Chapter 17

L iana, dressed in plain clothes and a hooded cloak, slipped out of the Ilkanisa.

Ja’Kan, who’d decided to come along for the excursion, was also similarly attired. His features were obscured beneath his hood, and his eyes were watchful, scanning for potential threats.

Behind them trailed the Kwen?’s assigned bodyguards.

The pair of Shadowings, named K’Uru and K’Otona, flitted after them, unseen, their sable vapor trails the only evidence of their ghosted manifestation.

At first, their presence had unnerved her, given her encounter with K’Aran.

She’d only agreed to their appointment as her sentinels after K’Lita had insisted they came from a faction within the ancient tribe loyal to the crown.

Hinting that not all of the Shadowings had fallen under her half-brother’s spell.

Still, their inky silhouettes were unusual, and she refused to let her guard down, even for a minute.

Liana pulled the hood of her cloak lower over her face as she walked through the bustling avenues of Ilkana, the legendary gold city.

The early sun bathed the tall minarets and domes in a radiant glow, making the metropolis appear like a treasure unearthed from the sands.

The streets hummed with life, filled with affluent citizens haggling over goods, finely dressed nobles walking along grand boulevards, and the scent of spices drifting past.

They began in the wealthy merchant district, where the thoroughfares gleamed with opulence. Elegant bazaars showcased vibrant silks and gleaming jewels, and the chatter of the city’s elite saturated the air.

Gold leaf trimmed the windows of stately shops. The merchants, too, were well garbed, their hands heavy with rings as they called out to passersby, eager to strike lucrative deals.

Liana’s gaze swept over the splendor, but the riches didn’t do it for her. This wasn’t why she had come.

‘Take me somewhere else, Ja’Kan. Someplace real,’ she said, her voice soft but insistent.

The Queen’s attendant hesitated for a moment before nodding. ‘As you wish, my queen.’

They moved away from the grand boulevards, the noise of wealth and trade fading as they ventured deeper into the city’s heart.

The buildings grew smaller, their grandeur waning into humble stone and wood structures. The lanes narrowed, the cobblestones uneven, and the faces they passed became more lined with hardship.

The air was no longer permeated with spices and perfumes; it was tinged with sweat and smoke.

Liana sensed the change at once.

This was Ilkana’s pulse beat.

Where hard work, blood, sweat, and tears were shed.

Children played in the dusty boulevard, their clothes worn and patched, but their laughter rang out.

She observed them, emotion stirring in her chest. A petite girl with brunette hair darted by, chasing a ball, her bare feet kicking up dust.

She caught Liana’s eye and smiled, her teeth white against her sun-kissed skin.

Liana returned the gesture beneath her hood.

As they continued, a vendor called out, his voice rough but friendly. ‘Fresh bread! Best in the city!’

His stand was compact, and the breakfast loaves were simple, but their scent was warm and inviting.

Liana stepped closer, drawn in by the older man with calloused hands and kind eyes.

‘Would you like to try one, mistress?’ he asked.

He held out a small loaf, his smile revealing missing teeth. ‘First one’s free.’

She reached into the folds of her cloak, pulling out a coin, but he waved it away.

‘Ah, no need for that,’ he chuckled. ‘You look like you might use a good meal. You remind me of my daughter when she was your age, always wandering off, always curious about everything.’

Liana took the bread, suffused with a sudden rush of warmth at the simple kindness. ‘ Sante ,’ she murmured, brushing the loaf’s rough texture.

Liana broke off a piece and handed it to Ja’Kan. He accepted it with a delicate pinch of his digits, eyes skeptical.

‘Live a little,’ his Queen teased.

His brow arched with wonder as he savored the morsel. ‘Delicious.’

Liana laughed. ‘You need to get out more Ja’Kan.’

‘Indeed,’ came the acerbic response. ‘You’re taking me places I’ve not walked in years, so sante, Kwen? for the experience.’

They soon came across an older woman sitting by the side of the street, her hands working deftly at a loom. The patterns she wove were intricate, though the fabric was coarse, and her hands moved with the practiced ease of a lifetime spent crafting.

Liana stopped beside the woman, watching her work for a moment. The woman glanced up, her eyes sharp and full of life despite her age.

‘You’ve got a gentle face, child,’ the woman said, her voice cracked but warm. ‘Where are you from?’

Liana’s eyes strayed to the palace. ‘The Ilkanisa.’

The woman gave Liana a contemplative gaze. ‘I hear there’s a new Kwen? installed. One young at heart and a fledgling.’

‘Maybe so.’

‘Have you met her?’ the woman asked.

‘Perhaps.’

‘Is she a monarch who prefers to eat gold cakes and sip wine, or does she wander to the sullied parts of the city where her true citizens live?’

‘I believe she’s real, a soul who believes in walking the streets among the real people of Ilkana,’ Liana murmured. ‘So she may understand the souls of those who live here.’

The woman nodded, a knowing smile touching her lips. ‘She sounds like a queen I’d love to meet. Too many in the Ilkanisa forget who they serve. The gold and riches close their eyes to what’s truly important.’

