The City of Veils

by S. Usher Evans

  "It's not all that easy to swordfight when your tits are hitting you in the face," I replied.

  "Mother above," Felix swore, looking at the ceiling. "Brynna, you can't talk like that."

  "Like what?"

  "Referencing your previous life," he said, casting a warning look at the tailor.

  "Fine." I huffed.

  "Do you have anything available for her to wear now?" Katarine asked. "She has a Council meeting and I'd hate for her to go in her tunic."

  "Pardon," Beata said, walking in with a sky-blue dress. "Lady Katarine, I took the liberty of finding a dress of yours that might fit the princess, if it were adjusted a little."

  I gazed at Katarine's waifish figure—almost a foot taller and about thirty pounds lighter—then back at Beata. "You think?"

  "Ah, this will do," the tailor said, going to his kit. "Just give me a moment to adjust the seams."

  Even with the tailor's adjustments, the dress was tight and uncomfortable, and showed way too much of my cleavage. Felix arrived just as I was being sewn up, and he, like Katarine, stared openly at my chest before remembering himself.

  "How quickly can you have more dresses made?" Katarine asked.

  "I will send another by the end of the day," he said, packing up his sewing kit. "And I will have a closet made by the end of the week."

  "Excellent," Katarine said.

  "And tunics?" I asked hopefully. "I can't be expected to wear dresses every day, can I?"

  Katarine made a noise, but Felix nodded. "If you have scraps, you can make the princess a few tunics. But in bright colors only."

  I scowled, turning back to the mirror as the tailor left. "It's not as if I can escape anyway."

  "Well, better to limit your clothing options," he said, picking up my discarded black tunic and leggings. "Though it might be a sight to see you running around the rooftops naked."

  "I can't move in this," I said, swishing the petticoats around. "And I can't wear a sword. Where is my sword, by the way?"

  "In safekeeping," Felix said. "I'm your sword now."

  "I feel so safe," I said, with a sugary sweet smile which melted under his glare. "Give me back my weapon or I will find it myself. Obviously, there are still dangers in the castle. I would feel better if I had more than my fists to protect myself."

  "If you behave yourself in the Council meeting, I will consider it."

  I exhaled as much as I could against the tight seams. "Who cares about poison? I might just suffocate in this thing."

  "Oh, nonsense," Katarine said, returning with Beata in tow. "You look lovely—and regal. We just need to do something with that hair."

  "Don't you dare chop it off," I said, grabbing my braid.

  "Of course not," Beata said, gently taking it from me. "We'll just need to brush it out."

  I sat in the uncomfortable dress while Beata worked on my hair and Katarine gently took a golden circlet out of a velvet box.

  "What's that?" I asked, wincing as Beata found another knot in my hair.

  "Until you're crowned as queen, you'll wear this," Katarine said, running a cloth around it lovingly. "Your brother had one just like it."

  "Was that his?" I asked.

  "No," she said, looking off into the distance. "His remains on his head."

  Finally, the woman showed some sadness for the death of her husband. But I still wasn't convinced. "What else can you tell me about the Council?"

  "For today, you'll just need to know names: Garwood, Vernice, Octavius, Godfryd, and Zuriel."

  I blinked. "Zuriel, as in the mayor of Forcadel?"

  "Yes. Your father thought it appropriate to have the mayor on the Council to keep a finger to the pulse of the city," she said. "You'll be able to decide who stays and who goes when you're queen."

  I nodded, mesmerized by the swift way Beata re-braided my hair then twisted it into an intricate bun on the back of my head. She set it with pins and smoothed the top of my hair with a little water. Then she took the circlet from Katarine and set it on my head.

  "There now," Beata said with a smile. "We can officially call you Princess Brynna-Larissa."

  I took in my reflection, the tight blue dress, the delicate diamond earrings on my lobes, the gold circlet resting in my hair. Perhaps I was now Princess Brynna, because I sure didn't recognize myself.

