Genie put a hand in the small of her back. She turned to look at him, her eyes full of concern.
“We will find a way,” he said.
“Perhaps our homes aren’t so different after all,” I murmured. “The people of The Forge lost their hearts too—or perhaps that was already happening when the Queen of Hearts ruled—but the poor, sick, and unsightly among our people are banished to starve underground where they cannot be seen by anyone. Where people don’t even know they exist.”
Gaia watched me with a serious look on her face. “You see them,” she said. “It troubles you.”
I nodded.
“I came here to find a memory potion for my parents, for my people, but when I met Dr. Lapin, I saw first-hand the plight of the unbeautiful people of The Forge.”
The door to the dining room swung open, and Alice and Pearl walked in. Pearl’s hair fell in soft ringlets around her face and spilled over her shoulder, but she was leaning on Alice’s arm for balance.
A small crease formed on Pearl’s forehead as her eyes were drawn to Gaia. She pursed her lips, appraising the princess, then looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“Mother told me,” she said. Her lip wobbled. “I can’t believe it.”
A heavy feeling settled in my stomach. It hadn’t occurred to me that Pearl would be affected by this news too.
I went over to her and drew her into a hug. “Nothing has changed. You’re still my sister.”
Pearl pulled away, glaring at Gaia. “For how long?” she said. Then she shook her head and moved to sink into the nearest chair. Her face was still pale, and the dark smudges under her eyes remained. She was wearing a robe over her underclothes, tied at the waist—she must have felt worse than she let on since it was unheard of for her to receive guests in a less than perfect state of dress.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
Pearl waved the question away, while Nancy, the housekeeper, hurried to pour tea. Alice settled in the seat next to Pearl and motioned for Gaia and Genie to sit down with us.
“How are you finding Melfall, Princess?” Alice asked, after formally introducing Pearl to Gaia and Genie.
“I was just telling Ivy that it is very different from Badalah.”
Alice raised her eyebrows. “Is that so? I will admit that I have not visited your kingdom. Matters in The Forge keep me very busy.”
“I’m sure. My family is the same. We rarely travel further than the boundaries of our own kingdom. Though I sometimes wonder whether it would be better for our people if we did. Surely, the exchange of ideas and cultures can benefit more than just those of us who can afford to make the journey? I have, during our few days here, seen several things I would like to take back to my kingdom, to show them what is possible.”
“What is it that you have found so interesting in The Forge?”
“The hats, of course,” Pearl interjected. “We have the finest milliners of all of the Twelve Kingdoms here in The Forge. Why, just the other day, Ivy gave me the most beautiful hat I’ve ever seen. It is as though it was made for me. There cannot be another one equal to it anywhere in the world.”
Gaia gave her a tight-lipped smile. “There are many beautiful things in The Forge, but there are many beautiful things in my kingdom too. Actually, I was talking about some of the inventions I have encountered here. Your subjects are both ingenious and industrious to create things that make people’s lives better.”
Alice nodded. “Ivy is an example of such creative industry,” she said. “She has an affinity for machines—she always seems to be able to make things work when others cannot—”
Gaia raised an eyebrow at me. “Does she?”
“—and she makes the most beautiful pocket watches,” Alice finished. She fished out the pocket watch that I’d made for her several years ago. “She made this watch for me. She made one for you too, didn’t she, Pearl?”
Pearl nodded. “Mine is the finest pocket watch I’ve ever seen.”
“That is very clever,” Gaia said, examining the watch that Alice handed her. “Where did you learn this trade, Ivy?”
A warm, pleasant feeling spread through me at the joy of my sister’s compliment. “I don’t really remember,” I replied. “I just started taking pocket watches apart to see how they worked, then I found I knew how to put them together again. I wanted to understand them. Sometimes, it’s as though I can feel their working parts—the way they should be—underneath my touch.” I shook my head, blushing. “I’m not explaining myself very well.”
Gaia gave me a strange look. “You have an affinity for them? For watches? Or for all machines with working parts?”
“For all machines, I suppose. My friend, Chesh—Mr. Cheshire—always complains that I find what’s wrong with them faster than he can. I guess, I just know.”
“Mr. Cheshire is also very good at inventions, isn’t he, Ivy?” Pearl interrupted.
I looked sideways at her, frowning slightly as I wondered at her interruption.
Gaia didn’t seem to have even heard Pearl speak. “That’s an unusual gift,” she said. “What else do you do? Dr. Lapin suggested that you work for the president?”
I swallowed, about to answer, as Pearl rolled her eyes.
“Honesty, I’ve told Ivy time and time again that she should collect the aesthetic stipend, like every other worthy person in The Forge—but she refuses!”
Warmth rose to my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. Gaia glanced at me, raising her elegant eyebrows.
“It’s an old custom here,” Alice explained, forcing Gaia to turn her attention to her. “A remnant from when the late Queen reigned. She held the ideal of beauty above all. She rewarded those who were beautiful and punished those who were not. These habits were so entrenched among the people that change was impossible. In those days, I was barely holding the city together. In the absence of the late Queen—who had reigned in The Forge with an iron fist for a long time—the old families vied for power, the vampires killed indiscriminately, and the city was chaos.” Alice sighed. “In fact, these days, it seems as though nothing has changed.”
