by T. K. Perry
Lexi fought a frown and glanced at the few others in the pool more pointedly this time.
Damus leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “Will you just go home with him and live with his family? Or will you take the lucky guy back to the palace?”
Lexi dunked her head again, stepping back as she did so. Maddeningly, Damus stepped closer still.
“There's a rumor you're already engaged to Cam Crescent.”
“It's true,” Lexi affirmed.
“Huh,” Damus said thoughtfully. “Odd that you didn't smell like him just now.”
Lexi fought down her alarm and forced a smile. “Even odder that you know his scent. Do you make a habit of cataloguing the pheromone fragrance of other males?”
“No,” he blurted, shaking his head. “He just smells sickly sweet.” Damus backed away from her, avoiding eye contact. “It's unpleasant. I should go check on Psyche.” Damus rose quickly from the pool, then glanced back. “Do you need a guard? I can stay.”
Lexi erased all emotion from her face and shook her head. Damus nodded and hurried out of the room. When the door shut behind him, she sighed then sniffed her hair. Any lingering trace of Tiger was gone. A wistful frown momentarily clouded her face, but she washed it away.
“Hey, there are guards outside the door,” an orange-winged male announced as he entered the room.
“What for?” a ruddy man with red spots on his dark wings asked.
“They've come to arrest you, Red! Your bad deeds have finally caught up with you!” the orange-winged male teased.
Red responded by initiating a water fight that several other males immediately joined with raucous laughter. The few non-participants began fleeing the pool as water sprayed in every direction. Lexi finished and left as quickly as she could, her bag badly bespattered. Once out the door, the guards fell into step behind her, and Lexi felt the stares of the other escaping bathers. Pretending not to see their questioning glances nor hear their murmured conversations, she marched through the castle. Though some turned down other hallways, it was clear the majority had chosen to follow her out of curiosity. When she opened the door to her room, there was a small knot of bathers still watching her from down the hall.
Clodi was still snoring loudly, unperturbed by the quiet opening and closing of the door. Lexi changed her clothing, timing her noisiest movements to coincide with her roommate's stertorous intake of air. Then she slipped back out into the hallway, grateful the bathers had dispersed.
All the way to Cam's room, Lexi wrestled with her guilt. Kissing Tiger had been a foolish indulgence and unfair to Cam. She briefly considered if she could plead pheromone drunkenness, then discarded the idea. Why tell Cam at all? The knowledge would only hurt him. I just need to stop kissing Tiger! Lexi smiled despite scolding herself, and briefly touched her lips. Too soon, she was once again standing before Cam's door. Self-conscious of her watching guards, she knocked boldly, then immediately regretted it.
Cam opened the door, blinking sleep from his eyes and gave her a dimpled smile. “Hi. I wondered if you'd be able to sleep after that long nap.” He looked at his watch. “Early breakfast? I have a little bit left.” Cam motioned to his meager leftovers on the table behind him.
Lexi suddenly felt ravenous and Cam's offering seemed terribly inadequate. Turning, she addressed Charis. “Would it be possible to have an early breakfast brought here?”
Charis hesitated a moment and glanced at Erid. “I think so.”
“Thank you,” Lexi said, stepping into Cam's room and closing the door.
“Won't that look strange having food delivered here? I mean, I'm grateful, but I thought you didn't want special treatment.”
Lexi fought back a scowl before she turned to face him. “It's still early,” she chided. “Who's to see? Besides, I'm hungry.”
Cam picked up a handful of shelled hazelnuts and held them out to her. Lexi closed his hand and leaned in for a quick kiss that made her feel disloyal to Tiger. “Keep them,” she advised, and sat down.
Cam touched her damp, tangled hair. “You washed it again?”
Lexi merely nodded and changed the subject. “Limen heard we were engaged and tried to make me marry Talan.”
“What?!”
Lexi told him the story, carefully editing out Tiger's part in it, while Cam combed out her hair. When she finished, Cam was silent until she turned to look up at him.
“The Governor refused to marry you to anyone but Cretins 1 and 2?”
