“Did Petra change her mind and chase you off?” Summer asked, narrowing her eyes as she leaned against the doorframe.
Ashley took a step backward and hastily shook her head. “I – I need to talk to your mother.”
“Why?”
“Because…” It was sometimes so difficult to not mention Rizkaland to people who didn’t know about it. “Because Mum wants to talk to her.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “You do know that you really don’t have to call her that just because Petra does. In fact, it annoys Petra when you do. Unless you enjoy annoying Petra, and last time I checked, you didn’t.”
“Mum suits her,” Ashley quickly answered, glancing down. “It sounds more respectful than ‘mom,’ and I can’t call her ‘Mother.’”
Summer raised an eyebrow, but instead of questioning Ashley’s statement, she straightened with a toss of her hair. “Well, why are we standing in the doorway wasting the cold air? If you want to talk to my mom, come in and find her. Last time I checked, she was home.”
Ashley followed Summer into the house, and they parted ways. Summer retreated back to her room to read her book for school, with a, “Don’t let Petra get to you, she’s insane,” tossed over her shoulder.
Ashley checked the kitchen first, but only found Reuben’s identical twin brother, Robert, rummaging in the refrigerator. However, before she could take her head out of the doorway and make a retreat, he turned and offered her the characteristic Eaglechaser half-grin. “Hey, Ash. What do you need?”
“I’m looking for your mother.”
“I think she’s trying to clean upstairs.” Robert nodded towards the ceiling. “She chased me down a few minutes ago.”
Ashley managed a smile. “Thank you.”
She turned to go, but he called her name.
“Yes?” She turned back to him, self-conscious. “What do you need?”
“Today’s your birthday, isn’t it? Not your actual birthday, mind you, but you know what I mean.”
Ashley bit her lip and nodded.
“I believe Reuben said he was going to take Petra hiking today to keep her out of your way. Not long ago, Summer came by ranting about their decision to take you with them. Now you’re back here.”
“Things happened.” Ashley shifted from one foot to the other, wishing that she hadn’t stepped into the kitchen. “Things have changed, hopefully for the better, and I really need to get your mother.” With that, she darted out of the kitchen and up the stairs at the end of the hall. She found Queen Michelle in the junk room.
“We never use any of this stuff, but try to get rid of anything, and suddenly it’s everyone’s prized possession,” Queen Michelle said as she entered. “What can I do for you, Bookdaughter?” Queen Michelle loved using titles when they were alone.
“Queen Jane needs you.”
“Is she tangled in chicken wire again?”
Ashley opened her mouth to give a confused no, but Queen Michelle just grinned and shook her head.
“Always have to rule out that possibility first, you know. Granted, it’s only happened once, but I promised her that I’d never let her live it down, and queens must always keep their promises, you know.”
“Actually, the Doorkeeper just took Reuben and Petra to Rizkaland, and we need to prepare the Room.”
“I just love the way you intone that, though truthfully it doesn’t quite require it. It’s just a bunch of thrones and a replica Hill, that’s all. Come along, we don’t know how long it will take Laura to bring them back from Rizkaland, and we must be prepared.”
She grabbed Ashley’s hand and whisked her back across the street and into the Arden house. Queen Jane was waiting at the door, and the two queens chatted cheerfully as they made their way through the winding hallways.
The Arden house was very old, not as old as the castles in Rizkaland, but also not nearly as sturdy, as it was made of wood, not stone. It was a large house as far as houses went, and certainly the largest on the street. According to Queen Jane, it had been built nearly a hundred years before and had been in King Ralph’s family the whole time, though it had served as an orphanage for many years. In fact, Queen Michelle and her brother, King Michael, had grown up here, as had other members of the Eight and Ten.
Benjamin Arden, the man who built the house, had loved secret passageways and winding hallways, so the place certainly had its fair share. Queen Jane and King Ralph claimed that even they might not know its every corner. There were even portions that shouldn’t even exist according to a strict interpretation of physics. The Room was one such portion.
