by Simon Archer
The gesture, which she did right then, made me smile. I adored Alona’s laugh and her insight. She was reliable and had the best listening ear, even more so than Bailey-Sue.
Rebekah was tall, and she stood straight as a soldier would. She was broad and buff, but in a way that made me think about what it would be like to make her submit. Her face was beautifully angular with striking eyes that complimented her scarlet hair. That hair cascaded in rings down her back, some of the locks entwined with brown bird feathers giving her almost a Viking huntress vibe.
Diana was Alona’s physical opposite, but similar to Rebekah. Sturdy, Diana was built with muscles. She moved with a learned grace and trained footing. Light blond hair shone when the sun’s light hit it. Her lips seemed to be perpetually pursed as she looked around, and I found myself looking at them now, remembering the taste of her from last night.
With a couple of quick blinks, I cleared the image from my inner eye and the sensation from my body. I even shivered a little, as if that would erase the building tension in my stomach.
Diana and Rebekah both paused on their way to the fire, catching my awkward twitch, but it was Alona who asked the question.
“Are you alright, Martin?”
“Yeah,” I said with a small shake of my head. “Yes, yes. I’m fine.”
When I said that, I caught a dark blonde eyebrow raised on Diana’s face. I knew how much she hated it when I used that phrase, but I couldn’t care right now. More accurately, I didn’t want to care.
“What are you doing here?” Bailey-Sue asked. “All three of you, anyway.”
It was a valid question. While Alona may have been a Caretaker at the Zoo, seeing Diana in the animal enclosure was a rare sight. In fact, the only time I had seen her in here before this moment was the very first time I had been in the Zoo when she first introduced me to Alona, and Rebekah was even rarer. I don’t think I’d seen her in the Zoo the entire time I had been here.
“Diana said she needed to see Martin, and Rebekah overheard and asked to come as well. Diana said that it had to do with the corruption,” Alona explained. “I told them you both were here, but they did not know where the cave was, so I escorted them.”
Behind the three of them, a beautiful flutterbird flew into view. Harmony approached me and flapped her wings once in greeting. I held out my finger, and Harmony landed on to it.
Alona’s Merkin was one of my favorites, other than my own, of course. She didn’t speak audibly, but communicated through Alona directly. She gifted her with the ability to blend into her background and become practically invisible. It was pretty cool, as far as supernatural gifts went, but Alona rarely used it.
Upon greeting Harmony, I looked around for Diana and Rebekah’s Merkins. “Where’s Sloan and Altair?”
“In the sun,” Diana said as she pointed behind her to the cave entrance. “There is nothing you could do to convince Sloan to come in here. He hates the dark and enclosed spaces even more.”
“Interesting,” Bailey-Sue mused. “I would have thought the cat in him would enjoy enclosed spaces.”
“Altair is a bird.” Rebekah shrugged. “He’s outside flying around, getting the lay of things.”
Ever the inquisitive one, especially when it came to animals, Bailey-Sue’s thoughts surprised no one. But she seemed to catch herself and reeled her curiosities back in enough to address the matter at hand.
“Does this have to do with King Atlus’s cousin getting the corruption?” Bailey-Sue asked.
I flinched, anticipating the reaction of my female friends at this announcement.
“What happened?” Alona blurted.
“That was the corruption within the castle walls?” Diana said, on top of Alona’s question.
“Martin, is there something you’d like to tell us?” Rebekah seemed to tense and become a statue as her eyes focused on mine.
“Hang on.” I waved my hands about in the air, as if to clear it of all their questions and the holes in their knowledge. “I haven’t had the chance to really talk to any of you except Bailey-Sue. So if you’ll give me a minute, I can explain.”
I relayed the story of Korey gathering me from the court and bringing me down to the dungeons. I talked about meeting the king’s side of his mother’s family and his sickly cousin.
“I know her,” Diana said absently. “Early in my time in the guard, I was assigned to guard her room. She has strict dietary needs, and Mister Moorly would visit her almost every day with medication.”
At the mention of her knowing someone, the round face and blonde curls of Maria Poulis popped into my head. I made a mental note to quiz the women about knowing her and growing up with the noble girl. I reorganized my thoughts and proceeded with my story.
I told them Atlus’s theory about the traitor and how I believe he was right, considering Em’s isolation and already compromised immune system. Then I finally told them about the part where I bargained with Hennar.
“So, we have until the next snowfall to find the traitor and make me an undisputed master of chess,” I concluded.
“All of that happened just this morning?” Alona checked. “And this is coming off a corruption attack in the Dyers’ backyard? I did not expect the corruption to hit so close to home so soon.”
“None of us did,” I agreed.
“While we are sharing,” Diana said, her voice catching in her throat. “When you were tending to Miji, Sloan and I ran into the woods. We spotted someone corrupting more flowers in the forest and managed to stop them before it spread, but it was likely the same person.”
“Really?” Rebekah sent a quick glare at her companion, which I understood. Rebekah was technically Diana’s superior officer, and for her to withhold information is not something she should have done. “We will speak on this later.”
“Great, great,” I said, swallowing the words that wanted to rip out of me in frustration. “I was really hoping there wasn’t a traitor.”
