Changing Fate [Fate series] (16 page)

"Better practice saying ‘yes'—you're not going to want to move your head much for a bit,” Wesia advised. She spoke to the guard at the door, who went off down the hall.

"So you're Briam's sister. You do resemble him."

"Yes, a bit,” Akila replied. “We're twins."

"Are you now?” That seemed to interest Wesia; Akila wasn't sure why. She glanced at Druscilla, who seemed unconcerned, so presumably it didn't have any relation to Briam's upcoming sacrifice.

If twins could be sacrificed in place of each other, Akila wondered, would Druscilla try to sacrifice me to save Briam? It was a disquieting thought. “Where did you meet Briam?” she asked.

"In the forest north of the City,” the Shield-Bearer replied, “saving Druscilla from her own stupidity."

"I'm not all that stupid,” Druscilla retorted indignantly. “I just have a horror of wolves, ever since one of the Year—"

"Enough!” The swordswoman cut her off sharply. Druscilla looked rebellious, but did not finish her sentence.

'Ever since one of the Year-Kings—’ what?
Akila wondered. What could a Year-King have done to make Druscilla afraid of wolves?

"It's high time you dressed and went about your day's business,” Wesia told Druscilla firmly. “Genia,” she added to the guard who was returning with a tray of food. “Go call Lady Druscilla's maid to help her dress, please.” She took the tray from the guard, who promptly set off on her new errand.

Wesia set the tray on Akila's lap. It contained a bowl of some sort of porridge, which smelled delicious. “Can you hold a spoon, or shall I help you?"

"I can manage, thank you.” Akila was beginning to feel much better. She had always healed more quickly than most people around her, and apparently that hadn't changed. The smell of the food made her realize how hungry she really was, and she had to force herself not to gulp down the porridge like the wolf she had been.

"You're looking much better,” Wesia said approvingly. “If we put you in a litter, I think we can start back to the city today."

"But she was so badly hurt!” Druscilla protested. “She should stay here until she recovers."

"She survived three days in a litter immediately after being hurt,” Wesia pointed out. “I doubt that she's in worse shape now. And I do have to get back to the city; I've been here three days longer than I should have been already. The Queen will be worried."

"You sent her a messenger bird the night you got here,” Druscilla argued.

"There's no guarantee that the bird got to the city,” Wesia replied. “And, in any case, I have work to do there. We'll leave as soon as we can be ready. Please have your kitchen pack food for us."

"Very well,” Druscilla gave in to the inevitable with good grace. “Please tell the Queen my aunt that Akila can have my room at the palace. Since I won't be there, she might as well use it."

"Thank you, Lady Druscilla,” Akila said, carefully remembering to be formal.

Druscilla smiled at her. “You're welcome,” she said. “And I'll gather together some clothes for you, since yours got lost. We're pretty much the same size."

Akila murmured her thanks and ate another bite of porridge.

The guard Genia returned, followed by Druscilla's maid. Wesia promptly sent Genia off to set the guards to packing and loading the animals, but she remained where she was, sitting on the foot of Akila's bed.
She doesn't want to leave me alone with Druscilla
, Akila realized.
She's afraid that Druscilla will tell me about Briam's being Year-King. I'd better remember that all I'm supposed to know about him is that he's in the city
.

She ate her porridge quietly and watched Druscilla dress. The prospect of wearing such clothes did not cheer her; they appeared to be designed to make it impossible for the wearer to do much of anything. Over the lace-trimmed shift, loose and suitable for sleeping in, went three petticoats, so trimmed with lace and flounces that they stuck out and made Druscilla look like a hand bell. The maid put Druscilla into a corset, which, in addition to lacing in back, so that she couldn't dress unaided, laced up so tightly that Druscilla would be unable to run in it. Probably a fast walk would make her feel faint. Then there was an underskirt, heavily embroidered and coming to within an inch of the floor. Over that went an overdress of some sort of fabric with small designs woven into it. The bodice of this was boned and it laced up also, but at least it did so in the front. The sleeves, however, were long and loose, calculated to get caught in or dragged through everything one reached for. The skirt of it was split in a wide triangle so that the underskirt could be seen, and presumably admired. Well, it was a beautiful piece of embroidery, but the whole outfit was very confining. The maid had to kneel on the floor to put on Druscilla's shoes and stockings and tie the garters; there was no way Druscilla could bend over enough to reach her feet.

