Genesis leaned against the battlements, arms crossed over his chest, watching as the new Chosen Queen Valentina was escorted away from the Holy Sword with Merlin leading the way to the Seasonal Throne Room. The Queens and Lady Morgana trailed behind Merlin and Queen Valentina. Their faces were emotionless. The Pope needed help from his seat with Lord Bishop John’s assistance. Lord Paladin Peter shifted from foot to foot, looking at the crowd.
The Court flowed through the archway behind her in a river of silks and banners, chattering with the breathless excitement of a people desperate for certainty. Guards, snapping to attention, lined up in polished formations. Servants disappeared into side hallways, no doubt running to prepare the Royal Ruling Chambers. The Members of the Court clustered like moths around the flame of power, eager to bask in it.
Beside him, Reno let out a low whistle, a rare grin tugging at his mouth, “Well, that’s that,” Reno said, slapping Genesis lightly on the shoulder. “We’ve got a Ruler now. Maybe things will finally calm down. And you were right. The next ruler would be a woman from the White Hall Family.”
Genesis said nothing. Reno’s voice faded into the background as he drifted away, caught up in the Court’s rising energy. He turned his gaze below. The last members of the Court filtered after them—cheering, clapping, heads bowed in the ceremony of change.
But not all of them.
Genesis' gaze sharpened, falling upon his sister. Tina was still standing near her table, slightly apart from the flow of bodies. Her hands were clasped too tightly at the sides of her dress. Her posture too still. As Tristan touched her shoulder, Tina turned—and for a heartbeat, her gaze locked with Genesis'. Across the courtyard, brother and sister shared the same unspoken truth:
Something was wrong.
“Genesis,” Bartholomew called out as he approached, “We have been summoned the Season Throne Room.”
Genesis turned away and nodded his head, “To meet the new Queen?”
“Yeah,” Bartholomew said, “She is a beautiful lady. I wonder what my chances are of becoming her husband, assuming she doesn’t have one.”
The red head general blinked as he registered what Bartholomew said. Marriage. Depending on which line, this Valentina descendant from, his grandmother may be in charge of that. He sighed. It meant that his grandmother would be visiting Camelot sometime in the near future. However, the bright side of it, Honor would be dodging Natalie when she arrived. A rueful smile pulled at his lips.
Tina watched Genesis turn away and disappear from her sight. She turned to Tristan, chewing her lower lip. She didn’t know if she should ask him if he remember the last Choosing Ceremony. It might have been a private ceremony within the Royal Ruling Family. She had to find out.
“Tristan,” she started, “Were you allowed to watch the last Choosing Ceremony?”
Tristan frowned as a thoughtful expression crossed his face, “No, I wasn’t. I believe I was on a Quest in 2039. I was supposed to be retrieving a powerful flower for Lady Morgana. Why?”
“What about the other previous Choosing Ceremonies?” Tina pressed.
“Unfortunately, no,” he replied, “What is this about?”
“The Sword’s reaction,” she said, “It didn’t react to her. I was wondering if it would react or not.”
“What do you mean the Sword didn’t react?” Tristan asked, “The Sword did react. The gem glowed white as it was withdrawn from the rock.”
Tina gave him a strange look. She didn’t see the gem glow white. The gem didn’t react at all from what she had seen.
“May I escort you, my lady, to the Seasonal Throne Room?” he held out his arm to Tina, “We are required to introduce ourselves to the New Queen.” She nodded, taking his arm. He walked to the hallway where the Court had disappeared down. She glanced over her shoulder, once more where the Sword was sealed in the stone. She could have sworn there was a shimmer. She blinked and it went away. A chill brushed the back of her neck. Whatever it was, the Sword wasn’t finished speaking yet.
Ralph Barkson was ready to spit kunais. He didn’t understand why the Frost Ninja were here—let alone why they were escorting a Valentina White Hall He knew the White Hall House was extremely large, due to the amount of children each generation birthed, how certain members would move away from the main house for various reasons, and who took over the Lordship of the White Hall House.