“I do not believe anyone hopes for a traitor,” Bailey-Sue said.
“Not helping,” I chided.
She offered me an apathetic shrug in response.
“The other thing…” Diana said, holding up a finger.
“There’s another thing?” I gaped.
“I may have bargained on your behalf to the council,” Diana admitted.
My eyes bulged from my head as I stomped up to her. “You did what now?”
“They were not too happy about you storming out of the meeting with little to no explanation,” Diana said, unphased by my growing anger.
“I gave them an explanation,” I replied, my indignant irritation quickly returning. “They were assholes, and I didn’t want to be around them anymore.”
Alona closed her eyes, summoning her patience. “Martin, you cannot upset the council like that.”
“Spare me the lecture,” I said as I held up a hand. “Bailey-Sue already gave it.”
“And I am sure she did a fantastic job,” Diana complimented, clearly trying to get on with her message.
“Thank you,” Bailey-Sue said, absolutely delighted. “I did.”
“Well, at least someone can talk sense into you.” Rebekah nodded and spared a small smile to the girl.
“What was this bargain?” I asked, returning my attention back to Diana.
“I promise, you are going to like it,” Diana said.
“I promise you, I won’t,” I replied, putting my hands on my hips to hold my ground.
“We are going to introduce you to court,” Diana said.
Before I had a chance to comprehend her words, Alona and Bailey-Sue burst out laughing. Simultaneously, both of my friends howled with disbelief.
“I told you he would not understand your plan, Diana,” Rebekah said with a sigh.
“Rebekah’s right. I don’t understand. What does ‘introduce me to court’ mean?” I asked. I pointed to both Alona and Bailey-Sue. “And why are they laughing?”
“Because that
is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard!” Alona said through wheezes of laughter. She actually wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “That was a good one, Diana.”
“I am completely serious,” Diana said, the redness in her face deepening. “The council needs to see him as a real citizen of Insomier, to believe that he is on their side. He needs to be seen as one of them.”
“One of them?” Alona shook her head and looked at the cave floor. “He is the furthest thing from one of them.”
“But he cannot be,” Rebekah argued, clearly having Diana’s back. “Not anymore. Even if it is not a real transformation, we need to make them believe it is.” She nodded to Diana. “It is the best shot we have.”
“I still don’t know what we’re talking about here!” I announced with my arms outstretched. My gut had a sinking suspicion about the direction this conversation was going, and I wasn’t going to like it at all.
“Diana is suggesting we present you to the court,” Rebekah explained as she put a hand on my shoulder. “Most young nobles do it when they come of age. You are a little old for the process, but the sentiment would be the same. Once a young noble is introduced to court, they become a proper member of society. Well, of the society within the castle.”
“Like a coming-out party?” I asked, trying to relate it to something I knew. “Or a debutante ball?”
“A ball is part of it,” Diana explained. “There are a lot of parts, but it will put you through the proper process and level you in their eyes.”
“And why would I want to do that?” I arched an eyebrow at her.
“Well, that’s simple,” Diana said conspiratorially. “To find the traitor.”
12
The plan was simple. I would jump through all the hoops and be introduced to society. Meanwhile, I would infiltrate the court and uncover the traitor who contaminated Em.
Oh, and King Atlus would play chess with me daily to help improve my skills more.
“Is he supposed to be an expert?” I said sarcastically. I knew I was already pretty good at the game. I had won against Hennar once already.
“Yes,” Alona answered. “He is known for it, actually.”
“Oh,” I conceded, swallowing my next comment about the king not being as smart as he thinks he is.
“He plays the game to relax,” Diana explained. “King Atlus has been playing since he was a child, and years of serious gameplay is something you do not have.”
“Why couldn’t Hennar have challenged me to a painting contest?” I said absently. I sighed and turned back to the conversation at hand.
“Let me get this straight,” I said as I held out my fingers, intending to count and show off all the lessons I was supposed to have. “I have training with you in the morning, working at the Zoo during the day. I still have magical lessons with Rebekah and the rest of the dragon clan in the evenings. Not to mention that now I have to work in court lessons to prepare for all of those challenges.” I was running out of fingers quickly. “Now we want to add chess classes in the middle of that somewhere? There just aren’t enough hours in the day!”
I didn’t mention the fact that the schedule left little to no time for painting. If I was expected to keep my sanity throughout all of this, I needed to paint. It was my one escape from the craziness of trying to save an entire kingdom. I could travel to the Marked Woods with my paints and clear my head by painting. The woods were full of concrete-like canvases waiting to be drawn on.
Painting also was the key to my connection with the light. I learned through the perils of Remklat and healing Ffamran that the light responded to my painting skills. To heal people, I had to envision them healed. Essentially, I used the light as my paint and painted them back to the way they should be. It didn’t always work as smoothly as that, especially not now, with Hennar interrupting the process. However, I was convinced it was the reason I had a good relationship with the light, and it did as I asked. I knew how to speak to it, and I didn’t want to lose that.
“It really is a lot to expect of him,” Bailey-Sue added sympathetically.
