The Unicorn Quest

by J. A. Armitage

  “It’s a judicial officer. A man of high standing, usually in the employ of the crown,” River said, showing off his knowledge.

  I gave him a quick smile before turning back to Opal. “It's embedded in his staff. I imagine he brings his scepter when he's attending to his official duties. So, that seems plausible. Should we schedule a meeting or something? I don't know how this works.”

  Opal shook her head. “In my experience, when you want a functionary to do something—like meeting with us—the fastest way is to go over his head and make it an order. We should just talk to the queen about ordering him to meet with us.”

  “Right then,” River said, standing up from the table. “Let’s go talk to the queen.”

  As I helped River gather up the journals, a thought struck me.

  “Did you find Kaida?”

  Opal bit her lip. “I was so excited about the unicorns that I quite forgot to look.”

  Chapter 16

  The queen was in her private chambers, so Opal decided to find James to help us. I had a feeling she’d been waiting for any excuse to go find him. She’d been apart from him for a whole twenty minutes. I refrained from pointing out that we could knock on the Queen’s door ourselves. Opal was being way too cute for me to break whatever spell she was under. While Opal and I went to see the queen, River decided to go and look for Kaida. I’d not seen her captured by the winged guards the day before, but that didn’t stop me from worrying about her.

  James agreed to help us. He knocked on his mother’s door and went inside, leaving Opal and me in the corridor with two winged guards who stepped in front of the door once the prince had gone in. When he hadn’t returned within five minutes, Opal leaned against a wall and then pushed off to pace some more. She fidgeted with the leaves of a potted purple flower with petals that must have spanned two feet at least—then paced again.

  We'd been waiting a mere ten minutes when I said through clenched jaw, “Would you please stop that? Your pacing is making me dizzy.”

  Opal glared at me, then resumed pacing, ignoring my presence. As she walked—back and forth, back and forth—she muttered under her breath about the tribulations of traveling with companions who lacked any sense of urgency when the world was at stake. But, I noted, Opal muttered it loudly enough for me to hear it.

  I leaned against the corridor wall and closed my eyes so I didn't have to watch her. It seemed the Opal we all knew and loved hadn’t turned completely into a lovesick puppy after all. It was a comforting thought. If she’d blushed one more time at the mention of the prince, I’d have thought that she was under some kind of curse.

  When Queen Linara's attendant came out, at last, Opal's tension turned to relief.

  “Miss Freya, Miss Opal, the queen requests your presence in her chambers.” The attendant bowed slightly, then went back through the door.

  Opal looked at me and shrugged.

  I followed close behind as Opal headed into Linara's chambers. James sat beside the queen and gave us a smile as we entered—I hoped it was a good sign, though the queen's expression gave away nothing.

  Linara waved to two chairs set to either side of James. “Please, join us. I am curious to hear this boon you seek.”

  A momentary dizziness washed over me. Had James not told her what we wanted, or was the queen toying with us? I sat on James's far side after Opal took the closer one.

  “Thank you for granting us this audience, Your Majesty,” Opal began. “I'm surprised the prince hasn't told you what we're thinking of doing.”

  I nodded but had nothing to add. I watched Linara's expression intently.

  The queen remained impassive. “He assured me it was important, and pressed upon me to grant him the favor of giving you this audience. I have adjusted my schedule to accommodate my son's request, of course, but I have less time to give you than I would like.”

  I resisted the urge to frown. Linara's expression still gave away nothing. A moment of silence stretched onward, to the point where I looked at Opal in confusion, only to find her making wide eyes and tilting her head toward the queen…

  After I took a deep breath, I forced myself to smile politely. “As I understand it, your seneschal—I think I said that right—has one part of the key. We don't necessarily need the piece, but it's important we ensure its safety. Given the urgency, we can't wait months for an audience with him.

  Linara's expression at last gave way, shifting from impassive to a tight-lipped, faint smile. “Ah, darling young woman. This explains his insistence on seeing you straight away. But did my son not also explain the challenge inherent in granting such a request?"

  My stomach flipped. I whipped my head toward James, with wide eyes. “What challenge?”

  Opal abruptly smiled and leaned forward. “I think that, in his enthusiasm to help us on our mission, he may have neglected to mention it. I'm sure it can't be any more of a challenge than those we've already overcome just to get here.”

  “If only that were so. Son, please tell them now that which you neglected to convey sooner.”

  James looked his mother in the eyes for a couple of seconds before breaking eye contact to look down. “It's shameful. I had hoped to get to know our new friends well enough that it wouldn't reflect on us.”

  My ears perked. Shameful?

  James, still looking at the floor, continued, “The seneschal belongs to the Order of the Sky. The winged people that brought you to the palace....our guards.” He said the last word as though it brought distaste to his mouth. “They are a page from Anoria’s shameful history of bigotry and xenophobia when their kind thought themselves above the ground-burdened—those who could not fly. Although they are a minority among us now, they remain a very powerful faction. Most of them work as the palace guard, a job they only hold because of the stature they perceive it brings them. They do not like humans, and you’ve seen that they sometimes take matters into their own hands when it comes to strangers. I would prefer to get rid of them all and hire humans or some other creature to guard our cells, but terminating their contracts would be seen as an act of war. They have been guards at the palace for a long time. They are a part of our history almost as long as my bloodline.”

