“Certain panels in the tapestry have been meticulously destroyed, Your Majesty,” Ashlin explained. Her voice was quiet and clear, but her knees had begun to shake. “If we can restore those panels, we believe we can fill in the gaps of what happened when the Majis were exiled, perhaps giving us a deeper glimpse into that moment of history.” She took a shaky breath. Onric’s eyes encouraged her on. “I am a seamstress, and as such Prince Onric asked me to...” She paused for a brief breath, stopping herself from sharing the illegal secret of the needle.
The king looked at the panel currently open on the table. It was half damaged, but nearly a third of it had been restored. The contrast between the bright, colorful stitches and the destructive damage was quite stark. “This has been damaged beyond repair,” the king said in the wake of her pause. “How can you possibly know how to refill these blank areas?”
Ashlin swallowed, reaching a trembling hand out to touch the needle in front of her.
Onric took over. “I found a certain needle in the stores of an old monk by the sea, and we discovered that it is spelled. It guides the user to find the proper color for each area, and Ashlin has been using it this past week to restore this panel.”
The king reached out for the needle, and Ashlin dropped it into his hand. He examined it closely before looking back up between Ashlin and Onric. “I cannot keep this information from the councilor,” he said.
Ashlin shook her head, not even aware she was doing so. The thought of letting the angry lord near the beautiful tapestry in her care made her uneasy.
“You disagree?” King Frederich asked her. His face was still as solemn as when he had entered, but so far none of the information they had shared caused his wrath.
“I don’t...” Ashlin swallowed, not sure how to express the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. “I have no reason, Your Majesty. I simply do not trust him.”
“And yet,” the king said slowly, turning his face toward Onric, “my son trusted you.”
Onric looked at her. His face showed his open trust, but his mouth creased in thought as he seemed to struggle with a reason to explain himself.
“I don’t have a reason to believe it is a misplaced trust,” Ian interjected. “She is seemingly a servant girl from a small mansion outside the city. She kindly housed and fed us when we were caught out in the latest storm, though she had no idea who we were.”
Ashlin looked down at the table, feeling his kind words wash over her.
“Yet, there is more to you than meets the eye,” King Frederich said, tapping the needle against his hand. “How much longer will it take you to complete this panel?”
“Five more days, Your Majesty. Just in time for the ball.”
“You will keep me closely informed of every new development in this area,” the king said to Onric. He placed the needle back on the table and stood up straight, addressing his next words to the room as though there were far more than the four of them present. “But right now, I am pleased to see the palace staff are seriously preparing for the ball. It is an important event to further the stability of Iseldis during this difficult time.”
Ashlin nodded. He seemed to be saying that he would withhold their secret from the councilor for the time being, but she dared not ask him directly. She would speak to Onric about that later.
“Onric, a moment if you please.” King Frederich turned to his son and waved his hand towards the door.
“Of course.” Onric moved towards the door without looking back at Ashlin. Her heart dropped, but she reminded herself that she was no one special to him. The only connection they shared was in restoring the tapestry.
Ian waited while the two of them left the room. He picked up the needle and turned it over in his hand. “There is more to you than meets the eye, Miss Ashlin. You are no simple housemaid.” He looked up at her. “Is there something you are not telling us?”
Ashlin returned his gaze. “I am merely a woman whose family has fallen during these hard times, my Lord.” She weighed her words carefully, not wanting to share her family’s name out of respect for her stepmother’s wishes, but also not willing to tell a lie. “The home you stayed at was my father’s, not my master’s.”
He nodded, his eyes searching her face. “These are no mere games to be toying with.”
“I understand the risk, my Lord.”
“My brother has a kind heart. I would not see him hurt.”
It seemed he was pressing her intentions in more than one way. She kept her gaze open and honest. The mere thought of Prince Onric made her smile soften, even as her heart broke. “I understand.” Any sort of future between her and a prince would never be more than a dream. She should not have encouraged his closeness. “My father’s death was partially caused by a Majis storm, and Prince Onric invited me to participate in their downfall in this way. I will not betray that confidence.”
“I do not think that you will.” Prince Ian held out the needle. “Will you show me how this works?”
Chapter 21
“This is no small game we play, son,” King Frederich said to Onric as they wound their way down the tower stairs.
“I am playing at no game,” Onric replied, defenses bristling.
“I know you are not taking this lightly.” His father stopped at the base of the stairs, likely because it was a secluded area in which they would not be overheard. “But after that disaster in the courtyard, we must be on our guard more than ever. Lord Munney has made himself a valuable asset in this fight, and I do not wish to sow discord between Iseldis and the other kingdoms.”
“The spelled shield did not work. This needle is enchanted. It is the best source of information we are going to get.”
