Fortune and Fate

NEITHER CHILD WAS COMFORTABLE SITTING A HORSE, SO the trip back to Forten City took twice as long as it had taken Wen to cover the same distance. She put Ginny on the gelding and placed Bryce before her on one of the outlaw’s horses, but even so, their progress was slow. By the time they took a late lunch, they were all weary, and by the time night fell, they were still a half-day’s ride from Forten City. They camped out again and made an earlier start the next morning.

They could smell the sea long before they arrived at the city itself, and eventually all the other scents of civilization began to drift their way. It didn’t take a reader to tell that Ginny was getting more and more tense the closer they came to their destination, but Bryce squirmed on Wen’s lap, trying to catch the first glimpse of the harbor town. Once it was in view, he drew still, staring at it with mesmerized fascination.

They clattered through the gates around noon and Wen instantly started looking for accommodations. Someplace decent enough to offer food and baths, but not grand enough to sneer at her disheveled charges. She found a suitable inn on the outskirts of town, staffed by a harried woman and her incurious husband. Within an hour, the children were washed, combed, dressed, and altogether more respectable. Ginny had even put a ragged ribbon in her auburn hair, still damp from the bath.

Wen sat them down on one of the two beds and poured out the coins she’d lifted from Howard and Ricky. Bryce’s eyes widened, but Ginny’s narrowed; she knew the value of each denomination and recognized that there wasn’t much to crow over. “I got this off your stepbrother and his friend, so you should have it,” Wen said. “We can also sell the horses—though not for much—and the gear. We’ll get enough to buy you each a new set of clothes and a few decent meals. Then we need to find a place both of you can settle. Where you can do a little work to earn your keep.”

Wen nodded. “She did, at that. And we can stroll around Forten City, see if anyplace strikes your fancy. Bryce can—” Wen waved her fingers over her head. “See if he senses any spot that seems like a good place for you to land.” Meanwhile, she would seek out Jasper Paladar and see if he was more broad-minded about magic than the erstwhile marlord.

It really was sort of annoying to have him pick that idea out of her head. She’d have to ask Justin how he managed to shield his thoughts from Cammon.

She shoved the thought aside. “I think that’s an option,” she said evenly. “But it’s not the only one. I don’t want you or your sister to have to do anything that makes you uncomfortable.”

AT first both children were so overwhelmed by the sights of Forten City that they crowded close to Wen, practically tripping her every time she took a step. Bryce’s eyes darted around nervously, and now and then he twitched a little, as if jerking back from a danger that Wen couldn’t see. She imagined that all the sounds and emotions of the city were pressing on him hard from all directions. It might be like the sense of assault she’d felt the first time she practiced in an actual training yard, with men all around her yelling and striking each other with a musical clangor.

But she’d gotten used to it quickly enough, and Bryce made a fast recovery, too. Indeed, within an hour he seemed more intrigued than overwhelmed, and his bright curiosity had resurfaced. Ginny remained subdued but determined. She looked around at every new street they crossed as if trying to absorb and understand the mix of opportunities it offered, both for good and for ill.

Somewhat deliberately, Wen led them first through the noisier parts of town, the harbor districts and the commercial streets. Both of them, she could tell, were relieved as they made their way west from the ocean, into neighborhoods that had a little less bustle and a little more grace. By contrast, when they turned onto the wide boulevard where Fortune was situated, the street seemed almost deserted.

Bryce, of course, figured out what she was doing and ran forward to press his face against the living fence. “This is it?” he asked, trying to see through the hedge. “This is the house where you want us to work?”

Ginny followed Bryce more sedately. She bent beside him to try to catch a glimpse of the mansion. “It’s very grand,” she said in a doubtful voice. “I don’t know that anybody here would want us.”

“Grand people are the ones who like to hire grand skills,” Wen replied. Then she shrugged. “I don’t even know if the people who live here would want to hire a reader—and his sister. I just thought I’d show you the place. If you don’t want me to make inquiries, I won’t. We’ll head on back to the main part of town and see what kind of work we can find for you there.”