  Linara nodded, her mouth turned downward slightly at the corners. “We are all Anorians, belonging to our great city of Anoria. Not all of them are like that. Some of the younger among them have flown down the mountain, as they say. Among the winged Anorians, the higher one's status, the higher up their home is. To fly down the mountain, means both to leave their enclaves and to intentionally debase oneself, losing all status."

  James nodded as she spoke. When she finished, he sighed. “Those who come down to 'live among the humans,' or to ‘live at the human level,’ are shunned by The Order of the Sky elders.”

  Opal shook her head, eyes wide. “And you allow this? Aren't you the queen? You are their ruler. Or are they a separate kingdom?”

  Linara pursed her lips and let out a long breath. “I must allow it. Traditions are strong among our kind, and though most no longer follow their ridiculous philosophy, their elders are held in the highest regard. I can ignore them only at my peril. I am their queen, but this largely means they pay their taxes and meet their military service quotas. Some stay after service, but many can't overcome the bigotry learned in their youth. The seneschal does work for the palace, but he thinks being seen here is beneath him.” She almost snorted. “I know it sounds ridiculous. He is a high-ranking officer. The highest. He only comes down from the mountain when it suits him. Even as the queen, I cannot order him here. He will only come if there’s a function in which he can be seen to be in charge. As you can imagine, I keep those to a minimum. He resides near the top of Mount Anokana, the tallest peak in the region. Taller even than your Pikes Peak. A trail does wind up the mountain, used for delivering and sending bulk goods and little else, but they do not allow visitors below their status to climb to their level. You have no wings…”

  “
They won't let us up there.” My shock was quickly wearing off, driven back by a growing ember of resentment. “Not even to save the world they, too, live in?”

  James and Linara both shook their heads, moving with the same mannerisms. At any other time, I might have made light of it, but I felt no joy at that moment.

  Linara said, “I am very sorry that I cannot help you. Not even I am allowed to enter the Order of the Sky settlement.”

  James turned to look at his mother, head cocking to one side. “But there is a way, isn't there? There is one among your people who could be made to see reason, one who has the seneschal’s ear.”

  Linara laughed a mirthless laugh. “I am sorry, but the chief guard will never help you gain an audience with the seneschal. He is a staunch member of the Order of the Sky. You know that.”

  Opal clenched her jaw. I could see the stress in her features, and I knew what she was thinking. Jet might be up there. “We'll make him see reason. This is more important than pride or bigotry. They've got to see that.”

  The queen looked directly at Opal, unflinching yet with sympathy shining in her eyes. “Perhaps he might have, once. But you see, the chief guard is none other than the man you insulted when you arrived. He will never help you. His reputation among the Order of the Sky would be tarnished, and he cares more about that than he does his own life. He was extremely angry we let you go. He wanted to behead you for your rudeness to him.”

  I gulped at the thought of it. “We have to try,” I said, my voice rising. I paused to stifle the urge to shout, then asked, “May we at least try? This is too important to let some clerk be in charge of you.”

  Linara's voice took on a chilly edge as she replied, “You may try if you wish, but you will be unsuccessful. No one is 'in charge' of me, but I did not remain queen all these years by ignoring reality. You mustn't, either, if you hope to succeed.”

  James stepped around the table to stand beside Linara, then knelt down to bring himself level with her. In a low voice, he said. “Mother, won't you at least try to clear the path ahead of us? The chief guard may bend to your will, where he would deny us.”

  “Us?” Linara raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, I'll go with them up the mountain, if they'll have my company.” James nodded his head at Opal and I.

  “Of course, we will,” Opal said a half-second before I said the same.

  Linara was silent for a long while, the seconds passing by slowly until I had to fight myself not to fidget. At last, she said with a sigh, “Very well, I will ask. Come with me.”

  I followed the queen in line behind James and Opal. They wound through the maze-like castle, the queen moving without hesitation at every turn we made. She led us to a set of double doors made of a densely patterned wood, stained a deep brown that made it look almost black, edged in riveted bronze, and etched with scenes of combat. The chief guard must be doing well for himself, I considered, given the likely cost of such a door.

  Linara didn't knock. She merely nodded to the two guards flanking the doors, and they threw them open for her. She strode in, quickly followed by the rest of us.

  Inside, one man stood, lit by a hundred candles along the walls, wearing only breeches and a sword belt. In his hands, a scimitar danced in the air as he practiced, but his back was to the door. When James deliberately cleared his throat, the chief guard spun and moved into a crouch, bringing his weapon up before him. On seeing the queen, shock etched his face. He dropped the sword as he dropped to one knee.

  My queen, please forgive me for raising my blade to you. I did not know to expect your company.”

  “Please rise, Alast. I know that. There's nothing to forgive.”

  The chief guard, Alast, stood. It was then that his gaze fell on Opal and I. His friendly expression soured. “May I ask why Your Majesty suffers the company of these ground dwellers? They foul the air in my chambers.”

