Pawn (The Pawn Series Book 1)

by Robin Roseau

  "Most often, flute and viola," replied the queen. "Juleena prefers piano and your instrument, the cello. And Yallameenara plays violin."

  Larien smiled again. She was quick to smile, and she was radiant when she did so. "There is much music for such variety."

  "There is," Ralalta agreed.

  Larien and Ralalta made a little more small talk, and then Ralalta said, "Well, Henry, your sister is exceedingly lovely. Perhaps we could offer a small tour of the palace. We might allow Yalla and Larien an opportunity to exchange a few words without quite so much attention focused upon them."

  Larien turned to her brother and said something too quiet to hear, and Henry said, "That would be marvelous, Your Majesty."

  At that we stood. I'm not quite sure how it happened, but Henry ended with the queen's arm, Larien with mine, and Juleena left to actually conduct the tour.

  We visited the public areas of the palace, but I spend most of it watching Larien. It was in one of the corridors that she pulled me to a stop facing one of the many small statues on a stand near the wall. She began speaking rapidly in what I was sure was Altearan. Henry and the queen turned back, and it was Ralalta that answered in the same language. But then she returned to Framaran. "Do you know the story?"

  Larien inclined her head.

  "I am sure Yalla has not heard it," Ralalta prompted.

  "Ah, of course." Without releasing my arm, she brought me slightly closer to the statue. "This is a..." she broke off and spoke again in Framaran.

  "Goddess," Henry supplied.

  "Ah yes. Thank you, Brother," Lurien said. "This is a statue of a goddess. Her name is Yahamala. She is the goddess of a small..." Then she stumbled for a word, but then said, "Clan, perhaps you might say. A small, but important clan in Alteara. Her priestesses are said to work magic, by grant of the goddess herself."

  "I see," I said. "So this is an Altearan statue. How did it come here?"

  "Well, that is the story," Larien said. "Two hundred years ago, our two countries were not friends as they are today. And while there was not outright war, there were fights, and bandits, and piracy. It was believed in my country that these fights and bandits and pirates were supported by the government of Framara."

  "And in Framara, we believed the reverse," Juleena supplied.

  "And while no one would ever now accuse the other country," Larien said, "for that would not be at all diplomatic, you may come to your own conclusion on whether the beliefs were accurate."

  "I see."

  "But then there was an isolated valley along the border, with a river right down the middle of the valley. And that river was the agreed border between the two countries."

  "I see."

  "One day, the dispute between our two countries reached this valley, previously so peaceful. It is said bandits from Framara crossed the border, raided several farms, and kidnapped several young girls."

  "And it is said," Juleena added, "that bandits from Alteara crossed the border, killed several men, burned several farms, and stole wagons of food."

  "It is not known whether either happened," Larien said. "It could have been both."

  "It could have been neither," Juleena said.

  "But what is absolutely clear is that soldiers arrived in this valley. Soldiers from the north."

  "And soldiers from the south."

  "And they met, there in the valley," Larien explained.

  "Many died," Juleena said.

  "Nearly everyone," Larien said. "Or that is what we are taught."

  "And we, as well," Juleena said.

  "But there was a girl of Framara."

  "And a girl of Alteara."

  "She was a young priestess of Yahamala," Larien said.

  "And they met on the battlefield," Juleena said.

  "But they didn't fight," Larien said.

  "Working together, they bent to the wounded. Together, they saved the ones they could."

  "It wasn't many," Larien said. "But what they did, they did together. More soldiers came."

  "From both sides of the border."

  "And the girl from Framara stood before her countrymen with her hands out and said, clearly enough for all to understand, Stop!"

  "And the priestess from Alteara stood before her countrymen," Juleena said. "And she spoke sharply, but we do not know her words."

  "She said, there has been enough killing," said Larien. "And she forbade more. And then she ordered the soldiers to give up their water to the injured, taking a canteen from the captain himself and kneeling before one of the wounded Framarans."

