Chapter 14 Stasya
14
Stasya
Dragon’s Keep was full of activity, full of noise, full of rules she didn’t understand or couldn’t see the point of. There always seemed to be a guard around, watching her, but she saw none of the familiar faces. No Matiss, no Pavel, not one of those who had accompanied them on the journey. Aleksis had been there earlier, talking to a woman called Biruta, who was in charge of the serving people. So many of them – what did they all do? Flip was scared at first, shivering, wanting to be carried, which was understandable considering the crowd of folk. She might easily have been trampled.
They took Lukas away. When she tried to protest, nobody would listen. Later, Biruta explained that men and women had separate areas within the servants’ quarters and mingled only at meal times or if their duty required it. There were some married couples among them; those folk slept elsewhere, in their own quarters. When Stasya asked about Lukas, whether he would get proper treatment for his burns, whether he would have somewhere quiet to sleep, Biruta enquired whether she was related to Lukas – his sister, his betrothed? And when Stasya said no, the housekeeper responded with, ‘Then it’s none of your business.’
The place was a maze of hallways and storage areas and chambers used for various purposes, most of which were a mystery to her. The stone walls were pierced, here and there, by narrow windows which let in both sunlight and cold drafts; these provided Stasya with glimpses of the world outside. On the second day, standing close to one of these windows, she smelled rain. She was tempted to let Flip fly out in bird form, if only to bring back the reassurance that trees and grasses and wild things were still within reach beyond the fortress walls. But she could not risk that, even though Flip herself was restless, eager to be out of doors. How long would they be shut up in this place? How long could they survive it?
Dragon’s Keep had extensive, busy kitchens. Even in the servants’ quarters the meals were substantial. Stasya fed Flip from her own platter and nobody objected. There was an outdoor privy with a small paved area beside it, set too low to allow any view over the wall. Biruta had made it clear that Stasya must take Flip out there several times a day to relieve herself. Even that small respite from the confines of the house was welcome. It was hardly a place to linger, but at least a person could see the sky.
Irina was too quiet. At Laima and Ivo’s farm she had seemed to be emerging from the first shock of her terrible loss. Here, with endless time to think and remember, she was again shut in, not wanting to move, not wanting to talk, barely able to listen even to words of kindness. It did not help either her or Stasya that the female servants slept in one long, gloomy chamber on pallets set so close a person could stretch out and touch the hand of their neighbour, should they ever wish to do so. The space to store personal items was minimal. It was just as well, Stasya thought grimly, that they’d come with so little. At night, Irina pulled her blanket over her head and lay as if dead. But Stasya knew she did not sleep. Whenever she herself woke, which was often, she heard Irina’s soft sobbing in the dark.
For two days and two nights they were left more or less alone, save for the near-constant presence of folk about their own business and the ever-watchful woman on guard. Whether she was present solely to stop the two of them from attempting an escape, or whether her role was to raise the alarm if there was some threat to the household, Stasya did not know and did not ask, having learned quickly that folk here viewed her as if she were some unusual specimen suddenly thrust into their midst, or a wild creature that might bite if spoken to the wrong way. It made her wonder what Aleksis had said to Biruta or to the Ruler. Much of the time, the other women went about their day’s work as if Stasya were invisible. That should have made her happy. Hadn’t she always preferred her own company? Instead, she felt trapped. Uneasy. There was a constant churning in her belly. If only she knew what would come next. If only someone would tell her how Lukas was, and where he was. If only they would realise that seeing her from time to time might help him. She couldn’t heal his injuries; that was for more skilled folk to do. But her stories could take his mind off the pain, ease the sadness of being away from home and family, help him to stay strong. He had not deserved any of this.
On the third day, Aleksis came to find her. She was in the paved area outside the privy, gazing up at the sky while Flip nosed around, investigating this and that. Stasya heard a small sound and turned to see him in the doorway, tidy in his court clothes with his hair pulled back from his face and tied with a cord.
