Avan's Gift (Queen Avan, #1)

by Alice Ivinya

  My eyes widened and I sat back in my chair. “I... well...is this what Cedric wants?” The words spilled out before I could think them through.

  The king narrowed his eyes and I regretted speaking. “Even a washerwoman doubts him?” The king slammed his hand onto the table. “Prince Cedric could be a good king if he has a good wife. If the throne passes to either of his brothers, he will label himself as a political liability. He becomes a figurehead for rebellion, whether he wants to or not. His brothers will come to hate him. The future path of succession becomes hazy. It would not be a good position for anyone, including the country.”

  I nodded, only half understanding. “I’m sure Prince Cedric will forget about me soon enough.” The words caught slightly in my throat, but I knew them to be true. I had been a novelty for Cedric, a distraction from the stress. Nothing more.

  The king nodded firmly. “You are to avoid him when he returns. You will not think about becoming his mistress. I want no disruption to the marriage negotiations.”

  I blushed deeply. “I would never...”

  The king stood, and I rushed to stand up too. “I’m glad that we’ve reached an agreement, Mistress Weaver. If your service to me goes well, I will reward you with a title.”

  I curtseyed, still bewildered. I wasn’t even sure what having a title meant. “Thank you, your Majesty.” I thought about everything I had heard today and couldn’t help but ask, “Lady May, is she the one?”

  The king hesitated. “Continue using your ears more than your mouth, girl. Keep quiet, but keep that brain sharp, and it may save your life.”

  The king left the room and I numbly took a step towards the door after him. The king had felt he had to forbid me from marrying the crown prince. Me, a mere laundry girl. I would have laughed, if my insides didn’t feel so twisted I was nauseous. Did Cedric really feel that way about me? By the earth, I had no idea what to do.

  Chapter Nine

  The Girl in the Tower

  I said goodbye to Joff, who had thankfully been served some food and wine in the courtyard, and promised I’d visit soon. Then I followed a page to my new home.

  My rooms in the castle were simple. They were near the top of one of the round towers and very much out of the way. I had a greeting room with two chairs and a writing table, a bedroom that was barely large enough for the bed, and a garderobe. The latter was terrifying. The garderobe’s floor and walls were creaking wood, making it feel like you were stepping into a dark crate. The planks had wide cracks between them, showing how far the room stuck out beyond the castle wall, so when you relieved yourself, everything fell straight into the moat. If I made it alive to the seat, no more than a plank with a hole, without falling through the floor to my death, my bottom would freeze. I would have to hold on as long as possible, but at least it didn’t smell like the pits back at Vale.

  Thinking of Vale made me compare the rooms to my old home, where the walls had been partially living trees with branches woven together and mud caked in between. Instead in the main room were three large empty flower pots. Before the drought, it must have been normal to have plants in every room like back home, even if they weren’t part of the castle structure. Maybe I could Grow my own now. It was so long since I’d been surrounded by plants.

  I flopped down in a chair and rubbed my temples. The day had been long and stressful and I was tired. Right now I regretted ever talking to Lilith. I tugged off my shawl and pinafore and threw them across the room, which made a shower of paper fall from the desk. Wearily, I staggered over to gather them up. There were about a dozen notes, all sealed with wax blobs indented with sigils, and they appeared to be from nobles ordering me around.

  ‘Meet me in the Growers Courtyard at second bell, Lady Lilith Trendal.’

  ‘Don’t speak to anyone but wait for my servant to summon you, Lady May Waters.”

  ‘I would be delighted if you could join me for lunch in my chambers, Lady Seraphine.”

  ‘Your presence is requested by Lord Rupert Arden tomorrow at noon in his audience chamber.’

  ‘Don’t talk to anyone about what you saw at the ambush. Don’t trust anyone. Princess Elenor.’

  I threw the papers back onto the desk and accidentally knocked it with my wrist. The jolt toppled over the candle and before I could catch it, several of the invitations caught alight. I grabbed my shawl and hurriedly used it to hit the table before the flames could spread.

  “By the Arts,” I muttered. It was definitely time for bed.

