by Becky James
The king dined with his Queen Ellesmere and their son Rogan. Queen Ellesmere was small and delicate, like their son. She was a lesser mage, the type known as a reader for their ability to stroke the sides of your mind and listen in, like some kind of lodestone for conscious thoughts. The fact that she was a mage only offended people who did not know or deal with her; it was clear to Special Forces that the king and queen loved one another and worked well together, and I would happily wade to her defence whenever some loudmouth Accords-protestor in the city got too drunk and foolish.
On the way to the apartment, I passed the heavy set of doors in the corridor, thick as a wall but standing open. They had never been closed to my knowledge or memory. Layline doors sat on magical meridians, and could only be opened or closed by those of the royal bloodline, proving their legitimacy to rule. There was a set I had seen in the Summer Palace and the side of the MasterMage’s Palais, the design matching; a large flower, Gough’s symbol.
I relieved Gavain, who gave me a wide grin and fluttered his lashes. What is it with that being the universal way to indicate that girl? But to my relief, he kept his handover to business. Special Forces knew that the door to the dining room could let voices travel in as well as out. We had been eavesdropping on the royal family for generations, an accepted way for us to monitor for tensions or a sudden incursion. It could get very boring stood listening to trade deals for turns of the glass on end, but it built up my mental endurance.
Settling alone by the door, I set my stance to an attention posture. I trained every day for this honour, although I lived for the day when I could put it down and start actual missions out in the world that recognised my skill.
The royals were discussing the finer points of an outreach to the Rushia Sultan over dinner, the clink of crockery interspersed with Gough’s low voice and Ellesmere’s soft tones, when the inner door to the dining room banged open.
Drawing my sword, I prepared to rush in, checking through the crack in the door for what situation awaited me.
Rather than insurgents who had somehow managed to sneak into the inner sanctum of the royal family, it was Rose. “Gough! I need a word,” she said crossly. I hesitated with my hand on the door. There was no need to rush in.
“Rose. I was just finishing up here—”
“Gough, she’s out there all alone. I don’t even know where she is right now!”
“She’s sensible. You know she won’t wander and will explore what we’ve shown her so far,” the king said.
“That’s still dangerous!”
Ellesmere stood up, patting her friend’s arm. “Rosie, she will be hale and well. She is likely to be happily exploring. We went through the risks with her, and she’s a very mature young woman.”
“But that was when we thought her soul would be following after her like a puppy!”
I frowned. What a strange turn of phrase. What did that mean?
Rose continued, “It’s not safe for her to be alone out there. What if she mentions something off to a mage or mancer?”
“Rose, you travel alone for the majority of the time,” Ellesmere said, her voice soft. “Hiding in plain sight. That’s what this is.”
Hiding? Why on Oberrot would Evyn need to hide? What danger could she possibly be in? What did she have or know that could be of interest to threatening forces? I re-evaluated. Evyn was small and unassuming and entirely harmless. This was an overprotective mother worrying over the realities of the world on her precious daughter.
Rose persisted. “I’m good at it over many years’ practice. Evyn might be taken by the lifestyle here. Gough, I want some kind of protection placed on her.”
I held my breath.
Gough stroked his chin. “We can ask Shardsson. Shard says he is objectively one of the best so long as he focuses on technique and not show.”
My hands tightened into balls of tension. No, no, no. I did not want that guard duty! I’d be stuck in the library all day, oh gods!
Rose folded her arms. “I don’t want him no matter how good he is. He practically ran off as soon as he laid eyes on Evyn.”
“Coming to terms with your soul can take time,” Gough said evenly. Did he think she was my soul as well? I shook my head.
“What are you doing?” a voice said right at my unprotected back.
Spinning, I threw my fist out. Evyn screamed and fell over backwards as my arm punched over her head.
