Chapter Nine #6
“Very well.” I sniffed in Alisdair’s direction—a habit of Emiana, though warranted in his case. “I have business in the village. I won’t be long. When I return, we’ll begin our rune lessons.”
“Your wish is my command.”
I left before I made another failed attempt to attack him. I was trying to make the man fall in love with me, giving in to my disdain for him wouldn’t achieve that goal.
On the way out, I picked up Eadaoin on my tail. We passed through the market, picking up cheery hellos and polite conversation as we went. Lumenfell truly was a nice, peaceful village, and despite the harsh everlasting winter and the animals consuming their bodies and soul, the people seemed happy.
Seeing them, I knew Alisdair was right. A woman in my position would have to make a choice. They’d have to draw their allegiances in the ever-shifting sands of morality, and say this is where I stand. I will free my people and my kind, and I’ll cut down anyone who stands in my way.
But the woman in that position—the one as his wife and queen—could not be me. Of course, I’d take up arms and life for my freedom, Meli’s freedom, Gisela’s freedom, Savia’s freedom, and Mama’s life. But I’d do it as the true me, and I’d do it for all the forgotten in Gutter Galley.
I would not do it for Alisdair’s revenge, or his thirst for power.
I’d also never be in the position of having to since I would leave the moment I was free of the curse.
Let his true betrothed make that choice.
Knowing Emiana as I was beginning to, she’d jump at the chance to dig her slippered heel into the throat of the nation that spurned her.
“Queen Ana, hello.”
I shook myself, pulling out of my musings. Riordan waved from his market stand. His table was loaded down with three times as many goods as people dropped off their produce for coin.
“Riordan.” I ran over, a true smile breaking out on my face. “I’m so happy you’re okay. The last thing I saw was you being thrown from the carriage.”
He winced. “Ah, yes. Our lord wasn’t kind in his ripping apart the cart to find you. I understand now why you told me to have a replacement waiting. All the same, once I made it back to the replacement cart, I left without a problem.”
“And you did well in Lyrica?” I asked, sweeping over his fresh and vibrant haul.
“Very well, my lady. They paid even more than you said they would. I sold everything I brought to market down to the last carrot.”
I looked around. Eadaoin was across the way, speaking to a woman who sold jarred fruit jellies. “What about the other thing I asked you to do?”
“As ordered, I delivered two sack-fulls of jewels and gold to Aya Olene and her children. She was so shocked, she fainted.”
Was she okay? How did she look? The questions refused to leave my mind. “Is that all?” I asked instead.
“What do you mean?”
I strained to find words the curse would let me say. “Just—! Did anything else happen?” I burst out.
He hummed, pushing his lips out. “Not really. They didn’t want to take them at first. Meliora kept asking who they were from, but I wouldn’t say—like you told me. She didn’t like that,” he muttered. “Said I either told her, or I could walk out the damn door with my stolen loot right then.”
I cracked a smile. That sounded like Meli.
“I didn’t want them getting rid of it because they thought it was stolen, so I just said someone important wanted them to have it,” he said.
“Wanted to make sure they were taken care of. They seemed to accept that because when I left, they were jumping up and down—crying and laughing about how everything was going to change.”
It was me who was crying and smiling. I nearly jumped over the table and hugged him, if not for remembering at the last second that Alisdair wouldn’t take too kindly to that.
“Thank you, Riordan. You have no idea how much I... Just, thank you.” I held my hand out to him, resting it an inch above his heart.
“If there’s anything I can do for you, name it. ”
He smiled. “My queen, you’ve already done everything for me.
I’ve got this great position and... uh..
.” Riordan glanced past my shoulder. I followed his gaze to a tall, dark-haired bat faeriken.
I only knew she was a bat from the spindly wings fluttering on her back.
The curse had yet to touch her face, and what a pretty face it was.
I flicked away from her charming smile to her round, pregnant belly. It suddenly made perfect sense why Riordan abandoned Lyrica and took up the charge of uniting the fae and faeriken.
“It’s really going to help our family,” he finished. “We’re even moving into the castle tomorrow. Everyone employed by the royal family has the right.”
“That’s great, Riordan,” I said, and meant it. “I’m really happy for you.”
He beamed at his love.
“I have another sack for you.” Urgency made me return to the point. I had to get back to Alisdair before the runes demanded it. “Would you mind delivering it to Aya Olene again?”
“Not a problem, my lady.” He took the sack of diamonds and tucked it under the table. “Maybe this time I’ll get to see her.”
