The Broken Crown

Chapter 59

Adrianne

 Spring was blossoming everywhere and although there were still many who wore lighter shades of mourning in their clothes, the happiness that followed the longer days was not much hindered by the memory of the Queen Dowager’s death. Her friends were few and the only man who had truly cared for her had left without a trace.

 Raphael still sometimes woke beside Adrianne in the middle of the night, troubled by dreams of his mother. He had loved her, and she had loved him, but in the end she had not been the same. His dreams were always of the past.

 Even if Lucretia had been a shadow in Adrianne’s life, she had only been a small one. Adrianne had looked forward to the day her mother-in-law was gone many times in her early year, yet she had always imagined herself far older and far more capable than she felt now. In spite of all that she had gone through, she still felt too young to be the only Queen.

 And now, in a week, she would stand before her people and speak to them in the hopes that they would listen and put down their arms. She would be performing the most important work of any queen; to bring peace and order.

 It struck her that she had reached so many of her goals, yet she still felt as though her life had been an utter disappointment. She let her hands glide over the yellow silk of her gown. Her hair had been twisted into a circle on the back of her head with a bit of it loose, hanging down her back like a curtain. Silver threads spun through the gold, creating little flowers and twirls.

 “Mother?” Evelyn asked from behind her. She had let the girl stay with her while she prepared.

 She turned her head and smiled. “Yes, my love?”

 “Will I ever be as beautiful as you are?”

 Adrianne laughed warmly and knelt before her daughter. “No.” She pushed a stray lock of hair behind Evelyn’s ear. “You will be even more beautiful.”

 Evelyn did not smile at the compliment. Her gaze was levelled, far too levelled for a child. “Will I be Queen like you?”

 Adrianne chewed her lip as she thought of a way to speak. “Would you like to be Queen?”

 Evelyn nodded her head.

 “Well…” Taking both of Evelyn’s hands in her own, Adrianne levelled their gazes. “You see, the throne is always inherited by the oldest son first, just like anything else is always inherited by the oldest son first. If there are no sons, the inheritance passes to the brother of deceased, and if there is not brother, it passes to the closest male family member. Only when there are no men to take over, it passes to the oldest daughter.”

 “So… if I were to be queen, both Christian, Raynor and Raymond would have to die?” The innocent look in Evelyn’s eyes stood in stark contrast to her words.

 “Yes.” Adrianne searched her daughter’s eyes. “But a throne would never be worth that much.”

 “The history books say that far more than three men have been killed for a throne,” Evelyn told her nonchalantly. “Mayben told us.”

 “Evelyn,” Adrianne whispered. “You will be a royal princess and you will be beautiful and marry a handsome, rich husband. What need have you for a crown?”

 “You have a crown,” she said. “I want to be just like you.”

 Adrianne’s hands clasped around her head and drew her close so that she could plant a kiss on her forehead. “I am not the way I am because of a crown,” Adrianne told her daughter once she drew away. “And you will not, either. You are a strong, clever, beautiful girl. You have no need for a crown to be powerful.”