Chapter 24: Long Live the Queen!

"The nobles are waiting for you in the throne room, Your Highness."

Ashaia's arms were almost too tired to lift the heavy helmet from her head, and she sighed as she studied the face of the grim young giant who had delivered the summons. This was not the carefree youth who had accompanied her on her travels with the caravan.

"How many of them are there?"

"All that we could find on such short notice. The rest are dead, or fled."

"Where is the laughing Hill warrior of old, my Shantar? Talai is recaptured, Sholim fled. You should be joyful."

"Perhaps another time." He surveyed her trimly armored figure approvingly. Dents and scrapes and splashes of dried blood gave mute evidence that she had been in the thick of battle. "Right now, there is the matter of placing you firmly on the empty throne of Kath."

"That may take some doing, and right now I'm not so sure that it's worth the struggle!" With an abrupt swing of her chain mailed arm she sent her dented helmet flying into a corner of the room. "Take the damned crown yourself, and let me be! Let me go back to the peace and quiet of the swamp village, the worship of Astur. Rule Kath! You've earned the right."

"King Shantar the first?" He laughed, the first sign of anything but grim ferocity that she had seen on his face. Don't think that I haven't considered it. I could do it, and rule Kath until I died of boredom or overeating, or by some assassin's dagger or poison. No, you can't throw away the crown as easily as your battle helmet, my Princess. To pull Kath together again, we need a ruler who can be accepted by all factions. You are the best, the only one for the job."

"A woman on the throne? There will be many who won't care for that idea. They will want a man to rule over them."

"Then pick yourself a husband to share your throne, but right now you must accept the crown. The crown, and the job that goes with it."

"All right, if so I must," she sighed. "You may escort me to where my nobles wait."

Side by side, they entered the throne room. A small crowd of more or less disheveled nobles greeted their appearance with murmurs of surprise and interest.

"Your Majesty!" one of the bolder ones cried. "For what cause have you brought us here?"

"The Princess Ashaia is here to receive from you the Crown of Kath, and to be seated on the Royal Throne," Shantar answered for her. "You have been gathered here to witness and approve the ceremony."

"But, that isn't proper," another argued. "The Council of Nobles must give its approval first."

"As you did for Sholim?" Ashaia asked, pointedly. "You are all here, all but Sholim's appointed lackeys. Are there any of you who do not approve of my wearing the crown?"

There was an uneasy stir of movement, then a dead silence as the nobles glanced fearfully around at the armed men who had brought them here. Shantar, with his mighty sword; Mei Mei, the slip of a girl who had defeated Sholim's armies; Orzad, leader of all Hill men; Chinzel, leader of Talai's underworld. Each one was escorted by at least a dozen armed and armored men, outnumbering the lightly armed noblemen by a large majority.

"I see that there is no objection." Orzad took up the thread of discourse. "Princess Ashaia, step forward and receive your crown!"

With measured tread she moved forward. Her head was proudly erect, her bearing regal with the certainty of a thousand years and more of royal ancestry. She bowed her head to receive the crown from Orzad, then climbed the three golden steps to seat herself on the Royal Throne of Kath.

"Hail to the Queen!" One of the younger nobles started the cry, and after a moment's hesitation the others took it up. "Hail to Queen Ashaia!"

She raised her hand, and the shouting died away.

"My loyal subjects." She paused, smiling wryly. "My first act as your new queen is to appoint Shantar the Hill man to the post of general, to command all of Kath's armies. It is a post that he has more than earned. Mei Mei, whose able leadership did so much to defeat Sholim's armies, has promised to aid him in his task of bringing all of Kath back under a single rule."

"You put her up to this!" Shantar growled softly down at Mei Mei in mock ferocity.

"She told me that she didn't think that you would accept the throne yourself, so the least you can do is to help pacify Kath," she whispered back. "Now, listen..."

"This city has been poorly governed since the time when my late brother turned his mind to other tasks, with crime and corruption rampant. Therefore, I hereby declare that Chinzel be elevated to the rank of hereditary noble of the third class, and appointed Lord Mayor of Talai." She paused a moment, a touch of sadness making her seem very young and defenseless. "Even though you have acclaimed me your Queen, I am sure that there are those among you who would rather see a strong man on the Throne of Kath in these troubled times. No, don't look away. I do not consider the thought disloyal. Indeed, I have given the problem long and earnest consideration. For Kath to be ruled as it should be, it needs a strong hand. As soon as circumstances permit, I shall choose a consort to sit beside me on the Throne of Kath."