The Royals

Chapter 46

It must be the man.

Her stomach tightened. Another test. But why? They'd given her no new directions. She'd done as they com manded.

'Ginni?' His voice was soft and surprised. She looked up from her work and held herself erect. She nodded an acknowledgment, neither smiling nor

frowning. 'I didn't know you'd be here. Why am I here?" rubbed his hand across his face.

So they had untied his hands.

He

She shrugged her shoulders and bent back to the soil.

He was not her problem.

"Can I help?'

Staring into the dirt, she shook her head 'no."

'I once knew a woman who used to plant these in little boxes set by the window. Funny, she never would tell me what they were for."

The Novice glanced up in alarm. That was her memory! He'd stolen her memory. 'How dare you!" she shouted, unable to control her tongue. 'How dare you lay claim to me!'

Shocked and dismayed at her failure to keep quiet, she clapped a hand over her mouth and ran from the room.

Hair flying behind the girl, Ginni reminded Revered

Mother of Roslin. The witch sighed. Roslin had been

such a promising student. Her lips tightened into a line. Caronn would not lose the

daughter, who was at least as strong in the Seven Sisters' blessings as the mother. The Forty-nine would take those gifts, then mold and remold them until they were certain of the girl's training. To waste such a valuable resource in her mother's time was a minor blasphemy. To do so in these days was beyond unthinkable.

Revered Mother smiled to her attendants. The con ditioning seems to be taking very well. If she can't manage to be in the same room with the man for more than a few moments, we are surely succeeding in breaking the bond between them.'

'But, Revered Mother,' Dita asked, isn't it possible

she's simply afraid of him after all we've told her?' "Possibly. All the same, she does not recognize him.'

'Yes, but what if he'

Caronn gave her an icy smile, forestalling further hair-splitting. If he what?"

'Forgive me, Revered Mother. I forget myself some

times."

'Yes, you do, Sister. See that you work on that.' She continued on down the hall, inviting the others to trail slightly behind her. 'On to more important matters. What shall we do with the man? As you know, we are divided among the Inner Seven. I admit the tidiness of disposing of him appeals to me. However, the Sisters delivered him to us. I will not kill that which has been gifted.'

'He may yet call the dragon, Dita offered.

Revered Mother frowned at her for speaking out of

turn. She would require disciplining once the crisis pas

sed. 'Yes, and what then?"

Masha laughed. "What is one ordinary man and an injured dragon against the world's Forty-nine most power ful Mages?"

Caronn joined in the laughter. 'A very good point,

Sister. Excellent in fact."

The hags had been harrying Tom in his sleep while they smiled coyly during his waking hours. He knew the smiles were as false as, well, as false as a witch's smile. He laughed ruefully. There was no comfort in meeting the root of a soldier's saying first-hand.

For the inexplicable moment, he had seemingly free rein to wander where he would. Yet wherever he went, the Sisters all reminded him of Ginni.

As for her, what could he think? She was lost in a world of their making. He went short of breath and his chest ached every time he saw her. Too many days like this and he'd damn himself forever, anything to set her free.

Left to himself after his daughter fled the garden, Wanton Tom did the only practical thing. He studied the plants Ginni had been poking and prodding.

He was no expert on greenery. In his opinion, plants were too much trouble whether they were the eatin' kind or decoratin' ones. Still, it didn't take much to figure the old hags weren't likely to grow a few plants just for looks. If anything, they'd pluck out the pretty flowers and leave only the ragged weeds. Besides, Roslin's habits were truer to the Forty-nine than they knew. If she kept one of these around, it had a use.

But what?

Eyeballing it didn't tell him much. He hesitated to touch or sniff it. Poison came in many forms, and Tom had no interest in killing himself, especially now that Ginni seemed to be remembering who she was.

Instead, he walked around the greenhouse, paying no particular attention to anything, just sucking in the overall

spirit of the place. There seemed to be no foodstuffs here,

only medicinals and their kin. He couldn't help but wonder what the hags ate during the winter. There were no towns close by. Who would brave the weather to sell them food? On the other hand, who would dare refuse them?

Stranger and stranger.

And what good did any of it do him or Ginni? 'We have decided on your use,' said a woman from behind him. Tom went rigid with attention. There was no way this

could be good news. 'Yes?"

'You will bed your daughter until you beget a grand daughter." "That's vile. You'll have to kill me first."

She came closer and held a sharp point to his back. *There's no need to kill you when we can kill Ginni.' He held his calm against the urge to punch her. "What's

the point? She's the powerful one. I'm just a man." The Revered Sister smiled. 'I'm delighted you under stand your position. However, she let it hang as she performed a lengthy inspection of the plants. However,' the Sister repeated, she is not the only option, merely the most elegant."

Tom hated to consider what 'elegant' might mean to such women as these.