He had joined the other guards, quickly as he could without raising suspicion as they marched to the Seasonal Throne Room. His eyes darted back and forth as he followed the man in front of him. The boots of the guards scuffed against the stone, a steady rhythm that grated against Ralph’s fraying nerves.
It wasn’t just the White Hall woman.
It was the fact the Sword accepted her as the New Chosen Ruler of Camelot.
It was who flanked her. Frost Ninja.
His fingers twitched instinctively toward the hidden weapons at his belt . The Frost Ninja were loyal to the Yuki Kingdom and loyal to whichever family they had a Bride Treaty with at the moment. He knew the Bark Village wasn’t the only village who created a Treaty with a powerful family who was willingly to pay the Bride price. He was sure the Hidden Bark Village was the first ninja village to use it within Avalon, but they had dubbed it as the White Bark Treaty.
And now the Frost were here, in Camelot’s center, standing like silent guards at the side of a new "White Hall heir."
Ralph's gut twisted. This wasn’t politics. This smelled like a hostile takeover, chosen by the Holy Sword. He knew the Holy Sword would chose the best person for the job. He wondered if Queen Valentina would destroy Camelot. And the worst part? The Court was cheering for it. Welcoming it.
He needed to find his team. They needed to regroup. Fast.
Because if the Frost Ninja had slipped past Camelot’s defenses, this wasn’t just about watching Tina Armstrong anymore. Some small part of him still thought she might have a role to play. However, winter was creeping into the Kingdom.
Ralph shifted among the guards as they filed into the outer halls of the Seasonal Throne Room.
He kept his head down, matching the casual indifference of a low-ranked soldier. Out of the corner of his eye, a flicker of movement caught his attention. A servant girl — carrying a folded ceremonial banner — paused by one of the side pillars. A thin braid peeked from under her cap. She adjusted the cloth, almost casually, but Ralph caught the flash of her hand signal at waist level: Wait. Regroup later.
Kikyo. Ralph didn’t flinch. He kept walking, falling into the rhythm of the guards ahead of him. If Kikyo was signaling to wait, it meant two things. One, they were being watched. Two, the situation was worse than even he thought. He mentally cursed. For now, he had to play the part of a loyal Camelot guard. Blend in. Stay invisible.
His gaze drifted toward the raised platform at the front of the room. Queen Valentina stood beside Merlin. Her back was perfectly straight, shoulders high—not nervous. She did not hesitate as she stared out across the Seasonal Throne Room, waiting. Her Frost escorts fanned out around her in near-perfect symmetry, standing a few feet behind the thrones.
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The air in the Throne Room felt too polished. Too rehearsed. Ralph’s jaw tightened as he found a place along the side wall and clasped his hands behind his back. He watched and waited.
Escorted by Tristan, Tina stepped into the Seasonal Throne Room and stopped. There was a long line by the entrance, blocking the way. She frowned. What was going on?
“Lady Rosemary of House Clover,” an announcer called out. Tina’s heart leaped in her chest. She stood on her tippy toes and tried to peer over the shoulders and heads of the other court members to see her cousin, but she couldn’t get tall enough to do so. “A Vessel House of the Ancient and Noble House of White Hall.”
Tristan lend, close to Tina’s ear, whispering, “This is the part where we announce ourselves and swear loyalty to the new Queen,” He paused. She glanced up at him to see he was watching what was going on. “Rose has reached the platform, introduced herself and has pledge loyalty to the New Ruler as the Chosen Ruler.” The corner of Tina’s lips twitched into a grateful smile as the Knight went on, “She is stepping away. The new Queen calls her to stop. They are talking. Rose bows again, walks the stairs to join the Queen, and stands behind her.” Tristan turned his attention down to Tina. “It looks like Rose has been chosen to be a Lady in Waiting.”
“Sir Lancelot of House Marlowe,” the announcer called out.
Tina nodded to herself. It made sense—Rose and Lancelot had left the courtyard together They had walked away from the table at the same time, following the court to the Seasonal Throne Room.
