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“WHERE IS SHE? SHE’S been too long.”
The food has been eaten, the ale all drunk. Addyson, a sad look on her face that Everleigh cannot replace with a smile no matter how hard she tries, has gone to Ginata’s bedroom with Della. Della will stay with her till she is sleeping, even though she cannot bear to leave the room, where she has been standing looking out over the courtyard, hoping to see her brother return. “Something’s wrong. Finn’s in trouble,” is all she says as she leads Addyson away to sleep.
Everleigh paces the room. “She’s right. Ceryn should be back by now. Finn with her. What do we do?”
“We cannot do anything. Not tonight.” The teacher’s voice is firm. “Archer is not well enough. Ceryn can look after herself and if, for some reason, she cannot, if something has gone wrong, then it is too late for us to help anyway. We cannot help by putting ourselves at risk.”
Everleigh sinks into a seat. “I know you are right but I cannot bear it.”
“When you are Queen, and your army is at war, for whatever reason, you cannot join them. You have to trust that they are off doing what they know best. And win or lose, you cannot risk your own life. That is why a King or Queen has an army, people to protect them. Their life is the most important. You have to get used to that, Everleigh. Whether you like it or not.”
“But what about Finn? He’s not a fighter or a member of my army.”
“And if he has walked into trouble that is his own fault. You cannot be with every person who lives in the Realm, protecting them always. They have to make their own way. Maybe Finn didn’t even go to the cottage. Maybe Millard isn’t even there. We are guessing now and worrying about things we are not even sure of.”
Will takes a seat next to Everleigh. “You know he’s right.”
Silence. Everleigh throws back her head, letting out a deep breath. “I know he’s right. I know it. But I hate it. I don’t think I’m cut out to be a Queen. To have that sense of importance. To have everyone running around after me, while I sit on a throne and watch.”
“You don’t have to be that type of Queen but you have to accept what the teacher says. You have to be safe. Stay safe. Stay alive. We need to finish this. End this thing with Millard. Then you can make plans. Decide what kind of Queen you want to be and choose a life that makes you happy.”
“That sounds good. I’m just worrying. I’m worried about Ceryn. And Finn.”
“Don’t worry.” Archer puts his hands on her shoulders. “Ceryn is tough. She’ll be back before we know it. And when we’ve got Weaver and your army in place, then we’ll go after your brother. Finish this.”
“Finish this.”
The words lay between them, the tension mounting, and then an almighty scream splits the air. Archer has his hand to his sword, letting out a groan of pain. “Will, take Everleigh in with Addyson and Della.”
“You can’t fight alone.”
“I have to do something. Will look out of the window. See anything?”
“Nothing. There’s no one down there.”
There is another almighty scream from outside, followed by shouts of fear and upset. Will looks out of the window again. “The courtyard’s filling up. I don’t know-”
“Get Everleigh out of here.”
Archer holds his sword up and heads out of the room, not waiting for an answer, or an argument.
***
GINATA LIFTS HER HEAD in the silence of her little cottage and looks at Ceryn. “I’m so sorry.”
Ceryn spits some blood out of her mouth, aiming for the floor, where Finn’s body had been. She shrugs, takes a deep breath. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“It was. I untied Millard, after you hit him, I rescued Wolf from the tower. I made this death draught.”
“Well, don’t even think about drinking it. You don’t get out of it that easily.”
“I want to get out of it.”
“Well, you can’t. Like I said, it wasn’t your fault.”
“Why not? Because you have to obey the King?”
“That’s part of it, I guess. None of us wanted him to kill you for disagreeing with him. But also, because you love him.”
Ginata’s shock is evident and yet what would she prefer? That people think she betrayed Everleigh because she hated her. She did love Millard. Not now, but then. Why else would she have messed everything up?
“I...” She shakes her head, nothing to say, no defence.
“It wasn’t your fault. The teacher found love potions all over your room. He’s been drugging you.”
The look on Ginata’s face changes from shock to horror, her colour draining even more and the vial dropping from her fingers onto her lap. “You mean...?”
Ceryn nods. “And you’re bloody lucky we found out. I was ready to kill you. But you weren’t in your right mind. So the teacher says. And I trust him more than I trust you.”
“You hate me, don’t you?”
“Not hate. I just, I don’t understand you. I don’t get your potions or lotions, your tonics, your spells. I don’t...” She trails off, shifting in the seat and trying to get comfortable.
“So, I’ve been drinking a love potion. Really?” Slowly the colour comes back to her cheeks, and she is smiling, almost in wonder. “I didn’t betray Everleigh then?”
“Well you did, yes.”
“But I didn’t want to?”
“Who knows? The teacher reckons you wouldn’t know what you were doing, but we’ll never know, really. How much was the potion, how much was your choice.”
“I would never choose to betray Everleigh. I couldn’t understand what I was thinking or feeling or why I was doing the things I was doing. I-”
She closes her eyes, tears slipping from behind her closed lids.
“I won’t trust you again.” Ceryn’s voice is harsh.
“Maybe not, but Everleigh might.”
“Della won’t.”
Ginata shakes her head. “I had to make the draught, he told me to. I wanted to help him...now I know why. He told me it was for him; in case he was captured.”
“Then you definitely were a fool in love. For himself!” Ceryn snorts, and spits out more blood.
“Look. I didn’t want to serve him, or get stuck in the castle with him but I did it for Everleigh. I had no idea he was putting anything in my drinks. How would I? I just did as I was told and then the more time I spent with him...”
“You fell in love. Have you...?”
“What? We’ve kissed and I liked it. I hate that I liked it. But I did. He is handsome you know?”
“Yes, a gorgeous snake. A murdering, foul, evil, loathsome toad. How could you? Didn’t you feel bad? Think about Everleigh at all?”
“All the time. I hated myself but I did it anyway. I wanted to help him, look after him, protect him. I’m sorry. But now I know – regardless of what you think – I had no choice.”
“You should drink that poison. Reap what you sow.”
They sit in silence for an age. Ceryn simmering with hate, anger, upset, and the futility of her situation. Getting herself captured wasn’t part of the plan. Everyone at the castle will be worried sick about her. And Finn. Finn was dead. How could they explain his betrayal to his sister without breaking her heart? But without dropping him in it, it made Ceryn look like an incompetent idiot for letting him get killed.
She lets out a snarl of fury as she spits another gob of blood onto the floor.
Ginata has her eyes closed, refusing to look at Ceryn, savouring the relief in her heart, the liquefying of the hard lump that she’s felt in her stomach since she helped Millard escape after Ceryn tied him up. She feels lighter and looser and infinitely happier.
If she does die tomorrow, she can die with a clear conscience and if she sees Everleigh again, she will happily beg for forgiveness, knowing that it wasn’t her own soul that betrayed her friend, but something she was forced to do.
Tears of happiness slip down her cheeks.
“What are we going to do then?” Ceryn’s voice interrupts her reverie and Ginata opens her eyes, delighted to be back on the right side.