Pity made her tears flow harder. Maia had no father and could have no surrogate father in either churlish Crowe or Katya’s often-absent father. No wonder she’d fallen for strong, capable, kind-hearted Brutal. “I’m so sorry, coz.”
“I want to kill him.”
“No, you don’t.”
“I do!” Maia flopped at the foot of the bed and wrapped her arms under her knees. “I want to shoot him! And drown him! I want to kill him a thousand times!”
“No, you want your father back. I do, too.”
“You have a father.”
“Roland was a far better father than mine.”
“What?”
“Well, I love my father, but he’s a bit…absent sometimes, even when he’s in the room. He’s loving, no doubt, but he’s, well, the king. I don’t think being king leaves much room for tenderness in a person’s life. Roland was very tender. His love was like a great big blanket, and it was all for you, coz. Da’s love is kind of…”
“Loud?”
Katya gave her a sideways hug. “Boisterous. He couldn’t read a bedtime story without getting bored in the middle and finishing early.” She cleared her throat and deepened her voice. “And then, some prince or another did something heroic, and they all went home for tea. I say, my girl, this is rather a bore, isn’t it?”
Maia laughed a little. “Look here, I know you’re six, but these books don’t have enough murders.”
“How the deuce is a man supposed to make it through a book without murders?”
“You can finish it yourself, can’t you, my girl? If you can’t figure out the words, just look at the pictures!” Even as they chuckled, Maia’s eyes filled with tears again. She scooted up the bed and leaned against the headboard between two arrows. “Da read to me every night, and he always finished. I miss him, Katya.”
“I know.”
Maia yanked one of the arrows out of the wood, the head groaning as it came loose. “Would you kill me? If you had to? Would you hold my face under the water?”
Spirits forbid she would ever have to make that choice, but Katya answered with what Maia needed to hear, not daring to question whether or not it was the truth. “No, you and I would have gone to the bottom of the river together, taking the evidence with us.”
“If Crowe had killed himself with Da, Da would still be dead.”
“Yes.”
“Was there no other way?”
“No, not when the kingdom is at stake.”
Maia snapped the arrow in two. “Then I’ll spread my hatred to Carmen Van Sleeting and her children.”
“But you won’t remove it from Crowe?”
Maia rubbed her face again. “I can’t forgive him just like that, Katya. I can’t just understand.”
“All right. Do I have your word you won’t kill him?” With all their talk of death, it was a serious question.
“Yes, not if you still need him.”
Katya reminded herself never to let Crowe retire. “Brutal’s still outside. Do you want me to send him in?”
Maia shook her head. “I look a mess.”
All that had gone on, and that was what she was worried about? “He won’t mind.”
Maia glared at her.
“All right. I’ll tell him to clear off.”
“Are you seeing Starbride tonight?”
“Absolutely.”
“Will I get details?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You’re no fun at all.”
Katya kissed her forehead. “If it gets too hard on your own, send for me.”
“I’d rather you be having fun.”
Katya slipped out the door. Brutal glanced at her, his eyes hopeful. “Sorry, Brutal. She doesn’t want you to see her when she’s a mess.”
“I don’t care about that.”
“I know, but a sixteen-year-old girl won’t be budged when she thinks she looks terrible.”
Brutal leaned against the wall. “I’ll hang around in case she changes her mind. Maybe she’ll talk to me through the door.”
“Maybe. Thanks, Brutal.” Katya strode away, wanting to be with Starbride more than anything, wanting to live in Starbride’s arms forever. But, she reminded herself, there was another dreaded conversation that had to happen first. Perhaps a little dinner would smooth things over. She tapped her chin as she thought about it. There were so many instances in life she didn’t know how to handle; arranging dinner for two was not one of them. And she couldn’t force the Order to heal. She’d stopped the bleeding, but only time would close the wound.
Chapter Eighteen: Starbride
Starbride changed into the outfit Katya had given her; she’d earned a break from the frothy dresses.
“Are you sure the dress you wore this morning couldn’t be salvaged?” Dawnmother asked. “Did you even try to save it?”
“It was completely ruined.”
“I’m sure you wept.”
“One down.”
Dawnmother stood back and surveyed the red outfit. “Hair half-down again, I think. Jewelry?”
“Something simple.”
Dawnmother whisked a small ruby pendant and matching stud earrings from the jewelry box, and Starbride stood still for the fastening and styling. When Dawnmother held the mirror in front of her, she nodded. The top half of her hair had been pulled behind her head in a simple twist, showing off her earrings, while the rest hung free.
“Very elegant,” Dawnmother said.
“Maybe we can sell some of the frothy dresses and have more Allusian outfits made.”
Dawnmother snorted. “And then what will you have to ruin when you go gallivanting into the woods looking for danger?”
“We’ll keep one dress around, then.”
“After a few forays, you’ll be as ragged as a beggar.” Dawnmother picked imaginary lint from Starbride’s shoulder.
“Stop fussing, Dawn. I’m fine. I swear that I will not be leaving the palace tonight.”
