The Shadow Guard

by J. D. Vaughn

  The princess gave Brindl a kind look. “Think no more of it. Jaden and I had much to discuss.”

  “How are you adjusting to life in Fugaza, Brindl?” asked Jaden. “I asked the same of you last night, but you weren’t given a chance to reply. My apologies.”

  Brindl sensed a true curiosity behind his words, rather than simple politeness.

  “It’s a beautiful city,” she answered. The truth was she’d seen very little of the royal city. Her pigeonkeep duties had kept her nearly as cooped up as the birds she tended. But it wouldn’t do to complain. “Much different than Zipa, my hometown.”

  “Zipa has an austere loveliness, I’ve been told,” Xiomara said.

  “Well, I think so, of course,” Brindl agreed. “We are all partial to our homes, I suppose.”

  “True,” Jaden said. “The Alcazar, though a despised place for many, is home to me.”

  “You were raised there?” Brindl asked.

  “More trained than raised, I’d say.” Jaden laughed uneasily, then looked away.

  He does not wish this conversation to turn toward his father. I should change the subject.

  “May I ask why you’ve summoned me? Is there a problem with my service?” It was against all palace etiquette to question her superiors, but Brindl found she couldn’t wait any longer. She was never one for small talk, and the suspense was too much to bear.

  “No, no, it is nothing of the sort,” Princess Xiomara said.

  “In fact,” said Jaden, “you have come to our attention for just the opposite reason…for your commendable service.”

  “Your quick observation and action likely saved Lady Layna’s life in this very place,” Princess Xiomara said, glancing at the restrung chandelier across the room.

  “I only happened to be here at the right time, Your Highness.” Brindl lowered her eyes. “Any other would have done the same.”

  “And you are modest to a fault,” Xiomara replied. “I see now why you were a favorite with my beloved tutor, Saavedra.”

  “He taught me many things.” Brindl tried to speak without her eyes watering at the unexpected mention of her mentor. “I owe him so very much.”

  “As do I,” agreed Xiomara.

  “And as I said last night, Brindl, you were key to our success in the Battle for the Alcazar,” Jaden continued.

  “It was nothing compared to those who fought.” It was not her people’s way to boast, and Brindl felt uncomfortable being cast in such light.

  “You also handled the dinner with the Queen quite well,” Xiomara said, “especially given…” The princess paused then, searching for words.

  My Earth Guild status? My servant position? Brindl thought wryly, waiting to see how Xiomara would respond.

  “…your short time in service.”

  Nicely done, Princess. “I’m not sure why then you have summoned me, if you have no concerns.”

  “We have many concerns, Brindl, but none of them land on your shoulders,” Jaden answered, his eyes intent upon hers. “At least not yet. We are worried about the impending visit of the regents from New Castille and Oest Andoria.”

  Brindl nodded and clasped her hands together on her lap. Her fingers were sweating although they felt ice-cold. She didn’t know whether she was expected to answer or simply listen.

  Princess Xiomara’s eyes met Jaden’s and held for an instant. Their hesitation stood in the room like another person.

  They’re deciding whether they can trust me or not.

  “What Jaden is trying to say is that we need your help,” the princess finally said. “As you know, my lady’s maid has had some difficulty of late.”

  “The chandelier?” Brindl asked, seeing it fall again in her memory’s eye.

  “She’s not quite recovered from the fright.”

  “What we’d like you to do,” Jaden said, “is act as Princess Xiomara’s lady’s maid while the regents are here in the palace.”

  May the Gods have mercy.

  “You would attend all the functions that I do…Dinners, balls, and receptions, at my side as needed,” Xiomara explained.

  “But surely Lady Layna will be recovered by the time the regents arrive,” Brindl said, trying to keep her face composed as dread wrapped itself around her shoulders. She didn’t know the first thing about attending a princess.

  As if reading her mind, Jaden asked, “Did you meet the Queen’s maid last night? Lady Ona?”

  Brindl nodded. How could she forget the chilly woman who wouldn’t speak to her?

  “Good. Then you’ll have also noticed that she listened much and spoke little. This is exactly what we ask of you. Quietly observe all that is going on without others taking notice.”

