Bardess of Rhulon

by Verna McKinnon

  “You look lovely, my dear,” Empress Isabeau smiled, tying blue satin ribbons to her wrists. “And this is the latest court fashion, or so my young ladies tell me.”

  “Really? The ribbons as bracelets are quite pretty and so simple.”

  Isabeau laughed as she made a small bow. She still dressed in mourning for her lost son, but she smiled more easily now. She inspected her charge with a careful eye. “Perfect. Ah, you are so young and pretty, Rose. Enjoy it a little. When you arrive in Rhungar, please send Queen Fiona my best. I have a letter for her, if you would be so kind as to carry it. I assume it will be safe in your hands?”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Rose replied earnestly. “I will deliver it her myself.”

  “Wonderful. As queens, we have always kept an eye out for each other and our families. It appears that times have become even more dangerous. Aristide tries to protect me, but I see what is happening not only here, but in the world. Be careful, Rose.”

  “Your Majesty has been so kind to me these last two weeks,” Rose said. “I’m going to miss you very much.”

  “And I’ll miss you dearly, along with your lovely songs. You must promise to return to us soon. Know you will always have shelter with us, should you ever need it.”

  Rose was moved by her genuine affection and bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

  The Empress had been the soul of motherly concern (minus the nagging) when she was convalescing. She visited Rose each day, oversaw her treatments with Zula and the court physician, and made sure she had every comfort. Isabeau also devoted herself to helping Thera nurse the frail Lilias back to health. Her recovery was much slower.

  Isabeau opened the curtains and sunlight streamed into the room. “The weather’s perfect today for an outdoor reception too. The palace gardens are blooming with flowers and there’s just enough breeze to offer a gentle balm. Now, let’s go welcome our guests. Remember to mingle and smile.”

  Rose resisted the urge to check her hair before following Empress Isabeau to the gardens.

  The party was an official farewell banquet for Culain, who was returning to Rhulon on urgent family business; that urgent family business of course was about the rising goblin army. There were rampant rumors about changelings and Princess Lilias, but no one openly spoke of the incident.

  Outside in the lush palace gardens, it was indeed a paradise. Tables covered with snowy linen brimmed with fine wines and a buffet of delicacies. Rose was anxious to sample the goodies too, even if her dress was a bit tight. She wished she could kick off her shoes and run barefoot on the green grass.

  “You look quite frilly and feminine,” Meg whispered from behind.

  “I’m so glad you could make it,” Rose cried happily, hugging her. She surveyed Meg’s elegant dress uniform, which looked much more comfortable than her fine dress and the corset Isabeau insist she wear beneath her new gown. No one ever expected you to wear a corset if you wore trousers. It was a good thing Rose did not have to sing today.

  “I’ve never been in the middle of so much pomp and nobility,” Meg laughed. “Will you miss the court and its luxuries?”

  Rose shook her head. “I will miss some of the people, of course. And the food! But pomp is not really for me. Prince Culain didn’t want an elaborate show for his departure back to Rhungar. Empress Isabeau wanted to give us a party to reward us for rescuing Lilias and capturing the changeling.”

  Meg nodded in agreement. “It’s probably better that way. Aristide doesn’t want to announce to the world a princess under his care was kidnapped by a changeling. But how are you? I haven’t seen you in a few days. Any recent visions or glam episodes?”

  Rose laughed and shook her head. “No, thank Karta. I can still speak changeling and apparently my glam magic is raw and needs training, according to Zula. It will take a long time to learn to deal with it.”

  “That frightens you.”

  “Yes. My magic is weird, to say the least. It’s one thing to read about such things, but to actually have the magic, is different altogether. With the glam rhapsodé, you do not weave the usual spells or sorcerous implements of magic. It’s more complicated.”

  “You’ve been studying, I see.”

  “I had little else to do when I was confined to my bed. Legends are full of tragic tales of bards with this ability. Talasyn was one of our great bards who wielded this cursed gift with great power, but even if he did not suffer, he had a bizarre end. No one knows how he died or when. They say the Fey carried him through the veil that separates our worlds, but how much of legend is fact and how much is pure myth? At least I will see Belenus when I return home.” Rose paused mid-step. “That feels so odd to say. Rhulon does not feel like home now. Neither does White Thorn.”

  “You think too much,” Meg laughed, fetching two little stuffed pastries filled with meat and spices from the table and handing her one.

  Rose bit into the pastry, careful not to spill on her new gown. “At least my headaches are gone. It’s strange to learn that I am basically a demon detector now because of my ability.”

  They walked pass Lilias, who sat between Empress Isabeau and Lady Thera, eating chilled fruit. Pallid and weak, Lilias leaned against her pillows as a servant waved an enormous feather fan over her. Though occupied with her royal charge, Thera flashed a warm smile in her direction and Rose returned the greeting. She studied the differences between the soft blonde and the steely dark woman, finding it strange to imagine Lilias and Thera were even from the same kingdom.

  “How is Princess Lilias doing?” Meg whispered when they were out of earshot.

  “She’s still recovering, but at least she’s out of bed. Zula said it was a miracle she survived at all. She may not be as frail as we suspect. I feel sorry for her. Zula thinks she was trapped in that cocoon for weeks. Darius sees her every day, but it’s hard for them both. He thinks she’s still mourning the loss of Justin, his brother. Darius is so shy.”

  Emperor Aristide and Captain Nerlis were talking beneath a shady an oak tree. When Aristide summoned Meg over, she excused herself for a moment and joined them.

  Rose wandered the garden among the other guests, though she did not feel like mingling. She greeted Robert Silverberry in passing, who sat beneath a shady tree, sipping a cordial, ignoring the court as he relaxed. He had been so caring during her recovery. He was not cranky with her even once.

  The sundrenched gardens beckoned Rose. She retreated from the elegant reception to enjoy a moment of solitude in golden sunlight, just far enough away from the others to be secluded among a grove of flowers. She welcomed the soothing embrace of quiet nature away from the gathering. She closed her eyes and imagined her favorite stream and woodlands back home, banishing the darkness of the past days to the far corner of her mind. Rose remembered hot summer days of hiking and fishing with her father, whom she missed so very much.

  Time softened the sting of her father’s betrayal. Rose received a letter from her father yesterday. He wrote of familiar little things and wished her well. He referenced her mother’s love in the letter, but Rose knew too well the bitterness of her mother’s feelings from years of recriminations and endless battle. There was no forgiveness from her mother yet. It was a fate she must accept, at least for now. Her father’s letter was warm, tenuous, and full of unspoken feeling and regret. She cried when she read it.

  Rose sensed someone near and turned around, shading her eyes against the noonday brightness. Prince Darius was standing there.

  “Your Highness,” she curtsied.

  “Please, you never have to curtsy to me, Rose,” Darius insisted genuinely. “I didn’t mean to disturb your privacy. I just wanted to say goodbye and wish you a good journey.”

  “Thank you, Darius. I never liked goodbyes. Too final and sad.”

  “Then I will just wish you a good journey.”

  “How is Princess Lilias faring? I am glad to see she is at least out of bed.”

  “The doctors say it wil
l be some time before her strength is fully restored. The witch Zula has brewed some droughts to increase her vitality, which seem to help her. She does not remember anything though.”

  “Perhaps that is for the best.”

  “Father agreed that we will postpone the wedding until her health is fully restored.”

  “That will at least give you time to get to know each other.”

  “I agree. Frankly, I’m also a little relieved. I haven’t prepared myself to be married just yet. Not that I find her repellent, it was just so unexpected to be engaged. How does one fall in love?”

  “I can empathize with that,” Rose laughed. She blushed when she recalled the crush she had on Darius when they met, but decided to keep that her secret. “The sudden prospect of arranged matrimony surprised me too when I was in Stone Haven. My mother decided on a husband named Simon for me. He smelled like onions and hated music.”

  “A grim fate indeed. What did you do?”

  “I ran away. It has been hard for my parents, I know. I should have just kept refusing to marry Simon. I was impatient. In truth, they could have dragged me down the aisle, but they’d never make me say ‘I do.’ I don’t regret coming here, even though I was kidnapped by slavers and attacked by a demon. I’ve made great friends and achieved more than I ever imagined.”

  “I wish I could run away,” Darius whispered.

  “Running causes it owns troubles.”

  “Perhaps. I sometimes wonder if Lilias ever wanted to run away from all of this.”

  “Maybe, but you’ll never know unless you ask her. That’s the trouble with political marriages. The heart is never involved. I have happily noted that she’s less shrill than the changeling version of her. Thera told me Lilias was a little frivolous, but was never cruel or selfish. I think Crimson’s personality seeped through the mask after so long pretending.”

  “Come to think of it,” Darius laughed, “the changeling was strangely pushy as Lilias. The real princess is so different. I know she’s sad, but I cannot find a remedy to make it better.”

  “Lilias suffered a terrible shock. She must be very lonely, even with the formidable Thera at her side.”

  “I wish I could help her. Thera Sule does not make it easy either. She oversees our visits like a mother hawk ready to pounce, talons first.”

  “She’s an unusual woman,” Rose laughed. “But if you get on her good side, I think you’ll find that you have a strong ally.”

  “I will consider that a personal quest.”

  Rose knew she was fortunate. Escaping wedlock caused her trouble but in the long run it was worth it. She regretted the pain she caused, but not the freedom. A prince would have a far more difficult time escaping an arranged marriage than a commoner.

  “You’re a courageous woman, Rose. The bravest person I have ever known. Lilias would have perished in that forgotten tomb with no one to know, if it hadn’t been for your sacrifice. You saved her life. You risked so much to recover a stranger without reward. That’s what makes you brave.”

  Rose shook her head, flushed and a bit embarrassed. “No, I’m not so brave, truly. I was terrified the whole time. Whenever I think about it my hands itch.”

  “You are fully recovered now, I hope?”

  “Oh yes. I’m guess I’m too tough to defeat, even by a changeling.”

  “Still, your life was imperiled. That upset me, Rose.”

  “So was being in the changeling’s mind.”

  “What was that like?”

  “Bizarre and terrifying. I know Crimson is dead, but I feel like she is still out there. I saw such wicked creatures in her memories that would frighten hardened warriors. The goblins are raising an army. That much is true. Culain did not seem surprised by this. But there is something more that haunts me. I cannot name it and that troubles me.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s just a shadow in my mind. Something dark watching me, but then, my imagination was always too ripe, according to my mother. Never mind all that. I hope you will write to me.”

  “Of course I will,” Darius promised.

  Rose brightened. “I would like that. A lonely bard always has need of a friend.”

  He kissed her hand, and answered earnestly, “I would never turn from you, Rose. You will always have my friendship and devotion.”

  “Now go sit with Lilias and bring her some cake. Cake always makes me smile.”

  After Darius departed, Rose could not bring herself to return to the festivities. Instead, she walked away from the gaiety.

  Culain met her on the path and greeted her with an exquisite white rose, grinning ear to ear. “A rose for a Rose.”

  “How long have you been waiting to say that?” she replied dryly, plucking it from his hand and breathing in its fragrance.

  “Since I met you that night at the Red Boar, so I think I deserve an enormous amount of credit for my restraint.”

  “If I do, will you answer one question for me,” Rose bargained, looking him in the eye.

  “If I can answer it, I will.”

  “You did not discover me at the Red Boar by chance, did you?”

  He sighed and shook his head, resigned. “Alas, in life there is no such thing as coincidence and I never believed in chance. Belenus wrote to my father when you ran away. Since I was coming to White Thorn anyway, he asked me to find you. Believe me, it wasn’t that hard. A young Rhulonese girl coming to White Thorn alone, and then becomes a key witness in an imperial criminal case against slavers was not exactly secretive. You also worked in a local tavern I often frequented during my visits here. It was not a grand quest, even in a city as large as this one. Belenus is an old family friend who wanted you safe. He was just concerned, knowing how cruel this world can be. But when I heard you sing that first night, your talent was far grander than I imagined. But then, crusty old Belenus would not tutor just anyone. I offered you a position in my household because of your talent. You have other qualities too.”

  “As a potential spy to train? A bard with the rhapsodé magic?”

  Culain guided her gently away from any eager ears that might lurk nearby until they were safely alone. They walked a narrow path between immense oaks. “You’re still free to refuse my proposal about the secret matter. Being my bardess will keep you busy enough, but what I do for my family is risky. If you don’t want to remain in my household, I understand.”

  “I will admit that I’m a little frightened by it all,” Rose conceded. “That you’re a spy, that I have a strange new magic that I can’t control, and this darkness that seems to be looming. What I saw in Crimson’s mind left me shaken, I will not hide that.”

  “If you weren’t apprehensive, you would be a danger to yourself and to the Crown.”

  “That’s the thing, isn’t it? The danger already exists. You told me Rhulon may be threatened by it. Not just by an invading army, but something more sinister. There is a new goblin king and they are preparing for war. There is something else too, a shadow I cannot name, but it has haunted me since I was in Crimson’s mind.” Rose was torn by duty and fear, but also attracted to the thrill. Perhaps something was wrong with her? “When I was still recovering, you admitted you were a spy for the Crown. Why tell me that?”

  “Because I trust you, Rose. If you serve my house, you would be at risk too. I don’t declare this to just anyone. To many, I’m Culain, the roguish prince who dresses in bright silk suits. The indolent royal awarded aristocratic posts by his disappointed father to keep him out of trouble. Not even my brothers and sisters know what I do for Rhulon. I feel I can tell you the truth, and it will be safe.”

  “You live in two worlds. That must be hard for you.”

  “I’m good at it. I’ve convinced Aristide to join Rhulon in a private alliance. I call it the cabal of light. It’s not about conquest, but a genuine experiment to keep kingdoms at peace. I know there is trouble looming. What you saw confirms my suspicions. That’s why I am good at my job. As my bardess, t
here will be times when you will be entrusted with vital information. Some things are too risky to put to pen and paper. Plus, the glam powers you have will be of great value to Rhulon. Your gift is rare. I just hope it doesn’t hurt you.”

  “The rhapsodé frightens me more than espionage.”

  “There is a genuine danger in my profession, Rose. Because of that, think hard before accepting my offer. There is no going back once you start down that path. It’s a nebulous existence to be trained as one of the Raven’s Eyes.”

  “Things change. When I left home, I wanted to be a bard and free to see the world.”

  “Then be that and stay safe,” Culain encouraged. He handed her an envelope with a blue seal.

  Rose opened the enveloped and nearly cried when she saw what Culain offered. “It’s from the White Thorn Bard Academy. They are offering me a place with them beginning this summer with full tuition paid and lodgings at the academy, with you as my official benefactor. You would do this for me?”

  “You deserve a chance for happiness and freedom.”

  She looked into his eyes, usually so candid and gay, now tinged with sadness and longing. She could not leave him now. From the moment they met, he vexed and challenged her. She could not imagine being away from him now. She only knew she must stay with Culain, no matter what. But what did he feel? Dare she ask?

  Rose was haunted by the memory of Thera’s views on castes. Caste was important to her culture, and was it so different for her? What was her place in the world? She still did not want to marry. Yet, she felt bonded to Culain, but was hesitant to use the word love. She could not express her feelings in words and she was a wordsmith! Rose was not born of royal blood and Culain was a prince from an ancient line. She was a common girl who broke from tradition to pursue freedom as a bard. Culain was a prince who lived a life outside of his caste as a spy. They were both outcastes in a way. No matter what their beginnings, Karta has put them both on the same path together. She would follow it.

  Culain took her hands into his own. “My life is dangerous. I could not bear it if you were hurt again. The academy was your dream. Stay here and be free, Rose. ”