Some of what Akila felt must have showed in her face, for Wesia chuckled. “Don't worry, child, you don't have to get dressed for the journey. We'll just wrap you in blankets and put you in the litter, and you can sleep through the whole trip—we'll wake you up for meals."

"Thank you,” Akila said with heartfelt gratitude.

She did sleep through most of the trip. Since they kept the curtains of the litter closed, there was nothing to see. They camped out on the road each night, instead of staying with villagers as they had done when bringing Druscilla back from the forest. Akila supposed they were still trying to limit who she saw and talked to.
Just wait until I recover and can change shape again
, she thought,
and then see how ignorant you can keep me!
But she slept and ate and smiled and thanked them for the food and the care they were taking of her, and said nothing to any purpose. Best to play a waiting game until she knew more.

By the time they arrived in the city, four days later, she could walk a bit. She insisted on putting on one of Druscilla simplest dresses and walking into the palace leaning on Wesia's arm. She didn't want to be carried in and worry Briam.

Unfortunately her efforts to spare Briam any worry were wasted. When she tottered into the atrium, leaning on Wesia, the Queen was seated on the dais. Briam sat on a lower chair beside her, and on his forehead was a blue circle, just like the one Lord Ranulf bore. Akila took one look at him and promptly fainted.

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I seem to be spending my life waking up in strange places, Akila thought. I wonder where I am this time. I wish it were back home—I miss it. She opened her eyes long enough to recognize Druscilla's room in the palace, then shut them again and concentrated on the shouting match going on in the doorway.

"Lord, will you let the healers deal with this? At least let them come into the room and look at her!” Wesia's voice was exasperated.

"What did you do to her? You said she was all right!” Briam was rapidly becoming hysterical.

I know he's not used to my being sick or hurt, but I do wish he wouldn't shout so.

"I said she was going to be all right, not that she was now,” the swordswoman retorted. “She's apparently been living off the land for months, and then she fell down a hill, a third of which fell down with her. She's half-starved and had a head injury, but she didn't break any bones, and she was recovering nicely—before she insisted on trying to walk into the palace so she wouldn't worry you. If this is how you customarily act when you're worried, I can see why she made the effort, and I'm only sorry she didn't succeed! Now will you stop acting like a spoiled two-year-old and let the healers do their job?"

"Truly, my Lord,” the Queen said soothingly, “the healers are skilled at their job—and the Shield-Bearer is quite good at judging how badly someone is hurt. Pray calm yourself. If you like, you can draw up a stool by the head of the bed and hold her hand, but do stay quiet and out of the way."

Briam stalked across the room, scraped a stool across the floor, flopped down on it (it creaked ominously), and grabbed Akila's hand.

Briam
, she thought at him,
I love you dearly, but if you shout like that around me again while I still have this headache, I'll turn you into a toad
.

You're alive!

Of course I'm alive! I don't die that easily.

Why don't you open your eyes?

Akila shuddered. She didn't want to open her eyes; she wasn't yet ready to see her little brother looking like a younger version of Lord Ranulf.
How did you get that mark on your forehead?

Briam shifted slightly to let one of the healers examine Akila's head. Akila hoped the healers weren't telepaths—having someone “overhear” this conversation would necessitate awkward explanations.

Apparently some of her unease about the mark had reached Briam through their link.
The mark? Is it something horrible? I've never seen it; there are no mirrors in our rooms—that is, the Queen's and mine. Akila, you'll never believe it; she's chosen me to be her King. We've found our kingdom
.

Oh, no!
Akila's response came before she could stop it—it was much more difficult to stop thoughts than to hold one's tongue.

What's the matter? Don't you think this is what the prophecy meant?

