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“I might have found what we’ve been looking for,” Joslynn murmured as she scanned the lines of Ancient as quickly as she could. Eating was not important at the moment. “There is mention of the Drakesthai and King Beo here.” She handed the book over to Adele carefully. It was centuries old and still in good condition, but it was still a perishable.
Adele was quiet as she scanned the pages, reading much faster than Joslynn had been capable of. “Yes, this is exactly what we needed. It even references livestream footage. Perhaps I’ll be able to find that livestream recording in the royal library’s archives. I doubt it would have been allowed in the public one if King Beo had truly scrubbed the information from our history.”
The queen mother sounded as exhausted and disappointed as Joslynn felt. How could they have abandoned their allies so carelessly?
None of them were old enough to partake in the atrocity, but Joslynn assumed all those people Adelina had requested to see in the Hai System might know something about it – especially her grandmother. Joslynn wouldn’t put it past that old crone to commit that kind of evil.
“Excellent. Now we can prove the Drakesthai didn’t lie which will help our people accept the new alliance,” Adele murmured, taking pics of it with her simulcast. I’ll have to find more, but this should suffice for now. I’ll have a copy made and send it to Adelina.”
Elara glanced at the book and shook her head. “How could no one remember this?”
Joslynn watched as the two of them discussed the information Adelina had sent, making no effort to hide the details from her. Apparently the Neprijat hid in Draga, wiping memories. She shuddered and wondered how many she’d never seen but had been right there, cloaked and plotting.
“Everything all right?” Elara asked Joslynn.
Both females were attuned to every move she made after the physicians had said it would be a difficult pregnancy. Joslynn shoved down her ire. They were simply looking after her, even if the constant barrage of questions was exhausting.
“Queen Mother?” a young courtier said breathlessly as she ran into the Queen’s Solar.
Joslynn studied the female and noted that she wasn’t a noble, but from a wealthy family. She was one of the queen mother’s favorites since she obeyed without question or attitude.
“What is it?” Adele asked, her face turning white as she no doubt feared the worst. Elara took her hand and squeezed as they waited for the news they all worried was dire.
“A new message from the queen has arrived. She’s requested you.”
Adele stood and beckoned for Joslynn and Elara to follow her. Curious, Joslynn didn’t argue. She missed Adelina desperately. The female she’d come to know and care for had grown – bloomed into a rare and exquisite flower.
Their friendship hadn’t been the easiest. Joslynn had never been close to a true royal, and as such she’d been unprepared for the predator underneath the princess’s skin. That had been entirely her responsibility, and it had hurt Adelina.
But thank the Goddess Adelina had such a large heart. They had been able to walk the road back to trust and forgiveness together. Joslynn would do anything Adelina asked of her now. Not only had she proven herself as a queen, but she’d forgiven Joslynn.
She would never forget that.
What had the queen sent them that couldn’t wait? What could they even do for her this far from the actual fight?
It didn’t matter. Joslynn knew they would all do anything Adelina asked of them. After all, she’d somehow managed to get the Drakesthai to agree to an alliance, despite their assumption that Draga had poisoned and then willfully abandoned them.
As they rushed through the palace to the communications hub, Joslynn remembered the vid that had come on after the Queen’s Oath. She’d been in her room after having fled the Great Hall.
Oaths sworn over a volcano in blood.
Adelina was fearsome.
The distance to the hub wasn’t anything Joslynn hadn’t run before on Pedranus, but now she was breathing heavy and sweating. She wasn’t sure why, but this pregnancy was affecting her in ways she’d never anticipated.
When they finally reached the military center Adele’s DNA scan got them through, but Joslynn had to take a minute to rest, wiping more sweat from her forehead. She followed behind slowly. Elara turned and came back for her, staying by her side as Adele went on ahead of them.
“Do you need water?” Elara asked as they walked.
Joslynn put one hand on her lower back to ease some of the sharp pain and nodded. “Yes, please,” she said through panting breaths. “That would be lovely.”
Elara brought her to Adele and then disappeared. One of the males gave her his seat in a rush and she thanked him profusely. How was she going to survive ten months of this?
“Play the message,” Adele demanded, ordering the few remaining personnel in her ‘queen’ voice. It must be a difficult habit to break, Joslynn mused. After all, most of her life had been spent as queen. And at the moment she was the highest ranking person on Draga Terra.
“Of course, queen mother,” a soldier acquiesced.
Then the recording of Adelina appeared on the screen. The new queen wore a velvet pantsuit that Joslynn thought made her look so regal. Goddess, she looked so much older than she had only a few weeks ago. Adelina looked into the recorder with steely amethyst eyes and her hands clasped behind her back.
