Chapter Three

 

 

Av found his father, told him the news of their immediate departure, and left Jer to explain things to the court. It appeared that no one would expect Av or Aren to be around the palace, and, given what had happened the night before, they might not even be expected until spring.

This worked in their favour, and the moment Av heard the excuse muttered at the breakfast table he knew it was the right thing to do. With court winding down everyone would begin returning to their separate estates. Aren would not be missed until spring, giving him months to find Aren and either bring her back to court, or create another excuse, one that the lords and ladies would accept.

He packed his few belongings and returned to the palace entrance where Anue smiled sweetly at him, then at his father and Mie who arrived a moment later. Ervam gaped at the girl, as Av had when he had first laid eyes on her. She had large brown eyes, thin brown hair, and softer feminine features. Anue shared many of her features with Aren, though the older sister's hair was not thin and silken, but instead thick and unruly. The younger sister was small for her age. She looked half-starved, and that gave Av a very odd instinctive feeling. He wanted to feed Anue.

Para stood near the girl, speaking to her in a hushed tone. The talk ended the moment he appeared. Para stepped behind Anue, paling as Ervam stepped up, looking the girl over.

“What are you?” Anue asked, surprise colouring her voice.

“I am a trainer,” Ervam responded. He turned to Para without asking the question that he always asked ranked children when they questioned him. “It is my understanding that Anue will be spending the winter with her sister, Aren, who is in turn spending the winter with me. Is this true, Lady Para?”

This was being said for Anue's benefit. They did not know what Para had said to Anue, but the woman was not well known for communicating clearly with her children.

“It is,” Para responded with a tremble.

“Very well,” Ervam said, turning to Anue. “Are you up for more walking today?”

“I did not walk, sir,” Anue said with a curtsey. “I have a horse messenger who came with me.”

“Ah, we will be going on foot,” Ervam said. “Lord Jer will be bringing supplies with him, but my boys know to travel light. If you have a good deal of clothing with you, it will have to be stored here for the winter. You won't need court dresses where you're going.”

“I packed a bag just in case I had to travel shortly after arrival,” Anue said. “I will fetch it.”

“We will go together and head out from there,” Ervam said gruffly. “Say your goodbyes to your mother.”

Anue turned stiffly to Para. “Goodbye, Mother. Will I see you in the spring?”

“Yes, of course, dear child,” Para said with a nod.

They left the palace and retrieved the girl’s bag from the messenger. Av carried her bag in his hand, his own on his back. The walk was several hours and done in complete silence. She did not ask how far they were going, how long it would be. She did not run circles around them, as Mie did. Back and forth, around, bounding on ahead and back again. The boy wore himself out by the time they reached the small path leading off the main road.

Mie shuffled, head down, exhausted. As the same rank, Av knew that the weariness would last only a few minutes before Mie was bounding about once more. The boy would be given the run of the yard while Av and Ervam discussed sleeping arrangements inside.

They each deposited their bags just inside the door. By that time Mie was vibrating again. A change to the everyday, the arrival of a new rank—especially a rank closer to his age than he had ever seen before, was riling him up. It was beyond time the boy was trained. Av had been years younger than Mie when he first had begun training. Jer, even younger.

Ervam closed the door on Mie, an exasperated look on his face as he turned to Av. “I'd forgotten how annoyingly bouncy you people can be.”

Av made a sound and sat at the dining table as he struggled with his winter boots. Getting one off, he dropped it on the floor with a wet splat and looked to Anue, wondering what they were going to tell the girl.

Her boots were dry.

Frowning, he unlaced his other boot and yanked it off, dropping it beside the first. “What are you?” he asked, the same question that his father should have asked hours before.

“I am a queen,” Anue responded quietly.

“Even I say commoner,” Ervam grumbled, kicking off his boots. “And I made Aren miles away.”

Anue sucked in a breath and revealed herself. It wasn't like Aren unveiling herself, it was unlike anything Av had ever seen. Anue's defences were built almost like the weave of a basket. When the last shred withdrew, he found himself leaning on the table for support.

She was stronger, and had more control than her older sister. Av had the distinct feeling that this was how Jer had felt, when he had first learned of Aren's rank. Anue hadn't complained on the way out, but neither had Aren. She had been kind and smiling, a happy child as compared to Aren's sullen acceptance.

The weave entwined together, hiding her once more. Anue clasped her hands before her and watched the two men.

“I love my sister, but her methods are more bashing a person over the head,” she said.

“But Aren said you had no rank,” Av managed to get out.

Queens could be identified before they hit puberty, before their skills fully manifested, but to have that kind of control over her magic at such a young age? Anue might not even be at her full strength yet, something that, thankfully, ranks grew into rather than having it dumped on them all at once.

“There are two factors that play into magic use,” Anue said, obviously quoting a text she had read. “The strength of the caster, or the strength of the well he taps, and the susceptibility,” she stumbled over the big word, “of the one the magic is being cast upon.”