“The vampires are not killing indiscriminately,” I spoke up, blushing, as I remembered the conversation I’d had with Chesh two days before. “There are problems with blood supply from the blood banks, but I don’t think the vampires are responsible for the missing people in this city.”
“Missing people? Are they connected with those who have lost their livelihoods because they don’t conform to the aesthetic standards of The Forge?” Gaia asked, pointedly.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
Alice frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I understand there are people there are who cannot collect the aesthetic stipend, and who lose their livelihood because they do not comply with the standards, who can no longer pay their bills. I have heard that these people are forced to hide away in places where ordinary citizens cannot find them.”
“Where did you hear about this?” Alice demanded. “I know of no such people.”
I cleared my throat. “Actually, Mother, I have seen them for myself. People who are poor, sick, scarred, or disabled. Physically…unbeautiful.”
Pearl shuddered. “I’m glad I haven’t seen them. They’d give me nightmares.”
I glared at her. “They live in tunnels under the city, by the grace of people who try to help them.”
Alice’s eyes widened. “That can’t be possible.”
“I have seen them, Mother,” I replied. “It’s why I’ve been trying to speak to you about the aesthetic laws—they must be revoked. The aesthetic stipend, too—”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Pearl exclaimed, and her eyes widened with shock at the suggestion. “How would we live without the stipend? It needs to be raised, if anything. The unbeautiful don’t have the expenses of keeping up with the latest fashions and styles. They can simply…” Pearl waved a hand in dismissal, wrinkling her nose in disgust. “Anyway, people wouldn
’t stand for it. They’d rise up in revolt.”
Gaia turned a pleasant look to Pearl. “I’m sure a young woman, such as yourself, would find other ways to earn a living. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to earn a wage doing something worthwhile?”
Pearl looked at her with a look of shock on her face. “Earn a wage? I don’t have time to work! How would I maintain my image if I had to go to work every day? Mother works herself into the ground. Ivy doesn’t spend nearly as much time as she should on her appearance. Sometimes she leaves the house in such a state of disarray that I’m almost ashamed of her.”
“Pearl! That’s no way to speak of your sister,” Alice said. She turned to Gaia. “Are things so different in your kingdom?”
Gaia shrugged. “There are no laws about beauty in Badalah, but we have plenty of poor people. They are not forced into hiding, but they live difficult lives. My parents and I try to help to feed them, to help them, but more should be done. My home is not perfect, either. In fact, I fear things will have become worse while I’ve been away.” She glanced at Genie. “Before my parents ascended the throne, very little help was given to the poor. Petty crime flourished, and ordinary people starved and lived in squalor.”
“Do you fear things are going back to the way they used to be?” I asked.
Gaia nodded. “Something is happening there—my parents have forgotten each other, have forgotten how they have reigned for the last eighteen years, and the people have forgotten them.”
“That’s why you came here, to find a cure for their loss of memory,” I said.
Gaia nodded. “I fear there is no cure.”
I frowned, glancing at Alice. “Mother, you said The Forge seems to be going back to the way things were before you became President. In Badalah, too, things have taken a backward turn.”
Gaia nodded. “I think you’re right. There are problems in The Forge, and it sounds like some of these problems were in place long before the fall of the late Queen. As you’ve said, it’s almost as though society is going backward—back to a time when the late Queen reigned…”
“I do try to do the best for my people,” Alice said, and I noticed she was sitting stiffly straight-backed on the edge of the chair. Her cat, Young Dinah, was curled in her lap, but Alice wasn’t stroking her soft white fur. Instead, her hands were clasped together. “Sometimes, they seem to be children, needing guidance.”
“Mother, this isn’t your fault,” I said. “You work very hard for The Forge. Nobody doubts that.”
“Not hard enough, it seems,” Alice looked down and pressed her lips together into a line. Her face was pale, and for the first time, I noticed the lines around her eyes.
“You are a good president,” I whispered, gathering my skirts to crouch down next to her. I looked up at her, but Alice wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You do your best for our people.”
“Your daughter is right,” Gaia said, her tone softer. “The events of late are not your fault. The problems in The Forge are not rooted here. There are other forces at work. However, now that I have seen the problems here, I don’t think they can be ignored.”
“You know nothing about life here,” Pearl spoke up. She stood, glaring at Gaia. “It’s none of your business. You should go back to your kingdom and fix your own problems.”
“Pearl,” Alice snapped. “That is impolite. Apologize to our guest. Gaia is as good as family here and is welcome to stay as long as she would like.” Alice nodded to Gaia. “I mean that—you are Ivy’s sister, and you should consider this your home.”
“You are very kind.” Gaia inclined her head.
Alice turned to glare at Pearl. “Pearl? Do you have something to say to Her Royal Highness?”
I could see by the stubborn set of Pearl’s jaw that this was not going to end well. She glared at Gaia.
“Pearl has had a very difficult couple of days,” I said to Gaia, trying to diffuse the attention, and the spotlight, from Pearl. “She was attacked by a Heart a few days ago.”
