Brightly Woven

by Alexandra Bracken

  He sighed. “I understand. But I’m coming back for you right away, you hear? Don’t do anything to get yourself hurt; I’d never forgive myself.” He turned quickly, fading into the shadows.

  The queen waited by the door to her chambers, still pale and trembling. I came to stand by her side, looping my arm through hers.

  “What was it that you needed to speak to me about?” I asked loudly. “What could you possibly have to say to me after everything that’s happened?”

  The queen cleared her throat. “I hope you don’t expect me to apologize. I will always do what’s in the best interest of my kingdom.”

  She pulled open the door, continuing, “You were a necessary part of gaining a peaceful resolution.”

  “There was nothing peaceful about it,” I said, my eyes scanning the darkness. There wasn’t a part of the room that hadn’t been upturned. Her former Wizard Guard were piled one on top of the other near the window. I couldn’t tell if they were unconscious or dead, but the torn draperies, burned carpet, and sprays of blood across the walls seemed to indicate the latter.

  “Do you not like the way I’ve redecorated?” Dorwan’s voice floated around us, but he was nowhere to be seen. Another one of his tricks.

  “I’m sorry,” the queen said, and I could see she meant it. “He came just before you got back, demanding that I fetch you. I had no choice; he would have killed the guards and myself.”

  So they were alive, then. It seemed a strange show of mercy from an otherwise ruthless wizard.

  “Come out, you coward,” I called, stepping in front of the queen. “I should have known your ugly face would show up the moment North and the others left.”

  “Some call it cowardice; others, intelligence,” he said. “I hope you didn’t think that little stunt you pulled on the mountain would be enough to kill a wizard as powerful as I.”

  “A roach can survive anything, apparently,” I said.

  Dorwan stepped out from the queen’s bedroom, dressed in the black uniform of the Wizard Guard. In his fist was his dagger with its long, braided string of blue. He spun the cord around casually, the dagger slicing through the air in a wide arc.

  “Why didn’t you save the king of Auster?” I asked. “By letting him die, you’ve ruined your own plan.”

  “We’ll see about that,” he said, his scarred face turned toward the queen.

  “I want you out of my kingdom,” she said. “I am willing to consider your terms, as long as they do not involve harming my subjects.” I didn’t miss the way her hand reached back for the door. Dorwan did not miss it, either. He threw his talisman down with a harsh laugh, and a vein of ice sprang up, racing toward the door. The queen and I leapt apart, watching as a thick layer of ice overcame the door and froze it shut. Queen Eglantine looked at me in alarm.

  “That’ll keep our other friend occupied when he returns,” Dorwan said, picking up the knife. “Now, Sydelle, on to more important things.”

  The queen lunged to her left, picking up one of the overturned chairs and throwing it at him with all her might. Dorwan ducked before it could hit him, but I used the distraction to grab at one of the ornamental swords on the wall. I wrenched and pulled at the hilt, but the ancient thing had been hammered into place.

  Before I could take another step, a blast of water slammed into both the queen and me, knocking us back against the door. My forehead collided with the sharp edge of the doorknob, and it was enough to stun me for a moment.

  I turned, searching until I found the queen a short distance away. She was on the ground, unmoving. Her dress was pooled around her, and for a moment I wasn’t sure if she was alive at all until I saw her breathe.

  I pulled myself up onto my knees, but Dorwan was just as quick to knock me back down.

  “You still have such spirit,” he said, laughing. “It breaks my heart.”

  “As if it hasn’t already shriveled up,” I said. I rolled onto my side, trying to ignore the sharp pain in my head. He knelt on me, forcing the air from my chest. I tried to push him off, but it was like trying to move a stone wall.

  “You let them suppress your magic, didn’t you?” Dorwan’s eyes narrowed. “Why is it so difficult for you to understand that power is a blessing? Why do you let them make you feel ashamed of it?”

