“For the safety of the people,” Zimri replied. “Because we are a kingdom at war.”
Ian let the words hang in the air for a moment, listening as the crowd stirred behind him. “The people of Iseldis are outside the castle walls,” Ian yelled back up at Zimri, turning his head so that his voice carried to the crowd. “How does this closed gate keep them safe?”
The growing murmur behind Ian told him that his words had hit their intended target.
“Open the gate!” The voice from the crowd sounded suspiciously like Lane.
Ian nodded his head, ever so subtly, pleased that Lane knew exactly what he was doing and how to support him.
“Open the gate!” Ian did not recognize the second voice, but the speaker had barely finished when others joined in.
“Open the gate!”
Ian nodded again. He felt, rather than saw, the crowd closing in behind him.
Zimri stepped back from the opening in the stone wall. He turned to the guard standing at his right, giving him an order Ian could not hear.
Ian watched as the guard quickly passed down the order to the other men standing above the gate. He saw the way they straightened themselves, moving along the upper wall and aligning their formation with each opening in the battlement. He saw the second line of guards pair up behind them. Though no weapons were visible—yet—Ian knew that Zimri had called the archers to be at the ready.
Ian also knew that Zimri would not fire on his own people.
The archers were not looking at the dissonant crowd. They were looking at him.
“The people will be safe,” Zimri said, speaking over Ian to the people behind him. “Gareth, our king, has promised it.”
“What good are promises when the gates are closed?” Ian replied, filling his voice with righteous indignation. He would not let the show of archers dissuade him. He was swaying the people to his side. “My father never closed the gates. King Frederich would never shut out his own people.”
Another familiar voice yelled from directly behind Ian, but this was a woman’s voice. “Gareth is not our king!”
Ian turned slightly, not wanting to take his attention from the enemy in front of him, but unable to place the voice immediately.
“Frederich is our king!” Mistress Cedrice yelled loudly, stepping up to Ian. She turned back to the crowd, positioning herself uncomfortably close to him, almost as though she wasintentionally standing between him and the archers. Yelling over his shoulder, she continued to speak to the crowd. “Ian is our prince! Ian is our king in Frederich’s illness! Ian is our king!”
Ian put his hands on the older woman’s shoulders, physically moving her to the side so she could not act as his living shield.
He could see the anger—and fear—growing on Zimri’s face as the man looked out over the crowd.
The people were nodding, murmuring their assent, agreeing with Mistress Cedrice.
She was well-known and loved throughout the city. Of course they were listening to her.
And Zimri saw it.
“I stand withKingIan!” another voice yelled from deeper in the crowd.
Startled at the title of “King” placed before his name, Ian turned quickly to see Peter Cabril push through the crowd to join him. As Lord Cabril was another well-respected member of the city, the people parted easily to let him pass. A few of them even took up his cheer. “I stand with King Ian!”
As Lord Cabril approached Ian, he dropped to one knee, placing his hand over his heart. It was a gesture that Ian had witnessed his entire life when the people of Iseldis approached his father. It was a gesture one only made to their king.
Stunned and humbled, Ian reached forward to help the older man stand. His heart pounded in his chest, momentarily blocking the growing noise of the crowd.
Peter accepted his help but managed to stand in such a way that he was also placing himself between Ian and the archers on the wall.
“What in all of the Majis histories are you doing?” Mistress Cedrice spoke into his ear.
“Claiming my birthright,” Ian said. He gently, but firmly, pushed Peter to the side. He did not want to see the man harmed on his account.
Peter resisted his push. “Can you claim it without throwing your life away?”
