The crowns curse, p.1
The Crown's Curse, page 1
The Crown’s Curse
The Queen’s Blade Book 9
D.K. Holmberg
Copyright © 2024 by D.K. Holmberg
Cover by Damonza.com
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Author’s Note
Series by D.K. Holmberg
Chapter One
Iwas nervous.
I shouldn’t be. This was something I had planned and prepared for, but that didn’t shake the unease that was working its way through me.
I wasn’t alone, though.
Byron was with me. I had wanted an Investigator. I had avoided bringing Jos, as I wasn’t sure how he would react.
And I had Lijanna.
She was here mainly to observe and offer advice.
“Are you just going to stand there?” Lijanna asked.
“I’m trying to get myself ready,” I said. “I want to do a good job at this.”
“The longer you stand there, the more you will overthink. How many potentials do you even have?”
I glanced at Byron. The Investigators had rounded up some potentials, and indeed, some of them had been selected from among the Investigators.
“Maybe a dozen,” I said.
“And you’re nervous about it?” Lijanna asked.
“I am concerned that I might make a mistake with them.”
We were in a small room in the central building of the training compound. The room itself was plain. There hadn’t been time to decorate it, and I still wasn’t sure how it should be decorated. A single arcane lantern cast out some light, and I suspected that the lantern’s presence was due to Matherin’s decision that we needed to have more distinguished fabrications. I was thankful that he had been willing to offer them.
Arcane lanterns had another advantage in a place of power. They had some shielding from Blades. This was something that I had been aware of from the moment I had realized I was a Blade.
I pushed those thoughts aside. They weren’t helping me now.
“The fact that you are concerned tells me that you’re going to do a good job, Zaren,” Lijanna said. “So get out there, talk to the potentials, and then see if you need anything from us.”
“I’ll be there,” Byron said, smiling at me. “I’ll just be standing in the back. I figured you wouldn’t want me up there with you.”
“Up?” I asked.
“On stage. That’s where you’re going, right?”
“Is there a stage?” Lijanna asked.
“Not really,” I said. “It’s more like an entrance.”
That was where we had gathered the potentials.
All of them understood what they were there for. All of them understood their potential to have power, but none of them knew if they genuinely had it yet. They were all eager to learn, but first I had to test them for innate power. However, I could already feel a hint of power from the potentials on the other side of the door.
The fact that I was aware of something was useful. It suggested that whatever else they were, and whatever they might be able to do, I might be able to identify those with the necessary potential. I might even be able to do something with them.
“All right,” I said, primarily to myself. Still, Lijanna nodded to me.
“You know, maybe this is a good thing for me,” she said.
“It really is,” I said, using this as a distraction and an opportunity to take the focus off me. “Because when you take over for Harent, you’ll need to get up in front of your candidates and do something very similar to this.”
“Harent is leaving?” Byron asked, his attention suddenly back on Lijanna.
“Not anytime soon,” I said. “And I’d be careful about who you say that to.”
He nodded sagely. “Of course. I don’t want to spread a rumor that he’s leaving before he’s ready. I was just surprised, that’s all.”
“It’s called preparation,” Lijanna said. “Every leader should plan their replacement. Otherwise, they’re not serving as a good leader.”
Byron looked over at me. “And you?”
“Well, I guess that’s why we’re here,” I said.
Then I stepped through the door.
About a dozen stood in the entranceway, a grand space nearly two stories tall, and much like the rest of the training compound, it had not been adorned with much. A pair of arcane lanterns glowed with both pale orange and pale red, almost pink, light. It mixed with the sunlight that streamed in through the stained-glass window and spread out over the tiles, dispersing into striations of color and warmth.
It was comforting.
“Good morning,” I said.
As one, the potentials turned toward me.
I was taller and bigger than all of them. I was an imposing presence, but in this place and in this space, the effect was magnified.
Lijanna came to stand alongside me.
“My name is Zaren Joha, and I am the Queen’s Blade.” I let the words hang for a moment and realized how ridiculous I felt. “Most of you are here because you have been told that you have the potential to serve in some way. If that is not the case, then please let me know.”
Nobody said anything.
“Otherwise, the rest of you were informed that you had a specific type of potential. Now, I’m not sure how much you were told about this potential, but that is why you are here.”