I don't know.
Akila thought it over.
Actually, I suppose this could very well be what Mother foresaw. But it doesn't feel right, somehow. Why did she choose you?

I don't know
. Obviously this was not something Briam was prepared to worry himself about.
Maybe she liked the way I look. Druscilla seemed to like me, too. They said you were with her; how is she?

Upset, but otherwise all right. She wasn't very happy to leave court
.

Is her estate nice?

I don't know; I didn't see any of it but her bedroom.

Oh well, the city will be good for you; this is a wonderful place. They have musicians to play at dinner every evening, and I can go hunting any time I want—I even have Companions to go with me, and if I go down into the city and admire something in a shop, the shopkeeper just gives it to me!

Why?

Because I'm the King. That's what the mark is for, so everyone will know who I am.

Oh. I see
. Akila certainly did see. She remembered Druscilla's words: “it's very unlucky for the King to die before the proper time.” The mark would ensure that no one would quarrel with him and kill him by misadventure. And the merchants probably figured that he wouldn't be here long, so they might as well make him happy while he was here. After all, between Spring Festival and Summer's End, how much of a merchant's stock could one man use? The was no profit in pointing this out to Briam, however, especially not now, in front of their audience. Let him be happy as long as he could.

The healer stood up and moved away from the bed. “There's nothing wrong with her that food and rest won't cure,” she said. “She simply fainted, that's all."

"Then why is she still unconscious?” the Queen asked.

The healer chuckled. “She's not."

Perforce, Akila opened her eyes. The Queen stood at the foot of the bed, with Wesia standing just behind her right shoulder. Akila met their eyes; at least that way she didn't have to look at Briam. “I'm sorry if I alarmed you, Lady,” she said. “I guess I was simply more tired than I thought. The Shield-Bearer took such good care of me on the road that I was feeling fine, and I failed to realize that my feeling well wouldn't survive my standing up."

The Queen smiled at her, her face lighting up in a way that made the whole room seem brighter. She has an incredible smile, thought Akila. Nobody could see her smile and not smile back.

"I've been know to make the same mistake,” the Queen said. “The Shield-Bearer is a wonderful nurse—and she's very good at making her patients stay in bed."

The Shield-Bearer smiled too, obviously this was some sort of private joke. “And bed is where you had better stay for a few more days, young lady. When you've had some rest and a few more meals, you'll probably feel a good deal more human."

Does she know about you?
Briam thought.

No
, Akila thought back.
Nobody does, except you, so don't tell anyone.

I won't, but everybody on our estate must know by now.

Maybe, but at least they're not here to tell anyone
.

The Queen came to detach Briam's grip on Akila's fingers. “Come, my lord, it's time for dinner.” She smiled again at Akila, who felt warmed all over by it. “I'll assign a maid to wait on you and bring your meals. When you're feeling up to it, we'll have you measured for new clothes. Rest well.” She left, towing an unresisting Briam and followed by the Shield-Bearer.

Akila lay there, feeling puzzled.
She seems so nice,
she thought.
But how can she be a nice person and still want to kill Briam?

Want to kill Briam?
her other self asked.
What makes you think she
wants
to kill him?

Druscilla said so, and so did the Queen and the Shield-Bearer—they all said she was going to sacrifice him!

'Is going to’ is not the same as ‘wants to.'

What difference does it make? He'll be dead either way!

It may make a big difference. If you will think back to what the Queen said while you were hiding under this bed a few days ago, you may remember that she's much more concerned with keeping her people happy than with being sure the Year-king actually dies.

Akila thought about that for several moments.
Then if I can come up with something that makes the people think Briam's been properly sacrificed, the Queen won't make a fuss if she finds out he's not dead.

Precisely
.

That gave Akila quite a lot to think about.

The next few days were boring. At first Akila slept most of the time, but as she began to feel better she got restless. The maid who waited on her never spoke, leaving Akila to wonder whether she was a mute or had simply been told not to gossip and was carrying her instructions to extremes. At least she did provide a bath when Akila finally felt well enough to demand one. She also helped Akila wash and comb out her hair. As Druscilla had predicted, this took an entire afternoon.