The soup was delicious. Tempest didn’t realize how hungry she was until she was sitting at the table in the castle’s great hall. She finished her whole bowl in just minutes.
“So I see you enjoyed your meal.” Stratus strode in from the main hall. “Now I’d like to take you to meet the Queen of the Hippogriffs. You are her guests for tonight. I think it’s only proper.”
“Yes, right,” Tempest said, standing up. Grubber followed behind her as they made their way down a long hallway. She pulled the shawl tighter around her shoulders, making sure her armor was hidden.
Stratus stopped at two huge doors at the end of the hall. Two guards were standing on either side of it. They stepped back once they recognized Stratus, approaching with Tempest and Grubber.
“Your Majesty…” Stratus Skyranger lowered to one knee and bowed his head.
A large Hippogriff was lying on a long velvet lounge chair. Her eyes were covered with a green mask, and her head was wrapped in a soft velvet scarf. She pulled the mask off her eyes when she heard Stratus’s voice.
“Interrupting my beauty ritual again?” asked the queen. “Stratus Skyranger, how many times do I have to tell you? A queen has to look her best for her subjects. I mean—”
She stopped, noticing Tempest and Grubber standing there.
“My queen,” Stratus Skyranger said, stepping aside so Tempest and Grubber could come forward, “this is Cherry Pie and Mort. They’re the travelers I told you about. I thought they should meet the queen who has generously opened her doors to them.”
Tempest and Grubber both got down on one knee each, following Stratus Skyranger’s lead.
“Thank you for all your help,” Tempest said.
“We don’t often let strangers past the city gates.” The queen stood as she said it. She was much taller than Tempest thought she’d be. Her giant wings hung by her sides. “But Stratus here told me how desperate you were. It seems you’ve had a long, difficult journey.”
“We have,” Grubber chimed in. “Very long and very difficult. Very long. Yup.”
“Where did you travel from?” The queen stared down at Grubber, waiting for him to answer. His blue eyes went wide. Tempest could tell he was panicking.
“From the Forgotten Hills,” Tempest lied, standing up. “We’d been living there for a long time but decided to leave to find a better home. But then we got lost.…”
The queen studied her as she spoke. This didn’t bother Tempest. She’d become used to lying. As she told the story it felt true—at least some parts of it. She had been in the Forgotten Hills with Grubber. And she had left to find a better home.
After a pause, the queen smiled warmly.
“You’ll have to stay tomorrow morning,” she said. “My daughter would love to meet you. She’s always telling me we should let other creatures into the city. She loves hearing different stories about what it’s like outside the city walls, and if I’m being honest, I think she could use some friends her own age. How many times can she ask Stratus to play dolls with her before he gets bored?”
“We’d love to meet her,” Grubber replied. He offered a sly smile.
“Stratus will get you whatever you need,” the queen said. “We want our guests to be as comfortable as possible.”
Tempest was about to say something else, but then she noticed a shell on the table next to the queen’s chair. The shell was open, revealing a sparkling pearl inside. She glanced sideways at Grubber. He’d seen it, too.
“Right, thank you,” Tempest said, trying to seem normal. She knelt again to say good-bye. “We appreciate all you’ve done for us, Your Majesty.”
Grubber offered a small bow, and they both followed Stratus out.
“You’ll be staying in the north wing,” he said.
As soon as Stratus’s back was turned, Grubber stared at Tempest. His eyes were wide. “Did you see that?” He whispered it softly so only she could hear him.
Tempest nodded. The pearl was right there, right next to the queen’s bed. It had been only a few feet away.
Tonight, while the queen was sleeping, it would become theirs.