Leaves of Revolution

by Puttroff, Breeana

  Nodding, she paced the floor of Tobias’ sitting room, which had become her temporary office.

  Marcus sat perched on the edge of one of the leather armchairs, his chin propped on his folded hands. His eyes followed Quinn’s path from one window to the other, but he didn’t speak, allowing her to process her thoughts.

  “Do you think I made a mistake trusting Jonathan?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer for several seconds; finally, he met her gaze. “I think you need to quit worrying about whether you made a mistake or not. It doesn’t matter now.”

  “It doesn’t?”

  “No, it doesn’t. You made a decision that night, and it’s over now. You can’t go back and make a different one, can you?”

  “No. But what if I messed up and made everything worse?”

  “What if you did?”

  She blinked. “Then that would be bad.”

  “Yes. But bad things happen. Bad decisions happen. If you knocked a vase off a counter, and it smashed all over the floor, that would be bad. But would you stand there and stare at it for the next several moons thinking about how bad it was?”

  “No.”

  “Exactly. So, however this mess got here, all we can do is clean it up – see if we can fix it, or if we’re going to have to replace it.”

  “All right.” She sighed.

  “For the record, I don’t believe that choosing to trust is ever the wrong choice. It might not work out well; the person you trusted might betray you – but that’s not on you. I think it’s much worse to deny trust to someone who deserves it than to give it to someone who doesn’t. You might lose the outside battle by trusting them, but if you don’t trust when you should, you lose yourself.”

  She took a deep breath. “Thank you, Marcus, for your good advice, and also for the ‘we’ in all the clean-up talk.”

  “I thought that part was understood, Quinn.”

  “It is, Marcus – but that doesn’t mean I can’t remind you from time to time of how much I appreciate it.”

  ~ Eighteen ~

  Camp

  “ARE YOU DOING all right?”

  If it had been anyone other than Nathaniel asking that right now, Zander might have lost it. But it was Nathaniel; he’d ridden up close beside him, out of earshot of the two guards ahead of them. So he nodded. “I’m fine. It’s actually nice to be out riding instead of stuck in Tobias’ house – it feels like I’m doing something.”

  To his relief, Nathaniel didn’t press the point about his shoulder; he only nodded. “I know what you mean.”

  “Are we getting close to where we left the carriage, do you think?” In truth, the ride had been long and far more challenging than anything he was used to. His shoulder was killing him, but he was proud of the way he’d been able to handle Ember in the deep snow.

  “Shouldn’t be far.” Nathaniel reached behind him into the saddlebag and pulled out a silver compass and the leather-bound map he’d been using all morning. His stride was perfect, even though the map appeared to consume all of his attention. “Maybe fifteen more minutes, though going into the trees might slow us down.”

  Unlike when they’d traveled to Tobias’ house, today they’d stayed mostly on what they could see of roads, trying to keep the horses away from hidden dangers under the layers of snow.

  The road they were on now cut directly through a forest; trees loomed on either side of the narrow, snow-packed thoroughfare – really more a path than a road. Zander kept careful watch of the trees, and ahead of them, James and Ethan did the same; nobody wanted a small avalanche of snow dropping from a branch onto one of the horses.

  “Do you think Linnea will be okay?” he asked.

  Nathaniel looked over at him, warmth and kindness in his gray eyes. “I think so. I want to get this medicine back to her, and I want to make sure everyone else gets a dose so this thing doesn’t spread, but I think everything will be all right.”

  “What would happen if someone got sick like that and you didn’t have medicine from my world?”

  “There is medicine in this world as well, Zander – what we’re retrieving from the carriage was made here; it’s not exactly the same as the kind in your world.”

  “Well, I know that.”

  “Yes, it’s not what you were asking. An illness like Linnea’s can be treated here by healers trained in the arts of this world with some success – but no, her chances wouldn’t be as good as they are with the knowledge we attained in your world. And neither would ours. An epidemic of pimaeum could be a serious problem without the right medicine. I truly was interested in the science of Earth, and I’m grateful for what I learned there.”

  “So you don’t regret leaving your kingdom and going to live there?”

  “I can’t go back and change it, so no; I don’t see the point in regretting it.”

  “What about not telling Quinn who she really is?”

  Nathaniel sighed. “I regret lying to her, and not pushing harder to have the kind of relationship I wanted to have with her as she was growing up. I regret the way she found out and the hardships that has caused for her. I’m sorry I hurt her, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to make those things up to her, and restore things between us.”

  He paused, looking ahead at the other two guards – they were still too far away to hear the conversation. “I’m also sorry for the way it affected you, Zander. My choices – and Samuel’s – put Quinn in a position that caused her to hurt other people, and you were one of them. I hope you can forgive me for my part in that.”

  “It’s not your fault I’m stuck here.”

  “No.” Nathaniel chuckled. “When you voluntarily walk off a broken bridge in the middle of an icy river, you have to take some responsibility for the consequences.”

  “Owen could have been a little more upfront.”

  “Owen is eight, and you were responsible for taking care of him.”

  “Minor details.”

  Nathaniel laughed. “Yes, well. I have to say I am grateful you listened to him. You saved William’s life, and possibly many others’.”