“I’m becoming a worrier.”
“Becoming?” Even as she teased, guilt pricked her. She’d been angry that Katya left her behind, but she’d done the same to Dawnmother, without even a clue as to where she’d gone. “I’m sorry, Dawn. I’ve always been more trouble than I’m worth.”
Dawnmother waved the apology away and straightened Starbride’s clothing again. Standing still seemed a small price to pay to put her at ease.
After night had fallen, Katya arrived as promised, her face a little haggard but her attire impeccable. She wore a dark coat slightly less embellished than the one she wore at the Courtiers Ball, and Starbride noted with a chuckle that her trousers were just as tight.
“You look tired,” Starbride said. “Has something happened?”
“I found something out. I don’t know if I was ready to hear it. To tell the truth, I’m not ready to repeat it.”
“Don’t speak of it. Do you still want to have dinner?”
“It’s the only thing today I’ve looked forward to.” Katya offered an arm, and Starbride slipped hers through as they ventured into the corridor. “Averie’s arranged everything on Hanna’s Retreat. Let’s take a more direct route than last time.”
Starbride resisted the urge to snuggle close until they were out of the halls. “Direct route?”
“Well, since my enemies already know about you, I want the courtiers to know we’re seeing one another, but tonight, I want to avoid enough of them not to get stopped.”
“Why do you want them to know we’re seeing one another?”
“To show you off, of course. That, and the more eyes on you, the more you’ll be protected.”
Starbride squeezed Katya’s arm and chuckled. “I’m not a prize pony.”
“One look at you and the courtiers will be envious of me as a suitor, rather than as the princess.”
Starbride shook her head even as she blushed. There was that Katya charm again. The recriminations she’d been guarding all afternoon were slipping away
. She lined them up in a neat row in her head and built a wall around them.
Katya led her near gangs of whispering courtiers but not among them, and the surge of muted conversation at their appearance was like a disturbed beehive. Starbride had to wonder how many people would be following her through the hallways from then on. She ignored the stares and the whispers, though she clutched Katya’s arm a little tighter, and she was more than happy to leave them behind and reach Hanna’s Retreat.
As she mounted the steps, Starbride saw that a candlelit table had been laid under the starry sky. “Romantic.”
Katya’s teeth shone in the trickle of light. “You asked me once if I was going to seduce you.”
“And?”
“I wanted you to see what it’s like when I really try.”
Starbride took her seat, and Katya lifted the silver covers from the food. Starbride leaned over her plate, inhaling the heady aroma. In the dim light, the dinner was hard to see but delicious all the same. Perfectly cooked roast beef and creamy potatoes melted in her mouth. The mousse was like chocolate velvet, and she couldn’t help thinking it must be nice to be royalty once in a while if that was their standard fare.
She waited until dessert was almost over before she opened the gate to her wall and let her feelings out. “I don’t want to pick at your bad news, but you did say there would be an explanation of today.”
“I know.” Katya tapped the rim of her wineglass with one finger. “I don’t know quite how to reveal this—I never got a chance to ask anyone how to handle it—so I’m just going to blurt it out. When it comes to protecting my family, I am the first line of defense.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I protect them.”
“Like a guard?”
“Exactly.”
“But…what…? And why…?” It was obviously a secret, but why would the princess be a secret guard? Frowning hard, Starbride got her tangled thoughts together. “Do your parents approve of this?”
“My parents insist. The second child of the King or Queen of Farraday has always led a secret order—the Order of Vestra—tasked to protect the royal family and the crown. That’s why I tackle problems on my own instead of calling the Guard. Conspiracies are easier sought out in secret, especially if they touch on affairs that the king wants hidden from the public.”
“But…” Starbride paused, and pieces of the puzzle fell into place in her head. “Ah, the mystery of the princess who loves and hates hunting becomes clearer.”
Katya raised her glass in salute.
“This Order seems a good idea in itself, for the very reasons you stated, but must it be you who leads it? Isn’t it terribly dangerous? If something happened to you and then to your brother…”
“The throne would go to my brother’s daughter—his eldest—after my father’s death, and Maia would lead the Order until my nephew was old enough or until she…died.”
Starbride heard the pause and knew there was more behind it than just the thought of a cousin’s death. “Has someone died?”
“Yes.”
Starbride placed her hand over Katya’s cool fingers. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago, but I just found out the details tonight.”
“I’m sorry anyway.”
“Thank you.”
“So, you went out alone today to fulfill your duties as leader of this Order.”
“Yes, and that’s why you must never follow me again.”
Starbride heard the admonishment in the statement and tossed her hair over one shoulder. “And why you mustn’t keep secrets unless you want me to act impulsively.”
Katya placed a hand on her chest in mock indignation. “Oh, so your following me today is my fault?”
“Yes.”
“I must remember that one. When in doubt, pass the blame.”
“A tactic that has worked for my mother for years.” Starbride toyed with her wine for a moment. “And the men you found, they had something to do with this long-ago death?”
“We’re still trying to determine that, Star. Things aren’t always simple enough for an easy explanation.”
