The Queen of Ieflaria

by Effie Calvin

  Esofi.

  It made sense, of course, but for some reason, Adale suddenly felt oddly hollow, as though Albion had led a secret life that she’d never known about. She set the portraits aside and looked at the papers underneath.

  Letters. Addressed to Albion and written in delicate curling handwriting. Adale turned the first paper over and skimmed to the end, where it was signed with Esofi’s name.

  Adale felt her heart lurch.

  A thousand unwanted emotions rushed through her as she stared at the signature, followed by the odd feeling that perhaps she oughtn’t read the letter, perhaps it was none of her business what Esofi had had to say to Albion. The words had been meant for him, not for her, and Albion would have shared it with her if it had been any of Adale’s concern.

  But before she could make a decision, the doorknob rattled, and Adale dropped the paper.

  “Is someone there?” shouted Adale, rushing forward just as the door swung open. Lisette stood in the doorway, lockpicks still in her hands. Peering over her shoulder was Mireille, who beamed widely when she saw Adale.

  “You!” said Adale. “How did you—?”

  “Quickly,” said Lisette.

  Chapter Seven

  ESOFI

  Esofi stood in the doorway to the ballroom, her ladies on either side, listening to the sound of her heartbeat and the soft rustling of her own petticoats. The room before her was already filled with laughing, glittering Ieflarians and curious foreigners, all waiting to hear her decision. In one corner, she could see Squire Ilbert and a few footmen guarding the marriage contract, which was complete save for the blank space where the name of Esofi’s betrothed would be filled in after she announced her choice.

  “Princess Esofi of Rhodia,” announced the herald, his voice echoing across the ballroom. “Lady Lexandrie of Fialia, Lady Lisette of Diativa, and Lady Mireille of Aelora.”

  The room fell silent, and Esofi felt a bit light-headed. She was certainly used to being stared at by hundreds of people; it had been a regular aspect of her childhood, after all. But rarely was she the unequivocal center of attention. Attention would rest on her for a moment, then move on to her siblings before usually settling on her parents.

  But now, everyone was watching her, and her alone.

  Esofi stepped forward into the ballroom, a soft smile on her face. The servants had outdone themselves tonight. Everything gleamed, from the wooden floors to the candlesticks. It seemed every archway had been decorated with early roses and every plinth held an enormous gold vase that was near to bursting with flowers.

  Esofi’s dress was pale-golden silk intricately embroidered with patterns of flowers in bloom. The upper skirt parted in the front, revealing the second layer of ivory skirts beneath it. The sleeves were held against her skin until they reached her elbow and exploded into three separate layers of loose ruffles, similar to the ruffles around her neckline. The bodice of the dress was brocade and had been sewn with tiny diamonds.

  Around her neck, she wore a triple-stranded pearl necklace set with an enormous yellow sapphire. Her earrings and bracelets were pearls as well, and although it was impossible to see them, her shoes had also been sewn with pearls. Her ladies had styled her hair as usual, but this time instead of ribbons or flowers, she wore a small golden filigree tiara.

  She was immediately approached by some Ieflarian nobles, but she barely heard their compliments. She scanned the room, but it seemed neither the twins nor Adale had arrived yet.

  Carriages had been arriving for the past few days, bringing guests from all across Ieflaria and even beyond. It was equal parts betrothal ceremony and celebration of the end of the mourning period. Even an olive-skinned couple with crowns resting in their dark hair were at the center of another crowd—King Marcius and Queen Isabetta of Vesolda.

  King Dietrich and Queen Saski were the next to enter, bringing the room to a hush. They were both accompanied by their retinues, but Adale was not with them. Esofi waited to see if she would be announced afterward, but the next party to arrive were from Armoth, one of Ieflaria’s western fiefs.

  Esofi approached Saski once the initial wave of people greeting the queen had drifted on to other things.

  Saski’s face brightened when she saw Esofi. “Oh, my dear, you look so lovely. I’d hug you, but I’m afraid for your dress. I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you here.”

  “Thank you,” said Esofi. “Have you seen Adale yet?”

  “She’s not here yet?” asked Saski.