  Chapter 4

  My large skirts extended on either side of me, so Felix and Katarine had to walk in front of and behind me, respectively. Perhaps Felix assumed I was too sewn in to run, but in fact, I was just biding my time and building a map of the castle in my mind. It had been dark when I'd arrived, but now, sunlight streamed through the windows. The castle was four floors, and my tower was on the southwest corner. I counted sixty steps to the first landing, the fourth floor of the main castle, then another ten to the third floor, which was where we exited the well.

  We walked down a long hall which, based on the view out the window, was on the outer rim of the castle, as the open front gate was visible, and the city square beyond. Sweet freedom—a day that should've been spent snoozing after cleaning blood from the floor of the butchery.

  "The Council room," Felix said, as we came to a pair of carved, closed double doors. "They're probably already in there."

  "Are you ready?" Katarine asked, smoothing my skirts.

  "Do I have a choice?" I asked, glancing out the window to the city beyond.

  "You're going to do fine," Felix said with an affirming smile. "Just don't say anything and get through this first meeting."

  I wished I had pockets, or enough room in my dress to cross my arms across my chest. I settled for gripping the folds of my skirt as Felix opened the doors.

  A gasp and consternated sounds arose from the five people sitting at the table. I'd seen many of these men and women before but Zuriel was the only one I immediately recognized. One of the three men rose, the look on his face similar to someone who'd just farted in his own bed. "What is the meaning of this, Captain? I know you haven't been in your position long, but we are not to be interrupted."

  "My apologies for the interruption, Lord Garwood," Felix said, bowing low at the waist. I caught the smirk on his lips that said he wasn't sorry at all. "But this couldn't wait. May I present Princess Brynna-Larissa Rhodes Lonsdale of the Kingdom of Forcadel."

  Zuriel let out a cry of surprise, and the drunk-looking man to his left covered his mouth. The older, grizzled-looking woman just nodded while the purple-clad lady licked her pastel lips with a curious, surveying look.

  The man who was still standing straightened. "Are you…uh…sure this is the right girl?"

  "With absolute certainty," Felix replied.

  The distrust on his face was clear as day, but he sat. I decided I'd call him Distrust until I learned his real name.

  "Well, let's not all stand around gawking at the girl," said the man I considered drunk. From the capillaries on his cheeks, this state wasn't an uncommon occurrence. I dubbed him Drunkie. "Welcome home, Your Highness. You've certainly grown from the small girl we—"

  "Tried to marry off as a child?" I finished.

  Felix made a sound, and I felt his angry glare on the back of my dress.

  "Don't be silly," Distrust replied, with a laugh that said all it needed to about his involvement. "You were betrothed to a boy a few years older. King Neshua would have been an excellent guardian until you came of age."

  "I met the king. I felt differently. That's why I—"

  "Decided to study abroad," Katarine interjected. "Aren't we so lucky that she did?"

  "Lady Katarine, how very convenient that you're here with the princess," the woman who'd been surveying me said. Her lips were a vibrant shade of purple, so I'd call her Purple.

  "And why wouldn't I be, Lady Vernice?" she replied. "Princess Brynna is my sister-in-law. We've obviously kept in touch these past few years while she's been abroad. She was already on her way home after word reached her that her father had died, and now, with August…
"

  My, my. How easily Katarine lied. I would have to keep that in mind.

  "And where has our fair princess been?" Distrust asked, reclaiming his seat.

  "Off studying the arts in Palivka across the sea," Felix replied. "But now, of course, she is willing to take up the mantle. We must keep a Lonsdale on the throne to maintain continuity and confidence in our kingdom."

  "Must we?" Purple drawled. "I would much rather place a regent until we can be sure of this girl's abilities to rule. I doubt this girl is old enough—"

  "I'm plenty old enough," I snapped.

  "It's clear she's the right age," Distrust said, leaving the unspoken "but is she the right girl" dangling in the air. He sat down again and scooted his chair into the table. "Very well, I suppose we should continue, now that we have a representative here." He glanced at Felix with overt loathing in his gaze. "That will be all, Captain, Lady Katarine."