  "And seeing this, the captain of the Framaran troop stepped forward himself, knelt to an injured soldier of Alteara, and held his shoulders while he drank."

  "There remained much distrust," Larien said.

  "But it was a start," Juleena said.

  "And from it," said Henry, "our countries became friends."

  "There has been peace between us since," Ralalta said. "At times, there are differences, but they have been solved peacefully."

  "Gifts were exchanged," Larien said.

  "This is one of the gifts," Ralalta said. "And there is a monument on the site."

  "I have seen it," said Larien. "It is of the girl, and the priestess, and they are holding a canteen each to the other."

  I nodded. "That is a lovely story."

  "I am pleased to have come," said Larien. "But I did not know I would see one of these gifts. It is said this statue was formed by the goddess herself. I do not know if that is true. But to see this gift..." She trailed off, and then for a moment, she knelt before the statue. Her lips moved, and she spoke very quietly, bowed her head, and then rose again. She turned to Ralalta. "Thank you."

  Ralalta nodded, and then Larien took my arm again.

  It was not much longer before we reached one of the quiet parlors in the palace. There were two of the serving girls overseeing the waiting refreshments. Ralalta dismissed the girls and gestured us into the room.

  I didn't wait to be prompted. I moved to the table and began to pour tea and make little plates. And then Larien was beside me, and she distributed everything I prepared. Ralalta, Juleena, and Henry took seats, but Larien delivered our share to another pair of chairs in the corner of the room, and then she led me to my place. We each sat, turned partially to face each other. I picked up my tea and sipped at it for a moment.

  "Lady Yallameenara," Larien said. "Of us, you are the senior, but I am paying court to you, and so it is my place to speak first."

  "That may be, but I have one small thing to say first. Please call me Yalla."

  "Yalla?"

  "It is what my closet friends call me."

  She smiled at that. "Then I shall. I am sorry, I do not have a similar name to offer to you."

  "Larien is a beautiful name, and I am happy to use it," I said.

  "You are kind." She paused. "In Altearan, we have a saying. We say there is ice in the summer."

  "And what does this mean?"

  "It means there is something everyone sees, but no one mentions."

  "Ah."

  "I wish to be blunt. I am told this will not offend you."

  "Being blunt does not offend me," I said.

  "Good. The ice is this. You wonder what I think right now, and I wonder what you think. Is that not so?"

  "Yes," I agreed. "That is quite so."

  "And so, I will be blunt. I am pleased to have come. I am pleased to meet you. We have just met, but I hope you will allow this to continue."

  It was my turn to smile. "My turn?" She inclined her head. "You are beautiful, more beautiful than I could have envisioned. You have a lovely voice, and you seem intelligent and passionate. I am pleased you have come, and I hope we will continue."

  She beamed her smile.

  "But."

  Her smile faded.

  "You must know who I am," I said. "You must know what I am, and what I am not."

  "I believe I know these things already, Yalla." />
  "I must be sure you know. Do you understand?"

  "I do."

  "I would say, we both are speaking a language that is not our first, and my accent may be difficult."

  "If you speak carefully, I will understand. If not, I will tell you."

  "Good," I said. "Larien, fewer than five years ago, I was a girl of the Arrlotta, the horse people, from a land we call The Hippa, but here they call Garneer."

  "Across the great divide," she said. "That the wizards made long ago."

  "Yes. It is very different there. We have no houses. We are nomads, and we carry our huts with us, one large hut for a group of twenty. We follow the herds and the water. We do not read or write. We have no music but our own voices. The tools we make are of bone, antler, and stone, and only the chieftains have tools of steel, traded for or sometimes stolen from across the Wizards Gorge. Do you see?"

  "I know this, Yalla. Are you telling me you do not read and write? You wrote a letter. It was not in your hand?"

  "It was," I said. "I have learned but only since arriving here. And I have learned the violin, but only since arriving here. I play for no one but my music teacher, Juleena, and Ralalta. Do you see?"