  Esofi shook her head.

  “But she left before I did. How…odd. I’m sure she’ll be here any moment, then. She was extremely eager for tonight, you know.”

  Esofi nodded and told herself that she was being silly. Adale wanted her. She hadn’t spent hours researching the dragons solely out of a sense of responsibility—had she?

  No, Esofi told herself. Not Adale.

  The twins were the next to arrive, in matching outfits of pale-blue silk. They completely ignored everybody except Esofi, attaching themselves to her sides as they always did, their hands stroking her arms softly as they spoke. Perhaps they were feeling less homesick than usual, because they seemed to be in especially good spirits that night, with no complaints about the food or the decorations or the servants.

  As the bell chimed six, the musicians began to play and people began wandering toward the floor to dance. Esofi stared at them, unseeing, while Mireille and Lisette whispered fiercely to one another behind her back.

  “Wouldn’t you like to dance?” asked Brandt, holding out one hand to her. Some of Adale’s friends were already on the floor, and so she took his hand and allowed him to lead her in a dance—only to slip out of his grasp at the first spin-and-release and intercept Lady Daphene before she could return to her own partner.

  She’d half expected Daphene to be offended, but Adale’s lady seemed to find the whole thing funny.

  “Have you seen Adale tonight?” Esofi asked over the music.

  “What? You mean she’s not here yet?” cried Daphene. She was an extremely good dancer, if not a bit too exuberant, spinning Esofi so quickly that she was afraid she’d be sick. “That’s impossible!”

  “You didn’t come in with her?” asked Esofi, halting in her steps, a sick dread rising in her stomach.

  “We thought she’d left without us,” said Daphene. “Really, I mean it—we thought she’d left us behind because she couldn’t wait to see you. Wait, I’ll sort this out.” Daphene gestured to her friends to come nearer, creating an obstruction on the dance floor but not seeming to care. “Does anyone know where Adale is?”

  Within a minute, it was clear that nobody did.

  “Perhaps she wants to make an entrance,” suggested Lady Brigit. “Something really stupid, you know? She’s been simmering ever since the twins brought in that unicorn. I bet she’s off trying to find someone to sell her a winged horse.”

  This got some laughter from the group, as winged horses were known to be even rarer than unicorns, at least on the continent of Ioshora. Esofi couldn’t find it within herself to smile, though. She merely nodded and walked off the dance floor.

  Fortunately, one side of the ballroom was lined with chairs for exhausted dancers. Unfortunately, before she could make it over there, she was pulled aside by Queen Saski.

  “You haven’t seen my daughter yet, have you?” Saski’s tone was light, as if the question was no more than a casual inquiry, but Esofi knew the truth. Adale still hadn’t arrived and probably never would.

  Esofi didn’t trust herself to look the other woman in the face, so instead, she stared at a point just over Saski’s shoulder.

  “I’m sure she will be here soon enough,” said Esofi, pulling out of the queen’s grip. Then she accepted a glass of wine from a servant, who gave her a humiliatingly pitying look, and went to go sit down.

  Across the crowded ballroom, King Dietrich was now giving harsh orders to a pair of castle guards, his hands clenched into fu
rious fists. He pointed out of the room and then at the floor in front of him. The guards saluted and rushed out of the ballroom. Esofi had a sinking feeling that she knew what they had been sent to retrieve.

  But she didn’t want that. She didn’t want to marry someone who needed to be dragged before her. She wanted to go over to King Dietrich and tell him not to bother, but for some reason, the idea of approaching him filled her with sadness.

  Then, quite suddenly, she was aware of someone sitting down next to her. She turned to look, expecting to see one of the twins but instead found herself staring down at a little girl in a rather large dress of blue brocade. The style was unusual, and Esofi couldn’t quite place it.

  “Hello,” said the little girl calmly. “Do your feet hurt?”

  “Ah…” said Esofi. “No? Do yours?”

  “Not anymore!” said the little girl brightly and extended her feet out beneath her dress, showing off bare white stockings. Esofi couldn’t help but laugh.

