Changing Fate [Fate series] (26 page)

Druscilla also insisted on going to the still-room and brewing a tonic for Akila. Akila drank it obediently, thankful that it didn't taste too bad and didn't seem to do her any harm. She trusted that Druscilla was making good use of her time in the stillroom, but she didn't have a chance to ask.

The day before they were to leave Wesia brought the healer with her when she and Druscilla came to see Akila. “Will the Lady Akila be well enough to travel tomorrow?” she asked the healer.

The woman passed her hands over Akila's body, checking the energy currents. “I wouldn't try to put her on a horse for a four-day trip,” she replied, “but I see no reason she can't ride in a litter."

"And she's certainly not getting well here,” Druscilla pointed out. “She'll do much better to come with me where she can get some rest and not have to worry about anything."

"Absolutely,” the Shield-Bearer agreed.

I wonder what she would have done if the healer said I wasn't well enough to travel, Akila thought. Aloud she said, “I think I can manage well enough in a litter—but can it have thick curtains? I find that daylight hurts my eyes these days."

"Certainly,” the Shield-Bearer said. “I'll arrange everything; you just stay in bed today and rest."

"All right,” Akila smiled wanly. “Thank you.” Akila dozed fitfully all day and had nightmares all night, so that by morning she had no need to pretend she felt ill. Then Druscilla came in with her ‘tonic’ and gave Akila a warning look as she handed her the goblet. Akila held it carefully and asked, “Where's Briam? Isn't he coming to say good-by to us?"

"I think he's still asleep,” Druscilla said, “but I'll get him.” She dragged Wesia out of the room with her, and Akila, listening carefully, could hear her say. “Please, Shield-Bearer, would you see to having my chests loaded? Let them say good-by to each other alone."

There was a moment of silence, and then the Shield-Bearer said, “Very well.” Akila sighed with relief, changing places under Wesia's eyes would have been nearly impossible.

Druscilla returned a few minutes later, dragging a sleepy Briam with her. Akila was glad to see he was wearing only his nightshirt with a blanket wrapped over it; that would make changing places with him much easier—his nightshirt was almost a twin of hers.

Druscilla looked nervous, just the way I feel, Akila thought. “Druscilla,” she asked, “did my clothes chest get put in with yours?"

"I'll go make sure,” Druscilla said, picking up her cue, and left the room.

Akila patted the bed beside her, and Briam sat down. “How are you feeling, Akila?” he asked sleepily. “It's a shame you're sick; did you know that you're missing another festival today?"

"Yes,” Akila replied, “but considering the breathless excitement of the last one,” she grinned at him, “I think I can survive missing this one.” Her voice quivered slightly as she realized what she was saying, and she forced her smile back into place. “Druscilla will take good care of me. She makes really nice potions, too; they're not bad-tasting at all.” She extended the goblet to him. “Here, try this."

She was relieved to see that Briam had not totally lost the habit of obeying her; he drained it off in one gulp. “Not bad,” he said, yawning. “I'm sorry,” he apologized, “it's too early in the morning—” he slumped across her lap.

Akila scrambled out from under him, pulled the blankets aside, and tucked him into her bed. Then she pulled off her nightcap, tied it over his head, and arranged him and her blankets so his face wouldn't show. The wolf left his den, padded across the room to sniff at him, and started whining.

"Be quiet!” Akila snapped, just as Druscilla came back. “Den!” she added, and the wolf slunk reluctantly back into his den.

"Did it work?” Druscilla came to bend over the bed.

"Yes, it's all right,” Akila said, hastily wrapping Briam's blanket loosely around her so that it covered her head, and stretching her body a bit to make herself as tall as Briam. “You'll have to give him more on the road, though, unless you're planning to tie him up."

"I'll manage,” Druscilla said. “Don't get yourself killed, though.” She gave Akila a quick hug. “I want you to live to see our children."

"So do I,” Akila said. Sensing a presence in the door, she said, in her best approximation of Briam's voice, “Take good care of my sister. I'm going back to bed; tell them to call me when they need me.” She left the room, making sure that the blanket hid her face as she nodded to the guard in the doorway, went along the corridor to Briam's room, and closed the door.

