Blooms of Consequence (Dusk Gate Chronicles - Book Four)

by Breeana Puttroff

  He looked back and forth between her and the tub, and then a grin spread across his face, reaching all the way up to his beautiful gray eyes, lit up with his love for her. Yes … her husband.

  “I like the way you think, Mrs. Rose.”

  27. More Decisions

  “How’s the breakfast?” Jonathan asked, walking into the sitting room.

  “Better than dried meat and stale bread,” William said, scooping up another bite of eggs.

  Quinn had to agree – though they’d had a little more than that while they were traveling, it hadn’t been as nice as this by half.

  “Did you sleep well?” The question sounded like it was directed toward everyone, but Jonathan was looking at Quinn.

  “Yes, I did, actually, thank you,” she said. For the first time, in a long time, this was true. William had awakened before her this morning, and she couldn’t remember being up at all during the night or having any disturbing dreams.

  “And Princess Linnea, how are you feeling?”

  “Sore, but all right.”

  “Excellent. Because I’ve just heard that someone is riding up – someone I’m sure will be anxious to see all of you. I’ll be right back.”

  She frowned as he went back out the door. “That was … strange. Do you think it’s Charles and Ellen already?”

  “They should be arriving any time now, actually, but then why wouldn’t he just tell us? And why would he say someone instead of naming them? Who else even knows we’re here?”

  “I don’t know,” Marcus said warily, standing and going to get his sword. Ben quickly followed.

  Quinn, too, was on the verge of questioning her decision to trust Jonathan, when the door opened again, and Stephen walked in.

  She nearly fell off her chair in relief.

  At first, he didn’t have eyes for anyone except Linnea. His gaze zeroed in on his daughter the second he entered the room, and he went straight to her, practically lifting her from her chair and into his arms.

  Until she winced at his tight grip, it was clear he hadn’t even noticed her bandages. When he did, he gasped and quickly let her go, stepping back to look at her fully. “What happened? Who did this to you? Was it Tolliver?” Stephen’s whole face and neck were red with his anger.

  “Yes, Stephen, it was,” Jonathan said, his voice apologetic. “But he’s been arrested now. He’s being held until he recovers enough to be transferred back to the capitol.”

  “Perhaps you should send him back to my capitol,” Stephen said through his teeth.

  “I’m sure that’s probably open for discussion” Jonathan didn’t quite manage to disguise his grin.

  “What is he recovering from that he can’t be moved today?”

  Jonathan raised an eyebrow at the rest of them.

  After Nathaniel and William explained what had happened, Stephen pulled Linnea back into his arms – a little more gently this time. “That’s my girl,” he said, close to her ear. “I’m proud of you.”

  They hugged for a long time, pausing briefly so that Stephen could hug the rest of them – he even embraced Marcus and Ben, thanking them for what they’d done, but when Stephen sat down at the table to speak to everyone, he pulled Linnea’s chair next to his, and he kept his arm around her; she leaned up against his chest.

  “How did you get here so quickly?” Nathaniel asked.

  “After I got your note that you thought Linnea was here yesterday morning, we left within a few hours – it’s just me, and Luke Willoughby and a couple of other guards. We rode hard, and we rode through most of the night – I’m sure the horses aren’t very appreciative.”

  Stephen looked at Jonathan. “This place was easier to get into than we expected – we were afraid it might be a fight.”

  Jonathan nodded. “Yesterday, it would have been. Much has changed with the arrest of Tolliver. The troops that were here with him are regrouping somewhere, I think. Perhaps they’re trying to get into contact with Hector. Nobody seems to have heard from him or knows where he is.”

  “That sounds dangerous. Does he have any troops with him?”

  “I don’t know.” Jonathan’s eyes flicked to Quinn. “We’re afraid the danger might be a little more serious than that.”

  As soon as Stephen’s eyes met hers, Quinn knew that he knew. She tried, unsuccessfully, to keep her voice from shaking when she asked her question. “Did you have a dream, too?”

