Of Fire and Stars

by Audrey Coulthurst

  “Perhaps we should examine the arrow. Did you bring it, Captain?” Thandi asked. It was somewhat reassuring to know he had at least half a brain in that thick skull of his.

  “Yes. I’ve kept it with me since it was recovered.” Ryka pushed a narrow box to the center of the table. Her usually steady hand trembled, giving away the truth of what she felt beneath the stoic mask she wore.

  Pity welled up in me, tightening my throat. It was the last thing that had touched Cas, and the only evidence we had. No wonder she carried it with her everywhere.

  Everyone leaned forward, and I stood, craning my neck to see as she opened the box.

  Nothing remained inside but ash.

  Ryka stared at it in shock.

  The table flew into an uproar, disbelief and fear traveling like wildfire through the group.

  “This is heresy!”

  “I’ll hunt them down myself!”

  “Zumorda must be behind this!”

  The king raised his hand for silence.

  “The first priority should be increasing castle security,” Lord Tommin insisted. He had a thin, reedy voice and a bulging gut that pressed up against the stone table. “We can’t have our families put in danger.”

  The man didn’t even have any children, but it was no surprise that a gluttonous merchant would rather lie around eating exotic confections than pick up a sword.

  “Captain?” the king asked. “How many more liegemen can we put on duty?”

  Ryka rubbed her temples. “I have about fifty ready to take the oath. Beyond that, we’d have to pull in trainees.”

  “We’ll need a far larger army to face Zumorda,” Tommin said.

  “I know that,” Ryka snapped.

  “We haven’t yet determined that Zumorda is to blame,” Hilara said.

  “But why would anyone kill Casmiel? He was pure of heart. A servant of the kingdom,” Eadric said dreamily.

  It was unfortunate that such a reasonable question had to come from such an unreasonable source, because no one bothered to answer it.

  “We need to mount a counterattack against Zumorda right away,” Tommin said.

  “Border defense should be our primary concern,” Hilara said. “We can’t retaliate without assessing our current allies and evaluating our strength.”

  The conversation devolved into a heated argument.

  As much as I hated to be on Hilara’s side, a nagging voice in the back of my mind kept asking if Zumorda had truly been behind Cas’s death, or if perhaps the Recusants could be to blame. Maybe the two had worked together.

  If only I’d gotten more out of that damned informant back at the Deaf Dog.

  If only Nils and I had made Alen answer more questions.

  “What about an investigation? Indisputable evidence that Zumorda is behind this?” I finally spoke up, but my voice was lost in the chaos of the room.

  I crossed my arms and sat back in my chair, turning my eyes heavenward and begging the Six for the fortitude to survive the rest of the meeting. Grief lodged itself deep in my belly. If the idiot directors were too busy worrying about their own necks to investigate properly, then I owed it to Cas to find out what had happened. It was the least I could do for the one family member who had loved me for who I was instead of who I was supposed to be.

  After the Directorate meeting, I headed to the stables for Dennaleia’s daily lesson. I set her to work immediately, my mind elsewhere. I should have been out in the cresthaven searching for answers about Cas, the arrow, and Zumorda. But my father had kept me close since Cas’s death, and I didn’t want to give him reason to further tighten the restrictions. I took it fairly easy on Dennaleia since I was preoccupied, but she still winced when she dismounted at the end.

  “The soreness will get better in time,” I said. We entered the barn with Louie in tow.

  “I hope so,” she said, and cross tied the horse to untack him.

  I had to give her some credit. In spite of her obvious discomfort, she wasn’t one to complain, and she never had to be told how to do anything more than once. She wiped down and put away Louie’s tack without a single piece out of place.

  “Can you show me your horse?” Dennaleia asked as she pulled the cover over her saddle.

  “I suppose,” I said, surprised by the request. “His stall is at the other end of the barn. Walking might help with the aches.”

  Dennaleia stopped several lengths back when we got close to my horse’s stall. I clucked softly, and Flicker stuck his head over the half door.