Starbride held up a hand, forestalling the aggravated lecture. “Based on what the bearded man said, I think he was connected to the men who accosted us in the scarf shop. He seemed to know what had…almost been done there.” She cringed to think about the table and the knife and shook her head to banish the memory.
“Really? Tell me.”
Starbride told her everything the three men had said and done, keeping back one fact for last. “The bearded man called me a pyradisté when his pyramid wouldn’t work on me.”
“Well, well, well.” Katya tapped her chin. “Now that I think about it, the shopkeeper held his pyramid in front of you, and nothing happened. I didn’t put two and two together at the time, but now…You are a sleeper, aren’t you?”
“Is that another Farradain saying that doesn’t make any sense?”
“It means that you have unexpected talents.”
“But everyone knows how to sleep.”
“I don’t know the origin of the expression, but it’s wonderful to watch you try to work it out. I could watch you do almost anything.”
“What do you think of my being a pyradisté?”
“I think it’s wonderful. We’ll talk to Crowe in the morning. After everything that’s happened today, I ordered him to bed.”
Starbride pulled her soft napkin through her fingers, pausing at the embroidered royal crest. “My people have no pyradistés. Those who use the pyramids are called adsnazi, and their pyramids look crude compared to those I’ve seen in Farraday.”
“Here, everyone is tested at thirteen to see if they could be a pyradisté. It’s not the same in Allusia?”
“It’s not really an honor there. And the adsnazi can’t accomplish the wonders I’ve seen in Farraday. They live in the hills north of Newhope. They rarely came into town, but they always had a pack of children following them by midday when they did.”
“Did they give out sweets?”
“No, strings of red amber beads. They wore multicolored shirts and cut their hair very short, except for one long lock at the back of their heads. Whenever we elected a new governor, they’d gather in the square and make lights dance in the sky.”
“You won’t have to cut your hair, will you?”
Starbride curled one of her locks around her finger. “Not if I’m a pyradisté instead of an adsnazi.” She didn’t even know if she wanted to be one, but she saved that worry for later.
“Good. I’ll buy you all the multicolored shirts and amber beads you like. Just leave your hair alone.”
“Speaking of people in need of shirts, what will happen to Lord Hugo?”
“He’ll be watched until I’m sure he has no connection to these traitors.”
“He won me over when he got stabbed.” She rested her head on one fist. “He feels that he and Maia are kindred spirits.”
“I noticed his shock when he first saw her.”
“Could it be that he saw her sometime or met her, and his memory was erased but not completely? Do such things happen?”
“Something else to discuss with Crowe, but good thought.”
Starbride tossed her hair again. “See? You should have let me in from the start.”
“So I see.”
Starbride folded her napkin beside her plate. She paused before she spoke again, thinking of Katya kissing Miss Greyson’s hand. “I always thought your personality was…different with me than with the other courtiers, especially a certain lady. Is your court face all an act, something to throw people off the scent of the Order?”
“Most of the time. I couldn’t live the lie with you, though. Rather, I didn’t want to.”
Starbride tried not to let suspicion get the best of her. Still, she had to speak one of her worries. “It’s a little disconcerting to know that you’re such an exceptional liar.”
Katya sp
uttered a laugh, but Starbride heard sadness in the sound. “The court face, as you call it, is second nature now. Sometimes, I worry that it’ll become reality, and I’ll lose my real self one day.”
Sadness tightened Starbride’s throat. Katya had three faces, not two as Starbride had originally thought. She pretended to be fully human; she acted the pampered princess; she had the dangerous job of guarding not only her family, but the crown of Farraday. It was no wonder she felt she was losing herself. “Let’s move away from the candle and look at the stars.”
“No more questions?”
Starbride shook her head, but her mind didn’t stop poring over the answers she’d been given. A family of Fiends guarding each other made an odd sort of sense, though she didn’t want to say that aloud, not wanting to spoil the evening by bringing up Katya’s heritage. She’d have to put it together in her mind later and make sure she got any new pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully, she’d proven the worth of her insight.
They moved their chairs in front of the table, their backs to the candlelight, and sat side by side, gazing up at the twinkling sky. “I’m surprised you don’t have a string quartet hidden somewhere,” Starbride said.
“I’m keeping them in reserve. They’re hanging off the ledge in front of us.”
“Their fingers will be too tired to play.”
“They’re in a harness; they’ll be fine.”
Starbride laid her head on Katya’s shoulder and breathed deeply of the chill night air. “Can we stay here?”
“For how long?”
“Forever.”
“I’d love to. You have to explain to my mother why I’m shirking my court duties, though.”
“Done.” Starbride picked her head up and looked into Katya’s eyes. “I’ll just say, ‘it’s love,’ and the world will smile upon us.”
Katya’s mouth slipped open, her expression one of wonder. She leaned forward with a suddenness she hadn’t shown before, and Starbride almost drew back in surprise. As their lips touched, though, the passion behind the kiss washed over Starbride, and she pressed forward.
The Pyramid Waltz Page 19
