“Most intriguing,” said the man, shaking his head. “I’m Granite, by the by, Amber’s husband. You must be Summer.”
“Yes…”
They were in a world where the queen who looked like Petra was married to a guy who looked like Reuben? That settled it. This was a dream.
And that would explain why she had suddenly remembered a person who didn’t exist.
“And your brothers resemble me.”
“Well, a bit. I believe we’ve already discussed that.” Summer discretely pinched herself. “This is a strange world if you ask me.”
“Indeed, I’ve found that most worlds are quite strange when you first enter them,” said Granite. He smiled slightly, and at that moment, looked completely unlike her brothers. Both Reuben and Robert – and Summer herself, or so she was told – when they smiled, were so jovial that the smile overtook their face, crinkling their eyes and revealing dimples a mile deep. Granite’s smile didn’t even reach his eyes. “But then after a while, you grow used to them, and they seem like home, as though you’ve never lived anywhere else.”
“Have you lived in many worlds?”
“Amber and I have lived in three,” Granite answered. “Now, while I enjoy talking about my history, there is a serious matter at hand. I must ask that you don’t let my wife know that you’ve already met me. I was supposed to share breakfast with you, but I’m afraid that if your friend should see me, my wife will learn that I, too, share my face with another and things would not go well.”
“Why not?”
“There are great things at work, and young Petra and at least one of your brothers are caught up in the middle of the matter. The longer before Amber learns that he exists, the longer they will have to prepare for the Final War.”
“Final War?”
Granite shook his head. “I hope we’ll have another chance to talk some other time, but for now, not a word of this conversation. Lives are at stake. As her husband, I can risk her temper with impunity, but you don’t have that grace. Go join breakfast and try to enjoy yourself.”
And with that, he turned and disappeared the way he came.
Summer took a deep breath before she shoved the door open. So, things weren’t all that they seemed. Very well. She should have known that the palace life came with a few strings. Such was the way with any form of luxury.
She found that Amber, Tyler, and Laura were all already there, gathered around the table and enjoying the food.
“Ah, there you are, dear Summer,” said Amber. “I was wondering if you would ever join us. I take it you slept well?”
“Yes, I did,” said Summer. “The best sleep I’ve had in years. I must have slept in a bit. And there were so many dresses, I found it almost impossible to choose.”
“Well, you made an excellent choice. You look absolutely lovely this morning. Don’t you agree, young Tyler?”
Tyler glanced up and stared at Summer for maybe half a second, and then his eyes went right back to his food. “Um, I guess so,” he muttered.
“Well, have a seat, Summer, and partake of your share of the food,” said Amber, shaking her head slightly.
Summer obediently sat, surveying her breakfast options. She found something akin to pancakes to pile onto her plate. There wasn’t any syrup, but she did find a form of red jelly.
“My husband should be here shortly,” Amber said, at length. “He’s actually quite eager to meet the two of you. That’s a rare honor, let me assure you. He doesn’t care for people as much as I do.”
“He sounds … interesting,” said Summer. She quickly shoved a bite of pancake into her mouth.
“He is a very interesting man,” said Amber. She gave a wistful smile. “He and I don’t see eye to eye on every issue, but I honestly couldn’t imagine life without him.”
“How long have you been married?” asked Tyler.
“Around six thousand years, most of our lives, yes,” Amber answered. “And we grew up together, so I actually can’t remember a time when he wasn’t in my life, annoying me at every turn. I don’t know what I’d do without him.”
“You were dear children,” said Laura. “But then you had to grow up…”
“Children do that, I’m told,” said Amber. “Except for you. You keep going backward and reliving your life.”
Laura laughed. “Well, I have no control over that. It’s annoying at times, but it has extended my life so that I can accomplish everything set before me, so I must be grateful.”
“Indeed,” said Amber. “And my immortality has granted me the same grace.” She drummed her fingers against the table. “Where is that Granite?”