  His fingers traced the length of my arm, a disturbingly gentle act, until they came to rest on my wrist. His eyes flashed in recognition and I felt, rather than saw, his fingers seize the thin metal.

  “Take it off,” I dared him. “I can control my magic with or without it.”

  Dorwan tightened his hand around my wrist until the pain was nearly excruciating. “Take it off and give you the chance to use your magic? Nice try.”

  The dagger slid deeply, unexpectedly, against the length of my arm, from elbow to wrist. I opened my mouth to release a scream of pain, but he pressed his hand firmly against my mouth.

  “You asked me why I didn’t save the king?” Dorwan said. “It occurred to me that if I had your power, it really wouldn’t matter if they invaded or not. I’m tired of waiting for things to fall into place. I’ll be more than capable of ruining this kingdom with your blood.”

  He pulled a flask from his side, twisting the top open methodically and placing it near the dagger. Dorwan was silent for a moment, bringing one of his bloodstained gloves up to my eyes. He licked the tip of its thumb. “Red, the color of life, of passion. You wear it so well.”

  Dorwan cut into my arm again, this time a little lower. The warmth trickled down the length of my arm, collecting in the gaping mouth of the flask.

  “You won’t win,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “I already have, Sydelle,” Dorwan said softly. “Everyone above us will be overrun and torn—augh!” An unexpected crack sounded, cutting his words short.

  The queen stood with one of the fireplace pokers in her hands. The tip of it had broken off in her strike and landed near my face. Her shoulders heaved as she took in deep gulps of air.

  “What a vile, horrible man!” she cried, still holding the black metal rod, as if waiting to strike him again. “Did I kill him?”

  I crawled closer to Dorwan’s prone form and, to my great disappointment, found him still breathing. I shook my head, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

  Before either of us could do anything, the doors to the chamber burst open with a cloud of fire. I shielded my eyes from the intense light and heat.

  “Lass!” Owain appeared out of the cloud of dark smoke, sword in hand. He coughed, waving a hand to clear away the smoke.

  “We’re here!” I called, and he rushed toward us.

  A group of two dozen wizards flooded into the room. Owain knelt beside me. He pulled off his leather glove to hold against my wound, but it did little to staunch the flow of blood.

  I’m in a room full of wizards, I thought, and none of them have even looked my way. North’s bracelet really was a gift.

  “What are you doing standing there like gaping idiots?” the queen shouted. “Someone take this man and throw him in the dungeons! If he’s alive, make sure there are at least ten men on him at all times. Are you out of your minds with shock or stupidity? For goodness’ sake, someone get the healers! If she or any of my guards bleed to death, it’ll all be on your heads!”

  It might have been exhaustion or the loss of blood, but I let out a laugh. Queen Eglantine turned toward Owain and me.

  “And who says these wizards are invincible foes?” she asked.

  “You made quick work of him,” Owain noted in approval. “Cracked him on the head. Good girl.”

  I watched as Dorwan was carried from the room, bound and gagged even in his unconscious state, and for the first time in weeks, I felt safe.

  A small group of healers appeared at the door a few moments later. Most of them attended to the wizards that Dorwan had attacked, but one, an elderly gentleman, went straight for the queen.

  “She’s the one bleeding, not me!” Queen Eglan
tine sighed. “Honestly!”

  The healer went to work immediately, cleaning my cuts as best he could. “I’ll have to stitch these,” he said, glancing up at me through his spectacles. “It’ll hurt something fierce.”

  I must have made a face because Owain suddenly slapped his hand on his knee and said, “Lass! Have I ever told you the story of Vesta’s glorious birth? It started on a cloudy fall day, several years back….”

  It was enough to distract me from the needle, but I wasn’t sure which was worse.

  “—and it felt like coming home, lass, such a beautiful moment.” He finished at the same time as the healer.

  Meanwhile, Queen Eglantine was deep in conversation with two wizards. Finally, she glanced my way.

