by Effie Calvin
Adale studied Elyne’s face. She was not beautiful, but she was not plain, either. She was…ordinary. The only thing that set her apart from anyone else at the castle was the fact that she was Vesoldan—or at least, appeared to be. Adale supposed she could look however she wanted.
But then, Adale had seen Talcia twice. And both times she had appeared to be an ordinary woman, if not a bit unusual. Perhaps the gods were not as foreign and unapproachable as the temples made them out to be. It was something to consider.
Now Elyne was curling into Orsina’s chest like a lover might. “It’s too cold out here. Let’s go back to bed,” she murmured.
“We were going to go out today, to see more of the city,” Orsina explained to Adale. “But it seems nobody is allowed to leave until the investigation is complete.”
Adale nodded. “I’m sorry. I know it’s inconvenient, but…”
“No, I understand,” said Orsina. “I’d do the same in your position.”
“If there is anything more you can tell me about who poisoned Esofi, it would be appreciated.”
Elyne’s face became solemn. “Whoever it was, I don’t think they’re in the castle.”
Adale frowned. She had been afraid of that. “What makes you say that?”
“Just…nobody seems to know anything.” Elyne shrugged. “Of course, I might have just missed them. But I don’t think so.”
“Then it really wasn’t Gaelle?”
Elyne shook her head. “I don’t think so. Or if it was, she’s very good at not thinking about it.”
“She was my only real suspect.” Adale sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I hate this. I hate not knowing. And I hate the idea that it was an Ieflarian who was behind it.”
“If I learn anything more, I will tell you,” promised Elyne. “But if it helps…everyone I’ve encountered in the castle is worried for her. She has far more friends than she does enemies, I think.”
Chapter Eight
ESOFI
The sky was clear and perfectly blue. Esofi lay on the grass, gazing upward. She knew that if someone saw her, she would be scolded for ruining her hair and dress. But the sun was warm, and she was feeling lazy and careless.
She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of the garden, hardy Rhodian flowers that didn’t mind the rugged soil and mountain air. A shadow fell over her, and she opened her eyes again.
“Where are you going, Princess?” asked a woman’s voice. Esofi could not make out her face, for she eclipsed the sun.
“I’m going to the Silver Isles,” said Esofi, raising one hand to block out the harsh rays that slipped out from behind the woman’s head. “To meet with the dragons.”
“You’re running away, then?”
“No!”
“Yes,” said Talcia. “How far will you allow her to chase you before you turn and fight?”
Esofi awoke with a gasp, bolting upright in bed.
The room was bright, with sunlight streaming through the windows. It was nearly midday. Esofi glanced around and saw two unfamiliar priestesses staring at her in shock. She clutched at the blankets and drew them to her chest.
Something heavy was resting on her legs. She looked down, and Carinth lifted his head to stare at her, a little annoyed at having been woken.
“Princess—” the one in the pale-green robe began.
“What happened?” asked Esofi as Carinth climbed into her lap.
“You were poisoned,” the one in the darker robe said bluntly. “But now you have recovered.”
Esofi paused to collect her thoughts. The last thing she remembered was speaking to Adale. Then nothing.
Except for her vision.
No. It had not been a vision. Talcia had not spoken to her. It had been a dream, nothing more. Or perhaps even a hallucination, brought on by whatever she had ingested.
“Esofi?” the door opened, and Adale rushed in. “You’re awake!”
“Yes, I—” But before she could say anything more, Adale was beside her, embracing her as though she was afraid Esofi might vanish on the spot.
“I don’t know who did it yet, but I’m going to find out.” Adale’s voice shook with the effort of holding back tears. Esofi rested her head against Adale’s chest while Carinth sniffed at their faces. “I promise I will. And then—”
“I know,” Esofi murmured.
“We’ve all been so worried.” Adale wiped at her eyes. “And I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t help…I’ve just been running around uselessly.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Esofi whispered.
Adale laughed, a hoarse and hollow sound. “I don’t know what I’d have done if you died,” she said. “Maybe I’d have died too.”
“Don’t say that.”
They sat together in silence, Adale’s hand rubbing soothing patterns into her back.
“This sort of thing doesn’t happen here,” Adale said quietly. “Or at least, it didn’t. I don’t know what to think.”
“I don’t either,” said Esofi. “I’ve never felt unsafe here.”
“My parents have their suspicions, but they won’t tell me anything useful.” Esofi could feel Adale shaking her head in disgust. “They think I’ll ruin the investigation.”
“Maybe we should leave,” said Esofi quietly.
“Leave?” Adale repeated. “To where?”
“Ivanedi said we were welcome in the Silver Isles…”
“You still want to go there?”
“I do.” Esofi glanced up at Adale. “I want to learn more about the dragons, and I want Carinth to spend more time around his own species. And…I think I’m tired of dealing with my mother.”
“She said she went to the university with you. Yesterday.”
Esofi looked up in surprise. “She told you that?”
“Yes. Why didn’t you tell me?” There was no accusation in Adale’s voice, only quiet curiosity.