“Perhaps he lost track of time or forgot which morning you told him to join us for breakfast?” Laura suggested. “This wouldn’t be the first time.”
“But I told him just last night,” said Amber. She stood with a heavy sigh. “I’m going to go find out what happened to him. Laura, keep my guests entertained, if you will. Perhaps you can tell them the story of one of your strange adventures.”
“I’ve had quite a few of those things,” Laura acknowledged. “Perhaps I can tell them about the time that I banished you to your isle. When was that, a thousand years ago, give or take five hundred years?”
“It was a long time ago and hardly exciting,” said Amber tightly. “I’m quite certain that they don’t want to hear it.”
“Well, then it’s fortunate that I haven’t had that adventure yet, so, therefore, don’t know the details.”
“Perhaps they’d like to hear the story of that world you visited – that world where no one had ears. I personally enjoyed that one as a child,” Amber suggested.
“Yes,” said Laura. “When you were a child. Tyler and Summer are not children. Neither are you, anymore. Go retrieve your wayward husband. I shall keep your guests entertained.”
For a moment it seemed that Amber might say something in response to that, but then she turned and vanished through the door. The silence that followed was ominous, as Laura sipped her drink, rather than launching into an account of one of her “adventures.”
“I’m quite aware of your meeting with Granite in the hall just now, Summer,” Laura said, suddenly setting down her cup.
Summer gave a start, panicking as she turned to Laura. “But I…”
“Right now, Amber is perfectly clueless. Let’s keep her that way for as long as possible,” Laura continued. “This is not the proper time for Amber to learn that Petra has Reuben to stand at her side in the coming war.”
“Coming war?” Tyler repeated.
“Amber doesn’t want you to know this yet,” explained Laura, “but do you remember that hallway at the base of the tower? Did Amber tell you its name and the reason for it? Ah, that’s a dreadful hall with a dreadful history, though it pales in comparison to the Room of the Knife.”
“Um, yes,” said Summer, shifting uncomfortably at the mention of the Hall of Blood. “She did.”
“Soon, very soon, Amber and Granite must face death in the Room of the Knife. Petra and Reuben will be the ones to deliver that death.”
“Petra and Reuben?” Tyler repeated.
“And none other,” confirmed Laura. “The fact that they share their faces with Amber and Granite is a crucial detail, something that Amber knows well about Petra and would suspect immediately if she learns of Reuben’s existence.”
“And what about us?” asked Summer.
“She wishes to pry you for information, for any strengths or weaknesses that Petra possesses,” answered Laura. “Don’t lie to her. Tell her what you know, but not too readily. At least until she realizes you know the game. Then say as little as you can.”
“But…”
“Hush, I hear their steps in the hall. Summer, say nothing of having met Granite already. Tyler, try not to betray any surprise at his resemblance to Robert and Reuben.”
No sooner had she said that than the door opened. A grin pulled at the corner of Laura’s mouth as A
mber and Granite entered.
“And that’s how I convinced the Queen of Alizzina that the sky was actually blue, instead of white with blue splotches,” she declared.
Amber blinked. “I’m not sure I’ve heard that one before.”
“I don't know if I’ve told it,” Laura answered, leaning back in her chair.
“You’ll have to tell it to me later,” said Amber, tilting her head to the side. “It sounds fascinating. However, right now I present my wayward husband, Granite, who managed to confuse breakfast time with weapons training.”
“Nothing starts the day like a good hour or so of physical exercise,” said Granite, laying a sword on the table.
“Granite, these are Tyler and Summer, and of course you already know Laura,” Amber continued. She shook her head. “Dear, we’ve talked about weapons and the table.”
Chapter 7
“You have to look pretty today, Petra,” Laura announced as Petra slid out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The girl was already awake. She was perched on the chair that sat in front of the desk at Petra’s bedside and held out Petra’s glasses.
Petra blinked as she took her glasses from the girl and slid them onto her face. She frowned as the world popped into focus. “You’re bright and chipper this morning.”