  A strained silence followed. Brindl looked down at her hands. She was in no position to defy two of the most powerful people in the realm, but couldn’t they see? She was raised in the mines, not the palace. They were asking the wrong person.

  “But surely Zarif, Tali, or Chey would be better equipped for such observations,” Brindl said, brushing off some imaginary lint from her skirt. “And do they not already have an excuse to be near Princess Xiomara at all times?”

  “Yes, they do.” Jaden’s voice slowed. “And we considered each of them in turn, but they need to focus on their own important tasks.”

  “And besides, the regents will mind their words and actions in front of a guard or a counselor,” the princess said.

  “We need someone prim and quiet,” Jaden explained, looking carefully at Brindl. “Someone the regents will take for a pretty face, nothing more.”

  Brindl felt her cheeks grow warm. A pretty face? She was flattered to be described as such, but also confused. So am I to be a spy or a lady?

  The room became quiet, waiting for her response. Can one say no to a princess? How simple life on the roof now seemed.

  “I will do anything Your Highness commands, of course,” Brindl answered, rising from her chair and dropping her eyes to her slippers, where she noticed a scuff of mud. She tucked one foot behind the other, hoping it wouldn’t be seen. “But I am no Moon Guilder. Surely that will be a problem with your plan?” As she well knew, all palace attendants and officials, including lady’s maids, belonged to the Moon Guild. She hoped the conflict would disqualify her from service.

  “Yes, it is a problem,” the princess said, tilting her head, “though we concocted a solution while your arrival was delayed.”

  Brindl felt a twinge of guilt at Xiomara’s words. Not only had she made the princess wait for her arrival, but she had left her post on the roof without permission. Still, she couldn’t regret her morning with Tonio at the bakery.

  “You shall pretend to be betrothed,” Jaden said, clasping his hands under his chin. “As such, you can petition for entry to the Moon Guild.”

  “Betrothed? But how? To whom?”

  “To Zarif, of course,” Xiomara said. “I trust him completely. He will go along with the pretense if I ask.”

  Brindl lost her ability to speak and her stomach dropped to her feet. The idea held utter mortification. No no no, her mind rebelled.

  “I shall expedite the request myself,” the princess added, clapping her hands together. “In a matter of days you shall be a Moon Guilder!”

  “But I don’t want to be a Moon Guilder,” Brindl declared, the words pouring out of her. “Nor do I wish to be betrothed, pretense or not.”

  “It’s not ideal, we realize.” Jaden pursed his lips. “But sometimes we must put the realm before our own desires. We need you, Brindl.”

  “You ask too much!” Brindl insisted, unable to control the distress and volume of her voice. The Queen owns my service for six years, and now they want my guild, too? Black tunnels!

  Jaden and Xiomara exchanged another look while Brindl dropped back into her chair.

  There’s something else they’re not telling me.

  “Do you remember Ory?” Jaden asked.

  “Ory?” repeated Brindl, confused
by the unexpected question. She’d known Ory since he was nothing more than a tot in the mines. She’d trained him as a firstie and several years beyond that until he was called to serve the Diosa. It was Ory himself who had taken her message to the Diosa during the Battle for the Alcazar. “Yes, of course I remember Ory. He’s like a brother to me.”

  “He came here late last night,” Xiomara said.

  “Ory did? I don’t understand.”

  “He brought a message from the Diosa. About you.”

  Brindl’s head flew up. The Diosa was the last living oracle of Machué, the spiritual leader of the Earth Guild. What message could she possibly have about Brindl? And for the princess of the realm, no less?

  Brindl looked from Xiomara to Jaden. “And the message was?”

  Jaden cleared his throat. “When danger nears, let Brindl be your eyes and ears.”

  A lady’s maid is one of the most honored placements in the realm, denoting a Royal’s fondness for your company. As such, devote your life to the elegance and gentility required of such an esteemed position.

  —CH. N. TASCA, Palace Etiquette

  The chamberlain must think me a common country toad,” Brindl said, as she walked beside Tonio toward the garden.

  “Why? Because you don’t dine with seven utensils regularly?” He stopped to look at Brindl. “She’s the toad. Don’t let her make you feel you’re less.”