The Room’s door was in one of the back hallways, and only visible to those who had been to Rizkaland. It was ornately carved to represent Alphego standing atop the Hill, and was made of the greenish wood of Rizkaland that brought a wave of homesickness to Ashley every time she passed it.
She still came here frequently enough, as it was the closest she could get to home, and since Petra couldn’t find it, an excellent place to hide from her. Now it seemed that Petra would know of it, so that refuge was to be taken from Ashley. But she hoped that she was about to go back home, so perhaps it wouldn’t matter.
The house shuddered as Queen Jane pushed the door open, and Ashley shivered as she let the Room’s energy wash over her. It was a strange room, and the kings and queens confessed that they themselves didn’t quite know its purpose. In its very center stood a replica Hill, certainly the smallest Ashley knew of, as it was only the size of their dining room table. Along the two long walls, rising up on stands like she had seen at sports stadiums and gyms here on Earth, were thirty-four thrones, no two identical, eighteen on one side, sixteen on the other. There was a raised platform at the end of the room opposite the door, where six more thrones were arranged in two triangles.
Today, Laura herself sat cross-legged on the platform, between the two thrones that were the front most in the triangles. She grinned, laying a finger against her lips. “They’ll be here shortly. There are things that must happen.”
“How did you…” Ashley asked, confused as she approached the girl.
“I didn’t make any detours once Petra and Reuben went through the door,” Laura explained, shrugging. “Also, temporal laws don’t always have a full hold on me. Terribly annoying sometimes, but I’ve learned to live with it.”
“Then why did you need me to take the message if you were coming here yourself?”
“Because I needed you here,” Laura answered. “That wasn’t the moment appointed for your return, and you needed to feel useful. There are things at work that you can only guess at, Bookdaughter. Rizkaland is changing, and you’ll play a good role in those changes. You just couldn’t go just then. It wasn’t time yet for your father to remember the memories you’ll bring with you. On another topic, Jane, I have a specific request for you.”
“And what is that?” asked Queen Jane.
“Ashley has shared the legend of Through the Mountain with you, yes? In particular the part about how I will free the Klaranders from Amber’s ice magic.”
“Yes, something about a paper bag filled with fire? You are aware that paper usually burns when asked to contain my element?”
Laura picked up a brown paper lunch sack from beside her on the platform. “I took the liberty of retrieving this from your kitchen. Queen Jane, do you doubt the abilities that Alphego gave you?”
“Never, but sometimes I doubt my own skill in implementing them.” Queen Jane shook her head as she crossed the room and took the bag. “I’ll see what I can do with this. I take it that you need it now?”
“Actually, your daughter needs it before I do,” answered Laura. “There are none wielding Alphego’s fire in her group, so you must provide it. Then she’ll pass it along to me when she’s finished, and everything shall turn out all right.”
At that moment, the air above the Hill crackled and pulsed as the energy in the room grew greater and stronger. Reuben, Petra, and a girl who was clearly
also Laura appeared on top of it, holding hands.
Petra immediately snatched her hands out of the others’ and marched down one of the sets of stairs, but took a step aback when she noticed the thrones.
“I thought you said you were taking us home.”
Queen Michelle laughed. “She did, dear. You’re just in a room you’ve never been in before. You’re in the Room, as Ashley likes to say it. We could probably find a more accurate term for this room, but we roll with it.”
“The common expression is that not even we know every corner of this old house. You know that,” Queen Jane added.
“So, this is our house,” Petra commented, after turning around a few times. “It’s an awfully big room for me to have never noticed before.”
“Well, it isn’t strictly in this world,” said the Laura who stood on top of the Hill. “I mean, it functions as though it’s part of this world, but it technically exists within Rizkaland.”
“Interesting,” muttered Petra.
“I’ve always found it so,” said the Laura who sat between the thrones. “It’s actually the intersection between Rizkaland and Earth, where they touch and even overlap a bit.”