She had meant the story to be an amusing distraction, but now she understood his serious expression. “Erynnis might marry us,” she soothed.
“He would disobey the Governor?”
“Maybe. I think my father would marry us.” If Mother would let him.
“The Royal City is awfully far away from Wallowa. Are there quarries nearby so I could transfer my internship? Or would you want to live at the palace again?”
The knock was a welcome interruption, and Lexi hid her sigh of relief by getting up to answer the door. A female life servant held out a small tray with two dishes of hot oatmeal. She examined Lexi curiously, her eyes lingering on her wings.
“Thank you,” Lexi said, grasping the hot dishes and quickly closing the door to end the inspection. She set them on the table, her hands smarting from the searing metal bowls. She looked down at them a moment, then reopened the door. The same servant was holding out two spoons, an amused expression on her face. Lexi repeated her thanks and quickly shut the door again, handing a spoon to Cam.
“I was wondering how we were going to eat it,” Cam chuckled.
Lexi gave him a brief smile, then focused on her oatmeal. It scalded her tongue and throat, but was a welcome reprieve from conversation. They ate in silence for several minutes until Cam laughed.
“You know, this is really hot. It's burning my mouth, it has to be burning yours, and yet we just keep eating. Maybe we should just talk about what's bothering us.” Cam took a big breath and blew it out. “Did we make a mistake? Maybe we shouldn't be engaged yet.” Cam frowned down at his remaining breakfast bracing for her agreement.
Lexi thought of Tiger and Coli, and bitterness overcame the pleasantly bland taste of the oatmeal. “Why do you say that?” she asked, taking another spoonful and willing her envy away.
“Maybe I should meet your parents first; isn't that the way the nobles do it? I could ask for the King's approval, and then he could marry us.”
Lexi stared down at her now-empty bowl. “That might work with my father.”
“But not the Queen?”
“You know she wants me to marry Talan.”
Cam blew out a great gust of air. “Surely she wants you to be happy with your husband. Can't you just tell her you don't like Cretin number one, but you do like me?”
Lexi leaned forward and patted his hand. “I should go before the pregnancy tests. I don't want a repeat of yesterday.” She stood and bent down to kiss his forehead. “Perhaps I'll see you at lunch.”
Cam let out a surprised little grunt at his dismissal and crossed his arms while his brows tightened into a slight scowl. “We should talk.”
“Isn't that what we've been doing?”
“Sure.” His sardonic tone was unmistakable.
Lexi hid her displeasure behind a tight smile and quickly left the room, the guards following at a close pace. She silently berated herself for being irritated with Cam. It wasn't his fault. She felt guilty and frustrated with her circumstances; he just forced her to think about them. The last expression on his face was now plaguing her conscience. He was unhappy. It was her fault. Her walk slowed as she considered returning to his room to try to make it right. But what would she say? That her mother would never allow their marriage? That she was in love with Tiger? Lexi stopped dead at the thought, her guards leaping to either side to avoid collision with her wings. I'm in love with Tiger?! Lexi forced herself to continue walking, though she was no longer aware of where she was going. She listened to the f
ootfalls of the guards behind her resentfully. It was impossible to truly wander with an entourage. Angry banging at doors and shouts about pregnancy tests woke her from her reverie. Phidia was working her way down the hallway with a rheumy march that would inspire sympathy were she not so unpleasant. That woman really needed a different job. If I were governor, Lexi thought, then smirked. What a ridiculous idea. Laughing inwardly, she hurried down the nearest corridor that led away from Phidia's wrath. Erynnis' office was nearby and she turned toward it decisively. She had no idea of the hours he kept, but tried the door optimistically: locked.
Stepping around her, Charis gave the door a rhythmic knock, then waited patiently. Within a minute, Erynnis opened the door. His sour expression melting into his approximation of charm.
“Good morning, Erynnis,” Lexi greeted. “Might I have a word with you?”
“Of course!” Erynnis threw open the door to his office and gave her a deep bow.
“Privately,” Lexi added to the guards as they tried to follow her. She gave them an apologetic smile and shut the door behind her.
