URGENT NEWS
Karigan smiled as she gazed at the group sitting two tables away in the dining hall. Anna, Gil, Megan, and Brandall sat with Nell Lotts and two other young women wearing the livery of the royal household. They chatted and laughed, and it was good to see the smiles and hear the laughter. She was also pleased to see Riders making friends outside their own cadre, and it was largely thanks to Anna.
“Everything looks well in that quarter,” said Tegan, who had followed Karigan’s gaze.
“I haven’t heard a single word from Anna about wanting to leave the Green Riders since the incident with Scrum,” Mara said as she broke a hunk of bread off a loaf.
“Good,” Karigan replied, and she meant it whole-heartedly.
“She’s been a good addition,” Garth said. “The colonel was right to bring her on.”
At the mention of the colonel, they quieted for a moment, each with his or her own worries and hopes for her return.
“Whether or not Anna realizes it,” Mara said, “her horse has grown to adore her.”
“She doesn’t adore me,” Garth told her. “That Angry-Mad about bit off my hand.”
“Because you didn’t read the sign on her stall door,” Tegan said.
“I’m tall. The sign was low.”
“Her name is Maddie,” Mara reminded him, but his mind was already onto other matters as he reached for Karigan’s apple tart.
“Hey!” She threatened to impale his hand with her fork.
“I forget,” he said, leaning back, “that you are a mighty forkmaster.”
“Don’t forget next time.”
Her companions laughed. She was about to take a bite of the tart when a Green Foot runner stepped up to their table. He could be there for any one of them, Mara being a particularly good candidate as lieutenant, but it was not to be.
“Rider G’ladheon,” the boy said, “the queen wishes you to attend her in the solar.”
“Any reason given?” she asked.
“No, ma’am, just that you attend her.”
She watched after the boy as he ran off, and sighed.
“Now can I have your tart?” Garth asked.
“Greedy lad,” Tegan chided with a poke to his arm. “You’ve already had five or so, including mine.”
“I know, and the cooks won’t let me have any more.” His expression was so morose that Karigan could only shake her head.
“Go ahead,” she said, “you can have my tart, but you owe me.”
“You know I’m good for it,” he replied.
“You’re going to share this one,” Tegan told him.
Karigan was sorry to leave her friends. Everyone’s mood was much lighter after the defeat of Second Empire, and it was pleasant to spend time together without the worry of the world on their shoulders. It had also been a long time since the cooks had dug into their stores to make special treats, and she was sad she wasn’t going to be able to enjoy hers. And, she had to admit, she had a good deal of trepidation about visiting Estora. What would she want? Especially since it seemed clear she knew about the feelings between her and Zachary.
Fastion admitted her into the solar. It was fragrant with greenery growing in many pots great and small. She found Estora and Zachary gazing through the big windows out into the gardens as birds flitted about in the near shrubbery.
Zachary, as if sensing her, turned first. “Karigan?”
What was he doing here? Was the summons a mistake?
Estora, elegant as always, today in silks of pale green, turned as well. “Thank you for joining us, Karigan.”
Karigan bowed. “Your Majesties.” What was this about?
“What is this about?” Zachary inquired, echoing her thoughts.
“There is something I wish to discuss with you both,” Estora replied.
Uh oh, Karigan thought. Her fear about Estora confronting them seemed to be confirmed, as well as imminent. She saw the concern in Zachary’s eyes, and she attempted to brace herself against any accusations Estora might level at the two of them.
“Please approach,” Estora said.
Karigan nervously stepped forward between rows of potted roses.
“I have thought these weeks long and hard about just what I would say at this moment,” Estora said, “and how I would go about saying it, and I am still not sure how to do it, but the time has come, and so here it is. This past year has not been easy for any of us. For my part, my husband was abducted by the aureas slee and I was relegated to overseeing the realm while in my long confinement. There was also, of course, the war. Fortunately, these things have come to positive conclusions, but there is an ongoing issue that I must address.”
Karigan chewed on her bottom lip, waiting for the accusations to fly. She could not tell what Zachary was thinking. He stood there calmly, waiting.
“You know that I understand what it is to lose one’s true love, one’s true heart,” Estora continued. “That is who F’ryan Coblebay was to me, though our love was forbidden. The Riders kept our secret, for if my family had learned of it, I’d have been cast out. And do you know I was prepared to forego all that I had ever been, everything I knew, so I could always be with him?”
Karigan hadn’t known that part. It would have been a considerable adjustment for her to have forsaken her title and status to marry a commoner.
