Summer refrained from growling. “You were clapping a moment ago.”
“I’m not native to Rizkaland,” answered Karyn. “I have slightly different standards, and I’m not immune to such a sweet, touching moment. Still, I wouldn’t try a stunt like that again until the two of you are Tied, which shouldn’t be long from now since you’ll need to be Tied before you’re crowned.”
“Thank you for the advice,” Summer said tightly.
“Perhaps you could ask for it sooner?” Karyn added. But then, before Summer could find a retort to that, Karyn gave a cry of, “What is that!” as she rushed to the tower wall facing Upper Klarand.
Summer and Tyler naturally followed her line of attention. There, swirling across the land, dark and angry, was the largest storm Summer had ever seen.
“That wasn’t there a few minutes ago, was it?” asked Tyler.
“Not that I can recall,” said Summer, shaking her head.
“It’s Amber’s work,” Karyn declared. “She loves playing with Klarand’s weather.”
“But if she’s dead…” Summer began. That was as far as she was able to get, for Karyn disappeared in another shimmering cloud.
Chapter 2
Amber awoke with her head pounding. She let out a small moan. It had been a long time since she had last felt such a sharp, enduring pain. She opened her eyes, but the light was too bright, so she squeezed them shut again.
She tried to roll over and bury her face in the pillows, away from the light, but found that someone was holding her hand – and it wasn’t Granite.
“Good morning.” It was Petra. “Well, afternoon. You’ve been asleep for a while. It was touch and go there for a few hours, but you seem to have recovered with nothing worse than a headache, and I rather think it will subside.” She paused, and Amber wondered if she expected an answer. And where was Granite? Was he…
“Richard and Reuben are in the practice hall, training,” Petra explained. “They were worrying over us too much, so I distracted them by letting Richard know how lousy Reuben is with weaponry.”
Amber frowned at the use of her husband’s real name. It was just so strange to think of him as anything other than Granite.
“I’ve already sent them a message telling them that you’re awake,” Petra finished, “but to also take their time. You and I need to talk.”
Amber could hear the bite in Petra’s voice. She bit words the same way when she didn’t like what she was about to say.
“You were supposed to kill me,” Amber forced out before Petra had to. Best to get it over with at the start.
Petra withdrew her hand from Amber’s, hesitating a long moment before she answered, “I rather believe otherwise. I was never meant to kill you because I never could. That’s why the prophecies were all so ambiguous. Because neither of us was supposed to win.”
“I deserved death for what I did. I brought the end of Lintooalintae. I suppressed freedom in two worlds. I disregarded the wishes of my husband and the orders of Alphego.”
“You killed our own sister in pure spite. I know,” Petra finished. “I have been in close examination of your memories while you were unconscious, both the ones you recorded in your library and the ones you carry within your mind.”
“The memories…”
“As I told you, destroying the scale did not destroy the mental link that it had created between us,” Petra explained. “In some ways, it’s actually stronger than the one I have with Reuben. No … stronger isn’t the right word … easier. Because we’re identical triplets, our minds are similar, so it’s easier for me to slip into yours. For instance, finding Reuben’s memories requires a certain level of intimacy, where with you, I merely need physical contact.”
“Oh.” Amber shuddered at the implications. “So you’ve…”
“I asked Richard’s permission before I dug with any depth or purpose,” Petra continued. “I searched your mind for two reasons. We weren’t sure if you were going to make it for a while. I wanted to ensure that, if it came down to it, I knew how to reverse what you did to the seasons … Richard did suggest your notes, but I had Reuben glance over them, and we couldn’t make sense of them.”
“So, you were looking for details in my mind?” Amber finished.
