Defy (39 page)

There was more cheering as King Osgand reached down to

the pedestal beside him, where the crown of Antion sat. He lifted

it with both hands high into the air.

“Damian, former prince of Antion, kneel,” he intoned.

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A hush of anticipation fell upon the crowd as Damian dropped

to one knee. Slowly, King Osgand lowered the crown until it hov-

ered just above Damian’s dark hair. “Do you, Damian of Antion,

swear in front of these witnesses that you will do all in your power

to lead, govern, and protect your people with justice and fairness?”

“I swear it,” Damian responded.

“So it shall be.” King Osgand placed the crown on Damian’s

head. “I give you Damian, king of Antion! Hail, King Damian,

long live the king!”

Damian stood as the crowd repeated the cry, staring up at

King Osgand for a moment, and then turned to look out over his

people.

All of the guards pulled out their swords, lifting them into the

air in salute to the new king.

“My people,” Damian began, his voice sending a shiver

through me. “Today marks the first day of a new era for Antion.

An era of peace, starting with a renewed alliance with Blevon. As

I have just sworn before you, I will do all in my power to lead you

with fairness.” He paused and turned to look straight at me. “This

day would not have been possible without the help of
many
people who believed in me and aided me along the way. But above all, we

owe our new freedom to one person.”

My eyes widened when I realized what he was about to do.

“All hail, Alexa Hollen!” he cried out.

There were gasps from the crowd as jaws dropped and hands

f lew to mouths. But when he shouted it again, his people eventu-

ally joined with him.

“All hail, Alexa Hollen!”

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“All hail, Alexa Hollen!”

My heart pounded. What did he think he was doing?

“We owe you our very lives,” he continued when the crowd

quieted again. “This is the day of my coronation, but I would not

be here without you.” And then he pressed his fist to his shoulder

as I had done so many times, and bowed to me.

I stared at him, stunned.

Then Lisbet dropped to one knee, followed by Jax at her side.

General Tinso was next, then Eljin. Slowly at first, but then with

greater and greater speed, the entire crowd lowered to their knees,

bowing their heads to me. Even my fellow guards dropped down

to the ground, their fists pressed to their shoulders.

I was at once honored and mortified. Did Damian hope to

make me rethink my decision by doing this? No matter how grand

a gesture it was, it didn’t change the truth of our situation. Tears

burned in my eyes as I returned Damian’s bow. He smiled at

me, a tender smile that made my heart ache, and then he straight-

ened up.

“My people, will you join with me in leading Antion into a

future that is brighter than it ever has been before?” King Damian

asked as the crowd rose to their feet again.

Many of those gathered broke into cheers and gazed up at

their king with something I’d never seen before —
hope
. But there so much pain and fear still written on the faces of the women who

cradled babies in their bony arms. In the tight stance of the men

and boys in tattered uniforms, not quite sure how to relax, not to

always be on guard.

There was still a long way to go to reach out for that bright

future Damian was promising us.

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But no matter what came next, I knew that this moment

would be branded on my mind and heart forever. Damian looked

at me once more, and this time, when he smiled, it was with the

brightness of the sun that burst through the windows, painting

everything gold and white.

I nodded at him, returning his smile. But mine was tinged

with bittersweet regret. There was still so much ahead of us. So

much work to be done, so many wounds to be healed — inside and

out. But he was right. The future had never been brighter — now

that
he
was the king of Antion.

And I would be at his side, guarding him from the dan-

gers that lay ahead. As I watched my new king take his place on

the throne of Antion, my fingers tightened around the hilt of

my sword.

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 acknowledgments 

Wow, I have dreamt of writing an acknowledgments page for so

long, it’s hard to believe it’s really happening! Over the many years it has taken me to get to this point, the list of those I need to thank has continued to change and grow. There have been so many wonderful and amazing people along this long road who deserve more

than just a mention in my book, but I guess this is what you’ll have

to settle for!

First of all, I have to thank the incredible Lisa Sandell. I feel

like I won the editor lottery — I can’t imagine a more phenomenal

person to work with on this book. Thank you for believing in

Defy
, for loving my characters as much as I do, and for turning a lifelong dream into a reality. Your passion for what you do and

your talent in helping me shape this story into the best it could be

have meant the world to me. Thank you for everything, including

your friendship!

