The Unbound Queen

by M. J. Scott

  At the sight of Sophie and Tok, her silver eyebrows shot upward. "I thought you were rusticating in the countryside?"

  "We came back," Sophie said shortly. "The emperor needed his duq, apparently." She didn't want to say more than that.

  Perhaps Madame Simsa read something in her tone. She didn't ask any more about Sophie's return. "Come for a lesson, have you?"

  "Actually, I came to ask you about Tok. I've decided I will take him as my familiar. So I need to know how that works."

  "You could ask your sanctii, she'd probably tell you." Madame Simsa's expression was as sharp as her voice.

  "I'm asking you, Venable. You and Henri told me not to do water magic." Not that the bond was water magic as she understood it. Petty fams were a tool of earth. Though one that Anglion earth witches didn't use. Or even know about. Imogene's words in the bain-sel about Anglion women being held back from their power came back to her. As did the image of the soap floating in the air. Which was almost definitely Sophie using the water magic that she was not supposed to.

  Madame Simsa, however, didn't seem to be able to tell that Sophie had broken the rules. "I suppose that is a step in the right direction." She stepped back and beckoned Sophie inside.

  Rikki was curled on one of the sofas seemingly asleep, but the monkey opened one brown eye briefly as Sophie came into the room with Tok on her shoulder, before closing it again as though satisfied that there was nothing to be concerned about.

  "Have you told Elarus about this?" Madame Simsa asked.

  "Not precisely," Sophie said. "Will it matter to her?"

  Madame Simsa shrugged. "Maybe not. There aren't many earth witches who also are strong enough in water magic to hold a sanctii and the bond between each mage and their sanctii is similar but not identical. I was already bonded with Rikki when I bonded with Belarus. He didn't seem to mind." Madame Simsa settled down next to Rikki. "But your bond with Elarus is far from the usual kind, so perhaps it would be prudent to ask."

  "I'm not sure she could change my mind." Sophie said. "Mestier Allyn said Tok was fretting already while I was away. I don't want him to be sent away."

  "You must make your own decisions, of course. But still, when it comes to one's sanctii, it pays to keep things civil. And in your case, make sure there are no peculiarities in your bond that might play into this."

  Sophie hadn't considered that aspect of the problem.

  "I'll do it now," Sophie said. She barely had time to think [Elarus] before the sanctii appeared.

  "Yes?" Elarus asked in her graveled voice.

  "We have a question for you," Sophie said. "Do you understand about petty familiars?"

  Elarus glanced down at the sofa where Rikki was curled up next to Madame Simsa. "Like that one? Yes." Her gaze returned to Sophie. Or maybe it was the raven she was watching.

  Sophie stroked Tok's beak. "You've met Tok before. Well, I was thinking of making him my petty fam. Is that something you would mind?"

  "Mind?"

  "Would it upset you?"

  Elarus' expression shifted. "Upset? No. But why need small one when have sanctii?"

  "I'm an earth witch too," Sophie said. "And Tok has grown attached to me. The Master of Raven thinks it would be best if we formed the bond. I agree."

  "Small one should be happy." Elarus was definitely watching Tok now. The bird was uncharacteristically silent and still under her gaze. "I bond?"

  "Madame Simsa will show me how," Sophie said. "Unless it would be different because of the way you and I are joined?"

  Elarus shrugged. Apparently not. Sophie looked across to Madame Simsa. "That seems to answer that."

  "Good," Madame Simsa said. "When do you want to do this?"

  "Is it difficult?"

  "Not hugely. Normally it is something that a student would attempt after progressing further in their studies than you have, but there are precedents for bonding early when the petty fam has shown such a clear preference." Madame Simsa looked at Tok. "Silly creature. Hardly out of the nest and thinking that you should have a person of your own. Too smart for your own good, just like your mother."

  Tok seemed to take this with no comment to offer in return. Or else he was still quelled by Elarus's watchful gaze. But he was going to have to get used to the sanctii.

