The Queen of Ieflaria

by Effie Calvin

  Her voice trailed off very suddenly.

  “What?” asked Esofi. Adale seemed to be staring at one of the men, who was dressed in the uniform of a castle footman.

  “Audo?” she asked the man, tilting her head to one side. He looked uncomfortable but said nothing. Adale whipped her head around to look at another woman—one of Mistress Abbing’s maids. “And you, too! After the last lunar service!”

  The maid bit down on her own lip heavily but was silent.

  “Adale, what are you talking about?” King Dietrich’s voice was heavy with impatience.

  “They both kissed the woman!” said Adale triumphantly. King Dietrich stared at her as though she had gone mad, but Esofi’s mouth opened very slowly.

  Almost two thousand miles away on a slightly raised platform in the center of the great domed entrance hall of the University of Vo Dianene was a statue made of white marble. The statue was life-sized, depicting the Goddess Talcia leaning over a cradle, her lips pressed to the forehead of a sleeping infant. As a child, Esofi had always thought the baby had been Talcia’s own, until she was old enough to learn the truth.

  One of Esofi’s tutors had explained it to her, how the goddess granted magic to newborn babies by kissing them as they slept, and this was where mages came from.

  “You saw her?” Esofi whispered, because it was a choice between that and screaming.

  Adale looked at her in confusion.

  “You saw her?”

  “I—just—I suppose?” Adale shrugged helplessly.

  Esofi wasn’t sure why she was crying, but there were tears in her eyes nevertheless. She gripped Adale’s arms, desperate and possibly insane. “What did she say to you?!”

  “That she wasn’t going to kiss me?” Adale seemed to be paralyzed, and she glanced over at her father for help. “I don’t… I didn’t realize she was anyone important!”

  “You all saw her?” demanded Esofi of the gathered Birsgeners. “She visited everyone except me?”

  “Wait, was that what that was all about?” asked one of the men, catching on at last. “I thought she was just a drunk!”

  Esofi released Adale’s arms and very slowly crumpled in on herself, her skirts fluffing up to meet her. Anxious hands were upon her at a moment; one of the medics waved a sponge of salted perfume under her nose.

  If only her parents weren’t on the opposite end of the continent. If only the Silence of the Moon wasn’t all but nonexistent in Ioshora. If only there was someone she could talk to besides an apathetic archpriestess and her confused underlings.

  “Princess Esofi?” asked Adale. “Are you going to be all right?”

  “Let me,” said Lexandrie, and Esofi was suddenly aware of her cousin’s emerald eyes boring into hers. She brought their faces close together, and when she spoke, it was almost inaudible.

  “Talcia has given you a gift,” Lexandrie hissed, too quietly for any but Esofi herself to hear. “And yet you are not satisfied because you believed yourself entitled to gaze upon her face? To waste her time with your impertinent questions? In a single grand, unprecedented gesture, she has shown Ieflaria that she favors you, and you still have the gall to pity yourself? You’re lucky there’s a room full of peasants here, else I would strike some sense into you!”

  Esofi looked up at her cousin in shock. She was right, of course—and sounded eerily like Queen Gaelle. The only thing that had been missing from her speech was a comment about her weight. Esofi allowed her cousin to pull her back to her feet, and cleared her throat.

  “All citizens who were visited by the goddess must report for training, even if they do not intend to become battlemages. Until construction of a university is complete, we will meet…” Esofi realized she had no idea where she could host the impromptu lessons. “—in the courtyard of the Great Temple of Talcia, I think. The priestesses should not complain.”

  “They will have little reason to,” said King Dietrich.

  “Then someone send for the instructors I brought and tell them their services are required,” said Esofi. Archmage Eads made a hurrying gesture to his apprentices, and they both bolted from the room, elbowing each other to be first. “All of the newly gifted citizens are to report to the temple immediately. I know you have livelihoods to attend to, but we simply cannot risk one of you losing control of your gift and causing harm to others.”

  The new mages were quietly herded out by the medics to be taken to the temple by an escort of castle guards.

