Quintana of Charyn (13 page)

They lifted Quintana’s shift and Phaedra wanted to look away. The belly frightened her but she didn’t want them to think she was a coward.

Quintana flinched at whatever Japhra was doing.

‘I’ll hold your hand,’ Tesadora reassured.

‘I can hold it,’ Phaedra said. ‘She’s beginning to trust me.’

‘She snarls at you all day long,’ Florenza said.

Tesadora turned to them, annoyed.

‘Go away. Both of you. Go speak to Rafuel. He has news from the camp.’

Phaedra stood and walked outside onto the rock face, where Rafuel was speaking to Cora and Jorja.

‘What is the news, Rafuel?’ Phaedra said, her voice weary.

‘Not good. Your father has stopped the grain, Phaedra. The older valley dwellers aren’t faring well. Donashe and his men are the lowest of dogs and they are growing in numbers. There is also one who watches me. As if he suspects. You all need to be careful. How could you have allowed the Princess out of your sight?’ he said, anger in his voice. ‘Her throat was almost slit by Isaboe of Lumatere. What were you thinking, Phaedra?’

But I begged the Queen Isaboe not to
, Phaedra wanted to cry.
And she let us go.
Didn’t that say something of her worth?

‘How are the men?’ Jorja asked. ‘How is my Harker?’

Rafuel shook his head. ‘Angry. I fear he will do something foolish and get himself killed for it. Donashe’s men don’t have the discipline of an army. They don’t have a bond to anything or anyone, including each other.’ Rafuel’s eyes met Ginny’s. ‘Your husband and some of the other men in the valley have taken to being Donashe’s lackeys. It means their bellies are better taken care of than the rest, but they have sold their honour.’

‘Well, that’s your fault,’ Ginny said spitefully. ‘Gies is despairing without me.’ She looked at the other women, nodding in satisfaction. ‘He’s smart to have aligned himself with those in power.’

‘Those in power, you stupid girl, slaughtered seven innocent men,’ Cora said.

Ginny looked away. ‘Well, my Gies and me, we weren’t here to have seen that and according to Gies, those scholar lads were traitors.’

Rafuel’s stare was murderous. The seven scholars had been his men and Phaedra knew he would never forgive himself for not dying alongside them. By the look on his face, she thought he’d strike out at Ginny. She was relieved when Tesadora and Japhra were finished with the Princess and joined them.

‘Will you come again soon, Matteo?’ Cora said.

Rafuel didn’t correct her.

‘Now that Donashe and his men believe that I’ve taken to Japhra, they may not question me slipping away more often,’ Rafuel said.

‘The Princess is fine for now,’ Japhra said in Lumateran. ‘The babe will be born in the spring.’

And then Tesadora, Rafuel and the girls were gone and Phaedra stood on the rock face watching until the last flicker of their lamps disappeared. Back inside she lay beside the Princess,
turning away from her. But then she felt Quintana lean over her, her lips close to Phaedra’s ears.

‘I do believe we’re going to have to kill that piece-of-nothing girl, Ginny.’

Phaedra’s heart thumped to hear the words. She turned to face Quintana.

‘Are you mad?’

‘A knife to her side and a slit ear to ear. It’ll take us less than five seconds.’

‘That’s evil.’

Her Royal Awfulness gave a laugh.

‘Can you honestly say with the clearest conviction that Ginny will not betray us the first chance she is given?’

No, Phaedra thought. She couldn’t honestly say that. But nor could she sanction anything this mad girl suggested.

‘Find a better way of securing Ginny’s trust,’ Phaedra said. ‘It would help if you were nicer to your own people … and not just the Lumaterans.’

‘Well, only one Lumateran has tried to kill me so far, as opposed to the number of Charynites who have attempted.’

What kind of a girl was this who would speak of taking another’s life so freely?

‘I think –’

‘Go to sleep,’ Quintana said dismissively. ‘You’re useless to me when you feel sorry for yourself.’

 

 

F
roi woke to see five faces staring down at him.

‘You fainted,’ Lirah said.

‘No, I didn’t.’

