Changing Fate [Fate series] (25 page)

Once she was dressed, they went downstairs together, followed by the wolf. The atrium was a chaos of servants, most of them awake and excited about the festival, but a few laggards were being shaken awake and moved from their sleeping places so that the tables could be set up for breakfast. Except for the cooks and servers, Akila knew, the servants were to have a day's holiday, so there was not much grumbling at the early hour of breakfast.

Druscilla came down the stairs from the Queen's rooms, firmly escorted by Wesia, and joined the twins at the high table. The wolf settled down under Akila's feet with a sigh of what she would have sworn was relief. She didn't blame him; she would have been happy to hide under the table herself. She felt cold, shaky, and very unsure of herself, and she hoped she would get through the day without any major blunders.
At least I don't have to take part in the ritual
, she thought,
and the kitchen staff has set out food in the plaza before, so they'll doubtless tell me if I make any mistakes there.

Besides
, her inner voice pointed out,
you'll feel better after you eat something. If you're going to be doing more changing, you'd better start keeping dried fruit in your room.

Then I had best get some dried fruit, because I do plan to do more changing. I want to be absolutely sure I know what I'm doing before I go into that river, and some practice at impersonating Briam might not hurt either
. She applied herself diligently to her food.

Akila went to the kitchens immediately after breakfast and found no more than the expected amount of chaos there. The steward was waiting for her with a question, though.

"The first fruits are here, Lady Akila,” he said holding up a small basket of pears. But who gets the first one, the Queen or Lady Druscilla?"

Akila could understand his quandary; the first fruits were given to the Queen as part of the ceremony when she and the Year-King returned to the palace.

"Has the Queen's tray gone up yet?” she asked.

"No, Lady Akila,” the head cook replied. “We're making it up now."

"Very well,” Akila said, “give it to me when it's ready, and I'll take it up.” She reached out and took a pear from the top of the basket. “Give the basket to the Lady Druscilla at the proper place in the ritual,” she directed the steward, “and the Queen can have the first one on her breakfast tray."

The man bowed. “Very good,” he said, then went off to his office, basket in hand.

Akila took the tray to the Queen's room and found the room full of people. The wolf took one look, dove through the crowd, and vanished under the bed. In addition to the Queen, the room contained Briam, Druscilla, her maid, the Queen's maid, Wesia, and four of the Queen's guards, in full dress uniform.

"Shield-Bearer,” the Queen was saying as Akila entered, “I am pleased to approve your choice of escort.” Apparently this was some sort of formality, for the four guards bowed to the Queen, to Druscilla, and to Briam, before taking up a position in the hall just outside the door. Akila stepped aside to let them pass, then approached the bed.

"I'll be about my duties then,” Wesia said, bending to kiss the Queen's hand. “Rest well.” She turned and saw Akila. “I'm glad to see that someone remembered her breakfast."

"No fear of anyone's forgetting,” Akila replied; “they were making up the tray when I went in."

Wesia gave a brief nod of acknowledgment, then looked at the pear. “First fruits?” she asked softly. Akila nodded, and Wesia smiled approvingly at her. “Good girl,” she said, bestowing a quick pat on Akila's arm as she left. Goodness, Akila thought in relief, if I'm getting approval from that quarter, I'm doing well indeed. She placed the tray on the table next to the bed and watched as the Queen supervised the adornment of Briam and Druscilla.

Druscilla's face had been painted so that her eyes looked enormous; in fact, her maid had covered her eyebrows with powder and redrawn them half an inch higher on her forehead. The Queen's maid was now doing the same thing to Briam, ignoring his protests.

"Calm down,” Druscilla advised him, pausing long enough to let her maid redraw her lips slightly larger with a brush dipped in some sort of red paste. When her mouth was free she continued, “I know it looks strange close up, but when we're up on the dais we'll look normal to the people below us—remember we're doing this for their benefit, not ours."

"Very true,” the Queen said from her bed, “and I'm glad that you realize it."

Druscilla turned to look at her. “I'm not an idiot,” she said. Akila smiled quietly; the words and tone were those Briam had used earlier.