“Come,” I said, motioning for them to follow.
I stepped through the throng to Byron, who had taken a position near the rear of the potentials. Then I patted him on the shoulder before stepping outside. Bright sunlight streamed down. It was a lovely, warm day, and I was able to pick up on an element of power.
There was quite a bit of power around the grounds of the training compound.
Of course, much of it came from the fabrications that I had ensured were placed in the training compound itself. They would allow us to detect the various types of power that were here, some used as a way to defend, others simply powers to detect.
The others followed me.
“This is the Blade training compound,” I said, sweeping my hands out to either side. “For most of you, that won’t mean much. But it is a place designed to test abilities.”
Some of the potentials were watching me, and some of them were looking around. I wasn’t sure if they were picking up on much, though. The only one I thought might be aware of the power here was Byron, because he had detection fabrications on him.
“It is a place designed to give an opportunity to those with the right potential to learn to harness it. You are the first potentials to come to the rebuilt training compound.”
“Rebuilt?” The question came from near the back, and I looked to see a mousy-looking young woman watching me.
But her eyes were hard, reminding me of Ellie’s when she had first found me. That type of reaction and demeanor would be beneficial, because of what would be asked of these potentials. In order for them to serve as Blades, they would need to have the strength and courage to speak.
“Blades serve the Crown,” I said without answering, “and they have long done so. Blades find and disarm dangerous magic. It is not for everybody, and not everybody can do it.”
“I thought that was the Investigators,” one of the young men said. He looked at Byron, who was wearing his uniform.
He was mingled with the others, but at that comment, he straightened and shifted his feet nervously.
“The Investigators work with the Blades,” I said. “And they are quite capable on their own. But we’re talking about an innate ability, not one augmented by a fabrication granted to the Investigators. You will be tested. All of you. The idea here is to learn if you have the innate ability to find power within you. Some of you will have the ability to become Blades. Not all, though, unfortunately. If possible, I would take all of you in and work with all of you so that you could serve the queen to the best of your ability. But even if you don’t have the necessary potential to be a Blade, there are othe r possibilities for training here. Some may choose to become Investigators. That is why Byron is here. Others may decide that they don’t want anything to do with them. And if that is you, there is no harm in that, as you may train and serve with the constables.”
“So we all have to serve?”
I couldn’t tell who had asked, but it was a masculine voice.
“You don’t all have to serve,” I said. “This is an opportunity, and if you take it, you can choose what you want to do and how you want to do it. You might be able to work with others who have a similar interest in serving the Crown.”
There was quiet.
I waited, curious as to whether anybody would argue. However, at this point, pretty much everybody who had come here would have been informed about what they were being asked to do. But anybody here might decide that they had heard enough or seen enough or were concerned enough about what was going on here that they would determine they did not want to be a part of it.
But nobody moved. They said nothing.
I caught Byron’s gaze for a moment, and then I moved on, looking over at Lijanna. She nodded.
“Good. As we move around the grounds, I’m going to introduce a few basic elements. In the process, I’m hopeful that you will detect something.”
“Even if you haven’t taught us anything?”
This was from the mousy-looking woman who had asked the very first question.
“For some of you, I won’t need to teach you for you to identify it. That is what I want to know. It doesn’t mean that you will be more talented,” I went on, though in my mind, I viewed it that way, “but it does mean that you might have some potential that has already manifested. And if that is the case, then I want to ensure that we allow you to take that potential and use it properly.” I swept my gaze around each of them, waiting. “Are you ready?”
As one they nodded.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about this, but this was what I was to do right now.
Until we had somebody who could take over the running of the training compound, it would be me.
And the training compound wasn’t even complete. There were elements of it still under construction, and I was concerned that they might always be under construction, but then, the majority of the facilities were already ready for the students, ready to be tested and ready to begin the process. In my mind, the longer we waited, the longer we did not take advantage of the opportunities we had, and the more likely we would not be ready for what would come.
And considering what I had experienced in Busal City, there was always something to come.
Chapter Two
“That went about as well as I expected,” Lijanna said.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
“What? I was complimenting you,” she said.
“It didn’t sound like that.”
“I was just saying that you did well.”
