Kingdom of the Sea, page 8
Esmeralda’s face scrunched up. “It was a short-lived idea but yes.” Luciana gestured for her to continue, and Esmeralda sighed. “It was right at the beginning of our relationship, after we realized what we had was more than something fleeting.”
Luciana thought back to the balls Camila had attended, wandering around the ballroom with a sea of admirers trailing behind but never letting any of them close enough to court her. It made much more sense now.
Esmeralda continued, “Camila decided she didn’t care about the rules. She would just marry me, royal line and Ambassador of the Sun be damned.”
Luciana’s eyes widened. She’d never heard anyone dismiss a title like the Ambassador of the Sun so flippantly. Esmeralda must really trust Luciana to say something like that, for if she’d said it in lesser company she could have been ostracized.
“What made her change her mind?” Luciana asked.
“Me,” Esmeralda admitted. “Loving someone means wanting what’s best for them, even if it isn’t what you want. She and I agreed that we would respect tradition, and there aren’t any laws requiring Reinas to be faithful to their husbands. It’s a dreadful thing to do, of course, but she could never lose her throne over it.”
Of course, Camila and Esmeralda had a plan. They were clever. Luciana’s heart sank a bit at that. She should have seen it coming. Even though Camila might not know much about politics, she did know how to protect herself. But as interesting as this was, it wasn’t why she’d met with Esmeralda. She had to steer the conversation towards Nicolas.
“I wonder if there has ever been a Rey or Reina who never got caught breaking the rules?” Luciana asked.
Esmeralda tilted her head thoughtfully. “Perhaps.”
“I don’t know. I just find it hard to believe that a law as strict as that one has lasted without fail.”
“I suppose we’ll never know, will we?” said Esmeralda.
“I mean,” Luciana prompted, “my uncle could have skeletons in the closet that we know nothing about.”
“He could,” Esmeralda mused. “But he seems like a very straight-laced man. I doubt it.”
Luciana gritted her teeth. Esmeralda was no help. She’d have to dig deeper. If anyone knew anything, it would be Esmeralda and Luciana didn’t want to give up just yet.
“There could have always been someone he met in passing, maybe someone he thought was worth breaking his vows for,” Luciana said.
Esmeralda just shrugged. “It would have to have been a servant or a craftsman. Anyone with a title surely would have exposed him, especially if their union resulted in a child. A person of noble birth would have the power to ensure that baby ended up in the line of succession.”
Now she was getting somewhere. The mysterious daughter’s mother didn’t have money. That, on top of Nicolas’s status as an Ambassador of the Sun, would be reason enough for him not to claim his love child. It didn’t make it right, but it was understandable. Luciana would need to look at the letter from Nicolas’s daughter tonight before Daniel arrived in the music room.
A gentle knock sounded on the door, and Luciana, startled, turned to look for the source of the sound. Camila smiled brightly as she opened the door and entered.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said gently.
“Oh!” Esmeralda stood quickly. “I forgot about our ride, didn’t I?”
“It’s alright,” Camila said, taking Esmeralda’s hand. “We still have plenty of time if we leave now.”
“I apologize, Luciana,” Esmeralda said.
“Go enjoy your ride,” Luciana said brightly. “Thank you for your company this afternoon.”
Esmeralda nodded politely, then looked at Camila. Both of them blushed, then they turned to the door and left together.
“What’s on the agenda tonight?” Daniel asked, sinking into what had become his chair in the music room.
“Why are you asking me?” Luciana countered, lighting a candle as the sun set outside. “You’re the one who insisted on these meetings.”
“It’s the deal.”
“The almighty deal,” Luciana said, rolling her eyes.
“What? Do you want out?” Daniel teased, arching an eyebrow challengingly. “We could always stick with the engagement plans.”
Luciana took a deep breath. “No.”
Daniel smirked, but part of him couldn’t help but wonder what he would have done if she’d agreed. Would he still break off the engagement or would he go through with it? If they didn’t have this chance to get out of the match, if escape was never an option, could Daniel have been happy with Luciana?
“Well, you’ve only got two days to change your mind,” Daniel joked.
“Two days. It’s hard to believe,” Luciana remarked.
“Then you’ll finally be free of me,” Daniel said, throwing himself across his chair.
Luciana leaned forward and smiled mischievously. “That was always the goal.”
“You wound me,” Daniel said.
“Has it been hard being away from home?” Luciana asked, sitting down across from him, and scooting in close.
Daniel thought back to his journal entries and how harsh he’d been about Askaña in the beginning. Now, his daily writings seemed to be more inquisitive—and more about Luciana. He didn’t want to admit it to anyone and he’d since hidden his journal away in his chamber so Luciana couldn’t read what else he’d written, but every time he put a quill to paper, he only saw her face.
He described her as truthfully as he could when he wrote. He’d hoped that by writing everything out it would let him feel some peace, but instead, it only made him notice more details about her. Of course, he’d written about her striking features. Her eyes were the color of an ocean wave and her hair fell in perfect brown ringlets, so dark they almost looked black in the candlelight. But he’d noticed smaller things about her, too. When she felt nervous, she twisted the gold ring on her finger. When she was proud of her musical performances she would run her hands over the folds of her skirt.
