Her throat seemed to swell as she tried to say something. “I don’t want to study with Lira any longer,” she finally said.
He looked at her, and a bemused smile crossed his face. “I’ve heard you don’t always agree with her methods.”
Eris shook her head. “It’s not that. I don’t think we know—”
“You won’t convince your mother to let you out of your studies, so you might as well stop trying.”
Eris swallowed and fell silent. Even her father wouldn’t listen.
Her father took her silence as assent and they started into the chapel.
A harpist played near the altar. Desia knelt before the High Priestess who would oversee the ceremony. People from all over the realm filled the benches--some she recognized, others she did not. She made a point of not looking at any faces. Sentries were stationed at the end of each row, either as an honorary guard or as protection. They stared straight ahead, hands on hilts. When Eris reached the altar, her father kissed her on the cheek and released her from his arm. She slid toward Desia and knelt alongside her.
Jacen stood off to the side, dressed in the royal navy and green silks. She hadn’t seen much of him since his return from the north, just heard rumors of what had happened. The dark hollows under his eyes were new, and he seemed gaunter than before. His long hair had lost some of its luster. He made a point of not meeting anyone’s eyes.
Eris hated how he looked and wondered how much of what happened was Lira’s fault. She’d seen her slip flowers into his satchel before he left. At the time it meant nothing to Eris, just another oddity of the Mistress of Flowers. Now she wondered. Had she targeted Jacen?
If only her parents would listen. But bringing it up to her father had only irritated him. And her mother—Eris looked to where the queen stood, flowers woven into her hair—she’d hear nothing against Lira. Especially from Eris.
Eris watched Lira during the first part of the ceremony. A band of flowers circled her neck, each brightly colored. Her lips moved in time with the priestess, as if saying words too soft to hear. To Eris, it seemed the color faded from her flowers as she went on.
Adrick stood near where her father would stand. His face appeared more reddened than usual, and his eyes were tight. He tried to make it look like he watched the ceremony, but Eris couldn’t help noticing how he fixed on Lira out of the corner of his eyes.
Eris spent the rest of the ceremony looking from Lira to Adrick. The ceremony itself passed in a blur. Ferisa and Desia kneeling on either side. Jasi entering at one point, her father leading her proudly toward the priestess. Then Petra with his parents flanking him, dressed in a sand-colored wrapping. Another wrapping twisted around his head, almost obscuring his eyes.
When they reached the altar, the priestess went through the motions of the ceremony. Eris lost focus as Jasi and Petra said their vows to each other. And then the ceremony concluded, the priestess leading Jasi and Petra from the chapel to stand under the rising moon to speak their promise to the Sacred Mother.
Finally, Eris stood. Her parents made their way toward the back of the chapel. Adrick followed close behind, leaning on his silver staff. An older man in a flowing, crimson-colored robe stood prepared to follow behind. Completely bald and deeply tanned, he looked even more leathery than Adrick. A deep frown wrinkled his cheeks and black eyes scanned the chapel before settling on Eris and her sisters. Eventually, his gaze drifted to Lira.
Eris wished she understood what was happening between Lira and the magi. Her father sided with Adrick, and her mother clearly supported Lira. But if the magi were right, then Lira aided the north. Varden. And Jacen had barely survived his time in the north.
She suppressed a sigh, wishing she knew more. But knowing more wasn’t her place, if she even had one.
Chapter 14
The next few days passed in a blur. There was music and feasting and chaos throughout the palace for three days. And then it ended, the people departing, leaving the palace cast in a strange pall as Jasi and the delegation from Saffra departed while Tholen organized an assault on Varden.
“I will miss you,” Eris said.
They stood in the garden, looking out over the flowers. Jasi had come to see the garden one more time before leaving Eliara. She stood dressed in a deep red dress, a yellow stone now stuck to her forehead in the style of Saffra. A hint of sadness edged her eyes.
“You won’t. You’re glad to get rid of me.”
“Not really. That leaves only Desia before me.”
Jasi turned and looked at her with an amused expression. “Please try to do what Lira asks of you.”
Eris didn’t answer. Instead, she nodded. How could Eris explain her fear of what Lira intended?
“Mother wants all of us to find happiness. I think seeing you succeed with Lira would bring her much joy.”
Though she didn’t say it, Eris grasped the unspoken comment. With Jasi leaving. “Will Lira be coming with you?” she asked.
“Not at first,” Jasi answered. “The storm affected her more than she lets on. And you know how much damage the garden took. I think she’ll need some time to rebuild before she comes for a visit. By then, I should have time to begin my own garden.”
Her own garden? A shiver worked through her. Did that mean Lira hoped to push her influence to the south and into Saffra? Would she use Jasi for that? And what of Desia when it was her turn to marry?
“With parisals?”
Jasi didn’t take the bait. “I have learned much about flowers from Lira. She even lent me a book on desert flowers which might be useful in Saffra. Quite an impressive book. The detail of the diagrams is nothing like I’ve ever seen.”
A Feliran book, Eris suspected. Much like the shade plants she’d found. But while Eris had to steal the book from Lira to have the chance to read it, Lira simply gave it to Jasi.