“It wasn’t something I planned. She found me when I was on my way to the temple and invited herself along. I’d have told you if I hadn’t become ill. And I know she’ll just keep following me around unless we manage to get away from her. That’s why I’d like to go to the Isles.”
“If that’s what you want.” Adale sounded uncertain though. “But you need to recover first. I won’t bring you out into the wilderness until you’re cleared by a healer.”
“I’m fine. I feel fine.” And it was true. She needed a bath and fresh clothes, and her throat felt a little raw, but there seemed to be no trace of the poison left in her. “Whoever did this didn’t do a very good job.”
“They’re reviewing everywhere you went and everyone you spoke to yesterday,” said Adale. “They even questioned Lady Catrin.”
“And the baby?”
“The baby is refusing to give testimony,” said Adale. “So I consider him a suspect.”
Esofi laughed into Adale’s chest. “It’s so nice to hear you say something ridiculous.”
“I can hardly take credit for that one, it was your suggestion.” But Adale smiled down at her. “Are you hungry? I can have them bring us something. They’ve brought in the poison-tasters until they catch whoever it was, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Actually, I think I’d like a bath first,” said Esofi. “Can you call for the water?”
The bath was drawn and heated quickly. Esofi probably could have fallen asleep in the warm water, but her thoughts were too busy to allow it. Someone had tried to kill her. She was not so naive as to think she wouldn’t be a desirable target for any of Ieflaria’s enemies, but she had never felt unsafe at Birsgen.
She wondered what the Silver Isles would be like. As far as she knew, no Men had set foot there in living memory. Ivanedi made it sound like a harsh and brutal land, but she expected it would be very beautiful as well, pristine and untouched.
Esofi stared down at her own body, half-floating in the water. Absurdly, her mind went to her mother’s assertion that Adale would inevitably wand
er from her.
Of all the silly things to worry about! There was an assassin running around free, Lisette was missing, the dragons wanted her help in gaining back her magic, and her mother expected her to reestablish the Silence of the Moon.
And yet.
Esofi reached down and squeezed at some of the extra flesh around her thighs. She was more or less the same size she had been when she’d departed from Rhodia—all her old dresses fit, at least. She’d never been completely happy with her size, but she suspected that this was only because her family commented on it so frequently when she was growing up. If not for that, she probably would never think of it.
Adale was tall and thin—Ieflarians, in general, tended toward that shape without much effort. But Esofi had never been given any reason to believe Adale objected to her size.
Unless Adale was just being polite.
Esofi shook herself. No. Adale thought she was beautiful. She’d said it too many times for it to be a lie.
Besides, Esofi remembered from childhood that Gaelle sometimes criticized Esolene for being too thin. So perhaps there was no winning.
Still, Gaelle had sounded so certain.
Yes, Adale had cultivated a reputation for herself by the time Esofi arrived in Ieflaria, but that was her right. She hadn’t been betrothed to Esofi, or anyone else at the time. She was a free woman.
Perhaps jealousy would have been the rational thing to feel, but Esofi could not begrudge Adale what she had done long before she ever learned Esofi’s name. If she was honest, she was glad that at least one of them had known what they were doing on their wedding night.
“Adale?” called Esofi, hesitantly.
“Esofi?” She could hear Adale’s footsteps drawing nearer to the door. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I…” But the handle was already turning. Esofi instinctively reached for a towel, but then she stilled her hand, thinking better of it.
A gust of cool air struck her as the door opened, and she ducked down beneath the stone edge of the bath to avoid it.
“What’s the matter?” asked Adale.
“Close the door! It’s cold!” Esofi cried pitifully.
“All right—get, you. Get. Out. Get.” Adale must have been addressing Carinth, who would try to get as close to the warm water as possible if he was allowed. The door closed, and Esofi lifted her head. “I’m sorry. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” said Esofi, feeling foolish. “I just…”
“I’ll stand guard. You don’t need to worry.” Adale leaned back on the door, one foot flat against it, as though this was all an assassin would need to be deterred. “I don’t think anyone is going to try anything again though. They have to know we’re watching for them.”
“It’s not that,” said Esofi. “It’s just…when I went to the temple yesterday, with my mother…we talked about some things…”
Adale frowned. “What did she say?”
Esofi shook her head, sending water droplets flying. A few landed on Adale’s skirt, darkening the fabric. “It was…I know it wasn’t true. But it’s stayed with me. She said I should put more care into my appearance.”
“What?” Adale gave an incredulous laugh. “I don’t see how you could. You spend more time getting ready in a single morning than I do in an entire week!”
“She didn’t mean like that,” said Esofi. “She meant…”
Esofi looked down at herself.
“What?” demanded Adale.
“She meant the way I am. Not…how I dress or how I style my hair. How much space I take up. Primarily.”
“Well, I don’t think that’s any of her business.”
“She said she thinks I’ll lose your attention.”
“Oooh, where is she?” Adale’s fists clenched. “I don’t care how much magic she has. There’s too much land between us to ever have a proper war.”
“Don’t overreact,” pleaded Esofi. “It’s only her opinion. She’s entitled to that.”
