by Robin Roseau
I felt great sadness, but she opened her arms, and I went to her. We held each other for a long time, and kissed as well, and then she faded from me.
I remained behind in the Heart of the Heart for a long time, but then I felt my priestesses calling for me, wondering if I were all right. And so I ascended to them to assure them I was.
Part Three
Home
"We're going with," said Naddí to Juleena.
Juleena immediately turned to me with a raised eyebrow.
"It's the first I've heard of it," I said. "So you are emissaries to Her Majesty, Queen Ralalta?"
"Of course not. We are your maids, and we remain your maids."
"While that is very sweet," I said, "I do not believe Queen Ralalta wishes spies in the palace, and I have a maid besides."
"No you don't," said Juleena.
"Something happened to Mellara?" I asked. "You didn't tell me!"
"Something happened all right," she said, putting on a wounded tone. "She got pregnant, and she didn't even ask my permission."
"She didn't ask mine, either," I complained, mimicking Juleena’s tone before brightening. "Is it a boy or a girl?"
"We have to wait and see," she said. "That is the nature of things."
"Not necessarily," I said. "I have it on good authority Zana is having a girl."
Juleena laughed. "Ah, but the Goddess didn't tell you about Mellara, did she?"
"No, she didn't. Regardless, I am certain Her Majesty does not wish a pair of spies traipsing all over the palace."
"Oh, she has dozens already," said Naddí. "What are two more?"
"We are going," Féla said simply.
I sighed. "You tell them, Juleena."
Both of them turned to Juleena. "We have three duties. We are Yallameenara's maids. We are Queen Mesenorié's spies. And we are bodyguards."
Juleena studied them. "Hmm."
"What do you mean, hmm? She just said they're spies. She admits it."
"Better the spy you know..."
"No."
"You do not like us?" Féla asked.
"I like you a great deal," I said. And then an idea occurred to me. "Oh, I like you a great deal." I turned to Juleena. "You know they haven't stopped trying to seduce me."
They both put up a fuss at that, but Juleena only laughed. "I'm not getting in the middle of this," she said, backing away.
"Wait! But they're spies. Really cute spies, who would have access to all my.... everything. Everything, if you know what I mean. They would, you know. Touch me. And whisper into my ear. And... things like that!"
Juleena just laughed.
"You don't care they are spies?"
"When have you ever worked on anything that Queen Mesenorié couldn't know?"
"How about my, um. My title?"
"Lady?"
"The other one."
"High priestess?"
"The other, other one."
"Oh, I'm sure she already knows about that. And besides, you are the foster daughter to the queen and the high priestess to the Goddess Yahamala. How much more do you think matters?"
I glared at her. "I don't want to worry about what I say around my maids. You told me that Mellara could be trusted, and so I haven't worried. But these two are professional spies. I don't want to be on my guard."
"So tell them 'no'."
"I did."
"Why are you arguing with me?"
"You really don't care they're admitted spies."
"Like she said: There are dozens already. What are two more?"
"You're enjoying this. I could call your bluff. And then we'd have two spies in the palace."
"You mean two more than we already have."
"We'll find the others," Naddí said. "You can decide what to do with them."
"We already know who they are," said Juleena.
"I bet there are some you don't know," Naddí replied. "And we'll find them."
"Sounds good," Juleena said, as if she didn't care.
"No! It does not sound good. I want maids I can trust."
"You can trust us."
"I can trust you to tell Queen Mesenorié every detail about me."
"Not every detail. Just the important ones." They both grinned at me.
"No!"
"We'll make a vow," Féla said. "We won't pass along anything we're not told to pass along."
I snorted at that, and Naddí translated to Juleena. Then I pointed to her. "And that one for two years let me believe she didn't speak a word of Framaran. No."
"But-"
"No."
"Backrubs," said Naddí.
"No."
"Foot massages," Féla added.
"No."
"Baths."
"No."
They moved in front of me but faced Juleena. "Try to take her from us."
Juleena didn't wait. I didn't understand at first, but she did. She threw herself at them, pulling her knife from her belt.
"No!" I screamed.
What happened next was as beautiful as any dance. In hindsight. Once my heart stopped pounding. They fended off Juleena while backing me away, and they were fast. Fast!
Somehow -- I couldn't even follow the moves -- Naddí took Juleena's knife from her. Out came the sword, and the dance became more complicated, but then Féla did something -- I didn't see what, exactly. But she trapped the sword, and then Naddí was inside Juleena's reach, and she appeared to hammer several strikes to Juleena's head, neck, and abdomen.
"No!" I screamed again.
They all froze, and then Juleena stepped back. She held her hand out, and Féla gave her the sword. She slid it home, and Naddí gave her the knife. And then Juleena said, "They're coming with. Get used to the idea."
"No!"
She stepped up to me, and the two of them parted for her. They were barely breathing, but my heart was in my throat, and I was panting from leftover fear.
"If they weren't spies, but were simply maids, would you let them come, after they begged this much?"
"Yes, but-"
"The spies part is my concern," she said.
"I don't need two maids."
