The Uni's Secrets: The Lost Mother

Chapter Thirty-One: Lady of Zeliaras

The crowd fell silent. My boots clicked across the floor, the sound echoing as I walked forward, stopping at the edge of the steps.

"My people," I called, a prearranged spell projecting my voice to reach even the farthest reaches of the crowd. "I stand before you a perceived villain." Here I paused, reading the reaction of the crowd. It was still deadly silent, as if they were afraid to speak. Honestly, I didn't blame them. "There is evidence against me . . . You all know of the photo showing me and my arrows at the scene of the crime. Recently, we have discovered that this was an enchantment, and the photo is merely a blank piece of papyrus." I held up the paper that had been enchanted as proof, though I knew that most people wouldn't be able to see it.

"Who did kill Lady Zella, if it wasn't you?" someone shouted.

I didn't show my slight annoyance. I had expected this question, but I had still hoped I could just leave it at proclaiming my innocence. "We have a theory that the murderer was Anwir!" I paused for dramatic affect. The crowd was silent, not knowing what that meant. So I explained. "Anwir originally posed as my father's assistant, but his true identity is now unknown. We have him associated with a shadowy group whose name is unfortunately a mystery. It is possible that he is also in league with the Olympians."

The crowd gasped, so loud I almost smiled. I understood their reaction; the idea that the Olympians could have something to do with Mother's death was infuriating. I continued my speech. "While I was busy discovering these truths, Andaz was busy coming after me. This is proof of his incompetence and misjudgment. Due to this and his recent policies, we can agree that he is unfit for leadership."

This earned me cheers. One thing all of Zeliaras could agree on was that Father was a bad leader. "I understand that some of you still believe that I am Lady Zella's murderer," I shouted over the din. "I understand that that may make me unfit to rule in your eyes. However, you must acknowledge that I would be a better, fairer, and more effective ruler than my father."

The crowd was silent. I took a deep breath, pausing before I came to the most critical part. "I am the rightful heir of Zeliaras, but I shall not force myself into leadership without your consent. I may be inexperienced, but I am committed to Zeliaras and capable of carrying on my mother's legacy and bringing our world forward into a new era. People of Zeliaras, will you take me as your leader?"

I held my breath, hoping, hoping they would respond positively. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn't hear at first.

Then the cheering started.

My mouth broke into an involuntary smile. I bowed, and the crowd cheered even louder. I wondered for a moment if they were going to break my eardrums. I held up my hand for silence, since I had a feeling that this would go on for a while and I had more to say.

It took a minute, but the crowd did end up quieting. "Thank you," I said, hoping my voice sounded sincerely grateful. Sometimes, since I'd had so much practice sounding emotionless, it was hard to convey emotion when I needed to. "All of the policies my father put in place are reverting back to the way it was during Lady Zella's reign," I announced, earning more cheers. Seriously, how did the crowd have so much energy in their lungs? "There will be no more curfews," I continued. "All prisoners placed in the dungeons by my father will be freed. All trade and commerce will resume as before. And most importantly, my father will be put on trial for treason and tyranny. With these measures in place, Zeliaras will once again become a sanctuary for all magicians seeking refuge!"

The crowd cheered again, and I bowed once more. I stood there a moment longer, soaking in the scene.

They were cheering for me.

I was Lady of Zeliaras.

I was in charge of my mother's legacy, and I was in control of the fate of the magical world. I was no longer a suspect in a murder, and I was no longer being hunted across the world.

I allowed myself another second to smile, then turned and slowly walked back toward the fortress.

I would have done well to remind myself, in that moment, that I still didn't have my magic, that Anwir was still at large, and that my sister was still a prisoner of the Olympians.

My problems were far from over.