“Don’t sneak up on Special Forces!” I hissed, abashed. I could have hurt her, reacting like that. Surprise had overtaken my command of my body and I’d lost control. I backed up a step, sheathing my sword, grateful I hadn’t brought it into play. If I had slipped fully into a rush of rage, there was no telling what I might have done…
There was a commotion in the dining room. Straightening up my uniform I entered ready stance as Gough flung open the door. “Evyn? Oh. And Shardsson. What happened, Evyn?”
Evyn scowled, taking the king’s hand. Staring straight ahead, I tried to marshal and gather my thoughts, calling down the calm of battle. “He was listening at the door. I asked him what he was doing. He tried to hit me.”
Gough grimaced at me. All the royals knew that Special Forces were authorised to eavesdrop lightly to monitor normal discourse, but to be so focused on the conversation that they were caught unawares at their guard duties was reprehensible. Thinking about the disciplinary proceeding that would follow, my stomach clenched. It would be made public because of who my father was to show that justice and equality were applied to all, and then there would be an indelible stain on my record because of it. Why did she have to arrive just then? Why couldn’t she be far, far away from me?
“I suppose it could not have been helped. I was unaware you were on duty tonight, and you would have heard your name mentioned.” Gough straightened up, meeting my eyes. “Well? What do you think of our proposal?”
Swallowing my objections, I weighed my options. An order from the king had to be obeyed, instantly and without question, as a core tenet of Special Forces, and disobedience was punishable by death. But sometimes Gough allowed us to choose our duties. This assignment would feel like a punishment, but if it meant a clean record, I would be reprimanded lightly indeed. “I live to serve,” I said, saluting.
Evyn was less circumspect about voicing her objections. “I don’t want a guard, thanks,” she said mulishly when her mother explained. “This place is different alright, but it’s way too hot, so I’ll be in the library most of the time.”
I despaired. Long days stood at parade attention in the stifling library.
“Shardsson, that’s all for today. Dismissed,” Gough said, opening the door for Rose and Evyn, who continued to protest. I was not privy to the rest of her argument, but if her comment was any indication, I surmised she was almost as displeased as I.
I went straight to the barracks.
“There he is, newly souled!” Gavain taunted.
“Not now, Gav,” I groaned. “I’ve been put onto bodyguard assignment, so I need you to take my shifts for the foreseeable.”
“Who for?” he asked eagerly, as a visiting dignitary would be interesting work, but I gritted my teeth and shook my head. “You’re kidding? Hah! It’s like you really are new souls – you won’t be but an arm’s length from her!”
That night, I found it hard to sleep. When I eventually slipped under, I had my dream again, attending a festival. This time I felt harried and pressed.
She was coming, and I had to pretend to be her soul companion. She wasn’t my soul, but everyone else believed that she was, and there was no escaping the weight of other people’s assumptions. My soul, my real soul, was walking just around a corner, but I couldn’t go to her because everyone thought I had found her already and they stood in my way, congratulating me.
I woke up nearly in tears at the top of the night, and I found it impossible to get back to sleep.
As a result, I fell in for morning training already exhausted. I didn’
t think we would see Evyn, but she had reported in again. Standing next to Shard, she swung her arms, jabbering at him. My father had a small half-smile on his face, a rare sight. Probably she had told him all about my mishap, and he was about to make me pay for my close call with sweat.
“Run!” he bellowed, and again we completed four laps to her three. Faltering and failing, she could not complete even one push-up, though she tried and tried and tried. Watching her, I wondered when she would give up. She didn’t.
“Pair up!” Shard ordered. Wanting to get something of a workout in, I grabbed Gavain and apologised to Zelora. She took it with good grace, partnering with Rose’s daughter. I glanced over every now and again to see Zelora taking her through the stances. I was gratified to see Evyn flow through them. My teaching had been thorough and effective.
Gavain managed to score an easy hit. “Completely addled by your soul. Can’t take your eyes off her!” He laughed. Some of the other lads overheard and laughed as well.
“Shut up!” Launching a proper assault, I caught him off-guard and beat Gavain into the ground. “No more. I’ve had it,” I snarled.
