“Unchain them.” I motioned to the guards, several of whom were temporary additions, the roles filled by villagers. Once the shackles were removed, I asked, “Now, who will accept my forgiveness? Step forward now to swear fealty to me or leave.”
Timur stepped forward but, with a sneer, he spat on the ground before me, then turned and walked out the gates. A few men followed him. My jaw clenched, but I didn't react, just waited.
The rest of them stepped forward and knelt.
I nodded as if this were the result I'd been expecting, then turned to leave the platform with Konstantin.
As we strode down the steps, he whispered, “You're doing great, Your Majesty.”
I shot Kon a secret grin before I stepped around the side of the platform and approached the kneeling Larchs. Starting at the end, I went down the line, accepting a vow of fealty from each one, then helping them to their feet when done. At last, they were all standing, and my people—all of my people—stared at me expectantly.
“The path here has been a tragic one,” I said, lifting my voice to carry over the courtyard. “We have been abused and deceived. We have lost people we loved. But the Gods have seen us through our trials, and we have triumphed. I want to thank the Garin Clan for coming to our aid with such haste.” I turned to incline my head to the Kaplans, who chuffed a battle cry in response. Then I looked back at the Larchs. “But most importantly, I want to thank all of you Larchs who bravely defended me and won our freedom today. You believed in me and fought for me even when it looked as if we'd fail. You are my family, and this triumph is not mine, it isours!”
The Larchs cheered and stomped their feet. They hugged, slapped each other's shoulders, and wept openly.
“Wehave won. So let us not linger on the past. I urge you all to not hold grudges against those you fought today. I don't care if you or your family came from Australia or if you can trace your bloodline back to the original Larchs of Russia—our people all came to this world from another. Black feathers or white, we are all Larchs, and I believe there is goodness inside all of us. Let us focus on this goodness and go into our future with hope, shoulder to shoulder with our kin. Together, we will flourish. We will get stronger. We will heal. Together, we will become one people again!”
The applause was deafening. I waited until it died down before continuing.
“There are many people I want to recognize for the exceptional valor they have shown today. Lord Pavel, you spoke up for me first. Do not think that I will ever forget that.”
“Your Majesty.” Pavel bowed.
“Master Erik and Lady Anya, you also testified to the truth. Thank you for your bravery.”
They bowed to me.
“Valeriya, my Va-va.” I smiled warmly at her. “You have kept the faith for all these years and put your family in danger to see justice served.”
“It was our honor, Your Majesty,” Valeriya said.
“Olga, you lost your precious daughter and still found the strength to join a bunch of rebels who were likely to fail. And Dmitry, you led them, and you saved the life of the man I love. I can never repay that debt.”
“Aw, Konstantin's a good guy; I couldn't let him die,” Dmitry drawled. “Besides, we needed him to call in his big kitty friends!”
The gathering laughed and those near Dmitry pounded him on the back.
“I will reward each of you for what you've done today. Not just for me, but all of us. Know that I am grateful. But first, there is one among you, who I must acknowledge immediately. Someone who has been a loyal friend and who gave me strength when I thought all was lost. The first into the fight, he showed no fear in the face of overwhelming opposition. Where is Gleb Semenov?”
The crowd billowed and murmured. A ripple moved through it, producing Gleb like a submarine floating to the surface. He bowed deeply to me, despite the bandage wound across his chest.
“Do you think you're well enough to kneel?” I asked him.
Gleb frowned. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Then do so.”
Gleb got to his knees, his eyes darting up and back to where Dmitry stood. The barman nodded reassuringly.
“Sir Ivan, may I borrow your sword?” I held out a hand to my knight.
“Yes, Sire.” Ivan unsheathed the sword and passed it to me.
I lifted the sword high. “May all bear witness to the courage of this boy. Today he has become a man. Today he has shown such great valor that I am compelled to offer him a place in my King's Guard. Gleb, will you accept?”
“Will I . . .?”
Dmitry, standing right behind the boy, bent to hiss in Gleb's ear, “He's asking if you want to be a knight!”
