Tiara- Part Two

by Robin Roseau

  “With work,” she repeated. “Oh, I couldn’t do it now.”

  “They’d have to extend the road this far.”

  “Yes, but they don’t need me for that, either.”

  “You have a plan?”

  “I need to see the rest of the route. And I want a better look at what we just passed, but I’m not breaking Colonel Melstie’s rules.”

  “I would yell if you tried.”

  “And you should,” she said. “We’re following their rules.”

  “Right.”

  “I’m glad we’re camping here. As soon as she gets back, I’m going to tell her what I want.”

  “If she argues with you, then you’re not doing it.”

  “I imagine a discussion, not an argument.”

  “A discussion is fine, but if she says ‘no’, it’s no.”

  “Of course, Princess.”

  “Thank you.” I grinned. “I can’t believe I’m giving you orders.”

  “Unnecessary orders,” she said. “But it’s best that everyone takes safety seriously.”

  * * * *

  It was longer than expected, but then we saw the next group. Allium and I stood up, and as soon as Colonel Melstie made it to our camp, we handed her a cup of tea, and Allium said, “I want a better look, Colonel, with Ressie and Wesla. And I’d like to spend some time in the morning. I brought some tools.”

  The two talked. I didn’t fully understand. But Melstie didn’t seem put out. “I don’t want you touching the rock with tools until we’ve gotten the mounts across.”

  “Agreed,” Allium said.

  “It would be quite inconvenient if you cause a landslide.”

  “I’ll do my best to avoid that.”

  “All right. We’re going to rope you back up then.”

  “I’m going with,” I declared. “You’re going to keep someone on safe ground, right?”

  “Yes, but you’re not qualified.”

  “I’m qualified to be roped to that person and plant my butt.”

  “That isn’t necessary,” said the Colonel. “That person will be well-secured.”

  “I’ll stay where it’s safe,” I said. “I’m going.”

  “You’ll stay where I put you, Princess.”

  “You make the rules, Colonel.”

  “All right, then.”

  They roped back up, using some of the harnesses and one of the guards. The other guards headed down the trail. We kept one with us, and she picked a stop. Colonel Melstie lashed her harness to the rocks, and then she checked everything. “Ambassador, if one of your people goes over the edge, you’re all going to go over, and you’re probably going to hang there until we get back.” She turned to me. “Your people don’t know how to pull people up. Don’t even try.”

  “We’ll stay very close to this end,” Allium replied. “Until you get back. I’m going to need to examine the entire length, Colonel.”

  “Tomorrow. The light is wrong.”

  “Agreed.”

  Melstie watched as Allium led Wesla and Ressie onto the trail. She spoke a little more, and then she headed down the trail.

  I didn’t understand anything they did. They poked at the rocks. They dug a little with their hands. They talked and gestured a lot.

  And Allium was grinning.

  * * * *

  I had trouble sleeping. We were in tents for six, and finally Valsine said, “Roll over, Darfelsa. I’ll rub your back.”

  “I’m sorry,” I whispered. But I did what she ordered, and then she pulled my nightshirt up and went to work on my back.

  Her hands were divine.

  Then she leaned over and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m scared for Allium.”

  “She’s brilliant, Darfelsa. She won’t take any risks.”

  “I’m still scared. She said they’re going to dig in the rock.”

  “Well, you need to sleep. Do you need a little practice challenge and be ordered to sleep?”

  “No. That feels nice.”

  “Who else is awake?” she asked gently.

  “I am,” said Rosaniya.

  “Give us a happy story,” Valsine said.

  “Could I talk about my First?”

  “Only the good parts.”

  “It was all good parts,” Rosaniya said. And then she talked quietly. I barely woke up when Valsine lay down, snuggling against me, but I rolled into my cousin’s arms and let her hold me, then went back to sleep.

  * * * *

  Allium was up before I was. I went looking for her and discovered she and Colonel Melstie had left camp twenty minutes previously. I found Gionna. “I’m going to the head of the... whatever that’s called.”