  Sophie waited to see if Madame Simsa was going to continue, but the older woman was looking down at Rikki, one hand stroking the monkey's head.

  "How did you meet Rikki?" Sophie asked.

  "At a party, of all things, "Madame Simsa said. "It wasn't unexpected. Our hostess was fond of strange pets and I had recently lost my previous petty fam. The bond extends their lifespan, but it can't stretch things forever, and I am quite old. Rikki wouldn't leave me alone at the party once she spotted me, and I realized I had found my next fam. It caused some consternation. Madame Petra was quite attached. Or so she claimed. Maybe she was trying to make sure that she wasn't left out of pocket. I handed over gold, and she didn't argue much against that. And Rikki has been with me ever since. Her species apparently can live thirty years or more in the forests where they roam, hopefully she will be by my side until my time is done." She nodded toward Tok. "These ones are long-lived, so that helps. Though you are young, child, so there will be loss in the end if you take this path. Does that worry you?"

  Sophie shook her head. "I've grown up with dogs and cats. I know what it is to have to say goodbye. I also know that the love before is worth the price you pay. And I imagine that the bond with a fam will be even deeper." She wasn't going into this entirely blind. She knew that the bond with Tok would offer an extra source of power and linkage to the earth when she needed it. Not in the realm of how a water mage could work with—or through—a sanctii but enough to be helpful in times of need.

  Not that she was doing it only for the power. Or at all, if she was honest. She simply didn't want to see Tok unhappy for something that was no fault of his own. She knew too much about how that felt, to want to inflict it on another when she had the power to prevent it.

  Madame Simsa's smile at her words was definitely approving. Which made a pleasant change from the chilly attitude Sophie had been received since she had bonded with Elarus.

  "What does the bond involve?" Sophie said. "A ritual?"

  "That is the formal way, yes," Madame Simsa said. "But it can be easier than that if you wish it."

  Sophie hesitated. "How easy?"

  "We could do it here and now if you wanted." Madame Simsa cocked her head.

  Was this a test? Sophie's bond with Cameron was irregular as was the way she'd bonded with Elarus. Was Madame Simsa wanting to see if she would take the unconventional path yet again if she was offered the choice?

  She needed allies, not mistrust. "Perhaps it would be better to do things the usual way," she said. "But I'd like it to be done soon."

  "Leaving again?" Madame Simsa asked.

  No. Not anymore. Sophie looked away to hide her flinch. "No. But Tok has waited long enough, and if we do this, then we can get on with our lives. Maybe Tok will be helpful to me in my studies." This earned her a squawk and a gentle nip to her ear, as though Tok wanted to reassure her that he would definitely be useful.

  She winced and smiled ruefully. "Maybe once we're bonded, he'll stop pecking me."

  "I wouldn't rely on that, my dear," Madame Simsa said "Petty fams tend to get more independent, not less so. Though you will, of course, have the power to compel him to action if you ever really need to." She pushed up from the sofa. "Let me speak to Henri and we will see what can be arranged for later this evening. The bonding doesn't take long, and it doesn't need to be a public spectacle. Your husband should attend though. In case there is something we need to adjust to deal with your augmentier." Her mouth quirked. "I suggest this be the last bond your consider forming. Three should be enough for any woman."

  "You have two," Sophie pointed out.

  "True. But not a third. I was not foolish enough to lock my power up with that o
f a man's. Not that you have done that exactly." Madame Simsa's expression turned speculative, and she peered at Sophie as though considering. "But still. Three is enough. Any more and anyone who can see the ley lines will be tripping over you. You don't want to draw any more attention to yourself than necessary."

  Too late for that.

  Sophie thought of the eyes of all the counselors in Aristides’s audience chamber. And remembered the domina's invitation. Or command. Whichever it had been. Yet another thing that she needed to attend to. But, first things first. Her stomach was starting to remind her that she hadn't eaten since she'd left Sanct de Sangre.

  "Is there something I should read about the ritual? Something I need to do to prepare. Or to prepare Tok?" she asked.

