Ryleigh ascends the throne, and we assure the people of our unity and strength, we will go to council and review our options.”
Chayce opened his mouth to speak again, but Jackson cut him off.
“Those are the terms, Chayce.” Take ‘em or leave ‘em. He didn’t have time to stand there and bicker with his brother all day. “Do you accept them?”
Chayce shook his head, hands on his hips, and stared at Jackson…hard. “Yeah, Jackson. I agree.” He reached out a hand.
Jackson took it, grateful to have one battle behind him. “Thank you, my brother.” He pulled Chayce into an embrace and clapped him on the back. “We’ll get through this, Chayce. We will emerge stronger once it’s done. Then no threat will loom over us, and Cymmera will be restored to her former grandeur.”
“I hope your right, Jackson. I truly hope your right.” When Chayce stepped back, his eyes had returned to their former inscrutable darkness. “I’ll go prepare for the council meeting.”
Seconds after Chayce strode from the chamber, Elijah stood in the open doorway. “Sir. I’ve been waiting to see you.”
“I’m sorry, Elijah. I had to straighten things out with Chayce. Is everything all right?”
“I—”
Lucas appeared in the gap between the open double doors. “Excuse me, sir.”
“What’s wrong, Lucas?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but Kiara has been waiting to see you. She has Hannah with her, and the child is very upset. I put them in a quiet room until you finished with Chayce.” He glanced apologetically at Elijah. “The child refused to speak to anyone but the queen, sir.”
“All right.” Jackson shoved a hand through his hair. He glanced at Elijah, who waited patiently with his hands folded. “Bring them in, Lucas.”
Lucas ushered his wife through the door, his hand pressed against her back, then left and closed the door behind him. Hannah clung to Kiara, arms clutched tightly around Kiara’s neck, legs wrapped around her waist. The child was sobbing uncontrollably, an occasional hiccup wracking her small frame.
Kiara glanced back and forth between Jackson and Elijah, her eyes pleading for help.
Elijah stared at Jackson.
They couldn’t possibly expect him to know what to do. Could they? “Uh…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “What’s wrong?”
Kiara shook her head and rubbed a soothing hand up and down the child’s back. “I don’t know. She’s been sobbing like this for about an hour. She keeps saying, My Queen, but nothing else. Actually, it’s the only thing she’s said since she was…umm…”
Hannah nuzzled tighter against Kiara, though Jackson couldn’t see how she could possibly get any closer.
“Hannah?” Jackson moved toward her, very careful not to startle the traumatized child. “Honey? Can you hear me?”
Hannah nodded against Kiara’s neck. Dark curls fell down her back and over her shoulders, concealing her delicate frame.
“Do you know who I am?”
She nodded again and hiccupped.
He focused on Kiara. “Did something happen?”
She shifted Hannah’s weight to her other arm. “I don’t know. She seemed agitated earlier and said, My Queen. The first words she’s uttered as far as I know. I spoke to Ryleigh, and she said she’d come sit with her for a bit after she spoke to Elijah.”
Why would Ryleigh want to speak to Elijah?
“The more time passed, the more upset Hannah became. I searched for Ryleigh and Elijah but couldn’t find them, so I came here. Lucas put us in a quiet room, so I could try to calm Hannah, but it didn’t work.”
“And she hasn’t said anything else?”
“No. She simply keeps repeating that phrase.”
Jackson rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. Silence, punctuated by Hannah’s whimpers, pressured him to do something. “Hannah?”
Hannah’s sobs had settled to sniffles.
“Do you need to talk to the queen?”
Hannah nodded.
“Is Miss Ryleigh the queen you want to talk to?”
She
Chayce opened his mouth to speak again, but Jackson cut him off.
“Those are the terms, Chayce.” Take ‘em or leave ‘em. He didn’t have time to stand there and bicker with his brother all day. “Do you accept them?”
Chayce shook his head, hands on his hips, and stared at Jackson…hard. “Yeah, Jackson. I agree.” He reached out a hand.
Jackson took it, grateful to have one battle behind him. “Thank you, my brother.” He pulled Chayce into an embrace and clapped him on the back. “We’ll get through this, Chayce. We will emerge stronger once it’s done. Then no threat will loom over us, and Cymmera will be restored to her former grandeur.”
“I hope your right, Jackson. I truly hope your right.” When Chayce stepped back, his eyes had returned to their former inscrutable darkness. “I’ll go prepare for the council meeting.”
Seconds after Chayce strode from the chamber, Elijah stood in the open doorway. “Sir. I’ve been waiting to see you.”
“I’m sorry, Elijah. I had to straighten things out with Chayce. Is everything all right?”
“I—”
Lucas appeared in the gap between the open double doors. “Excuse me, sir.”
“What’s wrong, Lucas?”
“I’m sorry to interrupt, sir, but Kiara has been waiting to see you. She has Hannah with her, and the child is very upset. I put them in a quiet room until you finished with Chayce.” He glanced apologetically at Elijah. “The child refused to speak to anyone but the queen, sir.”
“All right.” Jackson shoved a hand through his hair. He glanced at Elijah, who waited patiently with his hands folded. “Bring them in, Lucas.”
Lucas ushered his wife through the door, his hand pressed against her back, then left and closed the door behind him. Hannah clung to Kiara, arms clutched tightly around Kiara’s neck, legs wrapped around her waist. The child was sobbing uncontrollably, an occasional hiccup wracking her small frame.
Kiara glanced back and forth between Jackson and Elijah, her eyes pleading for help.
Elijah stared at Jackson.
They couldn’t possibly expect him to know what to do. Could they? “Uh…” He cleared his throat and tried again. “What’s wrong?”
Kiara shook her head and rubbed a soothing hand up and down the child’s back. “I don’t know. She’s been sobbing like this for about an hour. She keeps saying, My Queen, but nothing else. Actually, it’s the only thing she’s said since she was…umm…”
Hannah nuzzled tighter against Kiara, though Jackson couldn’t see how she could possibly get any closer.
“Hannah?” Jackson moved toward her, very careful not to startle the traumatized child. “Honey? Can you hear me?”
Hannah nodded against Kiara’s neck. Dark curls fell down her back and over her shoulders, concealing her delicate frame.
“Do you know who I am?”
She nodded again and hiccupped.
He focused on Kiara. “Did something happen?”
She shifted Hannah’s weight to her other arm. “I don’t know. She seemed agitated earlier and said, My Queen. The first words she’s uttered as far as I know. I spoke to Ryleigh, and she said she’d come sit with her for a bit after she spoke to Elijah.”
Why would Ryleigh want to speak to Elijah?
“The more time passed, the more upset Hannah became. I searched for Ryleigh and Elijah but couldn’t find them, so I came here. Lucas put us in a quiet room, so I could try to calm Hannah, but it didn’t work.”
“And she hasn’t said anything else?”
“No. She simply keeps repeating that phrase.”
Jackson rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. Silence, punctuated by Hannah’s whimpers, pressured him to do something. “Hannah?”
Hannah’s sobs had settled to sniffles.
“Do you need to talk to the queen?”
Hannah nodded.
“Is Miss Ryleigh the queen you want to talk to?”
She
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