"I never thought you were,” the Queen said mildly. “You'd better finish dressing; you'll have to be leaving soon. Akila,” she added turning her head, “would you get the orb, please?"

Akila fetched the box that held the orb and brought it to the Queen, while the Queen's maid finished painting Briam's face and helped him into an loose-fitting overtunic of dark blue velvet, richly embroidered with small gemstones set around the neck. Then both maids helped Druscilla into three petticoats, a pale blue undergown, and an overgown that matched Briam's tunic, but was even more elaborately embroidered, and laced it tightly to show every curve of her figure. Akila felt stifled just looking at it, but Druscilla barely seemed to notice its weight. Her maid coiled Druscilla's hair up high on her head, then helped her to kneel beside the Queen's bed.

The Queen opened a drawer at the bottom of the box that held the orb and took out a crown, which appeared to be a representation of the city in stone. So that's why the box is so heavy, Akila thought. She watched Druscilla's neck muscles tense as the weight of the crown came down on her head, and felt very glad that all she had to do was supervise the kitchens.
I certainly wouldn't want to stand about all day wearing that!
The Queen opened the top of the box and put the orb in Druscilla's hands, and both maids assisted Druscilla to her feet. She looked beautiful, but quite unreal, like a puppet or a doll. She shifted the orb to her right hand, held out her left hand to Briam, and drew him to stand beside her, facing the Queen.

The Queen lifted her hand and traced a sign in the air in front of them. “May the Lady bless and keep you both,” she said. Briam bowed, and Druscilla curtsied slightly, keeping her back perfectly straight and being very careful not to dislodge the crown, then they went out into the hall where the guards fell in around them. The maids gathered up the paints and stray garments, curtsied to the Queen and withdrew.

The Queen sighed and lay back against her pillows. “That's done,” she said softly. “Now it's up to them. They should do well, though; Druscilla's very good at ritual when she wants to be, and Briam looks imposing—almost godlike."

"Yes,” Akila agreed, “he's quite good-looking, and that dark blue color suits him. He has a nice voice too, as long as he's been coached in what to say.” She picked up the pear from the tray and extended it to the Queen. “The first fruit of your harvest, my Queen,” she said formally.

"I thank you, my daughter,” the Queen replied, taking it from her. She bit into it and smiled. “Delicious. Here, have a bite.” She patted the bed next to her and extended the pear.

Akila curled up in the spot indicated, took a bite of the pear, and handed it back. “Yes, it is delicious,” she said as soon as she had swallowed it.

The Queen reached for her tray. “Sit and talk to me while I eat,” she requested. “I'm doing well enough in body as long as I rest, but I do get bored. What's happening in the palace these days?"

"Lately everyone's been working hard preparing for today's festival,” Akila said, “so things have been running fairly smoothly; everyone's too busy to get into mischief."

"And the screams I heard last night?” the Queen asked. “That wasn't part of the smooth running of the palace when
I
was up and about.

"Oh, that.” Akila chuckled. “That was just Druscilla. You knew that I had been sleeping in her room?” The Queen nodded. “Well, when Briam asked me to have the wolf sleep with me, I had the carpenter build a den for it—it's just a big box, but it's a place where the wolf can curl up and feel secure."

"An excellent idea,” the Queen approved. “I take it this den is located in Druscilla's room?"

"Yes, and when I gave orders to move my clothes, I forgot to have it moved as well, so Druscilla walked into her room last night and there was the wolf looking at her—"

"Hence the screaming.” The queen nodded. “What did she do next?"

Akila giggled. “Fainted gracefully into Briam's arms, and he just stood there with a “what do I do now” look, and then the Shield-Bearer walked up and plucked her out of Briam's arms as if she were a rag doll! So we wound up changing rooms back again, and the Shield-Bearer slept in the corridor so that the wolf wouldn't prowl into Druscilla's room in the middle of the night—though that seems pretty unlikely to me."

"To me also,” the Queen agreed, “but if the Shield-Bearer is willing to sleep on the floor, I have no objections. And Druscilla is unusually timid around wolves."

