by Cait Ashwood
Audrey swore she could have heard a pin drop, the room was so eerily quiet.
An older woman in the back spoke up. “Is our next leader to be picked in the old way?”
Ellen inclined her head. “Indeed. I would like to start off the nominations. For our new leader, I nominate my blooded daughter Gwyn, whom you all have known these many years.” The crowd was quiet; this was an expected nomination. Ellen cleared her throat, giving Audrey a mischievous glance. “I also nominate Audrey daughter of None, who came from her time to our own to help support the populace in our absence. She has fought for us and our interests in her every action, and has already proved her willingness not only to help restore our numbers, but to make the hard decisions where they must be made.”
When Amelina opened her mouth, it took every bit of discipline Audrey had not to roll her eyes. “And she also doesn’t trust us. She wouldn’t accept my assistance in shielding the Seekers from the taint, but was more than willing to accept my help to cleanse her boy toy.”
Audrey wasn’t at all sure what to say to that, on so many levels. Which charge did she answer first?
Gwyn saved her the trouble. “With your caustic attitude, Amelina, it’s no wonder Audrey didn’t trust a stranger in the middle of a battle. She knew her duties, and she ensured she could carry them out without interference.”
Amelina rolled her eyes. “Yes, because we all know it’s my attitude and not my blood that put her off, eh?”
The room erupted into several loud conversations, women shouting to be heard over each other.
“Perhaps if you hadn’t chosen to introduce yourself by attacking my shield over the men, I would have had a warmer reaction to you.” Even Ellen looked at Audrey with surprise before narrowing her eyes on Amelina.
“That is a charge you will have to face on another date, Amelina. You know very well that attacking a fellow sister is tantamount to treason, whether she is from our circle or another.” Ellen had no problem dropping the threat right at Amelina’s feet, and Audrey was almost surprised that it seemed sufficient to shut the other woman up. Women next to her moved not-so-subtly away from her, as if her presence tarnished them. Well. Maybe that’s one problem temporarily dealt with.
Ellen cleared her throat. “Do we have any other nominations?”
The quiet woman from earlier spoke up again. “I may be unpopular for saying so, but I think the leader of the Order should be a woman of pure blood. As there are only five or so of you left, and, as you’ve said, you’ve earned your retirement, I think that should conclude the nominations.”
Five? Audrey’s eyes skipped around the room before landing on the other elders who always seemed to be next to each other if they were seen at all. Ah. Yes. That makes sense.
“And is the rest of the room in agreement?” Ellen’s eyes paused on key figures in the room and Audrey tried to determine who she was singling out. Whoever they were, the women were bound to be key players moving forward.
A woman who looked to be in her forties spoke up. “I believe we are, Ellen.”
Ellen smiled, looking pleased. “Very well. I open the floor up for the confirmation of the nominees.”
To Audrey’s surprise, Gwyn shifted beside her. “I’d like to second Audrey’s nomination. The commander of the Seekers is a formidable man, but Audrey has no problem fighting against him to protect our interests.”
Murmurs swept across the room, and Audrey wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Do I get a vote? She hadn’t expected the nominees to be able to support the process.
The black-haired girl from earlier spoke up again. “Meaning no disrespect to Audrey, but she’s a stranger to me. Gwyn, I know. I second her.”
Ellen inclined her head and returned her attention to the room at large.
“May we ask questions of the nominees?”
“Ordinarily no, but as this is an extenuating circumstance, I’ll allow it.” Ellen waved her hand, granting permission to proceed.
The woman looked directly at Audrey. “Do you have a bias against those of us with the taint?”
That’s a bold question. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, choosing her words with care. “The taint in itself is nothing to be feared. It is a tool in our arsenal, just as any of our other skills are. The only difference is that some of you can use it, and others of us will never have that ability. That being said, if there are members of the Order who take it upon themselves to execute justice as they see fit, using the taint as their weapon of choice or not, they will be dealt with swiftly and fairly. I cannot ask the Seekers to grant us our own sovereignty and then fail to dispense justice.”
