From Darkness Won - Jill Williamson [221]
“You are all the prosperity I need.”
Duchess Amal swept up to them and took each of their hands. “My dear daughter.” She kissed Sparrow on the cheek. “And my son.” She kissed Achan. “Are you happy?”
“I have not been so happy since Sir Gavin asked me to train as his squire,” Achan said.
Then Sparrow said, “Mother, I am overjoyed.”
EPILOGUE
Achan felt as though the weight of the land rested on his shoulders, and no crown had been placed on his head yet.
Not the official one, anyway.
Sir Caleb had sent Matthias in to wake him before dawn to get him ready for his coronation. And now he was dressed in clothing that weighed twice what his wedding ensemble had weighed.
He wore a red brocade doublet with a navy stripe sewn from his right shoulder to his left hip. Cream-colored trousers and no shoes. Achan found this strange, but the king being barefoot was part of the ceremony.
Then the cape: ermine over red velvet with a train longer than a bride’s. The thing was also trimmed and fully lined with ermine fur. All the weight of his garb was in the cape. Sir Caleb had tied it to Achan’s doublet at his shoulders to keep the strings from strangling him.
Achan stood in an antechamber off the foyer, just down the hall from the throne room, waiting for his queen. If they had dressed Achan in this much garb, he doubted Sparrow would be able to stand under the weight of her gown.
At least she’d gotten to sleep in.
But when she arrived, he was surprised to see that she wore a simple white dress embroidered in gold thread. Until Sir Caleb put a matching cape on her shoulders.
Sparrow tugged the ties at her throat. “It’s so heavy!”
Achan smiled at her worried expression. “Consider it a feat of strength.”
“I told you I have no desire to join the Kingsguard.”
“Aye, but think how the captains will berate any weak men who enter their ranks. ‘Even the queen can do this!’ Men will have no choice but to step up to the challenge.”
She rolled her eyes at his humor. “I doubt any captain will ask his men to don such a cape for training.”
“Likely not.” He nudged her leg with his bare foot. “At least you get shoes.” He stepped before her and kissed her lips. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes, and you?”
He kissed her again. “As well as possible with you claiming the entire bed.”
“I did no such thing.”
“No matter. That bed is far too big. It is a relief to be crowded again.”
The next hour passed quickly. Achan and his queen were escorted to the throne room by a squadron of uniformed men. Sparrow walked beside Achan, on his arm, which was only possible due to the dozen men carrying the trains of their capes, three on each side of his, and three on each side of hers.
Some sort of grandstands had been constructed on each side of the throne room, creating an aisle up the center. The stands were packed with people dressed in finer clothing than Achan had seen, even at his wedding.
In the far right corner, an orchestra played a majestic anthem on harps, pipes, lutes, flutes, bugles, tabors, bells, and cymbals. A choir of robed minstrels accompanied them. The beautiful, regal song brought a shiver to Achan’s soul. Sparrow squeezed his arm.
He patted her hand. That’s quite a song, huh?
It is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.
The soldiers escorted Achan and Sparrow down the aisle. The mosaic tile was bumpy under his feet. The throne room had never looked so huge. The scarlet walls were meant to bespeak royalty, but they made Achan think of all who had shed blood and even died for him to be here. His parents, Lord Livna, Riga, Bran, thousands in battle…
Each step that took Achan closer to those white-and-gold chairs seemed a dream. He swallowed, careful not to make eye contact with any of the people standing so close on the sides of the aisle. And how about all these people? Achan asked Sparrow.
Not so different from when I walked up the garden path at our wedding.
The memory made him smile. I thought you couldn’t see anything.
That lace veil had a few cutouts here and