“But of course,” Estora said, “I lost him, my heart. After that, nothing mattered.” She then took Zachary’s hand in hers. “My husband, and my liege, the father of my children, I do love you, but I am not blind. I have known for some while that your heart lay elsewhere.” He tried to protest, but she shook her head. “Please do not try to placate me with false sentiments. As I said, I have known for some while. I have known it is Karigan who holds your heart.”
Dear gods, Karigan thought. There it was, right out in the open. Was this really happening? To her surprise, Estora also took her hand. Her touch was soft and warm.
“I know,” Estora continued, “Karigan feels the same for you, my husband, and that for years now, you’ve both been fighting your feelings and natural attraction for one another so as to preserve the honor of the throne, and for me. I want you both to know I understand. Because of how it was for me with F’ryan, I understand how you feel.”
Karigan gaped. Did she just say that she understood her husband loved someone else, and that that someone was her friend?
“Respectfully—” Zachary began.
“I am not finished,” Estora said. “You and I were contracted to marry for a very important reason—to solidify Coutre Province’s allegiance to the crown and, thus, that of all the eastern provinces. I had hoped for more, but the basis of the marriage was not for love, but was the product of a legal document between great lords. It was a good decision. You are king, and you must keep Sacoridia strong.
“But I also recognize it when two people I care about are in pain, and their love denied. I know pain and do not wish them to suffer needlessly.”
Karigan almost cried out in startlement when Estora placed her hand in Zachary’s and held them together. Zachary searched Estora’s face as if to understand.
“I will not have the two of you tearing yourselves apart because you are trying to spare my honor. If it is my permission you need to be together, you have it with no ill will, no jealousy. Well, perhaps some envy for what you share and what I’ve been denied since F’ryan’s death. All I ask is that you remain discreet. Not just for me, not just to silence the court gossips, but for the children.” She squeezed their hands. “You’ve my blessing.”
She gave them a faint smile. “I will leave you now. You both look rather overcome and perhaps need a little time to consider my words.”
She left them then, and Karigan overheard her tell the Weapons outside not to let anyone disturb them.
Karigan felt a little lightheaded. Neither of them said anything at first. She gazed at Zachary’s hand still clasped around hers.
He cleared his throat. “That was most unexpected.”
“Not what I was expecting, either,” she whispered. She found she could not meet his gaze. There was so much to think about. She could be with Zachary without guilt. But could she really? It could not be out in the open. He was still Estora’s husband.
“It seems like I should feel free,” he said, “but now I am burdened with regret for any disappointment I have caused her.”
“I feel as if I have betrayed my friend.” She looked up at him. “Despite her consent, I just . . . I just . . .”
He folded her into his arms. It felt good, it felt right.
“I know, dearheart,” he said. His voice rumbled nicely against her. “There is something I need to tell you,” he said, “about the spell. Something that requires more explanation.”
They parted.
“Grandmother’s spell?” Karigan asked.
“Yes. When I lost control. I have had a while to think about it, to remember what happened. The spell was meant to force me to kill those who I loved most. Seeing the children triggered it, as I believe Grandmother intended, and at first I meant to kill them. Thank the gods you were there and got them out of the way. But then I saw you, and I was consumed with the need to kill you. You were what I love most. I had no impulse, none whatsoever, to attack Estora. Not even a little bit.”
That was Grandmother, Karigan thought, trying to hurt her enemies in personal ways, and not necessarily practical ways, which must have been a considerable annoyance to a man like Birch. What if she had placed a more useful spell on Zachary that had caused him to surrender to Second Empire? And yet, she revealed the depth of her evil by creating a spell to cause a man to try to kill his own children.
“Your love stopped me,” he continued. “Your love blocked the spell. You brought me out of it. For that, and so much more, you are my light, and not just winter’s light, but my light of every moment of every day.” He dug into an inner pocket of his longcoat and produced a velvet pouch. He placed it in her hand.
“I can’t accept any—” she started to say.
He gently placed his forefinger over her lips. “Take a look.”
She loosened the pouch strings and withdrew the horsehair bracelet he had made for her in the north. Her subsequent travels had damaged it, and so she’d stashed it in her message satchel to protect it. She’d thought it lost.
“When Condor arrived without you,” he said, “Laren removed it from your satchel, guessing its personal nature. She gave it to me, and I repaired it.”
There were white horse tail hairs entwined with Condor’s red.
“The white?” she asked.
