by Janeal Falor
He stands. “This is an outrage.” Spittle goes flying. Thankfully, it all misses me. “I cannot agree with any such changes and will be vehemently against anything you do that undermines the government’s ability to rule.”
“According to this report you yourself made, with a little bit of cutting back, we’ll be fine,” I say. “What about the mines? Did you find out anything about them?”
“They’re privately held by different Kurah. The government doesn’t own any and can’t benefit from them.”
Something to think about. “Very well. Now, if you will excuse me, I have others I need to see.”
He opens and closes his mouth before he storms from the room.
I sink back into my chair, rubbing my temples. Living on lower taxes is possible but not in line with keeping Nash alive.
And why haven’t I heard anything? What is Daros doing with him?
To distract myself, I shuffle through the other paperwork on my lap, putting the unhelpful pages on the low table in front of me and making another pile of the ones that may help. There has to be some type of loophole—some way I can fund the Poruah and Medi classes without changing taxes.
The words start to blur together when there’s a knock. “Come in.”
Wilric enters and stands before me.
“How are things? Do you have any news?” I ask.
“I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. We are getting a lot of the city searched, but we have found no sign of him so far. I promise you we will, though. I won't allow us to fail.”
I close my eyes, trying to control my emotions, not opening them again until I’ve gotten a hold of myself.
“Is there anything else we should know?” he asks. “Any more places you've thought of? People we haven’t heard of that we should check out?”
I shake my head. It would be good if there was something, but there's nothing more than what I’ve told them previously. I clench my teeth together to stop from falling apart.
He kneels down before me, looking up at me. “I will find him.”
“And if you don't?”
“That's not an option.”
I like him more than ever. “One more thing—where does Nash's family live?”
He gives me directions, stands, and with a bow says, “If you'll excuse me now, I'll get back to my search.”
“Thank you.”
He leaves, and I want to go with him, but Jaku would be upset with me if I did. That, and I have duties here. More things to oversee. A people to take care of, which I’ve been doing a terrible job at. There is something I am determined to do, though. I need to see his family in person.
I go into my room and find a dress that will fit in with the general populace. Something ordinary with few frills. Thanks to Inkga, it’s there along with other fantastic options and not just fancy things. I grab the cloak Nash gave me the first time I went out into town with him. I finger the brown fabric, feeling its coarse material. I want to sit down and cry with it.
But I won't.
I will be strong.
I throw it on and head to the door. Outside, Eldim, Julina, and two guards whose names I don't know are waiting for me.
I tell my servant, “Fetch Jaku for me.” I'd better tell him what I have planned this time. No sense worrying him needlessly.
She hurries down the hall, and I wait with my guards, not bothering to go back in my room. They watch me out of the corner of their eyes but no one says anything.
A few minutes later, the servant returns with Jaku at her side.
He bows, and after I tell him to rise, says, “You called for me.”
“Yes. I’m taking my guards and going to Nash's family. They need to hear from their queen what is being done to help their son.”
“I'm not sure that’s wise, Your Majesty. We don't know who might recognize you and what type of trouble it might stir up.”
“I'll keep my head covered. Anyway, I'm going.”
He rubs his eyes with his hand. “Fine, but let me go with you.”
“I'm sure you have other duties you need to attend to.”
“My first duty is to keeping you safe. That's what I'm going to do.”
I peer at him. “Very well. But we're leaving within the next half hour. You five need to change into something that will help you blend into the crowd.”
I can't believe it takes five people for me to go from one place to another. It's silly. I could take them all on myself and come out alive.
We go to the barracks and wait while they change one at a time. Soon, we are out of the gates and headed into town, following the directions I got from Wilric. It's a twisting, long way.
“We should have taken horses,” I say.
“Except they would have made us stand out more,” Jaku says.”
He's right. There's no one else riding out here. I wonder why, and then it comes to me.
Only the richest can afford such luxuries.
And I've made the income divide worse.
I steel myself against such thoughts. I can't have them bringing me down at a time like this. Maybe tonight, when I'm trying to go to sleep, they can haunt me. Now I need my wits about me.
The farther we go from the palace, the closer together the houses grow. We move to an area that is neither poor, nor rich. A lower-middle class. The houses are well taken care of, but small. The streets are fairly clean and clear, but some of the cobblestones are missing. The fences around the houses are similar—nice, but a little faded, and with the occasional piece of wood missing.
We arrive at a quaint little house. It's got charm, with flowers at the windows and more in a pot at the doorstep. The bricks are mostly fine, but there are a few cracks here and there—nothing that would harm the structure, but something that should have been fixed before now.
I knock while my guards cover my back and sides. It only takes a moment for the door to open.
Belta, Nash's oldest sister, has a frown on her face and red eyes that widen when she sees me. “Your Majesty,” she curtseys and I hurry her up. “Please, come in.”
