by Robin Roseau
I spun to face the princess. "That is the official story? I arrived bound in ropes. I stood in court, the room packed full of people, and demanded to be returned, and that is the official story that came out of it?"
She shrugged. "You were speaking Framaran. Not many understood."
"And there has been no official clarification since?"
She didn't say anything, so I looked across the table at Terél and Larien. "Did you know this?"
"Of course," Larien said. "But don't get mad at us. You didn't ask, and you've had enough to worry about."
"Everyone thinks I committed treason?" I screeched, reverting to Framaran, my Altearan escaping me. "And you didn't think I should know?"
"Did I say something wrong?" Nía asked. "High Priestess-"
I turned to her, and she actually moved a little away from me, so I set a hand on her arm and did what I could to calm down. Everyone else remained still. Finally I said slowly, "No. You did nothing wrong. The story everyone knows is not entirely accurate." Without looking at her, I said, "Princess, I find I will need to join the talks this afternoon, when we are done shopping."
"May I send a messenger ahead?"
"I can't stop you, but I'd be much happier to make an entrance."
"Excellent," she said. "I won't warn my parents if you let me watch."
I turned to her at that and smiled. "A difference of opinion within the royal household?"
"You could say that," she said.
We nodded to each other, and I turned my attention to the girls. "Will you two become tailors when you're older?"
We finished our meal. I hugged them all with a kiss on their cheeks as well. And then Nía led her daughters away. A moment later, I was surrounded, Alta to one side, Larien and Terél clustered against my other side, and the two maids at my back.
"So, did I make a mess of things?" I asked.
"High Priestess," said Larien. "Yalla. I can't tell you how much I love you." And at that I felt a rush of love from all four of them, practically swarming up the connection I shared with them. And when I looked at the princess, she was smiling.
"I wish you would stay," she said. "We need you. Can you see that?"
"Is that what today was about?"
"No," she said. "We tried to keep everyone from you."
"So I wouldn't learn-"
"No," she interrupted. "So you and I could have time together."
At that I nodded. "I presume their shop won't have clothing for us?"
"Probably not," she said.
"Well, I need to get to know the people of Alteara better than I do," I said. "But you're right. I don't care to be swarmed. What do you recommend?"
"Well," she said. "My parents have given me a single assignment for your visit here. I am to see to your needs however you will allow. Perhaps you will allow me to think on this. Will we have more days together?"
"I believe we will," I said. "Féla, on my first trip here, you found a sweet I liked. Do you remember it?"
"There were a few," I said.
"This wasn't actually that sweet," I said. "It was yellow."
"Oh, yes," she said.
"Is it seasonal?"
"Not at all. It stores quite well. I think we can find some."
Landed
We didn't spend much longer, but it was well into the middle of the afternoon before we passed through the front doors of the palace. Doors opened before us, and we barely needed to pause. But then we reached one door, and the guards didn't step aside. We came to a sudden stop, Alta slightly ahead of me.
"Open this door," she ordered.
"I am sorry," said the guard, staring straight ahead. "Your brother ordered they are not to be disturbed."
"I am sure he didn't mean me."
"He gave no exceptions, Your Highness."
I stepped closer and set a hand on Alta's shoulder. "Princess, someone has said I outrank you. What do you say to that?"
"You do," she agreed.
"Do I outrank your brother?"
She turned to me with a smile. "Yes, but I'm not sure it's fair to this guard to expect him to know that."
I sighed. "Does the country know the Goddess herself has declared I am free to travel anywhere in Alteara I wish?"
"I am not sure how well known that is."
I stepped up to the guard. "Have we met?"
"Not exactly."
"Do you know who I am?"
"You are the high priestess."
"What do you mean when you said not exactly?"
"I was there. Um."
"When the Goddess dictated terms of our peace agreement, the one that prevented many, many people from dying?"
"Yes."
"Then that agreement possibly saved your life."
He gulped. "Yes. Possibly. But the Framarans were badly outnumbered."
"Does the Goddess outrank your prince?"
He gulped again. "Yes, High Priestess."
"Do I?"
"I- Um. I don't know."
"I am about to step between the two of you and open those doors. Then everyone with me is stepping through those doors. Are you going to lay hands upon us to stop me? Are you going to lay hands upon Princess Lásenalta, High Priestess Yallameenara, two of my priestesses, and my two attendants?"
"Yalla," said the princess quietly. "My brother is not kind when vexed. Perhaps Corporal Vext could step inside and collect fresh orders."
"And ruin my entrance?" I asked. "I don't think so." But I sighed. "Corporal, am I about to ruin your career?"
He looked at me for a moment. And then, quite deliberately, both guards stepped to the side.
"Thank you, Corporal," I said. I looked over my shoulder. "All of you follow me. Princess, you'll do what you want. I want the rest of you as a group halfway between the entrance and whatever we find. We won't be staying long."
"Yes, High Priestess," Terél said for all of them.
Then I stepped to the doors, clasped both handles, and paused. "Corporal, is there anyone waiting just inside these doors?"
"No, High Priestess."
"Thank you. Good. I wouldn't want anyone to be hurt when I did this."