We were seated in a small workshop that was for Jamie, or whatever healer he found to work here. I didn’t expect Jamie to spend much time at the training compound, but I did think that he would help us find a decent healer, considering his desire to help the queen and his willingness to ensure that we had the correct type of resources here.
“One of them has some natural ability,” I said.
“The girl?”
I shook my head. I had thought it might be her, but she had not reacted to any magical items. That was what I had wanted to see. If she had reacted, that would have suggested some innate ability to identify contours of power. But unfortunately, she had not. I shouldn’t be distraught over that, but I had let myself hope.
“There was a man. He was quiet the entire time, but he kept looking around. His gaze settled on several of the buildings.”
“Maybe he could feel something but didn’t want to admit it,” Lijanna suggested.
“Maybe. Or maybe he was just trying to get a sense of things. I’ll talk with him later.”
“You’re going to talk to all of them later,” she said. “Eventually, you will have to make sure that they all know what is expected of them.”
“Such as being taught by me,” I said.
Lijanna scowled and then got to her feet. She went over to the tray where a pitcher of hot water was resting, and poured a mug of tea before taking a seat again.
“You could’ve at least had ale.”
“In the healer’s office?”
“Well, we didn’t have to meet here. Why don’t you have a tavern in this place?”
“It’s a training compound,” I said.
“And trainees need to have a place and a way to let loose. We’re too far from town, so the students can’t run into the city anytime they need to let off some steam.”
I frowned. I hadn’t even considered that.
“And what about supplies?” Lijanna asked.
“It doesn’t take very long to get supplies out here,” I said.
“And what about—”
“I’m trying to do things the way they were done before, with a few modifications,” I said.
“Well, I’m just offering my advice,” she said.
“And it’s appreciated. I just wanted you to know that certain elements of what I have done are my ideas and some came from Asi. Some are even from Prince Dorian.” Dorian had had so many ideas about how he thought the training compound should be laid out. “Besides, you just want a tavern because when you’re out here teaching, you’ll want to have a place to escape to.”
“What makes you think that I’ll be teaching here?”
I arched a brow at her. “I’ve spoken to Harent.”
“Wait. You have? I didn’t think he would make me be the one to come out here and teach.”
“I don’t think you’ll be the only one to teach here,” I said with a laugh.
I got to my feet and went over to the window. The students were now wandering the training compound. I had released them and told them to explore. I had informed them that they would need to figure out if they could identify any power here. Some were spending time near the buildings, which was a wise strategy, and others were just wandering. I noticed one near the outer wall, which had magic protections within it, so that was a good strategy as well. But once they were done, they would need to be shown to their quarters. I had to settle them wholly before returning to the city.
“If this is like other places of education,” Lijanna said, coming to stand next to me, “eventually, others will decide to provide resources if you don’t.”
I glanced over. “Resources?”
“Like taverns. General stores. Students might need other things depending on how many end up out here. How big do you expect this to get?”
The training compound was quite a bit larger than I had anticipated, and from what Asi had said, it was larger than the old one, which she had trained at. But then, my vision was to create more than just a training compound for Blades. If it worked the way that I wanted it to, it would be a place to train Blades, Investigators, and constables—a triad of all who would defend Busal’s cities.
We were not the military. But we could be ready to defend the cities throughout the realm, and we needed the necessary preparation and cooperation to do so. We would undoubtedly have quite a few more people out here than I had initially envisioned—more than the dozen or so who were out here now.
“You might be right,” I said. “I hadn’t even considered that.”
“You had better start thinking about things like that, because I won’t be surprised to hear that somebody has realized how many people are out here, and they decide to start building places of business, and if that happens …” She spread her hands. “You will be in charge of it. You will be in control of it.”
“I don’t need to be in charge or in control,” I said.
“You don’t need to be, but I wonder if there would be some advantage in you doing so. If you can ensure that you have control and decide how things will look, you can monitor things better.”
Maybe she was right. Keeping an eye on developments would be helpful.
“I will see about that,” I said.
“Good. Now, I will talk to some of my subordinates and create a training schedule. Do we want to talk about that?”
“I suppose we need to,” I muttered.
“Still not excited about this?”
“Not particularly. I was hoping that Asi might take the job, but I think she feels this is not her responsibility.”