  Katarine curtseyed and hurried from the room. Felix bowed, offered me one warning look then left, closing the door behind him. And then it was just the six of us—five older Councilors who barely trusted I was who I said I was, and one princess who was ready to jump out the window.

  "I don't want to be here all day, Garwood," Purple said, taking her seat.

  "Fine," Distrust—Garwood—replied, pulling a chair out for himself. The others followed suit, leaving only the gaudy chair in the front. After a moment's hesitation, I quickly took it.

  "First and foremost," Garwood said, "my condolences on the loss of your brother. Hearing the news yesterday was…very unsettling."

  My gaze swept around the room, searching for any sign of guilt. They were all innocent—or good actors.

  "Thank you," I replied. "I was very unhappy about it as well."

  "And yet, here you are," Purple replied. "If you were across the sea, how did you arrive so quickly?"

  "I was coming for my father's funeral, as the good Lady Katharine said," I replied. It was a convenient alibi, and would help us get on with things. "But I believe we have Council business to attend to? My history isn't the focus of the meeting."

  Zuriel, seated across the table, smirked. "Too right, you are, Your Highness. Vernice, let's let our princess off the hook for a bit and focus on what we need to do today. We're already weeks behind on decisions thanks to all the turmoil."

  She huffed, but didn't argue.

  "First order of business," Garwood said, looking down the bridge of his nose at the sheet. "There's been a petition to replace the cobblestones in Haymaker's District."

  I knew it well. The northwest part of the city backed into the large stone wall, and was at least thirty blocks from the water and commerce. It was very poor and in need of help. A new road might not fix all the problems, but it would certainly improve transportation.

  "How much?" Purple asked.

  "Twenty thousand gold coins, it says," Garwood said, looking at his paper again. "There's additional work to the street foundation."

  Drunkie scoffed. "Twenty thousand coins? For Haymaker's District? We might as well just throw the money into the bay. It'll do about as much good."

  I gripped the folds of my skirt, wisely remaining quiet until this conversation played out. It should've come as no surprise to me that the leadership in Forcadel thought so little of the people.

  "We have a similar petition for Mariner's Row," Purple said. "Twenty thousand. And it requires much less work."

  On the southeast corner of the city, Mariner's row was the complete opposite in all ways. It boasted the nicest homes, the ritziest merchants, and the finest goods. They certainly weren't suffering from a lack of access.

  "This is the fifth year Haymaker's has petitioned," Zuriel said. "What say you, Princess?"

  "It seems to me that Mariner's Row has fine streets," I replied after a moment. "I say we help those who need it first."

  Purple rolled her eyes. "You don't even know what you're talking about, girl."

  "That would be Your Highness," I said with a steely-eyed gaze. Purple's face grew blotchy and she looked away.

  "I have to agree with Lady Vernice," Garwood said. "Although I appreciate the sentiment, there are businesses on Mariner's Row who provide jobs and tax revenues to the city. Investing there makes more sense than repaving a perfectly usable road in Haymaker's District."

  "Agreed," came the chorus from everyone except Zuriel. Lady Vernice—Purple—elbowed the drunk man who'd fallen asleep and he let out a half-hearted 'Aye' before falling back asleep.

  "That's settled then," Garwood said, making a note of it. "Next order of business, General Godfryd has a report from the front lines."

  The grizzled woman stood, revealing more of her dark blue military uniform. Her face lacked any levity or emotion other than stoic reverence, and the awards and ribbons on her left breast were impressive. Her face looked like it had seen its share of battles, and when she spoke, her voice crackled with age.

  "We've dealt with the pirate issue on the Vanhoja River, and we believe they've moved out of Forcadel and into the Kulkan territory. And on the northern front, we've maintained a solid presence throughout the winter to keep the Niemenians away from the city of Skorsa. I do strongly urge the Council to reconsider the position of the navy, however. Forcadel's location in the bay leaves us vulnerable to attack."

  "What's our current position?" I asked. As far as I knew, our bay was impenetrable from the ocean, thanks to our cannons on the coast.

