Daughter of the Disgraced King (24 page)

“Sorry, girl. I don’t have any carrots today.”

“We can fix that,” Jathan said.

Ailsa turned slightly to see him coming up the aisle. She
suppressed a frown. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk to anyone right now.

He stopped to open a bin and came out with a handful of
carrots. “The grooms keep some handy for emergencies such as this.”

Ailsa huffed a laugh in spite of herself. “This isn’t
exactly an emergency.”

Jathan pointed to Pearl with one of the carrots. “Explain
that to her.”

That did make her laugh. Diamond pushed her with his nose
again. “Sorry, boy. I’m not dressed for riding today.”

“But you’ll be riding with us tomorrow, right?” Jathan
asked.

Ailsa bit her lip. Diamond nodded his head as if to answer
for her. Well, the exercise of riding usually made her feel better, too. “Sure.
But . . . I can’t ride both of them. Unless Mayra wants to ride Diamond.”

Jathan cocked his head to one side. “Doubt it. She’s still a
little shy of him. But . . . I think there’s a way you
can
ride them
both. Not at the same time, but sequentially.”

“What?”

He winked at her. “Just come earlier. You and I can take a short
ride, to give Diamond some exercise. Something a little more . . . fast-paced
than what Mayra usually likes. I know a couple of good places for a flat-out
run, besides the track. Then we can all three go out for a quieter ride and you
can take Pearl. Problem solved.”

Ailsa grinned. She took a pair of carrots from the bunch
Jathan held and offered one to each horse. “I’m going to miss both of them when
I have to leave.”

Jathan went still beside her. “Where are you going?”

“I have to go home to Far Terra at midwinter. Just for the
school break. I’ll be back.”

“Why?”

Ailsa bit her lip. Jathan hadn’t been in the meeting. Then
again, the emperor hadn’t said anything about keeping it secret. The only one
who needed to be surprised by it was King Ewart, and Jathan certainly wasn’t
going to tell
him
anything. So she told him all about her meeting with
the emperor and what had been decided.

Jathan listened and then nodded. “Good. I’ll come with you.”

“Jathan, do you think your father . . . your stepfather will
agree to that?”

Jathan held his arms out from his side in a gesture of
freedom from constraints. “I can do what I want, Ailsa. Artair’s the heir, the
next emperor. Rishiart is the diplomat. Arrigo is the soldier. Even if I were
really a son of the emperor, I’d be the spare. I think when they let me go to
the Institute, Father was really hoping for the Academy. Then I could fit into
another tidy niche—the scholar and archivist. But I fooled them. I turned out
to be one of the most powerful green mages in a generation. I’ve busted out of
their pigeonholes and I can be anything I choose.” He winked at her again. “Besides,
I don’t think Father would actually object to this. We
are
pretty
impressive when we work together. That’s the point, after all, isn’t it?”

Ailsa smiled. It’d be so much easier with Jathan’s company
and cheerful support when she went to tweak King Ewart’s over-large nose. He
was comfortable making a spectacle of himself. Maybe he could teach her the
trick of it. “Yes, I guess it is.”

~

Walking back across the garden to the palace gate, Ailsa ran
into Mayra, who seemed to be waiting for her. “Hello, Mayra.”

Mayra turned to walk beside her. “Hi. Um . . . I think I
should let you know, Ailsa. I’ve asked Prince Savyon to join us on our ride,
tomorrow.”

Ailsa stopped, stunned. “Oh. Oh, I wish you hadn’t. Maybe .
. . maybe I’ll stay home. Explain to Jathan for me.”

Mayra gripped her arm. “Don’t do that. Listen, I could tell,
even if he couldn’t, that you’ve got no more interest in Prince Savyon.”

“Yes, but short of hitting him on the head with a plank—or a
hammer—I don’t know how to get that through to Sav.”

Mayra smiled. “So, if you’re sure you don’t want to be more
than friends with him, would you have any objection if I . . . tried to break his
fall?”

That surprised a laugh out of Ailsa. “Gods, no! Take him
with my blessing.” She paused. Mayra had just been through her testing and
barely begun her training. “But . . . well, I think I should tell you . . . why
I was . . . am so angry with him. How I know I’ll
never
marry Sav. He
asked me to give up my magic in order to marry him.”

