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Chapter 1

MY entourage of guards struggles to keep pace as I fly down the corridors of my palace Servants in starched frocks and shined shoes line the way, bowing like do even through walls of stone andwater, hollow as distant thunder It’s the crowd outside, chanting leabackward My crown is not so lucky Thestrands of hair painfully with it

He releases my shoulders and rubs at red spot on his neck "That crown of yours is a hty weapon," says Lord-Co up at hiuards shaved their mustaches to mark our recent victory, and I’ve yet to adjust to this new, younger-looking Hector

Xiray-haired nurse, bends to retrieve the crown and brushes it off It’s thick with gold and inlaid with a single cabochon ruby No dainty queen’s diadem for me By tradition, I wear the crown of a fully eo," he says as I take his offered ar pace

"General Luz-Manuel kept ain"

He stops cold, and I nearly trip "Again?"

"He wants to avoid the bottleneck where the Avenida de la Serpiente crosses the er in the crowd could spear e of our stillness to reposition the crown on h the velvet loops to hold it in place

Hector is shaking his head "But the rooftops are low in that area You’ll be safer froer"

"Exactly what I said He wasdispleased" I tug on his ar

"He should know better"

"I may have told him as much"

"I’m sure he appreciated that," he says dryly

"I’ve no idea what advantage he thought to gain by it," I say "Whatever it was, I was not going to give it to hi the corridors, then adds in a lowered voice, "Elisa, as your personal defender, Iyou one last time to reconsider The whole world knows you bear the Godstone"

I sigh against the truth of his words Yes, I’ious fanatics, Invierne spies, even black em traders But my birthday parade is the one day each year when everyone--froliforward to for months I won’t deny theoverned by fear The life stretching before ht for, even I cannot--will not--squander it on dread

"Hector, I won’t hide in the sand like a frightened jerboa"

"Sometimes," Xi Elisaher interests Elisa must show herself publicly These early months are important as she consolidates her power We’ll keep her safe, you and I And God She has a great destiny"

I turn a deaf ear to her words So much has happened in the last year, but I feel no closer to ed his stone in o It still pulses with poarms in response to h, that God has plans forabout it

"I understand,"But it would be safer--"

"Hector!" I snap "I’ve made up htens my throat Why did I snap at Hector? Ximena is the one I’e house, which reeks of stea manure and e awaits, abronze scrollwork Banners of royal blue stream from the posts The door panels displayon a bed of sacrament roses

Fernando,over his shoulder He bows frorave Four horses flick their tails and dance in their jeweled traces I eye them warily while Hector helps me up

Then he offers a hand to Xiree passes between theuardian Soh they plot ives the order, e lurches forward My Royal Guard, in its glea ceremonial armor, falls in around us They march a deep one-two-one-two as we leave the shade of the carriage house for desert sunshine

The mo

Thousands line the way, packed shoulder to shoulder, waving their hands, flags, tattered linens Children sit on shoulders, tossing birdseed and rose petals into the air A banner stretches the length of six people and reads, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN LUCERO-ELISA!

"Oh," I breathe

Xirasps my hand and squeezes "You’re a war hero, re by an accident of e and war War me with their whole hearts

Then Ximena’s face sobers, and she leans over and whispers, "Ren remains popular forever"

I nod fro onto ift, and she takes it away so soon

The steep Colonnade is lined on either side by decadent three-story townhomes Their sculpted sandstone cornices sparkle in the sun, and silk standards swing froht of the city, cheered all the way, the townhoradually become less stately, until finally we reach the city’s outer circle, where only a few hunore the destruction as long as I can, gazing instead at the city’s great wall It rises the height of severaldesert beyond I crane limpse the soldiers posted between the wall’s crenellations, bows held at the ready