by Eve Bradley
“Ah. Yes. Well, I’ll leave you with this...” Sultan Hajj got to his knees and came forward, leaning over the table a bit. “If you ever need a place again, you are welcome here. And if we all survive it, as my heir.”
“Your daughters would not like it,” Glend smiled, feeling strangely secure with this promise. “But I thank you.”
Heir? Glend couldn’t even think about it. He liked the idea too much. It was too good, too sinfully sweet for him to even acknowledge.
“Of course. You never gave them your best asset, and for that, I am thankful. They’re worth more as virgins. And, if pray tell, you decide you want to delve into the pleasure that once reigned between us, I am open to it.”
Glend’s heart hammered in his chest. He swallowed hard and tried not to vomit his full warm belly of tea. He must be sick because something within him recognized the ease of that life. It would be simpler to live that way, to buy his safety. Catryn was unsteady and now, absent. But he couldn’t betray her, nor Valryn. The other half of him despised that the Sultan even offered this in the first place. He’d been so young and foolish before. He wasn’t that person anymore, at least, not to that extent.
“Thank you...” is all he could muster.
Maru
The Desert
They’d made camp overlooking a vast rolling sea of sand with the odd dry brush dotting the path ahead. It was difficult to find kindling, but she did so alongside Catryn, who insisted that she wouldn’t let Maru “take care” of her.
Maru didn’t feel right about it. She watched the graceful woman swoop and kneel to gather the sticks, and could not help herself from admiring Catryn’s frame even in the loose shoddy garments she wore. Gods, it was foolish of her to feel this way. To be so magnetized to her...as if this were some childhood infatuation.
Flashbacks from the time Catryn had been bitten by the Misthag and nearly died from the poison came crushing down on her. The soft kiss they’d shared was a sweet sinful secret in her heart. She never expected anything else and knew that it was wrong for her even to admire Catryn objectively.
Evanona was a playful, loving kingdom, but men married women. There was not much exploration of any other sexuality. Banato, her late husband, had been so kind to her. She missed him still. Even if they hadn’t had the most passionate marriage, she’d upheld her duty, and losing that title had stripped away part of her identity. It felt that she was still searching for her place in the world. With her children hundreds of miles away and sworn service to the Peacequeen, it was hard to see clearly who she was before. Without them, she found herself drifting into new territory: who was she without those things?
They settled by the fire. Catryn effortlessly snatched up a rodent with her telekinesis, and Maru answered by snapping the creature's neck, skinning it, and roasting it over the fire. She used some of the dry herbs she’d collected into little velvet bags, each one labeled with gold thread.
“So this tomb...” Maru questioned through a mouthful. “It’s a previous Peaceking’s resting place. Aren’t you worried there will be traps or curses?”
“Well...I’d hope someone devoted to the good of others wouldn’t plague their tomb with curses,” Cat replied, tone snarky. “I wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, but you’re...” Maru began and then stopped. She wouldn’t go there.
“What? I’m what?” Cat sat upright, keen to know what exactly she thought.
“You’re like...a flower. A pretty flower. You don’t want to harm anyone. You just show up like that,” she motioned to Cat’s physique, “and you feel like you’re never enough. You’re not dominant in the least. In my experience, women who look like you think they own the world. And they’re not even peacequeen.”
“I can be dominant,” Catryn rolled her eyes. “I’ve had to play that part many times.”
She laughed as if this were some obvious joke.
Maru cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Oh, come on! You know what I did for a living since fourteen.”
“I don’t need details,” Maru grumbled, shuffling lower and crossing her arms. “Hell no.”
“That’s alright. It’s a rabbit hole you wouldn’t appreciate. Speaking of dark, terrible things...have you heard any word of the Raspandian prince?”
Maru hadn’t heard much. She’d quickly made the arrangements with the Vault Council and professors at the university and traveled northeast to Yamar with the group of soldiers Cat had sent with her. She felt somewhat safe, but it was a lonely trek through deep forests and scattered moorlands. The men had listened to her dutifully, but they hadn’t wanted to speak with her. Probably because they were scared of her. Her reputation was quite ominous.