Pearl turned her glare on me. I shrugged at her.
“It’s true,” Alice said. “These Hearts have been terrorizing the city. Between them and the Pinnacle clock ticking again, people are afraid the late Queen is returning. People are barricading themselves in their houses, they’re enforcing the aesthetic standards more strictly—just in case the late Queen returns and punishes them. She was a tyrant.” Alice sighed. “Perhaps now isn’t the time for change. After everything that’s happened in Melfall recently, people are too afraid. Pearl is right—they would revolt.”
I shook my head. “There’s always an excuse not to change,” I started.
“There’s no need to change,” Pearl said, a little too loudly. Everyone looked up to see her glaring at all of us, two bright red spots on her cheeks, and her hands bunched into fists at her sides. “I don’t want to change. This is my home, and I like it just the way it is. Her Royal Highness,” Pearl sneered Gaia’s title, “says that most people in her kingdom are poor. Why should we strive to be like that? Life is perfect in Melfall, and everyone is beautiful and happy and has the time to do what they want. What’s wrong with that?” She crossed her arms across her chest, staring at me, then at Alice. She didn’t look at Gaia again.
I sighed. “Not everyone is beautiful and happy with the time to do whatever they want,” I said as I got to my feet and went over to stand in front of Pearl. I put my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “You’re my sister, and I love you. But things can’t go on like this in The Forge.”
Pearl jerked away from me, glaring at me with anger sparkling in her eyes. “They could if you would just leave well enough alone.” She turned her back and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
I stood, staring at the door for a moment before I turned back to look at Gaia and Alice. Alice stood, and Young Dinah mewled as she jumped from Alice’s lap. Alice gave Gaia an apologetic look.
“I’d better go after my daughter. She’s having a hard time—after suffering that nasty attack, and now finding out that Ivy isn’t her sister after all. It’s difficult for her. I’m sure she’ll come around.” These last words were directed at me. Alice gave my arm a squeeze as she stepped past me and out of the door.
I sighed, then looked back at Gaia. I shrugged my shoulders, trying to find a way to excuse Pearl’s behavior, to show my new sister that my old one was a good person, despite her apparent selfishness. Gaia smiled at me, patting the seat next to her.
“You are very different from your sister,” Gaia noted. “I was an only child growing up. I always wished for a sister.” She reached forward to take my hand. “I think you and I are alike—we see the way the world could be, and we want to help others. You see the problems in The Forge, and you want to make people’s lives better. Alice said that you work as her advisor and that you’re always suggesting ways to improve people’s lives.”
I sighed, remembering all of the times I’d tried to take suggestions to Alice, only to have her tell me she’s too busy to consider them.
“Perhaps I should have tried harder to make myself heard. My mother is a very busy woman. She doesn’t have time to implement change. She barely has time to keep The Forge functioning normally.”
“I don’t blame your mother. I know from watching my own parents how difficult it is to rule a kingdom. Still, something needs to be done for those poor people living in the tunnels. It’s not sustainable for a city to ignore the unbeautiful. People get old; they get sick; they have accidents. Some are simply not born with the good looks that will allow them to live on the aesthetic stipend. They cannot be ignored. This is their home, too—they deserve to live above ground, with dignity, to earn their living as they see fit.” Gaia looked at Genie, who had remained quiet during the whole exchange.
“What should be, and what is, are rarely the same,” he said in his low, quiet voice.
“Sometimes, our wishes come true,” Gaia reminded him.
Genie smi
led at her, his eyes lighting up. They smiled at each other with undisguised affection. I wondered how I’d ever seen these two as anything but lovers. “Sometimes.”
I cleared my throat. “Fortunately, we’re not the only ones,” I remembered what Wit had said about Raven, about how he was leading a movement. I hesitated, remembering his inquiries about Alice’s whereabouts, and Chesh’s suspicions about the vampires kidnapping innocent people for their blood. Then I forced myself to go on. “I know of others who believe The Forge should change—must change—and they’ve started a movement.”
“A peaceful one, I hope,” Gaia replied.
I hope so, too, I thought.
5
30th August
“Can you at least confirm these people are Guild members?”
The man standing at the door to the Guild Hall stared down his nose at me. He stood at least a head taller than me and twice as broad, and he was dressed in a frock coat with the emblem of the United Guild embroidered into the lapel. His unimpressed expression had not changed as I’d approached him from the street, with the list of missing persons in my hand.
“Are you a Guild member, miss?”
I shook my head, suppressing a sigh.
The man cleared his throat. “Entry is restricted to Guild members and their invited guests,” he said, with as little expression as though he was reading directly from the rulebook. “Are you an invited guest?”
“No,” I replied. “As I said, I just want to speak to someone about a list of your members. It’s—”
“That information cannot be given out to the public.”
I waved the article about the missing persons—the one reporting Oscar Pankhurst’s disappearance—under his nose. “I’m simply trying to ascertain whether these missing people are Guild members.”
The man looked down at me once more, his expression, no more interested than before. “Are you a member of the city guard?”
“No,” I repeated. “But—”
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