I didn’t like the way the scribe was looking at me. His expression was very disdainful for someone who was staring at his new queen as soon as my signature would grace the document he was preparing. His eyes returned to the parchment he was writing on and he finished the sentence he was working on before returning his gaze to my bastard brother.

“That is the first legal bit done. Now, explain to me again the terms of this agreement?”

“I am relinquishing my title as heir to my sister and she will bequeath me governing powers in her stead while she is away at her other court.”

It was a more than generous arraignment that pained me greatly to agree to. I loathed the idea that he would be able to wield any of my power, but I was begrudgingly agreeing thanks largely to the fact that I was getting the sense that Feros would find some way, perhaps a way not so accommodating, for the deal to go through if I did not agree. The creature was acting a bit strange, even for him, and it was deeply worrying to me. Over the course of the journey back to my rightful kingdom a change had occurred in him, a change that I was very deeply concerned about. He seemed emboldened now to directly challenge my decisions, perhaps it had come from the fact that I had been shown a glimpse of the vile magic he possessed and he figured that I would not be willing to challenge him if pressed. Unhappily, if that was his reasoning, it was accurate. It had at first started to drive me mad to have someone so close to me be able to dominate and control me, but the idea that I could wield him as some sort of weapon had started to grow in my mind.

“Are you sure you want those to be the exact terms?” The scribe had leaned forward and looked seriously at the bastard, giving him a look that was trying to communicate that he would refuse to write the document if the child so much as twitched an eyebrow the wrong way to indicate he didn’t really want it done. “That is giving up an awful lot of your rightful power.”

“I am certain,” he replied with a deep sigh, “it is the best way to overcome the obstacle my father’s short sighted deal put before me.”

“I think there are other ways we could solve this-”

“No,” I snapped, “this is the way we have determined and you are not at any sort of liberty to try to negotiate what has already been agreed upon. Your job is to record as we say and nothing more. If you learn that quickly I may be inclined to keep you as scribe, if not, you can count on needing to pack up your things and leave as the best scenario of likely outcomes for you.”

The man gave me a hint of a disdainful look, then quickly corrected with a shake of his head and again put his pen to the paper and began writing the terms of our agreement. “When will this take effect?” he asked tersely.

“Immediately, we cannot let the Church have any further chances to snatch the throne for themselves.” I said.

“This will be interesting to present to either of the twins that comes back to check in,” Feros commented with a smirk. “They are not likely to take it well, they are not used to not getting their way.”

“You will be able to easily take care of them,” I replied with a shrug of my shoulders.

The fiend turned to me from his position at the fireplace, a wide grin stretched across his features to an unnerving degree. It seemed like his teeth were suddenly too big for his mouth and it was adding to his unnatural, inhuman appearance, though I wasn’t sure if it was real or just my mind playing tricks on me now that I had insight to the type of creature he truly was.

“Am I now a weapon for you to point at people you dislike?” he asked with amusement.

“Why not? It seems like as good a use for you as any. You will be able to easily counter anything they try and will probably enjoy being let off your leash for once.”

A laugh rang out from him that made the scribe jump and look to the fiend in alarm, nearly spilling the ink pot all over the document.

“Off my leash?” He laughed again, shaking his head, but looking thoroughly entertained. “My dear Toria, do you truly believe you have me on some sort of leash?”

I felt my face reddened, how dare he act like he didn’t owe me fealty as one of my subjects? This only further added to my worries that he felt he was not as beholden to my will as he ought to be. I needed to find a way to reassert my control over him before it got too out of hand.

“You are a trainer who was hired for my consort and eventually a few others and now have been bestowed a coveted place as one of my advisors,” I retorted angrily, “you have always been under my purview.”

“Of my own free will.” He looked to the scribe, then to my brother, then scanned past Mistra to let his eyes finally land on me. “This is not the time, nor place, but perhaps it might benefit you to take some time to think on just what our relationship truly is. I think you know deep down no matter how much pressure you exert on me I am like a mountain, I will not budge from my own established position.”

“Get the document written, quickly,” I snarled to the scribe. “I am tired, sore, and have yet to have a proper bath and I’ve waited far too long for you to do a simple task. I’m tired of dealing with people who don’t know their proper place and I won’t sleep easy until I know I have my kingdom back and can start reminding people why they shouldn’t mess with Toria Yser.”