"She certainly is,” Akila said emphatically, “and it's silly. Wolf has never bitten anything larger than a flea—well, not since he came here and didn't have to hunt for food. But he sleeps with me, and I'll bolt my door at night, so Druscilla has nothing to worry about. I'd be astonished to find he could open a bolted door."

"I'm sure Druscilla will find that reassuring,” the Queen said. “I've noticed that she's very fond of you; in fact, she has asked me if you can visit her when she returns to her estate next month. Would you like to do that?"

"Yes, my Lady, very much, if you can spare us,” Akila replied. “But I'm happy to stay here and help as long as you need me."

The Queen reached out and patted Akila's hand. “I appreciate that greatly, and you have been most helpful. But after this month I can spare you both for a while; after summer's end there are no petition hearings and no daily rituals for a month, and by then virtually all of the harvest is in, so it's a good time for you to go away and get some rest."

"Then I shall be happy to accompany the Lady Druscilla,” Akila said, “and I thank her for the invitation. What day does she intend to set out?"

"I'm not sure,” the Queen said; “you will have to ask her."

Very well, Akila thought, I'll ask her what day you told her to get me out of here—as if I couldn't make a very good guess.

There was a sound of running footsteps in the hall, and one of the kitchen maids appeared in the doorway and sank into a deep curtsy. “Your pardon, my Queen,” she murmured. “Lady Akila, you are wanted in the kitchens, if you please."

The Queen chuckled. “It's a good thing you sat with me, Akila,” she pointed out, “it's probably the only chance you'll get to sit down today.” She extended the empty tray to the maid. “Here, you can take this with you; I'm done with it.” The girl took the tray, curtsied again, and scurried out.

"Akila,” the Queen continued, “hand me that pile of correspondence before you go, please. Maybe I can get some work done before I fall asleep again.” Akila did as she was asked, then proceeded to the kitchen, preparing herself to cope with the next disaster life was handing her.

Fortunately, the disasters of the day were all minor enough for Akila to cope with easily, though she was tired enough by the end of the day to fall straight into bed.
Never mind shape-changing practice; I've still got time, and there's no point in doing it when I'm this tired—I'd only do something stupid and get hurt
. She did bolt her door though.
Better to do it every night and have it known as a habit than to do it only when I'm going out and have people get suspicious
.

The next day, the Shield-Bearer announced that now that Rias had seen the Mid-Summer festival, it was time for him to return to his father. Rias didn't even point out that his father was missing; he meekly agreed that it was time he went home and thanked the Shield-Bearer for providing him with an escort.
His nightmares must be even worse than mine
, Akila thought. He took polite leave of her under Wesia's watchful eyes, but whispered in her ear as he hugged her. “Remember your promise. You have to come home and teach me to fly."

Akila hugged him back. “I'll remember. Behave yourself, and give my love to Galin and Marfa."

She missed Rias when he was gone, but she was just as happy to have one less complication in her life at the moment. For the next few weeks she slipped out at least two nights a week to practice swimming under the waterfall, until she knew the rocks and currents there as well as she knew the furniture in her bedroom. She noticed after the first week that her gowns laced more loosely, so she started eating more at meals, gradually enough so as not to invite comment; she didn't want anyone commenting on either her sudden weight loss or her increased appetite.

Wesia stuck to Druscilla every waking moment and slept in the corridor at night, so private conversation with Druscilla was impossible. At dinner one day Akila told her that the Queen had consented to their proposed visit to Druscilla's estate and asked which day Druscilla wished to leave. Druscilla, of course, promptly named the morning of the Sacrifice, and Wesia looked grim for a moment, then announced that she would supply them with an escort. Druscilla and Akila both thanked her politely.

There is no help for it, Akila thought, I shall have to get ‘sick’ so I can travel by litter—a closed litter. Sick headaches and fainting spells should do it. So she started ‘fainting’ occasionally in the evenings, then once or twice in the morning, and admitting to terrible headaches which were eased only by her lying down in a darkened room.

The Queen sent the healer to examine her, and the healer, predictably enough, said the Akila was overworked and overtired. True enough, Akila thought grimly, anyone would be, working all day and swimming under a waterfall at night! The Queen ordered Druscilla to take over some of the household duties, to which Druscilla agreed gladly.