The Void of Muirwood (Covenant of Muirwood Book 3)(55)
The sound of Maia’s stallion clopping on the cobblestones brought eager eyes to every window down Fleet Street. She wore her full regalia, including the gown she had worn on her coronation and her filigree crown. The reins were decorated with sashes of color, and the saddle skirts matched her own. Captain Carew and his knights rode behind her, leading a procession of soldiers toward Ludgate. The dawn air was spiked with cold, and she tried to quell the urge to tremble. She had to appear strong and formidable to her people. They needed to believe their queen would defend them. Her father may not have been loved, but he was a soldier, and no one had questioned his ability to fight or to lead a battle. She knew she would have to prove herself.
Her stallion snorted as it climbed the gentle incline toward Ludgate. The gatehouse was three levels high with a wide arch and portcullis in the middle bottom level. Two smaller arches festooned either side, each containing an iron postern door. The gate was wide enough to permit a vast flow of traffic, which would normally start streaming in and out of the city when the gates opened at dawn. But the gate remained shut this morn. The second and third levels had square windows, barred, which clearly belonged to the prison Jon Tayt had described to her. She could see faces behind the bars. The second two levels had some stone pillars set into them, holding up a stone fa?ade. A cupola crowned the top of Ludgate, and she could see members of the watch gathered along the top of the wall, holding spears and flags bearing the royal colors of Comoros.
As she approached the gatehouse, she sensed something familiar about it. It took her a moment to realize that there were Leerings set throughout the pillars and the stone fa?ade. As she approached, she felt them, almost as if they were reaching out to her. Her heart began to pound with excitement, and she felt a small smile creep across her mouth.
And what purpose do you have? She asked them in her mind as each one revealed itself to her.
The Leerings were part of the city defenses, she realized. The city had been rebuilt when her ancestors returned from Assinica to reclaim it, so these Leerings were not as ancient, but they still served a purpose. A thrill shot through her as the Leerings whispered to her. They had not been used before to defend the city because of the weakness of Comoros’s mastons. Their purpose was to repel attackers, to cast a sense of foreboding and fear upon any force attempting to attack the gate, similar to the Leerings defending the abbey doors or the one guarding the passageway leading to the castle. She suspected that each of the other gates were protected by similar Leerings—Leerings she could activate.
She nearly burst with excitement and hope. Here was another way in which the Medium would defend them. As she rode up to the edge of Ludgate, she caught sight of Jon Tayt, Richard, and the mayor, who were clustered with the leaders of the city watch and the ealdermen. She could see the puffs of steam coming from their mouths in the cold morning air. The soldiers stared at her—no, gawked at her—their eyes growing wide with either fear or respect. She had looked at herself in the mirror before leaving her chambers. Suzenne had woven her hair into an elegant yet fierce style that made her appear more regal.
Trying to subdue her nervousness, she leaned forward in the saddle and lifted her voice to address her city’s protectors. She had been grasping for the correct words to say since Jon Tayt left the castle a few hours earlier. In an instant, her thoughts were suddenly clear. It felt as if the Medium were guiding her mouth.
“At my coronation, I was given this ring.” She raised her hand, almost as if she were making the maston sign, and let the sunlight play off her glittering coronation ring. “I am now wedded to the realm. This ring has never left my finger since that day, and it never will. I am the trueborn daughter of King Brannon and Queen Catrin.” She lowered her arm and leaned forward, her hands resting on the saddle horn. “And you are my people. I do earnestly and tenderly love you, as a mother loves her children. I will not abandon you, as I was abandoned. I will not punish you, as I was punished. I will defend you, even if only a few will stand with me. I will give my last drop of blood to preserve your lives.” She swallowed down a swell of emotion as she stared down at them. Some of the men had tears in their eyes, and everywhere she looked there were expressions of fierce determination. “My father imprisoned those who did not obey his unjust laws. Let the prison doors be opened this morning. Some of you have committed crimes for which you ought to be punished. Some of you are here because you could not deny your conscience. Today, I pardon you all. You have a new chance at life. A new chance to serve your kingdom and your queen, to defend your realm from injustice. On my word, I promise to pardon you this day. Come and stand tall in defense of your queen. I am your servant, and you are my family.”
She felt tears moisten her eyes, but they did not fall. A cheer went up from Ludgate. The lord mayor was staring at her, she noticed, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gave the order and the watch began to open the prison doors.
There was an audible sigh from the crowd as men began filing through the inner doors of the gates. Men dressed in ragged clothes, some showing purple disfigurations from recent beatings. Some bore scars from torture. Her heart clenched with pain as she watched them file out . . . some barefoot, some with tattered shoes. Richard and Jon Tayt awaited them with chests full of clothes: tunics, boots, liveries with her colors. Some of the ragged men had long beards and hair, their faces tight and drawn with suffering. Some were bone thin and weary and had trouble even walking. Some were proud and defiant. One thing united them . . . and they came to her in droves.