  “We should send out heralds,” said Archmage Eads. “There could be more of the newly gifted scattered all across the country. They will need to be brought in or teachers sent to their towns.”

  “How serious is the prospect of someone losing control?” asked King Dietrich.

  “It is difficult to say,” admitted Esofi. “Traditionally, mages learn it when they are children. But these people have gone their entire lives with little need for mental discipline. We can only hope they have naturally cultivated the traits that make a good mage. Perhaps it is why they were selected by the goddess.”

  King Dietrich was quiet for a moment, and Esofi could not guess what he was thinking.

  “I would never have dreamed this would happen,” she added in a softer voice. “Especially so quickly.”

  “Nevertheless, we should be able to turn it to our advantage,” said Captain Lehmann. “How long does it take for a mage to be fully trained?”

  “A lifetime,” said Esofi. “It is like being a scholar. You will reach the end of your natural lifespan before you run out of knowledge to acquire. But if you’re asking how long before they are battle-ready…I could not say. I only know how our children are trained. I hope an adult will learn more quickly.”

  “And then if they refuse to fight?” asked Lexandrie sharply. “You heard that woman. How will we convince them to fight dragons when they’ve spent their entire lives being laborers and craftsmen and shopkeepers? If protecting their own existences won’t compel them, what will?”

  “Money,” said Adale. She looked a bit surprised when everyone stared at her, but then she shrugged. “It’s true, isn’t it? How much do we pay our soldiers? Offer them that, or maybe even more. Not all of them will accept, but many will.”

  The doors opened again, and a wave of noise assaulted the healing ward—the sound of a woman screaming. There was a flurry of movement as the healers rushed forward, only to freeze at the sight of Lady Svana, her body awash in emerald magic that lashed out with glittering tendrils.

  But Lexandrie was already moving, crimson light gathering at her hands. With just a few smooth motions, Svana and her magic were enclosed in a bubble. Only then did Esofi see that Svana had not come alone—her twin brother was just behind her, more emerald light streaming off him. For a moment, Esofi thought Lexandrie had not completely contained Svana’s magic, but then she realized that this magic, though identical in color to Svana’s, was Brandt’s.

  “Oh no,” said Adale.

  “You must calm yourself,” Lexandrie was saying to Svana through the ruby barrier. “Throwing a tantrum will only make it worse because control is dependent on your—stop screaming or I’ll drop this barrier and slap you!”

  Svana fell abruptly silent, probably from sheer surprise, and the emerald light vanished. Lexandrie let the barrier down and Esofi stepped forward, hands out. Svana rushed into her arms, sobbing piteously. Esofi instinctively drew a handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it to Svana’s face.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Esofi soothed. “Both of you. You’ve been given a gift; there’s nothing to be afraid of. And I’ll help you.”

  “Brandt,” said King Dietrich. “When did you and your sister discover this?”

  “It was that servant’s fault!” seethed Brandt. “Svana and I sent him to get tea, and it must have been half an hour before he returned. Naturally, we were upset. We’ve come to expect a higher quality of service.”

  “So you threw a tantrum and the magic came,” s
aid Adale.

  Brandt turned on her, eyes full of rage. “I did not—” began Brandt, but now the emerald light was back, crackling around his face.

  “Adale,” said Esofi reproachfully. “Perhaps it would be best not to provoke your cousins until they’ve learned to control their gifts.”

  Adale looked like she wanted to object, but in the end, she was silent.

  “You need to go to the temple,” Esofi told the twins. “That’s where we’ve sent everyone who has suddenly manifested a gift. We’re going to teach you control, so you’ll be safe.”

  “You’ll come with us, won’t you?” warbled Svana.

  “Of course I will,” soothed Esofi.

  Svana seemed to brighten up a little. She sniffed deeply and wiped her eyes on a nearby servant’s sleeve.

  “Is there any chance we can get it done before sunset?” she asked. “Brandt and I have a ball to host, after all.”

  A CROWD OF curious citizens had gathered before the steps of the Temple of Talcia, but from the excess of guards that had been posted, it seemed that they were not being allowed on the temple grounds. Esofi supposed it was for the best. As much as the people might want the reassurance of their goddess, it wouldn’t be wise to have jittery citizens in the same building as a group of newly blessed adult mages.