‘Yes, you did,’ Gargarin argued.

‘You climbed down well enough and the moment we touched the ground, you fainted,’ Finnikin said.

‘I’ve never fainted a day in my life.’

‘Well, you fainted today,’ Finnikin said, leaning closer, ‘and you’re going to really upset Perri and my father if you don’t speak Lumateran,’ he added, feigning a whisper.

Froi’s eyes met Perri’s and then Trevanion’s. Neither looked happy.

‘Reckon I stumbled. Hit my head on a rock,’ he said in Lumateran. It felt so strange on his tongue now.

‘You fainted,’ Perri said, his voice flat.

If Froi had fainted in front of Gargarin he wouldn’t have cared, but it was different in front of his captain and Perri and Finnikin. Warriors didn’t faint. Froi was shamed.

‘If you like, I can tell you in Sarnak or perhaps a bit of Yut and
then we would have made it clear in quite a few languages that you fainted,’ Finnikin said with a grin.

‘I fainted,’ he concluded miserably.

Lirah made a sound of disgust. ‘I can’t understand a word anyone’s saying,’ she said, walking away.

Froi watched Finnikin stare after Lirah, shaking his head. ‘Rude, rude woman,’ Finnikin muttered. ‘She spat at me, you know.’

Froi wanted to sink into the earth beneath him. He sighed and sat up, but the movement was too abrupt and he found himself lying back down again, his head spinning.

‘Slowly,’ Finnikin said, holding out a hand for a second time that day. ‘We’re going to have to move from here. There are still some riders out in the woods.’

‘From which direction did you come?’ Froi asked.

‘South.’

‘We head east,’ Perri said.

‘There’s no path east through these woods,’ Froi said.

‘Perri’s found one,’ Finnikin said. ‘Come.’

Gargarin and Lirah were looking at each other as Froi approached them, and they grabbed their packs ready to follow the others.

‘Perri’s found a path east,’ Froi explained, leading his horse along.

‘Well, thank the gods for Perri,’ Gargarin muttered, following.

Perri stopped and turned to face Gargarin, his stare deadly. But Froi stood between them, giving Gargarin a warning look.

Perri’s path was unmarked and they followed him into a thicket of trees that joined overhead, shielding them from all sides. The horses were there and Perri tended to them. Trevanion collected kindling and tried to nurture a flame, but the twigs were too damp and it took some time for the smallest of fires.

‘For warmth, not food. We can’t draw attention,’ Trevanion said.

Froi watched them all. Strangely, Lirah and Gargarin looked like nobility with their cold haughty stares and dressed in the best De Lancey had to offer. They all continued to study each other with suspicion.

‘Take him,’ Gargarin finally said to Finnikin, pointing at Froi. ‘No matter what he says, take him with you.’

Froi shook his head with fury.

‘We’re travelling together whether you like it or not.’

Gargarin still refused to look at him. ‘I don’t need him.’

‘You’re just as helpless on your own!’ Froi said. ‘You were moments from death yesterday before I turned up.’

‘And you weren’t today?’ Gargarin shouted. ‘You’re still injured.’

‘Tell them to lower their voices,’ Trevanion said to Finnikin.

‘I think Froi can understand you just fine,’ Finnikin said to his father.

‘I’m not leaving you behind,’ Froi said to Gargarin and Lirah. For a minute there was only the sound of twigs snapping in the flames. He turned to Finnikin and spoke in Lumateran. ‘He’s useless on his own. Both of them are. Twice this year he’s trusted the wrong people.’

‘Well, it’s sort of been us both times,’ Finnikin said. ‘Rafuel tricked him into believing you were Olivier of Sebastabol, and we tricked him with the Belegonians.’

‘I thought he was supposed to be brilliant,’ Trevanion said, stoking the fire.

Perri’s stare was still fixed on Gargarin. ‘You know me,’ Perri said.

‘What’s he talking about?’ Froi asked Finnikin with frustration.

‘Why are you asking me? Perri can understand you!’

It was silent again, miserably so.

‘It’s best my way,’ Gargarin tried again. ‘You go back with them –’

‘You are useless on your own and you’re going to get Lirah killed!’ Froi shouted again.

