Reflection- Thorn of the White Rose

by Rachel R. Smith

  Nerissa, Raysel, and Desta leaned forward in unison to better see the insignia on his ring. Sure enough, it was a perfect match with the book cover’s central design.

  “I suppose it would make sense for the family crests to match the covers since all of the books we’ve found so far have been heirlooms,” Raysel said.

  Nerissa snapped her fingers as realization dawned on her. For once, she felt grateful for the countless hours of history lessons she had taken. “The first book said the prophecy was recorded and hidden during King Gared’s time. One of his most famous decrees was the implementation of a system for individuals and businesses to use unique crests. Although we don’t use them for their original purpose anymore, back then the crests were used to authorize financial transactions in place of gold. The practice was highly effective in deterring banditry and thievery because travelers and merchants didn’t need to carry money with them,” Nerissa said.

  Noticing that Desta’s and Alden’s eyes were starting to glaze over, she jumped to the point. “Since both the books and crests would have been created around the same time period, it isn’t too far-fetched to think that the original owners might have incorporated a subtle reference to the prophecy in their family crests.”

  “That’s a good theory. A triangle motif is common enough that it wouldn’t be easy to track the books and owners using that information alone,” Raysel agreed.

  “You’ve made an excellent discovery, Desta. We should be able to use this information to help pinpoint who to approach during our search,” Nerissa said, and Desta beamed with pride.

  Alden cleared his throat. “I realize you would have preferred not to discuss this revelation in my presence, but Desta’s impulsiveness may actually have done you a favor.”

  “How so?” Raysel asked.

  “Do you remember what I told you about my great-grandfather’s friend Barr?”

  “The 300-year-old expert on crystals that helped set the trap in the cave?” Raysel replied. He didn’t try to hide the hint of disbelief that colored his tone. “A story like that is hard to forget.”

  “Yes, him,” Alden said. “I honestly don’t know how much truth there is in my great-grandfather’s tales, but considering what happened in the cave, there must be something to them.” There was no need for him to elaborate further. The events of the previous day were fresh enough that everyone in the room knew what he meant. “It so happens that Barr’s family crest has two triangles included in its design. He and my great-grandfather exchanged letters for many years after he moved back to Marise, so I’ve seen his seal on the old envelopes. It may only be a coincidence, but it would probably be a worthwhile place to resume your search. Even though Barr must have passed away decades ago, someone in the village is bound to know his heirs.”

  “And his address must be on those old letters,” Nerissa surmised.

  “Yes, he lived in Kisoji. It’s a very old village in the northern mountains just across the border in Marise,” Alden replied.

  Raysel sighed unexpectedly. “That certainly is valuable information, but it brings us back to a problem we’ve been ignoring until now.” He paused as a knock came from the hall door.

  A cheerful voice sang out, “Room service.”

  “That must be your tea,” Raysel said with a wry smile.

  Alden shrugged noncommittally. “She would have been offended if I refused her offer. Governing does have a few perks.”

  Raysel shook his head, opened the door, and invited the room service attendant inside. The woman wheeled in a cart overflowing with finger sandwiches, cookies, and scones. It was quite an impressive array of teas and treats—almost ridiculously so. There was even a small plate with a bone-shaped cookie on it for Kuma. Desta watched the cart roll by with a ravenous look in her eyes. But no matter how delicious the food appeared, it would have to wait until their discussion was finished. Nerissa took the intermission as an opportunity to consider the problem Raysel had referred to.

  The attendant departed after repeatedly informing them that she would return promptly should they need anything more. Nerissa waited until the door closed again before saying, “The problem you were referring to is that the Senka will be watching both of the drawbridges. There’s no way for us to leave Rhea without confronting them, right?”

  “Exactly,” Raysel said. “By the time Rian is ready to leave the hospital, the Senka will have had ample time to discover their operatives are missing and have reinforcements on their way. They will undoubtedly outnumber us. We could call in reinforcements of our own, but a direct confrontation could be costly. If possible, we need to find a way to leave the region undercover.”

  Alden scrunched up his nose, and the tiny bells in his hair jingled as he scratched his head. “I believe I may also be able to offer a solution to that problem. It’s actually one of the reasons I came here today. The last thing I want is to draw Casimer’s attention by having a skirmish take place between you and the Senka on my border.”

  “What kind of solution did you have in mind?” Nerissa asked.

  “There’s a third bridge, though it doesn’t span the Yoshie River. It crosses the Ameles on the far northern and eastern border of Rhea instead.”

  “A third bridge?” Raysel asked. “I’ve never seen a map that showed a bridge across the Ameles.”

  “I’m sure you wouldn’t have. A wise man never reveals all of his secrets, especially when he is in a position of power.” Alden directed a cryptic smile at Nerissa. “Wouldn’t you agree, Caeneus?”

  “Naturally. It’s a wise practice in both business and politics,” she replied, deliberately keeping her expression neutral. There was no reason to think he harbored any specific suspicions. Still, her disguise had already been compromised once today. She didn’t intend on letting it happen again.