The fiend let out another delighted giggle and I balled my hands into fists and pushed them into the fabric of the couch beneath me. I was trying to save face and distract from his blatant disregard for my power and he was predictably making it more difficult than it had to be. He was quickly making it to the top of the list of people to consider being cast from my kingdoms.

“It is ready to be signed,” the scribe said with a heavy sigh. “I need you both to sign at the bottom in the marked spots and then once I sign it as a legal witness it will be official.”

My bastard brother nodded solemnly and motioned for the quill. My mood picked up as he dipped the end of the quill into the ink, then set it to the page and signed it in his awkward script. Lips a tight line, he looked at me, nodded, and offered me the quill. I did not need to be invited twice and quickly rose to my feet, snatched the pen from his hand and hastily scribbled my name in a large font on the appropriate line. The scribe took the pen from me, turned the document to face him, but hesitated with the ink barely just above the parchment.

“It is not too late,” he said to the bastard child in a low tone, “if I do not sign it is not official.”

“Sign,” the soon to be former heir instructed.

The scribe nodded, signed, then placed the quill down next to the document. “It is official, the kingdom now has a queen as soon as the coronation is completed.”

My first royal act was to backhand the scribe sharply across the face, the impact stinging my already bruised hand.

“Remember to never question my authority again,” I hissed, “I am your monarch now and I will not tolerate such disobedience in my kingdom.”

The scribe clenched his jaw like he was withholding a sharp word, bowed his head in respect, then quickly rolled up the completed document and tied it closed. “If I may retire to my study now I will make official copies and have one sent to the Church as well as file the original and a copy away for safekeeping here.”

“Permission granted under one condition: you address it to be delivered to the Church directly from me. I want them to know who exactly has outsmarted them.”

“It will be done.”

I waved the scribe away with my hand and set my hands on my hips, a wide smile creeping onto my face as I realized that I had finally done it, I had gotten my rightful place on the throne restored. All that stood between me and my rightful destiny was the trivial matter of setting up a coronation. With a kingdom of this size, the resources for a proper show of power were close at hand and one could be arranged fairly quickly. Within only a few days I would have the crown upon my head and no one would be able to snatch it back from me. This was not exactly the path I had imagined taking upon my return, but I was still mostly satisfied. The trouble of my brother still being alive could be dealt with later, it was not like he had anywhere else to go.

Mistra rose and outstretched her arms to me, wrapping them around me and planting a soft kiss on my cheek. “It is finally done, now is the time to celebrate.”

“Ah no humans party quite like the Yser’s,” the fiend said with a gleeful chuckle, “I will round up some servants and get things started on a feast for this evening that would make Evonia proud.”

Before I could have any input to the festivities he had slunk out the door. Good riddance, the atmosphere in the room lightened considerably and I felt much less brooding when I didn’t have to see his face.

“We should get cleaned up and perhaps get a short nap in before tonight,” Mistra suggested, “being clean and rested will do us both a world of good.”

“Agreed, though are there any little children’s toys that will need to be removed from the royal bedroom before we move in?” I cast a withering glance to the child who was still sitting at the desk, looking defeated. “I’m sure you took the first opportunity to hop right into a grown up sized bed.”

“No,” he replied with a shake of his head. “I never got the chance to take over our father’s bed chambers. It was cleaned and prepared, but went unused. I’m sure it’s ready for you as is.”

“I see, I suppose that’s for the best, there will be an unbroken line of rightful monarchs to rest in the bed. Oh and I see no reason why you would be absent from the feast tonight, though it is in your best interest to wipe that miserable look off your face. Your life has been spared for now and you should be grateful that you make a better pawn alive than dead.”

He looked at me grimly and inclined his head in understanding. “Please give me time to process the blow that has just been dealt to my destiny. I have been working to preserve my spot on the throne against the Church only to lose it another way. It is hardly a happy day for me.”

“Be grateful you are alive,” I suggested.

“I suppose,” he grunted.

Expecting he wouldn’t find the decency within him to bow in respect to his betters, I sniffed my disapproval at him and marched from the room. I would not let his sour mood impact my already disappointing victory. I had regained my kingdom, but there were no ashes to dance in and no flames to reflect the glee in my eyes. It was a bit of a hollow victory and I only hoped that perhaps it would be made up to me later. Perhaps when I got the chance to burn the Church to the ground with my own hands.