She listened, holding her breath, as Druscilla ordered ‘Akila’ carried to the litter. No one suspected anything; from the conversation it was apparent that the guards thought ‘Akila’ was asleep. The only fuss occurred when the wolf tried to follow them, and that ended with one of the guards shutting the wolf in the room, bolting the door from the inside, and climbing out the window. Akila felt guilty about the wolf, but there was not much she could do about him now; he would certainly be very much in the way during the sacrifice. She would simply have to fly back afterwards and let him out.

She finished changing her face and build so that she looked like Briam, then sat on the windowsill and gazed out at the garden and the river, mentally reviewing her knowledge of the rocks and currents under the waterfall. Akila prayed that Druscilla would be able to manage Briam, though as long as she kept him away until after the sacrifice, that should be enough.

What time is the sacrifice, anyway? There are still too many details of this I don't know
. She dressed in Briam's clothes and headed down to the atrium in search of breakfast.
After all, Briam knows even less than I do, so someone is bound to tell me what I'm supposed to be doing
.

The servants seemed subdued as they placed a large breakfast in front of her. Akila forced herself to eat with the appearance of unconcern and to smile at Wesia when she arrived, wearing her dress uniform, midway through the meal. “Did my sister and the Lady Druscilla get safely on their way?” she inquired politely. “It certainly is quiet here without them."

"Yes,” Wesia replied, helping herself to rapidly cooling porridge and shoveling it in with no apparent knowledge of what she was eating. “I went with them as far as the South Gate, and they have an escort of six of my best guards. They'll be fine."

"Good,” Akila set her spoon down. “What's the schedule for today's ritual? Is it like the last one? Nobody's told me much about it."

"It's not all that different from the last one,” Wesia replied. “Your clothing is different for this, but basically you just walk in procession and do what you're told."

"Sounds easy enough,” Akila said casually. Wesia swallowed the last bite of her porridge and rose. “Come to the Queen's room, and we'll get you dressed."

Akila followed the swordswoman obediently up the stairs, but was surprised to find the Queen up and dressed, although she was definitely pale. “Should you be out of bed, my Lady? Are you feeling well enough?"

The Queen smiled faintly. “I'll do,” she said. “It's not a long ritual."

"Good,” Akila said cheerfully. “Standing around all day in fancy robes is tiring."

The Queen gave her an odd look. Does she suspect something? Akila wondered. But the Queen only gestured to a set of robes laid out on her bed. “Take off everything but your undertunic, and put those on."

Akila untied her belt, pulled her tunic over her head, took of her shoes and hose, and stood obediently while the Queen and the Shield-Bearer dressed her in a long loose robe and put a crown on her head. The crown was light; Akila suspected that it would come off in the water and float downstream to where it could be fished out later. It seemed strange to her that her mind was focusing on trifles like that as she stood with two people who were planning to kill her.
In fact, it's really very difficult to believe that they intend to kill me. They're so calm and matter-of-fact about all this.

The Queen picked up a goblet from the table beside her bed, took a sip of it and passed it to Akila. “Drink this, my Lord,” she said quietly.

Akila found herself draining the goblet without even thinking about it. Wesia took the empty goblet from her hand, and Akila realized that she seemed small and far away. In fact, everything seemed far away, except the Queen, and Akila felt strangely calm. Nothing seemed important to her now, not even her realization, in one small corner of her mind, that Druscilla wasn't the only person in the palace who could drug a cup of wine.

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Flanked by the Queen and the Shield-Bearer, Akila left the palace and joined the silent procession of the Year-King's Companions and the Queen's Guard to the north terrace above the waterfall. There was a dais set up next to the wall so that the floor of the dais was level with the top of the wall.
No doubt
, Akila thought with the same odd detachment,
so that I can simply step off the wall into the river.

But something stood between her and her fate; Wolf stood at the top of the steps leading up to the dais, growling softly through bared teeth. A small group of the Queen's guards stood in a semi-circle facing him, regarding him warily. Seeing the Shield-Bearer, one of them hurried over to consult her.

"What is he doing here?” Wesia demanded before the unfortunate guard could open her mouth. “I gave orders that he was to be locked in his den."