Gwyn was silent for a moment before speaking up. “Even before she realized I wasn’t tainted, Audrey was disgusted at my living conditions. She hadn’t even met me, and she was shaming the commander for his treatment of me. She has always fought to find jobs and positions for those that struggle with the taint, and I trust that she’ll do no differently for us.”
Audrey couldn’t maintain eye contact with Gwyn, instead letting her eyes drop to her feet. Everyone made her sound like such a damned hero. Human decency was apparently a course these people needed to take.
The woman that asked the question seemed to ponder the new information for a moment, crossing her arms over her chest. “I would like to third Audrey’s nomination, on one condition.”
Ellen raised an eyebrow, but waved for the woman to continue.
“I have few doubts that Audrey is the best positioned to negotiate on our behalf with the rest of the outside world. It is a position she is already accustomed to and has by all reports been performing well. I do have concerns about her neutrality where the taint is concerned, so I would support her nomination if a new position is created as advisor to the First, a position which would be filled by women of tainted blood only until the lines are purified.”
Ellen turned to Audrey. “Do you accept the condition of your nomination?”
Audrey nodded without hesitation. “My goal is to be as transparent as possible in my leadership, if elected. I welcome whomever is voted into the position of advisor.” Audrey waited for the approving murmurs to die down. “If I may make an additional condition?”
Humor danced in the woman’s eyes, but she nodded.
“While I understand that I have not yet had a chance to earn your trust, there are going to be matters I would handle that don’t necessarily need to be proclaimed to the Order as a whole. As those of you of tainted blood outnumber the pure bloods nearly six to one, I would ask that if anyone has any reason to look at the First’s private records, that both myself and the elected advisor be present, a representative from each side, so to speak.”
Ellen swept in smoothly, before the women had much of a chance to react. “I do believe that is a fair condition, Audrey. It is hard for us to remember sometimes that for the first time in our lives, the numbers are in our favor.”
One of the mothers in the back was the next to speak up. “Deuce told us to trust Audrey, but Deuce did nothing to help us when our children were torn from our arms. I don’t trust him, and I don’t trust you. I third Gwyn’s nomination.”
Amelina rose to her feet, shaking her head. “Everything Deuce did was to protect us. He created the position of ‘personal wench’ to keep me from being sent to the Pit. He then stopped the rape of our women already serving in the Pit. He convinced Zaddicus of the need to increase the numbers of his troops, thus saving our sons. If he said to trust Audrey…” here Amelina looked truly conflicted, her eyes narrow and her face wrenched in a grimace, “then I’ll be supporting her as well.”
Ellen still regarded Amelina with a narrowed gaze, but didn’t say anything as the woman took her seat.
“Very well, then. We have our two candidates. I didn’t have the time or inclination to create ballots, so we’re going to do an open vote.”
A fair bit of grumbling ensued, but the women made their way to their feet, massing themse
lves at the front of the room.
“Gwyn, you’ll stand on my right. Audrey, my left.”
Audrey moved away from Gwyn, her heart hammering in her throat. She really didn’t expect to win, being a total stranger to these women, but the idea of the advisor position gave her hope.
“Nominees, face the rear, please.”
Oh. Audrey had thought ‘open vote’ meant she’d know who her supporters and detractors were. Apparently only those voting would know where their fellows stood.
“Amelina, as you are under charges of suspected treason, your vote is null. Will you witness the counting?”
“I will.”
I guess it’s a good thing I already had the right number of nominations. Audrey did her best not to fidget as she listened, blind, to the movement of women shifting around behind her. Eventually, all sound of movement ceased and Audrey waited, afraid to breathe. The Order wouldn’t exactly be in bad hands with Gwyn, but the woman’s issues in dealing with men would be a huge handicap for her. It shouldn’t become a handicap for the Order as a whole.
“It’s a tie.” Amelina sounded shocked, and Audrey wasn’t sure whether to feel complimented or insulted. There was just one problem. How were they going to break a tie?