  “Toad Chamberlain. That does have a nice ring to it.”

  “What does Toad Chamberlain make you do all day?” Tonio asked, leading Brindl under a large tree whose long fingers of leaves brushed the cool, thick grass.

  “It’s ever so Moon Guilder,” she said, picking up a few stray sticks. “I must compose my face into a mask of marble, emotionless. My chin must be held at a perfect angle, in a straight line with my toes. I am to hold my posture elegantly and without fidgeting. Even my meals must be made of tiny bites, lest I look hungry.”

  “Mama would be offended if she saw you eat like that,” Tonio said, spreading a blanket under the shade. “Small appetite for food, small appetite for life, she says.”

  “I have a small appetite for stupidity, and for wasting time, which is all royal life seems to be.”

  “Ceremonies and formalities, bleck!” Tonio said, then mocked a dramatic death as he fell to the woven wool blanket the color of an angry sky.

  Brindl nodded and dropped beside him. Then she mimicked the formal tone of the chamberlain: “Now, now, Master Rossi, we do not use the common word for bleck. Repeat after me: royalbleck! Sit up straight and do stop fidgeting! Your posture is reprehensible, your manners abominable. You grieve me, child!”

  Tonio laughed at Brindl’s impersonation while he pulled a pastry from the basket. “Mama thought you liked this best.”

  “How did she know? I don’t think I said which one was my favorite last week.”

  “It was written on your face back when you were allowed to show it.” He dipped his hand back into the basket to pull out a small jar of sweet honey. “She said you liked this with it. Apologies that it’s not warmed.”

  Brindl smiled. “I’m sure it will be wonderful either way.” She tore off a bite of the pastry and scooped it in the honey. “I should’ve brought the book I must memorize to show you,” she said, through a delicious mouthful.

  “Memorize a whole book?” Tonio asked, then rolled his eyes at the thought.

  “Palace Etiquette, written by the chamberlain herself,” Brindl answered. “It’s riveting, as you can imagine. The section on lady’s maids is almost as good as the one on lady servants. That one was a gem.”

  “Sounds awful,” Tonio agreed. “But would you rather be back alone on the roof all day?”

  Brindl considered the question. “I’m not certain. I have to admit, it is interesting to take part in the princess’s affairs, to feel as though I matter here. But it also feels like playing pretend.”

  “I still can’t believe the Queen has allowed an Earth Guilder on the court at last. I’m glad it will be you.”

  The pastry suddenly turned dry in Brindl’s throat, and she swallowed it down with difficulty. She still hadn’t told Tonio the truth. She didn’t know how. She didn’t want to see his eyes when she told him she was betrothed to Zarif, that she would soon be a Moon Guilder. Now when he did discover the truth, he would know she’d intentionally kept it from him. And the worst part was, the “truth” wasn’t even the real truth. If only she could tell him about the Diosa’s message, that she couldn’t possibly defy an order from the realm’s own spiritual leader. But she’d been sworn to secrecy about that, as well as her pretend betrothal.

  Meanwhile, things weren’t any less awkward with Zarif. He was as uncomfortable and embarrassed by the arrangement as she was, Brindl could tell. Ever since Xiomara’s formal announcement of their engagement two weeks ago, he’d avoided her eyes and barely spoken to her. Every minute in his presence now felt like an hour, and they both tried not to be left alone together.

  Brindl knew that evading each other wasn’t the answer, but she didn’t know what else to do. How easy things used to be between them at the Alcazar! All those evenings in Saavedra’s cottage, poring over books and discussing philosophy, history, literature. They’d spent hours talking, laughing, enjoying each moment together. But these days, Zarif seemed much more comfortable in the company of Princess Xiomara herself, their easy rapport pinching Brindl with jealousy. She tried to push the feeling aside when it came—she knew it was unreasonable—but still it remained, like rock salt on the tongue.

  Her old friendship with Zarif was gone now, and soon, she feared, she would lose Tonio, too. What would the baker’s son think of her when she stood before him in the clothes of a Moon Guilder? Xiomara’s handmaidens had been delighted to make her into a Moon Guilder earlier that morning. But when Brindl looked at herself in the mirror, she felt as if she’d been slapped. All she could see was a traitor before her, not the beautiful white gown nor the lovely flowers woven in her hair. She’d changed her clothes and pulled the flowers out before coming to see Tonio, but soon her new appearance would not be so easy to set aside.