Petra spun around, her eyes wide. She glanced between the two Lauras multiple times before she said, “There are two of you?”
“Strictly speaking, there is still only one of me,” said the Laura between the thrones. “I’ve just come to witness this moment twice in my timeline. It’s a very interesting time, you know. Lots of things happened. Lots of exciting things. And some that aren’t so exciting, but you can’t always avoid that.”
Laura on the Hill took a hesitant step down, approaching Laura between the thrones. “If you’re here, does it mean that I…”
“Oh, no, unfortunately, there will be no running off for you at this very moment.” The Laura between the thrones stood and jumped down from the platform, approaching the girl who was clearly her younger self, even though they physically appeared to be the other way around. “Reuben and Petra need you at this time, not me. I’m needed by Summer, Tyler, Amber, and Granite.”
“But I…” the younger Laura protested.
“You are young and confused yourself, I know, but trust Alphego and your instincts. I’ve found that things usually turn out as they should when I do that.”
Petra was nodding very slowly as she worked through Laura’s statement. Her expression was a cloud of annoyance, and Ashley honestly expected her to protest the idea loudly, but when she finally opened her mouth, all that came out was an, “Okay, makes sense, I guess, in a confusing sort of way.” She pointed to the younger Laura who appeared older. “You’re Laura.” She pointed to the older who appeared younger. “You’re Alyce. Now I can keep you straight in my head.”
Ashley thought that this was a very good idea. Petra had a lot of those.
“I love that idea,” said Alyce. “In fact, I sometimes do the same when there are three of me in the room. It’s where most of my extra names come from.”
“Ashley, your father wants you back,” Petra announced, turning sharply away from the pair. “Or at least, I think it’s your father we met. His name is Ritis, and he’s the Bookholder. And he’s an elf. Are you an elf?”
Ashley nodded, her heart racing. “Yes, I am, and he is.”
“Okay, we have an Ashley. Anything else we need to collect before we head back to Rizkaland?”
“It’s not that simple, Petra,” said Alyce. “Yes, you’ve returned for Ashley, but I could have sent her by herself to Rizkaland, along with the fire meant to thaw the Dragon’s ice statues. There’s a much more pressing issue at hand.”
“Do … they have advice to help us fight the Dragon?” asked Petra, drawing short and turning back to face her mother.
“Don’t let Amber freeze you. It would be a very bad idea,” Queen Michelle put in.
“Obviously, especially since she has the place under a spell of eternal summer.” Petra folded her arms over her chest. “Is that all? Or can we go back to Rizkaland and get it over with now?”
“Petra, it’s not that simple, and you know it,” said Alyce. “There is no one in Rizkaland worthy to Tie you and Reuben, and you know the Rizkan law.”
“And…” There was a dangerous edge to Petra’s voice, the one that usually sent Ashley running for the sanctuary of this very room.
Ashley glanced towards Reuben. Was it just her, or did he look scared, too?
“Therefore, you can’t return to Rizkaland until after your father returns from work,” Alyce finished.
“Dad’s at the Lianos’ house fixing their electricity,” commented Petra. “It might be tomorrow before they’re done with that.”
“Oh, they’ll be back before tomorrow,” said Alyce grinning. “Their fix today isn’t nearly as difficult as normal, and I think he’s figuring out by now that Collie Liano isn’t an ordinary girl. Ah, but hers is an interesting story – not unlike yours, Ashley, but with a bit more amnesia.”
“Yeah, at least Ashley knows she has a past. Collie could only remember her name when she turned up in the Liano’s front yard,” said Petra.
Ashley’s eyes widened. “You mean she…”
“Her story hasn’t been told yet,” said Alyce. “I’m afraid I can’t tell it ahead of time. Perhaps she’ll come by when it does play out and let you know how it’s going.”
“Tell me, do we really have to have this Tying Ceremony right now?” asked Petra. “I, for one, don’t need that complicating my life. Everything is already complicated enough as it is.”