Trevanion was staring from Gargarin to Froi.

‘Well, he is,’ Froi said to Trevanion. ‘I’m not being disrespectful to the old, Captain. Every time I turn around, someone’s trying to shove him off a balcony or beat him black and blue. She even knifed him,’ he said, pointing to Lirah.

‘What’s he saying?’ she asked Gargarin.

‘We’re old, I think,’ he muttered.

‘He’s useless,’ Froi repeated to Trevanion.

Trevanion was still looking at them, and this time he included Lirah in his study.

‘Try not to remind him of that too often, Froi,’ the Captain said quietly. ‘When a son knows more than a father, it makes us feel very useless.’

Froi’s eyes smarted and he looked away. He felt Perri’s stare burn into them all. They knew.

‘His father?’ Finnikin asked, stunned.

Except for Finn. Sometimes Froi thought that Finn truly believed that Froi was a Lumateran. His king had always refused to take part in any conversation that suggested otherwise.

‘Not much of a father,’ Trevanion continued coldly to Gargarin. ‘Can’t truly understand how our boy found himself in those wretched streets of Sarnak on his own if not for a father who didn’t care.’

‘What did he say?’ Gargarin demanded to know, his voice deadly.

Froi closed his eyes. He didn’t want to be here doing this.

‘Froi?’ Gargarin questioned.

It was Finnikin who repeated the words and Froi saw the hard line of Gargarin’s mouth. Lirah was still. A serpent waiting to strike.

‘Circumstances, Captain,’ Gargarin said, his tone ice-cold. ‘You understand circumstances, don’t you? Those strange little occurrences that ensure that you’re separated from your son for more years than you want to think of. Count your blessings that yours ended up with Kristofer of the Flatlands and leave us with the misery of what happened to ours.’

Finnikin translated, still stunned.

‘His father?’ Finnikin continued, trying to register the information. He took in Gargarin’s slight build. ‘Froi comes from warrior stock. There’s no doubt of that.’

‘Serker,’ Perri muttered, staring at Lirah. ‘The mother’s a Serker.’

Finnikin looked agog, and if it was under different circumstances Froi would have mimicked him and they would have both laughed.

‘You have a mother?’

Froi stole a look at Lirah.

‘Her name is Lirah,’ he said, his tone husky.

Finnikin held a hand to his head, as if trying to clear it.

‘Lirah of Serker? The King’s whore?’

Perri nudged Finnikin, his eyes flicking towards Lirah.

‘Mercy!’

Froi could see Gargarin bristling. His only relief was that a fire separated Lirah and Finnikin. Any closer and she would have struck him, for sure. Or spat.

‘Anything else you’d like to tell us, Froi?’ Finnikin demanded.

Lirah and Gargarin and Froi looked away.

‘A double Mercy! They’ve got something else to tell us.’

‘Finn, leave it,’ Froi said. ‘It’s a long story.’

‘Then it’s a good thing we’re not leaving until morning.’

Froi and Finnikin sat away from the others, talking half the day and night. The more Froi spoke of the events since he had left Lumatere, the more relentless Finnikin’s questions were, his reactions ranging from shock to horror to disbelief.

‘If I didn’t know you better, I’d swear you were lying to me, Froi.’

‘Yes, well, you know me better,’ Froi said. ‘What are they doing now?’

Finn peered over Froi’s shoulder to where the others were sitting in two separate pairs.

‘Same as what they were doing an hour ago. Staring at each other. She’s going to win, you know. I think she’ll outstare them all.’

‘No,’ Froi said, shaking his head. ‘She can’t outstare him. No one can. Not even Perri.’

Then it was silent between them and Froi thought he wouldn’t be able to bear another moment of this. It was as if three years hadn’t existed and they didn’t know who he was anymore.

‘I …’ Finnikin began.

Froi looked up. Waited.

‘What?’

‘I almost slit your father’s throat,’ Finnikin said.

Froi swallowed. He didn’t want to think of what would have happened yesterday if he had come across them all too late.