“Yes.” Petra took a long breath, and the air seemed to grow tighter. “The other reason … well, as you said, I should have killed you. Not because of the prophecies, but because justice demanded it. When I agreed to be the Queen of Eliue, I accepted responsibility for and to the people of Rizkaland. So as much as I’d like to let you off with no punishment – with the scale destroyed, you have a chance to turn for the better.” Petra paused and took another deep breath. “Sylvia, as far as I’m concerned, you’re forgiven, and I know Alphego has forgiven you. But for the people of Rizkaland … you’ve hurt them, especially the Klaranders. They want justice.”
“I understand,” said Amber. “Sometimes being queen means difficult decisions and placating the people even though you don’t want to give them what they demand.”
“Yes,” agreed Petra. “And the people scarcely know Reuben and me. They don’t trust us. By sparing you…”
“My death was what they expected of you, and now you’ve betrayed their trust before it was properly formed.”
“Yes.” Petra took Amber’s hand again. “I searched your memories to find the truth, the whole story, not just the lies you told yourself. I wanted your motives, your feelings … your guilt. I needed to know so that Reuben and I could decide on a fitting punishment that the people would accept.”
“Did you discover one?”
“We think so,” Petra answered. “And we have discussed it with Richard. It is, perhaps, a worse punishment than death … for you. We will take you before the people to announce it. I think they will accept it better if they see your initial reaction.”
Amber did not like the sound of that, yet she saw the sense in it.
“It was either this or I would have to paint you as a victim,” Petra continued. “And I didn’t want to do that to you.”
“No. I accept full responsibility for what I did,” said Amber. “Petra … I … killed our sister. How can you possibly forgive me?”
“Because you are my sister,” Petra answered. “You didn’t know who Sarah was. As angry as examining that memory made me, you’re still my sister.” Petra’s voice cracked, as her hold on Amber’s hand tightened. “My only sister, now. Perhaps it was selfish, but I couldn’t lose the only sister I had left. Not after I’ve been looking for you for so long.”
Amber finally forced her eyes open. The room was dimmer now. Petra must have adjusted the Erle stones, or else Amber’s eyes had adjusted to light again. Petra sat at Amber’s bedside, staring into space, a lone tear glistening on her cheek.
“I’m sorry that you couldn’t have found a better sister,” Amber whispered.
Petra turned to Amber, a small smile on her lips. “It could have been worse, Sylvia,” she answered. “You might not have had the lies of the scale to excuse yourself. I might not have discovered who you were until you had died. Sure, this isn’t ideal, and I certainly don’t look forward to explaining you to Mum and Dad when we return home, but I’m just thankful to have you back. And alive. And … real.”
Something in the way Petra spoke called Laura’s words of just a week before to mind. “No one else could remember us, could they?”
Petra shook her head. “Reuben and I were the only ones who could. It … caused some problems. Especially between Sarah and me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault! You didn’t know, and Laura only did what she had to. I … I think this is one of those times where there’s no one really at fault, so it’s best to just not worry about it.” She leaned back, a grin spreading across her face. “Stars, but I’ve been in Reuben’s head too much.”
“It’s not a bad sentiment,” said Amber. “Granite frequently makes similar remarks.
Or … he did. Do … do you often use ‘stars’ in that way?”
Petra froze, her smile falling. “No … I don’t … I guess I’ve been in your head too much too, these last few days.”
“Days?” Amber repeated.
“Our final battle was the day before yesterday,” Petra explained. “As I said, there was a bit where we weren’t sure if you were going to make it or not. You didn’t handle losing your connection to both the cloth and scale very well.”
“It’s been three days!” Amber bolted upright, and immediately regretted it, as her pounding headache amplified. She fell back against the pillow, squeezing her eyes shut again.
“Yes, but don’t panic. You still have time to appear before the people and receive my judgment,” said Petra. “Yeah, I know what you concocted for Klarand. It won’t hit critical danger for at least a few hours. Still, you should get up. You just took it too quickly there, that’s all.”
Taking Amber’s shoulder, Petra helped her back up and then put a glass of water in her hands, which Amber sipped eagerly.