“Well,
that
was stupid of him,” Mayra said.

Ailsa nodded. “You’re a healer. I guess that’s sometimes
less . . . threatening. But . . . doesn’t it bother you?”

Mayra shrugged. “Not nearly as much as you. So far, I haven’t
tested very high as a healer. Besides . . . healer training isn’t exactly what
I pictured. A lot of it is messy and unpleasant and has nothing to do with
magic at all.”

Ailsa digested that for a moment. “Why Sav?”

“Well, I don’t know him well enough to answer that, yet.
But, after four rowdy brothers, tall and serious looks pretty good. You know,
it’s only an afternoon ride. Worth a try. I’d far rather find someone
acceptable for myself than wait for Mother and Father to choose for me, anyway.
Prince Savyon might not be the one, but the field’s not that wide. Anyway, I
won’t know if I don’t try, will I?”

Ailsa took this in. “No, I guess you won’t.”

Ailsa had dressed for the Harvest Ball with some
trepidation. The last few Starday rides had been awkward with Sav along. She’d
caught him staring at her several times despite Mayra’s best efforts to capture
and hold his attention. It was bound to be difficult again tonight. She wore
the same dress she’d first worn to the Student Ball months ago. In deference to
the cooler evenings, she’d replaced the lace bolero with a velvet capelet of
such frothy pale green that it was almost white.

This time, it wasn’t either Sav or Jathan waiting to greet
her and lead her into the ball. Papa stood by the gate. Ailsa released her breath
with a smile and stepped out of the carriage. She hugged him and kissed his
cheek. “Papa!”

He hugged her back and then held her back at arm’s length. “We
haven’t seen enough of you. I suppose your studies keep you busy.”

Ailsa gave a guilty shrug. It wasn’t only her studies that
kept her away. Except for riding excursions, during which she at least had the
buffer of Jathan’s and Mayra’s company, she’d avoided the palace for fear of
running into Sav. “It does take a lot of my time. I’ll ask Grandmama. We should
have you and Mama come over for the evening more often. Just family.”

Papa started to lead her towards the palace and the ball
room. “That would be nice. Speaking of family, Perion is going to be tested at
the Institute next week. He hopes to be a water mage, like his mother.”

“Good for him.” Would Perion want to come back to Far Terra
with her at some point? Or would the treatment of his mother—of their whole
family really—make him want to stay as far away as possible? There was other
work for a water mage, if that’s what he turned out to be. But it’d be nice to
have familiar people to work with.

Mayra came to greet Ailsa as soon as they reached the
ballroom. Papa released her with a final pat on her arm.

Mayra leaned closer and whispered, “Is Prince Savyon a good
dancer?”

Ailsa considered her answer. “Not as good as Jathan. He’s
nearly always awkward at first—a little stiff. But if you can get him to relax,
he’s pretty good.”

Mayra smiled. “I can do that. Have you ever danced with my
older brothers?”

One corner of Ailsa’s mouth quirked up in memory. “I had
that misfortune once. Sav’s a better dancer than any but maybe Rishiart.”

Mayra giggled. “They can be a pain. Especially in a pack.”

Ailsa nodded. Then she caught sight of Sav walking toward
them and stiffened. Mayra turned.

Jathan stepped in front of Ailsa just before Sav reached
them. “Dance?”

Ailsa smiled. “I’d love to.”

~

Savyon watched Ailsa spin away in
his
arms. Jathan’s.
With very little effort, he really could learn to hate Prince Jathan. He turned
his head when Princess Mayra touched his arm and looked up at him
inquisitively. He could almost call that look a challenge. Their plan to make
Ailsa jealous didn’t seem to be working very well. Still, it was the best plan
he had for the moment.

He bowed to the princess in front of him. “Would you care to
dance?”

“Why, yes. Thank you,” Princess Mayra answered with only a touch
of sarcasm.

Savyon took her hand and led her out onto the floor, wishing
he had Ailsa to help him not look so stiff and awkward. The thought only made
him feel more self-conscious. When he mistepped, Princess Mayra followed
smoothly, the way Ailsa usually did, and kept him from looking clumsy. Savyon
smiled down at her and Princess Mayra smiled back.