“No. I tried to get here as quickly as I could.”
“Well. The general seemed to think he’s still a threat,” Catryn spoke as if it were obvious. “Kalif...remember him?”
“Mm. Yes. I do,” Maru nodded as she picked at the rabbit meat. “The one who came in like a gold-cloaked hero just as we thought we were about to die by those Rhaspandian cunts?”
Catryn nodded and crossed her arms. Red waves were flushed out the sides of her hood, and the glint of the silver crown caught Maru’s eye. She couldn’t help but feel awkward in the woman’s presence, so she looked away. The sand was far less appealing.
“He was the one who told me of this place. He hinted that maybe it could hold the answers that I seek. Yet, why would he do it?”
Maru shrugged. Baffled.
“Sounds like he has a plan, doesn’t it?”
“I think so. People always want something, don’t they? If it doesn’t benefit them, why would they do it?” Cat expressed as if it were a dire truth.
But people didn’t always rely on their personal gains to choose what they wanted. Maru knew this well. It was duty and work that drove many people, even if it didn’t benefit them specifically. Stripping people down to nothing more than selfish creatures seemed brutal.
“I don’t get anything out of following you,” Maru retorted, satisfied with herself.
“Don’t you?” Catryn smirked languidly, and heat hurried down Maru’s legs. “Every choice is an exchange. You get something from this. Don’t mistake it.”
She didn’t know how to respond, so set about cooking up a brew that was exceptional for maintaining hydration. She’d brought many different herbs and tinctures with her this time, and drew the correct vials from her bag. Mixing and stirring the ingredients together, she created a strong-smelling liquid in a stone bowl and heated it over the flames.
“Drink. You’ll keep your strength longer tomorrow.”
She offered the bowl to Catryn. Her fingers grazed hers as she grabbed it. She downed half in a few gulps, wincing as she handed it back.
“Oh, hush. It’s not meant to be good,” Maru laughed.
They chuckled together in the warm night air. Occasionally a breeze would blow over them and relieve Maru of the heat itching in her skin. Things were so different. She imagined her son's sweet faces. She could feel her hands running over the shorn black hair on their heads before she leaned down to kiss them goodbye. She’d told them she’d be back soon. She promised them she’d return them to Evanona, and they’d be with Uncle Rafa and her brother Makel when she was finished doing Catryn’s bidding. Recalling the tears that streamed down their faces caused a pit to form in her gut.
“I’m sorry you had to leave them,” Cat said, and the emotion in her tone curdled Maru’s stomach.
“They wouldn’t have been safe in Evanona. Even though Queen Tamati was reinstated, and my uncle and brother remain, I couldn’t risk it. I think they understood. I don’t know...I can’t explain why I even chose this. I shouldn’t be here. I should be with my kin. Supporting my queen and the people whom I serve.”
The words came so swiftly it was hard to stop. Maru wasn’t accustomed to speaking so freely, and she felt herself becoming stone as she stood there, releasing this pent up anxiety. It was as if
all her fears and guilt poured from her, lapping at Catryn’s legs and slowly filling up the surrounding air.
“But I’ll tell you this. I never felt purpose like this before, Peacequeen. I feel that I need to help,” she sighed.
Cat nodded, and Maru felt in her bones that she understood.
“I was pregnant before,” Cat said. “I lost the child. I didn’t even know who the father was. But when I carried her...I felt like it was meant to be. Like her life was a force, and something inside me wanted her to live so badly. Maybe all that wanting was what ruined it. I only say this because I can’t imagine leaving a child you love. No less two. I would not be angry if you chose to do as you must for their sakes first.”
“I didn’t know...Sorry you experienced that,” Maru swallowed, easing down into a crouch.
“Your children...what are their names again?” Cat asked, eyes bright and curious.