  “This is Flicker.” I wrapped my arm around his neck as he put his head over my shoulder.

  “Isn’t that dangerous?” Dennaleia asked.

  “It could be,” I said. “But I trust him. I’d never do it with another one. They all have their quirks. Flicker gives hugs.” I scratched an itchy spot under his mane until he tilted his head in bliss.

  “I think I’ll decline hugs from anything that can crush me.”

  “He’d only crush you if I told him to,” I said, smirking a little at the alarmed expression on her face.

  “That’s not comforting!”

  “Don’t worry. He hasn’t even learned those maneuvers yet. He’s still in the early part of his warhorse training. He won’t be finished for another year or two.” I patted him fondly.

  “If he’s in training like the others, why does Thandi refer to him as a cull?” she asked.

  “It’s that tall white stocking that goes up over the knee on his front leg. Every autumn after we bring in the broodmares during the Gathering, we wean the new foal crop and then sort the young stock and sell the ones that aren’t worthy of breeding. Sometimes we’ll ship out older horses too, if they didn’t work out in the training program.”

  “But what’s wrong with a white stocking?” She stepped forward and cautiously held out her hand for Flicker to sniff.

  “The last thing you want going into battle is a big splash of white that attracts the eyes of the enemy, and his marking is too large to cover with a wrap or armor. That’s why he’s a gelding. But we aren’t at war . . . so while the purity of bloodlines is important, he’s not likely to see a real battlefield where his color will matter.” I paused. “You shouldn’t ask me about Flicker. My friend Nils says I could bore a person half to death going on about him.”

  “It’s nice to talk with someone. So if this is the only way to get you to talk, I’ll ask you about Flicker more often.” She seemed oddly pleased.

  “If that’s what you want,” I said. I didn’t believe for a moment that she wanted to hear me yammer on about my horse.

  “What else do you enjoy besides riding?” she asked.

  “I used to sing sometimes,” I said, not sure why she was pretending to be interested.

  “You do have a musical voice,” she observed.

  Her compliment threw me off guard, and I searched for some sign in her expression that she was mocking me. When I didn’t find it, heat crept into my cheeks and I turned to Flicker to hide it.

  “But you don’t sing now . . . ?” she asked.

  “My mother was a talented musician. When I was little, she used to have me sing with her. But then she died, and everyone stopped expecting anything from me.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.

  “That must have been hard,” Dennaleia said. Her sympathy made me uncomfortable.

  “I have to go.” I headed off any further conversation. I had stalls to clean, and the day had been hard enough without dredging up memories of things I preferred to forget.

  When I got back to my rooms later that evening, Nils was waiting outside my door. My heart lifted a little at the sight of him.

  “I got your message a few days ago,” he said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

  “I figured. Come on in.” I beckoned him into my receiving room, relishing the fact that my father would fall over dead if he knew. Having men in and out of my chambers at odd times of the night was an infraction that even Ca
s couldn’t have overlooked, and Nils and I had been making a habit of it for ages. The liegemen at the door exchanged nods with Nils, an acknowledgment of all the blackmail material they had on one another. Our secret was safe with them.

  Once we were inside, Nils stepped forward and enfolded me in a tight hug. I let myself get lost in it for a minute, his familiar embrace easing the endless stab of grief.

  “I’m so glad to see you,” I said. Long shadows danced throughout my receiving room, cast by the vigil candles my maid had lit in the window for Cas.

  “How was the Directorate?” he asked softly.

  “A disaster. They couldn’t even settle on a plan for the investigation.” Idiots. I summarized the meeting for him, adding some profanity-laced commentary.

  Nils sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “I still can’t believe he’s gone,” I said. As angry as I was with the Directorate, the weight of Cas’s loss was stronger.

  “I’m so sorry, Mare. He was a good man,” Nils said. “Any theories on who did it?”

  “No. And what bothers me even more is that I can’t figure out why.” I studied his warm brown eyes as if they might hold an answer.

