XVII
SWORD OF THE REALM
‘ABBOT KHALID STOOD before the convocation, the Redeemer’s statue above, the faux Grail behind. All eyes were downturned as he spoke the gospel in his booming voice, but still, I found my gaze drifting from the altar to our honoured guests. None could blame me, of course. San Michon Cathedral had never played host to such an entourage. ‘Empress Isabella, First of Her Name, beloved bride of Alexandre III, Protector of God’s Holy Church, Sword of the Faith and Emperor of all Elidaen sat in the first row, a host of a hundred soldiers and maids-at-arms about her.
Isabella was resplendent in royal yellow, her brow graced with diamonds, eyes glittering like sapphires as she watched the mass. The honour being done to me by her presence was lost on no one. ‘My heart was thudding in my chest, palms damp with sweat. And at gospel’s end, when the notes of the choir had dimmed like sunset light, the abbot turned his eyes to the gables high above, the heaven beyond. ‘“Almighty Father, Mothermaid and Martyrs, hear my prayer. Through trials of Blood and Hunt and Blade, there stands one faithful servant among us deemed worthy to be sainted silver. Hear him now and judge him true in this, his pledge.” ‘I felt all in the Cathedral watching as I stood. But I stole a glance at the choir loft and saw the only one who mattered. The distance between us seemed impassable. But still, I could feel Astrid beside me as I walked to the altar. My mouth dry. My belly, butterflies. ‘“Kneel, Initiate de León,” Khalid commanded. “And speak your holy oath.” ‘I’d worked myself bloody to carve my place here. I’d almost broken upon this wheel. The loss of ma famille and friends, the trials I’d faced – all had burned away anything of the boy I’d been. The sin of my birth, the knowledge that God would punish me for it, the dark truth of what I was – I accepted all as a
price to be paid to protect the things I loved. And though I hadn’t realized it at the time, I knew every fall I’d taken and mistake I’d made along the way had led me here, to this moment. I’d looked into the eyes of forever and seen the depths of the evil we faced. I knew the dedication it would take to send it back to hell.
And so, as the choir raised their voices in song, I made the sign of the wheel before the Redeemer who’d died for my salvation. And I sank to my knees. ‘“In the sight of God Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that was and will ever be, I pledge my life to the Order of San Michon. ‘“I am the light in the night. I am hope for the hopeless. I am the fire that rages between this and all world’s ending. I shall know no famille, save these my brothers. I shall love no woman, save our Mother and Maid. I shall seek no respite, save in paradise at the right hand of my Heavenly Father. ‘“And in sight of God and his Seven Martyrs, I do here vow: let the dark know my name and despair. So long as it burns, I am the flame. So long as it bleeds, I am the blade. So long as it sins, I am the saint. ‘“And I am silver.” ‘“Before Almighty God, the Mothermaid, the Seven Martyrs and all the angels of the heavenly host, I name you Brother of the Hunt. You knelt as but an Initiate of the Faith.” Khalid stepped back, cheeks twisted in his scarred smile.
“Arise now—” ‘“Hold.” ‘Stillness fell across the Cathedral, all eyes turning to Isabella. The Empress rose, and making the sign of the wheel, stepped to the altar before me. ‘“Blood spilled is blood owed,” she said. “Valour proven must be valour repaid. There is no doubt in our eyes that the hand of heaven is upon you, Gabriel de León. All our empire stands in your debt. So our empire gives what reward it can.” ‘Isabella drew her sword with a flourish. ‘“In sight of God and Mothermaid and Martyrs, we name you defender of our empire and keeper of our holy faith. We bid you be just to our subjects, and merciless to our enemies, and true in all measures under heaven. You are our sword. Our shield. Our hope. Arise, Gabriel de León, Silversaint of San Michon, and Chevalier of Elidaen.”
‘A great roar went up among the congregation, and I felt my heart soar in my chest. Looking about, I saw their faces as they came to their feet: Theo and Fincher, de Séverin and the Philippes. Khalid’s smile. Talon’s grudging nod.
Even Frère Greyhand’s thin, cruel lips seemed to be suffering a slight curvature, though I was certain he’d put it down to a trick of the light. The Empress stood, beaming like the long-lost sun, all her host applauding. And I stole another look up into the choir then, past Chloe Sauvage and Sister Esmeé, at last finding the one who mattered most. The only one who mattered at all. ‘Astrid Rennier. Smiling at me. ‘Though I could say nothing with all eyes upon me, I hoped she knew. And glancing to the Empress, I vowed I’d repay that girl for all she’d done. ‘No matter what it cost me. ‘We feasted in the refectory, a spread fit for royalty, though Isabella herself didn’t attend. The initiates who’d called me frailblood, who’d pissed in my boots and shit in my bed, all raised their tankards, and I put my grudges behind me, knowing these lads were better my brothers than my enemies. I was a sixteen- year-old boy. A hero. A sword of the fucking realm. There’s no glory so sweet as glory earned. And yet there was a weight on me that needed lifting. Words that needed speaking, yet unspoken. ‘I stood slow, and a hush fell on that hall. ‘“To Prioress Charlotte,” I said. “To Keeper Logan. To Michelle and Micah and Tally, to Robert and Demi and Nicolette and all those who marched there, but did not march back again. To Aaron de Coste and Baptiste Sa-Ismael.” I raised my goblet and looked among the gathering. “To the courageous dead. And to brothers lost.” ‘A shadow fell over the hall then. But Greyhand stood and called “Santé!”, and soon all took up the shout. And we drank then, because we were alive and we were breathing, and even in darkest nights, that can be cause enough for triumph. The fare was fine, and the smiles were broad, and the peace I knew was complete. But after an hour or so, a hush fell over our number, and I turned to find four men in the Emperor’s livery behind me, a stout Sūdhaemi man with a craggy, battle-scarred face at the fore. ‘“Her Imperial Majesty demands your presence, Chevalier.” ‘To hear that title truly brought it home to me – what I was now and what I’d done. We marched to the Great Library, and I saw maids-at-arms on the door.