Recovering from his deep bow, Erynnis pulled out a stool for her and remained standing until she sat.
“What did you wish to discuss, Your Highness?” His lined face was lit with an earnest enthusiasm that belied his years.
“A couple of things. First, I'm very interested in the Castle's records. Would it be possible for me to look at them today?”
After an abortive noise, Erynnis smiled. “Certainly.”
“I understand that the records room in the library is locked; may I have the keys?” Lexi held out her hand expectantly.
Erynnis stared at her hand. “Oh. Well, I could certainly escort you...”
“There is no need, and I wouldn't want to interrupt your responsibilities here.” Lexi gave him a pleasant smile and further extended her hand.
Erynnis blushed and bobbed a little nod as he retrieved a ring of keys and removed two of them. “This one is for the library, which doesn't open for another three hours.” He dropped an ornate iron key in her palm, then held up another that was half the size of the first. “This is for the records room; it is always kept locked.” Erynnis hesitated, a slight grimace crossing his face as he placed the final key in her palm.
Lexi slipped both keys into her pocket before he could change his mind. “I will take very good care of them, and return them to you when I am done.”
Erynnis nodded unhappily, unconsciously clutching the remaining keys to his chest. “What was the other thing you wanted to discuss?”
“Oh, it's more of a procedural question, really.” Lexi bestowed another charming smile. “Does Limen have to approve all the marriages? Or is that within your discretion?”
Erynnis slowly dropped the keys down to his lap. “I can perform them, but the Governor must authorize them.”
Lexi smiled as if she were pleased to receive this interesting tidbit of information. “Thank you for clearing that up.”
She stood, and Erynnis immediately leapt to his feet, sending the keys clanging against the stone floor. He bowed deeply, retrieving the keys as he did so.
“Thank you. I'll return the keys shortly,” Lexi assured him, slipping out of the room before he was fully upright. She forced herself to keep an even pace down the halls as sleepy girls obediently filed out of their rooms for their morning pregnancy test. At the library door, she waited until the hallway was empty, then unlocked it. The dark room smelled ominously of mildewed paper. Locating a lantern near the door, Lexi switched it on and removed it from its sconce. Her guards followed her inside, closed the door, and took up position next to it. The library was shabby, its shelves only spottily filled, and the few books that remained were well-worn. One table sat in the middle of the room, its uneven leg propped up by a broken chair back. Lexi held the lantern higher, casting eerie shadows on the shelves that lined each wall. The room was much smaller than the library at home, and Lexi felt a momentary pang of homesickness. Shaking it off, she walked the length of the library, her search rewarded when she found a recessed door partially hidden behind the shelves. Pulling out the smaller key, she unlocked it and turned the handle, but the door didn't budge.
“It sticks,” Charis explained from across the room. “Do you want help?”
Lexi closed her wings and threw her weight into the door, the hinges creaking cacophonously as it swung open. “No, thank you,” she called.