Then I twisted the handles and pushed with every bit of my might. The doors swung in hard and crashed against the walls. I held my arms out, stopping them as they swung back, and I stomped into the room.
* * * *
I certainly garnered attention. It was a large room with a sturdy table large enough to seat at least a dozen. Juleena and Margaletta were seated to the right. The king and queen were on the left along with a man of perhaps thirty and five years. I presumed that was the prince, Alta’s brother. Margaletta's attendants were arrayed against the wall behind her, and the Altearan side held even more people.
Every pair of eyes were turned towards me by the time I made it two steps into the room, which of course was my intention. Clearly I had startled some of them, and the prince was half out of his seat.
"I said we weren't to be disturbed," he bellowed even before I was fully in the room. But then he saw me and froze.
"Quite so," I said. "I presume you are Alta's older brother."
"Lady Yallameenara," began the queen.
"Save introductions for another time," I said. I stomped to the head of the table, still a good distance from anyone else. I heard Alta move to the left, but she didn't fully join her family. She simply separated herself sufficiently from my household that her loyalty couldn't be called into question.
"I learned something interesting an hour ago," I said. "I learned all of Alteara believes I was a traitor to Queen Ralalta." I did my own bellowing of the last few words. "Foolish me. I assumed when you told my foster mother how I arrived here, you would also tell your own countrymen."
"Lady Yallameenara," began the king.
"Save it," I said. "As far as I am concerned, there is no peace until that little misunderstanding is rectified. Do I make myself clear?"
Margaletta leaned over to Ju
leena and whispered to her. As I'd been speaking Altearan, I presumed she was translating for her.
The king and queen communed, and then they turned to me. "Lady Yallameenara-"
"Yes, or no?" I asked. "Will you rectify this belief they have, or would you prefer I do it?" I leaned on the table. "Or perhaps you will engage in other measures to silence me." I said it dangerously.
"Of course we wouldn't," said the king quickly. "But these things take time to discuss."
"There is nothing to discuss," I said. "I did not commit treason in the way I arrived here, and you will ensure your entire country knows it," I said. "However, I will let you negotiate with Lady Margaletta on how you do so. Unless Princess Juleena herself asks for my restraint, in three days time, I begin to tell everyone what really happened."
I paused, but not long enough for anyone to interrupt. "Lady Margaletta, I promised I wouldn't interfere. You have my apologies for doing so."
She offered a tiny smile to me and nodded.
"Very good," I said.
And then I spun around and strode from the room, my household parting for me and then filling in behind me. Then I heard scrambling, and Alta rushed out and came to a stop in front of me.
"Same time tomorrow?" she asked sweetly.
"I'd love to," I said. Then I held my arms open, and we hugged briefly. She pulled away and disappeared back into the room. The guards pulled the doors closed, and I turned to them. "I hope I didn't get you into trouble."
They both offered brief bows of their heads. Then I turned and realized I had no idea where in the palace we were.
"This way, Lady Yallameenara," Féla said with a gesture.
* * * *
We weren't home long when I heard Juleena and Margaletta enter. Margaletta immediately inquired where I was, and a moment later, the two of them appeared in the library doorway.
"Well, well," Juleena said. "Look who learned how to make an entrance."
"I'm sorry if I broke up your meeting," I replied.
"We weren't getting anywhere, anyway," Margaletta replied. She offered a rare smile. "What happened?"
I relayed the day in just a few sentences. "Did you know?" I asked at the end.
"Yes. Are you angry?"
"Not at you," I said. "But I'd like to know why no one told me."
"We thought you knew," she said. "I should have asked."
"No," Juleena said. "I should have. I'm sorry, Yalla."
I waved it away. "Don't worry about it," I said. "Margaletta, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. That was exactly what we needed. They clearly intended to use your soft heart against us. You destroyed that plan."
"You do know I want diplomacy restored. And I want trade restored."
"Everyone does," she said. "But Lady Yallameenara, they weren't even being honest with their own citizens. Frankly, this isn't at all in keeping with their usual style. King Tradódid and Queen Mesenorié have always been good, honest rulers."
"It can be hard to admit to doing the sort of things they did," Juleena said.
"You once admitted to me something I found terrible."
"Yes, I did," she replied. "But I didn't feel terrible for doing it. I felt it was the best way to achieve the necessary while killing no one." She paused. "I felt bad for the animals though. They know they should have been honest with Mother."
"Perhaps," I said. "Will they do it?"
"What will you do if they don't?" Margaletta asked.
"Would they kill me to keep me from telling the truth?"
"No," Larien said from behind me.
I turned to her. "Are you sure?”
"Yes."
I nodded and turned back to Margaletta. "Please tell me how much I hurt your negotiations."
She laughed. "Lady Yallameenara, I couldn't be more pleased with you right now. If Juleena weren't glowering at me, I'd be tempted to kiss you. You can be a hard ass when you need to be."
I laughed, some of the tension leaving me.
"You're still an amateur, of course," she said. "Stick with me for a while and you'll learn."
"I knew this trip was a bad idea," Juleena muttered.