'Once the girl is born .' She stopped, seeming

think better of what she'd been about to say.

to

'Once the girl is born, what?' he pressed. 'You are a man. They will be none of your con cern.'

'Says you.

'You are wasting my time. The girl will be ready when she comes to you tonight. You are to do as

you are told or your daughter won't see the next sun rise.'

'I will not.' 'Oh, but you will.' Her eyes held a callousness Tom had seen in few men. 'By the Seven Sisters, you will.'

Elder Jedrek didn't relax after finally flushing out the rebels. If anything, he grew more nervous worrying about the traitors he hadn't yet identified. He sat behind his desk, the same desk where he'd been when they rushed him, the same desk he'd had since Alvaria had exiled him.

The desk itself was an absurdity. She'd forced it on him and he'd kept it to remind himself what he gave up. Yet, how could he expect his clan to honor the traditional ways with this heavy reminder of the other? It was more likely to cause jealousy among the weak-willed than serve as a ward against the past.

His finger traced the patterns dug deep into the wood, those which followed the grain and those which ran counter to it. Only a few had ever divined the secret power of those designs and half of them were impris oned.

The desk reminded him that there were too many

structures in their lives. They weighed down Jedrek and his people. He needed to rid himself of the load, and yet he was as guilty as the most spineless among them for relying on the artificial nature of elf-made things.

How did they differ from Alvaria herself, when they had been known to mislead others in order to provide for themselves? Some argued they deserved their physical and mental comfort, that it was only fitting given their deprived circumstances. Jedrek had once agreed with them, but now knew it to be no more than self-delusion and justification for their own selfishness.

Jedrek looked around him. Virtually all their wealth had ended up in this om. For safe-keeping at first, but ultimately through lethargy of a newly established tradition. Cushions, hangings, carpets. They'd been allowed whatever they could carry, and as a group they'd managed to carry more than one might imag ine. Alvaria had laughed at their struggle and now he understood the full extent of her amusement. She had won several times over while they had shouldered unnecessary burdens.

The robes of office he wore - what nonsense! What office? He was no more fit than any of the others. He had simply protested the loudest. Here he sat years later, still a loud voice swallowed up by the din and still no closer to his goal of redressing the balance.

Their exile should have been a pilgrimage, an opening to eye, heart, and soul. Instead, it was just another excuse to squabble, dicker, and form yet another unproductive alliance.

A soft knock at the door brought him to himself.

'My mother said you wanted to see me, sir. 'Ah, Notti. Come in, my boy.' News of the child's arrival lifted Jedrek's spirits in a way nothing had since

the betrayal. The boy had stayed behind and learned more of endurance than their exile came close to teach ing during those same years. The child could inspire them all. "What news do you bring of the outside world?' Jedrek

asked, as he rose and motioned the child to be seated.

The boy took a while before speaking. 'I d-don't

b-bring much. I was the g-goatboy of my village and

so 1 g-gathered very 1-little in worldly g-goods or s-sp

spiritual ones.' Jedrek settled beside Notti rather than returning to his accustomed place behind desk. 'You collected more than you know.'

The elf sat and waited. He had extraordinary patience for one so young. Finally, Notti said in a quiet voice, 'Sir Jedrek?

'Yes?'

'Well, s-sir, I know I've b-been here only a v-very

short while and I h-hate to impose on you so s-soon after

arriving, b-but

'Yes,' encouraged Jedrek.

The boy watched his feet as he thumped his heels against the floor. Alvaria - Th-the One?' Jedrek couldn't imagine what Alvaria had promised the

boy. He braced himself for the terrible disappointment of

another soul wasted.

Notti cleared his throat and began again. 'Alvaria once told me I was old enough for my m-manhood c-ceremony,' he managed almost without stuttering. '1 w-was w-wondering if she was sp-speaking the tr-truth."

Jedrek looked at trying to gauge his age. With so many years away from children, he'd lost the knack for

it. 'How old are you?" "Thirteen or f-fourteen s-summers.'

I'm puzzled. You must know the answer to your question as well as I.'

Notti flushed. 'I'm v-very s-sorry, s-sir. I h-hate to t-take up your t-time when I'm p-plainly unw-worthy.' 'No, no, Jedrek said in a soothing voice. 'I meant

nothing of the kind. I am genuinely befuddled."

'The v-village k-kept any knowledge from m-me that they d-didn't w-want me to h-have,' the boy explained. Jedrek patted Notti's back. 'No, I should apologize to

you. I should have realized.' 'Well?' asked the boy expectantly. 'Is it t-time?'

The elder smiled, genuinely delighted, and he had not

been truly pleased in a very long time. It is indeed. We'll begin the instruction today. In fact, we'll begin right this moment. Make yourself comfortable."