Finnikin moved in closer to whisper.

‘Do you want to know the truth? He actually intrigued me.’

That was Gargarin’s gift and curse. To unintentionally intrigue people, even those who wanted to slit his throat. Finnikin peered over Froi’s shoulder again.

‘They’re obscenely attractive people,’ Finnikin said politely. Froi couldn’t help but laugh.

‘And I’m not?’ he asked.

‘Well, no … I didn’t say that. But really, Froi. Look at them.’

Froi twisted around. Perri hadn’t stopped staring at Gargarin and Gargarin chose to deal with it by returning the stare. Froi turned back to Finnikin and for the first time in hours, the truth registered.

‘You returned for me, Finn. After everything you said.’

Finnikin’s eyes were fierce with emotion.

‘Do you honestly think I would have left you out here, knowing there was a small army in the vicinity?’

‘I’m surprised you were able to convince Perri and your father to return.’

Finnikin laughed. ‘All I had to do was stop the horse and say, “I think …” and they were racing back into the woods to you.’

Froi laughed and it felt good. Real.

‘Can I tell you something without you beating me up?’ he asked.

Finnikin nodded.

‘Isaboe … she told me about her time as a slave because we were speaking of shame. She had seen awful things. What men did to their slaves and what some of the other girls had done to keep her safe. I told her worse things … what I’d done and what I’d allowed others to do to me.’

Froi shook his head, wanting to clear his mind of it all.

‘She said that she couldn’t bear sharing more of her misery with you, Finn. She’ll never forget her curse and that you suffer everything she feels when she walks the sleep. She couldn’t add more suffering to someone she adores with every ounce of her being. Her words.’

Froi looked up, feeling wonder. ‘You’re loved with every
ounce of another’s being, Finn. How could you doubt her?’

Finnikin grimaced, shook his head.

‘You have a strong bond with Isaboe, Froi,’ he said, uneasily. ‘Don’t deny it.’

‘I have an equally strong bond with you, my friend,’ Froi said. ‘It’s not that I desire one of you over the other. It’s that I want what you have together. I know that despite everything … it must eat at your heart that you’re her consort and not her king …’

Finnikin shook his head again.

‘It’s not about having power over her,’ Finnikin explained. ‘If I was the King, I could take care of her. I could keep her free from the troubles of Lumatere, which seem endless. And so trite. Honestly, Froi, ours are such ungrateful people at times. Despite our hard work, all we hear are complaints and woe and who suffered most and whose soil deserves more. Why can’t they just be happy with what we’ve got? We have our kingdom back, but no one seems truly happy, and I’m frightened that it’s now in our blood. That we’ll pass on that dissatisfaction to our children and our children’s children and that we’ll be the ancients one day and our descendants will say, “Ah yes, a melancholy dour lot.”’

Froi let him speak. He knew Finnikin would never express these feelings to others.

‘And if I was the King, she could spend afternoons making friends and having them over for sweet cakes and hot brew. Do you know her greatest sadness? That she may have Beatriss and Lady Abian and Tesadora, but she would love friends her own age. She could have had Celie, but Isaboe made a sacrifice allowing Celie a life in Belegonia, and Isaboe hangs on every word of Celie’s adventures with the young people of the Belegonian court. She’s a queen and a mother, but I think she grieves the young girl she never got to be.’

Froi couldn’t help thinking of Quintana. Of the girl she never
got to be. Isaboe and Quintana had more in common than anyone chose to believe.

Finnikin sighed and stood, looking over Froi’s shoulder at the others. ‘What are we going to do about them? Your Gargarin is going to provoke Perri into beating him to a pulp.’

Froi looked back at Gargarin, who was still exchanging stares with Perri.

‘Could you just tell Perri to ignore him?’ Froi said. He could protect Gargarin from the enemy, but not these men.

Finnikin gave a short laugh.

‘You know what Perri’s like. He’s not going to stop until he works out where he knows him from.’

‘He doesn’t know him,’ Froi insisted.

Froi couldn’t bear an entire night of this silence.

‘Do something, Finn. Talk to them. You’re good at making conversation.’