  I BLINKED MY EYES OPEN to heavy thudding at the door. I squinted at the window, and to my horror I saw the sun was already at its peak. My arms and legs ached and my head still hurt, so I pulled the covers over my face, hoping the day would just go away. The thumping didn’t stop.

  I groaned, rolled out of bed and grabbed my shawl to wrap around my night shift, though it was not cold. My bare feet slapped against the stone floor as I padded to the door and pulled up the latch. I hardly had time to step back as Lady May shoved the door open and barged into the room.

  She glanced around, hands on hips, before looking me up and down with a wry smile. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

  I pulled the shawl tighter, but realised blotches of it were singed and it stank of smoke from when I’d put out the fire last night. I pulled it off. “I was exhausted.” When my words sounded empty I added, “I Grew a whole field.”

  The lady smiled at my sulky tone and her expression softened. “I’m sorry. I’m truly grateful for what you did yesterday, and that you are willing to help Cedric and the other captured Growers.”

  The noble sat down without invitation. She perched, straight backed and elegant on the largest chair. Her features were dainty, but her makeup was bold, intensifying her gaze, and her braids were cleverly arranged around golden oak leaves. She was beautiful, and I felt a stab of jealousy that she might be the one Prince Cedric would marry. How would she react if she knew Cedric claimed to love a washerwoman instead?

  The noble’s eyes lingered on the blackened and ashen invitations and messages but she didn’t comment. Instead, she spread her skirts and indicated for me to sit next to her as if this was her room not mine. I sighed, scolding myself internally for my prickly attitude.

  “I have spoken to the king,” said Lady May. “I said I had your consent, and I hope that’s all right. He is favourable for our plan to get Cedric back. We will invite the northern Taharan lords to a feast to celebrate the end of the famine, and you will be the main entertainment. We’ll dress you up, make a theatrical show of it, then you will make as much soil fertile as you can. We’ll give the Tharans food for them and their livestock, and they’ll release their captives.”

  I nodded. “I could try the sulphur plains? If Farthi can grow crops along the whole of the River Herne, we’ll never have issues again. We could even trade abroad at full capacity in winter. The country will become rich.”

  Lady May frowned. “Impossible.”

  “I’d like to try,” I pleaded.

  The lady studied me with a blank expression before her face broke into a smile. “I suppose we’ll never know exactly what you can do until we try. How about you rest for the day and then ride out with me tomorrow?”

  I smiled gratefully, then bit my lip. “Princess Elenor was very short with me, yesterday. I don’t know if I need to make amends?”

  Lady May waved her hand. “She was more annoyed at Lord Stanly, You needn’t trouble yourself. She’s a tough woman and has foiled two assination attempts on her and Killian this year. She’s anxious and a little paranoid, understandably so.”

  My blood ran cold. “Assassinations?”

  She made a calming motion. “Attempted, only. When Cedric is married and has an heir, and so will be the clear choice of king, all this will die down. Don’t worry.”

  I still felt cold in my bones. I looked at the invitations, wondering if any of the people I was meant to see were dangerous. “What do I do about those?”

&nb
sp; Lady May stood and shook her head. “The tactful thing would have been to send apologies to each sender saying why you couldn’t come, but it appears you can no longer read them.” She poked the pile of ashes. “You will have slighted quite a few people here, I’m afraid, but I’ll spread the word you are ill, so unable to leave your rooms today. Other than that, you will have to rely on the excuse of your naivety.” She sighed and turned back to me, wiping her sooty finger on a handkerchief. “Meet me at the stables at dawn tomorrow.” She raised an eyebrow and her lips twitched. “Unless you’d rather have a lie in.”

  “I think I’ll manage,” I replied dryly. Then a realisation made me blush. “I don’t... the only clothes I have for proper riding are the male clothes I arrived in.”

  Lady May gave me a tight lipped smile that made her eyes gleam. “Well, we can’t have that, can we? I’ll have some clothes sent to you until you can have your own tailored.”

  I bit my lip and wondered how much of Cedric’s remaining money would be spent on getting dresses tailored that were good enough for court.