  “Sydelle,” she said, coming over to me. The two wizards trailed her like dogs. “I’m curious. Is this the same wizard who was involved with the king’s death?”

  “Both kings,” I said. “He was the one who poisoned your husband, but he was also with me in Auster.”

  “A king slayer,” Queen Eglantine said. “I don’t think there’s a punishment worthy of that crime.”

  The idea came so suddenly that I sat straight up. “I can think of something, though you might not relish losing your chance to punish him.”

  “I don’t follow you,” the queen said.

  “Write to the Sorceress Imperial—no, write to her son,” I said as the healer finished bandaging my arm. “Tell them that you have the man responsible for killing Auster’s king, and they can punish him as they see fit. Trade him for peace between the kingdoms. That’ll be retribution enough for Dorwan.”

  Queen Eglantine favored me with a brilliant smile. “I like the way you think.”

  When the message was written, she waved one of the wizards over.

  “No,” I said quickly. “Queen Eglantine, you have no better messenger than this man right here.”

  Owain leapt to his feet. “Lass—”

  “It’s true,” I continued. “Let him take the letter to the port, at least. Have you heard of his horse, Vesta? There’s no faster girl around.”

  Queen Eglantine smiled and seemed to understand me perfectly. “I’ve been in need of a new messenger. Are you someone I can trust, sir?”

  “Your Majesty,” Owain said, dropping into a clumsy bow. “There is no man and horse more faithful or willing to serve.”

  “Then I’ll have you,” she said. “I’d like you to take the letter to Auster yourself, to make sure it reaches Wayland North’s hands directly—not the Sorceress Imperial’s. If she protests this move, remind her whom she serves.”

  Owain’s smile faltered. “But I made a promise to protect this one right here. Can’t go back on that oath.”

  He rested a hand on top of my head, and the queen let out a laugh.

  “I think she’s proven to be more than capable of taking care of herself, don’t you?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  I rested, I ate, I rested again—for the next five days, I did little but sleep. There were times I woke in the middle of the night, surprised to find myself in a large, soft bed instead of on the hard ground. If I hadn’t the scars to prove otherwise, it might have all been a dream.

  I thought of Cliffton often, even as I walked through Provincia’s crowded markets—not with that old, sharp sense of longing but with sadness and curiosity. Had the soldiers been called back? What did the valley look like now? Was it spotted with every shade of green imaginable? Had it rained since I had been gone?

  I wrote a letter to my mother and father. I told them about Auster’s king, about the possibility of peace, but I kept the rest of the story close to my heart. I signed with, I’ll see you soon, and wondered if there was any truth in that. I had told Henry that I didn’t want to return with him, but going back to Cliffton didn’t necessarily mean returning to the way things were, did it? Maybe I needed to go back, to truly close that chapter, before I could move forward.

  Henry was doing exactly what I expected: packing. He and the rest of the delegates were staying in small chambers just off the castle’s courtyard. The doors along the corridor were open, and men of all ages milled in and out of one another’s rooms, laughing and chattering like they were having a grand party. They barely acknowledged me, even as I ducked my head into each room, looking for a familiar mop of brown hair.

  Henry’s room was the last door on the left, well past the rooms of the older men. I stood in the doorway, watching as he folded his trousers and shirts. They were new, I realized. He probably hadn’t been able to escape from Cliffton with much.

  “Are you just going to stand there?” he asked, not turning around. “You can come in. I won’t bite.”

  “I seem to remember your biting me when we were seven,” I said lightly.

  Henry turned around, a faint smile on his lips. “You shouldn’t have stolen my apple if you weren’t prepared to face the consequences.”

  We stared at each other for a moment, until I looked away.

  “I heard what happened with the queen,” he said calmly. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “It wasn’t anything to be concerned about.”

  He snorted. “I suppose this is the life you’ve chosen for yourself, then. One of danger and magic and handsome wizards…”

  I looked down at my hands.