“Who says that it has to complicate your life?” asked Queen Michelle. “You and Reuben are already best friends, and you already spend most of your time together. It’s not as though you’re complete strangers.”
“The Water Princess and Fire Prince were complete strangers, and they still learned to love each other very much,” Ashley put in, trying to be helpful.
“Just because Reuben is my best friend doesn’t necessarily mean that I want that life with him,” Petra pointed out. “And yes, it would change things between the two of us. A lot of things.” She sent a glare in Reuben’s direction, as though daring him to say something.
He just raised his hands. “If you’re wondering, I didn’t put them up to this. Though I’m frankly not sure how much would have to change…”
“Then who would you like to marry?” asked Alyce.
“I’m only sixteen,” Petra pointed out. “I’m not ready to face that question. Look, there’s a very good chance that when I’m ready for it, I’ll choose him. I know him, I trust him, and I know he cares about me.” She paused and glanced back at him, this time with a softer expression. “A lot.” She shook her head.
He lowered his hands. “I won’t protest one way or the other,” he said. “I think you know my mind already.”
“You can still wait,” said Queen Jane. “Even though Rizkan Tying Ceremony has the commitment of marriage, it’s technically more of an engagement. It just means that you can’t change your mind later.”
“What if I decide to change my mind later? I’ll be stuck with this decision that I’m being forced into right now, won’t I?”
“Petra,” said Laura, speaking for the first time since Petra declared the name difference, “what if you don’t regret it?”
“That’s a huge what if.”
“It’s a what if that every person has to take whenever they join their lives to another, whether or not it’s a Tying Ceremony, at whatever age they face it,” said Alyce. “It’s not a decision to be taken lightly, no. We’re not asking you to take it lightly because we know you won’t.”
“You’re completely taking away my power to make the decision,” said Petra. She glanced towards Reuben. “Aren’t they?”
“It certainly seems…” he began.
“Petra, it still boils down to your choice,” said Alyce. “And you knew you’d be faced with the choice when you opened your Box yesterday.”
&nbs
p; “Perhaps we’re asking it the wrong way,” said Jane, “Tell me, Petra, are you okay with another girl filling that role with Reuben? Ask yourself this question honestly, because I can assure you, if he does find someone else, things are still going to change between the two of you. In fact, that would probably cause far greater changes than a Tying Ceremony will. Would you be content with no longer being the most important girl in his life?”
“Mmm, good point, Jane,” said Queen Michelle, clapping. “I’ve watched her chase off the girls he brings home.” She glanced towards Petra. “I think you’ve emotionally scarred a few of them.”
“I’m not against him finding another girl,” said Petra, folding her arms against her chest. “I’m against him wasting his time with silly girls who have nothing in their head besides fashion and their beauty. He deserves someone smart. He’s not stupid, despite what he’d like people to believe.”
“A smart girl like you?”
Petra glanced away, choosing not to answer.
“I think the truth of the issue is that you’re jealous of him,” said Alyce. “Oh, don’t think I say it as a bad thing. Jealousy isn’t always wrong, only when it’s directed to something you don’t own, or when it’s severe enough to poison your other relationships, or his. Deep down, Petra, you know you love him. You know that you don’t want to see him with anyone else. It’s not a bad thing unless you decide that there is someone else for you. After all, if you’re not willing to give all of yourself, you can’t demand it of him.”
Petra glared at Alyce over her glasses. “Look, I’ve never told him no, I’ve told him wait. First, we need to finish school, and he needs a stable job. Statistics show that short engagements are better than long ones, and neither of us is ready for romantic entanglement. That’s not a no.”
“And wisely said, but Rizkaland is another world, and if all goes well, you will both have a stable job – a job that will require a firm bond between the two of you,” said Alyce. “Petra, you have a few hours until your father gets home to think about it.”
“I’ll think about it,” replied Petra. With that, she spun around and marched out of the door.
Lady Dragon, Tela Du Page 16