  "You are worried I will be disappointed."

  "Deeply disappointed."

  "Yalla." She raised a hand to my cheek, which surprised me, but I let her. Her hand was soft, and the touch meant more to me than I would have expected. "I know what people from across the divide look like."

  "My mother was not of the Arrlotta."

  "Ah," she said. "That explains it. You have a unique appearance that I find pleasing, Yalla. Very pleasing. You are rumored to be everything I admire. You are rumored to be bright, and a little mischievous, and kind as well. You are rumored to be gentle but direct. Are the rumors wrong?"

  "No," I said.

  "This is what I value. Perhaps if you could not read and write, this would trouble me."

  "I remain slow at both," I said. "But it has improved. But you must understand. I am an oddity in Framaran society, and it is only my place in this household that secures me any position at all."

  "But you have this place in this household," she said. "And I really don't care for people who would exclude someone for her differences. It is these difference that make you most interesting."

  I didn't know what to make of that. I didn't know what to make of any of it, really. But I smiled, and when she offered it, I took her hand.

  * * * *

  We didn't notice when the others left, leaving us alone. We talked for hours. She told me of her home and asked about both Marport and The Hippa. And she called it that, and used the other words I used, which meant more to me than I thought.

  The afternoon wore on, and I had no idea it was as late as it was until Glarta herself interrupted us. "Lady Yallameenara."

  I turned to her, and that was the first I realized we'd been left alone.

  "Her Majesty wonders whether you and Lady Larien will join her for dinner, or if you have other arrangements."

  I turned to Larien, and her eyes were wide. "We have spent the afternoon," she said. Then she smiled broadly. "Oh, a good sign, do you not think? But I must go."

  "You could stay."

  "It wouldn't be proper," she said.

  "Ah, but I do not care if it is proper," I said. "Do you?"

  "Perhaps not, but if I stay, then someone might suggest we have spent too much time together today and that we could not spend tomorrow together. Do you have commitments?"

  "None."

  "I may have the day?"

  "You may," I said.

  "Then we will ride in the morning, and from there we can make our other decisions for the day."

  "I would like that."

  I walked her to the door, and there she kissed my cheek, and I hers.

  * * * *

  Juleena didn't join us for dinner, and so it was only Ralalta and I. The queen made pleasant small talk for the first few minutes of the meal while I dazed into space.

  Finally she set down her fork. "Well, well, Yalla. She's quite the beauty. And you seem rather taken."

  I turned to her. "Why me, Ralalta? She can't possibly want me."

  "These other suitors do, and your mysterious, as not yet declared suitor may. Why can't Larien of Alteara want you?"

  "This has to be a game," I said. "My position here-"

  "Ah, your position here," said the queen. "One of indeterminate status. Your parents, well, virtually no one knows who they are. A princess of the Arrlotta: who are they? You are promised lands, but no one knows. You are foster daughter, but that only goes so far." She shrugged. "You are loved, but that is a private thing. Your position here attracts attention to you, but it is entirely up to you to keep it. I do not believe this is a game, Yalla, although it could be something else entirely."

  "Oh?"

  "Perhaps Larien prefers the place she could have here over the place she would have in Alteara. Perhaps she grows weary of being what everyone else expects and wishes to be only what she desires, or what the two of you choose to make. But that is not a bad reason to look further abroad, Yalla."

  I nodded. "Do you like her, Ralalta?"

  "I do, Yalla, but that is the wrong question. The proper question is much closer. How do you feel about her?"

  "I think... She narrows the field, Ralalta. But perhaps her interest will wane."

  "And perhaps she will turn her nose up at Zana."

  "Do you really think so?"

  "I can't imagine such a thing," Ralalta replied. "Do you know what you are going to do?"

  "We're spending the day together tomorrow."

  "Enjoy yourself," she said. "And be yourself, Yalla. Let her see who you really are."

