Chapter 9
9
“Class!” Professor Borromeo was frustrated. She never raised her voice like that. “It would behoove you all to pay attention, particularly in light of recent events. Perhaps you believe the past doesn’t matter, when in fact, history is where we find the future.”
It wasn’t our fault. All the commotion outside made it really hard to hear, let alone concentrate. There was a crew of nunos, small little mountain elves, installing posts all along the drive, and our room, which happened to be facing the front of the building, had a clear view of the scene down below. Apparently, every road in Biringan City—the main capital of Biringan—would be lined with lights and flowers for an entire month following the ceremony, not just the main ones. The plans kept growing. So now, instead of a week of feasting and celebrating, the coronation would also include endless parades and parties and “general revelry,” as Elias put it. He said the people would need the release after so much worry. Also, until I arrived, the weather had been terrible, and now that it was sunny again, people wanted to celebrate.
I was set to become queen in three weeks and three days. And still no magic to be found.
Little did people know their big party was actually going to be more like a funeral.
No offense to Professor Borromeo, but ancient history was hardly my main concern right now. I was worried about my mother. Elias’s patianaks had found her in a local hospital after almost a week of searching. She was injured but stable. I wanted to go to her immediately, but Elias said I had to wait. He had sent encantos to keep watch over her while she recovered. But for her safety, there would be no communication between us in the meantime. Elias hoped he could bring her back in time for my coronation. Still, I worried.
I tried to focus on the lecture. Professor Borromeo had picked up steam. “As you all learned in your earliest lessons, once upon a time, there was no separation between encantos—magickind—and humankind. For thousands of years, we lived together in the same world with a shared purpose: to be stewards of the universe.
“Until the humans decided they wanted to elevate themselves over all other creatures. To subjugate nature. Harness the bounty of the land for their own gain. But the encantos protested, trying, vainly, to convince them that none could own or control the moon and stars, the sand and seas. Cooperation was the only way. If nature was out of balance, nothing good would come of it. Encantos are one with nature; our kings and queens kept the balance, ensuring that the seasons cycled as they should, that the planets remained aligned.
“Thus, the wars began,” she continued. “Humans attacked first; they went after any who stood in their way, and encantos fought back, only adding to the death and destruction. As the fighting dragged on, the diwata in charge of the circle of life was distracted, and as predicted, nature began to spin out of control. There were hurricanes, floods, famine. Eventually, magickind fled to the farthest parts of the world to escape the disasters and avoid doing any more harm, lest everything cease to exist entirely. In Biringan, the entrance to the city was closed off, leaving humans outside of it. Over time, Biringan grew to become four distinct kingdoms.
“Meanwhile, in the human realm, diwatas and those of higher power are remembered as gods, and encantos as mythical creatures, although these days most humans don’t believe we exist at all. We’ve been trying to repair the damage from those wars ever since.”
***
I zoned out through the rest of my classes. Just before lunch, Professor Rosas, the tiny, seemingly timid Hayop at Halaman instructor from the Court of Lambana, was droning on and on about the various types of noxious vegetation in each region, dependent on environment, and which have gone extinct over time—or, in the case of poisonous ones, been purposely eradicated. I was supposed to be taking notes, but once again, my mind was wandering.
Who would want to kill my father, and why? The most obvious answer was to take the throne, though that still brought me right back to who. I didn’t know enough about the politics of the courts to even come up with a suspect.
I had to find that note the maids were talking about.
“Before I let you go, children, remember the next test will cover the past four sections of the text, from page 206 through 808.”
My head snapped up. A test, covering six hundred pages? Everyone around me stood to leave. I raised my hand.
Professor Rosas looked at me. “Yes, Princess?”
“May I get an extension for the test?”
Her answer surprised me. “Why would you?”
I thought it was obvious. “Well, I wasn’t even here when most of that was covered.”
“And yet your coronation will not be delayed, will it? If you’re to take on such responsibility, I recommend you do whatever it takes to prove you’re prepared. You must know the land if you are to rule it, yes?” She smiled at me over her glasses.
I was beginning to understand that the Court of Lambana only seemed passive on the surface. I smiled back. “Of course,” I said. I’ll just add that to the list. Reading, studying, coronation plans, figure out what happened to my father, oh, and find my elusive magic, which I may not even have. Sure. No problem.
***
“I’ll help you with Rosas,” Nix promised at lunch. “I was one of her star students, even though she gave me a hard time when I first got here, too. She just has high expectations.”
I tapped my finger against the table. “Can I ask you something?” I hoped it wasn’t a sensitive issue.
“Anything.”
“Do you... do you have a talent? Ayo asked me what mine is, and...”
“Oh, my magic? I think I can make even the most wilted flowers bloom. And once I healed a dying bird.” She shrugged. “Not really sure yet how it works. I just know I can do it.”
“Cool,” I said, feeling worse. I wished I hadn’t asked. No wonder Professor Rosas liked her so much.
“Why, what’s yours?” She looked at me, read something in my expression, and changed course. “If you don’t know how to control it yet, don’t worry. I figured mine out by accident. Lots of people need practice.”
I didn’t believe that, but I appreciated her attempt at making me feel better. I was tempted to tell her the truth. That I probably didn’t have one at all. But what if she told someone? Not maliciously, but she did have trouble censoring herself.
“Once, when I was a kid, this house plant was dying, and I felt sorry for it. That’s it—I just felt sorry for it. And by the next day, it was thriving. Like, it wasn’t drooping, it wasn’t browning, it even looked like it had grown overnight. I thought it was just the sunshine coming in the window. I mean, it is always sunny in San Diego...”
San Diego, California. Something from that last morning I was home came back to me. I sat up straight and leaned forward. “Wait a minute—I heard about you. You’re the missing girl.” The news article. Phoenix Xing was last seen leaving school a year ago...