Ginny hesitated, then nodded. They turned their steps back the way they’d come. Ginny just set her shoulders and kept her attention on the street ahead of her, but twice Wen saw Bryce look over his shoulder, gazing back at Fortune.

THEY took a couple of days to just play. Wen figured neither of the siblings had ever had much time to enjoy themselves and would probably be in service the rest of their lives. Why not give them a treat now? So she took them to a museum to see fancy bits of art and strange collections of weaponry. She found a park where a troupe of actors performed comedic theatre outdoors every night. She paid the captain of a trading vessel a small fee to let the children explore the length of his ship, and then she hired one of his friends to take them sailing. Neither of them had been near the ocean before, and Bryce got sick over the railing. But both of them claimed to love the experience and asked her five times if they might go again.

She sold the horses the first day, pawning the tack separately just in case anyone would recognize the animals and their gear if they showed up together. The money was good enough to cover the cost of a couple dresses for Ginny and two complete sets of clothing for Bryce, as well as shoes for each of them. After two days of good food, hot baths, new clothing, and the absence of fear, they looked like completely different creatures. They looked like the children they must have been back when their mother loved them.

Ginny was silent for a long moment as she sat beside her sleeping brother, watching his face. Wen rested on her own bed across the room, waiting. “I want him to have opportunities,” Ginny said at last. “You might be right that the best place for him is a nobleman’s house. If he grows up as a tavern boy, he’ll be a tavern boy his whole life. If he serves a marlord—well—who knows what he might be?”

“You’d better care about yourself. No one else is going to. Figure out what you want and go after it, because it’s not going to come looking for you.” Wen was surprised to hear the roughness in her own voice.

Ginny just regarded her with those big dark eyes. “Then why haven’t you gone after what you wanted?” She gestured around the room. “Because surely this wasn’t it.”

Wen closed her eyes and sank back on the bed. To be reduced to explaining herself to a homeless girl! “I did for a while,” she said on a sigh. “And it was exceptional. My own fault that it turned sour.”

There was silence for a moment, and then the rustling sound of Ginny moving around the room. Wen heard the girl settle on the bed again before she spoke once more. “So—tomorrow? Will you go ask the noble if he’s interested in hiring Bryce and me?”

Wen opened her eyes and stared blankly at the darkness. Go beg a favor of Jasper Paladar. Well, he owed her one. “I will. Go to sleep, Ginny. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.”

WEN waited in Jasper Paladar’s study, feeling a little more nervous than she’d expected. There had only been one soldier at the high, grillwork gate set into the living fence, which she considered inexcusable, and as far as she could tell, no guards were posted near the house itself. If she’d been a mercenary, she could have slipped through these halls and corridors within minutes, found Karryn Fortunalt, and abducted her with a minimum of resistance. It seemed some people were slow to learn lessons.

It might have been hard to pick her way through the house, though, for her brief glimpse of it between the front door and this study had shown it to be very imposing. A broad staircase swept up from the central foyer, and halls branched off both sides. The stairwell itself spiraled overhead into a series of stories, each with its own balcony overlooking the front entry hall. The interior of the house was nearly as severe as the gray-and-black exterior, with white marble floors inlaid with black disks, heavy carved chairs and tables in the rooms Wen could see, and dark drapes outlining every window.

She pivoted on one foot. This room wasn’t quite as stark, possibly because it was messy. A massive desk was littered with papers, while stacks of books and piles of old letters made precarious columns on the floor behind it. A used wine goblet sat on the desk next to a plate still containing a half-eaten piece of bread and a hard wedge of cheese that looked like it had sat out overnight. Must not be many mice here, Wen thought, or that little feast would be gone by now.

When she heard footsteps, she straightened her posture and emptied her expression, and she was ready with a little bow when Jasper Paladar stepped in. Stupidly, her first thought was that she’d forgotten how tall he was. She’d remembered the beard, the brown-and-gray hair, the intelligent gray eyes.