My ears quirked up. “Who?”
“Just an old friend of mine.” He softened, surprising me. “She was the best. Tough, fierce, but kind too. She saved me from some bullies, and this was after her magic was bound. Imagine the guts that takes. Standing between a scrawny kid and three guys twice your size, with no magic to help you.
“But that’s Volka,” he said, laughing. “Fearless.”
I found myself laughing too. Volka. I hadn’t heard that nickname in a long time. It meant wolf.
His smile dimmed. “I asked Aya Olene about her, and their dancing and laughing stopped. They wouldn’t say what happened, but I know. The Gutter took her,” he rasped. “Like it takes us all in the end. It’s terrible because out of everybody, I always thought she’d be the one to make it out.”
I did, Riordan! I made it out. If only I could tell you. My hand fell to my side. If only I could tell Mama and my siblings they don’t have to stop smiling. Everything’s going to be all right.
“My lady.”
I turned to Eadaoin, who pointed at the flickering orblight. It was only recently I was informed they flickered every hour, on the hour, to help the Lumenfellians track the time in this land of dark and ice.
“Goodbye, Riordan,” I said, “and thank you.”
I LET MYSELF INTO THE war room, causing Alisdair to raise his head. He glanced at me, then to the man behind me.
“What do you want?”
The leopard faeriken bowed. “I am here at my lady’s request.”
“This is Fintan,” I broke in, saving him.
“I remembered you saying how busy you are, dear husband, and what a waste it is having to teach me. It was unfair of me to demand you teach me to read runes too when you already have so much on your plate.” I gestured to him.
“Hence, Fintan. He will take over my runic lessons.”
“No,” Alisdair replied. “Get out.”
I laughed. “You’re so silly, my lord. Come, come, Fintan, it’s all right.” The guy was already halfway out the door. “My lord makes these jokes all the time.
“You just continue working,” I told Alisdair, “and we’ll be over here.”
I herded Fintan to a small table in the corner. Under Alisdair’s watchful, narrowed eyes, I gathered parchment, inks, and quills, and brought it back for us to begin.
“Okay, uh...” Fintan tried not to look at his glaring king. “How much do you know, my lady?”
“Nothing. You’ll have to start at the beginning, and teach me absolutely everything you know.” I winked at him. “But a smart, clever guy like you? You’re just the man for the job.”
He started. “Oh. Th-thank you, Lady Ana.”
“You are most welcome,” I said, brushing back my hair to reveal Emiana’s pale throat and ample cleavage.
Aeris didn’t know when she chose my blue silk gown with the plunging neckline, she was helping me and Eadaoin complete the next step in my plan to make Alisdair fall in love with me.
I couldn’t tumble the man in front of Alisdair—and I also didn’t want to—but I could give him my full and adoring attention.
“Let’s begin.” Fintan grabbed a quill and parchment and began writing out the runes. “There are six thousand five hundred and seventy-eight runes in total, but you only need to know four thousand for fluency.”
I nodded. That much I knew.
“Let’s begin with the twenty most common ones. This is the rune for water and—”
“Actually,” I broke in. “I was hoping we could begin by learning my marriage runes. They’re bound to my soul. I should know what they say.”
“Very sensible, my queen. Which one would—?”
I slipped my sleeve off my shoulder. A deep, furious growl smothered the room.
“Princess.” The warning in his voice was loud and clear.
I ignored him. “This one.” I pointed. “What does this mean?”
“It— Uh— It means—” Fintan flicked back and forth between me and Alisdair. “It means fidelity.”
Of course it did. “Would you show me how to write it?”
He did—tracing a loopy, entangled design that reminded me of a mangled heart.
I shrieked laughing. “Wow, Fintan, you have such lovely handwriting. I do love a man that’s good with his hands.”
Alisdair growled louder.
“What about this?” I covered my shoulder back up and picked a rune on a less scandalous spot. I tapped the tiny one on my wrist. “What does it mean?”
“It means run.”
“Run,” I repeated, committing it to memory. I truly did want to learn. “Hey! You never got to finish that funny story you were telling me on the way up.” Alisdair’s growl was a steady thrum in the background. “Please, go on.”
“Um, well.” Fintan was quite cute for a leopard man. He had intense, round yellow eyes and whiskers, but they did nothing to impede his shy, nervous smile, or the way his dreadlocks perfectly framed his heart-shaped face. “All I said was that I tripped on my sword getting out of bed this morning.”
I howled, slapping the table. “That’s hilarious. Tell me more.”