They were still giggling when Ambassador Hanna rolled into the throne room. She stopped just shy of the sleeping duke’s feet. “Do I even want to know?” she asked mildly.
Cajara swallowed her laughter and wiped her eyes. “Arin was just reminding me that I’m here to be queen.” She began to look pale and frightened again as worry crept into her voice, and Arin reached out and took her hand. “Have I... Do you think we made things worse?”
Hanna snorted, then peered down at the man. “He’s the one who’s been going on and on to everyone about how you haven’t fixed the North Bridge, isn’t he? I assume he came in here ranting and raving?”
Cajara nodded.
“Serves him right then,” Hanna said. “He should have asked nicely. Only fools insult queens, even new queens.”
Beside her, Arin felt Cajara relax. She squeezed Cajara’s hand again, encouraging her. “When he wakes,” Cajara asked tentatively, “could you tell him that the North Bridge is fixed?”
“Will it be?”
“The spirits are there now.”
A smile spread across Hanna’s face. “Clever, girls. Very clever. When he wakes, I’ll tell him his queen works miracles. Let him spread that story instead. Perhaps I’ll also mention that he should work on his courtly manners.”
“Will you... will you meet with people like him, for me? Find out what they need?” Cajara asked, her voice still shaky and thin.
“Good idea. There’s no need for all your time to be swallowed in meetings,” Hanna approved. “I’d be happy to be your go-between.”
“And I want to replace the seneschal,” Cajara said, sounding braver.
“Excellent.” Hanna sounded satisfied. “Never liked her. She let too many people pester you. This is a step forward. You don’t need to tolerate people who don’t respect you. And you don’t need to speak with everyone who has a grievance. You aren’t Queen Daleina. You’re Queen Cajara, and you’ll do things your way.”
Glancing at the duke, Hanna added in a pained voice, “Except maybe trynotto put everyone to sleep.”
Arin and Cajara exchanged glances and, heroically, managed not to laugh.
Across Renthia, in the icy kingdom of Elhim, first whispers then rumors trickled in: the queens of Aratay and Semo had tried and failed to kill their spirits, and a new queen, called the Mother of the Wild, had tamed a piece of the wilderness that lay beyond the borders of the world.
Queen Xiya of Elhim listened to it all, with her beloved daughter beside her.
“Mother, is it possible? Can the untameable be tamed?” her daughter asked.
“Of course not, Kaeda. It’s only a story, a fable to instruct or entertain. You must concentrate on your studies and not be distracted by nonsense.” She then smiled at her daughter. “Now, show me what you’ve made.”
Cupping her hands together, Kaeda held up a rose made of ice.
Caught in its heart was a tiny spirit.
“Very nice,” Xiya approved.
As Kaeda beamed at her creation, she seemed to have forgotten all about the nonsensical rumors. But Xiya couldn’t forget. She woke in the night, wondering at what the truth was.
Rising, the queen of Elhim wrapped a robe around her shoulders and crossed to a bay of windows. Looking out the frost-laced windows of her ice palace, she wondered what lay beyondherborders, beyond the glaciers. She wondered if perhaps she should find out.
In Chell, Queen Gada heard the rumors and believed them, especially the part about the queen of Aratay and the queen of Semo joining forces, however briefly.Thatwas the kind of rumor she worried about.
As she dismissed the anxious messenger, she weighed her options:
Do nothing.
Send an envoy.
Send an army.
Or perhaps a little of all three.Gada prepared envoys to congratulate the current queen of Aratay on retaining her throne, the new queen of Semo on gaining her throne, and the new queen of... whatever the new land was called... on whatever it was she did.
