After a moment of silence, I asked the question that had been on the tip of my tongue since I first caught sight of them in the clearing. “How did you know the curse was broken?”
“I’ve had the boundaries of the enchantment closely monitored since the night you left. The guards have been vigilantly checking for any sign that we could leave,” said my grandmother, her sharp gaze sweeping the clearing, then landing on me. “Tonight, they could finally cross through the perimeter.”
My friends exchanged confused glances, but she continued. “I never expected the Crow to let you go free, so I summoned my warriors and we tracked you here.” Without taking her eyes off of me, she addressed my friends in the voice of a queen. “I would like a word with my granddaughter. Alone.”
The request didn’t come as a surprise. If anything, I was amazed that she had waited this long. Now that the high of victory was wearing off, I was expecting to receive a tongue-lashing for accepting the Crow’s bargain.
“Let’s go see if they need any assistance,” Tarben said to the others, giving my hand a soft squeeze. The others murmured their agreement and made their way over to where some of the Vanorans had stationed themselves by the dented cauldron. Some had blankets draped around their shoulders, while one warrior attempted to rekindle the dwindling embers of the fire. Solvardunn’s night air would be unbearably cold after coming from Vantillios.
I rubbed my temples and braced myself. The shock and adrenaline had faded, leaving a pounding headache as their parting gift.
“Alara Eldoris, what you did was reckless, irresponsible and thoughtless,” my grandmother said, her expression stormy.
Crossing my arms, I prepared to launch into my defense. After all, we’d all still be cursed had I not been soreckless,irresponsibleandthoughtless.
“And brave, selfless and noble.”
My arms dropped to my sides. Had I misheard?
Her eyes softened. “You have proven yourself to be just as powerful as I’ve always known you would be and even more courageous.”
I gaped at her. I’d think it was a joke, but my grandmother wasn’t exactly renowned for her sense of humor. “So you’re telling me that you are not, in fact, disappointed in me?”
She sighed. “I have lived a long, long life. Your mother’s death was, by far, the worst thing that has ever happened to me.” She paused, as if gathering her emotions. “But then, I had you. I loved you from the very first moment I held you in my arms. You could never disappoint me. If I am strict with you, it’s only because I do not want to make the same mistakes with you as I did with your mother. I cannot lose you.”
A lump formed in my throat. “It seems like I can never meet your standards.” I tried to offset the treacherous emotion in my voice with a nonchalant shrug.
In an unexpectedly tender gesture, she placed both her hands on my cheeks. Completely taken aback, I froze as she spoke. “I hold you to high standards because, one day, you will be queen, and when you are, it’s not only me who will have high expectations of you. You will be expected to demonstrate nothing short of excellence, and every move you make will be widely and publicly scrutinized.” She let her hands fall from my face. “It may not be fair, but it is the reality of being a ruler. I push you because I know you are capable of greatness. I see evidence of it every day, and I am regretful that I have not told you this enough.”
I cleared my throat. I was floored, but I couldn’t deny that my heart swelled in my chest. Unsure how to respond, I decided it was best to change the subject. “Why didn’t you tell me the Crow asked my mother forme?”
For the first time, she looked taken aback. “She told you?” I nodded, and she sighed again. “I told no one. I wanted to protect you at all costs.”
“The Crow said it was foretold that I would have the power to help her achieve her greatest desire—did you know about that?”
A guilty look crossed her face, but she met my eyes. “Yes. Your mother told me before she died.”
Ignoring the flare of annoyance from yet another truthbeing kept from me, I continued. “And my father? The Crow said she… killed him.” I forced out the words. “Will you tell me about him now?”
Her lips went bloodless and her throat bobbed. “That is a much longer story for another day,” she said. Her words were slow and heavy underneath the regret they seemed to carry. I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. “I promise to tell you all I know about him when you return to Vantillios. Please, trust that now is not the right time.”
One look into her haunted eyes told me it was best to leave these ghosts alone. For now.
We watched as the healer and his apprentice appeared in the clearing carrying fresh linens and blankets. They wore leather satchels, most likely filled with tonics and salves for the less severely injured. Mira pointed them in the direction of the fire pit where most had gathered around the resurrected amber flames.
“Are you going to explain how the curse came to be broken?” my grandmother asked, all traces of her earlier emotion buried.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek. There was no telling how she would react if she knew the full story. How could I explain this while giving as few details as possible? I decided to go with, “Prince Tarben told me he loved me. He was under the impression I was dying at the time, and that must have broken his heart.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “And what would give him that impression?”
I studied my nails, sullied with mud and grime and dried blood. Divine goddess, I needed a hot bath. “I got stabbed in the chest by a vengeful selkie.” When I looked up, her facial expression warred between alarm and disapproval so I quickly added, “But, as you can see, I’m fine, so no need to fret.”
Her nostrils flared and she inhaled deeply, as if calming herself. “We shall discuss this further when you return home. Now,” she said, her tone all business, “this mortal. Do you care for him?”
“Would it matter if I said yes?” I asked, unable to keep the bitter edge from my voice.
“It would matter to me. I will not make the same mistakes with you as I did with your mother. If you care for him, I shall not stand in your way.”
