Page 149 of Queen’s Gambit

Epilogue

Roksana

The curtains fluttered, the warm scent of autumn drifting in, mixed with wisps of smoke from the gardeners burning the fallen leaves.

Reynard lay in bed, looking frail. The illusion spell turned his jet-black hair silver, but the contours of his face remained sharp. I didn’t want to go. Rey’s fingers tightened on mine before I could think to pull away. He always knew when I was overwhelmed.

‘Come on now, Viper. It’s Tova’s time to rule,’ he whispered. My jaw tightened, but he was right. Still, I hesitated.

‘I don’t want this,’ I answered, unwilling to shed the last shred of my humanity.

‘Sana, I’ve seen how much you struggle, how you stare into the distance, clutching your chest. It’s time to let go. My love, Dagome needs a new king, and Tangra needs its Songstress.’

‘Mother.’ A mature voice made me turn. Tova stood in the entrance, as tall as his father, with the signature dark Erenhart mane and crimson dragon eyes. Our firstborn was now a man in his thirties and ready to rule the kingdom we were leaving behind.

‘Come on in, Cinder.’ I waved him in, ignoring his eye roll at the childhood nickname. As he stepped closer, I lifted the crown from Rey’s head. The golden circlet gleamed in the sunlight as I placed it on the nightstand.

Then I removed mine.

‘So, you’re leaving,’ Tova said. Conflicting emotions flashed across his face. Grief, pride, eagerness. ‘Is Father truly dying?’

I looked to Rey. He didn’t age; his muscles didn’t wither, and only the illusion spell kept our secret.

‘Yes… Your father and I are leaving. Dagome is yours now. Reynard and Roksana are no more,’ I said, standing on my toes to press one last kiss to his cheek. ‘You’re ready.’

‘I’m not…’ he whispered, his gaze searching mine before he shook his head. ‘How can I ever measure up to him… to you?’

‘You don’t have to. You are Tova Boyan Erenhart, King of Dagome. Rule for the people and never take anything for granted,’ I said, pondering how much I could tell him. ‘Not even me.’

‘What do you mean?’ Tova started, but I placed a finger against his lips.

‘Remember how angry I was when the statue of the Songstress was raised in the pleasure district?’ I asked.

Tova nodded. ‘You never told me why. I know some folk think it’s you, but neither you nor Father ever suppressed those beliefs.’

I winced, dreading this moment. Dagome embraced the cult of the Songstress with a ferocity that shocked me. The whispers became stories, and then prayers. She was a goddess shrouded in darkness, face hidden by a porcelain Nightshade mask. A saviour to those who’d lost all hope. First, the roadside shrines appeared; then a statue was raised in Tivalaran. Another appeared in Truso.

I took a deep breath.

‘It hurt to be put on a pedestal. I wanted to stay in Dagome for as long as I could,’ I said, patting the edge of the bed so he could sit. ‘Please don’t judge us before you hear the truth.’

Tova’s eyes widened as I told him the untold story of the Tangra War. Of a reality that was neither glamorous nor heroic, but was instead a dark, gruesome battle where one monster was trapped in Tivalaran and another served as a guard dog for the woman he failed to cage.

Finally, I told him about the bargain with the gods and how my power had continued to grow despite relinquishing it, along with the burden of my existence. Since deciding to leave, I no longer feared their wrath.

‘You should have told me!’ he snapped, but I caught his hands.

‘If I had, this life would have ended. I was a mage, a powerful one, yes, but even I couldn’t defy the old gods without consequences.’ I stroked his knuckles. ‘I’m telling you now because we’re leaving, and their power over my family and me has ended.’

‘You could’ve given me a hint.’ The Erenhart stubbornness filled his voice, but I just waited.

‘Mother…’ he whispered when I cupped his face. ‘What you and Father did…’ He swallowed hard.

‘We did what we believed was right. I hope you’re never confronted with such awful choices, but if the fates turn on you, I know you can handle it. I named you after a brilliant dwarf who saved us all. You carry the bloodline of a dragon and a war hero, along with the stubborn tenacity of my spirit.’

He laid his head on my shoulder just as he had as a child, and I stroked his back.

‘How do you want me to explain your disappearance?’ he finally asked.