by R. J. Price
“Queens? Young women?” Aren asked, Laeder pointed at her. “Young women.”
“Take off the young.”
“Women,” Aren said out loud. It took a moment for that to sink in, and when it finally did, Aren felt relief and horror all at once. “I can't mate you. That's... No, that's wrong.”
“I don't know what to do.”
“Steward,” Aren muttered. “Normally you could go to him and claim forced prostitution, given the fact that, you know, this and that aren't going to mix. I mean, we'd be chasing the same lords as lovers.”
“I don't know about that,” Laeder said. “I'm not going to be chasing after Lord Av. For starters, I'm only interested in them if they're interested in me. Which. I highly doubt Av would be.”
“I'm sure there're a few at court, but I only know of one like yourself,” Aren said. “Problem being, he supports the arranged mating. It's not exactly possible to dump you in his lap, as I'm told it's my right as the one who sits the throne.”
“Who?” Laeder asked. “I've yet to meet another who was like me. Same pairs aren't encouraged in the south.”
“Under palace rule that would change, but only if we could unite the two,” Aren said. “Jer actually. He says he likes both, but he's also done with women for a while after the whole Em thing that went on.”
Laeder blushed. “Lord Jer is an attractive man.”
“Again, normally we could go to the steward, but currently that's my father and he won't uphold those rules for us. I'm not even certain he'll uphold the rules for other ladies at court.”
“At least, he won't support it unless the south could be made to unite with the palace another way,” Laeder muttered in annoyance. “I've had months to think of a way out of this and,”—he shrugged—“I've got nothing.”
“Who says I absolutely have to mate you, and not a man of my choosing, anyhow?”
“The court,” Laeder said with a frown. “If the court votes in the majority, which they did, for an arranged mating the one who sits the throne is obligated. The other option is the aide to the throne either forcing her to, or taking her life and allowing someone to ascend who will listen to her people.
Aren made a face. “They don't make this easy, do they?”
Chapter Twenty
Url went with his father to visit his uncle because it was expected of him as a son. There were many other activities at court that he would have preferred to be partaking in. Anything at all, really, besides sitting as silent witness to a conversation he had little interest in.
Ervam served a communal drink, a brandy he and his older brother enjoyed. Url didn’t much enjoy the drink, but he accepted the cup to sip, as was customary, and then sat back to silently watch. He was there to visit his uncle, and sometimes that meant sitting back as if he were a piece of furniture until the ‘adults’ finished catching up.
Greetings aside, Ervam and Er talked of history long passed and caught up on family and friends. When evening began to darken the sky outside, Er set aside the cup they shared.
“Tell me about this Aren woman,” Er said.
When Er had lay dying, or so Url’s grandfather thought, Ervam had been born. The youngest brother named after the oldest, Er was never expected to survive.
“She's a young woman. She has her eye set on Av and he has his eye on her, but obviously the court has a different plan.”
“And you have yet another,” his father growled. “Have you told your sons, yet, how it was that Jer came to take his mother's name, even before he was old enough to choose? Why he had that choice?”
Ervam shook his head. “No, coming down here, everyone knew she was my mate, they never asked for the papers. I told the boys about their grandparents. As they had told us, I also told them, as we were told, that our parents were the only ones who had ever paired in such a way.”
“Because if you know it's possible, it's not possible,” Er sighed out. “You gave her full honours, as her mate?”
“Of course, no one here knew differently,” Ervam said. “The boys don't question it because they think only a warrior can do it, and only with a queen. Jer suspects, but he's not about to say anything. He believes the same as I do.”
“That Av would make a good pair for Aren,” Er said. His father motioned to him. “I've asked Url to court Aren in public. Give Av the chance to snarl at someone else for touching her. Someone who he can fight and make a show of dominating.”
“Once the engagement ball is planned, it'll happen pretty quickly,” Ervam said. “They're making haste with the ball, so you all can attend.”
“Merkat won't like it,” Url said. He knew he risked drawing anger from his father and uncle but still he spoke his mind. His father had always said he had to be mated to be considered a man in the family and be able to participate in the first portion of visit conversations.
“This will probably result in war,” Ervam responded as if Er had spoken. “It's been a while since the lands have seen war, but it will happen. There simply appears no other way. If Aren mates the southern boy, the west will attack us.”
“You saw that, did you?” Er asked. “He's worried. Can you blame him? Instead of having brothers and a cousin he will very shortly be alone with only the palace. But... if you don't ally with the south, if Aren mates the way you hope she will, then the west will join the palace in the way that we have.”
“Once war starts, given the economy of the south, your lands will unite under the palace banner,” Ervam said. While it had been a statement, Url was certain it was a question at the same time.
“The north is at your back,” Er said with a smile. “That is a distinct possibility. But you've yet to tell me about Aren.”
