by Callie Kanno
Palti offered to be the one to carry the princess, and she agreed with obvious reluctance.
“I am as strong as Idris,” Palti told her.
“Stronger,” Idris corrected.
“I know,” Zorina said as she climbed onto Palti’s back, “but I like Idris the best.”
Queen Arminell gave a strained smile. “You have quite a way with her,” she said to Idris.
“Thank you, your majesty,” he replied.
“It must be a gift,” Hildar muttered sarcastically.
“I just have had practice with my own sisters,” Idris answered.
Hildar stomped away, and he watched her with a frown. There had been moments over the past few days when he’d felt like they were finally understanding each other. At times like this, though, she seemed more hostile than ever.
She is afraid, Iona said wisely. She knows no other way to cope with her fear.
I wish she would cope with somebody else, Idris thought ruefully.
“I am hungry, Mommy,” Zorina said again.
“I know, my darling,” Arminell responded, “but we did not have time to bring any food with us. You will need to be brave until we get back to Rest Stone Valley.”
Idris quickly looked over at Palti. “I thought we were going straight to Marath.”
“We simply cannot make the journey without supplies,” Palti said. “We will not stay long.”
Idris didn’t argue, but his chest constricted at the thought of putting his family and neighbors at any more risk. He had already let danger into his childhood home and he was ready to do just about anything to prevent it from happening again, even if it meant going hungry all the way to Marath.
Unfortunately, he knew that he couldn’t force such determination on the six-year-old princess.
They waded back through the marsh, once more enduring the frigid water and icy winter air. All of the rest they had gotten in the tower seemed to evaporate, and Idris felt exhausted much sooner than he anticipated. The walk back to Rest Stone Valley seemed even longer than before, and Idris could see he was not the only one to feel that way. It was close to midnight before they reached the foot of the mountains.
They slowly ascended the slope and as they neared the summit, they found a surprise waiting for them. Half a dozen farmers with pitchforks and torches stood guarding the way. It was such a change from the Rest Stone Valley that Idris had grown up in that his heart ached.
One of the men called to them to identify themselves, and Idris stepped forward into the torchlight.
“Idris,” one of the farmers sighed, as if a weight had been lifted. “Thank goodness you are safe.” His eyes looked past Idris, and he bowed low. All the men with him followed suit. “We are glad you escaped unharmed, your majesty.”
Queen Arminell thanked them warmly, but her physical and mental fatigue showed through her words. “I am so sorry for what you have suffered,” she said in a voice humble and sincere.
“Our losses were in service to the king,” one of the men said. “It will be hard, especially during the winter, but we will recover. We always do, your majesty.”
“And it was our honor to do our part to protect you,” added another, bowing again.
The other men all murmured their agreement.
“I fear we are in need of your help again,” Palti said. “We are in need of supplies and horses, if you can spare them. We cannot pay you right now, but you will be compensated after our return to Marath.”
“Do not worry, sir,” a farmer said. “Whatever we have is yours.”
Generous farmers, Iona commented approvingly.
Idris smiled at her continued surprise that there were people in the world who did not think of themselves first and foremost.
Idris’s own uncles provided them with the finest horses they had, and several families gave up their only saddles. The saddle bags were filled to bursting with food, blankets, and everything else they would need for the journey.
Idris felt a hand on his arm as he tightened the strap of one of the saddles. He turned to see his father standing beside him.
Idris was flooded with a rush of emotions that he didn’t know he’d been holding back—exhaustion, fear for himself, fear for his family, fear for the kingdom. He held on to his father tightly, unashamed of the tears in his eyes.
“Is anyone hurt?” Idris asked anxiously.
“We are all fine,” Cadell reassured him.
Idris’s father turned his attention to the queen. “Your majesty, I fear you may have trouble getting back to Marath. I overheard the soldiers from yesterday saying that they would search the roads between here and the city to find you.”
Arminell furrowed her brow. “Then we shall have to find a different way to get into Marath.”
“What if we go to the coast and find a boat to take us down to the city harbor?” suggested Farah.
Palti nodded thoughtfully. “That is probably the safest course.”
“I agree,” said the queen. “It will cost us the time we save by using horses, but I see no other alternative.”
“Some of us could come with you, your majesty,” Cadell said. Idris turned to look at his father—the man who had been so opposed to his training as a Royal Guard. “We are not soldiers, but our presence might lend to your disguise. And we would gladly give our lives to keep you and the princess safe.”
Arminell looked touched by the offer. “Thank you, Cadell, but I think that a small group would be best.”
Cadell bowed his head. “As you wish, your majesty.”
The queen mounted her horse and Idris lifted Zorina and placed her on the saddle in front of the queen. The other Royal Guards mounted their own horses, but Idris remained with his feet on the ground a moment longer.
“Tell the family I am safe and that I love them,” Idris said to his father.
Cadell nodded and pulled his son into another rough hug. Idris could hardly bear to pull away, but he forced himself to turn and climb into his saddle.
