Mars announced to the gathering crowd, “Thanks to our Baer allies, my sister Lady Bryn and I have restored our family to its rightful place. Lady Bryn has agreed to willingly surrender the title of crown heir back to me, and I am grateful for her loyal service. The Mirien owes a great debt to her.”
Bryn kept her chin high, though her body was shaking. For a second, she wondered if she was doing the right thing by giving up the crown. But she had to admit to herself that she’d never had any real aspirations to lead the Mirien. Her heart’s true desire was outside of this throne room, far away in a windswept, seaside kingdom.
She took Rangar’s hand, squeezing it. His eyes rested on the curves of her face, memorizing the way she looked in the early-morning light.
“However,” Mars continued in a loud voice, drawing Bryn’s attention back to the present, “Though the Lindane family belongs on this throne, the Lindane legacy does not. For too many decades, the previous king and queen, our parents, exploited this kingdom and its people for their own gain. Theirtactics were dishonest, duplicitous, and despotic. Under my reign, prosperity will reach all Mir citizens: royals and common folk alike.”
Louder chatter spread throughout the crowd in the throne room.An uprising doesn’t happen every day, Bryn thought to herself.And they’re witnesses to history.Several servants ran off to spread word of what was happening throughout Mir Town. The advisors stood stony-faced, looking utterly shocked by Mars’s proclamation.
Mars held out his hand, palm-up. “Illiana Joster, please come here.”
The herb mistress looked surprised to hear herself summoned, and quietly moved to take Mars’s hand. He closed his fingers over hers, then stood.
“As a symbol of the new direction of this kingdom, and a testament to my promise, I wish to make another vow. Illiana Joster is a Mir commoner that many of you know. She serves the castle as the herb mistress and is daughter to the realm’s longtime dressmaker, Nelle Joster.” He paused briefly, taking a deep breath, before facing Illiana instead of the crowd. “Illiana, would you do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?”
A shocked hush fell over the crowd. Witnesses of all ranks were too stunned by Mars’s declaration to speak.
Illiana looked most speechless of all as she pressed her free hand to her lips.
Lord Tarry stepped forward, sputtering, “My lord, no king has ever taken a commoner to wife before. It breaks the kingdom’s covenants.”
“It breaks tradition,” Mars agreed. “But I would argue that Mir tradition needs breaking. As for the covenants, you’ll find there is an exception to be made if the king is married before his coronation.”
“An exception? If there is, I’ve never heard of it,” Lord Tarry countered.
“I take it Lord Gerbert is present, yes?” Mars asked. All eyes turned to the portly advisor with the bulbous nose. “Lord Gerbert instructed me in the political arts, including the covenants. Please, explain it to them, Lord Gerbert.”
Lord Gerbert, uncomfortable being the center of attention, cleared his throat. “I believe Prince Mars is referring to the rule that a royal child who isn’t the crown heir is allowed to marry a commoner. If that royal child, through a sibling’s death or another unforeseen reason, were to become crown heir at a later date and was already wed, the commoner woman would be allowed as queen.”
Lord Tarry was red-faced as he argued, “Prince Marsisalready the crown heir.”
“Not yet,” Bryn piped up as she began to understand Mars’s plan. “I haven’t yet formally relinquished my claim on the crown. If Mars is married before I do, then he can marry a commoner and assume the crown afterwards. What my brother suggests might bend the rules but doesn’t break them.”
“Thank you, mouse,” Mars said quietly to Bryn.
Illiana pressed one hand to her chest and squeezed Mars’s hand with the other. She whispered, “Mars, are you sure about this?”
Bryn was close enough to hear her brother say, “I’ve never been surer of anything, Illiana. Not only do I want you by my side, but I need you. To be my eyes. To be my heart. To guide me where others have led me astray in the past.”
Chatter was running wild throughout the throne room as more townspeople and servants flooded the castle to witness this historic occasion.
Illiana ducked her head with a slight grin tugging at her lips. “I accept, my king.”
Mars held up their clasped hands in a gesture of triumph as he announced, “The new Mir queen comes from the common folk. Our marriage shall join royalty and commoners in union, just as this kingdom shall break the despotic divide from the past!”
Applause erupted among the crowd, led largely by the servants and common folk. The advisors clapped less enthusiastically, but it was clear they’d weighed their options and decided it was most prudent to support Mars’s claim.
While all the attention was on the Mirien’s new king and future queen, Rangar drew Bryn close to his side a few paces away from the throne, pressing a kiss to her temple. His voice was soft as he said, “It looks like you’ll soon be relieved of your duty as crown heir.”
She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “The kingdom will be in good hands with Mars and Illiana. They’ll bring in a new era of change. Of greater equality. Maybe even of magic.”
“And once you are free to live as you wish, where will you go?”
There was a rare playful note to his voice, and she grinned up at him knowingly. “I told Mars we would stay to help him with the transition. A few months, perhaps. Through the winter.”
“And after that?”
She rested a hand on his chest. “You already know the answer to that, Rangar.”
