The Broken Crown

Chapter 16

Raymond

The eastern lands were truly beautiful with the view of the ocean as well as the mountains that lined the coast from time to time. Yet it was not the beauty that attracted Raymond to it; it was the life. The night of their arrival, a feast had been held – not at court, but in the streets of Yeralma, the city that surrounded Lionhall. The marketplace had been kept open even in the nighttime, with people dancing in the streets to the music of street singers and players.

The citizens, it would seem by the noises cutting through the walls of the castle, were not tired. It was not until you wandered to the side of the castle, which turned to the ocean that you found silence. Here, on the beach, the only sound was the crashing of waves

He stood by his mother’s and brother’s side, the sunset behind them. “Do you think she is praying to her gods?” his brother asked. There was something in his voice, which caught Raymond’s attention.

“They do not pray,” Lucretia said. “Not as such. They believe the Mother gives them what they deserve of her own accord.”

It was a nice thought, Raymond mused as he watched Adrianne kneel down in the water. A world in which everyone got only what they deserved; no more, no less. He wondered if he would have more or less than he had, if the world was built around deserving. No matter the differences between him and his mother, he knew she deserved all that she had earned.

The Queen slowly returned to the bridge and crawled up. Her dress clung to her legs and Raymond quickly excused himself. Usually, he would not have left merely because of an improperly clad woman, but Adrianne was his brother’s wife.

Even though Lionhall was a lot less complicated in its design, finding his way around proved a challenge. He knew his way from the dining hall to the chambers that he had been given by now, but whenever he strayed too far from this path, he would be lost.  

His chambers were rich in decorations with a large bed and wine in abundance. The Lamarcks must have heard the rumours, he’d thought when he first entered and saw a large jug of wine standing ready for him.

He went to stand by the window for moment, looking over the ocean. It gleamed in the last light of day. And in that moment, the door was knocked several times, fast and loud.

Raymond turned around just in time to see her slip in; her golden-brown hair was tied back and she wore a red dress. She beamed when she saw him and closed the door behind her. “You haven’t the slightest idea what I just heard,” Gabrielle said excitedly, looking over her shoulder to the door as if afraid of being overheard.

“I fear not.” He went over to pour wine in a glass, holding it out to her in question. When she shook her head, he brought it to his own lips.

“It’s about your friend – Thomas,” she added as she let herself fall onto his bed in a heap of scarlet. “Apparently, someone has taken a liking to him.”

Raymond went to sit on a chair beside his bed. When she turned her head, she could look him in the eyes. “Is that so?” Court gossip was not something he spent a lot of time on – mostly since he was the subject of a good part of it – but Gabrielle seemed to love to tell him the stories she heard in her position as lady-in-waiting.

Her head moved sideways, which, in her angle, was probably meant as a nod. Then she turned her head and looked the plush ceiling of the bed. “Celeste – I suppose you know her?”

“The Queen’s cousin is infatuated with Thomas?” Raymond laughed in disbelief, shaking his head.

“At least she says she kissed him.” Her nose wrinkled slightly. “From the way she speaks of it, I think it must have been her first kiss.” Raymond put aside his half-empty glass and walked over the bed where he knelt, resting his arms on the sheets of the bed. She turned her head and looked at him. “How long has it been since your first kiss?” she asked playfully, a corner of her mouth tugging upwards.