“Willa,” he said, and she found she’d remembered his deep voice as well. “I had not expected to see you again, but I’m pleased to find you here.” He put his head out the door and she heard him ask for refreshments to be sent.

He gestured at the grouping of chairs closest to the window, and sat beside her instead of behind the intimidating desk. His legs were so long she thought he could stretch them out and reach the sill. Her own barely touched the floor. She felt a moment’s resentment and quickly checked it.

“And you decided to stop by and inquire whether Karryn made it safely back once she’d left your care,” he said, nodding as if that was perfectly reasonable.

She gestured. “One guard at the gate? That wouldn’t stop anyone! What would happen to you if I decided to run you through? Is there anyone who could stop me? How many soldiers are on the premises? Is there a training yard? Is there a captain? Who’s responsible for this place?” She shook her head. “Karryn’s not safe, but neither are you.”

He tilted his head to one side. “The offer is still open,” he said. “I will hire you to be my captain and give you free rein to overhaul the guard as you see fit. I’ll give you enough money to do it, too.”

“I don’t want a position. But I have someone who might. Two someones. They’re young, but one of them at least has skills that might come in handy for a serramarra.”

His eyebrows rose again. “I’ve only had about ten minutes’ worth of conversation with you over two meetings,” he observed, “and you have never once said what I expected you to say. Who are these young unemployed people with special talents?”

That almost made her laugh. “A young mystic boy and his sister. I found them alongside the road in a dire situation,” she said. “The boy is a reader. He knew it was safe to ask me for help. I can’t tell how strong his ability is—but that’s an impressive skill. The queen’s consort is a reader, you know.”

Jasper Paladar pursed his lips. “Indeed, I do know that. I had the opportunity to meet Cammon a couple of years ago when he decided I was the one who should be installed at Karryn’s side.”

“Let us say, I did not expect the offer,” he replied. “I was happy enough on my own estates following my own pursuits. Seeing Karryn through the tangle that is Fortunalt politics—that has been a challenge I would have been perfectly happy to miss.”

“I get the feeling people do not often refuse the royal consort,” Jasper said. He read her look of surprise and smiled. “Oh, no, he offered me no threat. Merely, he presented the situation to me in such a way that I could not turn him down. I could not—so precisely had he judged my convictions and my honor. Some other man might have told him no and felt not the slightest guilt.”

“He’s a good man,” Wen said in a subdued voice. “And Amalie a good queen.” Though both of them were too young to be ruling the country. So much better, for so many reasons, if Baryn still wore the crown.

“Yet they have inherited a mess in Gillengaria! They do their best, better than I would have expected, but—” Jasper shrugged, then he smiled again. “But that is not what you came here to discuss with me. A mystic boy. You want me to hire him to—what? Be my advisor? Sit in on my discussions with the serlords and merchants and disgruntled landowners? The idea is quaint, my dear Willa, but impractical, don’t you think?”

She held on to her temper. “I hadn’t really thought about how he might aid you, my lord. Just that he might be useful.” She gave him a sharp look. “Or are you one of those who despises magic?”

“And I never condoned such actions in the past. But I’ve never had any dealings with mystics. Frankly, I’m not sure what good it would do me to employ such a boy.”

He settled back in his chair and gave her a long look. “Well, now,” he said at last. “What an interesting thing to say. A soldier’s perspective, I must suppose. I have done my share of research, but I always had an end point in mind. I was trying to discover a fact, or understand a culture, or prove a theory. When I came across something that did not materially affect my investigation, no matter how unexpected it might be, I put it aside. I did not want the distraction. Sometimes I went back to it, if it was unusual enough, but then it merited its own review. I did not keep it on hand just because I thought it might be valuable someday.”