“Whoa, fine.” Backing off, I helped Gavain up. He knocked my hand away. “New souls are very sensitive,” he said as a parting shot when the souls were dismissed – and so was I.
Turning with a heavy heart, I trudged toward Rose’s daughter. Zelora and Evyn walked ahead of me to the gates, Zelora smiling politely, laughing at some of the things she said. When they got to the fence, Zelora turned. “Oh, here’s Thorrn now.”
“Thorrn?” Frowning Evyn scanned the field, then scowled when she saw me. “I thought your name was Shardsson,” she told me.
What? “That is clearly my fathername.”
“Oh. What’s a fathername?”
“It’s your fathername,” I said slowly. Even Zelora looked stumped on how to respond to that.
Evyn flushed. “Right. Yeah. I just forgot.”
Zelora asked, “Where are you from? I was under the impression that fathernames were used pretty much ubiquitously across Oberrot.”
“Oh, uh, yeah, they are, I just… I only heard him called Shardsson and I figured that was his name. You know, if everyone only ever calls you one thing and you respond to it…” She took a deep breath, panicking over this triviality.
Strange. “Nevermind. I suppose we’re going to the library?” I couldn’t keep the boredom from my voice, but neither did I make a heroic effort to do so. Behind me I heard the crack of practice blades; I itched to be out there.
“I mean, I’m going there. You can go do one,” Evyn said.
“Do one what?”
“Go back to bashing seven bells out of each other, I don’t need you following me around.”
“I live to serve the king,” was all I said to that. Duty was duty, and to disobey a direct order would lead to more severe punishment than this.
She glared at me again, not even attempting to hide her disquiet. “You don’t want to do this, and I don’t need you to do this. I’ll tell Gough you were a great little shadow, and you can go about your life.”
Both Zelora and I stiffened. “You must not lie to the king, Evyn,” Zelora said.
She rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s soldier 101. Fine, yes, no lying.” She sighed. “I want a bath first. Presumably you don’t need to follow me in there?”
“Absolutely not.”
“I can take over guarding you in there,” Zelora said with a wink. I made a mental note to get her a sweet peche or something to thank her for putting up with Rose’s daughter.
They laughed all the way to the baths. Telling Zelora some story, Evyn started waving her arms wider in the air around her, nearly clobbering several unwary castle denizens. I drew ahead to move unsuspecting victims out of the way smartly, leading the way to the baths. Peals of Zelora’s laughter rang down the halls and up the stairs as we went.
While they were inside, I afforded myself a quick rinse in the men’s, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My eyes stared back at me, hollow. Still alone. Still only half a person.
Maybe I could ask my father to be released to travel with Gavain and Zelora as we had planned. That way I could be out of the way of the castle for a time and do the things that I wanted to accomplish. As well as look for my soul companion, I added. That had been such a refrain for the whole of my life – leave and look for my soul – that it was something of a surprise to forget to include it in my motivations now.
Pacing outside the women’s baths, I endured many questioning looks from the ladies going about their day. One or two whispered to each other. Catching words like “newly souled” tightened my stomach, like a knife twisting deep inside. I balled my fists until the knuckles cracked. Now the entire castle would believe I had found my heart’s partner already, and in that plain girl. Avoiding people’s eyes did not help the swirl of frustration lodged in my chest.
Finally, they came out. “I’ll see you later, Evyn!” Zelora said, pressing their hands together like firm friends. Plastered all over Evyn’s face was that big toothy smile. I felt the anger inside me abate a little, my heart lifting. When Evyn’s eyes caught me lurking nearby, that smile slipped and fell from her face.
Letting go of Gavain’s soul, she said, “I’ll see you around, Zelora.” Waiting for orders, I folded my arms over my uniform, and Evyn’s shoulders dropped a little as Zelora disappeared down the stairs.
“Well.” I cleared my throat. “The day is yours.” Still nothing. “Library, was it?”