They rode as quickly as they dared, keeping in mind that they didn’t want to attract attention or harm the horses. They left the road to travel across the grasslands, heading northwest toward the ocean.
Idris had never traveled northwest before, but he could hardly enjoy the journey for its own sake. His thoughts were wrapped up in the dangers they could face. He wondered if he would be able to rise to the challenge.
At dawn they stopped to get a few hours of sleep before pressing on again. Even though they had the use of horses, Idris could still feel his body suffering from the exertion of the past couple of days. He could barely keep himself from sliding out of his saddle, and he was amazed that he succeeded.
By that evening they were able to see a small fishing village up ahead, and Idris breathed a sigh of relief.
We still have a long way to go, farmer. You seem prone to premature celebration.
Idris’s reply to his partisan was rather sour. I am not celebrating. I am just glad that this leg of the journey is over.
Their arrival in the village caused quite a stir, and Idris was afraid for a moment that they recognized the queen or the princess. Then he realized it was likely that these people did not see many visitors, much like Rest Stone Valley. Most of the residents stood and stared at them as they passed, but one craggy old woman came to meet them.
“Welcome to Green Reed,” she said pleasantly. “I am May, the leader of this little community. I assume you want to buy some fish.” She looked around at the village, then back at Palti, who was riding in front. “We do not have much around here other than fish.”
“Actually,” Palti said, “I was wondering if one of your boat captains would be willing to sail us to Marath.”
May looked at them shrewdly. “That there road leads straight to Marath. You could ride there in half a day.”
“We need to get to the harbor,” Palti said calmly.
There was a pause while the woman thought over their request.
“I see you be the foreign type,” she observed. “Same with that and her daughter, for all they be dressed like farmers,” she said, nodding toward the queen. “What business have you in the king’s city?”
“It is a personal matter,” Palti answered.
“Well,” May said in a light tone, “I am not accustomed to conducting business I do not fully understand. Perhaps you can try another village along this coast.”
Palti started to speak again, but Queen Arminell placed a hand on his arm.
“I know you are acting out of loyalty to King Nikolas,” she said to the old woman. “You do not trust our motives, and you wish to do what you can to protect all those that live in Marath.”
“Something like that,” May admitted.
Arminell smiled. “I am so pleased to find that my husband has such honorable and dedicated subjects.”
Farah reached out and touched the queen’s arm in alarm. “M’lady,” she said in urgent warning.
It took May a moment to process what the queen had said.
“You mean…?”
“Yes,” assented Arminell, ignoring the looks of her Royal Guard, “but please do not speak of it. There is trouble in Marath, and we are trying to help the king before it is too late. We must keep our presence a secret for as long as possible.”
Idris could feel his heart racing with anxiety. It was very risky for the queen to be revealing her identity to a complete stranger. There was no way of knowing if the woman would guard their secret or expose them to even more danger.
May’s eyes narrowed. “How do I know you are telling me the truth, m’lady? No offense, but I would not know the queen from a milkmaid.”
“I am afraid I do not have any proof to offer,” Queen Arminell confessed. “All I can say is that these men and women with me are Royal Guards, and they have their weapons of power with them. You must know that only members of the royal family have such protection.”
“True enough,” said May, rubbing her chin. “And I suppose that if you were up to no good you would have taken the time to make false documents to prove your story or some such.”
“So,” Palti said uncertainly, “will you help us?”
“What do you plan on doing with your horses?” asked May. “They will not fit on a fishing boat.”
“If you will take us to Marath and care for the horses for a few days, you may keep one of them as payment,” Arminell offered.
“Which one?” she countered.
The queen gestured with her hand. “Any one that you wish.”
The old woman rubbed her hands together and grinned. “Well, now we are talking. I will agree on two conditions.”
“Yes?” urged Palti.
“I want to see one of them weapons,” May said, “and I want you to prove that they are really magic. If you Royal Guards will swear that this is the queen, then I will say no more.”
Idris could hear Iona snort in disbelief.
Why do people always treat magic like some sort of street performance? It is not meant for entertainment.
Palti’s expression was reluctant, but eventually he nodded and glanced around. “Is there somewhere we can go that is private?”
“Follow me,” she replied.
They dismounted their horses and led them along the path May took toward the beach. The old woman chatted as they walked. She seemed to be directing it at Idris, but he was nearly certain it was only because he was closest to her.
“Never seen a bit of magic before. Never met a queen, neither. My father and I were among the first settlers in Green Reed,” she said proudly. “That is why my house is so close to the water. Newcomers like to be up in the village, but there was no village to speak of when I first came here as a girl. My mother had just died, along with my baby brother, and my father left everything behind so we could have a fresh start in a new home.”
May gave Idris a studious look. “I see you are a local. Where are you from, young man?”
“Rest Stone Valley,” he answered.
“Ah, farming community,” she said with a sage nod. “Good folk, up there.”
May went on speaking, barely pausing for breath.