“I had hoped you’d wake up sooner, though,” Petra added, as she took the glass back once it was empty. “We have to take what we can get. Come on, and let’s get you into something that doesn’t scream ‘Lady Dragon.’ We need Sylvia to stand before the people, not Amber.”
“Sylvia was a five-year-old child,” Amber pointed out. “She has been long-buried under the monster that Amber became. Even though memories came back when you said that name, there are so few, and they’re so distant…”
Petra leaned forward and laid a hand against Amber’s cheek, and Amber shrank back from the piercing gaze she usually only saw in the mirror.
“Silver,” she whispered. “That’s what Laura always called you, isn’t it? It was the closest she could come to calling you by your true name. Silver. Sylvia. Sylvia Patience Arden … wait, no, you’ve married Richard, it’d be Sylvia Patience Eaglechaser. Oh wow.” Petra leaned back. “It just occurred to me that I’m now Petra Salome Eaglechaser. Eh … well, it’s not by Earth’s tradition, and Rizkaland is a bit different. Maybe not.”
Amber managed a smile. “Sylvia Patience Arden,” she repeated. “Our mother used to call me that when I was in trouble. ‘Sylvia Patience! You’re trying my patience!’”
“The three of us were good at getting into trouble,” Petra agreed.
“Our mother…” Amber continued. “You’re the daughter of Queen Jane…” That would mean that she was as well.
Petra nodded. “I am. That’s one reason I don’t want to send you to her without me. It seems you traumatized her and her friends pretty badly once upon a time … and I think things will go better if I’m there to mediate.”
“I always knew there was something different about Jane, something familiar,” Amber continued. “She and Renee were the only ones that I didn’t turn to ice when I captured them, I told myself that it was merely because she was already fire … but to be honest, I didn’t really try.”
“She wasn’t your mother yet,” Petra pointed out. “But I do understand. Look, what I was trying to say was this: Laura called you Silver when you were good. She only called you Amber after you fell to the scale’s power, and then only when she was thoroughly angry with you.”
“She called me Silver to try to draw me back, to resume the path that I had abandoned,” said Amber, nodding. “And with the scale destroyed, I have the chance to return to that path again.”
“You do, but the name ‘Amber’ is tainted,” finished Petra. “Step firmly upon this new path, Sylvia. We’ll weather these storms.”
“Interesting choice of words.” Amber gave a small sigh.
“Richard and Reuben will be here shortly with some food for you. Let’s have you dressed before they get here. It wasn’t easy, but I managed to find a dress in your closet that wasn’t red or black.” Petra turned away and removed a bright pink dress from a chair.
Amber managed a smile. “Laura brought that as a random present a few years ago. Couldn’t imagine what possessed her to bring it, especially since my closet creates its own clothing. Still not sure how it works.”
“You needed a dress today.” Petra grinned. “Pink is still in your color range – and it’s not that ghastly pale pink that looks terrible on us.” Her eyes turned distant. “Mom color-coded us when we were kids. Your colors were reds and pinks, mine were purples, and Sarah had blue. Which meant that she mostly wore the hand-me-downs from Tyler.”
“It seems I adhered without even knowing what I was doing,” said Amber, with a shake of her head.
“One in purple, one in red,” Petra recited. “Come on, let’s get you changed.”
It didn’t take terribly long for Amber to change, as neither the dress she was wearing nor the one she was putting on were complicated. It was truly strange to be wearing such a bright, innocent color after all these years.
“Now for your hair,” Petra announced. She frowned. “When was the last time you brushed this mess?”
“Um, it has been a few weeks, perhaps months,” Amber admitted. “My mind has been otherwise occupied, and my hair is a nightmare to brush. I used to let Granite do it, but it was just so time-consuming.”
“And, also, you acquired this.” Petra held up a star. Amber hadn’t seen where she’d found it. “I believe this one is named Riliya.”
Amber nodded. “I believe so.” She took it from Petra and rolled it around in her palm – for it was a tiny star, no bigger than the nail on her smallest finger. “Can you get the scissors?”