  “Hello, have your thoughts flown to the roof with your birds?” Tonio asked.

  “Sorry, I was just thinking about all I should be doing.” Brindl felt her insides turn from the fib.

  Tonio lay back with his hands under his head. “I feel like we’re hiding under a giant’s green wig.” The tree’s leaves cascaded around them, whispering slightly in the breeze. When he sat up and reached for another piece of bread, Brindl could smell the bakery on him, a touch of cinnamon, sweet cream, and flour.

  “I should get back to my birds,” Brindl said, “though I don’t want to go.”

  “You’d think now that you’re almost a lady’s maid, they’d relieve you of your pigeonkeep duties.”

  “Oh, but I’ve begged them to let me stay on. I’d miss the birds too much, and besides, I’m grateful to return to my tower at night after all the daily lessons.”

  Tonio packed up the basket while Brindl shook the leaves out of the blanket. As they walked to the bakery, two young men about Tonio’s age struggled to drag a load of heavy marble blocks past them to the palace garden. The men nearly looked like sculptures themselves, their muscles chiseled by their heavy labors and covered with the white dust of the pearlstone. Their dark hair was worn in the traditional, plain cut of Earth Guilders, though one had a mop of curls.

  “It’s Tonio,” the one with curly hair called out, “and his new girl!”

  The other young man elbowed his friend and whistled.

  Brindl’s face warmed as she bit back a smile.

  Tonio flashed her a sheepish look, then led her over to the men and introduced them: Spider and Flea of the Quarry. When their palms parted after the traditional greeting, a chalky white film remained on Brindl’s hand. Brindl instantly liked the two of them, who reminded her of the rough-and-tumble salter boys back home: hardworking and solid,
their faces open and ready for mischief. But these quarrymen were much bigger than salters and carried themselves with more authority. Perhaps because they’re not forced to scurry below the earth like ants all day.

  “How is it two strong quarrymen are named after insects?” Brindl asked.

  “No one in the quarry uses their godnames.”

  “We’re known by our moves in the Fray, like Spider here. He’s all legs.”

  Brindl wasn’t sure what they meant, but before she could ask more questions, the two went back to their teasing.

  “Brindl, is it? You must be new here,” the one called Flea said. “Tonio always swipes the new girls before they’ve seen all their options.” He flexed an arm muscle when he said it, a wide grin splashed over his face.

  Brindl smiled. Just like home.

  “How can we ever compete with Mamma Rossi’s sweet-breads and Tonio’s dreamy, Fiorenzan eyes?” Spider said in a mocking tone, his hand to his forehead as if swooning.

  “Enough already.” Tonio pushed Flea, who took a step backward good-naturedly, though he was clearly as solid as the stone he stood beside.

  Spider threw up his hands and laughed. “Fine! Fine. We’ll not fight you for her.”

  “Speaking of fights, there’s a good one coming up,” Flea said, moving the conversation in a different direction. “Right, Spider?”

  “Best one ever,” Spider agreed.

  “I’ll look forward to it,” Tonio said. “Full Moon Fray?”

  Flea nodded. “Bring your Brindl to it. I bet she’s seen nothing like it in Zipa.”

  After their good-byes, Brindl and Tonio resumed their walk.

  “So what exactly is a Full Moon Fray?” Brindl asked, as they reached the bakery doors.

  “I have to keep some secrets,” Tonio said, with a playful look on his face, “so you’ll come back again.”

  “Then so I shall.” Brindl waved good-bye, determined to swallow her worries for the rest of the day.

  The mountain breeze slipped into Brindl’s collar and sent a chill down her spine. The Sun God was making his descent behind the Sentry Hills, providing a pink cast upon the terrace. After Brindl had left Tonio and tended the birds, she had received a summons from Xiomara, who wished to meet with her retinue to discuss the upcoming Treaty Talks. Brindl shivered again and looked longingly to where the princess stood on the far side of the terrace. I could warm my bones in that patch of sun.