by Kim Stokely
No such luck.
I only had time to eat some kind of pita bread smothered in hummus before Ammiel insisted on claiming his dance. From then on prospective husbands cut in on each other throughout the evening. The only two I didn’t dance with were ten-year-old Victor, and Noam. I didn’t even see Victor at the banquet, but Noam stood in the corner and watched me the entire time. I wanted to speak to him before I went to my room, but he left as Edward came running to me after the musicians finished their last song.
“My Lady.” He bowed, took my hand, and kissed it all in one fluid motion. “You were like a swan tonight. So graceful and confident.”
I chuckled at his praise. “Only because you had them play the three dances I know over and over again.”
He blushed.
I patted the short man’s arm. “Thank you for that kindness. I don’t know what I can do to reward you, but I’ll think of something after I get this coronation thing over with.”
Geran, Devnet and Kennis waited for me in the hall. Devnet grinned when he saw me. “Brilliant. You were brilliant tonight.”
Geran and Kennis both nodded in agreement.
“I’m glad you’re all happy with my performance, but I’m exhausted. If I have to smile at one more person I’m afraid my cheeks will freeze.”
“Would you like me to accompany you to your room?” Kennis asked.
“There’s no need.” I gestured to the guard I knew would chaperone me. “Rhoswen will help me out of this get up. I just want to go to bed.” I kissed her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
My maid waited by the fireplace. She set to undressing me once the door shut behind me. She soon had the laces undone and I stepped out of the gown. She’d hung my nightgown by the fire to warm. My muscles relaxed as she slipped the toasty garment over my head. She then gave me a robe. “If you’ll sit, it will be easier to take the pins from your hair.” Her fingers worked deftly and soon my hair cascaded from the top of my head.
My thoughts turned to Tegan. I’d kept the memory of his face at bay while I dealt with all my other troubles, but now, as Rhoswen combed through the tangles, I couldn’t help but compare him to the other suitors I’d met. Not one had his expressive eyes or beautiful, shaggy hair. Not one caused my breath to catch in my throat just by looking at me. I wondered if the memory of Tegan’s kisses would be enough to strengthen me throughout the loveless marriage I’d be forced to make.
Someone knocked on the door. Rhoswen stopped brushing my hair. “Are you expecting someone?”
I shook my head.
“I’ll tell them you’re not to be disturbed, shall I?”
“Please.”
Rhoswen walked to the door and opened it a crack. “The Lady Alystrine desires no visitors this evening.”
She conversed with someone in the hallway in mumbled tones before reaching out and retrieving a cream colored slip of paper. She closed the door behind her. She stared at the note with a curious expression before handing it to me. “Will you need help to read it?”
The front of the note was not addressed and had no mark to indicate the sender. I turned it over. The seal had not been stamped either. I slipped my finger under the wax to open it. It took me a minute to translate the simple Latin sentence. The garden is beautiful in the morning. I frowned and turned the paper over, looking for any other clue but found nothing. “Who brought this?”
“A young serving boy from the stables. When I questioned him about who sent it, he said he didn’t know the man but thought he was an Elder.”
Why would an Elder send me a cryptic note about the gardens?
Noam.
Noam would know that any note sent to me might be intercepted by any number of people who would want to discern its contents. If opened, he’d want to leave no trace of who sent it or why. I tapped the paper against my fingers. Noam wanted to meet me in the morning in the hedges. What could be so important that he’d risk sending me a note?
“My Lady?” Rhoswen looked over my shoulder. “Can you read it?”
“No.” I tossed the note into the fireplace. “But if they can’t bother to let me know who they are, I don’t need to know what it says.” The cream colored edges glowed bright orange before bursting into flame.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
An Interesting Proposal
I paced the floor most of the night, catching only a few minutes of sleep in one of the arm chairs in front of the fire. Rhoswen clucked when she found me there in the morning, staring into the flames like she’d left me several hours earlier. I dressed quickly and told her not to spend too long on my hair. “Could you find a cloak and shoes?” I asked as she finished pulling my hair back into a braid with ribbons laced through it. “I want to walk in the garden before I deal with my father today, and I’d rather have you as a chaperone than one of the guards.”
She curtsied and returned a short time later, ready for our excursion. I tried not to race through the halls, but my nerves tingled with anticipation with what Noam wanted to tell me. Maybe he’d found out something about the Black Guard’s mount in the stable. A frigid blast of air assaulted us when Rhoswen opened the door to the East Garden. She scowled at me.
“My lady, it’s too cold for a walk.”
I brushed past her. “The cold helps clear my thoughts. I won’t be long.”
The maid groaned and positioned her hood over her head before stepping outside. Forbidding gray clouds streaked with black hung heavily in the sky. The dry grass crunched under our feet as we made our way to the hedge maze. I pointed to one of the stone benches. “Wait here. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I wove my way through the tall green hedge until I found the spot where I’d met Noam two days ago. The clearing was empty except for a sparrow that fluttered out of the bushes as I sat down on the marble bench. I pulled my cloak close to keep out the wind. Figuring it couldn’t hurt, I closed my eyes and said a prayer for discernment over the remaining days before my coronation.