  “You’re Esofi,” the little girl said. “Right? Either you’re Esofi, or she is.” The girl pointed across the room at Lexandrie, the only one of the waiting ladies that Esofi hadn’t lost track of.

  “No, you’re right, I’m Esofi,” she assured the child. “What’s your name?”

  “Vita.” From Vesolda, then. That explained the odd dress. “Which one are you going to marry? Mada says you get to pick.”

  “I don’t know,” said Esofi honestly. “I thought I would marry the crown princess. But…she hasn’t come. I think she might have changed her mind.”

  “She’s stupid, then,” announced Vita.

  Esofi tried not to laugh. “We mustn’t talk that way about the crown princess.”

  Vita pressed her lips together and shifted them back and forth in an odd way. “Are you going to tell them you can’t decide?”

  “I can’t,” said Esofi. “I’ve already waited too long.”

  “Tell them to bring you someone else,” suggested Vita. “Someone new.”

  That was certainly an idea. But while she had a feeling nobody would question her not marrying Adale, she knew that she didn’t have a good reason for rejecting the twins.

  “I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” said Esofi sadly.

  “Esofi!” cried Brandt. She looked up to find the young man standing before her. “There you are—I was afraid I’d lost you! Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” said Esofi, but her tone was brittle and fake. “I just needed to rest my feet. I’m sorry.”

  Brandt took the seat on Esofi’s other side and gave a very quiet sigh.

  “You must be so disappointed,” he said, leaning in close to her. “But that’s just how she is. Even you’ve realized that by now. My cousin means well, she truly does, but she’s always had difficulty with carrying out her duties…”

  Esofi gave a small nod and lurched to her feet. “Excuse me. I’m going to get some air.”

  The balcony wasn’t too crowded, and Esofi ignored any and all attempts that the Ieflarians made to bring her into their conversations. She rested her palms on the cool stone of the railing and stared down at the brightly lit city below.

  Nothing has changed. I will still be the queen of Ieflaria. That’s all that matters.

  All she had to do was pick one of the twins.

  Esofi paused to consider this. They were so alike, the twins, and never one without the other. It was almost difficult for her to separate them in her mind. Regardless of which twin she married, the other would never be far away.

  Svana had a voice that could coax a unicorn close enough to be captured and had woven flowers through Esofi’s hair. Brandt was quiet and gentle, just how she’d always imagined Albion to be, and she knew she would always feel safe with him.

  She didn’t know. How could she choose? Esofi was half inclined to toss a coin and leave the choice to fate.

  Or perhaps…perhaps being the queen of Ieflaria wasn’t her destiny at all. She lifted her gaze to the horizon, in the direction of Valenleht, Ieflaria’s largest and most important port city. Beyond it lay the ocean and, past that, the rest of Inthya.

  Lexandrie wouldn’t follow her, but Mireille and Lisette might. She could go to Anora and meet the Empress Xuefang at the Pearl Court, and they could all sip pale, bitter tea and laugh over her tale, because surely the journey would put enough distance between herself and Ieflaria to make the entire thing funny. Or perhaps she would go to the Burning Isles and be adopted by a tribe of bronze-skinned warriors who would spear sharks out of the ocean and teach her the names of gods she’d never heard of before. Or maybe she could go to the Elven lands and become a governess for the Elf King’s children. She would teach them how to eat with a fork so they could finally be accepted into the lands of Men.

  She would save that one for last, though.

  On the far horizon, movement caught her eye—a flock of birds wheeling toward the city. She wondered vaguely what sort of birds flew so near to dusk. Some odd Ieflarian species, perhaps…

  Some large Ieflarian species…

  Her eyes widened, and realization struck at the same moment that the first siren began to wail.

  Esofi spun around and dashed into the ballroom. Already, people were beginning to panic. She grabbed her skirts and forced her way to the exit, which was actually quite difficult since it seemed like everyone else was going in the opposite direction, trying to get to the balcony so they could gawk uselessly at the sky.

