The Oaken Throne

by Sara C. Roethle

  “Do I have a choice?” he replied.

  She frowned. She truly hated being queen. “No,” she sighed. She turned to Maarav. “Please ask the guards at the door to find two upper ranking mages, preferably Sage and another of his choosing. They will escort Kai, then stand guard until told otherwise.”

  Maarav nodded, then headed toward the door, stopping near Kai. “My apologies,” he muttered, “I never would have brought you here had I known.”

  Ealasaid’s face burned with embarrassment. It was a sad day indeed when Maarav showed more compassion than her. Later, when she was alone, she would have to consider exactly what she’d become since being named queen, and why.

  Once Kai had been escorted from the room, Ealasaid slumped down into her chair with a sigh of relief. It had taken ages of awkward silence before Sage had been found . . . not that Keiren seemed to mind. She wouldn’t know social graces if they bit her on the bottom.

  “What is your news?” Maarav said tersely to Keiren, clearly irritated with how Kai had been treated.

  Keiren sneered at him from her seat, then turned to Ealasaid. “The Snow Queen wishes to form an alliance with you against Finnur. She believes it the only way either of you will stand a chance at being the remaining queen in the prophecy.”

  Ealasaid’s jaw dropped. “That’s where you were? You actually met with Oighear?”

  Keiren snorted. “Hardly. I met with a human emissary, one I trust to deliver accurate information.”

  “Who?” Maarav asked.

  “That is none of your concern,” Keiren snapped. Her gaze fell back to Ealasaid. “What do you think?”

  Ealasaid fought against the hot rage zinging up her spine. That evil creature actually thought to make an alliance! Hah. “I think you know exactly what I think of that,” she growled. “That monster killed over half my mages. She killed Tavish and Ouve. She killed my parents. I would not ally myself with her, even if she truly was my sole hope at survival. I say let Finn crush her if she so chooses.”

  Maarav stared at her for a moment as if she’d just shape-changed right in front of him, then a small smile graced his lips. He lifted a hand to hide his laugh at her behavior.

  She glared at him, then turned back to Keiren. “The answer is no.”

  Keiren nodded. “As I thought, though Oighear does have a point.”

  “Which is what?” Ealasaid asked, feeling entirely overwhelmed.

  Keiren rolled her eyes. “That neither of you stand a chance against Finnur on your own. At least, not without an excellent plan.”

  Ealasaid had lost count of how many times she’d told Keiren she had no interest in attacking Finn. She could say it a thousand times and the sorceress would not listen. So this time, she just tilted her head and waited for Keiren to divulge her plan.

  “The barrier to the in-between,” Keiren stated. “We must destroy it.”

  Ealasaid bit her lip, recalling the woman she’d met in the in-between who looked eerily similar to Finn. She’d said the same thing.

  “Why?” Maarav asked. “Not that I understand anything about the in-between. For all I know you women have made it up in your minds. But, if it does exist, it seems a monumentally bad idea to destroy it.”

  Ealasaid tended to agree with him. She could not entirely fathom just what the in-between was, or what might happen if it were melded with reality.

  “To change your fate,” Keiren said simply. “The prophecy came into being on the terms of this reality. If you refuse to work against Finnur, work with her to create a new reality in which you might both survive. Create another possible ending to the prophecy.”

  “I thought you wanted to kill her,” Maarav interjected.

  She raised a red brow at him. “You forget, I’ve been tracking her since she first returned to this realm. If I wanted her dead, I would have killed her before she remembered who she was.”

  “But you could not see her for much of the time,” Ealasaid argued, the wheels in her mind churning furiously. “That’s why you sent Bedelia to her.”

  Keiren rolled her eyes. “Yes, and I could have had Bedelia stick a knife in her back, but I did not.”

  Ealasaid noticed Maarav watching Keiren intently, as if he’d just realized something. She desperately wanted to ask him what that something was, but it would have to wait just a moment longer.

  “I’ll think upon what you have said,” she decided. “I’m sure you’re tired from your journey. We can discuss this in greater detail once I’ve figured out the proper questions to ask.”