  “Let me be blunt, Princess,” she said. “If you leave camp, I may create an international incident, but the guards will stop you.”

  “Hey!” I complained. “I’ll follow any rules you require, but I’m going. Make it happen.”

  She growled then said, “I’m not qualified to protect you.”

  “I bet some of the guards are.”

  “You’re not actually going to follow the ledge, are you?”

  “No. But I’m going to stand at this end of it and wait for Allium.”

  “All right. Don’t move.”

  She grabbed two guards and four harnesses, and soon we were backtracking. I couldn’t see Allium and Melstie, but we waited, and then they came around the corner. They stopped here and there. I couldn’t see what Allium was doing, but she seemed very intent.

  Eventually they reached us. Gionna called me back, opening the trail, and then Melstie and Allium walked to us. “Someone looks like she was worried,” Melstie said.

  I ignored her and yanked Allium into a hug. “I’m not happy, Ambassador,” I whispered.

  “I told you yesterday what we were doing.”

  “And you did it without me.”

  “You were asleep.”

  “Wake me next time.”

  She paused. “All right. We’re not done. We’re going to get some breakfast then spend another hour or so.”

  * * * *

  I didn’t understand. They were doing things with large hammers and big chisels. Melstie watched like a hawk. And then Allium walked to me. “A couple of tricky spots, but the Ressalines already understand how to widen this.”

  “Why haven’t they, then?”

  “They haven’t seen the need.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  She shrugged.

  * * * *

  That wasn’t the worst spot. Twice, Allium asked to stay a day or two extra, and then she asked to survey a larger area. She, Wesla, and Ressie stayed up late those nights, poring over maps and their notes.

  It was early afternoon when Gionna called for a brief stop. Ahead of us was another narrow ledge, but nowhere near as bad as many of the ones we’d traversed. The Ressaline guards took the horses from us, going ahead to get the mounts through the difficult area. We didn’t make tea, but we drank water and had a small snack.

  We didn’t have to harness up, and I thought I could have ridden, but maybe it got worse when we made it around the bend in the mountain.

  And then Gionna got us moving.

  * * * *

  Ahead of me, people were coming to a stop. I could see there was yet another beautiful valley ahead, and they were looking down from the vantage point. The mounts were nowhere in sight. I stepped up next to Gionna and my jaw dropped.

  “Princess Darfelsa,” she said gently. “I would like to welcome you to Ressaline City.”

  It was beautiful. Far below us was the valley floor. There was a large meadow, a small lake, and a river. The peaks towered above us, and I saw three different long waterfalls. Ultimately, they emptied into the lake, and I thought perhaps there was a river draining out to the northeast.

  “The houses are bigger than I expected.”

  “Most of them are multi-family,” Gionna replied. She pointed. “On th
e hill. That’s the palace.”

  It wasn’t a big town, nowhere near as large as either Barrish or Charth, but it was beautiful. I could see that the town was dominated by the geography. There was a green area on the shore of the lake, with the palace overlooking the green. There appeared to be a road from the front of the palace down to the green, then it turned towards us, proceeding through the town. I couldn’t see if it joined the path down, but I would learn it did. There were houses and what were probably shops at the floor of the valley and extending into the hills, as high as seemed reasonable for the rough mountains. And I would see that the town followed up the east side of the lake, but that wasn’t visible as we descended.

  Gionna took my hand and kissed my fingers. “I can’t wait for you to meet my mother.”

  * * * *

  The descending path snaked back and forth. And we were seen. The sound of drums reached us, although the tone seemed strange. I mentioned that.

  “They aren’t drums like you’ve seen. They are large wood logs, turned sidewise. People use their hands or large hammers with the face wrapped in leather. You’ll see them.” They were beating a rhythm, but if there was some sort of melody, I didn’t detect one.