“About the young woman who sits the throne?” Ervam asked. “I've told you all I know for certain. I also know she wanted a cabin on a lake, that she is able to hide herself from ranks. Though you learned that one the hard way. Her mother once burned a rank for being a witch and was all but thrown out of their village. Made Aren watch.”
Er swore.
Url picked up the cup and took a long swallow to keep himself from doing or saying anything stupid. He liked Aren, he felt attached to her. Knowing that someone had hurt her and was still within reach was almost too much temptation. Add to that the fact that that same someone who had hurt Aren did so by torturing a rank, and the temptation was even stronger.
He considered taking the long way back to his father’s rooms.
“And she's infected with the same as causes consumption,” Ervam added, waiting for Er to finish cursing before he continued. “She's been through the lethal stage without as much as a flicker. She's begun showing signs already.”
At that he was confused, but rather than ask he sat patiently, certain someone would explain it to him.
“What did you tell your boys?” Er asked.
“I'm no longer mate to the throne, I can't tell them anything besides what Mirmae's father taught her,” Ervam said in an annoyed tone. “Telm is having the rooms stripped and scrubbed. Top to bottom. I can't get Aren in there, can't have her see for herself what's going on, and what's going to happen to her.”
“Is Telm stalling?” Er asked.
Ervam shook his head. “No, far from it, Telm is trying to speed up the process as much as possible. I had words with her, when I first came to court. She knows what that information means and she knows Aren is infected. She's watching for signs of madness, just in case.”
Url made the connection finally. He was learning about that portion of history, of the truth of Mirmae’s rule. He had only recently been taught what the messages said, though the full meaning had yet to be explained to him.
“The other signs?” Er asked.
“Already foretold the future. Saved Mie from his uncle. Jer needs to look into that. The woman's death has to be avenged.” Ervam hesitated, then changed the topic slightly. “And the anger on Aren?”
“It's the throne relaying through her
, isn't it?” Er asked.
“No, that anger was there before. Now it's as if Aren's simply given up. Except at the same time, she hasn't. She fights to keep it under control. I'd hate to see the day when she unleashes her anger on purpose. Boiled a table top to cracked bubbles. Wood and all. The servants don't know what to do with the table, I don't know what to do with it. And her father?
“The man made a mess of himself when Aren destroyed the table, unable to tell the difference between an attack and anger.”
Er shook his head and wrinkled his nose.
“Her parents aren't helping the matter,” Er said. “I've commanded Url to hold his hand, but he's usually right about when a lord or lady needs to be removed.”
The mention of his name caused Url to perk up. He might get to stab someone. He really wanted to stab someone. Especially the people his father was talking about.
“I don't doubt he is, but if they can't work through Aren's parents, how are they going to face what else the throne has planned?” Ervam asked.
“Do you know what the throne has planned for her?” Er asked.
“I don't think it entirely knows. Just wants her on the throne, immune to consumption. Well, it got that, but then it had to deal with the symptoms of its controlling people. Twenty young people killed in the last year by one man, Aren nearly dying by his hand. I hope she's worth it.”
“This house cleaning won't be contained to palace lands, that's what she said,” Er said, giving his brother a look that seemed to indicate he was asking something.
“No, it won't,” Ervam responded. “Mirmae was right, look at what it's done already. The barons got here before we could send missives to the high lords? Her parents here before my boys had even written the missive. And why? Because Em sent them a threatening missive days before she died, demanding they attend court without any explanation. When was the last time you were all together?”
“Never, from my reckoning,” Er said quietly. “Gamen and I came to pay our respects, when Mirmae died, but more than two of us in any one place? Not going to happen. Merkat said we had to see her, he's right. He even had a plausible reason for contacting each of us, a sound, rational reason. Though, near as I can tell, he sent us all letters at different times.”
“The throne is good at making commoners think something is their idea,” Ervam said. “Though I never imagined its influence could reach quite that far. Or that it could set a plan in action so far in advance to get you here at the right time.”
“And Av, does he suspect anything with this little setup of yours?” Er asked, changing the topic slightly. “Or should I expect him to come beating down my door for information soon?”
“I don't think he can put two and two together in this case,” Ervam responded. “He's so used to traditional queens that he won't question anything that's said to him. Or Telm's told him what's going to happen to him if he steps out of line. She's gotten violent suddenly.”
“Making up for years of being leashed, no doubt.”
“No doubt,” Ervam said.
Url knew some facts about his aunt’s time on the throne.
Mirmae had, during her short reign on the throne, discovered a great many things. The throne only really had Telm to make suggestions to before, Url recalled his father laughing at the implication that the throne was lonely. Tired of the evils that plagued the world after the last cycle of strong queens, the throne had taken matters into its own hands.
Instead of sitting idly by while ranks came and went, the throne sped up the cycle, shortening the dark time by centuries, by breeding who it knew would produce ranks, or thought might. Arranged matings had taken a long time to come into fashion, giving the throne decades of creating breeding pairs in other ways.
Likely that was how Em and Jer had come together, as Url could see no way for that pairing to happen naturally.