‘Stasya. When I asked them to allow you some time out of doors, this was not what I had in mind.’
What question to ask first? They were bubbling to the surface, all of them together: Lukas, Irina, the Ruler, the future – no, she must make herself wait, she must be calm. She drew a deep breath.
‘We’ll go indoors, shall we?’ he suggested. ‘Or find a more pleasant spot to talk?’
Stasya felt her mouth curl. More grimace than smile. ‘This is the only outside place where I’m allowed to go.’
‘Come.’ He reached out a hand. ‘There’s a garden not so far off. As my guest, you may certainly go there in my company.’
A garden. Was this some kind of trick? Stasya did not move, but Flip ran to Aleksis and put her paws up on his leg, seeking attention. He did not spare the dog so much as a glance. The hawk, Stasya thought. Fixed on his purpose, as always.
‘I must take you to see the Ruler soon,’ he said. ‘It’s best that you and I have a talk first, and this is not the place for that. Come, please.’
She did not take his hand but followed him as he led the way back indoors. The guard who had been just inside, watching her, was now nowhere to be seen. Aleksis took her along a series of passageways, out of the servants’ quarters and into spring sunshine. She drew in a long breath, hardly believing what she saw. Flip hurtled away across a green lawn, around which grew well-tended fruit trees: peach, plum, others of a kind she had not seen before. There were wooden benches here and there, and large pots holding bushy herbs. The air was full of their sweet scents. At the far end of the garden a man was digging, perhaps preparing for a new planting. Despite everything, Stasya felt a smile spread across her face.
‘It’s quiet here,’ Aleksis said. ‘We won’t be interrupted. Sit down awhile. You’ll have questions, I’m sure. Ask them and I will try to answer.’
She saw, then, that the gardener was not the only other person there. By the door through which they had entered the garden, Pavel now stood keeping watch. This time, she suspected, it was not to prevent her from bolting, but to make sure nobody came in unless Aleksis wanted them there.
She sat. Flip was well occupied; investigating every corner would take her some time. ‘I haven’t been told anything about Lukas. I wanted to see him, perhaps to help, but the housekeeper said no. Is he all right? Are they looking after him?’
Aleksis stretched out his legs; he, too, seemed to be enjoying the sun. ‘I’ve seen your friend. He asked about you. I am no expert, but I am confident he is being well looked after. They have him walking about a little, building his strength.’
‘Has the physician looked at his burns?’
‘I believe the physician was called away elsewhere on the day we arrived here. Certainly the dressings have been changed, and they give him draughts for the pain.’ A pause. ‘At this point, that is all I can tell you.’
‘May I see him? I thought … I thought I might tell him stories.’
‘That would require the Ruler’s approval. Lukas is in the men’s quarters, in an area reserved for folk who are unwell.’ Aleksis gazed off across the lawn. Flip had found the gardener, who had set aside his spade and crouched down to pat the little dog. ‘You’ll have learned by now that this household has certain rules, including those that set out who may go where and speak with whom. Tedious at times but required to maintain order in an establishment so large.’ Another lengthy pause. ‘About the stories, I agree entirely. On the journey here, they gave the men heart. But this would not be my decision.’
‘You’re saying I should ask the Ruler?’
Aleksis’s mouth curved in a smile, but there was nothing happy about it. ‘When a person has an audience with the Ruler, it’s the Ruler who asks the questions. I will try to raise the subject.’
A shiver ran through Stasya. The old fears were creeping back in, here in this place of green growth and sunshine, a place such as she would not have dreamed existed within the high walls of Dragon’s Keep. ‘And Irina? She needs help too. I do try, but she cries at night, and during the day she just sits staring at nothing. It’s hard to get her to eat. At that farm, where we stopped on the way, she seemed quite a lot better, but now … If I could bring her out here into the sun, perhaps—’
Aleksis raised a hand, and she fell silent. ‘I need to explain something to you before we see the Ruler.’