  By the time we began to reach the first of the houses, nearly at the valley floor, people were running to meet us, many of them young girls. “The princess! It’s the princess!” That cry proceeded away from us, and by the time we reached the central road, there were hundreds of people out to see us. They lined the road or hung out the windows, but they withdrew before us, allowing our troop to pass.

  Many of the people were in leather. Here and there were resin-clad slaves, but I didn’t see any in red. The younger girls wore tunics and leggings. And everyone wore boots. There wasn’t remotely the variety of color or style that I was accustomed to, but I hadn’t been expecting it.

  We followed the road, and ahead of us lay the village green. On the green, right beside the road, was a gazebo. And standing alone in the gazebo, watching us, was a woman in leather.

  Gionna looked over at me. “Mother.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “No. She’ll want a certain level of decorum.”

  And so, leading the way, with people parting before us, we made our way to the Queen of Ressaline. I studied her. She was rather unassuming in appearance, although dressed more formally than we were, her leather black but with ornate silver piping. She wore no symbol of her rank, but one presumed everyone knew who she was. Her long, black hair showed signs of grey. She wore it straight, although that wouldn’t always be the case.

  She wasn’t smiling, not even at the sight of her own daughter, gone since last autumn. Gionna didn’t seem to think anything was odd. She led us around the gazebo, the only stairs facing the green. We climbed them, Olivia and Allium joining us, the rest of our troop strung out behind us.

  Gionna and Olivia knelt. Allium stepped to my side, and we did not. If Lisdee was annoyed, she gave no sign. Behind us, everyone else knelt, but Allium and I represented my father, and so by Flarvorian rules, we were not obligated to kneel.

  Lisdee stepped forward and offered a hand each to Gionna and Olivia. They rose, and then Lisdee offered Ressaline greetings to each. I thought they whispered, but I didn’t hear the words.

  And then she stepped back and turned to Allium and me. “Well,” she said, her voice as accented as Gionna’s. I presume you are Lady Ambassador Allium Cuprite.”

  “I am, Your Majesty.”

  “And you.” She offered her first smile. “Princess Darfelsa.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Ambassador, you are not the first with your title to visit this place, but you are the first in some time. Princess, there have been other daughters of kings and queens, but they were of minor lands to our north, now claimed as part of Ressaline. You are the first of your stature to ever visit us.” She paused. “Daughter, you have brought not one prize, but two. I am very, very pleased.”

  “Thank you, Mother.”

  The queen looked past us. “But you have come with a somewhat larger group than expected.”

  “That is my fault, Queen Lisdee,” I replied. “There is a story.”

  “Which should follow introductions, and welcomes, and frankly, I wish both to be done quite formally.” But she looked past us again.

  “Queen Lisdee,” Olivia said in a low voice. “Please make no decisions regarding housing.”

  “It is complicated,” I added.

  The queen lowered her voice. “Can you explain the complication briefly?”

  “Everyone who came with me from Flarvor has had her first,” I said. “They are not entirely themselves. We brought most of the embassy staff to help care for them.”

  “And the soldiers in such interesting uniform?”

  “Flarvorian Royal guard. My guards. And still recovering from their Firsts.”

  “And that explains the number of citizens as well, then,” Lisdee said.

  “Your majesty, we do not require much space; we have been sharing beds. I would have left many behind, but they are my responsibility.”

  “Of course,” she said. “And you are one to take your duties seriously. Well, this is a small puzzle. I want complete introductions, but not here.” But she frowned.”

  “Mother,” Gionna said. “Perhaps the four of us, and certain others, should bathe and prepare for proper greetings, and then we can make arrangements for all.”

  Lisdee nodded it. “You offer to see to this, Daughter?”

  “I do, Mother.”

  “Very good. Well then. Let us proceed to the palace. We will do just that.”

  * * * *

  Bathing was not as luxurious as I had grown accustomed. Gionna apologized for that, but we made do. We dressed, our bags having preceded us. I put on my most formal day gown, and Allium had one of her own. And then Gionna helped us collect our entire troop, and we headed for the castle ballroom.