  I held open the door and a maid was waiting on the other side for Lady May. The woman gave me one last look. “I’ll have dinner sent up tonight and clothes in the morning. Try not to cause any more trouble.”

  I nodded but she had already disappeared around the curve in the staircase.

  I WOKE UP TO A COOL breeze creeping through the window shutters, accompanying the early dawn light. The early bedtime had paid off. After a terrifying trip to the seat of the garderobe, I found a neatly folded pile of clothes on the table of the greeting room, which was tied with silk ribbons. Unnerved to discover that others had a key to my room, I checked that nothing had been disturbed while I slept, but all seemed in order. I unwrapped the bundle and couldn’t help but run the smooth ribbons across my lips. The quality of the clothes was exquisite, and I pitied whoever had to wash such grand garments without damaging them. My lips twitched. It wasn’t going to be me.

  On top of the pile was a sturdy dress with skirts divided for riding, a leather habit to pull over the top, and soft gloves. There were also two linen day dresses with woven silk belts, a light cloak to replace my shawl, and no pinafores or hair wraps in sight. I grinned. I was becoming a proper lady now.

  I dressed quickly and ate an apple I had saved from dinner. Excitement thrummed inside. Might I really be able to Grow the sulphur plains? No one would dare patronise or discount me afterwards and Mrs Firth could gossip about somebody else for a change. Even Ma would have to be proud of me. And Cedric and the others would finally be safe.

  I tried to fit the dagger onto the woven belt, now I had no bag, but the gold gilding stood out. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I suspected I didn’t want anyone to know I had Chancellor Felix’s dagger. Princess Elenor had noted it on me straight away yesterday and if there was any chance his death had been done by Farthi and not Tharans, I needed to distance myself from that. I looked back again at the ribbons and had an idea. I threaded two through the loop on the sheath and then wrapped them around my thigh. It would be hard to access quickly, but when my skirts fell, you couldn’t tell I was wearing it. I felt much safer feeling the cold metal against my skin.

  I opened the door and hurried down the spiral stone staircase while I tugged on the riding gloves. The weather would be warm, but I’d never worn a proper, billowing woman’s cloak before and couldn’t resist that either. I loved the way it dragged on the steps behind me, sending a hissing whisper off the walls. At each rotation of the staircase, there was a deep shadowy alcove with a door. I guessed they were all to simple guest rooms like mine, and I wondered who lived inside and how many were occupied. I would have to make an effort to meet my new neighbours and hopefully make some friends in this place.

  A dark movement caught the corner of my eye as I hurried around the spiral. I turned my face towards it, but before I could make anything out, hard hands hit my back. I screamed and my feet floundered in bare air. I choked on my panic as I felt myself hurtle downwards, the steep stone stairs falling away to dizziness. I covered my head with my hands just before I hit the sharp edges of stone and started to roll, each second agony.

  The back of my head cracked and lights flashed and left me in darkness. My mouth tasted of metal and salt. I had come to a halt but my vision was nothing but white and black splotches. I tried to move and nausea wracked my body. I managed to turn my head to vomit so I didn’t choke.

  Distantly, I heard running footsteps, and then there were hands on my throat. For a moment I thought I was about to be strangled, then I realised they were feeling my pulse. “Avan?” said a voice that sounded familiar. “Can you hear me?”

  “Cedric?” I coughed.

  “It’s Rupert, Avan. Cedric’s brother. I’m going to lift you and get help. You’ve fallen down the stairs and need a healer. There is one in the castle visiting from the Golden Cove. An Eltarian. We’ll go to him. You’ll be all right; he will heal you. Don’t worry.”

  His voice was so calm and gentle, I wasn’t prepared for the sudden pain as he lifted me. My limbs and ribs screamed. I gasped, which made the pain in my ribs worse. I bit back sobs, trying to breathe as shallowly as possible to limit the pain, but then felt increasingly dizzy from the lack of air.

  “Hush, Avan, Keep with me. You’ll be all right. Just hold on.”