Petra nodded as she fetched them from Amber’s dressing table, as well as a stiff brush. Without a word, she cut off Amber’s hair to her chin and brushed through what remained. It probably wasn’t the most even cut, but Amber had never worried about her hair being even. It was so frizzy, people usually couldn’t tell.
As Petra cleared away the cut hair, Amber twisted Riliya, and her hair immediately began growing. When it had reached her waist, she turned Riliya off and handed it back to Petra, who returned it and the scissors to the dressing table.
And then, as Petra returned to finish brushing the new length, Amber realized that there had been a third reason that Petra searched her mind. She had wanted to know Amber, to know Sylvia, the sister she had lost so many years before, who had lived a long life with no knowledge of who she truly was.
Petra knew Amber so very well, and Amber knew scarcely anything about Petra. She couldn’t read Petra’s mind like Petra could hers. Sixteen years had always seemed such a short breath of time, but Amber suddenly found herself intimidated by them. Where should she possibly start? She had never had to “get to know” anyone before. Granite and Laura, she had always known. Everyone else, their lives flitted away so quickly that Amber had learned to not care.
“You and Reuben care deeply for each other,” said Amber at length. It seemed to be a good common ground between them.
“I suppose we do,” Petra admitted. “We were always best friends, drawn together largely by the memories that we shared but everyone else denied. It has only been very recently that it has become something more, although we always knew that it would eventually happen. I couldn’t imagine life without him, to be honest.”
“Hopefully, you will never have to face that possibility,” said Amber, shaking her head.
Petra put a hand on Amber’s shoulder. “Would you like me to tell you about home?”
“Yes,” said Amber, “I think I should like that.”
While she talked, Petra bound Amber’s hair into two thick braids, the most innocent style she could think of. As Amber listened, a knot of homesickness tightened in her stomach. This was the childhood she might have had. The Ten and Eight had told Amber about Earth when she had met them two thousand years before, but little had Amber guessed that it was her own native world – and true family.
By the time there was a knock at the door, Amber’s hair was done, and she and Petra were just talking. “Come on in!�
�� Petra called. “She’s dressed.”
The door opened. Reuben and Granite entered. Amber’s heart hammered as Granite approached her and placed a tray of food in her hands. “Are you all right?” he whispered.
She nodded. “Mortality is going to take some getting used to.”
“It will, won’t it?” Granite agreed. “But we’re both still alive, and you’re free from the scale’s power. Life is good, isn’t it?”
“Yes…” Amber stared at her husband, studying every familiar line in his face. How many years had she looked at him and not truly seen him? How long had it been since she had lost herself in those gray eyes? How long had it been since he had smiled more than the hesitant almost-grin that he wore now?
Ignoring the food, even though she was starving, she put a hand on his cheek. “How can you possibly forgive me?”
He put his hand on her wrist, leaned forward, and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I forgave you every day. I love you.”
“I … I don’t deserve it.”
“It wasn’t you.” Granite removed her hand from his cheek and placed it on the handle of the soupspoon. “All those years, it was the dragon, not you. I knew that, and I hated the dragon, but I never lost hope that someday you might come back to me. And now you have.”
Amber obediently took a sip of the spiced soup to delay her response as the events of that last night chased themselves about in her head.
“I still let him in,” she whispered. “I could have fought, but I didn’t. I … Even to the last, even from the first, I wasn’t strong enough.”
“Neither of us were,” said Granite, fiddling with the end of one of Amber’s braids.
“None of us were.”
Amber’s head jerked at Petra’s words. She had forgotten that her sister was in the room.
“You didn’t know who you were fighting,” Petra continued, laying a hand on Amber’s shoulder. “You thought it was merely the dragon’s ghost, but … no. I saw him, Sylvia. I stood helpless and immobile before him. That was Evil itself.”
Lady Dragon, Tela Du Page 41