"Yes, Lady Yallameenara," said Naddí. "You do. And bodyguards. You can have us, or Princess Juleena can assign some to you. Which would you rather have?"
"Why do I need maids?"
"To do all the things a maid does so you can do all the things the foster daughter to Queen Ralalta and the high priestess to Yahamala needs to do."
"I don't want a couple of maids with divided loyalties."
"Why not?” Juleen asked. “You have divided loyalties."
"I do not!"
"Yes, you do," Féla said. "You have your loyalty to Queen Ralalta, Princess Juleena, and Framara. You still have some lingering loyalty to the people of your birth. But now you also have loyalty to Alteara."
"No, I don't."
"So you reject your position as the high priestess?" Féla asked.
Naddí had kept Juleena caught up with the translation, and Juleena said, "She's right. Even your word choices changed."
"What do you mean?"
"You went from saying 'us' meaning Framarans to 'us' meaning you and the Goddess or you and the other priestesses."
That shut me up. She was right.
"And our loyalties are not divided," Naddí said. "They are to you, the high priestess, and through you to the people that matter to you."
I grumped. "Fine." I looked at Juleena. "But if they sell the super secret palace password to, oh, I don't know, whomever buys super secret passwords, don't blame me. I didn't hire them."
* * * *
It felt good to be atop Zana -- or at times, Hamper -- for more than an hour or so. We didn't retrace Juleena's route, traveling by way of the Wizard's gorge. Nor did we head west to the coast and take a ship. Instead, with a modest Altearan honor guard, we traveled south, or sometimes southwest, passing into Framara a week after leaving the Heart of the Goddess. It was ano
ther six days of travel, and then laid out before us was Marport.
I cried at the sight.
It appeared we were expected. Even before we reached the city gates, people began to line the road, many of them waving, some cheering or calling out joyfully. Juleena and I rode side-by-side at the head of our column. She rode Daggarwind, of course, and I was on Zana, Hamper trotting along beside us. The rest of our troop stretched out behind us, with the maids somewhere in the middle atop their own mounts.
Juleena looked quite dashing upon her warhorse, clad in leather boots, breeches, and tunic. I was dressed similarly, of course, and we each wore a wool cloak in deference to the chill. Naddí had taken to riding up beside me to adjust the lie of the cloak as it spread out over Zana's backside and giving my hair brief attention as well. Every time she did it, Juleena chuckled. But I thought I might cut a figure myself.
I'd never been as vain about my appearance as Muranna. And then that thought made me feel bad. Juleena had been paying close attention to me, and so she reached over and squeezed my hand. Neither of us said anything.
Oh, where was I? Oh, yes. Riding into Marport, both of us looking quite dashing, or so I thought.
Juleena was recognized. Of course she was. And she was returning as the conquering hero, so to speak, the evidence riding alongside her. And so the crowds were jubilant, calling out her name and congratulating her on beating the Altearans.
I was recognized, too, although not as readily. I'd changed in appearance. Everyone would have been accustomed to me in my short hair, and I wasn't near as well known as Juleena, anyway. But as we rode into Marport, my hair was quite different, and my bearing as well.
Perhaps it was Zana they recognized, and who else would be atop her?
But I heard my name called, and a few times, "Welcome home" and similar such wishes.
The further we traveled into Marport, heading for the palace, the greater the numbers. They crowded the road, but in spite of their numbers, they didn't crowd us or impede our progress.
It felt strange, all these people waving to us as we rode past. I felt we should wave back, but I took direction from Juleena. She sat atop her horse, looking straight ahead for the most part, although inclining her head this way and that from time to time, perhaps to people she knew or to simply acknowledge the well wishes.
We approached the palace. The guards opened the gates for us, and we rode into the courtyard then came to a stop, our entourage forming a semicircle behind us.
Standing on the palace steps immediately in front of the great doors was the queen. She looked older, and I grieved for that. And where had that grey come from? I'd only been gone two years!
Juleena had already coached me on protocol. We descended together, stepping out in front of our mounts. Two grooms stepped out from the shadows, silently taking the reins from us. Or I thought they were silent. It was hard to hear over the ruckus going on behind us, the townspeople held back at the gates, but still cheering.
I waited, and Juleena stepped forward. I suspect she said something, or would have said something quite momentous, if she would have been heard. But she stepped to the queen, curtsied briefly, and then the two hugged tightly. Juleena held her mother for a long time, or maybe it was Ralalta that was doing the hugging. But then they separated, Juleena stepping to Ralalta's side, both of them looking at me.
I stepped forward, climbing one step towards Ralalta, and then knelt. She stepped forward immediately, clasped me by my shoulders, and then walked back up the stairs, drawing me after her. Once we were both at the top landing, she enveloped me in a hug as tight as hers with Juleena, and easily as long.
"Oh, my girl, my girl," she whispered into my ear.
"I'm home," I said. "But it's complicated."
"I know."
We kissed cheeks, and then she separated, but only enough for us to look at each other. Her face was more lined than I remembered, and this close, I could see more gray. "I'm so happy to see you," I said.
She fingered my hair. "So. They weren't wrong."
"No. They weren't wrong, not about that, at least. We have much to discuss."