  “I should warn you—the bridge is very old and hasn’t been maintained for decades,” Alden continued. “You should use caution when crossing because it may not be in good condition. On the other hand, it’s actually part of a defunct trade route that used to connect Rhea and Kisoji, so it provides you with a convenient shortcut to Barr’s village.”

  “And you can provide us with a map that actually does show its location?” Raysel asked.

  Alden waved his hand and then patted Kuma’s head. The dog was straining to lean closer to the cart, his nose quivering as he sniffed the air. “Of course, I will. There’s no point in telling you about the bridge and then not telling you where to find it. I don’t want to alienate one of my few allies.”

  Hearing Alden so closely echo her own sentiments made Nerissa smile. “You said the bridge was one of your reasons for coming today. What was the other?”

  “I had two others, actually. First I wanted to see the book. Since we left the cave in a hurry due to Rian’s injuries, there was no time for me to look at it yesterday. It’s been hidden in the cave my whole life, so I wanted to see it at least once before parting with it. If you don’t mind, perhaps I could look it over while we enjoy our refreshments.”

  Nerissa nodded her assent, and Alden went on without pause. “The last reason is that I wanted to give you this.” He reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “I don’t know whether or not you will need this in the future, but I thought you should have it.”

  He placed the crystal fragment in Nerissa’s outstretched palm, and it glowed softly. “Thank you, Alden. I’ll keep it with the piece that was in the book.”

  “Good, they are meant to be together. Consider it a symbol of our alliance,” Alden said, and Nerissa couldn’t help but smile again.

  “Since we have enough food here to last for days, there’s no reason for you to hurry as you look over the book,” she said.

  Alden lifted Kuma from his pouch and placed him on the floor. The dog’s legs were already in motion before they touched the carpet. Instead of running to the cart as expected, he went straight to Desta and pawed at her shins. She looked down in surprise and then pick
ed him up, giggling as Kuma covered her face with a barrage of licks.

  Alden watched the interaction with his jaw hanging open. “Whose dog are you anyway?” he asked.

  Nerissa was sure that he meant it to sound like a joke, but she could hear an underlying hint of jealousy too. “I guess this is our chance to take the best sweets for ourselves,” she suggested with a wink.

  Alden chuckled. He took the plate with the bone, placed it on the floor, and then sat down at the table. “It would be a shame to let the cooks’ hard work go to waste.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Nerissa said before popping the first of many pastries into her mouth.

  Chapter 9

  The Dragon’s Mark

  Echidna

  Echidna withdrew her finger from the soil and promptly wiped it clean on the lace-edged cloth offered by her handmaid. Although she loathed the feeling of dirt caked beneath her long fingernail, it was a small sacrifice to ensure her precious orchids were properly cared for. Normally, menial labor such as gardening would be beneath her, but these were orchids—the queen of all flowers.

  She didn’t care that roses were often referred to as the queen of all flowers. That was simply because orchids were so rare that most commoners had never laid eyes upon one. Their vivid colors and exotically shaped petals exposed roses as the glorified weeds they were. Orchids were not flowers that could be raised by just anyone. She had toiled over these plants since long before Ladon was born, waiting five years before the first luscious bloom could be coaxed out. After investing so much time, there was no way she would entrust their care to a maid who might be too generous or too stingy with the watering can.

  “Mother, I’m bored,” Ladon whined. “I want to go outside to play. Why can’t I play with my friends anymore?” He gazed up at her with imploring blue eyes.

  “Now, now, my Prince, you shouldn’t bother your mother while she tends her flowers,” his nanny chided gently. She picked up a wooden horse and trotted it across the blanket in front of him. “There’s no reason to be bored. You have armloads of toys to play with right here.”

  Ladon slapped the horse from her hand. “I want to play outside!” he screeched and then rolled onto his back, pummeling his arms and legs against the ground, sending toys scattering in every direction. He flailed around so much that one of his shoes flew off into a flower pot. His shirt came untucked and rode up to expose the dragon outline that had been tattooed over his heart shortly after birth, marking him as the heir to the throne.

  “Ladon! Whining and bleating to get your way is not behavior befitting a prince,” Echidna scolded, eyes blazing.

  Ladon stopped thrashing and jutted out his bottom lip sullenly. “I want to go outside!”

  “My Queen, please don’t be too hard on him,” the nanny pleaded. “Being cooped up and isolated like this is hard on everyone, but it must be particularly difficult for an active young boy like the prince.”

  Echidna arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow. “Oh, I see. Well, if it means that much to you, do as you wish, Ladon,” she purred sweetly.

  Ladon jumped to his feet and scurried to the greenhouse door. He jiggled the handle in a futile effort, unable to lift the latch himself.

  Echidna ignored his attempts to open the door and spoke as if she were addressing the nanny. “After all, I will love my darling son no matter what he does. If it turns out that he is incapable of obeying his dear mother’s instructions, perhaps his father will decide to adopt a new tradition. We could choose who will inherit the throne like they used to do in Chiyo. The country might not have been entirely backward after all.”

  Ladon whirled around and rushed to his mother, pressing his face into her voluminous skirts. “No! I can listen. I’ll be a good prince from now on. I promise!”