Tristan turned his gaze to what was happening at the bottom of the thrones, “Lancelot has reached the throne, bowed, and swore Loyalty. Lord Jack,” he paused, glanced down Tina before he went on, “He is or was the Head of the King’s Guard. He informed the Queen of something and she nods. She is speaking with Lancelot. Lord Jack is stepping away from the platform and Lancelot is taking his place.” He smiled, turning back to Tina. “He smiled down at Tina. “Looks like Lancelot finally got the promotion he’s been wanting. He is the New Head of the Queen’s Guard.”
Tina smiled. When she spoke to the Loyalty Knight next, she would congratulate him on the promotion. However, a conversation caught her attention. Nearby, a hushed conversation drew her attention. Tina turned slightly, pretending not to listen as two familiar Lords — one she recognized as Lord Pig — spoke in low voices.
“The Lords of Commerce are already talking about new taxes and trade privileges,” Lord Pig muttered, sounding smug.
“Hopefully, my family will be exempt. Besides,” he added, “my brother is likely already petitioning our father to offer him to the Queen. A marriage into her line would solve everything.”
“Already?” his companion asked, sounding surprised.
“Better early than late. Once the other Kings learn she’s unwed, they’ll come hunting. Camelot could end up united with one of their kingdoms instead.”
“United Kingdoms of Camelot again… or United under a foreign banner,” the second lord murmured darkly.
Further down the line, two Court Ladies fanned themselves delicately as they discussed the real issue: fashion.
“I wonder which tailor the Queen will favor,” one mused, adjusting her gloves.
“Whoever it is will become the most sought-after name in Britain,” the other replied with certainty. “They’ll have to triple their apprentices just to keep up.”
“That gown — did you see that shade of blue?” the first lady asked, eyes gleaming. “I must have it for the Coronation Ball. Surely one of the local merchants has something close enough.”
The conversations around Tina seemed surreal. Her gut tightened. Marriage schemes. Trade alliances. Dresses. These were the concerns of simple-minded buffoons fighting for scraps of power. She recognized it instantly — politics. A game as old as kings, yet no cleaner than the tabloid politics back home. Backstabbing. Limiting rivals. Bold-faced lies spun to win favor. Nothing ever changed, no matter the world she was in.
A hand suddenly cupped Tina’s elbow. She jolted, twisting her head sharply — only to find Genesis standing beside her. Tristan immediately reacted, sliding his arm protectively around Tina’s waist, his palm resting possessively at her hip. Genesis lifted an eyebrow at Tristan. Tristan, not backing down, met his gaze evenly.
Men, Tina thought dryly.
She elbowed Tristan lightly in the ribs, earning a mock hurt expression, then slapped Genesis’s chest in playful reprimand.
“I thought you’d already been announced, Genesis,” she asked as the line shuffled forward and another name echoed through the hall.
“Not yet,” he replied casually, though his eyes flicked toward the throne, alert. “I imagine we’ll be called up once the Court’s done.”
He glanced around subtly, then added under his breath, voice tightening, “Be careful.”
Tina smiled faintly but read the warning. “Always.”
“And no need to act as my proxy tonight,” Genesis went on, his tone light but his words edged. “She’s a cousin. Distant or not, this isn’t the time.”
He hesitated, then lowered his voice again. “We’ll talk more after dinner. In the White Hall Suite. Away from ears.”
Tina caught the seriousness behind the words.
“Yes,” she agreed softly. “That would be best, dearest cousin.”
As Genesis walked away, Tina caught his expression just before he turned away — eyes narrowed, jaw tight. Not anger. Not confusion. Calculation. And that worried her most of all. She signed and turned to Tristan and noticed they were nearing the entry to the Throne Room. She commented, “Perhaps you should go first.”
Tristan raised an eyebrow at her and argued, “Ladies, first, Lady Valentina Armstrong.”
Tina sighed, “Fine.” She stepped in front of him as the next person - some random Lord - was announced. She watched as the announced Lord reached the raised platform and went through the swearing fidelity.