He wasn’t sure what to make of any of it.
“I thought I would miss Osmain much more than I do,” Daniel admitted.
“You like Askaña?”
“I like the people,” he said.
Luciana smiled slightly. Daniel’s eyes flickered down to her hand, where she slowly twisted her ring. He looked back up at her eyes. Her lips were slightly parted and she drew in a breath as their gazes met. Daniel’s pulse quickened as he took in her face, the candle between them casting shadows on her features.
“Osmain is different from Askaña,” Daniel said, his voice cracking as he broke the moment between them. “We have some hills back at home but no mountains like you have here. It’s also warmer.”
“Doesn’t it snow?” Luciana asked.
“Not really. Maybe once a year in the northern regions. I’ve only seen snow once myself, and it wasn’t even in Osmain.”
“Only once?” Luciana laughed disbelievingly.
“While I was serving in the military. And it wasn’t much. Maybe an inch if that.”
“You should see the winters here. That would be a change for you,” Luciana said.
“I think I might freeze to death,” Daniel joked.
“You might,” Luciana agreed. Daniel searched her face for any hint that she was joking, but he couldn’t find one.
“Why don’t you play something for me?” Daniel asked, disturbed by the thought of dying in a brutal winter. “An Askanese song I might not have heard before.”
Luciana leaned back and sighed. “I suppose I can do that.”
“Try a different instrument this time,” Daniel smiled. “I’d like to see what else you can do.”
Luciana frowned at the room. “Which one?”
Daniel glanced around. Not the cello. He’d have to give up his beloved chair for her to play that one. Not piano. He’d heard that one before. His eyes found a shiny silver flute in the corner. That was different. He hadn’t noticed her only wind instrument before. He knew that Luciana could play any number of string instruments, but the flute would be an interesting change.
“How about the flute?”
Luciana looked taken aback. “I… well. You don’t want to hear me play that one.”
“Why not?” Daniel asked, getting up to fetch the flute from the shelf.
“I’m not very good at it. I started my study just recently, you see.” Luciana twisted her ring.
“That’s okay,” Daniel said reassuringly. “I don’t mind. I’d actually like to see proof that you’re not good at everything.”
“You want proof? You got it! Let’s look at my embroidery,” she cried out in rising desperation.
Daniel had to admit he was curious about her embroidery failures, but he was more interested in the flute. She couldn’t possibly be that bad, and her objections had begun to make him even more curious.
Luciana tried blocking his path, but Daniel was swift and he snatched the instrument off its small shelf.
“No!” Luciana exclaimed, reaching for her flute.
“Okay, okay,” Daniel said, putting his hands up in exasperation. “I get it. You don’t want to play.” He held out the instrument to Luciana. She reached out to reclaim her property. As she did, Daniel noticed something sticking out slightly from the end of the flute as he handed it over. It almost looked like rolled parchment.
“Wait,” Daniel said, pulling his hand back. He pried the paper out by the exposed corner.
“Daniel, stop,” Luciana commanded.
Daniel obliged and looked at Luciana. She stood there shaking in a way he’d never seen from her before. This was beyond nerves. This was terror.
“What is this, Luciana?” he asked calmly, more curious than anything.
Luciana pursed her lips, thinking of something to say. Obviously, she saw this as a huge invasion of her privacy. It wasn’t Daniel’s business and as much as he wanted to know what the parchment said, he was a man of honor.
He put a hand on Luciana’s shoulder and held the letter out to her. She calmed under his touch. “Here. I didn’t mean to upset you. I want you to know that you can trust me. If you ever want to tell me—”
“You should read it,” Luciana said softly, meeting his gaze and gently pushing the letter back to him.
“What?” Daniel asked, dumbfounded. “I thought you just said—”
“I know what I said.” Luciana twisted her ring. “But you say I can trust you, right? Prove it.”
Daniel unrolled the parchment, his eyes growing wider as he scanned each word. At the end of the letter, Daniel handed the letter back to Luciana. He was stunned to silence.
“Who is she?” Daniel finally asked.
Luciana shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“But she wants the throne of Askaña.”
“I guess. This letter was written a long time ago. Things might have changed since then,” Luciana explained.
“Who else knows about this?” Daniel asked.
“I’m not sure,” Luciana admitted. “Only my uncle, as far as I’m aware.”
“He’s a religious figure, right? He’s made a vow of chastity?”
“An Ambassador of the Sun, yes,” Luciana said. “If this note were to become public, it could ruin him. Or it could upset the line of succession.”
“You need to find this woman before she finds you,” Daniel said, and Luciana nodded. She stumbled to her piano bench, sat, and buried her face in her hands.
“What is it?” Daniel asked after a moment of silence.
Luciana took a deep breath, in and out. Her voice shook as she said, “Can I trust you with something?”
“Something else?” Daniel aked.
“Yes.”
Daniel shrugged. “Sure.”
Luciana glared at him threateningly. “That is not enough. I am about to confide something to you that I have never told another living soul. If this were to be found out, I could be disowned or even killed for treason.”
