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Elalia stood at the window and watched the people mill around the courtyard. Brother Erasmus had explained that something had happened to the Temple roof during the night, and there was a concern that it was not safe. The Brothers were working on it and as soon as it was safe, the people could enter again.
Even from here, she could see the stoic faces of the Brothers and soldiers by the doors, and their calmness seemed to help the people that talked to them. Yet there was an uncertainty as to what the people would do now that they could not enter the Temple to pray. Brother Erasmus had assured her that the gods would understand and that, if needed, she could pray in the royal family’s private chapel.
“What of everyone else?” she had asked, trying to show herself the caring queen despite not caring what the people wanted at all.
“The gods understand,” was all he would say.
She wondered what the gods did think. She had heard of such a thing occurring in the past—not in her lifetime, but there were times over the history of Rocfeld that the Temple had been closed for various reasons, none of them ever serious enough to worry the people, and it was only ever a few days before the people could re-enter and pray to their gods.
She huffed and leaned against the glass. As soon as he had shared the news with her and gone, she had walked quickly to the Silent Mother, but she wasn’t in her room. She had found her, along with the three Sisters, all kneeling in the chapel. The light and shadows flickered together, but no one watched the walls. All four of them rested their foreheads on the floor.
She stood for a moment watching the random movement of shadow and then knelt beside the Silent Mother before the candles. “What has happened?” she asked softly.
The Silent Mother sighed as she straightened, and looking at the candles rather than Elalia, she said, “Megora knew of Kellin.”
“How?” Elalia asked too loudly.
“I know not,” she answered, her voice strangely calm. “I fear Water and Air assisted her more than they should.”
“In what way?” Elalia asked, struggling to understand. “Why would the Followers assist her?” How could they assist her? she wondered.
“I know not,” she sighed. “She was a favourite of theirs, perhaps.”
“A favourite?” Elalia shot to her feet. “Was?” She glanced at the Silent Sisters, still bent in prayer.
“She is one of the gods now,” the Silent Mother said, her eyes still on the candles.
“Meggie is a god?” Elalia asked slowly.
The Silent Mother shook her head. “She has been turned to stone. To be a statue amongst those she worshipped.”
“Stone?” Elalia asked.
“Standing with her back to the gods.”
“Did you do this?” she asked.
“Sythia did this,” the Silent Mother said firmly, climbing slowly to her feet, and Elalia stepped back from her. She glanced at the other Sisters, now watching her, and she stopped.
“That is why the Temple is closed.”
“They would be trying to move her, or hide her,” one of the Silent Sisters said.
“What of Kellin?” Elalia asked quickly.
All four women shook their heads as one, their features calm and unnerving, and Elalia nodded once before walking as quickly as she could back to her solar. She should have been told sooner that this had happened, that they worked without her.
And now Elalia stood looking out the window, watching a Temple people couldn’t enter, where her sister stood in stone while they tried to determine how best to move her or hide her. She looked back at the table where Brother Erasmus had sat not so long ago and told her the lies about the roof. Does he think I am a part of this? she wondered.
She had seen Commander Brent walk slowly from the Temple. He had appeared in a daze, and when another soldier had approached him, he had shaken his head and muttered something to which the other man seemed not to hear. She wondered just how much he cared for Meg and what he would do for her—or had done for her already.
That could be a problem for Tands, she thought, if they hoped to renegotiate the match, then realised that a sister made of stone was going to be very difficult to explain.
In the distance she heard a raven scream, and then the door clicked behind her.
“Where is your pet?” Malin asked.
“It escaped,” she said, still focused on the courtyard below. “A strange event,” she said.
“A strange day,” Malin said. “A roofing problem at the Temple, although one I cannot see from here. I wonder what the danger is.”
“Enough to close the doors, it seems.”
“Princesses missing,” Malin added.
“Really?” Elalia asked, turning slowly to look at Malin as he took a seat at the table.
“Kellin has been missing for days,” he said, giving her a questioning look, and she found herself nodding. “And now Meg is nowhere to be found.”
“Perhaps she searches for Kellin with Commander Rainger or Brent.” She turned back to the window.
“Commander Rainger is dead, it seems,” he said softly, “and Commander Brent is checking rooves.”
“Tands will not be happy,” she muttered. “I wonder what I could offer them in her stead if they threaten war. Do you think they have a daughter or the like?”
“Do you have a brother I do not know who would be of use to a princess of Tands?”
She shook her head.
“I thought the match dissolved?” he asked.
“I do not know,” she whispered. “I am all out of ideas, I fear.”
She sat slowly at the table. He looked concerned, serious and focused. She had not seen him this way for some time, if ever.
“We have soldiers,” she said. “We have an army ready to fight if they decide to take advantage of the discord at the border.”
“I thought that rectified,” he said.
She shrugged, then and moved back to the window. “You could help,” she said.
“To search for princesses or to fix the roof?”
“With the soldiers, now that Commander Rainger is gone.” She turned back from the window. “Offer some leadership.”
“The royal commander may not be keen for the help.”
“He is a man down; he could use the experience.”
He looked at her warily. “You would want me to do that, to take command?”
She nodded, looking out again over the Temple. “Should we send a delegation to Tands?” she asked.
“It may be an idea,” he said slowly. “To see if we can determine what they want. But perhaps we should find your sisters first, to be sure that there is no further scandal.”
Elalia nodded. “Kellin’s child has died, and if the word is right, then so has the child’s father, and that would protect us. But what of Meggie? Where is she and who is she with?”
“I do not think you need fear any impropriety from Meg.” He looked even more serious. “I know the men watch her closely, but it is respect and nothing more.”
“I do hope you are right, but I fear not all of them look at her in the same way.”
Malin creased his forehead but nodded slowly. “I shall talk with the royal commander,” he said, and left her staring out the window.