The Wolf Queen by Tabitha Caplinger

Author:Tabitha Caplinger [Caplinger, Tabitha]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Ink Press, LLC

Chapter Twenty-Three

It had been two days since King Vakr’s burial—two days since the priestess invaded the palace. Rohan worked not to let her invade his mind with worry. She tried. Her words knocked at his mind’s door, whispering of his fear and weakness. It was a near constant battle to keep them outside. But he had spent enough time thinking of how unworthy he was to follow in his father’s footsteps. It was all no longer speculation but a blaring reality. For a brief moment as Rohan sat in the Great Hall listening to the clan leaders and delegates debate his capacity, he thought it would be a relief if they refused him as their ruler. He was the only one with birth rights to the kingship but according to law he must still be accepted by the free men in the Taking. If they saw in him what he saw in himself, then they would surely deny him the crown.

Rohan leaned back in his chair listening to the clamor of voices; clan leaders from the Northlands, delegates and ship merchants from Kunnigstad and land owners from Ostlund. They all were weighing and measuring him—he could do nothing but listen and wait.

“Rohan is a fine young man, but he is young,” one man said.

“Perhaps too young,” another added. “What does he know of the world?”

“He has never even seen battle,” someone called from the back of the hall.

“That isn’t true,” one of the military commanders retorted. “I saw him fight the Bardung at the East Keep. He was valiant and strong.”

Muttering circled the room as the occupants exchanged details, affirmations and questions. Rohan twitched in his seat. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to concede to their doubts or defend himself. He could do neither. The rules of order meant that he could not speak on his own behalf. He could only listen and wait. It was excruciating, particularly since all the while Senka’s voice knocked.

“Whether or not the prince can fight is secondary to whether he can lead,” one of the clan leaders shouted. This caused the room to quiet. “The dragon has returned, we have all heard news of the army in the valley. We need a king who is wise, who can secure victory.”

The hall erupted again. For every voice that affirmed Rohan, there was another who presented valid concerns. There was so much noise—both inside and outside of his own head— that he couldn’t decipher the truth. He was realizing that had always been the case. He was never able to find the right thread to hold onto. He was just pulling at strings, trying to look the part for everyone else. He wanted to run. Rohan himself felt ill-equipped for the war they were facing. He longed for nothing more than to ask his father what to do. Vakr would have known.

“May I speak?” Ylva’s voice broke free from the chaos. Rohan looked up to see her standing in the center of the assembly. Her wolves lay at her feet, a constant reminder that she was no ordinary woman.

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