  He didn’t look away from her, though she could see that it took effort on his part. “Yes, I did.”

  She swallowed. “You think it’s a real threat.”

  “I think you know the answer to that. Using the gate has always been dangerous, and none of us have been as careful about it as we should have been.”

  “I still don’t understand how Hector could have found out about it,” Jonathan said.

  “It doesn’t matter how. Nothing matters at all except keeping him from using it.” Stephen’s expression was grim. “And we have very few options for doing that. We can’t station troops around it without being prepared to tell them why – and now is not the time to be giving that information to more people.”

  “No,” Quinn said, “I already know. I’ve already been through all of this in my mind, over and over. We have to try to close the gate; we have to prevent Hector – and anyone else he may have told – from ever using it. And, no, I’m not okay with that and I probably never will be, but it doesn’t matter, because the alternative is even worse. So, I don’t want to talk anymore about how it will affect me, or what it means. I think I know how to close it, and we just need to do it.”

  William reached for her hand, and – for just a fraction of a second – she didn’t want it. She yanked her hand away, out of his reach, but then just as quickly put it back, and allowed him to hold it tightly.

  “Okay,” Stephen said, after several silent, strained minutes. “So you tell me everything you know about closing it, and we will send a message to Simon, Maxwell, and Thomas today. Hopefully they can start trying to get it figured out. Our horses need a rest after that ride, and so do the rest of us, I think, but we can leave to take Linnea back to the castle tomorrow morning, and if we hurry, we’ll still make it back a day or so before the gate is scheduled to open again.”

  The look on Ben’s face as they talked about Linnea leaving nearly broke Quinn’s heart, and she saw Linnea glance sadly up at him, too. Oops – she doubted the two of them had meant for that to happen.

  There was a knock on the door then, and when Jonathan opened it, they saw the young man who’d attended them last night. “Sorry to bother you, Prince Jonathan,” he said, “but Prince Charles and Princess Ellen have just arrived, and I was told you wanted to be notified as soon as they were brought in.”

  “Yes, I did. Thank you very much, Zavier. Are they in the house now?”

  “Yes. Mr. Miller asked that they be shown to their accommodations, and that their horses be taken care of. Would you like me to take you to them?”

  “Please. And some of the supplies the horses are carrying belong to our guests here. Can you please ask someone to sort that out and bring them in here?”

  * * *

  When there was another knock on the door less than an hour later, William expected that it would be Charles and Ellen, or perhaps Jonathan, giving them more information about what was going on. But, instead, his father opened the door to find Queen Sophia standing there, by herself.

  “Stephen,” she said, coming in and allowing him to close the door behind her. “It’s been a long time – too long.”

  “Indeed it has, Sophia. Although I must say, you’re looking as beautiful as ever.”

  “Your wife may still allow you to get away with that, Stephen, but I’ve had too much experience with insincere flattery to believe it anymore.”

  William felt a lump in his throat at the queen’s words. She was, in fact, still very lovely. And she deserved more than a man like Hector who had made her feel this way.
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br />   His father, too, had sadness in his eyes as he regarded Sophia, and he shook his head gently. “In my eyes, you’ll always be the lovely, loving mother of my dearest friend – the way you were when Jonathan was alive. The two of you were one of the happiest couples I’d ever seen. Even as a teenage boy, I knew that.”

  “We were the happiest couple I knew. Until I saw you and your Charlotte.”

  “Well, Charlotte’s a special case.”

  “Indeed she is. And now I already see it between your son and my granddaughter. I suppose something of the magic has survived.”

  Stephen smiled over at William; he was sitting on the couch, still with his arm around Quinn’s shoulders. They’d all just been chatting before Sophia arrived. “More of the magic than you think, Sophia. It’s all still here, if only you’ll take hold of it.”

  Sophia nodded. “It’s been too long, Stephen; I’ve missed all of you. I’m sorry things have gotten to this point between our kingdoms. I know much of that is my fault. I trusted the wrong person.”