He relaxed a little and let his eyes drift upward and scan
the other dancers, picking out Ailsa and Prince Jathan nearby. Savyon glowered
as he watched them whirl so effortlessly. Dancing was never that easy for him.

Sharp pain in his instep made him look down.

“You’re dancing with
me
,” Princess Mayra said, a
strange, unreadable expression on her face. “Pay attention.”

“Sorry.” Savyon glanced up once more to track Ailsa’s
progress around the floor and steer Mayra a little closer. “I don’t think your
plan is working.”

“Well, of course not. If you keep staring after her like a
moonstruck calf, how do you expect to make her jealous? You have to actually
look
like you want to be with me for that to work.”

Savyon blinked. It made a certain amount of sense. It was
just so hard not to watch Ailsa, especially when she was with Jathan
.
Then again, how much did he really want to change that, to have Ailsa back? He
nodded. “You’re right. I’ll try harder.”

Princess Mayra’s look was unreadable, but he couldn’t call
it pleased. “At least try to make it look like you’re
not
trying.”

~

Ailsa and Jathan didn’t pause until the musicians took a
short break after a half-dozen or so tunes. Before the music started up again,
Perion joined them.

“May I have the next dance?” Perion asked. At Ailsa’s
dubious look, he added, “We haven’t had much chance to talk.”

Jathan nodded and Ailsa spun out onto the floor with Perion.

“I’m going to be tested for the Institute next week,” Perion
said.

Ah, that was why he wanted to talk. Ailsa had wondered. She
smiled. “Papa told me. I’ll come to your testing if I can.”

“Um. What’s it like?”

Ailsa cocked her head to one side. “Nervous?”

Perion swallowed and nodded once, sharply.

Ailsa decided to take pity on him. “It doesn’t hurt or
anything like that. It’s not something you can really prepare for, either.” She
thought back on how she’d felt. “I think . . . I think the process depends a
little on you not being prepared, actually. They want to see your natural
reaction to different kinds of magic. They say that it sometimes takes a long
time, because they have to test for each kind of magic separately. But the only
tests I’ve seen were fairly quick.” She smiled. “They’ll almost certainly test
you for a water mage first, since that’s what your mother is. They tested me for
a heat mage first, because of Mama.”

Perion breathed out. “Thanks. That helps, some. What if I
don’t have any magic?”

Ailsa leaned back a little to look at his face. “You can
make a whirlwind, right?”

“Sure, but—”

“Then you have some magic,” Ailsa said.

He swallowed. “What if it’s not significant?”

Ailsa shrugged. “Then you can always attend the Academy, if
that’s what you want. Everyone from the Institute also takes classes at the
Academy.”

Perion frowned. “I suppose.”

“While you’re staying here at the palace, you could talk to
Princess Mayra, too. She was recently tested as a healer mage.”

Perion turned his head to where Mayra danced with Sav. “I
didn’t know that. Maybe I’ll ask her to dance next.”

Ailsa suppressed a smile. Maybe a little competition for
Mayra would refocus Sav’s attention. She could hope, anyway.

When the music stopped they were standing very near to Sav
and Mayra. Had Perion planned that? Maybe she should have been paying more
attention to where they were instead of just following his lead. Perion stepped
away to ask Mayra to dance, leaving Ailsa facing Sav in the middle of the dance
floor. She looked around for Jathan, but couldn’t see him right away.

“Dance with me?” Sav asked.

Ailsa hesitated. To walk off the dance floor leaving Sav
standing there would draw attention. Somehow, that didn’t worry her as much as
it would have just a few months ago. Then again, if there was anyone here who
was less likely to cause a scene than herself it was unquestionably Sav. They
needed to be able to work together, as friends. Surely a single dance was safe
enough. She squared her shoulders. “All right.” As Sav took her hand, Ailsa
looked down, watching their feet rather than Sav’s eyes.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Sav said.

Ailsa looked up. Yes, too much to hope that he’d leave the
topic alone, even here. “I told you it would be better if we didn’t try to talk
for a while. Or only about business. What do you think of the emperor’s plan
for Far Terra?”

Sav’s lips thinned at her attempt to change the subject. “Are
you still angry with me? I said I was wrong.”