I enter, conscious that I’m walking in the same place Nash grew up in. These halls were his. This living room with the sofa and chairs made of wood have all been used by him. The floor is covered with worn rugs. Another sign they don’t have enough money, despite my increasing Nash's pay with his new position and paying his sisters for their help with the ball.
“If you'll excuse me, I'll go get my mother.” Belta curtseys and hurries from the room.
There aren’t enough seats for all five of us plus their mom and sisters, so I remain standing.
There's a shuffle of movement in the hallway, and moments later, Slipa hurries out into the room.
Her eyes are clear, and her mouth turns up in a smile at the sight of me. That doesn't help the ache in my heart at seeing her.
“Your Majesty.” She curtseys. “Have you found him? Please, sit.”
I reluctantly take a seat. I take the nearest wooden chair. My guards quickly spread throughout the room, with Eldim staying close by and Jaku at the window.
Slipa sits on the couch, and Belta and Lanay come in the room to take a seat beside her.
“I wish I was here for pleasure. Wish I had better news.”
Slipa's smile falls. “Is he… dead?”
“No, no. Nothing like that.” Not to my knowledge.
She sighs. “We know you're doing the best you can.”
But am I? I only went out to look once. It wasn’t enough. “I wanted to let you know we are still looking. I have many guards out there searching for him. Plus one of my personal guards, Wilric, you may know, is leading a team of men. He promised he will find him.”
“I know he will.” Her voice cracks. “Sorry.” A tear escapes. “Nash is just my baby, you know?”
I don't, but I nod.
Belta puts an arm around her mother, her face scrunching with pain.
“If I may… You are welcome to come live at the palace
. I’d be able to keep you more up to date there,” I say.
Slipa shakes her head. “What if he were to get free and come home, and not find us here? No. Your notes have been keeping us informed well enough. I want to stay at home. Where the memories are.”
I want to argue with her, but Nash did think the palace was a dangerous place to live. Besides, she’s right; none of her memories with him are there. They’re all treasured here. “Tell me more about Nash.”
Slipa’s chin shakes, but Lanay speaks up. “He was—is—the best brother. I remember, when I was still a little girl, he would put me on his shoulders, and we would go to the market together. We’d look at all the fine things, and he’d promise to buy me something, when he could afford it. I never thought he’d be able to get me any of the baubles I wanted, but one day, after he’d been a soldier for some years, he came home with this.”
She holds out her arm and on her wrist is a gorgeous bracelet. On a soldier’s pay, it must have taken years to save up for. The blue stones are so bright and pretty and look smooth. I want to run my fingers across them but don’t dare get that close to touching her.
“He got Belta one just like it, too,” Lanay continues. “I don’t know how much it cost, but it told me my brother always kept me and my sister in mind. That he wanted to make sure we knew we were loved.” Her voice cracks on that last word, and I feel like I’ve stepped into something more personal than I should have.
We talk for a while more. The more I hear about him, the more determined I become to save him. Daros has him out there somewhere and is mocking me with his capture, but it won’t last. I will find him, and I will rescue him.
Chapter 27
“Welcome back, Your Majesty.” Inkga’s face is far too white.
“What's wrong?” I ask.
“Who said anything was wrong?” Her smile is tight.
“Your face. I can tell.”
Her expression falls. “I was hoping you’d get a good night's sleep before you got the news. Or at least a good meal in you.”
“Tell me.” I hate to be harsh to her; I consider her a good friend. But I have to know what's going on.
“You received another note while you were away.” She holds out a sealed envelope.
I take it from her and break the seal.
* * *
You will get rid of your lady in waiting and appoint Tido Sauvers as your new Head Advisor. Do this, or Nash will pay.
* * *
The note flutters to the ground.
What is Daros going to do to Nash now? What is wrong with Jem? Who is Tido Sauvers, and why does Daros want him in as Head Advisor? Why won't he let me be? Why won't he return Nash?
Too many questions, and I fear I know the answer. He’s using me. Manipulating me like Ranen planned on doing with Jem.
I bend down and pick up the note. It's flown open. I hand it to Inkga. “Read it if you want. It doesn't matter.”
I collapse into the closest chair. Are they going to control me the rest of my life? How can I allow this? It's unthinkable.
As is letting Nash suffer.
“Are you going to follow through with it?” Inkga asks.
“I don't know. Part of me wants to refuse. To throw it in their faces. But I don’t know how I can dare.”
“I don't know either. I wish I could be more helpful to you.”
“Bring me Jem and Jaku. Also, do you know where this letter came from?”
“It was found in your room. On your pillow.”
I feel the blood drain from my head. How did they get so close to me? I’d taken all my guards with me, but still, someone should have heard or seen something.
“Bring in my guards,” I say.
Inkga hurries from the room. I don't know what to do. I look out the window, wishing none of this ever happened and Nash was still here. That I never let Daros live.
I've wished it all too many times, and yet reality doesn’t change. Wishing does no good.