A huge cheer (and a hi-
YAH!
) for my amazing ninja agent, Josh Adams, the reason any of this is happening. I somehow lucked out

to not only get an incredible agent, but also gain a trusted friend and advisor in you. Thank you for everything you’ve done and continue

to do to bring my dreams into reality! And thank you also to Tracey

and the rest of the fantastic Adams Literary team and family!

Thank you to everyone at Scholastic who has worked so hard

to bring my story to life and to the shelf. Thank you all for your

belief in
Defy
; for the gorgeous cover that literally took my breath away (and then caused me to commence screaming, and jumping

up and down) because I was so happy when I saw it; and all of the

little and big steps along the way that take a manuscript and turn

it into a book.

Endless thanks go to the many readers over the years — there

are too many to list them all. Every one of you, who has read my

book and loved it or told me you believed in me, has helped more

than you can know. But I’m going to try and list off a few:

Elisse, you have read for me from the beginning — way back

when the books were handwritten. Your support has lifted me

up when I was down. I’m so grateful to have such a fantastic,

understanding friend and critique partner in my sister. Thank you

for being willing to read endless drafts, and for always having a

positive word for me no matter how low I got!

A, T, and E, way back in the beginning, your support, friend-

ship, help, and advice meant so much to me. Thanks also to

Stephanni Myers (no, not that one) whose editorial experience and

advice helped shape the writer I am today and taught me that all

those red marks covering the pages meant she liked it!

Thanks to Ally, for being there for me during a pivotal moment

with chocolate, music, a note, and more. Just what I needed! And

thank you for continuing to be a wonderful friend and support

through the years.

Thank you to Natalie Whipple for your friendship, support,

and critiques. You’ve always been there for me, and I can’t thank

you enough!

I wish I could list every person who ever helped me, but it

would be impossible. This is an attempt to acknowledge some

of the people who have been pivotal to my journey: Julie Berry,

Brodi Ashton, Bree Despain, Elana Johnson, Chersti Nieveen,

Carolina Valdez Miller, Anne Blankman, Bethany Hudson,

Michelle Argyle, Kasie West, Renee Collins, Sara Raasch, Candice

Kennington, Jenn Johansson, Elle Strauss, everyone from the
best

BYU WIFYR group ever, the incredible YA Valentines, Sarah Cox,

Stacey Ratliff, Dialma Jensen, and Erin Thain, and so many

more. . . . Thank you for supporting me and my crazy dreams, for

reading or critiquing queries or manuscripts for me, and above all

for your friendships.

Kathryn Purdie — I’m so grateful for you in my life. You are

the reason I dared hit send on those queries for
Defy
. Your love of this story meant the world to me, but far more important has

been the gift of your friendship. Thank you!

Kerstin, Kaitlyn, and Lauren — I’m so grateful for your sup-

port and love. Thank you for reading and loving my stories over

the years. All four of my sisters are the best cheerleaders and best

friends a girl could hope for! (Lauren, I’m still lobbying for you to play Alexa someday. I’ll let you know how that goes.)

Mom, I can’t thank you enough. For being the person I want

to be when I grow up. For believing in me. For always reading and

giving your honest feedback. I hope I’ve made you proud! Dad,

who is the best dad a girl could ask for! Thank you so, so much for

everything. I always know I can count on you for anything, any-

time. No matter what. How lucky am I?

To my in-laws, Marilyn and Robert, for being excited for me

and for helping spread the word and for your support — thank you!

To Hans Zimmer, Florence and the Machine, James Horner,

Sia, Imogen Heap, and so many other composers and musicians

whose music has helped inspire me over and over again. I can’t

write without the perfect song to match my mood, and your music

has been on repeat for a long, long time.

And last, but far from least, my family. To my three beautiful

children, who love me despite my failings as a mom and my long

hours “working on my book” on the computer. You are my angels.

The gift of being your mother is one I hope to be good enough to

deserve someday. To Trav — my rock, my support, my everything.

You never stopped believing, you never stopped cheering me on,

you never let me even talk about quitting. You are the one who

kept me going no matter what, no matter how desperate things

were. There aren’t words adequate enough, but this will have to

suffice: Thank you, I love you — now and forever.

 about the author 

Sara B. Larson can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books,

although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid

notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband and their three

children. She writes during nap time and the quiet hours when

most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a

degree in the art of multitasking. On occasion, you will find her

hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish.