“It’s all right,” I say. “I don’t need Damaris or one of the other servants to take care of me. Besides ... I’m a little bored.”
“It’s almost bedtime. You don’t need to worry about being bored.”
“I might not need to worry about it, but I’m bored anyway.” I give Vi a helpless small smile.
“That’s not like you,” she says. “You at least sing when you’re bored.”
I glanced back out the windows of my new room. From where I am, no longer in the bowels of the castle, I can glimpse the small, smoky trails of the Northern Lights.
I don’t know if Rion can still see them or not, but I hope he will look up at the starlight and think of me.
“Miss Ebony?” Vi calls to me, and I return to the task at hand.
“Perhaps I am too tired to sing,” I say, before I shrug. “Who knew boredom could be so tiring?”
“Well, I can’t relate to that at all.” Vi’s exaggerated huff makes me giggle, and then I go back to cleaning.
Even before Rion and I were engaged, I’d try to see my chores in a positive way. I got to know others on the staff better and I was able to keep myself from thinking too much.
Now that Rion has left Pommier for Marula, the days pass slowly without him here with me.
Weeks have passed since we said our farewells, and it feels like an eternity. I’d missed him when he went to Marula before, but it was nothing compared to how I felt now. Back then I was only homesick, and now I am lovesick, too.
Even planning the wedding has become less of a wonder and more of a chore, especially as the Queen leads me around the castle and orders the servants to follow my every direction and never question me.
This is especially hard on me, given how many of them had been my friends before Rion left. They used to laugh with me, joke with me, and even help me with my work. When Rion made his announcement, declaring us engaged, they had even been happy for me.
Now as I walk through the palace, they mostly look over at me in silence and wait for me to speak first.
I tried to befriend them again, but the Queen found out and chastised me, reminding me of their lowly status and how someone like me, even if I used to be in their position, did not need to lower herself any longer.
“Especially since you will be their ruler one day,” she hisses, as if the very thought of this injects poison into her words.
Queen Varyes is at least kinder to me than usual. Still, I wish she would not bother me as much as she does. For the last week, I have spent hours in her company, working on the wedding and supposedly learning from her how to be the Queen of Pommier.
It is nearly insufferable, watching her move throughout the castle.
If Rion hadn’t made me promise to do my best to get along with her, I would have made every excuse possible not to make contact with her until he returned.
I pause, putting the cleaning rag down. Vi is gone from the mirror, and I am able to see my reflection.
My hair is styled formally, in the Pommierian tradition, as Queen Varyes sent me a new hairdresser this morning. My hair is stacked up high and twisted into painful curls. To make them, the hairdresser had to straighten my hair using hot water and pungent oils, and then he’d re-curled them “properly,” as he told me.
Staring at them now, I frown. Inside my mind, I can already hear Rion telling me that this is not who I am.
I start to pull my hair down, thinking of Rion’s goodbye.
It was so many weeks ago, but I can still see him standing in his formal armor as he set off on a Pommierian ship. Everything about that moment is burned into my mind’s eye, and I am unable to feel anything but sadness as I remember it.
Before we said our final farewells, Rion called out to me.
“Promise me, Ebony.” Rion leaned in close to me, his lips just a breath away from brushing mine. “Promise me you won’t forget the power you have inside you.”
“If I have such power, why isn’t it enough for me to go with you?”
Rion faltered, and I knew it was unfair of me to ask him that. I knew he wouldn’t ask me to stay here if he didn’t think I would be safe.
“Caryo has been injured.” Rion surprised me as he pulled me close. “I left him there, and he’s hurt because of me.”
“No.”
The shock of that moment is the hardest to take, even days later. I wanted to tell Rion that my mother’s family is not his responsibility, and that the Mopana and Baobabi are the ones who are responsible.
“Yes.” Rion brought my hand to his cheek. “Yes, I am, no matter what you might say. I can’t bear the thought of losing you. Not when I’ve finally managed to keep you.”
My shock turned into surprise as Rion kissed me, hard and passionately, right there on the docks in front of his men and the small farewell party.
I felt the stares, the eye-rolls, the huffs and scowls that bore into the back of my head as we stood there, locked together in our embrace. But I didn’t let go, not even when Rion reluctantly pulled back from me.
“I love hearing you sing for me,” he whispered.
I might have swooned all over again at the love I saw in his eyes, but the Queen sent me a warning glance.
“Wait.” I grabbed Rion’s hand one last time. “The Queen will not find a way to break your vow?”
“My vow is my life,” Rion said. “If she does anything to take you away from me, I will die, too.”
Thinking of that now, I can only pray he is safe. If the weather across the seas was favorable, he should be pulling into Marula’s port in the next week.
Vi appears in the mirror again, waking me up from my memories. “You said you were bored,” she says. “It seems that the Queen heard your complaint.”
I sigh. “I wasn’t really complaining,” I assure Vi, who clears her throat. From the sound she makes, I wonder if she is actually laughing at me.
“She didn’t really hear you,” Vi says a moment later. “And I didn’t report to her. Horatio just reached out to me and told me to tell you Her Majesty wants you to go out on a day trip tomorrow.”
“A day trip? You mean out of the castle?”
“Yes.” Vi frowns, even though I am excited for the chance to escape the castle’s walls.
“She wants you to go visit with the farmers on the other side of Pommierian Orchards. It will be good for them to meet with you. They do provide food and other items such as medicine and herbs to the palace. If you meet with them, it’ll be a nice way to thank them for helping Rion if his soldiers are injured.”
I put my hand over my heart, terrified to think of Rion in pain. “Do you think that’s what will happen?”
Vi tilts her head back and forth, weighing her response. “I don’t know, but it can’t hurt to get more medical supplies to our doctors. If there is war, we will need to make sure we have a good stock.”
“It’s terrible to think like that,” I say.
“But you need to, don’t you?” Vi looks down at the floor between us. “I know you have always had to deal with the Queen’s harshness, but she is still nothing compared to how cruel the world can be.”
Her informality and her kind tone make me soften.
Not only is Vi right, she is being too kind for comfort. In many ways, she’s always reminded me of a mother, but as she speaks to me tonight, I know it’s true. I wonder what happened to her family that made her risk life as a speciava.
“If you’re cold, you might want to wear an extra petticoat with your dress tomorrow. Winter will be here before we know it.”
“I hope Rion will return before the winter worsens,” I say. “The water will be rougher to travel through.”
I hope he will come back soon. He was not originally supposed to be gone for so long after my father’s death. He was expected to be back within a matter of weeks. Several things had gotten in the way of his return, and I could only hope that God would allow him to come back sooner this time. I don’t know what I would do
if he was delayed so long.
Maybe I can find a way to go to him. I don’t think I’ll be able to do that. Queen Varyes would object.
“The Prince is an experienced sailor, if you’ll recall. Your father taught him,” Vi says. “Really, there’s no need to worry, Ebony.”
“You’re right.” I smile at her, grateful for her kindness as much as her reminder that there was no cause for concern. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Miss.”
As Vi fades away from the mirror, I turn back to the night outside the window. The Northern Lights twinkle down at me, and I feel a sense of new courage. A few stars flicker across the sky.
“Good night, Rion.” The words come out softly, and I can’t say whether it is a cry or a song from my heart. I miss him terribly.
I can only hope the starlight he sees will carry my love to him.
In the meantime, I will do my best to take care of us here.
*15*
Rion
AFTER WEEKS ON THE sea, pulling into the main port of Marula is like coming home. In some ways, I expect this overwhelming sensation of home—King Maru was more of a father to me than anyone else, and I had grown to love the land as much as he did—but there is also a bittersweet tug behind my heart.
Marula is much smaller and less industrious than Pommier, but it still feels like home.
And now my home has been disrupted by its neighbors, and I have to see to making things right without risking further harm.
If there is a downside to love, it is that it does not always allow us to anticipate anything more than the moment of joy we feel inside of us the moment it sparks; like a fire roaring to life. We never think of the time when the wood disappears or the wind threatens its liveliness. In the same way, I never thought, in leaving Marula, I would leave it vulnerable. While I’d been here, it had been easy to deter the warring nations from spilling over into our territories.
What changed?
During my time on the ship, I wrestled with the idea that something was wrong. The Mopana were a smaller nation than us, as were the Baobabi. They warred with each other along our eastern and southern borders periodically.
What would cause them to attack a Pommierian ship?
I could think of a few reasons—a desire for supplies, a need for financial resources, to put on a show for their war. But the timing was still strange.
“Your Highness.” Caryo’s greeting is the same as Marula’s—it’s warm and open, full of radiance and friendship. As he draws me into a hug with one of his arms, he laughs. “I see you made it safely. Wonderful. Your future bride’s family will be happy to know you are here at last. We, of course, couldn’t be happier with your arrangement.”
“Thank you. I promise I will be good to her.” I slide out of his grasp but I return his smile. “I am happy to be here, but not from the circumstances.”
“I’ve been searching to find the answers you asked about in your last letter,” Caryo promises. “There have been some disturbing discoveries, I’m afraid.”
“And some secrets you’ve been keeping?” I ask, looking pointedly at his wrist. He is wearing thinner robes, but I can still see that there is a bulge from a bandage underneath his sleeves.
Caryo shrugs. “It’s not anything for you to worry about.”
“You wrote to me saying a ship was attacked,” I say. “I’m willing to guess you didn’t hurt yourself writing too many letters. Now, tell me what happened.”
Caryo is not happy I’ve revealed his weakness, but he is a good councilor. He tells me of how the Mopana attacked a Pommierian ship after it pulled into port, and how he and many of the other palace guards ran to try to stop them.
“They were ransacking it and they lit it on fire,” Caryo explains. “While I was running down to the cargo hold, I managed to trip and fall forward. I caught myself, but as you can see, not without some cost.”
“I know I can trust that you’ve seen to your injuries and the others’ as needed.”
Talking with Caryo, despite the topic and his condition, is calming and enlightening. He is my advisor, but he is also my friend, and I can see I’ve earned his respect in coming, despite the poor timing and my upcoming nuptials.
We talk for what feels like minutes, and I am surprised when I look out the windows of the small Maruli palace to see that starlight is blazing through the sky.
After weeks in Pommier, this place seems more private and quiet, and, despite the reasons for leaving her behind, I wish I’d brought Ebony with me.
There are no Northern Lights—there wouldn’t be, not this far south. But the stars I see light up the night sky with their shining brightness.
“Shall we continue this tomorrow, Highness?” Caryo nudges me. “I know you’re likely tired after your journey. Your rooms should be ready.”
“In a little while,” I say.
“You need to take care of yourself, Prince Rion.” Caryo frowns at me. “The Princess will not be happy if something happens to you.”
“Neither of us are happy that something bad has happened to our people here.” I give him a small smile.
“Something bad has happened, yes,” Caryo agrees. “But I don’t think it’s quite what you or I could’ve imagined.”
“What do you mean?”
“The ship that the Mopana attacked was a slave ship.”
“Slave ship?” I repeat the words carefully, trying to process their meaning. “But Pommier doesn’t have a slave trade. That’s been outlawed for decades.”
“That’s the terrifying part,” Caryo says. “If the Mopana hadn’t attacked, we wouldn’t have known about it. There are some Pommierians who are selling slaves from your kingdom.”
“See if you can call for other tribes to send us some troops,” I say. “If that is true, then the ships are coming with the regular trading ships from Pommier. We will have to keep a lookout for those ships coming into harbor.”
“Yes, Highness.”
“Please, Caryo.” I give him another smile. “Rion is fine. We are friends. And we will be family soon enough.”
“That’s true.” He eyes me slyly. “Speaking of which, I do believe that means you owe me some money, don’t you?”
I laugh. “Believe me, I will be happy to pay it. We could use something to celebrate after all this news tonight.”
“Hopefully these things will look better after you’ve had a good night’s rest,” Caryo says.
I have to stifle a yawn. “I doubt it. But if nothing else, it will not be a good day for whoever is behind the secret slave trade in Pommier. They will pay for their treachery against my people.”
*16*
Ebony
NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME, Vi’s suggestion was a good one; the extra petticoat was a good call. Even though I am wearing a cloak and tucked away in a small carriage, the air is brisk and the sun seems to have all but disappeared today.
“Are you well, Princess?”
Alfonse is Enri’s brother, and it’s hard not to miss the similarities between them; their faces are practically chiseled into existence, with their hard lines and sharp chins. But Alfonse is the younger one, and his face doesn’t seem as continually puckered as his brother’s.
I nod to him through the carriage window. “I’m fine,” I assure him, before leaning back and scooting over.
While they are the Queen’s trusted advisors, and they are acting in accordance with her orders, I don’t like how much Enri and Alfonse are watching over me. They look at me every few moments, and they never take their eyes off the sky.
Perhaps they are worried about rain.
It is also possible they are worried about snow, although it seems far too early in the year for that.
Enri and Alfonse, along with a small company of guards, are accompanying me to several of the Pommierian farmers’ land, so we can collect herbs to send to Rion. This morning, before I left the palace, Queen Varyes mentioned again that it would be best to be prepared f
or war.
“After all, even if it doesn’t come, it’s a great deterrent,” she assured me. “And if it does come, we can easily strike back at those who need to be reminded of their place.”
Shivers went down my spine as she said that, and even now, hours later, I wonder if she was talking about me more than the Mopana or the Baobabi.
Earlier, I decided not to worry about it. I wanted to finish this task with pride.
This is my chance to show myself to the people who have forgotten about me while the Queen coerced me into cleaning her castle.
“Princess.” Enri calls to me from outside, just as the carriage stops.
“Yes, Enri?” I ask. Looking around, I see that we are not quite at the next farm.
“A horse has thrown a shoe, Highness,” he says. “I am sending the guard ahead to see if we can get a replacement horse. For now, you and my brother and I will remain here and wait.”
“If you’re sure.” Glancing up at the sky, I wonder if this is a good idea. The weather has been growing bleaker by the moment. “Perhaps we can go on to the next stop?” I ask.
Enri shakes his head. “We have finished our tour for today.”
No one told me that.
“Next time, please inform me of our progress,” I say.
“I would’ve said something, but you were working on organizing the various pouches you’d been given,” Alfonse speaks up. He gestures towards the opposite seat of my carriage, where I have been laying out the different herbs we’d picked up.
I flush, my cheeks burning.
I’d been eager to get the different pouches separated into herbs and the surprising additional items we’d been given; I’d remembered that sandal wood and tulsi were good for energy and coughs; the aloe leaves were for burns; I’d forgotten what the turmeric was for, and I was having trouble remembering if it was peppermint or cinnamon that was better for a headache.
There were plenty of others I was trying to organize, too, in between Enri and Alfonse’s check-ins.
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