Wen preserved her silence, but privately she thought that was an unforgivably shortsighted way to function. Who didn’t pick up the odd bit of leather, the random stone, the sharp scrap of metal that might one day be turned to good use? Who didn’t always think about how something or someone might prove helpful or might turn dangerous? How could anyone survive with such narrow focus?

“I haven’t actually asked them, but Bryce looks to be about ten and Ginny three or four years older. She can cook and clean and garden. They’re both farm children. They’re used to farm chores. But they’ll both work hard at any task you put before them.”

Now she was angry, and she came swiftly to her feet. “You owe me a favor, but hiring these two wouldn’t be charity,” she said coldly. “They’ve already had an offer, and anyone who hires them will have a good bargain. I thought to match a skill with a need, but I didn’t expect to be mocked for it. I’ll find them other positions. Thanks for your time.”

During this speech, he had come rather more leisurely to his feet. “Please don’t go,” he said, as she turned for the door. “I’m willing to take in your charges on one condition.”

She’d taken two strides toward the exit, and she wanted to keep going. But even more she wanted to find a secure place for Bryce and Ginny. So she halted and swung around to face him, making no effort to hide her scowl. “What condition?”

“Maybe not, but obviously I have a job that needs you,” he said. “My guard is a shambles and I fired the captain as soon as I brought Karryn back. I’ve been making inquiries into bringing more soldiers into the House, but I haven’t a clue how to choose them or train them. You’re right—Karryn’s in as much danger today as she was two weeks ago, and I clearly don’t know how to protect her. You do. Take the post, hire who you like, make the House safe. I’ll take in your orphans. I think it’s a good deal.”

Her mind was in such a whirl she was almost trembling. She hadn’t stayed in one place more than a few weeks since she’d left Ghosenhall, and the very thought filled her with both longing and dread. Even if she accepted his offer, would she be able to honor it? Would her restlessness drive her out into the night before she’d fulfilled her contract?

She took a shallow breath. Her chest hurt too badly to allow a deep one. She could not possibly put herself in a position where people were counting on her to keep them alive. “I’m not—It’s best not to rely on me,” she said, almost panting the words.

He had to see her agitation, but he seemed intrigued, not alarmed. “And would your young reader agree with that assessment?” he asked. “Or would he urge me to hire you at any price?”

At that moment, there was a quiet knock on the door and a servant entered bearing a tray. “Ah. Our refreshments. Thank you very much,” Jasper Paladar said.

The interruption left her confused, with emotions still at a high pitch, but some of her panic lessened as the servant arranged the tray and Jasper Paladar motioned her back to her seat. Once the footman exited, Wen perched back on the edge of her chair.

“I don’t,” he said, handing her a fragile plate filled with a large slice of buttery cake. The dainty china looked perfectly reasonable in his elegant long-fingered hands, and perfectly ridiculous in her hardened stubby ones. “But I, too, am trying to match a skill with a need. You did not go to all the trouble of saving Karryn just to see her endangered again. I do not know how to protect her. You do. You are obviously uncomfortable at the thought of committing yourself to any long-term enterprise, and clearly not about to tell me why. So I ask again, how long would you stay? Take a bite and think about it.”

Not sure she’d be able to choke down a mouthful, she obeyed. Oh, now, that was a most excellent taste—rich and sweet, flavored with some spice that didn’t seem to have made its way to Ghosenhall. She had a second bite. “I don’t want to make a promise I can’t keep,” she said at last.

He considered her. “Would you agree to a month and then, at the end of that time, consider extending your contract? If the work was not done? Would that make you feel less like you were choking, to leave the terms so open-ended?”

How could he know what it felt like? She would have stared openmouthed, except she was chewing another forkful of cake. “I don’t know,” she said at last.

It was a long time before she answered. “The month I will agree to.” She gave him a sharp look. “But you have to keep Bryce and Ginny even after I go.”

He was smiling broadly. “Of course. They are only hostages to your acceptance, not your continued employment.” He laid aside his plate and held out his hand. “Welcome to Fortune.”