* * * *
"Did I get you into trouble?" I asked Alta when she arrived the next day.
"Nothing I couldn't handle," she said. She laughed. "Dinner was tense."
"How about the guards?"
"I got Mother to ask Prodótar if he expected a corporal of the guard to lay hands on either of us. You've put them into a spot, you know."
"You don't seem particularly vexed about that."
Her smile faded and then she said, "I am going to say something, but I don't want it repeated outside the six of us, and I don't ever want to talk about it again."
I checked with my household. They each nodded to me, and I turned back to Alta. "Of course."
"I have limited influence over the choices my parents make," she said. "Clearly my brother has far more. I will not comment on what anyone else may have said, but from start to finish, I was against treating you with any dishonesty. I told them to tell Queen Ralalta who we thought you were. I grieve for the difficulty their choices have brought to my country, but there's a portion of me that is having fun telling them I told you so. I know that's petty."
I stepped closer to her and looked up into her eyes. "Thank you for telling me," I said. "Are you really mine while we're in the capital?"
She smiled. "Yes."
"How do you feel about that?"
"I asked. Begged, really."
"Well then. That is good. Did you have something in mind for us to do today?"
"I did. I have a surprise for you, but we need to dress to be outside. Do you have proper clothing? It is somewhat colder than you may be accustomed."
"I don't know, actually. Naddí, do we all have proper clothing?"
"Would we fail to take care of you, Lady Yallameenara?"
"And what of Larien and Terél?"
"We live here, Yalla," Terél said. "We're quite prepared."
"Well then."
* * * *
A half hour later found me staring. "Where did you get them?"
"The Hippa, as you call it," she said. "They're a little wild. No one is willing to ride them."
I turned to her. "You got them for me." I couldn't believe it. "Three mares and a stallion?"
"Yes."
"Whose idea?"
"Vérundia's," Larien said from behind me.
"Well," I said. "I don't know what to say."
"They're yours," Alta said. "Their feed and care to be paid by the crown. There is a place for them at the Heart of the Goddess, and this space here."
I moved to her, and we hugged. "Thank you," I whispered. "Am I undermining my dramatic statement yesterday by accepting?"
She laughed. "No. Consider them your due."
I nodded, and then I slipped between the rails of the fence. Alta was right. The horses were a little wild and moved to the far side of the paddock. But I whistled to them, and they stilled. Then I spoke quietly as I moved to the center of the paddock. A moment later, one of the mares nudged the stallion then began to move towards me. She approached and nuzzled my hair. A moment later, the others approached as well.
I said hello to each of them, speaking quietly for a while.
"Yalla," Terél called to me. "Is it safe to join you?"
"Slowly," I said. "And not all at once."
So Terél was first. I spoke quietly to the horses, telling them Terél was a sweet woman, and they should be kind to her. She stopped a few paces away, and the horses began to sniff towards her.
"You have treats for them," I said.
"One of the grooms slipped us each a few small carrots. They're not very good."
"These are horses of The Hippa. They would love even a poor carrot."
She was right. The carrots were poor, but I was right. The horses didn't mind. They each took their carrot, and one of the mares gave Terél a little nudge besides. And
then Larien approached, and she had her own carrots.
"No more for now," I said after she'd fed them. "Alta, do they have names?"
"Not by the time they got to us," she replied. "I'm sorry."
"They'll learn new names," I said. I turned to the first mare. "I will call this one Joy." I used the Arrlottan word, naming each of the horses after the words of the Goddess, but translated into Arrlottan. They were Joy and Trust, Gift and Serenity. Terél asked me if the names meant something, and so I told them.
"Oh, Yalla," she said. "Do you think they'd let us ride them?"
"They know different signals, and they have a lot of energy," I said. "They'll be a little wild for you."
"That was neither yes nor no," she observed.
"Alta," I called out. "Are we going somewhere a spirited horse could hurt someone?"
"The guard will clear our path," she called back. "So only the rider should be at risk."
I laughed. "Do they have saddles?"
* * * *
I put Terél atop the first mare, the one I had named Joy. Larien and Naddí took the other mares, and I got the stallion. He was just a touch big for me, but I wanted to get a feel for him before I let anyone else atop his back. Féla was left to an Altearan horse, but she and Naddí would switch in an hour.
They were definitely a little wild, and even I had a little trouble with mine. But Alta led us from the city, and slowly they settled down.
Terél and Larien had a little trouble with some of the signals, but Naddí took my short lesson to heart, and soon she looked like a natural. Terél and Larien did all right, though, and all of us easily sat a trot.
It was cold, and the fields were full of snow, deep snow. We stayed to the roads, and so I couldn't take my mount for a gallop. But I was deeply touched they had acquired these horses for me.
We didn't go anywhere in particular, but when we stopped for lunch, I said, "None of you have been home since I arrived here. Is that something we should remedy?"
They exchanged looks, then three sets of eyes settled on Larien. "For now, High Priestess, we go where you go."
"But-"
She leaned across the table and set her hand atop mine. "No, Yalla. This is our duty. There will come a time for that, but you need us, and our entire country needs you. This is the way of things."