  She patted his black curls. “I believe you. You do understand why you can’t go out to play with your friends, don’t you?”

  “Yes,” Ladon answered, his voice muffled by fabric. “Everyone is getting sick, and I have to stay inside away from others so I don’t get sick too.”

  “That’s right, darling. I know it’s difficult, but be patient. Your father is working hard to make the illness go away. You shouldn’t have to wait much longer.” A long-suffering sigh escaped Echidna’s lips as Ladon sniffled in response and rubbed his nose on her skirt.

  Just then, one of the doors to the greenhouse opened and another of Echidna’s handmaids appeared. She bobbed a deep curtsy before speaking. “My Queen, you asked me to inform you when the king’s guests arrived.”

  “They are rather early for their meeting, aren’t they? Then again, I suppose a degree of overzealousness is to be expected from a common printer shop owner upon being summoned to the king.”

  The handmaid stared down at the floor. “It seems their meeting time was moved up by an hour. Somehow the change was not noted on your schedule for the day, so I have just learned of it. They are with him in the throne room as we speak.”

  Echidna exhaled one long, slow breath and peeled Ladon away from her skirts. “I should be on my way immediately,” she said. She carefully controlled her tone of voice to make certain her annoyance didn’t show, but inside she was fuming.

  She straightened her skirts and checked her hair in the compact mirror offered by her handmaid. Nils had tried to convince her that her presence was not necessary at this meeting, despite her own insistence on attending. And now the schedule had been conveniently changed without notice. She snapped the cover of the mirror closed and flounced out the door.

  “Open the doors,” Echidna commanded as soon as her slippers touched the blue carpet that lead into the throne room.

  The footmen hastened to obey, but she was forced to stop short when the doors swung open from the other side. The printer and his wife emerged, and Echidna could see that every inch of their exposed skin was mottled with black splotches—even their faces. Ink, if her guess was right. How dare they not bathe properly before presenting themselves to their king, she thought. She took a deep breath to cool her temper and decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the ink had sunken so deeply into their skin that no amount of soap could remove it.

  The woman was the first to spot Echidna, and she nearly tripped over her own two feet in an awestruck attempt to curtsy. When she hesitantly lifted her eyes to offer a buck-toothed smile to her queen, the ends of the fabric hairband she wore drooped forward into her face. Embarrassed, she flicked her head, and the cloth flopped over her ears instead.

  Echidna bowed her head ever so slightly in acknowledgement and folded her hands in front of her. Layers of silk from her long sleeves flowed down, draping the multitude of rings and bracelets she wore in a sheer curtain. The woman’s cheeks turned pink, and then she and her husband were ushered away by the servant escorting them.

  Echidna stepped into the throne room, and the doors closed behind her with a resounding thud. The blue carpet she walked on spanned the room and undulated up the stairs to where her husband sat poised on the dais. The silver Dragon Crown decorated his brow, as it always did when he entertained an audience, and a thick book lay across his knees.

  “I want you to send ten guards to watch their home,” Casimer said to Nils. “If the Ohanzee are seeking these books, they are bound to make an appearance there eventually. I want your men to intercept them and seize their possessions when they do. Use whatever means necessary.”

  Nils bowed, pressing his hand to his heart. “That will be problematic, my King. My men have already been spread thin. We have already deployed groups to observe travelers in and out of both Rhea and Silvus. We have also increased the number of patrols in Niamh and assigned additional men to monitor the spread of the illness through Marise.”

  “Don’t you mean my men,” Casimer corrected. “I am sure you can muster ten more able bodies for this task. See that it is done.”

  “Yes, my King.”

  First he doesn’t inform me of the schedule change, and
now he quibbles over my husband’s command? Echidna thought.

  She stepped forward, making a point to ignore Nil’s presence. “I am sorry to have missed your guests, darling. I was not made aware that the meeting time had been changed.”

  “An unfortunate oversight,” Nils interjected.

  “Make sure it does not happen again,” Casimer replied absently, distracted by his examination of the tome in his hands.

  Nils bowed. “As you wish.”

  Casimer fanned through the book’s pages. “Come and look this over with me, dear wife. I can find nothing particularly special about it aside from the crystal in its spine. You have sharp eyes. Perhaps you’ll see something I do not.”

  Echidna lifted her skirts to climb the stairs and settled herself on the arm of Casimer’s throne. “I’ve never heard of books being embellished with crystals, although I must say that I like the idea. Everything is improved by a bit of decoration.” She plucked the crystal from the spine and held it in a shaft of light streaming through the window. It was pretty but nothing more than an ordinary rock.

  Casimer chuckled. “Somehow hearing that answer from you is not surprising. Still, if the Ohanzee are searching for these, they must hold some sort of significance. Your idea to send inquiries to the registered printing houses within Marise was an excellent one.”

  “Aside from libraries, printers’ master copies represent the largest collections of books,” Echidna said with a self-satisfied smile.

  “Even so, out of all the printers in Marise, only one possessed a book with a crystal in its spine. It wasn’t among their master copies either. They said it was a family heirloom.”

  “They truly are loyal subjects to be willing to surrender something so precious to their king.”