  Keiren nodded sharply. For an offhand suggestion, she seemed rather vested in this new plan.

  “I’ll take my leave then,” she announced, rising from her seat. “Though, do not take too long. Oighear awaits an answer, and when we tell her no, she will surely try her best to destroy us to prevent you from allying with Finnur instead.”

  With that, she stalked out of the room, leaving Maarav and Ealasaid alone.

  Ealasaid waited until the click of Keiren’s boots had retreated all the way down the nearby stairs, then turned toward Maarav. “What did you realize while Keiren was speaking of her plan?”

  His brows were furrowed, his eyes grim. “I realized that she’s not lying. She never wanted to kill Finn, which means she wanted to use her for the same thing she’s trying to use you for now. Destroying the barrier to the in-between has been her goal all along. The only question is, why?”

  Ealasaid raised her brows as she considered what he’d said. “If that’s the case, then why ally herself with me? What do I have to do with it?”

  He leaned forward across the table, his gaze intent. “Think about it. How many people do you know that might stand a chance of convincing Finn to go along with this plan? How many people with the power to go to the in-between and meet with her themselves?”

  She shook her head in disbelief. “But if Keiren wanted this all along, why did she advise me to keep Finn away?”

  He rubbed his brow and shook his head. After a moment, he replied, “Because if Finn were around, allied with you, neither of you would need to worry about Oighear’s forces to begin with. She has fostered distrust between you, so that you each will be desperate enough to want to change the prophecy.”

  Ealasaid’s heart skipped a beat. He was right. He was absolutely right. This had been Keiren’s plan all along, and she had played right into her hands.

  “We need to speak with Finn,” she said gravely.

  Maarav nodded. “Let us hope she has not turned too far against us.”

  Keiren leaned her ear away from the door. Part of her was disappointed in Ealasaid for falling for such a simple illusion. While the sound of footsteps had signaled her retreat, if Ealasaid had actually tried, she could have sensed her eavesdropping on the other side of the door.

  Stifling a growl, she hurried down the hall, her footsteps utterly silent. Curse that Maarav. She should have killed him long ago. Of course he would be the one to figure out her plan.

  It was lucky no one passed her as she made her journey toward her chamber, else they would have felt the wrath she would have liked to aim at Ealasaid and Maarav. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, she reached her door without being bothered. Withdrawing a slender key from her traveling cloak, she unlocked it and went inside. She would not remain around long enough for Ealasaid to confront her. That would only make matters worse.

  Hastily, she began packing her belongings. Searching for things she wanted to bring, her eyes caught sight of the large crystal she’d tossed on her bed before seeking out Ealasaid. She blinked at it, pondering. If she so decided, she could use it to speak with Òengus, and through him, Oighear, to set events in motion. She could crush Ealasaid for so foolishly doubting her.

  She turned back to her things, angrily wadding up silky dresses and tossing them into her pack with jewels and other baubles. She’d done so much for Ealasaid, and the girl chose to be wary of her now? After all they’d been through? Sure, she was usi
ng her, but she’d also protected her. She’d provided invaluable advice. She felt herself a fool to think it could be any other way. She’d never been good at making actual friends.

  She was, however, good at running away, which she would do now before Ealasaid turned on her fully. Instead of biding her time, she would set this cursed war into motion, and would force Ealasaid and Finn into giving her what she wanted.

  A throat cleared behind her, and she whipped around, but there was no one else in the room. Her door remained shut and locked.

  The throat cleared again, and she darted her gaze to the floor length mirror dominating one corner of her modest chamber. Framed in the glossy surface was Niklas, draped in his usual robes with his bald head bare.

  “Going somewhere?” he asked.

  She scowled at him. “Yes, if you must know, though I have not given up on my quest—” she hesitated, “or should I say, our quest?” She’d found it wildly convenient at the time that she and Niklas’ goals would align so perfectly, but he hadn’t been much help since.