What was it with him? One moment he seemed almost friendly; the next he was like a stranger, carefully distant. If this was some sort of game, it would help if she understood the rules. But then, Dragon’s Keep was a place of rules, and she had never much cared for those, even back at Heartwood. Birds and animals, plants and stones and water had their own way of being, with no need to set down the rules; they simply were . ‘Say it, then.’ Maybe that sounded rude, but never mind. Plain speaking was good. Perhaps he thought she was lacking in some way, a half-wit. She’d heard one or two of the women whisper names like that, looking at her sideways as they passed.
‘We’re going to speak with Lady Elisabeta as soon as we’re called.’ Aleksis had dropped his voice to a murmur, though the gardener was still too far away to hear. Pavel had not moved from his post near the doorway. ‘There are accepted ways of doing these things, and I advise you to comply with them, no matter how you feel. The Ruler is exactly that: the head of this household and the head of the Northlands. Nobody stands above her.’ He glanced over toward Pavel, then turned back to Stasya, his expression as grave as if he were about to announce a death. ‘She knows about your amber owl; she has seen it.’
Stasya could not keep quiet. ‘Seen it? So it’s here? You brought it here? I thought—’
‘It is here, and safely locked away. Lady Elisabeta will ask you about it: where you found it, whether there is more amber in that place, where that amber might have originated. She will ask you about the trips you and Lukas made into the forest, and how you traversed terrain other folk think impassable. She wants a way to the Hermit.’
‘I know that.’ Bitterness rose in Stasya. ‘Didn’t she send the Commander to find a way, even if it meant the deaths of ancient trees and creatures, and the ruin of Heartwood settlement? Why would I tell her anything?’
Aleksis did not answer this question. He waited, not meeting her eye now, then said, ‘Something further. Word came to her, not from me, of what you did with the panicking horse. Some of my men spoke to folk from Heartwood. I gather there are rumours about your ability to do something similar with wild creatures. I don’t know how much truth there is in those tales; perhaps they belong with the stories of ghosts and uncanny folk that you sometimes tell. Lady Elisabeta asked me about the episode with the horse, and I am almost certain she will want your account of it as well.’
‘Why would she do that? I am good at keeping animals calm, I help farmers quite often. But that has nothing to do with finding amber or making a way through the forest.’
‘It could do.’
Stasya felt a cold trickle down her spine. If anything was certain, it was that she would answer no questions about this particular matter.
‘I strongly advise you to answer calmly, tell the truth, and remain as courteous as you can be. Speak only when spoken to. Keep your answers brief and to the point. I will be present all the time; you won’t be left alone with Lady Elisabeta.’
A slight sound from the entry; when she looked over, another man stood in front of Pavel. A tall man in a guard’s uniform, but all in black. Something in his expression chilled Stasya to the bone. He lifted a hand, and with the merest twitch of his long fingers indicated to Aleksis that they should come. It was time.
Stasya found words. ‘I thought … for a bit I really thought … that she would be kind, that it would be all right. When they gave us a bed and food and didn’t lock us up, I thought … But it’s not all right, is it? You say, tell the truth . But how can I tell the truth and be courteous? The truth is, her mission is destroying all I care about.’ Her voice rose. ‘The truth is, folk have died and been hurt, and folk are going on suffering! The truth is, the forest is still being cut down! The Commander is still doing his vile work in Heartwood!’
‘Stasya.’ They were both standing now, and Aleksis put his hands on her shoulders. The touch startled her and she flinched away. ‘Stop,’ he said, and although he spoke in a murmur, something in his tone caught her attention. His eyes went to the man in black, then back to her. ‘Breathe. You must heed my warning. Answer only the questions she asks; do not stray to other matters. Keep your answers simple. Be polite. Stay calm. I will help where I can. But I, too, have rules to follow. Now we must go.’