  At that moment, Zander caught a glimpse of something that made him freeze, bringing Ember to a halt right there in the middle of the path. Nathaniel had to circle back around to meet him, letting out a loud whistle as he did that made James and Ethan turn around immediately.

  Up in the trees to the left of them, maybe fifty yards ahead, there was a flash of green in the trees – the color worn by Philothean guards.

  Nobody spoke at first. Zander nodded toward the trees and the other men followed his gaze. James and Ethan both already had their hands on their hilts, and Ethan’s eyes swept the entire area – searching for more hidden threats, Zander realized.

  He looked around, too, while he thought about the best response. “We’ve already called attention to ourselves,” he said quietly.

  James shrugged with one shoulder. “Better than being ambushed.”

  “So do we confront them, wait for them to confront us, or keep traveling and pretend we didn’t see them?” Zander asked.

  “We don’t know how many of them there are,” Ethan said. “We don’t stand much chance with four. Perhaps if we appear to be commoners…” He pulled the hood of his plain brown cloak over his head.

  Zander didn’t know if that was a good idea or not, but he followed suit. A moment later, though, it didn’t matter. The single flutter of green suddenly turned into a wave as three fully uniformed men rode down out of the trees and began heading toward them.

  He didn’t need to watch what James and Ethan were doing; his sword was out and ready.

  The three guards approached more slowly than he would have expected for a confrontation. Zander had plenty of time to continue searching the surrounding forest for anything else out of place, but he didn’t see anything.

  When they were finally close enough to really get a good look, James let out a surprised breath. All three men appeared disheveled, their
uniforms wrinkled and smudges of dirt on their hands and faces. One, the youngest-looking, had a large bloodstain on the side of his cloak.

  Zander’s concern changed to a different kind; the tight grip he had on his sword loosened a little.

  “Do you live near here?” one of the guards called. He was the oldest of the three, perhaps in his late-twenties. Though it didn’t mean anything, Zander had never seen him before – he would have remembered the man’s shoulder-length light, wavy hair.

  “Why?” Ethan asked.

  The man’s blue eyes narrowed. “I’m just trying to understand why you’d brave this weather to travel in such dangerous times. The next village is quite far – and we haven’t come across any homes in this area.”

  Ethan coaxed his horse a couple of steps to the side, concealing his sword arm behind both his cloak and the animal. “What’s so dangerous about traveling right now?”

  “Have you not heard? King Ivan’s army has invaded the capital city. They’ve taken over the castle.”

  Zander had to give Ethan credit for his ability to feign surprise. He had just the right amount of surprised panic in his voice when he asked, “The queen?”

  The guard shook his head. “We don’t know. There are rumors…”

  “What rumors?” James asked.

  This time, the younger guard – the one with the bloodstain – spoke. “We have a friend who was in the battle at the castle… he says the queen and the royal family weren’t there, and he believes they may have escaped to safety. Others are afraid…”

  “What are you doing out here so far, then?” Ethan asked.

  The three guards exchanged wary glances.

  Zander frowned, returning to his search of the trees – these guards had revealed too much to a group of unknown men traveling through the snow. That could only mean that, despite their bedraggled appearance, they weren’t afraid. There had to be more soldiers nearby, ready to defend them. He could feel Nathaniel doing the same thing next to him.

  Nathaniel’s search lasted only a minute, though. When the guards hesitated a little too long in answering, he asked, “How many of you are there? Soldiers in these woods?”

  The guard who hadn’t yet spoken closed his eyes as the oldest of the three sighed and said, “A fair few. Are you hiding a battalion as well?”

  The middle guard now had an expression that matched the one Zander knew he’d been wearing a few minutes ago – a “so-this-is-how-we-die” look.

  “No,” Nathaniel said, drawing back his hood and allowing them to see him for the first time.

  The youngest guard recognized him first; he gasped, dismounting his horse in one fluid motion, and dropping to one knee in the snow. “Your Highness! It’s Prince Nathaniel,” he hissed to the others.

  The other two guards were halfway to the ground before Nathaniel could object. “That’s not necessary,” he said. “Please don’t get wet.”

  Following James’ lead, Zander re-sheathed his sword, though he kept his hand close to the hilt.

  “Please, come out of the snow,” Nathaniel said again. “You look cold already. Are you all right?” The question was directed at all three of them, but his eyes were on the blood on the youngest one’s cloak.

  “It’s not mine,” the man said. “I’m not hurt – I’ve just been helping tend the injured.”

  “The injured?”

  “Yes.” The middle one finally spoke. “Since yesterday, we’ve been searching for those who were able to escape the castle during or after the battle. Many are injured and in need of assistance.”

  “I see.” Nathaniel sighed. “What is your name?”

  “I’m Ellis Kirk; this is my brother Rhys,” he nodded to the younger one, “and this is Isaac Pearce.”

  “Kirk?” Nathaniel asked. “Is your father Spencer?”

  “Yes.”

  “Spencer Kirk?” Ethan asked. He looked at Zander and James. “He was on duty the night of the invasion.”