  "Our fortresses on the inlet are very well stocked," she said. "And we believe our efforts on both the Vanhoja and Ash Rivers are working. But we've had to send our strongest ships up the river to deal with the pirate problem, and I'm concerned we might need to move some of our ships back. There's always an uptick in merchant activity in the summer."

  "Agreed," Garwood said, followed by a resounding, "Agreed," from Zuriel, and, when prompted, Drunkie. Garwood marked it as approved and moved on—without any input from me. "Now, onto the next bit of business. We've gotten another request from Finkle out on the eastern front to send more ships to help."

  "No way," Vernice said, looking at Godfryd. "Nata, we can't possibly spare any ships, can we?"

  She shook her head, making a face like she had indigestion. "Not for the eastern front."

  "Then it's settled," Garwood said, putting that page down.

  I held up my hands. "No comment from me?"

  "If your general recommends not moving forces," Garwood said, "then we don't. You should've learned that in your tutelage wherever you were."

  I didn't miss the subtext in his voice. "So am I merely supposed to sit here and nod, or am I actually going to be allowed to do something? Because if you're all going to ignore my presence then I have much better things to do."

  "In my opinion, Princess, you do not yet have the ability to make decisions," Garwood said, stacking up the papers next to him. "And, in fact, until we determine your true lineage, it would be advisable if you didn't attend our Council meetings."

  I paused, glancing around the room and looking for friends. The only one who wasn't staring defiantly at me was Zuriel, but his gaze was on the ground, as if he were too afraid to speak up at the risk of angering the rest of them.

  "Fine," I said, rising. "By all means, continue this meeting without me. That's the smartest thing anyone has said all day."

  Chapter 5

  I pushed open the door, praying there would be no one waiting for me, but my two new shadows were there. And by the look of surprise on their faces, they hadn't expected to see me walking out so soon.

  "That was a disaster," I said, passing them.

  They quickly fell into step beside me. "I'm sure it wasn't," Felix replied.

  "They all think I'm an idiot—or worse, an imposter," I said, running a hand through my hair and finding it confining. Everything was confining—from this damned dress to the shoes on my feet. Breathing became difficult, and I had to stop and lean against the window. It was bad enough that I was co
mpletely out of my element, but now I had to convince others I was who I said I was when I didn't even want to be her?

  "They'll accept you eventually," Katarine said.

  "I'd like it if they didn't," I replied.

  "And I'd like your brother back to lead this kingdom," Felix shot back. "But as it stands, we have you. And that will just have to do for both of us. You have a duty. You will fulfill it. That is the end of it."

  "Is it?" I said, pushing myself off the sill and marching back the way we'd come. "I'm not a queen, Felix. I don't even know where I'd begin."

  "Then let us help you," Katarine said. "We can teach you everything you need to know."

  "Everything you need me to know," I said under my breath.

  "And what is that supposed to mean?" Felix said.

  "It seems to me, Felix, that there are two very interested parties who want me to be queen. And I can't help but sniff out an ulterior motive. You fabricate this intricate lie about me studying abroad? Katarine sending me letters?" I nodded toward Katarine. "And it's clear Vernice wants her gone. I don't appreciate being used as a political puppet."

  Katarine's face was a mask of indifference—years of training had groomed her for such a face. "If you want me gone, I will leave, Your Highness."

  "We don't want you gone," Felix said, exasperated. "Brynna, she's on our side—"

  "See, I don't exactly trust that either of you are here for the right reasons," I said, the anger in my veins the only thing that seemed real at the moment. "My brother's been dead less than a week. You're his best friend, you're his wife. And yet, your eyes are dry. Have either of you even shed a tear for him, or are you too busy scheming how to take over the kingdom?"

  Her hand connected with my face before I could stop it. "Don't you dare," she seethed, more fire in her blotchy face than I'd seen yet. "I loved your brother. I mourn in my own way, and that is that." She straightened. "We don't all have the benefit of wearing our emotions on our sleeve, Brynna."

  I rubbed my cheek, waiting for the sting to wear off.