Liana’s essence tightened at the woman’s words. ‘You are significant, more than you know. You are the backbone of this city, this Kingdom.’

The woman reached for Liana’s sleeve, clutching it, tugging her close. ‘I represent the working class who don’t have the luxuries of the royal house, who toil hard to survive, who’ve struggled, and who are often overlooked by those in power. When you see the Kwen? , please remind her of that.’

Liana patted the woman’s hand. ‘I will. Sante .’

The woman let go, a knowing look in her eye as Liana turned and walked away, lost in thought.

Minutes later, a small group of children approached, their eyes glittering with curiosity. One of the boys, no older than six, tugged at Liana’s cloak.

‘Are you a princess?’ he asked boldly, his eyes gleaming with wonder, his eyes straying over her simple yet tailored cape.’

Liana smiled beneath her hood, shaking her head. ‘Why do you say so?’

‘Well, you look like one,’ the lad said, grinning. ‘My sister says all the princesses wear fancy clothes and speak sweet and soft.’

A laugh bubbled up in Liana’s chest. ‘Is that right?’

The boy nodded with vigor, and Liana’s heart warmed.

She shared coins with all of them, and they skipped off towards a candy vendor’s stall with eager shouts.

Her soul churned as the sun began to set, casting the city in shades of amber and gold.

Her visit to the poorer districts had changed something inside her.

These children, vendors, and artisans were the core of her realm. They were the ones who suffered when the wars raged, who went hungry when the rulers feasted, and who deserved more than what they had been given.

But would she submit to her calling?

One thing was clear: she was warming to the souls of Ilkana and understanding them better.

Liana turned her steps towards her new residence, her mind racing.

Mulling her purpose.

Was this what she was born for? For such a time as this?’

‘I understand now, Ja’Kan,’ she told her companion as they returned to the Ilkanisa. ‘This is who I’m fighting for. Not just the Council, not just the nobles and houses of Ilkan, but for them,’ she said, motioning to the streets behind her. ‘The people who need an unafraid guardian to stand for them.’

Ja’Kan jerked his chin, his expression brimming with approval as they slipped back into the palace grounds. ‘Then you are already more of the queen that most hope for.’

A few hours later, the late sun streamed through the Ilkanisa’s windows, casting geometric shadows across Liana’s pensive face as she paced its marble floor.

After a meal and a refreshing shower, she headed to the Ilkanisa’s library. Reading through more of its tomes and scrolls as she delved into Ilkan’s annals of history, trying to pry every drop of wisdom and strategy from its pages.

She thought of the warrior queens who had gone before her and confronted countless enemies with unwavering courage and strength.

She pondered the generations of Ilkanite women who had preceded her, each one a testament to the indomitable spirit of their people.

So what if the K?str?ls were a formidable foe with a vast army and advanced weaponry?

Ilkan had previously faced impossible odds and emerged victorious. With the might and resilience of her people behind her, anything was possible.

While the coming battle would be unlike any realm had ever witnessed, she was buoyed by the power she sensed rippling in her, drawing vigor from the words Kaxim had left with her.

‘ Kwen? ?’

Liana started at the voice, turning to see Elder K’Lita’s kind face.

The older woman bowed. ‘Are you still warring with your conscience?’

‘ Nada ,’ Liana admitted. ‘It’s been an internal war, but now I am ready to fight for my people and to step into the legacy handed to me by the Kwen?s who came before me.’

K’Lita nodded, a smile spreading across his weathered face. ‘That is all we can ask, my Queen. That is all we can require of you.’

Liana studied a far-off tapestry, her eyes tracing the lines of the wounded and fallen warriors. She almost heard the clash of swords and the cries of the dying, a sobering reminder of the cost of conflict.

‘I will not allow our people to suffer under K?str?l terror,’ she said. ‘I intend to fight for our freedom, for our right to live as we choose.’

K’Lita smiled, her eyes shining with pride. ‘Spoken like a true Kwen? ,’ she said. ‘With you leading us, I do not doubt we will prevail.’

‘Then let’s waste no more time. We have a lot to do to secure our future.’

‘The war room awaits then,’ K’Lita invited.

As she strode alongside the older woman, her livid coquelicot hair streaming behind her, Liana felt a wildfire rise inside her.

She may have been unwillingly thrust into this role, but she’d not shy away.

Liana was crowned the official Kwen? of the Ilkan empire two days later.

The ceremony was small, attended by just the war council members.

There was no crown nor a diadem placed on her shoulders.

Instead, Elder Nakan placed an ancient sword scabbard in her hands.

‘This ancient sheathe was used by the royals who came before you. It’s the sign of our faith in you to wield your sword while at the same time sheathing our people from the enemy. Will you wear it with pride?’

‘I shall,’ Liana said. ‘With honor and reverence for those who went before me.’

She was the crimson kríffin , the protector of her people, and she would fight until her last breath to keep them safe.

I have much to live up to, she told herself. I will not falter. I will carry on the legacy of my forefathers and lead Ilkan to greatness once more.