“I’m sure your garden will be lovely. I hope Petra appreciates what you have learned.”
Jasi’s face clouded briefly before clearing. “He finds this garden to be a bit…ostentatious. Perhaps coming from Saffra, it is. That’s why I think Lira’s suggestion of focusing on desert flowers will be better. I wouldn’t want to come with too many changes and have him rebuke me.”
Eris looked at her sister and realized Jasi felt even more anxious than she. Jasi was leaving the only home she’d ever known, traveling to a foreign land, and expected to eventually become queen. How scared must she be?
Yet, standing dressed in a gown made of bolder colors than any Jasi would ever choose on her own, Eris couldn’t help but think how lovely she looked. Her golden hair caught the sunlight and practically glowed. Her cheeks were painted with just enough rose to give them a pleasing blush. Even the way she stood looked regal. As much as Jasi might fear it, she had been raised for this moment. She would make a perfect queen.
Not like Eris. Ever closer to whatever fate she’d face, she didn’t think she was raised for anything like Jasi. Or even Desia. Both of her older sisters carried themselves with dignity she couldn’t replicate. And baby Ferisa, already pleasing the Sacred Mother. It was increasingly clear that Eris had no place.
“Jasi,” she began, “you will be the perfect Queen of Saffra someday.”
Jasi smiled. She leaned toward Eris and gave her a small hug.
Chapter 15
Terran shook his head as Eris asked the question, not even letting her finish. “No, my lady. I won’t let you go to the Svanth Forest. And you shouldn’t even be asking, considering all of your father’s men are marching north.”
“Won’t let me?” she asked. It was not the response she had expected. She’d thought she might have to convince him to accompany her—had looked forward to the idea, if she was being honest with herself—and might even have to coax him a little, but adamant refusal? After Jasi had left, she’d decided she couldn’t just wait around any longer. She needed to see what Lira hid from her about the flower. She might not have a place, but that didn’t mean she co
uldn’t still be useful.
They stood near the edge of the garden. Eris had found him working, hands buried in soil as he continued work on repairing the storm damage. Terran had smiled as she approached, probably thinking she wanted to play their game of finding unusual flowers. At first she’d agreed, uncertain how to present her offer to him. So far today he’d managed to show her three flowers she suspected would have impressed Lira had she brought them to her before finding the teary star. Why hadn’t she met Terran before?
The sun was up, high and hot today, but thick clouds pushed in from the west. In the shade along the edge of the garden, cooler air still smelled of the gentle rain they had received last night. Each day since the heavy storm had been the same. The threat of rain hung over the otherwise clear skies during the daytime. At night, the rain came, sometimes fast and heavy, other times soft and gentle. There had not been the same ferocity as during the initial storm, but Eris imagined Lira battling with the Conclave to keep the skies clear, before finally relenting and relaxing at night.
After Jasi left, everything felt off. Desia and Ferisa remained tied up in classes with Lira. Jacen still hadn’t returned from escorting Jasi to the borders of Eliara, though she wondered how much of that had to do with him simply taking his time in returning. And she still had not found anything in the library. The book she’d pilfered from Lira’s room was mostly an index of shade flowers. She patted a pocket hidden in the folds of her long brown dress where she’d hidden the book. Somehow she would have to return it to Lira.
“My lady,” Terran said, having the decency to at least look ashamed. “It would not be proper for me to escort you out of the city. You would need a full guard and the king’s permission. And after the wedding, there is no way the king will allow—”
“I should think I would know what I need, Terran,” she said, jabbing him in the chest with her finger.
He took a step away, holding his hands out in front of him and shaking his head. “You know I can’t do this, Eris,” he whispered. Even now, he struggled with saying her name aloud, as if doing so would get him into trouble.
“Why not, Terran? You told me you came from the northlands. Lanerth, I believe?”
Terran nodded carefully. “Lanerth is not the Svanth Forest.”
Eris smiled. Finally the studies her parents forced on her would have some use. “Lanerth is on the western edge of the Svanth. I would imagine anyone raised in Lanerth would have familiarity with the forest. At the least, he would be able to lead me to the forest, but he probably knows how to navigate the woods as well.”
Terran closed his eyes, a pained expression turning his mouth. He shook his head and wiped his hands roughly on his sleeves. “You don’t need a guide to reach the forest, Eris. You could follow the Kingsroad.”
“The Kingsroad does not lead into the forest.”
Terran sighed, opening his eyes to look at her with an expression that seemed to beg her to do anything else. “The Svanth is not safe for you. There are things there—”
“You think I cannot manage in the forest?” she asked angrily. That might be worse than simply refusing to accompany her.
Terran shook his head and then grabbed her sleeve as he ducked behind one of the larger planters. Eris glanced back. Master Nels checked on a bed of camogines, pulling their long narrow petals out to examine them before letting the petals roll back into place. Nels saw them standing near the planter and frowned.