What do you think I should do? I silently ask the First Queen.
I know what she would say. That I need to do what's best for the people. I need to think of others before I think of Nash. I can't put him before the country. My country.
The council will probably say the same when they hear, even if some of them couldn’t care less about the people.
But none of them knows how the mind control works. How unbearable the pain Daros can inflict is.
When a knock sounds, I yell for them to come in, not caring about formalities. In come my guards, Jaku, and Inkga. The latter turns to go, but I tell her to stay and listen if she wants. After all, this might affect her as well as me.
Jaku takes the note first, his mouth set in a grim line. He hands it to the next guard, who reads it, hands it down the line, and says, “We should put a better watch on this room.”
Eldim, who reads the note next says, “It’d be a better idea to keep the queen out of this room. Away from the danger.”
“Best not let any changes happen. It’s what they want,” a guard I don’t recognize says.
Stird looks at it next. “We have to do what they say, to keep the queen safe”
“We need more guards around the queen,” Julina says
As they argue, I watch them carefully, wondering if what they are really thinking is the same as what’s coming out of their mouths, or if one of them is a traitor.
“Are you going to give into their demands?” Jem asks when silence fills the room.
I know she doesn't want me to. She wants me to keep her as Head Advisor. “I don't know yet,” I say.
“Whatever you decide, your safety is paramount. If they can put this on your pillow, then we need to have more guards on you.”
Jem’s changed so much. I thought one of the guards would say that, not her. She’s come a long way from the snide girl I first knew. “There were no guards in the room while I was away.”
“Still, we can't take chances.”
“What are you going to do? Have them watch me as I sleep?”
“If that's what it takes to keep you alive, then we're going to do it.”
“I can't sleep with people watching me.” I can, but they don't need to know that. It's the principal of the thing.
“I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but Jem is right. In this, I must insist,” Jaku adds.
I snort. “You're not sorry at all.”
He almost smiles.
But really, what am I going to do about this? “I need a way to contact the kidnappers and find out if he's really alive. They had him long enough to take the ring, but without anything this time, who's to say he didn't escape? Or die? I want to demand some evidence of Daros.”
“That would be a wise move, Your Highness,” Jem says.
“But how will we go about it?” Eldim asks.
I don't want to say it, but I have a feeling at least one person around me is a traitor. Maybe more. It's a sobering thought. And the man they want as my new Head Advisor? Tido Sauvers? How does he fit into this all? Is he their puppet, or do they have some other devious plan?
“I'll write a note, leave it on my pillow, and exit the room.” I say it as matter of fact as I can. “Spread the word to everyone you can that I left a note for Daros in my room, and that we won't disturb it until morning.”
It wouldn't be the first time I had danger cross where I sleep. Not even close.
“Absolutely not,” Jaku says. “I will not bring threats closer to where you live, eat, and sleep.”
I shrug. “I won't be in the room at the time, and this isn't up for debate.”
“I don't know how I feel about the idea,” Jem says. “But we all know if she wants to do it, she will.”
“Thank you.” I'm not sure I'm grateful.
“Let's get to it, then,” Eldim says.
“Absolutely. Inkga, get me a quill and paper please,” I say.
She nods and gets the things from the drawer.
“Thank you,” I say.
/>
She hands me what I asked for, along with a book for writing on. I put the book under the paper and write my note. It takes longer than I’d like and not as pretty of handwriting, but I feels it’s something I must do myself.
* * *
I will acquiesce to your request. When I have proof Nash Zorris is alive and well. Furthermore, I want guarantees that he will be kept safe. Until then, I will not do as you wish. ~Queen Ryn
* * *
They’d better find this and do what I say.
I hand the note to Inkga. “Put this on my pillow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She disappears into my bedroom.
Once she returns, I say, “I will sleep somewhere else for the night.” Hopefully my changing rooms like this doesn't give the staff fits.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” echoes through the room.
“And if the note disappears, I want this room searched for a hidden passage. We must find it and not let them use it against us.”
“Consider it done,” Jaku says.
“Let's head out, then.”
My guards surround me as I leave the room. “Inkga,” I say, “Do you know where I can stay for the night?”
“I do.”
I follow her, not certain what will happen. I want to tell them to leave me alone, but I'm afraid Jaku is going to make them watch me sleep. I don't care for that and could order them away, but at the same time, I wonder if they’re needed.
On one hand, it would be comforting to have the guards there while I sleep. On the other, it’d remind me too much of my life with Daros—always controlled, always watched, always told what to do.
I don't want my life to go back to that.
The room on the first floor they lead me to is not as lavish as the one they had me in before, but it is preferable. We believe it has no secret passages, but there’s no way to be certain. There's no gold or silver or a sitting room. Just a peaceful little bed and a single window.
Jaku orders a few men stationed outside the window. He leaves Julina in my room and assigns the rest of the guards outside.