  Still, as the guards escorted her and the twins from their carriage to the courtyard, Esofi hoped that the archpriestess would come out and address the people soon.

  The Rhodian mage instructors were waiting just inside the temple, speaking to each other in low, serious tones. The benches that normally filled the center of the temple had all been moved to one side in order to create a wide-open area. This was where the civilians had gathered.

  Esofi approached the mages. They looked about as stunned as Esofi felt. Still, they bowed as she neared, though their eyes were somewhere far away.

  “We are ready to begin when the last of the students arrive,” explained one of them. “Of course, we don’t know when that will be…”

  “Then begin now,” said Esofi. “There’s no point in wasting time.”

  The instructors called to the gathered Birsgeners to come sit in the cleared area, and Esofi joined them. Brandt and Svana, after some brief complaining about having to sit on the floor, settled down on either side of her.

  “The first thing we teach our children is control,” began the instructor. Her loud, clear voice rang throughout the temple. “There is no magic in it, only discipline. Moments of uncontrolled emotion can be lethal if you have no training. Once you have a grasp on this, you can choose whether you wish to continue learning from us or return to your lives.”

  Perhaps it was just her imagination, but Esofi thought the mood in the room lifted a bit.

  “Talcia’s magic is different from the power granted by other gods,” picked up another teacher. “You all know that Adranus gives healing powers to his favored ones, and that Inthi grants a gift with metal and flame to their followers. These gifts fall within the domains of the ones who grant them. But Talcia’s primary domain is magic itself. Her magic—your magic—is raw, unrefined power. You’ve all seen it manifest by now, or you wouldn’t be here. If you choose to continue with your studies, we can teach you how to shape this power to your will.

  “We will begin with some basic breathing techniques,” concluded the second teacher. “As I said before, there is no magic in this. Rather, it is a simple way to calm your mind if you feel your gift threatening to overwhelm you. If you will…”

  Esofi closed her eyes and listened to the instructions she hadn’t heard since childhood. She remembered sitting out in the gardens with her brothers and sisters, practicing control under their mother’s sharp eye. Queen Gaelle hadn’t been particularly maternal, but she had been an extremely good motivator.

  Her concentration was shattered by the sound of the enormous temple doors opening again. Esofi glanced around to see a new Birsgener stumble in, confused and frightened. Beside her, Svana gave a sharp exhale of irritation.

  Unfortunately, that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day—no sooner did the class get settled when a new student would arrive and need to be caught up. The instructors quickly gave up on trying to impart anything beyond the very basic elements of control, and Esofi couldn’t blame them.

  Brant and Svana apparently could, though. The twins seemed to have picked up the elements of control with shocking ease and were eager to move on to something more impressive. When Esofi and the instructors urged for caution and patience, the twins argued that they weren’t children and shouldn’t be held to a child’s pace. Esofi had to admit they were right—and besides, surely the reason Talcia had blessed them was so they could join the fight more quickly than children would?

  With that in mind, Esofi promised them that they would begin more complex training the next day.

  They left the temple a few hours before sunset—the twins were apparently serious about still hosting their ball, despite Esofi assuring them that nobody would blame them for it.

  “They say Queen Gaelle of Rhodia can kill people just by looking at them,” said Svana dreamily as they crossed the temple courtyard. Bright emerald vines were coiled around her fingertips. “When do we learn how to do that?”

  “I…don’t think that’s true,” said Esofi. If it was, she probably would have seen it happen.

  Esofi had hoped most of the people waiting outside the temple would have gone away by that point, but it seemed that the crowd had only grown larger over the last few hours. They all fell silent as she approached, clearly expecting a speech.

  But before she could think of anything to say, the twins pulled her into the carriage and slammed the door.

  ESOFI WAS IN her most elaborate dress yet, a majestic white-and-gold creation that trailed a foot behind her as she walked. Pearls had been embroidered into the lace that covered the bodice, as well as threaded through her hair.

