The Mirror of Her Dreams (77 page)

Then she realized that the sound came from the melting of the snow.

Water ran thickly from the roofs and towers, streamed off the eaves like a downpour. Already, the courtyard resembled a quagmire: its churned mud lay hidden beneath brown puddles as vast as ponds. Guards and people bustling in and out of the courtyard, to and from the huddled maze of shops and shanties and tents, had to wear cloaks against the run-off and high boots against the standing water; but under the open sky they pushed back their cloaks or doffed them altogether to revel in the new warmth.

The winter had turned to thaw.

A little thrill ran through her as she thought that she might get a chance to go outside for a while. It might be possible to stop feeling depressed for a while.

Hurrying, she went to wash her face and put on her clothes.

She wasn't surprised when Geraden arrived before Saddith had brought her breakfast. His cheeks were flushed with exertion, and he was breathing hard: he must have run up the stairs. At first glance, she thought he was simply eager, caught up in a stronger version of her own reaction. But the way his eyes shone was more complex than that.

'Have you seen it?' he panted as soon as she shut the door.

'Yes.'

They went to the windows together, drawn by the prospect of sun and warmth and springtime after the long, tense winter.

'Glass and splinters,' he muttered while he regained his breath, 'this is awful.'

She blinked at him like a startled owl. 'Awful?'

At once, he started laughing. 'Isn't that silly? I feel this eager every spring. Like the whole world is coming back to life. The first thaw always makes me want to go out and play like a boy.

'But it's still awful. Even though I love it.' He tried to sound sombre. Terisa, this is
very
bad news.'

His laughter drew a smile from her. 'It's a good thing I've known you so long. If you were a stranger, I would have to assume you've lost your mind.
Why
is this bad news?'

'You mean, since you know me, you don't have to
assume
I've lost my mind? You can take it for granted?' He dismissed her protest with a chortle. 'Because it's early. Too early. Right now, winter is about the only thing protecting us. If too much of the snow melts, there won't be anything to prevent Cadwal and even Alend from marching against us
today.

'You heard what the Perdon said. High King Festten has already mustered an army. He can do that because Cadwal gets so much less snow than we do. And you can be sure the Alend Monarch didn't send his son on a mission as dangerous as a visit to Orison without having an army prepared to support or rescue him. Or avenge him.

'We're the only ones who aren't ready,' he continued. 'Oh, I'm sure Castellan Lebbick has done everything he can. But we didn't get ready for war last autumn because King Joyse refused to command it'-now Geraden managed to sound grim-'and we aren't ready now because he hasn't been paying attention all winter. Our only hope has been that the snow would last until he came back to his senses.'

Terisa frowned in an effort to concentrate. 'If they start marching today, who's going to get here first?'

Unable to preserve an appropriately dire expression, he flashed a grin. 'That's complicated. Cadwal is closer, especially if they march up through Perdon from the southwest. Alend's best route comes almost due south through the Care of Armigite. That's nearly twice as far.

'But South Perdon is mostly hills, some of them rugged. Armigite is almost all lowland. To reach us, the High King's army has to cross two rivers, the Vertigon and the Broadwine. The Alends only have to ford the Pestil. And the Perdon will fight Cadwal every step of the way. The Armigite, on the other hand-' Geraden sighed. 'We would be lucky, I guess, if he fired a few catapults at Margonal's army while it went by.'

Although the air outside was obviously much warmer than it had been, it wasn't balmy: when he leaned close to the window, his words left small, brief ovals of condensation on the glass. 'But it's even more complicated than that. How long has Prince Kragen been gone? Six days? I presume he's riding hard, but he won't be able to go very fast. Not even today. This much snow will take days to melt off. So he's still a long way from home. Will the Alend Monarch do anything without him? I don't know.

'Giving you my utmost wisdom'-he grimaced-'I would say at this point anything can happen. With our luck, it probably will.'

'Well, that's all right,' she murmured. ''Anything' is what's been happening ever since I got here.'

He responded with a chuckle and a bow. 'My lady, you have an enviable gift for understatement.' Then he added, 'We're probably lucky. If it stopped happening, we might get confused.'

'Speak for yourself,' she replied. 'Confusion is my natural state.' She feigned puzzlement. 'Or I
think
so, anyway.'

He laughed. 'A kindred spirit. No wonder I like you.'

Gazing out at the thaw, he sighed happily, This is really terrible.'

Sometime later, there was a knock on the door.

'I am sorry to be iate, my lady,' Saddith said as she entered the room carrying a large breakfast tray. The guards told me that Apt Geraden was with you-already'-she winked-'so I went back for more food.'

Feeling light-headed and impervious to discomfort because of the thaw, Terisa asked foolishly, 'How is Master Eremis this morning?'

Saddith glanced down at her tight bosom. 'He has been very busy. Or so it is rumoured. But he is well.' When she looked up, her face wore a deliberate veil of blandness; but the corner of her mouth quirked. 'Or so it is rumoured.'

Terisa realized that she didn't feel quite as cheerful as she thought.

Geraden watched her with a quizzical expression; however, he made no comment. He had apparently decided that he didn't want to know what her present relationship with the Master was.