  “It’s all right,” Henry continued. “I mean, I understand. Why would you want a dismal little desert when you can have the world?”

  “You knew I always wanted to leave Cliffton,” I said. “I talked about it for years.”

  “Yes, but I always thought I would go with you,” he said. “And I don’t think you’d still have me.”

  What could I say to that? It broke my heart, but it was the truth, and we both knew it.

  “You mean the world to me,” I said. I reached for his hand, but he pulled away.

  “But I’m not your world, and I’ll never be,” Henry replied. “I wanted to…make a life with you. Raise a family. Grow old. I want you to know the truth because I love you, and that won’t ever change.”

  Henry snapped the lid shut on his trunk and dragged it onto the floor.

  “I love you, too, Henry,” I said. “But I can’t give you what you deserve.”

  He blew out a long sigh, running a hand through his hair.

  I pressed a hand against my heart, and a part of me still felt like crying. “What will you do next?”

  “Go back to Cliffton, help Father with the fields until I clear my head,” Henry said. “I’m not much for politics, but if your father asked me to, I would take his place here. It’s important work, you know? I got to cast Cliffton’s vote to allow the queen to hold on to her title. I thought that would make you happy.”

  “It does,” I said. “By the way everyone talked about her at home, I thought she’d be a pretty face and little more, but she’s…”

  “A bit of a lion heart,” Henry finished. “I don’t think the wizard leaders will be too happy with her when they find out she’s taking back a generous portion of their power. From what I understand, the Sorceress Imperial will have to pass everything through her and give the queen final say.”

  I opened my mouth, but a distant roar of applause and cheers stole the words from my mouth. I turned toward the sound of it, wondering—

  “We heard the news this morning,” Henry said. “They were successful in getting Auster to sign the treaty, though I don’t think we’re in a better position than before. The brother of Auster’s queen has assumed the throne, and from what I understand, he’s a ruthless piece of work.”

  And we had sent Dorwan to receive whatever punishment the new king saw fit. What that meant for Dorwan, I wasn’t sure, but I knew I wouldn’t feel completely safe until word arrived that he was dead. There was still the chance that he could escape or somehow gain the ear of the new king….

  I didn’t want to think about it, not when there was so much to celebrate.

&nb
sp; “Are they really back?” I asked. Henry nodded. Trumpets sounded, announcing the queen’s presence, and the cheers from the courtyard grew louder.

  “I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Henry said. “Well, go on, hail the conquering heroes and all that. If you get bored of this life of adventure, stop by Cliffton and say hello to the simple folk.”

  “Of course,” I said. I wrapped my arms around him, but it was nothing like our past embraces. “Will you tell my parents that I love and miss them very much?”

  Henry nodded. “Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you out.”

  I lost Henry’s shape in the crowds as I pushed my way through the cheering masses, trying to squeeze my way up front.

  The queen stood at the top of the marble staircase, wearing her ceremonial purple robes. She was surrounded by human ambassadors and advisors, while all of the wizards were on the ground below, holding back the crowds. Banners and flags had been strung up around the courtyard.

  I glanced up at the queen, surprised to find her eyes fixed on me. She gave me a little nod of acknowledgment, but just as quickly her attention was drawn back to the courtyard, where the first horses appeared, as the crowd exploded in applause.

  The Sorceress Imperial led the procession, followed closely by Oliver and several members of the Wizard Guard I didn’t recognize, but not the one wizard I was looking for.

  He and Owain were at the very end of the procession, chuckling about something as they guided their horses forward. Owain idly stroked Vesta’s mane; his own hair, remarkably, looked as if it had been brushed and tied back. North was still in his leather armor, and the cloak I made for him was spread out over his shoulders. There was color in his face, and a smile that stretched from ear to ear when he observed the crowds. With the sun shining directly on him, North was happy and, for the first time, receiving the recognition he deserved.

  I watched his eyes cast out over the crowds and took a careful step back. I didn’t want anything to interrupt this moment for him.