  "Do you have the LivreTerre?" Madame Simsa. "That has a chapter on petty familiars, which contains the basic ritual. As I said, there isn't much to it."

  The LivreTerre was one of the small tower of books about earth magic that sat on Sophie's desk in their apartment. "I have it. I'm going to get dinner, and then I will be in my rooms with Tok. Send for me there once Henri agrees."

  "I will," Madame Simsa said. "Make sure Tok eats. Petty fams can burn more energy when they're used in a working, so you need to get used to having to feed him up. I'm sure Mestier Allyn can advise you. At least he shouldn't have a fondness for exotic fruits like this one." She looked back over her shoulder to where Riki still slept. "She's cost me a small fortune over the years."

  Cameron waited for Sophie to finish eating. She'd been pale and quiet, shrunk in on herself, on the journey back from Sanct de Sangre and quieter still on their return from the palace. He hated seeing her that way.

  She looked somewhat happier now as she sat and ate, feeding Tok crumbs of toast between her own bites.

  Damn bird. He didn't understand why she was suddenly in a rush to bond with the creature. But if Tok could help her cope with the emperor's news, then he was going to accept it and move on. She was right, after all. A petty fam was nothing when she already had a sanctii.

  He'd stoked up the fire on his return from Henri's office. The maistre had been infuriated by Cameron's report that Eloisa had included Chloe in her hostages and angered further still that the emperor hadn't included him in the gathering at the palace to hear the news directly. But he'd kept his feeling in check, had offered no criticism of Cameron's and Sophie's decision not to return to Anglion. The maistre's restraint had done nothing to relieve Cameron's own anger. The coals had borne the brunt of his frustrations when he'd returned to the apartment, but at least the room had been warm by the time Sophie had appeared with Tok.

  She sat near it now, the warmth returning some life to her cheeks.

  The colors of the flames flickered over her hair bringing out the red sheen that was growing stronger every day and highlighting the patches of black starting to form. She hadn't said anything about those, but he'd noticed them at Sanct de Sangre.

  Water magic. Making its mark on her. Which only made the emperor's suggestion even more preposterous. Anglion wouldn't accept a water mage for a queen. Unless Sophie covered her hair every day and never spoke to Elarus, the powers she had embraced here in Illvya couldn't be hidden.

  But as much as he didn't like the plan, somewhere deep in his gut, he was beginning to believe that Aristides was correct about one thing. That there was something wrong in Anglion. Something wrong with Eloisa. The woman he'd known—who he'd shared a bed with-had been capricious and spoilt, perhaps, but she had never been cruel. Or overly power-hungry. Her position at the court had been clear. She was the Crown Princess. She would inherit after her father if she survived him. In fact, other than her desire not to remarry after she'd lost her husband, she hadn't made many overtly political moves that he could remember. It made no sense for her to challenge the empire now.

  Not if she was in her right mind and exercising her own will and not someone else's.

  The fact that Sophie had seen Eloisa in her visions seemed to only confirm his misgiving. Had she seen the queen again today? Clearly she'd seen more than she had told Domina Francis. Had it been Eloisa? That would be three times. He didn't know much about visions and water magic, but three times seemed like a message from the goddess.

  One perhaps they shouldn't ignore.

  "Are you going to tell me what else you saw?" he asked softly.

  Sophie's head jerked up, her expression flashing guilt. "What do you mean?"

  "You didn't tell Domina Francis everything, did you? I understand why you wouldn't, but I don't want you to hold back with me. You can tell me. Was it Eloisa again? The same vision?"

  Sophie slumped deeper into her chair. "Yes," she said quietly. Too quietly. "This time she turned and looked at me." She shivered. "Three times. Three times I've seen her now. It can't be a coincidence."

  Her words, so like his own thoughts, made him want to shiver too. "I think you need to talk to someone who knows more about this than we do."

  "Like Domina Francis? You think I should tell her that maybe Aristides is right? That something is terribly wrong in Anglion? You think she wouldn't tell him immediately?"