“I’d hoped the rumors I heard of your ability to read were true.” Noam stood in the archway of hedges leading to the clearing.
“You were lucky you chose words I know. I don’t have an extensive vocabulary.”
He clasped his hands together. “I couldn’t help but notice you seemed distracted last night. Distracted and unhappy.”
I so needed a friend right now, but couldn’t think of how I could explain my situation without telling him all the details. Noam studied me while I remained silent.
“May I speak frankly to you, as a . . . as a confidant, without fear of retribution?”
“Sure.”
“I have . . . .” For once, he couldn’t look me in the eyes. He licked his lower lip and seemed to reconsider what he wanted to tell me.
“You don’t have to be afraid. I promise I won’t get angry.”
“It’s not your anger I fear.”
“Then what?”
“What I want to suggest will either be a blessing to you, or an abomination. Either way, I take a great risk in making the offer to you.”
I shook my head. “Now I’m confused. What are you offering?”
He raised his head. “A marriage, my lady. A marriage of convenience. Of friendship.”
“Isn’t that what every single man in the kingdom is offering me?”
“I’ve seen how the question of your betrothal weighs heavy on your heart. You do not harbor feelings for any of the men your father and the Assembly have set before you. Anyone with eyes can see how unhappy you are at the prospect.”
Now it was my turn to look away. “There are other things, too.”
“Like your friend, Josh?”
My breath caught in my throat.
“I saw how he looked at you the other day. He loves you, and you appear to have a connection to him.”
“We’ve known each other for years.”
“My lady–”
“Call me Ally.”
His eyes widened. “I cou
ldn’t.”
I let out a frustrated groan. “You’re standing there proposing marriage, and yet you won’t call me by my name?”
“Lady Alystrine.” He paused as if waiting for me to object. I didn’t. “A marriage to me would be one in name only.”
“What do you mean?”
He seemed to be at war with himself about whether to explain further or not. The call of a goose overhead caused him to flinch. He paced to the other side of the clearing. “I am . . . I have never been attracted to women. My feelings have always led me into attachments with men.”
I stared at him. He stood hunched in the corner of the clearing as if waiting for me to strike him. “You’re gay?”
Noam gave me a curious look. “Happy would be the farthest thing I am at the moment. Terrified of your reaction, yes. Petrified that you’ll denounce me to the Council, yes. But gay? No.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, it’s a term we use in the other world.” I walked to the opposite corner. “If you . . . prefer men . . . why would you want to marry me?”
He took a step toward me, a desperate look in his eyes. “It could solve both of our dilemmas. The Elder Council is beginning to question why I won’t marry. I cannot keep putting off their curiosity forever.”
“Well that’s convenient for you, but what about me? Why should I agree to a loveless marriage?”
“Because . . . because I would not be wounded if you . . .” He clenched his hands into fists at his side.
“If I what?”
“If you took Josh as your lover.”
I stared at him in shock. My mouth opened and shut several times but I couldn’t get words to form.
He searched my face. “What are you thinking?”
“I can’t believe you’re suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”
“But can’t you see how we both would benefit?”
“No!” I whirled away from him and walked along the circumference of the clearing. “No, I don’t. I know there are rules about adultery in Ayden. You could have me thrown into prison or something.”
“But I wouldn’t, that’s the point. And it wouldn’t be adultery, not really.”
“How do you figure that?”
“A marriage is not truly a marriage in the eyes of Ruahk until it is consummated. As we would never–”
“No more details, please.” I waved my hand. “I thought as soon as you signed the betrothal you were considered married?”
“Some still believe the old laws, but many do not. Besides, we could privately annul our vows so you could secretly marry Josh. I have friends who would help us.”
My thoughts spun. “We could never trust someone with knowledge like that. They’d always have power over the throne.”
Noam’s eyes pleaded with me. “I truly believe, if Ruahk understood our relationship from the beginning, He would not hold us to any vows we took.”
I didn’t love Josh, not in the way Noam thought I did, but still, at least I had some feelings for him. “What if I got pregnant? Have you thought about that little problem?”
Noam surprised me by grinning from ear to ear. “Nothing would please me more. Josh and I are similar in appearance. None would suspect I wasn’t the father, even if the child favored him.”
“I can’t believe you’re telling me this.”
“Truly, I would love to help you raise a child.”
“And what about you? Am I supposed to let you run around with whatever man you’ve fallen in love with?”
Noam’s smiled vanished as if I’d slapped him. “Ruahk forbids it.”
“What?”
He took a step toward me. “I have never acted on my desires, nor would I. To do so would anger Ruahk.”
The thoughts in my head jumbled together like a tangled ball of yarn. “Let me get this straight. You’ve never actually . . . been with a man?”
He shook his head.
“Because it’s a sin?”
“I would like to say that my love for Ruahk was all that has motivated my abstinence, but in truth, it is fear that is the stronger deterrent.”
“Fear of what?”