  Lisdee was already waiting, and there were perhaps two dozen other people in the room. Some were slaves, but the rest were in leather, and it was impossible to take clues from their clothing what their positions might be.

  Our entire troop, minus most of Olivia’s guards, filed into the ballroom. Four of us came to a stop, but then Gionna stepped forward and knelt to her mother. As she did, nearly everyone else in the room knelt as well. “Welcome home, Daughter. Rise.” Again, Allium and I did not.

  “Thank you, Mother,” Gionna said.

  “Olivia. Welcome home. It has been far, far too long since you have graced us.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  “I have been very, very pleased, Olivia. You have done everything you ever promised me, and then some. You saw to the problems in Charthan and integrated an entire country into our loving embrace. You solved starvation, even in the most brutal winters, and for that, the entire country forever owes you our deepest gratitude.”

  The waiting people gave a brief cheer. I wasn’t sure if there was a signal.

  “Working with my daughter, you then formed a durable friendship with our southern neighbor. You bring us important trade, growing trade. And you are now bringing us the start of economic prosperity.”

  “There is much to do, Your Majesty.”

  “I imagine there is. And now, you and Gionna bring me these two women, accompanied by so many others. Daughter, introduce us.”

  “Mother, Queen Lisdee, Ruler of all Ressaline, I present Princess Darfelsa Cinnabar, younger daughter of King Leander and Queen Ralifta of Flarvor, sister to Crown Princess Ahlianna, King’s Envoy, and Future Right Hand of the Queen.”

  I stepped forward to Gionna’s side. Lisdee stepped to me and offered a Ressaline greeting, no ear kisses. “Welcome to Ressaline City.”

  “It is quite beautiful.”

  “In its way,” she agreed. “Maybe someday, I will visit Barrish.”

  “Mother and Father would be pleased.”

  She separated. Gionna forma
lly introduced Allium, who received her greeting and some whispers.

  “I would like to be introduced to all here,” Lisdee declared.

  “Let us begin with this one,” I said. “Queen Lisdee, this woman is Valsine Sapphire, my second cousin on my mother’s side, a member of Allium’s staff.”

  They greeted, and then Valsine stepped aside.

  “And this is Shalendra Robella of Barrish, my suitor,” I said.

  “Your suitor,” Lisdee echoed. “Well, well.” But she offered a greeting, then looked into Shalendra’s eyes. “What do you think of our country, Ms. Robella?”

  “It is quite overwhelming, Your Majesty, but I have enjoyed my visit so far.”

  “You have had your First, Ms. Robella?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  “Did you find it shocking?”

  “Darfelsa explained the custom to me some months ago, and at first, I was sure she was playing a game with me. But once I warmed to the idea, I am not sure I would say shocking. Intimidating, before the fact. Overwhelming, during.”

  “I imagine so,” Lisdee replied. “And do you agree with my requirements, that all visiting Ressaline undergo this custom?”

  “I am unsure I know all your reasons, Your Majesty. But it definitely requires experiencing before one truly can understand, or so I believe.”

  Lisdee cocked her head. “And yet, that was not my question.”

  Shalendra cocked her own head, but then lowered her gaze. “I believe it is more complicated than a simple yes or no.”

  “Is it?” Lisdee asked.

  “I believe so.”

  “Explain one of these complications.”

  “I am told the policy greatly complicated visits from Ahlianna and Darfelsa. I am told the policy almost certainly ensures Queen Ralifta will never visit. The policy seems to have an effect on trade, perhaps not to Ressaline’s benefit.”

  “I would argue that if the policy didn’t exist, neither Princess Ahlianna or Princes Darfelsa would have experienced their first. I imagine you would not have, either, nor these fine soldiers I see behind you. I would argue that without experiencing this tradition, you could not possibly understand us, and would ever judge.”

  “You are right, and that is why I suggest it is complicated.”

  “And so, you admit the policy does some good?”