  The ballroom was crowded with people, all dressed as opulently as they could get away with, considering the mourning period was not quite over yet. Everyone seemed to be in especially high spirits after the day’s events. As soon as Esofi entered, the twins were on either side of her both talking at once. She nodded along and scanned the room, trying to spot Adale. The crown princess was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she hadn’t come? She seemed to dislike her cousins…but she liked parties, didn’t she?

  Esofi gave a little sigh and glanced back at her ladies. Lisette was already gone. Though, as usual, Esofi had no doubts that the waiting lady could see her. Mireille was drifting toward a group of laughing courtiers, but Lexandrie was still at Esofi’s elbow and would remain there unless someone asked her to dance or Esofi did something to shake her off.

  A servant was carrying a tray of something that looked like pastries, so Esofi took one. She only managed a single bite before Lexandrie snatched it away from her, but that was such an everyday occurrence that Esofi barely registered it.

  Brandt and Svana were now at the center of a circle of people, talking animatedly and occasionally punctuating their sentences with flashes of magic, drawing appreciative noises from everyone.

  “They’re going to take someone’s eyebrows off,” Lexandrie murmured in her ear, and there was no missing the eager anticipation in her tone.

  Esofi slowly backed away from the crowd and resumed her search, only for someone to take her by the arm.

  “Princess Esofi!” cried Queen Saski. “There you are! You look beautiful.” Her face was a little redder than usual. “You’ve done well—we’re all so proud to have you.”

  The ladies with Queen Saski all murmured in agreement.

  “Is Crown Princess Adale here?” asked Esofi.

  “I haven’t seen her yet,” said Queen Saski. “But don’t worry, she’ll turn up at some point.”

  Esofi nodded and slipped away as soon as Queen Saski was distracted by one of her ladies. Finally, she made her way to the edge of the room and spot
ted a likely looking servant.

  “Do you know where I can find the crown princess?” Esofi asked her.

  “I believe she’s on the balcony, Your Highness,” said the woman.

  “The balcony?” repeated Esofi. The servant pointed, and Esofi realized there was indeed a large entryway at the other end of the room, draped with rich velvet curtains. Painstakingly, Esofi made her way through the crowd toward it.

  Outside, the air was cool and fresh. The sun rested low on the horizon, and Adale sat alone at a single table, staring at nothing. Esofi cleared her throat, and the crown princess gave a little surprised jump.

  “I’m sure you’ve had an interesting day,” said Adale as she approached. The crown princess was wearing a simple, understated gown the color of blackberries. Her usual braid had been pinned up around her head like a crown.

  “I suppose I should be grateful that everyone seems to be taking it well,” said Esofi, taking the seat across from Adale.

  “Of course they are. Why wouldn’t they be? Who doesn’t love a sign from the gods?” But Esofi didn’t miss the twinge of bitterness in Adale’s voice.

  “Are you disappointed that you were not blessed?” she asked.

  “Ha! Me? No. Can you imagine?” That, at least, sounded genuine. Adale seemed to soften a bit. “It is strange to think I saw her twice and had no idea. When people meet with the gods in stories, they’re always seven feet tall and glowing with beauty and saying important things. But she just seemed like any other woman.”

  “Really?” said Esofi.

  “Sorry, is that heresy? She did, though. I mean…I did have the feeling she was laughing at me. Most people don’t do that—not to my face, anyway.” Adale tapped her fingers on the table. “It makes me wonder if I’ve ever run into other gods without realizing.”

  “Do you think you might have?”

  Adale was quiet, her stare locked on her hands.

  “After Albion,” she said slowly. “They…before the funeral, they brought him to the Temple of Adranus to prepare the body. There were so many people, priests and healers and I don’t even know. Temples are usually so quiet, but this—everyone was shouting. People were crying. Fully trained priests, even! I remember thinking how stupid they were all being. He was already dead. And, and then I noticed there was this man, standing in the corner, writing something in a book. He barely even looked up, and I wondered why he was even there.” Adale went silent again. “I’m sorry. That…that made a lot more sense in my head.”