Daniel’s mouth dropped open. Luciana, treason? His head was swimming, and he could hardly concentrate as he stuttered, “I-I promise. I won’t tell a soul.”
Luciana smiled, satisfied. “Good,” she said. “Because I could use your help.” Daniel could not imagine what she could be hiding that would be considered treasonous, much less something that Daniel needed to be involved in. Daniel wasn’t sure he liked what he’d gotten himself into. Treason wasn’t something to be taken lightly. It could even start wars if he was discovered to be a part of it. He opened his mouth to back out, but before he could retract his promise, Luciana simply said, “I want to be Reina.”
Daniel did not know how to react. He sat there and considered what she had said. It did make sense. Her violent opposition to their engagement—which would have removed her from the Askanese line of succession, the way she carried herself in public, even her unusual ability to speak multiple languages. She had been grooming herself for the role. He was surprised that no one else had seen it.
Luciana fidgeted with her ring nervously, unable to sit still now that she had told him her big secret. “Please say something. I feel silly,” she said.
“It’s not silly,” Daniel said. “It makes sense.”
“It does?”
“It seems you’ve positioned yourself to be the ideal candidate for Reina.”
Luciana blushed. “I would like to think so.”
Daniel considered the situation. Why had she told him this? Daniel had no more political sway in Askaña than Luciana did. He could maybe write to his father about it, who could write to Rey Nicolas, but that seemed too convoluted.
“It seems to me,” Daniel said, “that you’re wasting your time.” Luciana shrank back, a hurt expression on her face. Daniel had to backtrack fast or he was going to lose her. “That came out wrong. What I meant to say was if you want to rule so badly, why not just marry me? You’d be my Imperatrice. You’d have a country to rule without any of the risk.” It was forward, he had to admit. But there was a part of him that still wanted her to want him.
Luciana considered his suggestion for a moment, but she shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know Osmain the way I know Askaña.”
Daniel nodded. He could not imagine leaving Osmain forever. He could only imagine how she must have felt receiving the news of their engagement—learning that she’d have to leave everything behind. As much as Daniel complained about the engagement, he couldn’t deny her situation had much higher stakes. If the marriage were to happen, the worst case for Daniel would be to come home with a woman he didn’t know if he liked. “So, what is it you need from me, exactly?” Daniel asked.
Luciana shrugged. “Your secrecy. And your ideas.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, the most straightforward way to the throne would be to kill Camila, but I refuse to do that, for obvious reasons.”
“I’d be a little worried if you considered that a legitimate option.”
“The other choice that stands out would be to convince Camila to choose to become an Ambassador of the Sun, and then see to it that her purity was destroyed.”
“You mean, have someone… violate her?”
“You see why I’m having trouble. Neither of these are viable options.”
“What would happen if Camila were to break her vow of chastity on her own?”
Luciana’s brow knit as she took his question seriously. “She would be cast from the royal family. She’d likely be exiled from Askaña.”
Daniel sighed. “Is there a third way to become Reina?”
“Precisely.”
Daniel considered the situation. He didn’t know Askanese law nearly as well as Luciana did. “What about Rey Nicolas and his mysterious daughter? If Nicolas claimed her as his heir, then it would prove he had broken his own vows. Could she even become Reina if your uncle was cast out because of it?” Daniel asked.
“I’m not sure,” Luciana replied. “I can’t seem to find any precedent for this situation.”
Daniel thought for a moment. Helping Luciana was a risk, but he was coming to like her. If her plan succeeded, they would both rule their own kingdoms one day. An alliance with her could be advantageous. He said, “Well, she’s either been paid off and gone away or she’s dead. It’s possible all she wanted was some money and not the throne. If she’s still alive, we could find her and make sure that she isn’t a threat. Then use her and the letter against your uncle—convince him that he would either have to make you Reina instead of Camila or be exposed.”
Luciana gaped at him for a moment, then started rambling. “That could work. But there would be a million things to figure out, assuming we could even find her. There isn’t much to be learned from the letter, and what if she is dead? How could we prove that?”
“You know the castillo better than anyone. If your uncle were to have more evidence of his daughter, where would it be hidden?”
She sighed. “We aren’t likely to find anything hidden anywhere other than his study.”
“Great,” said Daniel. “Then we start there.”
Luciana shook her head. “It’s forbidden.”
“The study?”
“Yes. He’s made it very clear that no one is to enter without his express permission. I’ve never been invited inside.”
“Have you been inside at all?”
“Once.” Luciana shivered. “I’ve never seen him so angry. I thought he might hit me, but there’s nothing Nicolas values more than appearances. He probably didn’t want to explain a bruise to the court.”
“That's terrible,” Daniel said. His father could have a temper sometimes, but Daniel had never felt threatened by his presence.
“We shouldn’t look in there,” Luciana said. “It’s too risky.”
“So, blackmail is totally fine but sneaking around is off the table. Got it.”
“You go in there, then! There’s a door to the study from these tunnels. I can take you to it and you can search for yourself.”
Daniel laughed. “Oh, no. This is not my problem to solve. You’re coming with me.”