“Sure.” Turning, Evyn made her slow way toward the library. Walking by her side, I kept myself occupied by cataloguing threats and potential ambush points along the stairs towards the living areas and the library. Might as well make this an exercise.
Evyn made it around the upper floor of the gallery before suddenly halting, her attention snatched by the large mosaic map of Oberrot stretching to the ceiling and across the large hallways at either side. I did an about-face, keeping at parade rest.
She stared up and up at it for a stretch of time. Letting out a breath, I kept an eye on the people flowing around us. They were forced to stop abruptly because of Evyn’s inconvenient placement, shaking their heads as they navigated around us to complete their tasks and go about their office. She was oblivious.
Eventually Evyn tapped a finger to a tile. “Wow.” Her eyes darted to me, and she flushed. “Uh. Good craftsmanship.”
I stayed at rest while she took a handful of steps back to crane her neck and see the whole effect, making a steward squawk and baulk out of the way. I suppressed a laugh. Squinting, she searched up and down. It wasn’t the place of a bodyguard to ask questions, but she looked as though she struggled to find something.
“Which feature are you looking for?” I eventually asked.
“Um… Ah! Found it.” She pointed triumphantly at Oberrot City, the proud centre of the map.
She couldn’t be serious. “That’s where we are. In the castle. In the city. Northern Oberrot.”
“Have you ever been here?” She waved to the southern part of the country, sprawling gold and silver underneath the spine of mountains separating the north from the south.
“Yes. The court moves there for the summer.” I tapped the representation of the Summer Palace, a squat, grey building. “There’s not much there. They grow everything there, that’s where all the fields are.”
“Everything?”
I shifted my weight. She might be one of those extremely specific people. “Local goods can be sourced from the immediate surrounds, yes. But you cannot disagree the bulk of our food comes from the south.”
“Mm.” She trailed her finger over Spiritshere mountain, leaning in to study the series of waterfalls. Spiritshere was the lowest mountain in the range that made up the spine splitting Oberrot into neat halves, and Oberrotians turns past had cut canals into the mountain to aid travel from north to south.
I grimaced at the trail she traced. “That’s… lo
gistically difficult to traverse.”
“It looks it.”
“Thank the gods we have slaves for that.”
She scowled at that for some reason. Probably a sympathiser. Admittedly, since the king had banned the use of slaves in the city itself it had been better, as seeing them could be distressing, but part of me chimed when Queen Ellesmere argued we had only moved the issue out of sight.
I turned to one of Gavain’s most frequent arguments on the subject. He was better at phrasing it than me. “What most people need to realise is, we need slaves. Oberrot’s strengths are in trade and magic. No other nation has the range, quality and low prices of goods and foods that we do. That’s no accident; we’re also the country that relies most heavily on slavery. That also means we have the best lifestyles in the world, which attracts the best magic users, and therefore we have the best goods… And so it goes.”
“Mm. So all of this…” Her eyes swept over the main gallery. “All of this is built on blood.”
“Well. When you put it that way.” I scrubbed my hand through my hair, then cursed and flattened it back down into place.
Evyn turned back to me. “Where are the magic users?”
I resisted the urge to look behind me. “What do you mean? People who can use magic are everywhere.”
She glanced over the edge of the balcony to the gallery below. “I haven’t seen any yet.”
“Well, the Accords don’t keep us apart, they just regularise relations between us. There’s some very close; the Academy is situated directly under the city. That’s where they train in magic. It’s a whole other town inside the mountain, lit by hundreds of glowstones so it looks like perpetual twilight.” I grimaced. The Academy felt too hemmed-in for me. I preferred the open sky.
“Where’s their leader? They have a leader, right?”
“MasterMage Waker. She will be based in the Palais, no one knows where that is exactly. It appears and disappears.” I pointed to the desert to the east, north of the mountain ranges that split our country into two distinct halves.
“And they…” She lowered her voice. “They actually use magic?”