“From my stallion, Storm,” he replied. “I believe you called him ‘Pumpkin’?”
She laughed and allowed him to tie it around her wrist. After, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. She then rested her head against his chest, and he held her close.
“What are we going to do?” she asked. She knew what she wanted to do, but it was not the same as what she should do.
“I believe Estora was earnest in—”
Someone banged on the door and they abruptly pulled apart.
Fastion entered the solar.
“You were told not to disturb us,” Zachary said.
“My apologies, sire, but it is really urgent.”
Zachary gave her a look of what now? “What is it?”
“The castle guard reports a giant eagle has landed on the roof and is asking for you.”
They emerged onto the castle rooftop.
Karigan!
Karigan smiled to hear the voice of her friend, Ripaeria, in her mind. She had not known if she would ever hear it again when they had parted in the mountains. She’d placed the feather Ripaeria had given her in a drawer of her desk with other special mementos.
Hello, my friend, she answered.
The castle roof was a complex of walkways, drainage systems, towers, and crenellations, and it took a bit to walk to where Ripaeria had landed. She and Duncan were surrounded by soldiers with their hands on the hilts of their swords.
“It’s all right,” Zachary told the watch sergeant. “These are friends.”
The sergeant ordered his soldiers to stand down and return to their posts, leaving Zachary, Karigan, and the Weapons standing before Ripaeria and Duncan.
“This is a surprise,” Zachary said.
Duncan bowed. “Greetings, Your Majesty, and so it is, but we were sent with grave tidings.”
“From the mountains?”
“No. We have come from the Deyer Wall, or D’Yer as it is now called. I was, er, visiting my old teacher, Merdigen.”
We snuck out of the eyrie, Ripaeria confided to Karigan. Duncan was so upset to find himself back there, and I was bored, so we conspired to go on an adventure. The elders will be furious with me.
Ripaeria’s tone sounded so very delighted at the prospect of her elders being furious that Karigan had to chuckle.
“What are these grave tidings?” Zachary demanded.
“Sleepers, from Blackveil, attacked the Tower of the Heavens, and also scaled the breach and attacked the main encampment.”
“How many? Casualties?”
A sick feeling grew in Karigan’s belly. She’d confronted dark Sleepers and knew how strong and hard to kill they were. Alton and Dale were down there.
“We hadn’t exact numbers by the time we left,” Duncan explained. “There were only a handful of Sleepers at each site, and the gryphons and Ripaeria hunted them down. We believe we got them all.”
I shredded them into tiny pieces, Ripaeria said. She made a gnashing sound with her beak.
“Even so,” Duncan continued, “there were numerous casualties, especially by the breach. Your Captain Wallace perished, and Lord Alton may not see morning.”
Karigan gasped. Zachary clasped his strong hand on her shoulder, steadying her.
“Fastion,” he said, “send for General Washburn and Counselor Tallman.”
“Yes, sire.”
It was only Zachary’s touch and proximity that kept Karigan balanced on her feet. Alton . . . she thought in anguish. Zachary and Duncan kept talking, but she didn’t hear them. Tears brimmed in her eyes. Ripaeria cocked her head this way and that as she gazed at her.
You are very sad in the human way, Ripaeria observed.
Alton and I are friends. Close.
You liked his plumage and he liked yours? Were you mated?
No. It never went that far. How was he hurt?
Stabbed, I believe, Ripaeria replied.
Karigan closed her eyes, tried to master her emotions.
“I will write up the message immediately,” Zachary was saying.
“We will await your word then,” Duncan replied.
The next thing Karigan knew, Zachary was guiding her through the doorway that led off the roof into the castle. The door slammed behind them. Zachary ordered the Weapons to go on ahead and out of sight, so there were only the two of them on the stairway.
He took her into his arms. “It does not sound good for Alton. I’m sorry. I know he is important to you. He may yet pull through, though, and we must pray that he does.”
He offered comfort and strength, and Karigan swallowed back tears. She would indeed pray, and try to remain strong for Alton’s sake. “What will you do?”
“I will do as Alton has asked me many times—send troops. Now that the worst is over with Second Empire, and the threat at the wall has increased, I can spare them. I doubt this incursion from Blackveil will be the last. I fear that any time you won for us when you wounded Mornhavon in Castle Argenthyne has been lost.”
She thought he was probably right on both counts. She shuddered even as she found comfort in his arms. That it had been dark Sleepers who had found their way to the Sacoridian side of the wall meant only one thing: Mornhavon the Black was stirring once again in Blackveil Forest.