“At first it was just me and my father, but then my uncle joined us. He was a carpenter and soon learned to build boats. His wife and all of her family came along. Then my father remarried, and my step-mother’s family all came along. Before you knew it, we had a little village of our own. Now we only get newcomers if they are feeling crowded and want space to breathe. Here we are.”
Idris looked up in surprise and found that they were standing in front of a small, one-room building made of driftwood. There were nets hanging from the ceiling beside strings of shells that swayed in the wind. An old fishing boat was pulled up on the sand.
“Do you sail all by yourself?” Idris asked in amazement.
“Of course,” May chuckled. “I have always fished for myself. It does not make much sense for me to start relying on others now.”
Palti started unwrapping his sword. “If we meet your conditions, when can we leave for Marath?”
“Right away,” May said with a shrug. “No reason not to.”
“Very well.”
He pulled off the last of the cloth that covered the sheath and hilt of his sword. The jewels glittered in the fading light, and May breathed in sharply.
“Now that is a king’s ransom,” she murmured.
Palti slid the sword gently from its sheath and pushed the tip of the blade into the sand. There was a subtle pulse of light from the weapon, and the sand around it began to shift. A soft hiss sounded through the air as the grains rearranged themselves to form the design of a seashell. When it was finished, Palti returned his sword to its holder.
Idris watched the movements of the senior Royal Guard with awe. He had only ever thought of their weapons as, well, weapons. It was amazing to see Palti use Tahir for something so lovely.
“How beautiful,” marveled May.
“Are you satisfied?” the senior Royal Guard asked.
With great effort, the old woman lowered herself to her knees and bowed her head. “Forgive my doubt, your majesty.”
“Of course,” Queen Arminell said kindly.
May flapped her hand at Idris, indicating that he should come closer. He complied, and she used him to pull herself up from the ground. She brushed the sand from her hands. “Well,” she said briskly, “let us get going. If we hurry we can arrive in Marath before morning.”
They tied the horses up at May’s shanty with enough food and water to last them until the old woman returned. Zorina and Arminell were placed in the boat with May, and the four Royal Guards pushed the old fishing vessel into the water. Idris had a little trouble getting into the boat once it was floating, but Palti reached down and helped him in.
It was crowded inside the boat, but they all fit. May provided two oars, and the Royal Guards took turns rowing.
At first, Idris felt exhilarated. But soon, the constant motion of the vessel began to disagree with him and his stomach began to roll unpleasantly in time with the waves.
“Never been on a boat before, eh?” cackled May.
Idris would have answered, but he had to lurch for the side of the boat to empty his stomach.
Palti gave him a sympathetic slap on the back and Zorina patted his arm. Idris clenched his eyes shut and groaned as he thought about the long night ahead.
Chapter Thirty-Six: Allies
“Idris,” whispered a voice, and a hand gently shook his shoulder.
He opened his eyes reluctantly and saw Farah leaning over him.
“We will be docking in Marath in a moment. Prepare yourself. We need to get out of sight as soon as possible.”
Idris sat up, and his stomach gave another protest. The boat lurched as they reached the dock, and he gripped the side of it tightly.
Farah got out of the boat first and helped Queen Arminell and Princess Zorina onto the dock. Hildar climbe
d out after them. Idris hauled himself up and staggered after them. It was a relief to have his feet on solid ground again.
Once Idris had some of his wits back, he glanced toward the boat. Palti had remained in the boat and was discussing something quietly with May. After another glance at their surroundings, Idris noticed that they were already attracting attention from some of the sailors. Arminell and Zorina were keeping their heads covered and their faces to the ground, but it was still unusual for a group of people to disembark from a fishing boat so early in the morning.
Palti hopped from the vessel and murmured to the waiting group, “Let us go.”
They hurried away from the harbor and into the city. The pre-dawn light was only just filtering across the sky, and the citizens of Marath were barely starting to stir. Once they got away from the early-rising sailors, they were relatively alone.
Queen Arminell lifted her face and looked around as if trying to spot the danger that they had come to warn against.
“Everything seems so normal,” Idris murmured to Palti as they walked.
The senior Royal Guard nodded. “Yes, it appears that way. But I know that it is possible to overthrow a ruler without disturbing the rest of the kingdom too greatly. My parents witnessed it happen when they lived in Dia.”
“How is that possible?” persisted Idris. “Nikolas is the king.”
“Yes, and he got to be that way through his birth,” Palti answered. “However, most of the Nobles share common ancestors with the royal family. It could be argued that any of them have a right to the throne.”
“Do not say such things,” hissed Hildar, looking around furtively.
Idris looked at her, surprised by the vehemence in her voice. He would have thought that she would be proud to share family ties to royalty.
Palti held up his hands. “I am not saying that I agree with the argument, just that it exists.”
“Your words are bordering on treason,” Hildar said darkly.
Palti’s face was grim. “Well, we are here to stop the actions of those who are actually committing treason.”