“Joa and Kellas. Joa is six, well...seven now. Kellas is eight. I had them very close together. They’re smart as all hell. Good boys. Strong and silly.”
Maru didn’t realize right away when the tears began to form on the ridges of her eyes. It stung, and that’s what clued her in. She didn’t cry often, and the feeling was strange and belittling.
“I will meet them,” Cat said as if it were set in stone. Perhaps the gods told her so.
“Yea? I hope to the gods you do. I only hope more that I make it out of this desert alive. I cannot die without seeing them grown,” Maru said, wiping her thumb slowly across the strange droplets on her lash line.
“I won’t let you die,” Catryn grabbed her wrist and held firmly. “I promise. That should be the last thing you fear.”
Maru gazed at her, aslant, through a few stray tendrils of her dark, chaotic hair. Catryn’s thin fingers cut into her wrist, but she didn’t want her to let go. There was nothing to say, only the implication that Maru had to trust her because there they were, in the middle of the desert, searching for an ancient Peaceking’s tomb. She couldn’t turn back.
Their eyes connected, and for a second, she wanted to lean over and feel her silky lips. It was tempting, being out in the open desert, the stars glittering overhead, a fire crackling behind them. It made Maru feel loose and calm, even if the flare of emotions cascaded over her, she could stuff them away quickly. Her children would be fine, and they were in the safest place possible. They’d learn more than they would in Evanona, that was certain.
“We’ll rise early. Let’s rest,” Maru said as she pulled her arm away, skin tingling.
In the middle of the night, Maru found herself wide awake. She rolled over, the wind beating against her face, and saw that Cat was staring at the sky. Sheer clouds veiled the sparkling stars. But she felt so lost in the closeness to the earth. There was something about being connected to nature, so far away from civilization, that calmed every restless feeling in her bones.
“Do you have any of those dragon stories...” Cat whispered.
Maru’s lips lifted in a sleepy smile. She remembered the first night she’d laid beside Catryn in that snow-surrounded inn. She’d told her how the sea dragons had created the Evanonan people, and there they founded the Seaborne castle. Her blood surged with the love and pride of her origins.
“The stories say...well,” she licked her lips, and pointed her gaze to the sky again. “The Evanonan’s were born from the blood of the sea dragons. They share the same bloodlines. They began the ritual of dueling for leadership. When one dragon wants to be dominant over another, they battle to the death- that’s where they got it. It’s a gory tradition. Still, it’s said the sea dragons would come to watch their descendants duel atop the cliffs for the right to be Queen. They are beasts of fury and power. Death doesn’t scare them, just as it doesn’t scare us. Legend says that when our bodies die, they ferry our souls back down to the bottom of the ocean where the dragons take us home.”
“Sounds like a fairytale,” Catryn said simply.
“It’s not,” Maru snapped. “Besides. You’re the one who wanted the story.”
“Have you ever seen one?” Catryn asked as she shut her eyes, lulled closer to slumber.
“Once...as a girl. I fell into the sea,” Maru shifted her shoulders, trying to find comfort against the hard cradle of ground. “I woke up later on the beach. Every night afterward, I had dreams of them. Comforting me and spilling their archaic secrets.”
Catryn stayed silent. Maru felt foolish for sharing this with her and cleared her throat. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought about her experience. She rolled over, more melancholy than she’d been before.
“Do you think that courtesan is still alive? The one that Prince Lucarian had bound in his tent on display?”
Maru shrugged.
“You can’t save everyone. Why are you thinking of her?”
“I don’t know...I just can’t get her out of my mind,” Catryn’s voice wavered, and then she sighed, once again laying back to, as Maru assumed, to be consumed by her tangled thoughts.