  I wrinkled my nose at the odor in the room. It smelled of old sweat and feet. He'd done a pretty good job at fouling his room already, all by himself.

  Linara's voice was sweet as honey when she replied. “Alast, I hope you know me well enough, after all these years, to believe me when I say this. I know your order's beliefs very well, and I respect them and it. I would not have brought them, save for the urgency and importance of the matter I have come to address.”

  She didn’t sound like a queen talking to her guard. She sounded as though he was the one in charge. It was all so very strange, the way they ran things.

  Alast paused, motionless. Seconds passed, his eyes locked onto hers, and he nodded curtly. “Of course, Your Majesty. This is my personal time, of which I get little, but I will gladly hear of this urgent matter. If I can help, I will.”

  The Queen smiled again, an expression that looked to me to be far more genuine. “I'm happy to hear that. I'm sure that people in your retinue”—she paused before the word, and I thought perhaps she'd had a different one in mind at first—“have told you the rumors.”

  “That these grounders come ahead of some great evil that threatens not just their lands, but ours as well, and the world along with it? Childish. Your Majesty's army is the strongest in all the known world. If you'd only let Procir have—”

  The queen raised one hand, a graceful gesture that silenced him instantly. “I know full well the general's desire. That is a matter for another time.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. So what is the matter for this time if I may be so bold? I have duties that require attention shortly.”

  “This great evil, as you so well put it, is ancient. It is restrained only through the power of three great artifacts, each of which is a puzzle of four pieces. It is these pieces that are so vital to the survival of us all. My seneschal has one of them, given to him by its keeper before her demise. These ladies are the keepers of the keys, their avowed protectors. They must speak to the seneschal, and urgently so.”

  The chief guard narrowed his eyes at us then looked back to the queen. “Of course, I will be happy to urge him an immediate audience with them when he graces these low elevations,” he said, his voice dripping with contempt, “Anything for my queen.”

  Linara shook her head, and I thought she managed to make even that mundane gesture look graceful. “The urgency is such that they and my son would go to him this very day if it can be arranged so quickly.”

  Alast's face froze; his expression blank. “That is impossible, as you well know.”

  Linara's expression was equally flat. “This is no ordinary group of ground dwellers grasping above their station. The fate of all may well rest on this.”

  Alast grabbed a towel and began wiping the cooling sweat from his chest and arms, heedless of the queen's presence. “The problem is not the urgency of the matter. It's just not possible. Grounders are forbidden to go up the mountain. It's very simple.”

  “But the problems we face are not,” James argued back, gaining a look from his mother in the process. “An exception needs to be made.”

  Alast shook his head. “No, it does not. If I could, I still wouldn't, but this is a request I cannot grant. It's not within my power to authorize it. The world may burn, but some things are worth facing the risk of destruction. The natural order of the world being one of them.”

  Linara held her arm out to hold James back. It amazed me that these two people, whom we had only just met, would fight for us. “Alast—”

  “No, Your Majesty. I do not have the power to authorize that. Only those at the peak can grant permission for grounders to trespass there. The seneschal being one of them. They will have to wait until he graces us with his presence, and the world can take its chances.”

  “You interrupt me.” Linara's voice had an edge to it.

  “You are in my chambers, on my time, impressing on me the need to overstep my station and grant an abhorrent request. While the Order finds you to be an acceptable ruler, Your Majesty, I will not guarantee my own exile down here by granting a request I don't even hav
e the power to grant. I interrupt to save you time wasted in futile argument. Wait for him to descend the mountain.”

  Opal rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated breath. “This is ridiculous. Kaida can just fly everyone up.”

  Alast smiled at her, but his eyes narrowed. “Amusing. I don’t know who this Kaida you speak of is... A shifter species, no doubt, but your betters, we of the wings, have great magic in place up the mountain. The Order's guardians would slay you all on the spot, without the seneschal's authority preceding your arrival. Three fewer grounders to worry about, though, so I encourage you to try.”

  Linara cried, “Alast!”

  “What? I speak only the truth in front of my queen. It's my duty to tell you the truth. If you order me to gag myself, I will speak with sugar instead of ice, but it won't change a thing. Grounders are not permitted on those noble peaks, and shifters should most definitely try to go up on their own if they wish to never come down.”

  Linara closed her eyes and took a deep, measured breath. “Very well. I know you well after these many years, and I know your heart is honorable, faithful, and dutiful. You are an exemplary guardian. The crown and the kingdom appreciate your time in this. If there is nothing else, I will attend other duties so that you can do the same.”

  My mind goggled at how she spoke so reverently to him after everything he’d just said. He’d basically told her he’d love for us to go up the mountain just so he could watch us get killed.

  Alast bowed low. “Thank you, Your Majesty. Your appreciation is worth more to me than any gold.”

  I even thought he meant it. In his mind, he must have truly believed the queen did think he was honorable and dutiful. I didn’t know which of them was loonier.

  As Linara led us from the chambers, it took everything in me not to shout at the queen to try again. It was too important to let bigots risk the fate of the world.

  But there was nothing I could do about it. We had no way to get up the mountain.