herself.
She watched more and more people filing through the chapel, shocked and distraught. Many of them had seen their Queen in the flesh only a short time previous during the royal tour. Radiant and elegant as always, Nyria had touched their hearts and shown her joy at being amongst them. They had responded with love. And now her body lay cold before them.
It was faithful Herek who told Alyssa what had happened the day of the Queen’s death. As usual, he had taken the morning ride with his King and that particular day the Queen had decided to ride with them, as she often did. She had fainted during a gallop across the moors, had fallen from her fleet-footed horse, Freycin, and struck her head on a rock. A similar incident had occurred when Torkyn Gynt was under-physic at the palace, but that time Gynt had revitalised the Queen’s heart and saved her life. Whether the Queen’s heart had failed again, or whether it was the blow to her head which killed her, no one would ever know, but she was dead beforeHerek and the King had dismounted and rushed to her side.
Herek confided to Alyssa how the King had screamed Nyria’s name for an hour or more. The Prime had not dared to suggest they return to the palace until Lorys had found some level of composure.
‘He suddenly stopped,’ Herek had said. ‘He mounted his stallion, asked for the Queen to be placed in his arms and then allowed the horse to lead them back to the palace at its own pace. Fortunately, I saw a stableboy walking one of the horses. I told him to hurry back to the palace with my order for the bells of alarm to be sounded.’
That was all Alyssa knew. She had yet to speak with the King since that morning when it seemed she was the last at the palace to discover the tragedy. She had busied herself since in making arrangements for the public cremation. Tallinese tradition demanded that the body be cremated within three days of death; beyond the fourth night it was believed that the soul of the dead would be unable to find the Light and would be doomed to forever roam in darkness.
Lorys would never risk this for his Queen. Nyria would be cremated on the third day.
9
A Secret Revealed
Alyssa saw Lorys at the funereal feast although she still did not exchange a word with him. She could see that the King was gritting his teeth throughout the ceremony and he made an early departure.
Later, young Edwyd, the King’s page, brought her an unexpected message.
‘He has asked for me?’ she repeated, knowing it was foolish. That was what the boy had just said.
‘He wishes to see you now, Miss Alyssa,’ Edwyd repeated.
‘I shall tidy myself and come immediately,’ she said, standing.
Sallementro, who was singing a tragic love song to the gathering, looked over towards her. She shook her head and blew him a kiss. She would talk to him later.
Alyssa knocked softly at the main door to thesovereign’s chambers. She was relieved to see Koryn open it. He was so old, wizened by Gyl’s standards, but Alyssa loved the great wisdom in his rheumy eyes. With Merkhud dead, Koryn was the last of the palace staff who had served under old King Mort and who had known Lorys as a child.
He welcomed her kindly and pointed towards the salon. ‘I am sure the King thanks you for coming at this late hour, Miss Alyssa,’ he said graciously and offered to pour her a glass of wine.
Alyssa did not really want wine. Her stomach was churning at this unexpected invitation.
‘Here you are, Miss.’ He passed her the goblet anyway.
‘Oh, Koryn, I’m just trying to come to terms with today.’ She mustered a smile for the gentle man who stood in front of her. ‘How is the King?’
He sighed gently. ‘It will take time but you know him: his mind never stops and now that the official part is over, he knows he must get on with running his Kingdom. With him being away on the tour and then this…well.’ He shrugged.
‘I understand,’ Alyssa said. She sipped her wine
She watched more and more people filing through the chapel, shocked and distraught. Many of them had seen their Queen in the flesh only a short time previous during the royal tour. Radiant and elegant as always, Nyria had touched their hearts and shown her joy at being amongst them. They had responded with love. And now her body lay cold before them.
It was faithful Herek who told Alyssa what had happened the day of the Queen’s death. As usual, he had taken the morning ride with his King and that particular day the Queen had decided to ride with them, as she often did. She had fainted during a gallop across the moors, had fallen from her fleet-footed horse, Freycin, and struck her head on a rock. A similar incident had occurred when Torkyn Gynt was under-physic at the palace, but that time Gynt had revitalised the Queen’s heart and saved her life. Whether the Queen’s heart had failed again, or whether it was the blow to her head which killed her, no one would ever know, but she was dead beforeHerek and the King had dismounted and rushed to her side.
Herek confided to Alyssa how the King had screamed Nyria’s name for an hour or more. The Prime had not dared to suggest they return to the palace until Lorys had found some level of composure.
‘He suddenly stopped,’ Herek had said. ‘He mounted his stallion, asked for the Queen to be placed in his arms and then allowed the horse to lead them back to the palace at its own pace. Fortunately, I saw a stableboy walking one of the horses. I told him to hurry back to the palace with my order for the bells of alarm to be sounded.’
That was all Alyssa knew. She had yet to speak with the King since that morning when it seemed she was the last at the palace to discover the tragedy. She had busied herself since in making arrangements for the public cremation. Tallinese tradition demanded that the body be cremated within three days of death; beyond the fourth night it was believed that the soul of the dead would be unable to find the Light and would be doomed to forever roam in darkness.
Lorys would never risk this for his Queen. Nyria would be cremated on the third day.
9
A Secret Revealed
Alyssa saw Lorys at the funereal feast although she still did not exchange a word with him. She could see that the King was gritting his teeth throughout the ceremony and he made an early departure.
Later, young Edwyd, the King’s page, brought her an unexpected message.
‘He has asked for me?’ she repeated, knowing it was foolish. That was what the boy had just said.
‘He wishes to see you now, Miss Alyssa,’ Edwyd repeated.
‘I shall tidy myself and come immediately,’ she said, standing.
Sallementro, who was singing a tragic love song to the gathering, looked over towards her. She shook her head and blew him a kiss. She would talk to him later.
Alyssa knocked softly at the main door to thesovereign’s chambers. She was relieved to see Koryn open it. He was so old, wizened by Gyl’s standards, but Alyssa loved the great wisdom in his rheumy eyes. With Merkhud dead, Koryn was the last of the palace staff who had served under old King Mort and who had known Lorys as a child.
He welcomed her kindly and pointed towards the salon. ‘I am sure the King thanks you for coming at this late hour, Miss Alyssa,’ he said graciously and offered to pour her a glass of wine.
Alyssa did not really want wine. Her stomach was churning at this unexpected invitation.
‘Here you are, Miss.’ He passed her the goblet anyway.
‘Oh, Koryn, I’m just trying to come to terms with today.’ She mustered a smile for the gentle man who stood in front of her. ‘How is the King?’
He sighed gently. ‘It will take time but you know him: his mind never stops and now that the official part is over, he knows he must get on with running his Kingdom. With him being away on the tour and then this…well.’ He shrugged.
‘I understand,’ Alyssa said. She sipped her wine
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