When the maid had left, Terisa tried to recover her good humour by eating a big breakfast. Nevertheless her mood had turned restless. She wanted to
do
something, wanted to go as far away from this room-and from herself-as she could. Abruptly, she demanded, 'Let's get out of here. Today. This morning.'

He stared at her with his mouth full. ''Get out-'? You already know I can't-'

'I didn't mean that. I meant, out of this room. Out of Orison. Outside.' Trying to make sense, she urged, 'Maybe we could rent some horses. I don't know how to ride-but you could teach me. Anything. I just want to
get out
for a while.'

He struggled to understand. 'I'll do anything you want. What is 'rent'?'

For no very admirable reason, she thought it might be fun to scream at him. Or maybe
not fun,
exactly. Maybe
satisfying?

Fortuitously, someone chose that moment to knock at her door.

Swallowing her baser impulses, she called, 'Come in.'

On command, a guard opened the door formally and announced, The lady Elega.' Then he stepped aside and bowed the King's eldest daughter into the room.

She was dressed as if for an excursion in a warm, high-collared fur robe and ornately tooled leather boots.

Geraden jumped to his feet. Instinctively, Terisa did the same.

Elega studied both of them. 'I am sorry,' she said with an ironic smile. 'I did not mean to frighten you.'

'Guilty secrets,' Geraden replied promptly. 'You know me, my lady.' His smile was no more innocent than hers. T'm always plotting something.'

The lady measured him with a glance. Then she turned to Terisa. 'Whatever he plots, Terisa,' she said, 'I hope you will not let him entangle you in it. I do not know what he has in mind, of course. But surely he plots in the same way he does everything else.' She grinned around the word: 'Notoriously.'

In response, Geraden bowed. 'You're too kind, my lady.'

Instead of shouting, Cut it out! Terisa asked Elega, 'Would you like some breakfast?'

Thank you, no.' The King's daughter accepted the change of subject smoothly. She comported herself as though she were ready for anything. 'I have breakfasted. What I would like-if it would please you-is to take you shopping.'

Shopping?
Terisa gaped helplessly, struck as much by the familiarity of the word as by the strangeness of hearing it from Elega.

'I fear it will not be a very elegant experience. Because of the mud,' explained the lady. 'But this thaw is wonderful. If it lasts as much as a day or two, it will open the roads around Orison enough to permit the merchants to replenish their stores. This late in the winter, the shops have become too depleted to be worth visiting. Now they may be resupplied.

Terisa, I would like to take you to buy cloth and engage a seamster, so that you can have clothes made'-she hesitated almost imperceptibly-'to your own fit and fashion.'

'Clothes?'

'Whatever clothes you like. Of course,' said Elega firmly, 'I will offer you advice as to weather and custom. But what I wish is to help you please yourself.'

'But'-it was the first thought that came to her-'I don't have any money.'

The lady raised a delicate eyebrow in surprise. 'You are a friend of the King's daughter. Why do you need money?'

Terisa couldn't find the words to protest. Fortunately, Geraden was sensitive to the particular character of her ignorance. The lady Elega is right,' he said, supplying more reassurance than the situation superficially required. 'As long as you're with her, any merchant or artisan in Mordant will give you anything you want. That's one of the privileges of the ruling family.

'It isn't actually fair.' His tone reminded her that most of his friendships were among the workers of Orison, rather than among the lords and ladies. 'But the way King Joyse runs the country puts more wealth back than it takes out, so his privileges don't do any harm.' He seemed to be urging her to accept Elega's offer.

She made an effort to collect her scattered wits. Really, she ought to be accustomed to surprises by now. They were becoming the story of her life. And when she thought about it, she found that she was excited.

'Thanks,' she said to the lady. That sounds like fun. I was just telling Geraden I wanted to get out of this room. I'm about to start screaming.'

Elega smiled. 'I know just what you mean. I have felt that way for years at a time. When would you like to go?'

Terisa glanced at Geraden; but his features were composed into a neutral mask. 'How about right now?'

That suits me admirably.' Elega looked pleased.

'If you will take my advice from the start, however,' she continued, 'you will change your garments before we go. The seamsters who serve the ladies of Orison are accustomed to gowns. I suspect that they have scant acquaintance with'-she searched for a graceful description-'the styles of your world. If you wear a gown and carry your own clothing with you, you will be able to leave it for the seamster to use as a pattern. Then they should be able to match it.'

Although Terisa wasn't at all sure that she wanted shirts and pants instead of gowns, Elega's advice seemed too reasonable to ignore. 'Just give me a minute.' From the wardrobe in the bedroom, she quickly fetched her demure grey gown. Then she retreated to the bathroom to change.

'Dress warmly,' Elega called. 'And be prepared for mud.'

As soon as she had worked her way into the gown, Terisa located the thick sheepskin coat and boots which Geraden had supplied for her tour of Orison's battlements. In a few moments, she was ready to go. She carried her old clothes under her coat. Her heart was beating like a schoolgirl's.

'Will you accompany us, Geraden?' inquired Elega. 'I doubt that choosing fabrics and studying styles will be of much interest to you. But it is unwise for ladies to go unescorted to the shops.' To Terisa, she explained, 'Despite Castellan Lebbick's best efforts, the bazaar attracts any number of rude fellows-pickpockets, gypsies, clowns, and ruffians. The guards maintain good order, but they cannot prevent all small crimes.' Then she ad-