Her own head was pounding.
“Yep. I slept really well last night, so I have my energy back,” Laura answered, swinging legs that weren’t quite long enough to reach the floor. “We need to find you something pretty to wear. You have to make a good first impression in Klarand, after all.”
“And they’re only going to care if I’m pretty or not?”
“Most humans don’t have the ability to measure a person’s soul with a mere glance, Petra,” said Laura, solemnly. “Instead, they’re easily distracted by a pretty face. ‘Tis a sad truth, but one we must often cater to. Besides, don’t you want to be pretty for Reuben?”
“For Reuben?” Petra rubbed her temples at the thought of him. Where had this nasty headache come from? “Kid, Reuben has seen me covered from head to toe in dirt, dressed in old paint shirts and with my hair in knots. He’s my best friend. He’s known me my whole life. I don’t need to alter my physical appearance for him.”
“You don’t need to alter it,” agreed Laura, jumping down from the chair and running over to the closet door. “And he wouldn’t want you to. He likes you the way you are. However, you’re Tied to him now, that changes a few things. Come on. Rintaya made you some absolutely gorgeous dresses. Come pick one out.”
Petra’s head was pounding too hard to argue. She followed Laura into the closet which was also quite a bit larger than the one she had at home. There were only eleven dresses hanging inside, and they weren’t even all hung together, which gave the enormous closet an aura of desolation.
“Well,” Petra mumbled, glancing from one dress to another. “At least my choices are narrowed down for me.”
“Rintaya only had a week to prepare for your return,” Laura pointed out. “Even with her gift, she still had to do everything on her own. Hurry! Pick something!”
Not feeling like saying anything about that, Petra took a deep breath and surveyed her options. All eleven of the dresses were purple, they were in varying degrees of practicality and fanciness, and they were all a good deal nicer than the one Rintaya had provided her with the day – or week – before. She strongly suspected that Laura wouldn’t let her choose the simplest one, which was the one she wanted. At last, she shrugged. “Choose one for me.”
Laura grinned, ran over, and tugged on one’s hem. To Petra’s relief, it wasn’t the fanciest one in the closet. “You also have to portray yourself as something of a warrior today,” Laura explained as Petra removed it from the hanger. “You are expected to fight Amber, after all.”
“Yes,” said Petra, “that I am.” She changed quickly from her nightgown to this new dress, still not in the spirit to argue. That she would fight Amber seemed to be a fact that wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.
“Now for your hair,” Laura announced, holding up a brush. “Since they haven’t a proper maid for you, I’ll fill that position this morning. Sit down at the vanity.”
Petra raised an eyebrow. “I don’t need a maid.”
“You are the future queen of Rizkaland,” said Laura. “Today, you’re going to appear before people. I’ve let you dress yourself, now let me do your hair.”
“I can fix my own hair quite fine, thank you,” said Petra, holding out a hand for the brush.
“Petra, please don’t argue,” said Laura, shaking her head with large, pleading eyes as she put the brush behind her back. “I know this isn’t what you’re used to, but this is how things are done here in Rizkaland. I … I know how you’d do your hair if I let you do it, but today is special.”
Petra sighed and approached the vanity table. She’d never been good at arguing long with Alyce. “Very well, but be quick.”
“I’ve done your hair before,” Laura answered. “Don’t worry. I know how to do it the way Reuben likes best.”
Petra froze mid-way through sitting down. “Wait, what?”
“Sit!” Laura whispered, and the room shook with the force of the word. Petra sat automatically. Laura followed it with a panicked, “Sorry! I – I didn’t mean to use my Voice. I know I’m not supposed to use it on you! But, but it just came out! I’m so, so sorry!”
“Just get my hair done,” said Petra, deciding that there was no point in freaking out over yet another strange ability that the girl displayed.
