“No,” I say furiously.
She frowns. “Didn’t you hear the prince? He wants to start taking you with him tomorrow. You can’t wear this anymore.”
I think of the beautiful memories I’ve shared in this dress. Of my wedding, and then of?—
My mind pulses, and I double over in pain as I gently brush against the torn memory. There were supposed to be sacred moments after our wedding, not blood-soaked horrors.
But all I feel are jagged edges, slicing through my invisible fingers as I prod. It’s a peculiar duality to feel nothing but the agonizing absence of something that was once marvelous and to know, deep down, it was incredible despite not having any evidence.
Small mercies from the stone in my chest, I suppose. More goodness from the Enduares.
The woman scrambles away as if I were going to hurt her. I hold my hands up.
“No, I’m sorry. I just—they took?—”
The woman opens her eyes, horrified at me, and then looks directly at the door. She hurries to her feet, and then rushes out of the cage. She locks it, leaving me with the food, clothes, water, and collar. Then she darts out of the cottage.
I stare at all of them as I sit there on the ground in pain. Too weak to do anything just yet, I rest my head against the bars.
“Mamá, ayúdame?1,”I whisper, sighing. At least she left the fire going.
Then I slowly turn my memories over to the dream I had when I first arrived. One from my youth, with the vision of my mother stopping Erdaraj and his men from killing my brother and me.
Opening my eyes, I gather up every drop of strength I can, and reach for the tray of food. There isn’t much, but there is water, bread, and a fewbolas de hoja?2. I sneer at the food I used to prepare for Mikal.
It’s almost like Rholker is playing on some intimate secret between me and my brother.
I eat the bread, drink the water that has a slightly acrid flavor to it, and stare at the steamed plants. Time passes, my stomach rumbles, and then…
“You are a short-sighted thing,”Liana’s voice from the past reminds me.
Fuck Rholker and his games. He will pay for every single one. He will lose his kinghood, kingdom, and every last one of his slaves.
“I will teach you how to be a queen, and you can lead our people to fighting for a better world.”
I tear off a few more strips of the cloth from the hem and work on ripping off each of the gold buttons from the panels on the back. I want a physical reminder of my wedding if my memories are fading.
After braiding the thin pieces of fabric together, I fashion a small necklace and turn my attention to the new clothes the comfort woman didn’t have time to put on me.
Letting out a deep breath, I pick up the fur dress.
“We need a queen, and your people need liberation.”
There are battles I will fight, but what I wear won’t be one of them. Not yet.
Chapter 7
Labradorite
TEO
I’ve wrapped fur around my face, leaving only my eyes uncovered as we fly through the woods.
While there had been easy conversation over the fire last night, it didn’t carry over into morning. As soon as the first pink-gray streaks of sunlight artfully painted the space where horizon meets deep black sky, snow started to drift down from the heavens, and we sank into silence. Even Niht. It was as if the air shifted into something darker—far more menacing.
If our sleeping and waking habits weren’t already in line with the overland’s daytime hours, I would’ve preferred to sleep through the sun’s intense radiance. It drains us after long hours riding.
Theglacialmarashave grown tired as well, and their song shifted from pleasant twinkling to shrill pinpricks of sound in my ears, their color has shifted from clouded blue to dull grey. Even Rahda no longer soars above the treetops, so we are forced to dart between brown trunks as we move along.