  It was hard to concentrate on his voice or the eventual echoing shouts and startled cries. Each jolt and repositioning of Rupert’s arms was agony. At last I felt myself being lowered onto something soft and Rupert giving hurried orders. I pushed down my panic as my vision stayed black with explosions of white, but I was losing all control. The person who pushed me was probably close and I had no idea who was surrounding me. I couldn’t see my injuries, only feel the throbbing pain in my arms and legs, and the agony every time I dragged in a breath. I wanted to see how bad they were, to understand my pain. A hand stroked my forehead and a woman started singing far away. I drifted away into twisted dreams.

  I WOKE UP IN SILK SHEETS and a dark room. I tried to sit up in confusion but couldn’t move my arms. I looked to find them both tightly bandaged with splints. Under the sheets, I was wearing a loose sleeveless gown that laced down the front. It stuck to my body, which was covered in a sticky paste. It no longer hurt to breathe and my vision was blissfully clear. I turned my head to see my hair had been untied but was still caked with dry blood.

  “Hello?” I called feebly, and suppressed a shiver of fear.

  A shadow that had been slumped in the corner jerked and became a person. She stood and walked to my side, wiping sleep from her eyes. I squinted at her face with smudged makeup and a halo of frizz around her braids. “Lady May?”

  She sat down on the corner of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better than before. Groggy. Somebody... somebody pushed me down the stairs. I didn’t see who. What if they come here? What if they try again?”

  “Hush, girl. It’s all right. I’m here as is Palem, the healer and Lord Rupert has guards on the door. Princess Elenor sent a maid, who is sleeping next door. That’s a lot of people for anyone to sneak past.” Her eyes tightened and she took my hand. “I’m sorry, Avan. The king asked me to keep an eye on you and keep you safe. I hoped you had merely tripped in your new dress, not... what you say. I didn’t think anyone would try something so drastic, especially so quickly. I should have given you a maid or guard. I just didn’t expect this. But I won’t be caught out again, we’ll find out who did this, and you’ll never be alone from now on.”

  I nodded but still didn’t feel safe in the unfamiliar dark room. With relief I noted my dagger was on the bedside table with the ribbons trailing from the sheath. I looked down at my arms. I wouldn’t be able to even hold it if something happened. “What happened when I wasn’t awake? I couldn’t... I couldn’t see”

  Lady May smiled reassuringly and sat back, folding her hands in her lap. Her eyes lost their vulnerability and she became sel
f-assured again. “You’ve had the best of care. Quite extraordinary really. Palem is an Eltarian healer who is gifted in the Arts. He used his Arts to heal the crack in your skull, stop the bleed in your brain, and set your ribs and arms. But he said they needed to be in splints for support until the callous is stronger. He made concoctions for the pain and to put you in a deep sleep, and a salve for the bruising. It’s been three days. Palem said it was best for you to be unconscious through the worst of it and that you needed strict rest. But we’ve been massaging your limbs and turning you to help reduce sores and stiffness.”

  I frowned into the darkness. “Three days? But that’s a long time.”

  “We told the family you were living with and your friend, Klia, has visited every day. As has Lady Lilith and Princess Elenor. Lord Rupert has been very attentive, too. He was the one who found you and brought you. He probably saved your life.”

  I stared at the blankets as I processed her words. “What was Lord Rupert doing at the bottom of the stairs of the guest tower?”

  Lady May shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’m sure you wouldn’t be here if he had meant you harm.”

  “Somebody pushed me,” I repeated, wide eyed into the dark dark corners of the room. “Why would anyone do that to me? I’m just trying to help Grow food for everyone.” Sobs threatened to bubble up my throat and I took a few deep breaths.

  Lady May laid a hand on my shoulder. “You need to stay calm and still, Avan. You’ll feel better as you heal and the sedative fades from your blood. We’ll work out who did this later. Right now we need to get you better for the feast.”

  “Feast?”

  The woman nodded in the darkness. “The invitations were sent to the Tharan lords before your fall. They will all be here in ten days to witness you make a large amount of land fertile and so represent the end of the famine. Palem said you should be walking and able by then if you rest.”