  Ellis nodded.

  “Is he here as well?”

  “No,” Rhys said. The underlying tone of his words made Zander’s stomach twist uncomfortably.

  “He’s missing,” Ellis clarified. “We don’t know if he survived, but nobody has seen or heard from him yet.”

  “We had to stop traveling back toward the castle yesterday afternoon,” Isaac said. “More troops started moving into the city after the snow stopped. They’ve occupied nearly the whole city now. We don’t know how to get more people safely out.”

  “Do you know whether the queen is still alive?” Ellis asked. “We’ve been trying everything to get information, but nobody knows anything.”

  “The queen is safe,” Nathaniel said. “So are the king and the prince. That is all I can tell you right now.”

  When all three men practically melted in relief, Zander finally let go of his sword. “Where are the injured men?” he asked. “Do you need assistance?”

  “We need all the help we can get,” Rhys said. “We need healers, supplies, shelter. That storm couldn’t have hit at a worse time.”

  “All right.” Nathaniel nodded. “Can you give me a minute to discuss things with my men, and then you can show us where you’re set up?”

  As soon as the three guards were out of earshot, Ethan rounded on Nathaniel. “This could be a trap!”

  “It could,” Nathaniel agreed.

  “We’re going to do it anyway, aren’t we?”

  “I am, Ethan. Whether you stay and help, or return to Tobias’ is up to you.”

  “You’d risk everything we’re doing on this?”

  Nathaniel took a deep breath. “What is everything we’re doing if it involves – even possibly – leaving our own men to die?”

  Ethan’s mouth fell open. He looked back and forth between James and Zander for support.

  “I’m living a borrowed life already, thanks to Queen Quinn,” James said. “I won’t leave others to suffer at Tolliver’s hands.”

  Zander cleared his throat and met Ethan’s glare with a steady, calculated calm. “I’m with Nathaniel in any case – but if it’s a trap, it’s a trap. We’re already in it. We don’t have an army waiting somewhere to protect us. I’d rather walk in and understand what we’re up against than accidentally lead someone back to Tobias’ place.”

  The cold logic registered with Ethan, and he nodded. “All right. I’m sure we’ll need the supplies from the carriage for the soldiers. Since we’re close already, should we go there first, or try to keep that location hidden?”

  “The location of the carriage doesn’t tell them anything they don’t already know from finding us here,” Zander said, shrugging.

  “What about getting the medicine to the princess?” James asked.

  Nathaniel whistled long and low. His seeker bird, Aidel, responded immediately, fluttering down from the treetops and landing right on his outstretched arm. “I’ll send a message back to everyone letting them know what’s going on. Once we’ve been to the carriage, I can send a vial of the powder back to William. He’ll be able to handle the rest there. We’ll make sure to save enough for any more emergencies back at Tobias’.”

  ~ Nineteen ~

  Novice

  “CAN I HELP YOU with that?” It was becoming Thomas’ go-to entry line – she’d already teased him about it – but he figured there were worse ways to start a conversation.

  Mia looked away from the clothesline she’d rigged up in front of the fireplace in her room and raised an eyebrow. “You really want to tackle that?” She tilted her head toward a large bucket of wet clothes.

  He hadn’t known he was holding his breath for her reaction until it came out, leaving a flood of relief in its place. Despite everything, things were still okay between them today. He grinned. “Does anyone want to? I’m sure you don’t either, but we all need clean clothes.”

  She stepped aside. “How is Linnea?”

  “She’s asleep, finally. I think I was keeping her awake being in ther
e, so I left for a bit. William is down in the basement trying to figure out how to grow mold to make antibiotics or something I don’t understand. I don’t know that we’ll be here for long enough for him to accomplish anything.”

  “He probably just needs to feel like he’s doing something.”

  “That’s Will, for sure.” Thomas pulled a shirt out of the bucket and shook it in front of the fire, frowning at the color of the fabric. “Is this Tobias’?”

  She nodded. “He insisted I didn’t need to do his, but…”

  He hung the shirt carefully over an empty section of the line and then turned and reached for her, taking her into his arms and pressing his lips against hers.

  It was several minutes before she finally pulled away. “What was that for?”

  “Do I have to have a reason other than you’re adorable and amazing?”

  “And here I actually believed for a minute that you came in here to help with the laundry.”

  “I’ve never been satisfied doing only one thing at a time,” he said, shrugging and planting another kiss on the top of her head as he reached into the bucket again.

  Just as he finished hanging another shirt, there was a wiggling motion in the center of the bed and then a loud screech.

  Mia sighed. “This is why I never get more than three things hung up at a time. He’s been much more restless than usual.”

  “You can’t really blame him.” Thomas walked over and scooped his nephew from the little nest Mia had made with pillows. “We keep taking him to new places and disrupting his schedule, and everyone’s stressed out around him.” He rocked Samuel gently back and forth in his arms. The baby’s cries grew quieter, but didn’t stop completely.

  “He’s probably wet and hungry by now,” Mia said.

  “I can fix one of those things at least.” Thomas reached for the diaper bag. “And then I’ll take him to Quinn. She and Marcus should be ready for a break.”