“How do you know about magic?” Ervam asked, barely above a whisper.

“I convinced Mother that learning about magic would aid me when I went to court,” Anue said. “A trick Aren tried, but Mother was having none of it with her. Of course, Aren does not have my strength. I saw what she did and built upon it. Once I had the texts, I absorbed them quickly. Aren never knew that I had them, since I've only been learning recently. A queen does not come to her full potential until she reaches the time of woman, just as a warrior does not until he becomes a man.”

“You learned of ranks?” Av asked.

“From texts,” Anue said. “They vary vastly. This one says a queen's first romp will change how strong she is, that one that a queen's only use is as a well for man. Not the people, just man. Another said that queen is the only rank kept to the one gender, making it better. Yet another says that all ranks have both the male and female form, that even commoner is a rank.”

“We'll add to your education,” Ervam said.

“I like learning,” she said with a bright smile. “Father said ladies aren't supposed to learn, maybe that's why I took to books.”

“Good, a keen mind is always an asset in your rank,” Ervam said. “Why don't you go outside and get acquainted with Mie? The two of you will be playmates for the winter.”

“Where is Aren?” Anue asked.

“We don't know,” Ervam said, drawing those brown eyes to him. “She ran off last night, and we have no idea where she's going or when she will be back. We only know that she's still alive and, at this point, unharmed.”

Anue turned to Av, looked him over and turned back to Ervam. “I can tell my mother whatever you want me to, and she will believe me.”

“I beg your pardon?” Ervam asked.

“Mother is susceptible,” Anue stumbled over the word again, “to magic. I don't change her mind, I just… tell... her that I'm not lying. Aren takes after Mother, which the books say means that she can do great things if she uses her magic on her body.” Anue shrugged. “I'm not like them. I took after Father in that, and I can do some neat stuff.”

There was the child.

Ervam winced. Av watched his father wince and wondered what about Anue acting like a child her age could make the hardened trainer flinch.

“Go play with Mie,” was the grumbled response through gritted teeth.

Anue shrugged and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

Av turned away from his father as he picked up his boots and placed them by the door. Retrieving a rag to clean up the water left by melted snow, Av gave his father time to collect himself.

“Queens down here don't play with their magic,” he said through gritted teeth, an almost growl.

“And?” Av asked, taking his seat. “Don't we want them to play with their magic? Learn how to use it? Can't have enlightenment without someone blowing off your eyebrows once in a while.”

He watched his father sit across from him gravely, swallowing hard. “Your mother was the strongest the north had seen in centuries, since the decline. My father said it was because of the mixing of blood from the different lands, the east and north mingling. He would have approved of Jer and Em, to mix north with central, but that didn't produce what we would have hoped.”

“Mother was a strong rank, that much I know,” Av muttered. “Aren is stronger than she was.”

“No, she's not, you're blinded by the wrong head,” Ervam growled. “Aren is almost the strength of your mother. With none of the skill, understanding, or self-confidence that their rank needs to be able to use their magic beyond explosions and moments of anger.”

“When I see Anue as stronger than Aren…?” Av asked hesitantly.

“That's my point. I want you to fully understand me when I say that girl eclipses your mother,” his father hissed at him, “and Aren, and she's well educated in her magic, kind, gentle, happy.”

“Exactly what you'd want in the one who sat the throne,” Av muttered, sitting back as he studied his father. A thought nagged at him. “Why Aren?”

“That seems to be the question,” Ervam grumbled. “Why choose Aren over Anue? The throne wanted Aren to sit it, not her younger sister. Why choose the damaged, broken toy over the bright, colourful, new one without a scratch on it? If that girl was any more perfect I'd suspect her of being one of the unranked ones.”

“Unranked ones?” Av asked.

His father shrugged. “It's too early in the growth period for them to reveal themselves. They've always existed, they just go into hiding. In the darker periods these ones are the ones whom the witch stories are based on. Most of your rank will burn them if found. It's a gut reaction.”

“Why?” Av asked. “I did not have that reaction to Anue. I want to feed her, not burn her.”

“Good, thank goodness,” was the gruff response as knuckles rapped on the table top. “If you do have that reaction to anyone, question just long enough to see if you're wanting to do it because of their rank or because they actually did something wrong. Having one of them on our side would be a grand thing.”

“What do we do?” Av asked. “About her, I mean? She's admitted to using magic on her mother to get her way.”

“Self-preservation. We need to make it clear that doing that to others is wrong,” his father said. “Besides that we have a strong young woman and a strong boy in need of training. They are both untrained and untried. With Anue we have a chance to show the palace what a queen could be, we have a chance to show her rank what they should be. Not this whimpering mutt of a creature the lords have reduced them to, but a creature not to be trifled with.”

“And what about my rank?” Av asked.

“This works? Your rank is going to have to step up. If nothing more than to test Anue when she comes of age.” Ervam stood suddenly. “I think that's about long enough. Time to go separate them.”