities to get to with Summer Court, all things considered, but we need to find her. I will look after things with everything until you return.”
“You’re right, I do have things I need to do there, like a burial for my parents and my own coronation, but she is my priority. I can’t lose her when I only just got her back. She’s my little sister.”
“You took the words right out of my mouth. We’ll tell people she’s unwell, keep this discreet until we know what the hell is going on,” I tell him. “Once I finish up here, I’ll come and find you.”
“Are we going to tell Rohan?” he asks as he looks over at my brother who looks at us questioningly.
“Not yet. Take Bray, the head of my personal guard, with you. He’ll pull the best and most trusted guys. They’ll be discreet but thorough. And make sure to tell Cybil the truth, she’ll manage the staff. Other than that, we tell no one for now, we don’t want to cause any more animosity.” He nods and leaves, grabbing Bray, who looks to me for confirmation. They leave and I hesitate before I go back to my mantel. I hate the power I have, so I try to use this part of it so infrequently, but she’s gone and I know I have to try. I close my eyes and reach out to her mind.
Emilia, can you hear me? I feel the magik reach out and search for her, but when I feel close, it’s like I hit a wall, like she’s blocked off from me somehow. Emilia, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m coming for you, and I’m not giving up. I will find you.
“Sorry about that, it seems that my bride has been taken with illness, and can barely stand. Must be all this cold on her summer body.” I laugh. “Let’s proceed with the coronation for today, please, and once she is better, we will have another celebration.” I plead with my eyes for him not to question me.
“Of course, Your Majesty.” He turns to the people gathered his with us and graces them with a kind smile. “Slight change of plans folks, nature can’t be helped. We’ll be crowning our King today, and then off to the ball afterwards.”
Murmurs carry around the room, but the master of ceremonies takes a breath and begins, and one of the most important moments of my life passes me by in a blur. I murmur the words, barely paying attention to my surroundings. She may have only been back in my life a short while but even when we were separated, a ghost of her stayed with me. Her not being here right now throws me more than I could ever have imagined. The thought of not finding her, of never seeing her again, isn't one that I want to dwell on.
I take a seat on the throne before me and stay steady as the master of ceremonies places the crown upon my head. The weight of it is significant, perhaps more now than before, because of everything I have to face without my mother or my father. Looking out to the people before me, those that are relying on me, those who think and believe that I will be the one to change things for the better after the tyranny of cruelty from my father and the other Monarchs alongside him. With Erion at the helm of the Summer Court, it is my hope that so much can change. That the old ways of war and one-upmanship can be a thing of the past. That the cruelty that the higher classes has inflected can cease. I’m not stupid, I know it won’t happen overnight, but if we can further the de-escalation between the Courts, and show harmony from the top down, I know that I can do it. It is what Emilia always wanted, she was the one to open my eyes to the fact that things don’t have to be this way. She was my light in the dark, my shining beacon when my father’s teachings shrouded me in shadow. A world like she always wanted without her isn’t one I even contemplate. I will find her, if it’s the last thing I do.