"Shield-Bearer, we did!” the woman protested. “I locked him in the den myself, and then I bolted the door to Lady Druscilla's room, and climbed out the window—in case he got out of the den!"

"So you're claiming that he got out of his den, either unbolted the door or climbed out the window, and made his way here—all without anyone's noticing him?” Wesia did not sound as if she found this easy to believe. The guard shrugged unhappily.

"Well, never mind that now,” the Shield-Bearer continued, sounding irritated, “just get him out of here!"

"Yes, Shield-Bearer,” the woman said hastily. “Do you mean us to kill him?"

"No,” the Queen said quietly. “Akila will have enough grief from her brother's death. Do not harm the wolf."

Wesia cast an appalled look at the Queen, and then at Akila, who stood there quietly, not reacting to anything.
Is she not supposed to mention my death in front of me?
Akila wondered.
It's certainly too late for me to do anything to prevent it now
. She idly considered asking, but it was too much trouble to move her mouth.

"Get some fishing nets and trap it,” Wesia ordered the guard. The woman nodded and ran off, and Wesia turned to the Queen in concern. “Are you feeling well?” she asked. “Was the drug made too strong?"

"I don't think so,” the Queen replied after a moment's thought. “I seem to be feeling as well as can be expected under the circumstances. Why?"

Wesia jerked her head toward Akila. “He seems to have gotten a bit too heavy a dose."

The Queen frowned. “He shouldn't have, I calculated it very carefully for his body weight."

Briam's body weight, not mine. That must be why I feel so strange.

The Queen took Akila's face in her hands and looked her straight in the eyes. “My Lord? Can you understand me?"

Akila blinked and focused her attention on the Queen. “Yes,” she managed to reply after a moment. Then her mind drifted off again, and everything was far away once more.

Dimly she could hear the Queen saying, “Well, at least he won't suffer,” but she didn't feel that the words bore any relation to her.

"We had better get the ceremony started soon, though,” Wesia said. “We don't want him collapsing before the end of it."

"Neither him nor me,” the Queen agreed. “But they have the wolf netted now, so we can begin."

The three of them, with Akila still in the middle, walked through the assembled townspeople and guards, ascended the dais, and faced the crowd. Akila could see the wolf, tangled in the nets the guards had thrown about him, struggling frantically to escape, but the only thought this aroused in her was
now I won't have to go back to let him out of Lady Druscilla's room
.

In her dreamlike state, it did not seem odd to her when he stopped struggling, blurred, and appeared to be turning into a snake.

The Queen started speaking then, and all of Akila's attention focused on her.

"For answering our call, we thank thee. For thy service to us and ours, we thank thee. Thou hast done well."

A young girl came up the stairs of the dais and handed Akila a large sheaf of wheat. It took a good deal of Akila's remaining concentration not to drop it. “Receive the fruits thy life provides,” the girl said, bowing low to Akila before returning to her place in the crowd.

Akila stood there, clutching the wheat, as the Queen continued to speak. “Now thy time is come,” she intoned, “Now do we release thee. We loose our claim upon thee and yield thee to Water, the Blood of Earth, Mother of us all. from whence we come and to which we return. Let that which binds thee to us be severed."

From the corner of her eye Akila saw the Shield-Bearer unsheathe an ornate and very sharp sword, obviously intended only for ritual use. The Shield-Bearer raised the blade high and then whipped it downward in an arc between Akila and the Queen. It didn't touch either of them—it didn't even pass close to either of them—but even through the drug Akila could feel its action as it severed the psychic bond which had tied her and Briam to the Queen since the day they had met. Not only could Akila not feel her link with the Queen, she couldn't feel the twin link with Briam, her link to the Lady of Fire, or the link with Wolf that she hadn't realized existed until now. Suddenly, she was alone, alone as she had never been in her entire life. She was empty, used up.
Is this how it feels to be dead?

The Queen seemed to feel it too; she looked pale and cold. Akila wanted to move towards her, to hold her and comfort her, but Akila knew now that she was dead, and the Shield-Bearer's sword blocked her way back to the land of the living.