“I rescind my nomination.”
Audrey turned, whether she was supposed to or not, to gape at Gwyn. “What?”
Gwyn gave her a half smile before turning to face her supporters. “While I’m flattered at your faith in me, I know that I am not the woman for the job. I can scarcely speak to Tops, much less negotiate on our behalf.”
Audrey glanced at Ellen, who didn’t seem the least bit surprised that her daughter had bowed out of the running. Did they plan this? Somehow, it wouldn’t surprise her if the crafty old woman had chosen her successor, and then worked to make it happen. The idea took a bit of the wind out of her sails, but more than anything, Audrey was relieved. She knew she could continue to lead the Order, and she already had a stash of ideas to help things move forward.
“Thank you all for your support. I hope to prove worthy of your trust.”
Ellen nodded at her, and Audrey moved to center stage. “I suppose the first order of business then would be…no.” Audrey knew she needed to get her advisor nominated as soon as possible, but there was one other issue she wanted to see resolved, first.
“Amelina, would you explain to those assembled your reasoning on the attack you made against my shield?” Audrey really didn’t want her first act in office to be announcing a woman as a traitor, especially as she already knew why Amelina had acted as she did.
The woman came forward, giving Audrey a long glance before speaking. “All I knew was that Audrey was doing something to the men. I didn’t realize it was a shield. None of us have come up with such a thing, so how could I know?” Amelina paused, her eyes flicking over the assembled women. “I had to figure out if she was a threat, and quickly. The easiest way to determine what she was doing was to probe at the shield. Once I realized what it was, I stopped.”
Audrey let the women murmur among themselves before speaking up. “It was in the midst of battle, and we were both unknown to each other. I would like to propose that any charges of treason against Amelina be dropped, due to the nature of our confrontation.”
Gwyn was the first to speak up. “I think that’s more than reasonable.”
The woman that had imposed the advisor condition spoke up. “As do I.”
Ellen’s smile could be heard in her voice. “And three say dropped. It is done.”
“Good. Now that Amelina has been cleared, I would like to propose that the advisor position be filled as quickly as possible. If you would like some time to consider our options, we can of course reconvene, but I will not assume my duties until an advisor has been appointed.” That was part of the deal, after all.
The black-haired doubter from earlier spoke up immediately. “I nominate Amelina. If you can convince her of your neutrality, then I think we can all be assured you’re acting fairly.”
Of course they’d nominate her. Audrey did her best to keep her face carefully schooled, even though a poker face had never been her strong suit. The agreeing murmurs sweeping through the crowd only served to make the facial expressions harder to hold in.
“Any other nominations?” Gwyn asked, raising an eyebrow when the crowd was otherwise silent. A corner of her mouth dropped and her eyebrows knitted into a single line.
“Are there any opposed to Amelina’s nomination?” Gwyn let the silence linger until it was almost awkward before she gave up, shrugging at Audrey.
Audrey nodded and beckoned to Amelina. “Amelina will hold the position of First Advisor.” Audrey stepped back, conferring with Gwyn to get the name of the woman that had suggested the entire idea.
“Josie, did you have a term of service in mind to accompany the position?” Please don’t say five years, please don’t say five years.
Josie held her chin in her hand, tapping one finger against her lips as she thought. “We will have annual meetings of some kind, I assume?”
Audrey glanced at Ellen, who nodded ever so slightly. “I imagine so, yes.”
Josie’s frown eased and her face cleared. “Then I suggest that the position mirror the five-year term of the First Leaf, with review periods coming up annually. If the rest of us feel that the advisor’s neutrality has been jeopardized, we can raise our concerns at the annual meetings and, if necessary, vote in a new advisor at that time.”