“What’s your name, my lady?” The Court announcer asked.
“Lady Valentina of House Armstrong, Vessel to the White Hall House,” Tina replied.
“As you wish,” the court announcer bowed slightly and they watched the previous lord bowed again before he walked to join the rest of the court, standing on the sidelines. The Court Announcer raised his voice and called out, “Lady Valentina of House Armstrong, Vessel to the White Hall House.”
Tina walked forward. She stared at the Queen. The Queen looked shock. One of the Snowflake ninja lend to her and whispered something in her ear. Across the dais, Tina spotted Rose’s hand fly to her mouth in alarm. Lancelot, standing rigid, looked as though he’d been struck. A pit opened in Tina’s stomach, filling her with unease.
Tina steeled herself as she approached the platform and stopped at the bottom. She grabbed the sides of her long skirt and bowed, “Your majesty -“
“Stop,” Queen Valentina held up a hand, cutting Tina off. “I know who you are.”
Tina blinked as she straightened up. She rested her hands in front of her skirt. “You do, your highness?”
“I do,” The Queen stood up and walked down the stairs to stand in front of Tina. “This woman -“ she addressed the court, “was adopted to replace me by my own parents - Lord Bardock and Lady Annja.”
Whispers broke out. A couple court scribes were bent over their desk in the back corner, writing as fast as they could. Meanwhile, Tina froze. Adopted? She could have been adopted? Her chest tightened. Could Ralph have been wrong about her? She spoke, “I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“Of course, you don’t, pretender,” The Queen spatted, “20 years ago, during the time of the Kingless Kingdom Era, I was able to withdraw the Holy Sword.” Gasps echoed through the Seasonal Throne Room. “I was 4 years old. My parents with the help of the Battle Lord Merlin erased my memory of the event and the ones who saw it. They sent me away, in hopes, they would get a King who was of age. Not a child.” She circled Tina slowly, voice venomous. “I sent else where while you were chosen to replace me. To grow up in my place with my loving family. You were designed to be my shield during this time while I learned and studied under the greatest scholars that the Yuki Kingdom had to offer.” She paused.
Tina took a deep calming breath as a boiling rage filled her. She noticed the ninja tensed, hands going toward their pouches. She saw the other Queens sat with shocked expressions. Lady Morgana and Lord Merlin were whispered to each other. Their glances toward both Tina and the Queen informed Tina that the two women were the topic of discussion. Lancelot wasn’t watching Tina anymore — his eyes had lifted, clearly locking onto Genesis in the crowd. She didn’t know if he would step forward and argue on her behalf.
Genesis... please tell me you’ll challenge this, Tina thought desperately. The widows darkened with storm clouds from the sea. Thunder boomed nearby and lightning flashed.
The Queen spoke, “You took everything from me, snake - my family, my friends, and my life.” She paused, allowing the words to sink in. “Yet, I am merciful. I know it is not your fault. I will not punish you. However, I will not protect you like I would my brothers and sister who are innocent of this crime against me.” She stood in front of Tina. “Now, swear loyalty to me, pretender.”
Tina’s eyes darted. The ninja stood in a semi circle, just behind the thrones. If they were trained like Ralph and his team, they would be just as fast as she was. Bitterness filled her chest as she grabbed her skirts, holding them out as she dipped.
“No. On your knees,” Queen Valentina ordered. Tina pressed her lips together. She bent one knee and placed on the stone floor before she bent the other knee. She kept her head bowed. She waited. “Good.” The Queen purred. “Now you may swear your loyalty to your Queen.”
Tina took a deep breath, her eyes darted across the stone floor, as she spoke, “By the old oaths of Camelot, by the flame that tempers steel, I swear to protect the realm and its people, to serve peace where I may, to stand against those who would do harm, I honor the throne that keep Camelot whole.” Her voice bounced off the stone walls. She didn’t know where the oath came from, but it seemed familiar to her. Perhaps, she heard it while she was a child. She added softly, “And I remember the truth that brought me here.”
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