Ailsa resisted the urge to stop and walk away in the middle
of the dance. She could feel her frustration rising again. At least there were
no plants nearby to respond so frighteningly to her emotions. “That’s supposed
to make everything all right? Just like that? You ask me to turn my whole life
inside out for you and saying you’re sorry fixes it? It’s not that easy, Sav.”

“What more can I do?” Sav asked.

Ailsa let her breath out in a huff. “You could try listening
to what I say. I’ve told you twice now to just give me more time. What do I
have to do to get you to understand that?”

“I’m sorry—”

Ailsa stamped her foot, causing Sav to lose the rhythm of
the dance. “
Stop
saying that! Try acting like it instead.”

Sav struggled to pick up the dance again. “So you are still
angry with me.”

Ailsa sighed. A little to her surprise, she realized she
wasn’t angry anymore. Hurt, yes. Certainly conscious—perhaps too conscious—of
the new restraint that had grown between them. Frustrated and more than a
little irritated to have her wishes so easily discounted. But not really angry.
“No, actually, I’m not. But I’m not ready to just forgive and pretend it didn’t
happen, either. That’ll take longer.”

“How long?”

She shook her head. “I really don’t know, Sav. I only know
that it’ll take even longer if you keep aggravating me.”

Gods! Sav looked like an injured puppy at that. But there
really wasn’t any other answer she could give him.

When the music stopped, Ailsa stepped away.

Jathan appeared at her elbow as if by magic—if she didn’t
know magic couldn’t do that. “Dance?”

Ailsa drew in her breath and released it, looking between
Jathan and Sav. “No, thanks. I think I’d rather take a
solitary
walk in
the garden.”

As she walked across the dance floor, she could almost feel
two pairs of eyes following her. She really needed to get out of here for a
while. The garden, and its green and growing plants, source of her magic, would
help calm her.

~

Jathan watched Ailsa until she was outside the big patio
doors. His gut roiled to see her so upset. He turned to Prince Savyon. “What
did you do to her?”

Prince Savyon clenched his fists. “I didn’t do anything. And
what business is it of yours, anyway?”

Jathan moved to stand with his feet braced apart. “I’ll tell
you what—”

“Just stop it! Both of you!” Mayra said, glancing back over
her shoulder first at the emperor and then at the doors through which Ailsa had
just gone. “You don’t want Ailsa to come back and find you comparing . . . “
Her gaze swept up and down first Jathan and then Prince Savyon. “Whatever it
was you were about to measure against each other. Do you?”

Jathan swallowed and took a step back, unclenching his
fists. “No, I don’t.”

Prince Savyon looked toward the patio doors. “Neither do I.”

“Good.” Mayra took Prince Savyon’s hand. “Then keep on
dancing with me. You’ve come close enough to ruining everything for one night.”

Jathan strode over to get a cup of wine punch. He took it
out onto the balcony where he could watch for Ailsa’s return. This had gone on
just about long enough. If he’d read things right over the last week, he didn’t
have to worry about Prince Savyon as a rival, anyway. What he’d been waiting
for had been some sign that she was over being angry with the Far Terran
prince. He wanted Ailsa to choose him because she loved him, not because she
was mad at somebody else. Maybe he’d waited just about as long as any of them
could stand, though.

~

The looping path brought Ailsa back around to the steps that
would take her back up to the patio outside the ballroom. She looked up to see
Jathan waiting for her at the bottom of the stone stairs.

“Better now?” he asked.

“Yes, thanks.” She smiled. “The garden helps.”

Jathan grinned and winked. “Of course it does. You’re a
green mage.” He squinted at her for a moment. “In fact, I think you need
another turn around the rose garden. With me. There’s something I’d like to
talk to you about. Preferably without interruptions.”

Ailsa hesitated.

Jathan threaded her arm through his and started toward the
rose garden. “It’ll put off having to deal with Prince Savyon for a few more
minutes.”

Ailsa laughed. “It will, at that.”

When they’d gone a little distance, Jathan licked his lips. “So,
what did Prince Savyon do to you?”

Ailsa sighed. “Tonight? Nothing really. Or nothing new. He
just doesn’t know when to quit. I have to find a way to forgive him—if only
because Far Terra needs both of us and we will have to work together. I need to
try to be friends with him again. If he’d just leave me alone long enough,
maybe I could.”