“Heh. Yep, that’s me,” Nix said uneasily. “Heh.” She picked at one of the gaping seams of her robe.
“No way! But if your parents brought you here, why were you reported missing—”
“I don’t know,” she cut in. “That is weird.” She flipped open her agenda book. “Hey, when’s the coronation again? I get an invite to the Coronation Eve Ball, right?”
Strange. She was touchy about the subject, but I let it go. I didn’t want to push, since I barely knew her and wanted to keep my one friend.
“Of course,” I told her. Agenda book... that reminded me, I had a big-deal council meeting coming up. Tomorrow? Or the next day? Maybe if I actually used mine instead of forgetting it every day, I would feel more organized. Nix always seemed to be on top of everything.
“What about Amador and Lucas? Are they going, too?”
I shrugged. “I’m sure they’re invited. Her parents are from the highest-ranking house in the Court of Sigbin and everything.”
“Yeah, true, plus Lucas’s dad used to work for the Court of Sirena,” said Nix.
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t know that?”
“No.” I had studied the family trees of the great houses of each court, but I had missed that detail.
“Yeah, his dad was commander of the Royal Guard.”
“How do you know that?”
“No one pays attention to me. I listen. And I read. That’s all it takes. Everything’s out there. Not like it’s a big secret.”
I looked over at Lucas and Amador’s table. They were laughing, sharing some private joke, probably at someone else’s expense. I couldn’t imagine how Lucas had ended up in the Court of Sigbin if his father had been working for mine. “So, then, is his dad with the Sigbin Court now?”
Nix wasn’t listening to me; she was busy putting her books away. “Huh?” Nix asked, with a shake of her head. “His dad? No, he’s not.”
***
After lunch, Nix and I agreed to meet up again soon. I offered Nix a ride, but she had to pick something up in town, so she headed out the back door, and I went to find my obnoxious carriage ride out front.
Following a few wrong turns in the halls, I ended up lost again. I found myself in yet another completely unfamiliar wing of the school, probably reserved for the more advanced botany courses because, scattered all over the hall, there were potted plants in various states of growth. I leaned down to read a handwritten sign stuck into the dirt next to one of the seedlings: Touch me not, for if you do, I’m sure to rot. And another: If this plant you should touch, the poor wee thing will turn to muck.
I heard voices. Familiar voices. Amador and Lucas. They were nearby—and getting closer. I ducked down next to a tall ficus. Weeping Fig , the label said.
Lucas stopped in front of Amador and turned to her. I could see their feet from my hiding spot. Lucas’s boots were black with blue stitching. “Remember, she’s just a hapcanto, and half sirena of all things,” she said, emphasizing each word. “You better back me up.”
Lucas whispered back, “We have different ideas. But you make it sound like I’m against you. I’m not.”
“I hope so,” Amador said, shuffling her feet. “I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah, yeah,” he replied, irritated. “I know what you want me to do.”
They began walking again, deep in hushed conversation about their scheme, whatever it was. Unfortunately, as hard as I tried, I couldn’t hear another word of it. I waited until their footsteps faded before I scurried away in the opposite direction, heart racing. If they were talking about hapcantos, they had to be plotting against me. I had to get out of here. I wasn’t safe anywhere. I had to leave Biringan!
Then a wave of fury swept through me. I definitely wasn’t going to let two spoiled, entitled, social-climbing schemers like Amador and Lucas scare me into handing over my birthright or fleeing my ancestral world. I had as much of a right to be here as they did. No one was going to bully the rightful queen.
I found my way out by following the direction they’d taken, got into my awaiting carriage, and chewed on what I’d heard on the way back to the palace. I wished I had a phone, some way to message Nix about what was going on.
When I arrived back at my room, Elias was waiting. “We were getting worried about you, Princess. You’re late.”
“I realized I’d left a book in class,” I lied.
“Well, no matter; here you are just in time. Jinky will see you’re dressed, and then I’ll escort you downstairs.”
“For...?” I asked, confused.
“Why, the meeting, of course,” he said incredulously. “It’s very important. Your first official political engagement is with the Court of Sigbin. It’s in your agenda.”
I let out an involuntary groan. Elias looked scandalized. His eyes widened. “Princess, this is a serious matter.”
“I understand,” I said. “Remind me, what is this meeting about, again?”
“It’s a formal introduction. For the purpose of future alliances, to build rapport.”
I almost told him what I’d overheard earlier, but I kept it to myself.
“Would you prefer the courtiers arrive with you or before you?” he asked me.
“I don’t think any courtiers will be necessary,” I said firmly. Simple was better. More fuss would just complicate everything and take away from the purpose. A simple meeting with representatives of the Court of Sigbin. On my turf. Not a big deal.
He hesitated for a long time. “Yes, Your Highness.” He nodded, then left.
I couldn’t wait until I was crowned and of age, so I wouldn’t need a guardian keeping tabs on me all the time like I was a baby. Elias was only looking out for me, but I could look out for myself.
***
Jinky wanted me to wear a very formal pale-pink terno, but the stiff peaked butterfly sleeves and brocade fabric on the gown seemed way too much for a simple meeting. I dug around in the closet until I found just the right thing. A white silk blouse with short sleeves and a pair of sleek red pants and a matching red scarf. I held them up for Jinky. “These are perfect!” Simplicity. Yes, that was the remedy for how overwhelmed I was.
She cringed. “That’s a katipunero outfit! It’s for working in the garden!”
“No, trust me, these are perfect for a meeting.” I wanted to look powerful, not like a doll. Anyway, being queen meant making my own decisions.
An hour later, Elias and Jinky accompanied me down to the grand hall. I was going to nail my first official engagement.
I took a deep breath as the doors opened in front of me.