"Not here."
"I should tell you right now: my maids are spies. Juleena doesn't seem to care."
She laughed. "We'll discuss that, too." She glanced past me. "The other two with hair like yours?"
"No. They are priestesses to the Goddess and my tutors. The other two you don't know, the ones who are looking around wondering whom to seduce first."
She laughed again. "Oh, they're very cute."
"They're very good, but if you send them packing, I won't complain."
"You don't like them?"
"I like they very much, but they are spies."
She laughed again. "You know what they say: better the spy you know."
I sighed. "That's what Juleena said. And you perhaps recognize Larien."
"That's Larien?" she exclaimed. "Oh, so it is. Well, well. We have much to discuss, much to discuss indeed. I'm not going to greet them here." But then she nudged me to stand to her side and then raised her hand asking for quiet.
She didn't get it.
Finally she sighed and made a gesture to Juleena. Juleena, in turn, lifted fingers to her lips and let loose a mighty whistle. She had to do it twice more before the crowds quieted down.
"That's better," she called out. "Princess Juleena, Lady Yallameenara, my heart swells to have my daughters home again."
That was worth fresh cheering, but this time when the queen lifted her hand, they settled down.
"Lady Yallameenara brings guests with her. I will greet them formally a little later. And I wish to thank Princess Juleena's squad for their service and sacrifice. But I am dying to receive a report." She looked around. "Lady Malta!"
"Here, Your Majesty," Malta said, approaching from the side.
Ralalta gestured, and she said in a low town, "Put Yalla's guests in the library, and with guards. Don't let them wander."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Make sure someone sees to their needs, and we'll be with them shortly."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Court in two hours."
"I'll take care of everything, Your Majesty."
"I know you will. Thank you." Then Ralalta lifted her voice for the crowd. "Court in two hours. We will greet everyone properly then."
Then without a word, she grabbed my arm in one hand, Juleena's in the other. We spun as a group. The doors were open before we reached them.
* * * *
Five minutes later found us in the queen's chambers, fresh hugs delivered. And then she pulled us to the sofa, dragging one of us down on either side, and we clasped hands.
"Juleena, briefly."
"The operation was far more complicated than expected," she said. "We almost affected a rescue when Yalla exited to visit Zana and Hamper."
"I never saw you."
"You weren't meant to. We were going to leave a note with Zana's tack, but then we saw the guards made random inspections of the tack, the gate, and even the surrounding hills, I presume looking for evidence of misbehavior."
"Some days I'd discover evidence of that," I said. "Things weren't always waiting quite the way I'd put them away."
"But then the weather turned foul," Juleena continued. "And it smelled like snow. We were worried, so we decided to go in after her. That was a massive strategic mistake. It didn't snow, but the cavern was a warren, and we got lost. Once they discovered we were there, they didn't engage directly but began luring us away from sensitive areas. It took two days to realize they were doing it intentionally."
"They kept me in my chambers and told me frightful stories." I sighed. "It would have ended far differently if they'd told me it was you."
"When did they?"
"They didn't. I saw you with your sword raised over Vérundia's head."
"It was touch and go for a while," Juleena said. "We were cut off from our own supplies, and they had lured us
well away from anywhere useful."
"Something went right,” the queen observed.
"We happened upon one of the young girls taking a meal somewhere. She dropped the tray and rain, and we decided this time to follow her. She led us to their main dining hall. After that, it largely became a mop-up."
"Except they moved me, much deeper in the caverns." I turned to Juleena. "I doubt you would have found me, unless you settled in for a siege."
"We had hostages, and we found their main temple."
"About that," I started to say.
"Yeah, about that. Mother, we absolutely cannot let word get out about their main temple. I've sworn everyone to absolute secrecy." And then she explained about the Heart of the Heart.
Ralalta listened to all this with silence.
"In the end, Yalla strode right in amongst us," Juleena said finally, "screaming at me not to kill anyone."
"And did you? Kill anyone, that is?"
"Not a soul. Bumps and bruises and one concussion, but she deserved it. That was Larien, by the way. Oh, save me from zealots. She was willing to let me kill everyone and believe Yalla was dead."
“I don’t know what she was thinking,” I said. “Why did she bring me so close if she were going to do it that way?”
“Desperation,” Juleena said. “She didn’t think things through.” She finished the story up to the point of negotiations. "They stalled for a week, and then we were given an ultimatum. I couldn't come back defeated, and my forces agreed to stand with me. The insult and all."
Ralalta's lips tightened at that, but she said only, "But now you are here, and Yalla's hair is much longer than I would have expected."
"The Goddess is real," I said. "And I am really the high priestess."
"They were right about that," she said.
We told her the rest of the agreement. She listened quietly. When we were finished, she said, "Well. Of course, I ratify the agreements you made. We will select a good place for this temple. I believe this is important to you, Yalla."
I nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. Very important."
"All right. Tell me about the guests. Why is Larien amongst them?"
"I've forgiven nearly everyone involved," I explained. "Except one." She nodded at that. She didn't need to be told which one I wouldn't forgive. "And. Um. I've been getting. Um. Experience."