Walking inside, I found the entire hall lined with soldiers, wooden figures scattered on the great map at their feet. Abbot Khalid and Seraph Talon were already waiting, Forgemaster Argyle and my old master Greyhand too. But my attention was drawn to the woman at the end of the room.
attention was drawn to the woman at the end of the room. ‘“Well met, Chevalier,” Empress Isabella smiled. “Our congratulations upon your ascension. We and our realm entire owe you a debt.” ‘I dropped to my knee, bowed my head to stop it spinning. I wondered what my mama and Celene might have thought of me then, to see me knighted before the Empress. My chest ached at their loss. But I knew they’d be smiling upon me from heaven’s shore, Amélie beside them. That they’d have been proud of me. ‘“You honour me, Majesty.” ‘“We do. But it is honour earned.” Isabella toyed with a silver ring on her finger. “De León. Lion in old Nordish. The goodly abbot informs us it was your mother’s name?” ‘I looked down to the signet ring my mama had given me – those lions flanking those crossed blades. “If it please Your Majesty, I did not know the monster who was my father. And my mother …” I sighed. “She never had the chance to tell me of him. But she told me the blood of lions flowed in my veins.
To never forget it, no matter what else might come.”
‘“She sounds quite a woman.” ‘“… She was, Majesty.” ‘“You have our sympathies, Chevalier. But rise now, we pray you. We would hear of the Battle of the Twins from your own lips. How is it you unearthed the Forever King’s plan when all other eyes were blind to it?” ‘I looked to Khalid, uncertain, but he only nodded. And so, I spoke of all that had happened from the moment I discovered Laure’s hidden message. I left out Chloe and Astrid, of course, but told all else – the blood missive, our desperate ride from San Michon, the Wraith in Red, and the vow of the Forever King, ringing in my skull like funeral bells. ‘The Empress stood mute the entire time, and again, I was struck by how young she was. Isabella was a woman but in her mid-twenties, and yet she sat upon the throne of an empire. Her capitaines and aides-de-camp watched me like hawks, and I was conscious of the weight in the air, the scrutiny upon my every word. I felt a small fish then, in a great dark water. And in the end, Isabella turned to the Sūdhaemi man beside her. ‘“How is it de Fronsac did not know of this gambit, Nassar? What does our general in Avinbourg do all day, we wonder? How is it Capitaine Belmont and his scouts could not tell us the direction an army of ten thousand corpses marched until it was too late?” ‘“I fear I do not know, Majesty,” the man confessed. ‘“No? It seems there is much our commanders do not know, despite its being their business to do so. And were it not for the insight of a sixteen-year-old boy,
Nordlund would already be overrun. How much of our empire is already thralled to these monsters? How much of our army? How many in our court?” ‘I glanced to Abbot Khalid, but his eyes told me to hold my tongue. I began to get an inkling of what was happening here. Looking more carefully at the figures on the map at our feet, I saw wooden wolves on the coast of Sūdhaem, wooden bears in the Ossway. A scattering of wooden roses inland. And my stomach sank as I realized what I was seeing. ‘“The other bloodlines have begun to strike.” ‘“De León, you will speak when spoken to!” Talon snapped. ‘“All is well, good Seraph,” the Empress said. “Were it not for the quick thinking of our young paleblood here, Fabién Voss would be marching on our capital.” She inclined her head to me. “It is true, Chevalier. Dyvok, Ilon, Chastain – all are on the move. The bloodlords of those dread lines fear being left behind if Fabién Voss stakes too deep a claim. So now, our enemies come at us not on one front, but four. And we know not whom we can trust.” Her eyes fixed me to the floor. “But it is not for naught we have named you our sword, Gabriel de León. And we shall call upon you soon to stand in defence of our empire.” ‘I kept silent then. I’d no inkling of the factions at court, the politics in play. I looked to the Empress, and beyond the beautiful dress and painted lips, I saw an iron fist in a silken glove. Astrid and her mother had been swept aside like deadwood in this woman’s path, and a part of me hated her for that. But it was not Alexandre III, Emperor of Elidaen and Protector of God’s Holy Church who’d ridden to Avinbourg’s defence. ‘“Merci for your testimony, Little Lion,” Khalid said. “Leave us now.” ‘“Little Lion?” Isabella asked, one eyebrow rising. ‘“So we call him, Majesty,” Talon replied. “A nickname, from when he arrived.” ‘Isabella looked me up and down, lips curling in a careful smile. “Not so little any more, we think.” She nodded to the seraph, then back to me. “We are pleased. You may go, and with our heartfelt thanks, Chevalier. May the Almighty bless and keep you.” ‘“Majesty, if it please … might I beg a favour?” ‘“Impertinent wretch!” Talon blustered. “Silence your tongue, de León, before —” ‘The seraph’s tirade was halted as Isabella raised a gentle hand. Instead of being offended, she actually seemed … entertained. “Little Lion indeed. Yet most would hold we have shown you favour enough?” ‘“I beg it not for me, Majesty.” ‘“Ah. Charity. A respectable trait for a true knight of our empire. Speak, then,