“The punishment for acting on my desires is banishment from the Elder Land. I would have to live among the Commoners.”
I thought about my time with the Bedouins, Ebed and his family, on the Plains of Sharne. He and his wives opened their home to me. They shared their food and their clothes. Their sons gave their lives to protect me. “Would that be so bad?”
Noam shut his eyes. “If the reason for my banishment were made known, they would stone me.”
My knees trembled and I sat down on the bench. “That’s awful.”
“Can you see now, how this arrangement would benefit us both?” He approached the bench and knelt. “We like each other as friends. I respect and admire you. I would be honored to serve you as you carried the burdens of this kingdom.”
I rubbed my face with my hands trying to sort through everything flying through my mind. I couldn’t handle much more before my brain exploded, I was sure of it.
“My lady?”
I sighed. “As much as your proposal intrigues me, it’s a moot point.”
He gave me a quizzical look. “A what?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not in love with Josh, no matter what you, or Geran, or Braedon believe. I do love him, but like a brother. Braedon is holding him hostage until my coronation. He’ll always be able to use Josh against me unless I can get him back to the Other World.”
Noam sat back on his heels. “What can I do to help?”
“I don’t know.” I wandered over to the entry of the clearing and stared down the long row of hedges. “I need Quinn.”
“Why?”
“He understands how Braedon’s mind works better than anyone else.” I yanked the bristles off an evergreen branch. “He was my friend.”
Noam walked over to my side. He kept his voice low. “Do you have any idea where he’s gone?”
“No. Geran refuses to tell me anything. He doesn’t trust him.” I let out a long breath. “He forced Quinn away.”
“I am your friend, Lady Alystrine.”
I raised my eyes to meet his.
“I’m free to move about wherever I choose. I’ll make inquiries today in the village and see if Quinn has stayed in the area. If he’s not here, I have friends within the Elders who could use their gifts to help locate him for you.”
“Thank you.” I moved toward him but stopped myself. “I would give you a huge hug right now.” I looked around at the walls of the castle. “But I don’t know who’s watching.”
“I understand.” He took a step away and bowed. “I pray you would take time to truly consider what I have to offer. That is, if your feelings for me haven’t changed, now that you know what I am.”
Screw who was watching. I leaned over and kissed his cheek. “You are a kind man and a good friend. If anything, my respect for you has grown because of all you’ve had to go through.”
The smile on his mouth reached his eyes. “Thank you . . . Ally. No matter what you decide, my sense is that we will play an important role in each other’s lives.” He bent to kiss my fingers. “May Ruahk’s peace rest on you throughout this day and always.” My gaze followed him down the narrow hedge corridor until he disappeared around the corner.
Now that I had someone who could find Quinn for me, I had to think of the rest of my plan to get Josh out of Ayden. There had to be some way that wasn’t as heavily guarded. Some way to disguise him. I hurried back to Rhoswen, who stomped around the abandoned flower beds in an effort to keep warm. I spent another day in rehearsals for the coronation while I continued to work out a plan. That evening, I got another note before I went to bed. Again was all it said.
“Quinn waits for your message in the town.” Noam whispered as we sat among the hedges. “But he does not know how he can help. There are no passages open to him among the Elders or the Mystics. None but you trust him.”<
br />
My eyes strayed to the pale gray sky as I stood up. The damp cold of coming snow hung in the air. “How much do you know about the passages?”
“Very little. Why?”
I paced around the bench, the frost covered grass crunching under my feet. “Do you think he could make the passage if he had the Chrysaline?”
Noam’s eyes narrowed. “Maris told the Elder Council the Chrysaline was lost.”
“I know where it is.” I sat down on the other side of the bench but turned my head toward him. “Would it be enough? Would Quinn be able to use its power to transport Josh back home?”
The young man stared up as if trying to read a message in the layer of clouds. “If he is as strong as I believe he is, yes, he could do it. But how will you get Josh and the Chrysaline out of the castle without being discovered?”
Now it was my turn to look away. I picked at a hangnail.
“Lady Alystrine? Do you have a plan?”
“You actually gave me the idea. But if you don’t think it will work, or if it’s too dangerous, I’ll try and think of something else.”
He leaned closer to me. “What is it?”
“You and he trade places. You said yourself you look alike. He could hide the Chrysaline under your cloak and walk out the gate into the city, if we had someone to guide him to Quinn on the other end.”
Noam’s face grew grim. “And what do I do? Wait in Josh’s room for someone to find me? The guards might not look closely but I am sure Braedon will notice the difference.”
“I’ll have taken a passage into the room so I can give Josh the Chrysaline. After he leaves, we’ll take a passage to someplace in the castle where you can have another set of clothes waiting. When the guards finally check Josh’s room it will be as if he disappeared into thin air.”
He didn’t actually smile, but his face softened. “It could work.” He paused and studied the grass, I could almost hear the gears in his head turning as he worked out all he’d have to do for the plan to succeed.
I put my hand on his knee. “Can it be done tonight?”
His head jerked up. “Tonight?”
