“Welcome back, Your Majesty.” Inkga’s face is far too white.
“What's wrong?” I ask.
“Who said anything was wrong?” Her smile is tight.
“Your face. I can tell.”
Her expression falls. “I was hoping you’d get a good night's sleep before you got the news. Or at least a good meal in you.”
“Tell me.” I hate to be harsh to her; I consider her a good friend. But I have to know what's going on.
“You received another note while you were away.” She holds out a sealed envelope.
I take it from her and break the seal.
You will get rid of your lady in waiting and appoint Tido Sauvers as your new Head Advisor. Do this, or Nash will pay.
The note flutters to the ground.
What is Daros going to do to Nash now? What is wrong with Jem? Who is Tido Sauvers, and why does Daros want him in as Head Advisor? Why won't he let me be? Why won't he return Nash?
Too many questions, and I fear I know the answer. He’s using me. Manipulating me like Ranen planned on doing with Jem.
I bend down and pick up the note. It's flown open. I hand it to Inkga. “Read it if you want. It doesn't matter.”
I collapse into the closest chair. Are they going to control me the rest of my life? How can I allow this? It's unthinkable.
As is letting Nash suffer.
“Are you going to follow through with it?” Inkga asks.
“I don't know. Part of me wants to refuse. To throw it in their faces. But I don’t know how I can dare.”
“I don't know either. I wish I could be more helpful to you.”
“Bring me Jem and Jaku. Also, do you know where this letter came from?”
“It was found in your room. On your pillow.”
I feel the blood drain from my head. How did they get so close to me? I’d taken all my guards with me, but still, someone should have heard or seen something.
“Bring in my guards,” I say.
Inkga hurries from the room. I don't know what to do. I look out the window, wishing none of this ever happened and Nash was still here. That I never let Daros live.
I've wished it all too many times, and yet reality doesn’t change. Wishing does no good.
What do you think I should do? I silently ask the First Queen.
I know what she would say. That I need to do what's best for the people. I need to think of others before I think of Nash. I can't put him before the country. My country.
The council will probably say the same when they hear, even if some of them couldn’t care less about the people.
But none of them knows how the mind control works. How unbearable the pain Daros can inflict is.
When a knock sounds, I yell for them to come in, not caring about formalities. In come my guards, Jaku, and Inkga. The latter turns to go, but I tell her to stay and listen if she wants. After all, this might affect her as well as me.
Jaku takes the note first, his mouth set in a grim line. He hands it to the next guard, who reads it, hands it down the line, and says, “We should put a better watch on this room.”
Eldim, who reads the note next says, “It’d be a better idea to keep the queen out of this room. Away from the danger.”
“Best not let any changes happen. It’s what they want,” a guard I don’t recognize says.
Stird looks at it next. “We have to do what they say, to keep the queen safe”
“We need more guards around the queen,” Julina says
As they argue, I watch them carefully, wondering if what they are really thinking is the same as what’s coming out of their mouths, or if one of them is a traitor.
“Are you going to give into their demands?” Jem asks when silence fills the room.
I know she doesn't want me to. She wants me to keep her as Head Advisor. “I don't know yet,” I say.
“Whatever you decide, your safety is paramount. If they can put this on your pillow, then we need to have more guards on you.”
Jem’s changed so much. I thought one of the guards would say that, not her. She’s come a long way from the snide girl I first knew. “There were no guards in the room while I was away.”
“Still, we can't take chances.”
“What are you going to do? Have them watch me as I sleep?”
“If that's what it takes to keep you alive, then we're going to do it.”
“I can't sleep with people watching me.” I can, but they don't need to know that. It's the principal of the thing.
“I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but Jem is right. In this, I must insist,” Jaku adds.
I snort. “You're not sorry at all.”
He almost smiles.
But really, what am I going to do about this? “I need a way to contact the kidnappers and find out if he's really alive. They had him long enough to take the ring, but without anything this time, who's to say he didn't escape? Or die? I want to demand some evidence of Daros.”
“That would be a wise move, Your Highness,” Jem says.
“But how will we go about it?” Eldim asks.
I don't want to say it, but I have a feeling at least one person around me is a traitor. Maybe more. It's a sobering thought. And the man they want as my new Head Advisor? Tido Sauvers? How does he fit into this all? Is he their puppet, or do they have some other devious plan?
“I'll write a note, leave it on my pillow, and exit the room.” I say it as matter of fact as I can. “Spread the word to everyone you can that I left a note for Daros in my room, and that we won't disturb it until morning.”
It wouldn't be the first time I had danger cross where I sleep. Not even close.
“Absolutely not,” Jaku says. “I will not bring threats closer to where you live, eat, and sleep.”
I shrug. “I won't be in the room at the time, and this isn't up for debate.”
“I don't know how I feel about the idea,” Jem says. “But we all know if she wants to do it, she will.”
“Thank you.” I'm not sure I'm grateful.
“Let's get to it, then,” Eldim says.
“Absolutely. Inkga, get me a quill and paper please,” I say.
She nods and gets the things from the drawer.
“Thank you,” I say.
She hands me what I asked for, along with a book for writing on. I put the book under the paper and write my note. It takes longer than I’d like and not as pretty of handwriting, but I feels it’s something I must do myself.
I will acquiesce to your request. When I have proof Nash Zorris is alive and well. Furthermore, I want guarantees that he will be kept safe. Until then, I will not do as you wish. ~Queen Ryn
They’d better find this and do what I say.
I hand the note to Inkga. “Put this on my pillow.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She disappears into my bedroom.
Once she returns, I say, “I will sleep somewhere else for the night.” Hopefully my changing rooms like this doesn't give the staff fits.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” echoes through the room.
“And if the note disappears, I want this room searched for a hidden passage. We must find it and not let them use it against us.”
“Consider it done,” Jaku says.
“Let's head out, then.”
My guards surround me as I leave the room. “Inkga,” I say, “Do you know where I can stay for the night?”
“I do.”
I follow her, not certain what will happen. I want to tell them to leave me alone, but I'm afraid Jaku is going to make them watch me sleep. I don't care for that and could order them away, but at the same time, I wonder if they’re needed.
On one hand, it would be comforting to have the guards there while I sleep. On the other, it’d remind me too much of my life with Daros—always controlled, always watched, always told what to do.
I don't want my life to go back to that.
The room on the first floor they lead me to is not as lavish as the one they had me in before, but it is preferable. We believe it has no secret passages, but there’s no way to be certain. There's no gold or silver or a sitting room. Just a peaceful little bed and a single window.
Jaku orders a few men stationed outside the window. He leaves Julina in my room and assigns the rest of the guards outside.
I change into a night gown Inkga brought and hold the doll the girl gave me. Thankfully, she also got my daggers from under my pillow. I’d be fine without them because I have the ones stashed on me, but I like having extras.
“Thank you, Inkga,” I say.
“I wish there was more I could do for you, Your Majesty.”
“You do enough.” My voice is soft, for once—something she taught me.
I crawl into bed, trying my best to ignore Julina.
“Goodnight, Your Majesty.”
“Goodnight, Inkga and Julina.”