  "She probably would," he agreed and leaned forward to take her hand. "Madame Simsa, then. She's your teacher, and she has no reason to want to see you on the throne back in Anglion. I get the impression she's rather fond of you."

  "Lately she's been mostly annoyed at me," Sophie said. "She thinks I was foolish to bond with Elarus. That I'm overreaching. Though she was pleased about Tok."

  "You have to ask someone. You need to know what it means that you have seen this three times now."

  "You mean I have to know if it's true?" She put down the glass of water and curled her feet up into the chair. "What good does that do me? Unless I do what Aristides wants, and I—we—go back there."

  "I'm not sure we're going to have much choice about that," Cameron said. He'd hoped she'd be the one to say it first. But it had to be said. "Unless you're prepared to sacrifice our families."

  Sophie closed her eyes. "I'm not a queen, Cameron. I don't want to rule."

  "Then we can find another way, perhaps. Make a deal with Aristides. But right now, using what he can offer us seems to be our best chance. He can't force you to take the throne once you're there."

  "You think I could refuse? Does he strike you as a man who would take kindly to me turning around and saying 'no' after he's started an invasion for me?"

  "There are other heirs, other options. We could return, retrieve our families, find out what is happening at court. If Eloisa is—" he broke off, not wanting to say it.

  "What? Crazy?" Sophie's mouth was grim. "She could be. She changed after the attack on the palace; we both know that. Maybe the strain was too much for her, or maybe the domina didn't heal her fully."

  Her eyes flared wide. "Or maybe," she said slowly. "It isn't Eloisa who is the problem."

  Cameron frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "Eloisa changed after the attack on the palace. After Domina Skey healed her. It's Domina Skey who hates me. Because I'm not bound like I should be. What if she did something to Eloisa when she healed her? Gained some sort of hold over her?"

  "How could she? That's not something I've ever heard of."

  "The temple knows how to do bindings. They form the marriage bonds, after all. Bindings can be used to give a degree of control. The water mages control the sanctii."

  "The water mages use water magic," Cameron pointed out, trying to will his pounding heart to slow. "Last time I saw her, Domina Skey's hair was redder than the sun. No black. She's an earth witch, nothing more."

  "Maybe not," Sophie said. "But maybe she found another way. You and I formed a bond with no water magic. The marriage bonds are earth magic. She could have found a way to twist an earth bond, somehow. But if it can be done, it can be undone."

  "By you?"

  She winced. "I don't know. Aristides has half an army of mages. Someone should be able to figure it out. If we
can free Eloisa, then she can be queen. She would have no reason to pursue us further."

  "I'm not so sure about that," Cameron said. "Right now you're her heir. You have powers that she can only dream of. Forbidden magic. She might still see you as a threat."

  "Not enough of a threat to worry about," Sophie said. "Not once she knows I'm a water mage. She can exile me or disinherit me. Both."

  "You'd be happy to return here? Leave Anglion behind permanently?"

  Sophie hesitated. "Not happy, exactly. But it hasn't seemed likely that we could return to Anglion for some time now. I don't want to leave our families behind, but if they were safe and if Eloisa was restored, well, perhaps exile would be a price worth paying."

  "But how do we get out safely? There's a price to pay for harming a domina," Cameron said. Those laws were as old as Anglion itself. The goddess protected her most favored children.

  "The goddess has been sending me visions to tell me something is wrong. Or at least it seems as though she has. If she wants me to fix the problem, then surely she can't seek retribution."

  "She may not. But I wouldn't count on the Anglion temple viewing things the same way. Eloisa's hands would be tied. The palace doesn't interfere in temple law, you know that."

  "You're assuming that we'd have to kill the domina to reveal her. We don't have to hurt her. If we could break the bond, then she wouldn't have any power over Eloisa any more. Eloisa takes her power back. Eloisa punishes the domina. I'm sure there are temple laws about binding people against their will. The temple is supposed to help protect the crown and the country. They're not exempt from treason."

  "Are you sure about that?"

  "No, but I know someone who could tell us," Sophie said.