  “No, Sophia. It isn’t your fault for trusting him. He betrayed a very valuable gift you gave him. Although you could, perhaps, have asked for help when you first realized the truth – back when it would have been much easier to fix things. Before so many things were lost.”

  “Until my dying day, I will regret that I didn’t – that I allowed things to get this far.”

  “It’s a waste of time to focus on what we regret, Sophia. I would like to do what I can to help you move forward – to move all of us past this, and to right the wrongs we are able to.”

  “Yes, well, I have been discussing things with Jonathan, and I’ve even had a chance to speak with Charles and Ellen – imagine, all of my children are under one roof again – even Samuel, in a way,” she glanced at Quinn. “It’s unfortunate that my youngest is here under arrest, but those are the choices he made. And he is going to have to live with them, for the rest of his life.” Her shoulders shook a little as she spoke, and Stephen reached out his hand to steady her.

  “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Our discussions have led me to this conclusion. I don’t know where Hector is, but I need to assume my rightful role and get rid of him before Quinn will be safe here in Philotheum, and we can proceed. I have the necessary troops at my disposal and the support of the Friends of Philip as well.”

  “Of course, you always have the support of Eirentheos. We may even be able to help locate Hector.”

  “We’ll take whatever assistance we can get. I am going to ask my children – including Nathaniel – to accompany me back to the castle and help me build the support of our people for Quinn’s coronation – as both the rightful heir, and the one who has fulfilled the prophecy through her marriage to your son.

  “For now,” she said, turning to Quinn, “I’ve decided you both should return to Eirentheos. I am planning on releasing knowledge of your existence to our people, and you will be safer there until we’ve located Hector.”

  Quinn’s eyes were wide, and William thought he knew why. There was certainly no guarantee that she would be safer from Hector in Eirentheos – well, not safer from him personally, anyway. Her grandmother was right in that Quinn might be less a target of Hector’s troops, if she were safe in the castle in Eirentheos. He rubbed her shoulder.

  “Also,” Sophia continued, “we need to do things the proper, public way. You must have a public wedding ceremony, in Eirentheos, so that everyone is aware of your marriage, and of what it means to our kingdoms. I will attend that wedding, with all of my children, in approximately one moon’s time, provided Hector has been caught. Once the wedding has been accomplished, we can move forward with bringing you back to Philotheum for your coronation.”

  Quinn’s jaw was practically on her chest.

  “Close your mouth, princess. You will soon be a queen.”

  Though she still seemed speechless, Quinn did as she was told, sitting up straighter on the couch, too.

  “In the meantime, of course, the private wedding that was already performed will still be considered the real date of your marriage. I am sorry to have missed it.” With those words, Sophia turned and headed toward the door. Her hand was on the knob to turn it, when she suddenly whirled around and walked back toward Quinn.

  Sophia knelt down in front of her, surprisingly gentle after the fervor of her speech. “And thank you, precious child. I don’t yet know you as well as I wish I did, but I do see what you’ve done here, and the sacrifice you’ve chosen to make to right the wrong that occurred when your father left Philotheum. We’ll work this out, and then you’ll come to be with me, and perhaps you just might be the cornerstone on which we begin to rebuild our family.”

  She then turned to William. “You’re brave, Prince William, getting yourself into this. Thank you for loving her enough to stand beside her – beside all of us. And welcome.”

  Sophia bent down and kissed Quinn on the top of her head, but she didn’t wait for a reaction or a response before she really did leave.

  Nathaniel let out a low whistle as the door closed behind his mother. “I haven’t seen her like that since I was four cycles old. I’ve never forgotten it though.”

  “I think it’s a good thing,” Stephen said.

  “As do I.”

  William didn’t know her well enough to be sure, but he did think it was a definite improvement over the woman they’d seen yesterday, who’d looked like a strong wind would knock her over.

  They sat there for several minutes, all of them in a sort of dazed silence. Linnea was the first one to break it. “A big wedding will be fun.”