‘“Ah. Charity. A respectable trait for a true knight of our empire. Speak, then, Chevalier. Let us see your selflessness rewarded.” ‘I opened my mouth, but looking to Khalid, to Talon and Greyhand, I found no words would come. To beg this favour put me in peril, but I feared for others besides myself. Empress Isabella watched me carefully, eyes like knives. ‘“Leave us,” she commanded, glancing around the room. ‘I saw the Brothers look to each other, uncertain. And yet they obeyed, silversaints and soldiers, courtiers and handmaids marching out into the brittle night air. But as they left, I felt a touch upon my mind. So cotton-soft as to be almost unnoticeable. So silver-swift as to be almost imperceptible. ‘But still. I felt it. ‘“You seem an uncommon man, Gabriel de León,” Isabella told me. “Would that some of our loving husband’s generals were so bold.” ‘“A friend of mine told me recklessness is a more admirable quality than foolishness, Majesty,” I said, eyes downturned. “Though I often fail to see the
difference.” ‘“Your friend sounds a wise one.” ‘“It is for her I’d beg favour, Majesty.” ‘“Ah. A her. Now you are descending into cliché, Chevalier. Who is this maid for whom you beg? No wife you can claim now your vows are sworn, that much
is sure.” ‘“… Astrid Rennier.” ‘Isabella’s smile wavered. Only for a second, but yet, I saw it. And more, a hint of something darker behind those beautiful blue eyes. ‘Displeasure. ‘“Astrid has yet to make vow to the Silver Sorority. I’d beg Your Majesty for mercy and an end to her exile. She fought bravely at the Twins, standing where almost no one else dared. And Astrid’s peerage is not her fault. She does not
belong here.” ‘The Empress regarded me carefully. ‘“I should have known. Such was her mother’s nature also. The serpent sinks her fangs wherever she lays her head. Even, apparently, in a house of God.”
Isabella studied her fingernails, lips pursed. “In love with her, are you? Know that you are not the first fly to fall into that pot of honey, Little Lion. She had many favourites at court, your dear Astrid. And she played them all like fiddles.
As she now plays you.” ‘“I most humbly beg your pardon, Majesty,” I said, swallowing hard. “But the sisternovice had no knowing I’d speak on her behalf.”
‘I was terrified to talk so, but it wasn’t fear of an empress’s wrath. If my wish were granted, I’d never lay eyes on Astrid again. I thought about our meetings in this very library, wondering how empty this place might feel without her in it.
And yet, I couldn’t forget the debt I owed her, nor how miserable she was, looking at the walls that had become her prison. I’d miss her like a part of me had been cut away. But hearts only bruise, she’d told me. And if she were happy,
that was a price I’d gladly pay. ‘Sweet Redeemer, I do love her … ‘“What will you give us, Chevalier, should we grant you this boon?” ‘“Loyalty. Loyalty unto death.” ‘“We are your Empress, Gabriel de León. You owe us that already.” Isabella paused, looking down at those wooden wolves and bears and roses scattered across the realm at her feet, the ravens lurking yet west of the Godsend. “And yet, we cannot deny that God Himself seems to have set you apart. It was not by chance alone that you discovered the Forever King’s ploy, nor that you survived the storm where so many others fell.” Her eyes met mine, glittering like the jewels on her brow. “We think perhaps the Almighty has a plan for you.” ‘I thought of little Chloe then. Her words that night the star fell from heaven. ‘Isabella inclined her head. “So be it.” ‘My heart rushed so hard at those words that it ached, and I wondered if it would have hurt less if Isabella had denied me. I bowed low, hair sweeping to the floor. ‘“I am in your debt, Majesty. Your mercy knows no bounds.” ‘“Oh, be sure and certain it does, Chevalier.” The Empress gazed out upon the map of the empire, her voice hard as iron. “Our mercy is quite at its limits. So grow not too comfortable here in San Michon. We shall call upon you, Gabriel de León. And soon.” ‘Isabella offered her hand, fingers dipped in jewels and silver. I couldn’t help but think of the first night I’d spoken to Astrid then, here beneath this very roof.
The hand she’d offered and I’d then kissed, and that I was now letting go of forever. ‘I pressed my lips to Isabella’s knuckles. “Empress.” ‘“Leave us now,” she commanded. ‘And like a good little soldier, I obeyed.’
