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.“After all…they all fought for me, when the time came.How do we choose the bravest of them?”“So we’re going to have to do it all again next year?” Emily asked.“Do I have to come?”“Yep,” Alassa said.Her face sobered slightly.“Where would I be without you?”Chapter Forty-TwoTHE GREAT HALL HAD BEEN CLEANED after the duchess’s body had been removed, then decked out to match the destroyed Assembly Hall.Emily had watched the maids prepare the hall, transporting the thrones from the Assembly Hall into the castle while hiding the King’s original throne behind one of the white curtains.The symbolism–a king and his heir–would be maintained, even if the ceremony was being held in the wrong place.Now, she watched from behind one of the curtains as the hall slowly filled with people, chattering happily amongst themselves.King Randor had thrown open the castle to potential witnesses.Aside from the surviving nobles and princes, there were assemblymen and councilors–including Imaiqah’s father–from the city below.Emily had heard that the guards had been worried about an assassin sneaking in with the crowds, but King Randor had dismissed their concerns.A show of bravado, he had said, would help convince people that the monarchy wasn’t scared.Emily looked over at Alassa, who was clearly nervous.It had been decided that she didn’t need to remain awake for the vigil a second night before the ceremony, as she had already sat it in good faith, but not everyone had been happy with that decision.Too much of the original ceremony had been shortened for the second ceremony.Emily had heard two of the aristocrats complaining that the traditions were being mocked.She’d been unable to help wondering if they really cared about the future of the kingdom.“Ready,” Alassa said, as the trumpets began to blare.“Here we go.”Emily couldn’t escape the sensation that she was escorting Alassa to her wedding as they walked up the middle of the Great Hall.She could feel eyes staring at them - some friendly, some hostile, some merely indifferent–and winced, inwardly.Whatever had happened in her life, she still didn’t like being the center of attention–or even close to the center of attention.Alassa stopped in front of her father and went down on one knee, followed by the remainder of the hall.Emily stepped back until she was at the edge of the crowd and then joined them.“There were those who believed that they could destroy the Line of Alexis,” King Randor said, into the silence.“They believed that We could be kept prisoner, along with Our wife, and the kingdom would just fall into their lap.But they reckoned without Our daughter.Few sons have ever served their fathers so well.”Emily concealed her private amusement.The official version of the story credited Alassa with almost everything, including killing the duchess.She couldn’t blame King Randor for wanting his daughter to receive most of the credit; after all, the barons would remember what Alassa had done and perhaps think better of challenging her.Besides, three of the barons were dead, two more were under arrest and the remaining four knew that they were on probation.They’d want to claw back as much power as they could before they tried anything overt.“There were those who said that Our daughter had the body of a weak and feeble woman,” King Randor added.He probably wouldn’t credit Emily–or Queen Elizabeth I - for the lines either.“But she has the heart of a king and a King of Zangaria too.Within her runs the blood of King Alexis I, who created our kingdom, and King Alexis III, who restored our control over rebellious factions.They thought they could remove her as easily as one might sweep out a cobweb.But she defeated them and executed the ringleader herself.She has more than proved herself in front of Us.”Emily wondered, rather sourly, what the discovery that the duchess had been behind the plot would mean for Zangaria.It would be nice to believe that they’d start taking women more seriously, but it wasn’t too likely.No doubt they’d conclude that the duchess had been the puppet of her family and the other barons.It would certainly be more comforting than facing the truth.King Randor stepped forward and helped his daughter to her feet.“It is Our wish that Alassa, crown princess of Our kingdom, be confirmed as heir,” he said
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Tematy
IndexChristine Amsden [Cassie Scot Cassie Scot ParaNormal Detecti
Christie Craig [Divorced, Des Divorced, Desperate
Moore Christopher Ssij, mała, ssij (II)
Stasheff, Christopher Wizard in Rhyme 6 Haunted Wizard
Christine Feehan Mroczna Seri Mroczny Demon
Cidney Swanson [Saving Mars Saving Mars (epub)
Stasheff, Christopher Rogue Wizard 04 A Wizard in Peace
Feehan Christine Mroczna Seria 01 Mroczny Ksišże
Stasheff, Christopher Warlock 01 The Warlock in Spite of Himself
Christine Feehan Mroczna Seria 13 Mroczne Przeznaczenie