As Petra feared, Laura did not give her the simple braid that she normally wore. In fact, most of her hair was down, loose, and just ready to turn into a tangled mess. The front part was pulled out of her face with a small braid, however, so she could be thankful for that tiny miracle.
Then before Petra could protest, Laura gave her a necklace and a pair of earrings, both of which matched her ring perfectly.
“Now you can go make sure Reuben is awake,” Laura announced. “Because he probably isn’t. He doesn’t have an alarm clock to wake him here, and you know how he is.”
“All too well,” said Petra, closing her eyes as her headache made a painful stab. “So why didn’t you wake him while you were waiting for me?”
“I thought you would want to have that honor,” Laura answered. “Besides, I think he’d prefer your face to mine.”
“Oh, I can assure you he would,” Petra answered, standing up. She sighed heavily as she trudged over to the connecting door which she’d been thrilled to discover could be locked and unlocked it.
Reuben was indeed still asleep, tangled up in his blankets, snoring loudly. Her headache stabbed again as she approached his bed. “Reuben!” she growled, laying a hand on his shoulder to shake him.
With that touch, however, her vision blurred and she stood in a dark, rather ethereal forest, deafening with its silence. A moment later, Reuben ran past her, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her behind him. They ran and ran. Time blurred, and they didn’t grow tired.
At last, they burst from the woods into a very bright, yet still very unreal field. Reuben finally stopped running and turned to face her, sliding a hand around her waist. He said nothing but pulled her close. Panic shot through her as she realized that he meant to kiss her.
Reuben! she cried mentally, as she found herself incapable of actual speech here.
He paused, drawing back, and the field shattered, leaving them in pure blackness.
Petra? Is that you?
Yes, it is. The real me. I came to wake you up, but it seems I fell into your dream instead. Wake up, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us.
Oh. Yes. Right!
She gave the mental equivalent of an exasperated sigh as she withdrew from his subconscious, pulling him along with her. She was relieved when reality returned to her vision, and she saw him blinking awake.
“Good morning,” she said, removing her hand from his shoulder as he started e
xtracting himself from his bedding. “That was very … interesting.”
“Um, sorry?” said he, pausing to give her a sheepish grin. “I didn’t realize that was the real you until you said something. Ugh, and now I’ve gone and forgotten most of the dream. I think I was looking for you in a forest and had to save you from … something. It might have been a rabbit.”
“Well, I was in a forest, and you did ‘save’ me,” said Petra, frowning. “I can’t verify the ‘rabbit,’ though.”
“Eh, it’s not really an issue,” he answered, shrugging. “Actually, I remember everything after you showed up quite clearly. It’s most interesting. I’m so sorry about the … almost-kiss though. Usually when I’m dreaming … it’s a dream?”
“Are you saying that you frequently have dreams about me of that nature?” Petra asked, raising an eyebrow.
Reuben put up his hands. “Maybe? I’m sorry! They’re dreams. I can’t control dreams! I love you, Petra.”
She shook her head. He was only sorry that he didn’t get to finish the kiss – she knew that beyond a doubt. “Go ahead and confirm what I already know. I’m going back to my room. You have fifteen minutes to be dressed. Dress nicely, we’re going to Klarand, and we supposedly have to make a good first impression.”
“Is that why you’re so pretty this morning?” asked Reuben.
Petra chose not to dignify that with an answer. Instead, she closed and locked the door between their rooms, with her on the other side.
“He’s awake,” she informed Laura as she sat down at the desk to examine the contents. “And for the record, that was one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me.”
“You’ll get used to it,” said Laura, giggling. “Now, you stay here and wait for him. I’ll see the two of you at breakfast.” With that, she ran out of the room.
The contents of her desk proved to be a tall stack of paper, so she selected a sheet and amused herself by drawing a rabbit with her staff-pencil. Her mind was still reeling from the experience with Reuben’s dream, and she felt traces of the euphoric rush she’d come out of his head with the night before. But … her head wasn’t pounding anymore.
Lady Dragon, Tela Du Page 24