Margaret
Raspandian Palace, The North
Margaret had been called to assist Lucarian’s sisters in choosing their new gowns for the spring. Angeliva had invited her, making a big show of it, inviting all the highest courtiers to come and witness the beautiful things that arrived from all over. There were light linens and bright cloths, airy shoes, and new jewelry to fit the springtime schematics. Margaret clasped her hands in her lap as she watched the girls awkwardly laugh and converse with their mother and their invitees.
Everyone was glad and honored to be there. Margaret felt sick. Her stomach was rolling with angst, and she found herself looking out the window yearning to be out of the castle. She wished her father and siblings cared to find her. She wished so many things.
She’d dressed down this day in a tawny dress with an empire waist and long loose sleeves. She knew it made her look pale and nearly unattractive. Like a sickly pig in winter. But that was what she desired. To be anything but attractive to Lucarian. Ever since Zothar had arrived and seemed particularly intrigued by her, he’d begun to accuse her more regularly. The jealousy was rampant and irrational.
She clapped frantically, realizing that applause filled the room as Angeliva posed a few different dramatic ways in front of the long mirror, looking extremely celestial in pastel pink.
“Come, Margaret,” she reached a hand out to her.
Margaret froze, looking around at those seated around her. She couldn’t possibly be speaking to her. She saw the smirks on the other sisters' faces.
“We have a present for you,” Angeliva smiled kindly.
Dedreia smiled welcomingly and beckoned her.
Margaret forced an appeasing expression onto her face. Standing, she walked to where they stood. A servant woman was holding out a bright floral green dress. Beside her, there was a woman presenting matching shoes and a cape. It embodied the spring, tiny pink blooms stitched into the emerald. She bowed low.
“Thank you, your Majesty,” she said.
The princesses giggled, and Elvensa wrapped her arms around Margaret from behind.
“Try it on! I bet Luc will love it.”
Margaret locked her teeth and bit down the retort brewing. She complied and silently went to the changing space. A servant helped her out of her gown and into the fresh. The cloth caused goosebumps to rise. There was a chill in the air, and it teased her senses. She rubbed her arms as she walked back out into the gathering. There were oohs and ahs, as she expected. The lot of them were glorified hens.
What she didn’t expect was to like how the dress looked on her. It complimented her cream skin and ash blonde hair. It also made her waist look fantastically small.
“That’s better, isn’t it?” Lorraina asked her shrewdly.
“You’re definitely built to model the spring and summer colors, not the winter,” Angeliva agreed.
Ryndal let out a loud sigh.
It made her uncomfortable, and she awkwar
dly groped around in her mind for something to say. But before she could, there was a knock at the door to the Unity chambers. Metal boots clanked as the guards opened the doors, and in strode the tall, gigantic Zothar. He looked especially unkempt and wild today, his beefy chest puffed up with thick leather engraved with Catharsan runes. Runes that were sacred to the clans.
“Prince Lucarian asked for her,” he pointed at Margaret.
The silence that fell over them was disturbing, and she smiled at the queen awkwardly.
“Of course. We’ll look forward to hearing what was so urgent that he couldn’t wait till after you were finished spending time with his family, later,” Dedreia winked at her, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Did the woman know how disturbed her son actually was? Margaret wondered if all of them knew. Was it obvious to everyone what sort of sadistic relationship she’d been cursed to serve in?
Margaret tilted her head and curtsied before following Zothar.
Just seeing him sent straps of fear belting down over her heart. She crossed her arms and followed at a distance. She didn’t want to Lucarian to see them anywhere near each other. But then why would he have sent Zothar for her in the first place? Was it a test?
Knowing Luc, it most was most likely something to that extent.
“Pretty dress,” Zothar said in the Catharsan tongue.
She responded by staring at her feet as they walked, the copper laced floors something for her to follow. She was used to this walk. The floors she knew better than any other view in the castle — the narrow, rust-colored patterned walkways facilitating some type of meditation.
“You’re quiet for a Catharsan girl,” he noted. “All the females back home are louder than the men.”
“I’m a Catharsan noble, not of the clans,” she told him, unable to hide her irritation.