The room smelled of dust and wood, the latter coming from the shelves lining the walls and the wooden boxes neatly arranged along them. Lexi found the box with her birth year and pulled it off a high shelf. Inside was an ornate leather-bound book that recorded all the marriages and a stack of paper. Each loose page held the record of an in-season that had arrived at the Old Castle that year. Lexi slid the box onto a lower shelf and began to peruse the names. Halfway through February's arrivals, she found her mother: Ami Leafwing of Wagontire. Lexi laughed out loud, then self-consciously closed the door, berating herself for not doing so sooner. No wonder her mother so carefully hid her past. Wagontire was a tiny farming community out east, best known for its onions, which were said to outnumber the people 10,000 to 1. Lexi allowed herself another giggle as she thought of her stately mother pulling up onions, then read on. “Father's name: Lamin Leafwing.” Lexi swallowed back a sudden lump in her throat. She finally knew her grandfather's name. “Mother's name: Menapia White.” Her grandmother was a white? Lexi indulged another giggle at her mother's expense. There was such a stigma associated with being a white; their hormonal surges during their season essentially made them mentally ill; it was extremely difficult for a white to find a mate. And this was her mother's heritage! This was her own heritage. Lexi smiled and ran a finger over her grandparents' names. Belatedly, she remembered her purpose and scanned to the bottom. “Married March 13.” Her mother had been on the mountain a single month. Lexi blew out a slow breath that made the dust bunnies stir on the neighboring box. Only a month. Hopefully her father's season had been longer. Lexi set her mother's record aside and returned to the pile looking for Chip Viceroy, the name her father had used on the mountain. But it wasn't there. She searched the pile again, then pulled down the record box for the previous year. After checking the individual records twice, she huffed out a breath of frustration. It simply wasn't here. Maybe it had never been made. Lexi referred back to her mother's record. Though someone had filled out the “Married” date, the “To” had been left blank. Lexi returned to the first box and pulled out the ornate leather book. There was a marriage on March 12th and three on March 14th, but nothing for the 13th. Lexi ran her finger along the inside seam of the book and felt tiny jagged pieces of paper. A page had been torn out. Lexi let out a small groan, then replaced the book and boxes. Untucking her shirt, she slipped her mother's record up underneath it, then carefully tucked it back in. She patted her stomach and the paper crinkled. Standing up taller, she repositioned the paper slightly, then left the room and locked the door. Both guards' faces were openly curious, but she ignored them as she replaced the lantern and locked the library door. All the way back to her room the paper rustled softly, the sound alarmingly loud to Lexi. She was relieved to find her room empty, though the balcony doors were thrown wide to let in the bright mid-morning sunshine. Lexi quickly closed them and removed her mother's record. She read her grandparents' names over again, committing them to memory, then took out her bag and ripped the inside lining an inch. Rolling up her mother's record until it resembled a straw, she slid it inside the hole, then pushed it over until it was no longer visible. Sliding her bag back under the bed, she sat down on a stool and stared at it. She wasn't certain why she had removed her mother's record. She told herself it was to protect her mother's secret, but some part of her wanted to brandish it before the Queen and demand to be released from her engagement to Talan. Lexi guiltily banished the thought, shifting uncomfortably as the keys poked into her from her pocket. Reluctantly, she stood to return them.
Rather than taking the direct route to the officiant's office, she purposely meandered, liking the feel of the keys in her pocket. She could hear the guards trailing behind her, but it did not hurry her gait. Wearing a pleasantly blank mask, she strolled through the castle people-watching. She passed three couples holding hands, one openly kissing, and another waiting excitedly outside the throne room to be married. Lexi felt her mask slipping as she knocked on Erynnis' door.
“I think he's in with the Governor,” Charis said, squelching a yawn.
Lexi looked back at her guards, noticing their droopy, bloodshot eyes. “When are you to be relieved?”
Erid shrugged. “Should have been dawn, but our relief probably couldn't find us.”
Her mouth tightened into a tiny frown. “You're relieved.”
Both guards merely shifted their weight and exchanged glances.
“I will ensure that you are not docked a meal or locked in the dungeon. Go get some rest.”
Erid started to move, but stopped when Charis kept his ground with a pained expression.
“This is silly. You're both exhausted. I will stay here.” Lexi tried the door, but it was locked. She frowned her chagrin, then squared her shoulders and turned to face her guards. “Go find your replacements.”
Erid nodded, then weaved through the waiting wedding party to give an odd knock at the throne room door. It opened a moment later for a quick whispered conversation before Beck stepped out and sauntered over with a grin on his face.
Lexi couldn't help but return the smile. “Good. Now Charis and Erid can go.”
Erid's shoulders sagged gratefully as he hurried away, but once again Charis stood his ground. His face colored as Lexi looked askance and Beck chortled.
“Best obey her; you know she's the real boss,” Beck advised.
Charis' mouth fell open, then closed with a resigned sigh. “Make sure you get another guard, Beck,” he admonished, then shook his head unhappily as he walked away.
Beck clapped his hands and rubbed them together. “There. All the dour fun-suckers are gone; how shall we entertain ourselves this morning, Miss Fritillary?”