Did it anger Nels how she bothered Terran? For an assistant gardener, he was quite knowledgeable and seemed to truly enjoy what he did, especially sharing what he learned. Most times, Eris enjoyed how Terran worked as they talked, especially with as much as he’d already shown her. He made a point of talking her through what he did as he checked the soil for dampness, looked for pests on the flowers or stalks, or simply shuffled arrangements around. Lately, there had been a lot of simply moving flowers as Lira’s new arrangement took shape.
“I know you can manage.” Terran leaned toward the nearest bed of flowers. Confident hands parted the stalks, prying them so he could see down to the soil where he squinted, fingers working in the dirt. He pulled up a pinch of soil and sighed. “There are things other than plants in the forest. Animals who call it home. They are not always welcoming of intruders.”
Eris laughed, and Terran looked over, offended. “My father’s men hunt near the Svanth. I have seen what they bring back. Boars and deer mostly.”
Terran spun the long narrow flowerbed away from the others, setting it in the middle of the path. “There’s a significant difference between hunting in the Svanth and hunting near it, my lady,” he said, dipping his finger into the soil of the next bed. He seemed satisfied with what he saw and left the box alone. “The boars and deer your father’s men capture have usually fled from something else.”
She laughed again. “My aunt used to tell me tales like that when I was younger. Stories of ancient and ferocious creatures at the heart of the old growth trees, places men weren’t allowed to visit for fear of what might befall them.” She didn’t think about her Aunt Rochelle often—doing so was difficult since her death—but had loved listening to her spin tales of magical places and strange creatures. Even then Eris knew they were too impossible to exist.
“Your aunt sounds wise.”
Eris shrugged. That wasn’t the word others usually used to describe Rochelle.
They walked along the outer wall and neared where she’d first found the teary star. Every time they came close to this part of the garden, she paused and looked up, hoping that the bed might have returned to the garden and she might find the vine draping down, the strange braided tendrils twisting together as it worked its way out of the wooden box. Each time she felt disappointed to see nothing more than the spicy-scented hopis vine. Today was no different than any other.
With the heavy rains, the vines had flourished. Long, thin creepers clung to the stone as they grew wildly along the wall. Small buds of green and yellow, little more than the size of the nail on her small finger, popped where the vines branched. Nearer the base of the box, a few buds were thicker and almost threatened to flower.
Terran continued to work, looking at the plants and then checking the soil before moving to the next one. Eris watched him, curious what he did.
“My mother always said my aunt was troubled,” she said. Thinking of her aunt brought memories of a different time, before Lira had come and built her gardens and separated her from her sisters.
Terran looked over at her.
“I look much like her, I have been told. I suppose that means I’m troubled as well.”
“You’re not troubled, but I can’t decide if you are trouble. Especially if you think I’m going to take you to the forest.”
Eris smiled at the gentle teasing. Perhaps the idea of leaving the city and heading to the forest had been a bit rash, especially if staying meant she might have more time with Terran.
She shook the thought away. She couldn’t have such thoughts, not with what her father had planned for her. Like Jasi, she would be used for political gain, regardless of what she might want.
“What are you doing?” she asked, after he had pinched another clump of dirt and held it up to his face. He sniffed it before shaking his head and taking the bed and setting it out on the path with a grunt. “And can I help with any of it?”
“Since the wedding, the last few storms carried new critters to the garden. Master Nels has us looking over the plants each day for them. There is a particularly nasty red-bodied beetle that can chew through a plant in a day.”
Eris looked at the plant he had set aside, remembering the book she’d seen Master Billiken reading. Was this what the Conclave was after now—trying to destroy it from within? But she didn’t see any beetles on the plant. “Are they on this?”
Terran shook his head. “I haven’t seen any of the beetles today. But I’m also checking for armyworms. They like to crawl on the roots and will destroy the fl
owers that way. Never had much a problem with them until recently.”
She looked at the dahlias before standing again and sighing. Terran continued working, careful to keep moving around the edge of the garden, his fingers separating and probing quickly as he went. Every so often he would shift one of the beds out of its place and set it onto the path.
“What will you do with these?” She nodded to the bed he’d set on the path.
Terran looked up from where he hunched over a yellow tulis. “Have to comb through the soil for other worms. The worms get destroyed. Most of the plants will be reset.” He stood up, a look of victory on his face. A small red insect pinched between his fingers. As she watched, he squished it with a distasteful expression on his face before wiping his hands on his pants. “Found one.”
Taking Terran with her might serve another purpose, she realized. What did she care if the gardens were weakened, especially if Lira worked against her father? “Clearly this is important work, Terran. You would rather do this than help me travel to the Svanth Forest?”
He looked hurt. “It is important work. In a garden this size, without the gardeners, these pests would consume the flowers. Master Nels thinks they are extra aggressive this season. Hasn’t explained why.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. Terran started to reach toward her but caught himself, instead wiping his hands on his pants again. As a gardener, he had no right to touch the princess and should not dare do so. Of course, she should not be talking to him so freely either. Eris probably overstepped the bounds of decency by spending so much time in the garden with him. The way she spoke to him probably placed him in a difficult position. Asking him to lead her to the forest put him at even more risk.
Suddenly, she felt terrible even asking. She was trouble.
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