After reading through the books in the queen's library, and piecing it together with what Mirmae's bloodline had passed down for generations, they had figured out why the throne was desperate for strong queens again.
Url wished he could recall what Mirmae’s bloodline had passed down.
He did remember that it had something to do with how their world cycled. Strong queens came, then weak queens. Every couple of cycles, during the time of the strong queens, a time of enlightenment happened.
The last cycle during which enlightenment was supposed to happen, hadn't occurred as it should have.
Men and women had been fighting over equality, over which gender was the strongest. Ranks killed ranks, commoners killed ranks and, most importantly, everyone killed queens.
The strong ones who were supposed to cause enlightenment never made it out of their cradles, if they were ever born.
The further from enlightenment they became, the more the land floundered. Crops would fail, dark times would follow.
Unless a strong, all powerful queen sat the throne.
Aren was not one of these queens, she was the start. Her daughter or Mar's daughter, both of their daughters even, would be stronger and might be one of those queens, but within two generations the stone would begin to disappear.
Anyone, and anything, that got in the way of this transformation into the enlightened age was a danger to the throne. Anything that was a danger to the throne would be destroyed. It was for this reason, on Mirmae's word that this absolutely would happen, Er had agreed to an alliance with the palace. That was why the north would soon rejoin palace lands, not because Er wanted to, but because he had to, to protect his people.
“You know them better than I do, is there any way I could help this along?” Er asked. “Would stabbing someone help?”
Ervam laughed. “You sound like Av. Always with the stabbing people.”
Er frowned. “Is that his go-to threat? Every time?”
“Nearly every time, yes,” Ervam said with a nod. “Is that a problem?”
Er shook his head. “No, it’s just that we stopped by that holiday estate north of here and three old biddies kept going on about the stabby one needing to be reminded what being a warrior is all about.”
“Em's aunts,” Ervam said. “Telm put them up, when Em took the palace. Something about a promise to Mirmae. They're relatively harmless, and they did serve as Mirmae's handmaids, she absolutely loved them. No idea why, I couldn't understand them before they went crazy.”
“Absolutely harmless,” Er responded. “Wonderful hostesses, actually, but impossible to understand. They're queens, did you know that?”
“They're what?” Ervam asked. “They'd have to be weaker than Telm, I've never noticed them before. Not like that.”
“They are,” Er nodded slowly. “In fact, maybe I should speak with Av.”
“Maybe you should,” Ervam said, his voice breaking. “They've said many things that seem to tell of future events, when one looks back at their wording.”
“What was it that Mirmae said was most important to recall about those who are infected?” Er asked, probably hoping Ervam would tell him something different. Er had received the letter from Mirmae with very specific wording—he knew just as Ervam did—what Mirmae had told the barons.
Url had memorized the words, he knew well what was said, but didn’t really understand what it meant.
“That to those who don't know, those who don't believe, it will look like madness,” Ervam said, swallowing. “I should probably see Telm. And ask her a few questions I should have asked a long time ago.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Av approached Aren as she left the library, headed for her set of rooms. He met up with her and they walked for a ways together, with Aren saying not a word. Av could only assume she was angry with him for supporting the arranged mating, but what else could he have done?
The court's vote for the arranged mating had been near unanimous. Even the masters could not overthrow the decision of the court. Short of convincing everyone to take back their vote, Aren would have to mate Laeder.
“What did the two of you talk about?” Av asked, unable to take the silence any longer.
“Headaches and moods,” Aren responded. “It seems Lord Laeder has done some research on my rank and believes both will settle within two months.”
“Why is that?” Av asked. “Why that length of time?”
“It would appear the throne needs time to adjust to my cycle,” Aren said in an irritated fashion.
Av knew better than to press a woman about such matters. If she wanted to share what her body went through monthly that was her choice. He also knew making suggestions as to her moods changing depending on the time of month was a good way to get himself into trouble.
Leaving Av in a bit of an awkward silence because there was nothing he could ask that might not be seen as poking about the cycle.
Finally, Av came out with, “Oh, I wonder why.”
“I don't know, it's not like my magic changes,” Aren said, her annoyance rising.
“When is your cycle due to end?” Av asked, not realizing what he was saying until the words came tumbling out of his mouth.
A good way to get himself into trouble.
Not only with Aren, but with Jer and his father. Possibly with Telm as well, who would spread it to the serving staff, who were mainly women.
“In a few weeks—why does that matter?” Aren asked, coming to a stop in the hallway. “Why are you interested in my cycle suddenly?”
“Makes it easier to avoid accidents,” Av said. He watched as she linked cycle, moods, and accident. “Not like that. With contraceptives and a careful watch on your cycle, there is less likely chance of…” Av trailed off as Lord Merkat approached them.
Aren let out a surprised sound, seemingly not noticing Lord Merkat. “I suppose that is something you would need to know, considering the fact you've claimed me. Should I send word for you, the moment it starts?”