  He nodded. “The clans have named their champions. Clan Solas Na Réaltaí has sworn fealty to the Queen of Wands, Clan An Duilleog to the Oak Queen, and Clan An Gheimhridh to the Snow Queen. The prophecy’s fulfillment is near.”

  She raised a red brow at him. “And just how does the swearing of Ceàrdaman fealty fulfill the prophecy?”

  He tilted his head, his strange eyes searching her face through the mirror’s surface. “Truly, you do not yet understand?”

  She glared at him, but shook her head.

  He smiled wickedly. “Two queens must die, and one must live, but that is not the end. The fulfillment of the prophecy means this world will be irreparably changed. What sort of change do you think that might be?”

  Her lips parted. Could it truly be so simple? “The breaking of the barrier to the in-between?”

  He nodded. “Yes, but that fate only lies with the Oak Queen’s victory. If the Snow Queen survives, the land will see endless winter.”

  “And what of the Queen of Wands?” she asked.

  His smile broadened. “With the loss of their queens, all but the lesser Faie will fade away. The power of the mages will continue to grow, and an even greater war will take place. The humans will destroy each other out of age-old hatreds.”

  It was a lot to take in, but she supposed only one part was important, and she had to admit, it rankled. “So we need Finn to survive? She must kill Ealasaid?”

  He nodded.

  “Then what in the Horned One’s name have I been wasting my time here for? You said this was where I needed to be.”

  Niklas chuckled. “Someone had to lure the Oak Queen to war. If you had not encouraged the Queen of Wands to grow her strength, An Fiach would not have marched. Oighear would have killed Ealasaid, then would have moved on to Finnur. Everything I have done has set another tiny cog in motion toward the outcome we both desire.”

  She slumped down onto her bed, overwhelmed. For once, she felt utterly out of her depth. How had this all gone beyond the realm of her sight?

  “Do you understand now?” Niklas questioned.

  She nodded. “All except for one aspect. Why swear fealty to the queens? Do some of the clans truly desire endless winter, or for the humans to destroy each other?”

  He rolled his eyes. “Truly, child, you know very little. When our clans were cut off from the in-between, we lost most everything, except for three great relics, items made purely of in-between magic. A ring to control the living green things. A wand to control the sky. And a glittering crown to control the cold and darkness.”

  “The wand?” she mused, still bitter that Ealasaid had neglected to show it to her.

  Niklas nodded.

  “But why?” she pressed, still unsure of the significance of the items.

  Niklas sighed. “Truly, I don’t know why I put up with you. With these three items, our lovely queens will have true power over their elements. Finnur and Oighear have both survived their power being sealed away, Finnur by choice. The power of these objects will make our queens capable of fully destroying each other, ensuring the prophecy’s fulfillment.”

  “But it’s a prophecy,” Keiren countered. “Won’t it fulfill regardless? Was it truly necessary to make them more powerful?”

  Niklas crinkled his brow in irritation. She suspected he might disappear from the mirror’s surface, but he finally answered, “My dear, who do you think created the prophecy to begin with? Who do you think has tugged the strings of fate this entire time? When the Ceàrdaman were cut off from the in-between, we had only three relics of power to guide us back. The stars helped us choose our queens, and word of the prophecy was spread by us. We have made each of the queens powerful enough to carry out what comes naturally to them. Oighear the White will wrap the world in snow, because that is her nature. Her cold heart will infect everything around her. Ealasaid will start a war, because she is loyal, and duty bound to protect her kind. Finnur,” he began patiently, eyeing her intently, “Finnur, will destroy the barrier to the in-between not only to free the souls she cursed, but to regain that which was stolen from her over a century ago.”

  Fully intrigued, she tilted her head. “Which was what?”

  Niklas smiled. “Her daughter.”

  Her eyes widened. She’d known that Finn had lost a daughter, but to still try and reclaim her, after all this time? Thinking of her lost mother, Keiren shook her head ruefully. Perhaps she and Finner were far more similar than she could have ever imagined.