  “Not even one? You’re usually the queen of conspiracy theories.”

  “The only person out there who even smells like trouble is the queen of Zumorda, and she’s been reigning quietly for years without showing any sign of interest in us. The ambassador from Sonnenborne seems eager to collaborate, and he has enough tribes under his banner that he might as well be king of that godsforsaken desert. With Sonnenborne and Havemont as allies, we have Zumorda surrounded on its northern, western, and southern borders. The queen would have little to gain and possibly everything to lose by starting a war with us. It doesn’t add up.”

  “True, but she’s almost too quiet. How do you keep the peace in a kingdom that large and strange? We’ve never heard rumors that they have any kind of military. And why do Zumordans insist on accessing Mynaria by way of Havemont instead of soliciting a treaty directly with us? It makes no sense for them to travel so far north. It’s inefficient.”

  “I wish I knew.” I lit the lamp on the table in my sitting room to push back the darkness.

  “Could someone within the kingdom be responsible for Cas’s death? On the Directorate, even?” Nils asked, settling on one of the leather couches. I sat down beside him with my legs tucked beneath me.

  “Would any of them be foolish enough to take the risk of being punished for high treason?” I asked. “Hilara has always hated him, but she’s too cautious to resort to murder to get her way. The only others who could have done it are the Recusants, but they don’t seem very organized. And still—why? Cas wasn’t a fundamentalist.”

  “Mare,” he said softly. “Maybe it’s time for you to talk to your brother and father. You’ve seen a lot on the other side of the wall—even what we learned from that Recusant the other day. That information could lead them in the right direction and help with the investigation.”

  “Hells no,” I said. “And what investigation? Those idiots could barely come up with a plan to fortify the castle, much less actually seek out the killer. Besides, they have their own spies.” I crossed my arms.

  Nils sighed. “Do they listen to them?”

  “Not as often as they should.”

  “Exactly. Maybe they need to hear a broader perspective from someone they’ll take seriously.”

  “Right. As if they would take me seriously, especially when they find out I’ve been outside the wall nearly every day for the past three years,” I scoffed. “The only person who might have listened was Cas, and he’s dead.” A fresh wave of grief rose with my words. I took a deep breath to push the feelings away. The night air smelled of clean linen and a hint of alfalfa drifting in through the open window.

  “They might listen.”

  “No. They’ll yell at me, I’ll get assigned extra guards, and I’ll be upbraided for endangering myself, especially in light of what happened to Cas. I may not be an important player politically, but I’m sure picking off members of Mynaria’s royal family would still send a strong message. My father and the Directorate will be all too conscious of that danger. If I’m going to do any information gathering, which of course I will, they’ll be the last to know about it.”

  “You’re anything but unimportant, Mare.” He brushed a loose strand of hair out of my face. I couldn’t help but soften at his touch.

  “I see how you seduce all the ladies, Nils. Pretty slick.” Though I teased him, sometimes I missed the time before—the time when we had been more than friends.

  “My heart beats only for you,” he quipped, throwing his arm around me. “Even though half the liegemen think I might be interested in boys after that stunt we pulled to get you back in from the city the other night . . .”

  “Right,” I said, rolling my eyes and shoving him away. “I’m certain half the kingdom can vouch for your interest in women.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” He looked at me wide-eyed. “I can’t help it that women keep throwing themselves at me. I don’t even want most of them.”

  “I think you want enough,” I retorted. “Someone at dinner was talking about you and Lady Elinara getting caught behind the practice fields.”

  “Well, the lady does enjoy a bit of . . . jousting.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  “Oh, for the sake of the Six.” I put my hand over my face in mock disgust, grinning behind my palm.

  “In all seriousness, Mare, be careful if you decide to cross the wall again. The city isn’t as safe as it used to be. I won’t always be there if you get yourself in a mess, and Gammon isn’t the only one who might stick a sword in your neck.”