  * * * *

  "Hello, Yalla."

  I screeched and spun around from closing the door. After wandering the palace for an hour or so, I had returned to my room, and it wasn't as vacant as expected.

  "My apologies," said Juleena, rising to her feet and setting a book aside. She'd been seated near the fireplace, a lamp for light.

  "Juleena," I said, my hand to my chest. "What are you doing here?"

  "What did you think of our visitor today?"

  "I think it's too early to say."

  "She is beautiful."

  "This is true."

  "She is brave and adventurous, or so it would appear."

  "So it would appear," I agreed.

  "She is intelligent and appeared quick witted."

  "I thought so as well."

  Juleena crossed the room, and I found myself staring up into her eyes, troubled, unsure what she was doing here, and even more unsure how I felt. I was unsure how I felt about Larien. About Malta. And most of all, about Juleena herself.

  "We talked once."

  "We have talked many times."

  "In this talk, I suggested you find experience."

  "That talk."

  "Some things were left said."

  "Yes," I said.

  "Some things were left unsaid."

  "Perhaps they were."

  Juleena stepped closer. "I'm here to give you something to think about." And then she didn't wait. She drew me into her arms, tilted my head, and lowered her lips to mine.

  I'd shared a kiss with Muranna, years ago. I had shared more with Malta, far more recently. I had not yet shared with any others.

  This kiss was something different, something more, far more than any others. There was hunger, and passion, and a promise that was as clear as any promise could be.

  I clutched at her, and she held me tightly, kissing me deeply, longingly, and I felt her need, and from myself I felt my own.

  And then, slowly, her lips withdrew, and I stood there, panting.

  "Juleena," I whispered.

  "You have choices, Yalla."

  And then she released me, and her door clicked closed before I could say anything else.

  * * * *

  Later, I tried to slee
p. I dozed, and I woke. I dozed, and woke. And sometime in the dark of the night, I rose from my bed, pulled a robe about me, and slipped through the door separating my quarters from Juleena's.

  She woke. Perhaps she wasn't sleeping any more deeply than I had, or perhaps Muranna was right, and Juleena was just that light a sleeper. But she woke, and she sat up.

  "Yalla."

  I moved to her bed and sat on the foot. We looked at each other in the dim, dim light.

  "I don't know what to do, Juleena."

  "You still need experience, Yalla," she said. "And you must have choice. You have admired me and looked up to me since the day we met, and I have unfair advantage over your emotions. I may not be what you really want. If we come together, it will not be as equals. There was a time you wouldn't even have wondered at that, but that was nearly five years ago."

  "Juleena."

  "And for all the reasons I said before, I can't pursue you now. Everyone will assume I have spent years taking advantage of you. You know what I mean."

  "Muranna has shared my bed far more nights than not."

  "A cover story," she said, "or even something worse than taking advantage of one of you, but of both of you."

  "No."

  "You and I know the truth. Muranna and Mother know the truth. But we are in the public eye, Yalla. You must have experience away from me, and it must be good, honest, full experience."

  "You would have my heart torn in two or even three or four pieces."

  "If you grow to love Larien, we will forever be sisters, Yalla."

  "What was that kiss, Juleena?"

  "I wanted to speak clearly, Yalla."

  "But you haven't," I complained. "I don't know what to do."

  "Have experiences. Risk your heart."

  "What experiences?"

  "All of them, Yalla. All of them."

  "I don't know what that means."

  "Yes, you do," she said. She leaned forward and took my hand. "I only ask you do not have them in the bedroom besides mine. Please."

  "You can't mean this."

  "The ministers wouldn't let you come to my bed if you had shared these experiences with a man, and if with a woman, you must not become notorious. But you must dare, Yalla. You must honestly dare. Give Larien her chance, and Malta, and even any others you fancy."

  "How can you ask me to do this?"

  "Because I asked Mother for you two years ago, and she said this was the only way."