“If her opinion is that I’d ever stray from you, then her opinion is wrong!” Adale began to pace the floor. “I can’t believe she said that. Except, no, I can. It sounds just like the sort of horrible thing she’d do. Why would you ever believe her, even for a moment?”
“Because I’ve been so difficult about everything! I’ve been making you so unhappy. Ever since she arrived, or even before that.”
“That’s not true,” whispered Adale. “And even if it was, I’d never, I’d never… How could you think I’d—”
“I’m sorry.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “I knew it was nonsense, but she always knows just what to say, and I’ve been feeling so guilty—”
Adale moved to sit down on the edge of the bath. Esofi watched from the water as Adale pulled her own dress up over her head and dropped it carelessly on the floor behind her. Next, she removed her stockings and her undergarments.
As Adale stepped into the water, Esofi slid herself aside to make room. The bath was certainly large enough for the two of them, but Adale did not seem inclined to keep to her own space. She pulled Esofi close and kissed her.
“Forget everything she’s ever said to you,” Adale murmured. “I promise none of it was true. Not one word.”
Despite the tenderness in her voice, Adale spoke with such conviction that Esofi could not believe she told anything other than the absolute truth.
A FEW HOURS later, Esofi and Adale curled together under a single blanket and discussed ideas for their journey. Esofi was still a little bit dreamy, resting her head against Adale’s shoulder and basking in her nearness.
For a while, they talked of arranging a ship to take them to the Silver Isles, and how big it ought to be—not so small that they’d be in danger, but not so large that the dragons would mistake them for an invading force. Then the conversation turned to precisely who they’d want to bring with them on the trip, and things turned a little strange.
“I don’t understand why you want her to join us,” Esofi said.
“Dame Orsina would be perfect for this. Much better than having an entire battalion stumbling around after us.”
“Yes, but why her?” asked Esofi. “We have Ieflarian paladins that would make perfectly acceptable guards.”
“Well, her companion has magic, too,” said Adale. “And I like them. I trust them.”
“They’ve only been at Birsgen for a week or two,” pointed out Esofi. She did not mean to be argumentative, but she was very confused by Adale’s interest in a pair of foreigners. “For all you know, they could be completely incompetent.”
“They’re not,” insisted Adale.
“How do you know?”
“Ioanna wouldn’t have asked Orsina to deliver her letter if she was.”
“Ioanna is eight.” Esofi gripped her teacup, letting the warmth seep into her fingers. “Truthsayer or not, her opinion could probably be swayed with chocolates. But I’m surprised by your choice. I did not think you cared much for the Order of the Sun.”
“Well, you’re right, I don’t,” Adale admitted. “Her companion is the one I really want with us.”
“Her companion?”
“Dame Orsina came here with another woman. Elyne. You might not have met her?”
Esofi shook her head. “I do not believe I have. What’s so special about her?”
“Well…” Adale appeared to struggle with words. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you. But her magic is very powerful. I’d feel much safer with her around.”
Esofi felt a little pang of anxiety cut through her blissful haze. “You’re not making any sense.”
“The first time I met her was when I was trying to find Carinth,” Adale seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “She was in the chapel. Then…I didn’t see her again until yesterday. After you fainted, and we got the healer to you, I went to tell Captain Lehmann what had happened, but she stopped me.”
Adale fell silent, clearly remembering.
“What happened next?” prompted Esofi.
“She told me I had to find Carinth. I wasn’t listening to her. I was so worried about you, I could hardly think—but she did something to me. I couldn’t move or speak. She told me that Gaelle had Carinth, and I had to get him back or else I might never see him again.”
Esofi shifted so that she was sitting up, and the blanket fell from her shoulders. “Is this a joke?”
“I am telling it exactly as it happened. I went to Gaelle’s room, and Carinth was there and it looked like Lexandrie was packing her things, but Gaelle denied it. So I took him and left.”
Esofi wanted to speak, but words were failing her. Her lips moved soundlessly as she tried to understand what Adale was telling her.
“This morning, before you woke, I went and found Dame Orsina after the Sunrise service,” Adale continued. “I confronted her about what Elyne had said and done. She did not want to answer me, but I got the truth out of her.”
“And what did she say?”
“Elyne is not a woman. She is a goddess.”
Esofi rubbed at her eyes. “Adale, I just survived an assassination attempt. I don’t have the energy for—”
“I promise you, I’m not lying.”
“Then Orsina was lying.”
“Paladins don’t lie.”
“How much do we know about this woman?” Esofi pointed out. “Do we even know if she’s really a paladin at all? She’s come from a foreign land. For all we know she could be a mercenary in disguise.”
“Talcia was running around here eighteen months ago dressed like a common woman and kissing maids. I don’t see why this is any more difficult to believe.”
Esofi pulled the blanket over her shoulders. Though there was truth to Adale’s words, she was still skeptical. Surely if there was a goddess—even a minor one—wandering around the palace, she would have noticed? Someone should have noticed.
“She’s not a powerful one,” added Adale. “She’s one of those little ones hardly anyone’s heard of.”
“And what is she doing with a paladin?”
“I don’t know. It looks like they’re courting.” Adale paused. “Say something.”
Esofi shook her head. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to make of this.”