  Kai sat stiffly on his bed. Against his better judgement, he’d remained within his room since being escorted there. Of course, the two mages standing guard might have had something to do with it. Both had stayed in the room with him, but spoke little. In fact, they seemed quite well trained for men who were likely no more than twenty. One was tall with dark hair, and the other shorter, plump with white-blond hair. They wore plain clothes, simple tunics and breeches, rather than uniforms of any sort. The taller one cast a bored look his way. Kai guessed he was Sage, the name Ealasaid had mentioned, given the apparent hierarchy.

  Kai sucked his teeth, wondering what he’d have to do to prompt the mages to speak and possibly divulge useful information. Not that information was his primary concern. The sky had darkened with clouds outside, and he was beginning to feel less ill. He should really try to escape while the cloud cover remained.

  A knock sounded on the door, which Sage opened, then Ealasaid and Maarav came barreling in, bringing with them a wash of excited energy.

  Kai’s spine stiffened in anticipation. At least Ealasaid was no longer looking at him like she might have him hanged.

  “We need to speak with you,” she explained breathily. She turned to Sage and the other mage and added, “Privately.”

  Sage nodded, then both boys dutifully vacated the room, shutting the door behind them.

  Ealasaid wrung her hands. “We have a proposition to offer you, a possible alliance, and hopefully we can find help for your . . . condition too.”

  “That is,” Maarav added, “if you still care about Finn.”

  Kai’s jaw fell open. “Of course I do. What in the Horned One’s name are you talking about?”

  Ealasaid sat on the bed beside him, suddenly relaxed in his presence, no longer wary. He wondered what had changed. She cleared her throat and met his gaze. “First, I would like to apologize for earlier. In my position—” she hesitated, “well, let’s just say it is difficult to not suspect most everyone of secretly plotting against you.”

  He nodded. “I suppose I understand, but what does this have to do with Finn?”

  Ealasaid bit her lip, as if afraid to speak.

  Maarav sighed. “Let’s just say Ealasaid’s judgement regarding Finn has been clouded. We would like to make things right, to rally against Oighear and An Fiach.”

  Kai was quite sure they’d both gone mad if they thought he had any idea what they were going on about.

&n
bsp; “We need to know,” Ealasaid began anew, seeming to take his silence as agreement, “have I turned Finn too far against us? Is it too late?”

  Kai shook his head. He’d expected to be cast out, or perhaps executed. He had not expected this. “When I left she was still the same old Finn, worrying about everyone else when she should have been worrying about herself. I’d say your chances of alliance are good, unless the Cavari have gotten to her. She has a sore spot when it comes to them.”

  “The Cavari?” Ealasaid breathed. “We’d heard she’d called a truce with them, but little else. Do you believe they have the power to influence her?”

  He shrugged. “I’d like to say no, but back when she was part of their tribe she did go a bit . . . mad.”

  Ealasaid glanced at Maarav.

  He nodded. “It’s still worth a try. She may be willing to choose us over the Cavari.”

  Ealasaid nodded a little too quickly, as if trying to convince herself of Maarav’s words. She turned her gray eyes back to Kai. “That brings me to our second question, and a third, actually. First, I’m hoping to attempt bringing you to the Gray Place with me. I’m not sure if it can be done, but Keiren brought me once, so I’d like to try. It’s a small chance, but if we can find Finn we can offer her an alliance. Yet, the last I saw her I told her to stay away. I want you there to assure her of my sincerity.”

  He narrowed his eyes in thought. “But what if she is not there? I find it unlikely that we will meet with her.”

  “We at least have to try,” Ealasaid sighed. “We have no other way of reaching her. It is our only chance. If we fail tonight, we will go again tomorrow. Every night until battle prevents us.”

  Kai’s shoulders slumped. He supposed there was a small chance they could find her, or perhaps even Móirne, who’d used the in-between to contact them on more than one occasion.

  “There’s something else,” Ealasaid continued, drawing him out of his thoughts. He raised a brow at her. “Something else beyond dragging me to the in-between?”