Audrey pitched her voice over the resulting murmurs. “Is that acceptable to the Order as a whole?” Most of the heads in the crowd began nodding, and that was good enough for Audrey. This whole ordeal had already taken its toll on her nerves, and she found herself wanting a few moments alone. Audrey turned at a touch on her elbow and saw Gwyn standing with a familiar package in her hands. The flag. They want to do this now? Inwardly, she could almost laugh at how little control she had as leader of the Order, but at least she knew her place, now.
“If you ladies would like to return to your seats, I have a few other matters I’d like to address while we’re all gathered here today.” The sight of the package was no less nauseating now than it had been the day before, except now she would get to see how the rest of the Order felt about her silly idea. It did seem very silly, now, but not entirely without merit. At least, that’s what she was telling herself to keep from bolting from the room.
When the ladies found their seats, Audrey gestured to the package. “This is a little idea I had back before I knew if the rescue was even going to be successful. I was asked to commission a flag for the Tower, as the previous flag was not fit to be flown.” Audrey paused, not daring to look out at the rest of the Order.
“In all honesty, no one out there knows how or why you disappeared. A popular sentiment is that the Order abandoned them. What we choose to tell them about the truth will be something we discuss in the days to come, but in the meantime, I felt that it was time for the Order to get a new start.” Audrey turned slightly and nodded at Gwyn, who unfurled the flag and held it up as high as her arms would reach.
“Leaves fall from their tree each year, crinkle up, and die. Lilies? Only the plant on the surface dies. The bulb is always ready to sprout new growth with just a little coaxing.”
Amelina peered around Gwyn, examining the new flag. “Well. At least it’s well-made.”
Audrey frowned. “Lilies, regardless of their color, are always beautiful. An oak leaf in any color but green would be seen as diseased. I propose the Order of the Leaf be allowed to die out, to be replaced with the Order of the Lily, an order that truly welcomes all of its members.”
Amelina huffed. “Put it like that, I suppose I have no argument.”
Hurdle one: crossed. “This affects all of us. If you have any objections, I’d like to hear them.”
One woman in the crowd wrinkled her nose. “I can’t say I like it, but…it would be nice to not feel like a victim anymore.” Her sta
tement got a rousing chorus of approval.
For the first time that afternoon, a feeling of victory swept through her and she found herself grinning. She wished she had a judge’s gavel, but making the proclamation itself would have to do. “Let us henceforth be known as the Order of the Lily.”
29
The past six weeks existed as a blur in Audrey’s memory, one filled with entirely too many decisions and necessary paperwork that seemed to multiply beyond any sense of reason. All things considered, everything was going well. The Order visited a Grove per week, careful not to exhaust themselves in the height of the summer heat. Their visits would slow once all had been tended and the harvests collected. Right now, they were making up for nearly sixty years of neglect, and the Groves responded beautifully to their attention.
The half-breeds were more helpful than Tops anticipated, though Audrey was hardly surprised. They could weed like no one’s business, killing off predatory plants as easily as Audrey could heal. They applied the skill not only in the Groves, but in the fields as well. Freed from the necessity of working in the Groves, most of the animal seers took stations in agricultural posts, encouraging the dogs to work in the fields, controlling pests, along with assisting in the breeding of the farm herds. By the look of things, they were set to have a record harvest this year, and the ranches would be welcoming a higher than usual number of new animals come spring.
The sound of multiple sets of footsteps quieted the woman milling around in the room as heads turned expectantly to the doorway, Audrey no less nervous than the rest. Tops was the first man to come into view, flanked on either side by Ace and Hound. Behind him came three men in medic white. Audrey peered around the leaders of the Seekers and was relieved to see Deuce among the medics. She was already as nervous as a cat, and a friendly face was going to make this much easier to bear.
Through the mark, she could feel how tightly strung Hound was, too. He remained in formation, though his eyes were on her. This was a big day. Today, they’d find out how many of them had conceived. Eight women milled around the room. Wait, eight? There were only seven, earlier. Audrey scanned the assembled Lilies until she found the newcomer: Amelina. She wasn’t standing at Deuce’s side, however, but was waiting with the rest of them to be examined.
