“I take ityouare not surprised to hear of a party from Zulen on its way to Highcastle,” my mother said.She was very clever and seemed to have grasped all she’d been told quickly.Or perhaps she already knew this information.
“I am surprised such a party has managed to evade the Hollows and make it this far,” the king said.“And I am annoyed that the scouts were indiscreet with their information.The people heard of this party at the same time I did, which means I have less control than I’d like as to what happens next.But if you are asking if I am surprised the Zuleniis exist, the answer is no.”
For a long moment, I could not speak.I was not sure how to react to the fact that my father was actually admitting to such a contradiction.“But this is an amazing opportunity,” I said, quickly deciding to embrace the new information and not question how it was gained.“We have had no contact with other kingdoms for almost a century.Think how much we could learn from them.If they can travel safely here, perhaps we could travel there and—”
“Mara, do not get ahead of yourself,” the king said.“Zulen and the other kingdoms are our enemies.In my father’s time, we fought many wars, including conflicts involving the Zulenii.The Claiming Rite was designed as a measure to ensure peace between our kingdoms.If the Zulenii come to demand the rite now, they must still consider us a threat.”
“How do we know they will ask for the Claiming Rite?Mayhap they come to ask us to join forces to defeat the Hollows.Defeating the Hollows seems much more important than fighting each other.”
“We know the Zulenii come for the Claiming Rite,” Lord Ashe said, “because they informed the patrol they encountered of that desire.No doubt they know demanding the Claiming Rite grants them safe passage through our land.”
I opened my mouth to ask why they wouldn’t be granted safe passage anyway, but my mother put a hand on my knee under the table and squeezed.I tried to remind myself I had been asked here for a reason and it was not to argue and question.
Lord Ashe spread his palms on the table.“We cannot deny them the Claiming Rite, not now that word has spread through the kingdom.The people will soon be nostalgic for the age of royal weddings and state banquets.We can mitigate the nostalgia if we keep the foreigners contained in the castle and away from our people.We don’t want them mingling with the population and stirring up curiosity and questions about Zulen or the outerlands.That sort of inquisitiveness is dangerous.”
“I agree,” my father said, which was unsurprising.He had often said that one of my many faults was my tendency to be too inquisitive and ask questions, especially illogical questions.
My mother squeezed my knee again, but I couldn’t help but speak.I had been asked to join this meeting, and this might be my only chance to learn something about the world beyond our borders.“What danger is there in learning more about the Zulenii?”
“Too much knowledge is dangerous,” Lord Ashe said.“It causes confusion and chaos.”
“The Zulenii are our enemy,” my father said.“But the more dangerous foe are the Hollows.I need my people focused on that threat.”
I did not understand why he seemed to think the existence of the Zulenii a threat.“Isn’t it possible that the Zulenii people are coming here to seek an alliance?”
“We want no alliance with them!”Lord Ashe said.
“Why not?”I turned on him.“We need help!”
“Lady Mara,” Lord Ashe said in a warning tone.
But I would not be silenced.I stood and held up both hands to ward off more interruptions.“Sire,” I said, addressing my father directly, “I have been out on patrols for a decade now, and what I have seen the last couple of years concerns me.More Hollows have been invading the outerlands.Somehow, they are escaping the Barrier or going around it and making their way deep into our lands.”
“Dealing with the occasional Hollow who evades our Barrier is the reason we have patrols,” Lord Ashe said.
“I know, but it’s no longer an occasional Hollow.Ask Finnrey or Broga.We see packs of them on every patrol.Sometimes multiple packs.We do not want to return to the time when we were fighting for every day of survival.”
“Daughter, you have not been to the Barrier,” my father said, “but I have.You must understand there are millions of Hollows on the other side.Of course, some will manage to elude our defenses.”
“But there have always been millions.”All the questions I’d been pushing down seemed to jump to the surface like a bar of soap pushed under the bath water.Morll and Gaz and Finnrey silenced me when I speculated on patrol.Finally, someone was talking about the situation, and I felt a small bubble of hope.“Sire, why are more Hollows coming into Earsleh now?And how can we ever be safe if we don’t completely eradicate the Hollows?If we could work with the Zulenii, we might be able to make progress in destroying the Hollows.We might be able to finally be safe—”
“We will not work with the Zulenii,” the king said, pounding his fist on the table once to emphasize his point.“They are our enemies.They cannot be trusted.For the gods’ sake, Mara, they are coming to take you away.”
I recoiled.“Me?He won’t choose me.Not when he can choose any of us.I’m too tall.”
Lord Ashe waved away this protest.“The Zulenii are known to be grotesquely tall,” he said.“Your height will make you more appealing to them.”
My legs felt weak, and I sat heavily back in my chair.I don’t think Lord Ashe meant to insult me or to call me grotesque, but his words hurt, nonetheless.Of course, I was used to these tiny cuts that did not wound but stung.I said nothing.
“We should hide Mara until the Zulenii prince departs,” my mother said.“If he is kept confined in the castle, he will have no way of knowing about her.We force him to choose between one of the other five.”
My jaw dropped.I couldn’t help but feel shocked by what my mother had said.The idea was so blatantly dishonorable, I was afraid my father would banish her on the spot.Banishment was tantamount to death in Earsleh.But the king merely smiled at his former wife.“I understand your impulse, Aine.I too want to protect Mara.”
He gave me a loving smile, and I looked from my father to my mother, who was also smiling at me.I was their daughter, and I knew they loved me, but this was something more.I glanced at Lord Ashe.The lines on either side of his mouth carved deep furrows of worry.I suddenly wondered why I was the only princess in this meeting.
“As easy as it would be to deceive the prince, our own people will wonder where she is and will know we have hidden her away.Such an act would be seen as deeply dishonorable.”
I nodded.Not only would hiding me beseenas dishonorable, the actwasdishonorable.I would not agree to it unless my father ordered me to hide.