  “I know.” I ran my hand along the arm of the couch. The danger was irrelevant. Cas deserved justice.

  “And I know you’re going to do it no matter what I tell you.” He smiled. “That’s what I love about you.”

  “I need to figure out what happened to Cas. I don’t trust the Directorate to do their job.”

  “You’re going to need help,” Nils said.

  “That’s why I have you.”

  “You know I’ll do anything I can,” he said. “But they have us on double shifts right now. Sneaking out is going to be more difficult. And there are only so many channels of information I have access to.” He couldn’t risk getting in trouble—it could cost him his job.

  “I need someone both political and tolerable, which is about as likely as finding a unicorn in Flicker’s stall tomorrow,” I said.

  “It wouldn’t hurt to do some research in the library too,” Nils said. “Surely some information exists about what that white arrow signifies, or what kind of magic would make it burn up?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “I’d rather clean stalls. With my hands.”

  He laughed. “That’s my little Mare. Shall I go, or would you like company for a while?” He pulled me close, brushing his lips against my forehead.

  I hesitated. Asking him to stay was unfair. He had other places to be, and other women willing to give him more than friendship. But I didn’t have anyone else.

  “I’d like it if you stayed,” I said, hating myself for the tremor that crept into my voice.

  And he did—his solid form the only barrier against my sorrow.

  NINE

  Dennaleia

  MY WEDDING BAZAAR WENT ON AS SCHEDULED about half a moon after Casmiel’s funeral, the morning after Alisendi arrived. Swaths of gauzy fabric hung from the high ceiling of the queen’s bower and solarium, billowing gently in the morning breeze. The room blended seamlessly from inside to out, stone interior walls giving way to trellises covered with climbing vines and brilliant blooms. Merchants were stationed throughout the area, tables piled high with the finest wedding wares: dyed silks, rich tapestries, and exotic confections. Courtiers in the bright colors of summer sipped cold drinks as they wandered the room and garden.

  I should
have felt emboldened by Alisendi’s presence, but I wasn’t in the mood to put on my manners for a party and court my future ladies-in-waiting, even with my sister by my side. I wanted to do something useful.

  “Have you chosen your wedding attendants yet, Your Highness?” a velvety voice asked.

  Hilara stood beside me, tall and resplendent in a violet gown. Tight curls framed her face, the rest of her black hair up in an elaborate arrangement woven with lavender ribbons. Perhaps I should have been flattered that she chose to attend my party, but I had to repress my irritation. She had power. She could have been with the Directorate, helping find Casmiel’s killer or dealing with the Recusants. Instead, she was parading around setting fashions.

  I pasted on my best diplomatic smile. “Not yet, my lady,” I said. “It will be a difficult decision with so many wonderful choices.” Never mind that I barely knew anyone but Amaranthine, who was glowering in the shade of a nearby tree. She had managed to get away with wearing formal riding attire instead of a dress, looking both striking and wildly out of place among the other noblewomen.

  “Have you any suggestions?” I asked.

  “Certainly, Your Highness,” she said. “Nairinn of Almendorn’s place at court is secure and strong. She won’t marry until she finds a person of the proper status, so you could count on having her by your side for at least a few years. Annietta of Ciralis has connections in the far north, which could be advantageous should we ever pursue further exploration there. Ellaeni of Trindor would be a unique choice, definitely more valuable than one of the provincial girls since she’s the only current representative of the Mynarian fleet. But she hasn’t been here long and isn’t likely to stay.” Hilara gestured to each girl in turn—a well-dressed brunette entertaining several other girls by a fountain, a pretty redhead looking at gemstones with my sister, and a girl with the straightest, blackest hair I’d ever seen standing by herself, looking uncertain.

  Beyond Ellaeni, Amaranthine caught my eye again. She was making a surreptitious attempt to escape the garden, but within a few steps she was blocked by a blond girl intent on showing off her jewelry to anyone who would give her half a second’s worth of attention.