  Everyone chuckled – everyone except Quinn. She had grown very still and quiet beside him. He looked down at her. “Excuse me,” she said. And she stood and walked quickly into the bedroom he’d shared with her the night before.

  They all looked at each other again. His father stood up. “I think I’d like to go check on all of the horses. It sounds like yours have all arrived here as well. Anyone want to come with me?”

  It was almost comical how quickly everyone was out of the room, leaving William standing there. His father paused in the doorway. “Do you have your coin?”

  He nodded. “It’s in my backpack in the other room.”

  His father smiled gently, reaching into his pocket. “Always in your pocket, son. Here.” He pulled his hand out and held it over William’s, dropping a small coin into it. “We’ll stay out of your way for a while.”

  After his father left, William approached the bedroom door. Inside the bedroom, Quinn was sitting on the bed, leaning up against the headboard, her knees pulled up to her chest.

  “Please, Will,” she said, as he was closing the door behind him, “I just need a little bit of time alone.”

  He didn’t leave, though. He just slowly approached the bed and stood at the foot of it, flipping the little coin between his fingers as he spoke. “There aren’t many requests I wouldn’t grant you, Quinn – except you asking me to leave you when you’re upset.”

  “I’m not upset. I just … need some time to think.”

  He raised an eyebrow at her.

  She looked up at the ceiling. “If I am, it’s my problem. I have to deal with this, Will.”

  He ignored her defensive position, and walked around to the side of the bed, kicking off his boots.

  “I mean it, Will.” Her voice was starting to sound scratchy.

  “I know you do.” He climbed onto the bed, and sat with his legs crossed right in front of her. “I know. But I mean this more.”

  She looked at him.

  He held the little coin between his fingers. “After we told my parents we were getting married, they pulled me aside one evening. They brought me into their room, and sat me down, and gave me this – well, one like it, anyway. This is my father’s, since I didn’t have mine in my pocket like I’m supposed to.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s just a coin. It’s nothing special �
�� it’s not even money. But it’s a reminder.” He handed it to her and watched as she examined it, studying both sides.

  “Is that a thorn?” she asked, showing him the etching on one side.

  “It is. And it’s a dandelion seed on the other side.”

  “Again with that…” she said, and he smiled. “What is it supposed to be a reminder of?”

  “To never run away from each other in a fight – to stay until we’ve worked it out.”

  “We’re not fighting.”

  “I know. You and I don’t fight – at least not so far. But we both have a tendency to do this – to withdraw when we get upset, and think that everything is only our own problem.”

  “Sometimes it is.”

  “No, love. It never is. It never will be. You’re my wife. For the rest of my life, everything that worries you or upsets you or hurts you – it does me, too. Even if the only way it affects me is that it makes you sad. Even if the only thing I can do about it is be there for you.”

  He took the coin back, and held the side with the dandelion seed up to her. “Dandelions represent the easy way. You pick up a dandelion and it’s so soft, and it’s so easy and even fun sometimes to blow the seeds everywhere. And you don’t even realize what you’re doing. Nothing happens right then, except you get a pretty little show in the breeze. It’s not until later, sometimes a long time later, that you look out in your garden and realize what you did.”

  He put his hand on her knee. “It’s easy, love, to pull back, to hide in yourself, to run and say you’re just taking some time, to keep all of your emotions inside, maybe even to think you’re protecting me from something. It would be easier still for me to let you do that. To watch you blow those dandelion seeds everywhere, and pretend it won’t damage anything. To pretend we won’t wake up one summer morning to discover we’ve allowed a huge patch of weeds to grow between us, opening up cracks in the foundation of our marriage.”

  Her lower lip trembled, and he saw her bite down on it, but he didn’t stop. He flipped the coin over, and rubbed his thumb against the etching of the thorn. “Thorns, on the other hand … they’re not easy. They hurt. They make you want to give up on the whole plant sometimes. But if you don’t give up, love, if you fight through it, allow yourself to be hurt – the result is beautiful and strong. And it will last forever if you care for it.”