  Finally, Esofi was free of the crowd. She ran from the ballroom and raced down the halls of the castle, past frantic servants and shouting guards. As she went, she unclasped her necklace and let it fall to the floor. It was followed by her bracelets and then her earrings, leaving a trail of gems in her wake. She paused a moment to rip the diamonds from her bodice, and that was when Captain Henris caught up with her.

  They stared at each other for a long minute, and then Esofi tore the last gemstone from her dress and let it fall to the floor, never once breaking his gaze.

  “Princess, there are at least twenty dragons out there!” yelled Henris. “I can’t let you—”

  Esofi felt like perhaps she had been possessed by a demon as she threw a wave of sparkling pink light at the man who had been her loyal protector, slamming him against the wall. Henris looked dazed as Esofi sprinted past him, her mind already on the upcoming battle, all too glad to shed her thoughts of weddings and disappointments.

  Nobody else tried to stop her, and Esofi made her way down to the stables, knowing a horse was her only chance of getting to the city wall before the dragons overran Birsgen. There were no hostlers around to aid her, and so Esofi went to the stalls, hoping perhaps one of the horses might still be saddled.

  To her great surprise, the unoccupied stall next to Adale’s horse now had a resident in the unicorn that the twins had brought. It was clearly agitated, swinging its head from side to side and gazing up toward the sky.

  It knows. Then inspiration struck.

  “Do you speak Ieflarian?” she asked, looking the unicorn full in the face.

  The unicorn did not respond, though it did stare at her.

  “Dro vaq Sibari na?” she asked. “Dei vou Rhodiania? Vaai Dassauvi? Vod Eska? I’ve already spoken to a dragon; I know you can understand me!”

  The unicorn merely continued to stare, though now it seemed like it might be amused. Or perhaps that was merely wishful thinking.

  “I know you’re angry at us, and you’ve a right to be,” said Esofi. “But there is an emperor coming to kill us all. If he succeeds, you’ll never get back home. I think I can stop him. But I need to get down to the city wall. If you help me, I will…” Esofi wondered what in the world she could offer a unicorn. “I will make it illegal to trap your kind for any reason. You will be safe from Men for the rest of your…” Esofi hesitated again. “How long do unicorns live for?”

  The unicorn laughed, Esofi was certain of it, exhaling rapidly through his nose and making an amus
ed sound from within his chest. Esofi gave an incredulous laugh as well.

  “Very well,” it said. No, not it—he. The unicorn had a sonorous voice that matched his beautiful form. “But only because I know the dragons would not grant me that same protection or even the protections I have now.”

  Esofi felt a little ill. “You mean they’d eat you?”

  “My poor mad cousins? Yes,” said the unicorn. “Now let me out of here. It smells of sorrow.”

  Esofi threw the latch and wrenched the stall open. “Thank you. And I am sorry—I didn’t realize you weren’t an animal. I didn’t realize the dragons weren’t either until only a few days ago.”

  The unicorn turned his head to one side as if inspecting her. “One spoke to you? But that is forbidden.”

  “Why?” asked Esofi. “Why aren’t you allowed to speak to us? It would make things so much easier if you could! You could have representatives at King Dietrich’s court, and nobody would mistakenly harm you.”

  “You misunderstand,” said the unicorn. “I am not forbidden to speak. I merely choose not to. The dragons, however…the emperor has ordered their silence. It makes them easier to control. He would face more opposition if his subjects began to think of Men as their equals.”

  Esofi had a thousand questions, but the unicorn knelt with his front legs so Esofi could easily climb on to his back. It was difficult with her heavy and complicated skirts, but the unicorn rose easily, as though she weighed nothing.

  “What should I hold on to?” asked Esofi, who had never even considered riding without a bridle or saddle.

  “Not my mane, you’ll tear at it,” said the unicorn. “Put your arms around my neck. And try not to dig in your heels.”

  Esofi did as he said, leaning forward against his warm neck. His horn gleamed in the fading light like a naked blade, a fearsome weapon. Yet he had not used it to escape the twins or attack any of the Ieflarians.

  The unicorn broke into a canter, and Esofi clung tighter. He was far, far faster than any horse and rounded the side of the castle within minutes. Then, with the road down into the Temple District in sight, he broke into a gallop.