“Thank you, Bailey-Sue,” I said, stuffing as much gratitude in that sentiment as I could. I appreciated that she could see the unrealistic nature of these circumstances. It was impossible to ask me to do all these things. My time and energy would be completely spent.
“I think you will have to sacrifice working at the Zoo,” Rebekah advised.
“Hang on,” Alona said, stepping in. “We need him here. He does great work and is learning more about the creatures each day.”
“I originally assigned him to the Zoo to do easy labor so his muscles could develop, and he could move on the more difficult training,” Diana explained, backing up Rebekah’s decision. “I do not know why he has continued to work there. It is about time he moved on to more important things.”
“Diana,” I warned, seeing the irritation flare on Alona’s face at Diana’s unintentional insult. “They do good work here at the Zoo.”
“I am not saying that they do not,” Diana defended. “I simply believe that out of all of the activities you listed, that is the easiest one to eliminate.”
“What about training with you?” Alona suggested. Her voice was light, but Bailey-Sue and I could tell she was gearing up for her own insult. “Getting up so early cannot be good for his health, nor will he need those skills when he is waltzing around a ballroom.”
“There’s going to be waltzing?” I directed this question at Bailey-Sue. She only offered an unsure shrug in response.
Rebekah, who had unintentionally started this, stayed back with her arms crossed, her eyes going back and forth between her second in command and Alona, listening to their banter.
“Those skills are teaching him to defend himself,” Diana said sharply. She took a step towards Alona, who continued to lean against a cave wall. “They will always be useful to him, especially if he is ever in danger.”
“And do you expect him to be in much danger when he is in the court?” Alona replied, snark oozing from her.
“More danger than if he is hiding away in the Zoo,” Diana snapped back.
“Okay, that’s enough,” I interjected and physically set myself between the two women. “How about we let me decide what I get to give up and keep? Considering I’m right here and have been the entire time you’re talking about me. Yeah?”
As I stepped in between Diana and Alona, I could feel the tension like a humid summer day. Diana and Alona might have been friends in their youth, but a series of broken promises and conflicting philosophies had torn the women apart. They had only recently reconciled, and I didn’t want that already fragile friendship to fall apart again so quickly, especially because I cherished both of them.
Realizing that I was in the exact physical position I didn’t want to be in metaphorically, I stepped back. Both women seemed to lower their outright anger and temper for the time being. They refused to look at one another, which was preferable to outright arguing.
Rebekah also seemed to release the tension she had been building up while the two women had been arguing. She turned to face me as the two women fell into silence.
“It has been a long day already,” Rebekah said. “Martin, don’t we have to get to the gardens to meet with the clan?”
“Rebekah,” I reminded her, “We don’t meet on council days. So, I was going to head to the Marked Woods to paint. I asked the clan to meet me there. I also thought I might stop by and check on Miji.”
“That sounds like the perfect thing for you to be doing,” Bailey-Sue advised, ever the peace-keeper, “Not sitting around and listening to women argue on your behalf.”
Impressed by Bailey-Sue’s boldness, I gave her a grateful nod. Then I happened to glance at Diana, who looked a little bashful but still grumpy. I chanced a glance at Alona, who hid her expression behind a lowered head and the glint of the firelight off her glasses.
“Thank you,” I said suddenly, surprising even mys
elf. “All of you.”
Alona looked up then, her mouth slightly open. Diana’s head whirled in my direction, and her hard glare softened. Bailey-Sue smiled, kind and bright. And Rebekah’s face softened, and her lips twitched up into a half-smile.
“I mean it,” I went on. “I couldn’t do any of this without you. I know we all have the same goals or whatever, but you four help me way more than anyone else, and I trust you more because of that. So, I just wanted to say thank you.”
The cave stood silent, save for the last crackling embers of the fire. They popped and simmered, interrupting the bashful quiet. No one said anything as they checked themselves and their attitudes. I took my leave and started to venture out of the cave when Bailey-Sue called out after me.
“See you tomorrow, Martin!”
“See you tomorrow,” I responded with a smile dancing on my lips.
It didn’t take me long to head up to my chambers and gather my paint and brushes. Styu and I had been working together with his wife, Vanna’s help, to make different colored paints. This was one of the greatest gifts the Dye master had ever given me. The fact that I could now paint in bright, vibrant, different colors brightened my whole day. I grinned down at my brush set, wrapped gently in a cloth. I tucked them into a satchel with my small cans of paint and continued down the stairs and out the castle gates.
As promised, my first stop was the Dyers household. Styu was at his shop, working away when I approached. Maji sat in a nearby chair, stroking her black cat, who rested peacefully on my lap.
“Hi Styu, hi Maji,” I greeted them with the warmest smile I could muster.
Styu looked up from his work and replied with a tight grin. He was harrowed and stressed. It showed in his blue eyes that his mind was elsewhere, far from the work he did with his hands.
I leaned against the door frame of the shop. “Can I come in?”
The question seemed to break Styu out of his reverie. His bubbly demeanor returned, even for the briefest of moments.
“Oh, absolutely, yes, please. Do come in,” the Dye Master said as he stepped away from the table and guided me inside. “Where are my manners today?”