Glittering Shadows (47 page)

T
hea watched the battlefield anxiously through her binoculars until she saw the Irminau army bow to Sebastian. She could finally breathe again.

By this time, the camp was full of the wounded. She picked up her medical bag to help. Familiar faces were starting to walk in—the men Ingrid had tied to her by enchantment. Men with
missing hands were helping along men who had lost feet.

Marlis spotted her. “Thea, can you go to the infirmary and get all the crutches we have?”

“Of course.”

“Thea…” A voice interrupted her. Max staggered out from the crowd, missing both his hands, looking so haunted she took a step back from him. “Thea. Please, I didn’t
mean to frighten you, but when Nan used the wyrdsong, the spell broke and I remembered everything. I hurt you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was Ingrid. I’m more worried about you.”

“I used to remember, when I drank enough, but even when I became aware of the spell, I didn’t break it.”

“Here.” She grabbed his arm. “Walk with me. I need to get those crutches.”

He started to follow her, but he seemed distracted, almost slipping on the ice. “If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, ever, just say the word.”

Thea stopped walking, took one of his arms, and rolled back his sleeve, revealing the stump of his arm and the small bleeding wounds left behind from the roots. She took out the bandages and
wrapped him up, hook and hand working together. She was just as quick as she would have been with both hands by now.

“Max,” she said, “it’s okay.”

She didn’t try to reassure him about his own condition. Although she was in most ways grateful for Sebastian for trying to keep her moving instead of grieving, she remembered what a blur
of devastation those first few days had been.

She got the crutches distributed among the men, and then stew, and Sebastian still had not returned. But she heard approaching commotion and cheering, and then it seemed to happen all at once
that the camp was full of Urobun and Irminau soldiers in a celebratory mood, cheering for King Rupert. She couldn’t get close to Sebastian, but the story spread around quickly that the
commander of the Urobrun Army had appointed him king right there on the battlefield, to be followed by a proper coronation in Irminau.

She cheered with everyone else, joyous that her loved ones were safe and the country could rebuild in peace. But Sebastian was so swarmed with people every moment, that as the evening stretched
on into feasting and music, she still had not seen him. At one point, he caught her eye across the room, but kept talking to the Irminauer man beside him. It was not until very late, when she tried
to slip away from the celebrations, that he caught up with her.

His footsteps crunched heavily through the snow. He didn’t say a word, just put his arms around her.

“I thought you might have forgotten me,” she said, trying not to sound as concerned as she felt. She noticed a few guards had followed him, even to this quiet part of the camp, and
were pretending not to watch them embrace.

“Never. I need you.” His back shuddered with a silent sob. “I need you more than I should.”

“Sebastian…” She stroked his hair. “You’re allowed to cry.”

He drew back and shook his head violently. “Not yet. I don’t want to risk anyone seeing weakness.” He swallowed. “It’s—it’s really too much, even for
me. But I just keep thinking of everyone I’ll have a chance to help.”

“I’m committed to this,” she said. “I think it will be like everything else. We’ll take it one day at a time, and it will get easier.”

He pulled her close again and kissed her, suddenly and forcefully. His breathing was rapid. He smelled like gunpowder and sweat. She gripped him tight, trying to convey how she meant to stay by
his side. “Sebastian…Sebastian…” He was shaking all over, and he stayed like that until her touch finally seemed to reach him.

“I suppose I really am Rupert now.”

“Rupert,” she whispered, testing it now, with a hint of laughter.

“I feel these are not the most romantic syllables,” he said. “Roo-pert.”

“Ruperrrrrt,” she purred into his ear. “Maybe more like that.”

“No.”

They both laughed now.

“Too bad, I kind of like it,” she said. “But Sebastian can still be your bedroom name.”

“Ohh…something to look forward to.”

“There will be a lot to look forward to. I’m not afraid.”

“I don’t quite believe you.”

She tilted her head to the side so her hair fell into her right eye. “You think I’d lie to you?”

“I think you’d lie to yourself. I would if I could.” He pushed her hair back again, his hand lingering to graze her cheek. “But I suppose if we can summon three-quarters
of our confidence, we can work with that.”

M
arlis never imagined she would cross the threshold of this house again, but here she was, coming home to stay just a month after the battle. She
wasn’t sure she liked the feeling. And yet, when Brunner, who was now serving as the mayor, suggested she reclaim the home she had grown up in, she couldn’t say no.

She walked upstairs and looked at her favorite painting, of the children playing in a square of sunshine on the floor while their mother tended the hearth. Their smiles were still real after
three hundred years.

Three hundred years later, and we’re both still here.

She put her things down in one of the guest bedrooms. Redecorating was certainly in order. She didn’t want to spend time in her bedroom, or her father’s, when they looked the same as
they did when Father was alive.

The new furnishings would be modest, though. Times were lean. Marlis rather enjoyed lean times, as long as no one starved, and she would do her best to that end. The prospect of work was
exciting. But this house…

Now that she was standing in it, it seemed so big just for her and the servants. She’d offered that Nan and Sigi could live with her, but they had decided to follow Thea and Sebastian to
Irminau.

You won’t even have time to be lonely, Governor Horn,
she thought, giving her reflection a smile. It had a nice ring.

Marlis’s inauguration was the next day, under a clear blue sky. She had seen many springs, but never a spring like this, where the flowers were so brilliant and the trees
turning such a vivid green. Every color in the rainbow was two shades brighter now. As she gave her oaths and King Rupert made the official appointment, while the people cheered for her and waved
the Urobrunian flag, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was an impostor, that this was all a mistake.

“I know exactly what you mean,” Sebastian—he was still Sebastian in her head—told her later at the official ball, after they shared one of the first dances and picked up
glasses of champagne. “I feel like that every day. And I still have so much to learn. For all I’ve done in my life, I’m certainly no elder statesman with years and years of
experience.”

“I feel as if I’m just a figurehead,” Marlis said. “The people wouldn’t accept a female governor, and certainly not my age, if I hadn’t proven my power and
age as Norn. I know they’re going to expect Brunner is making all the actual decisions.”

“I’m sure you’ll prove them—”

One of the Urobrunian delegates interrupted excitedly. “Your Majesty, I just wanted to thank you for everything you’ve done over these past weeks.” He shook Sebastian’s
hand.

“Well, we’ll see how that goes. Thank you.”

“Thank
you
. Congratulations, Governor Horn.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope we get a chance to talk at some point about public health. In my district…”

Sebastian surreptitiously rubbed his hands once the man left. “I thought I had a strong handshake, but they’re proving me wrong. Anyway, as I was saying. Yes, I was going to tell you
that I think one of the hardest parts for me has been accepting how much I don’t know. This might be hard for you, too. In some ways, right now you
are
a figurehead. I appointed you
governor because I know Urobrun will also appreciate that comforting combination of familiarity and freshness. But, I also know you’ll pour your soul into this country.”

He somehow managed to get out that entire speech before two of their generals and their wives approached for more congratulations.

I certainly will pour out my soul,
she thought,
but I wonder how much it will be appreciated
. With the wyrdsong, with the shield of her diminished emotions, she had possessed more
confidence. Sometimes this felt hopeless. Urobrun didn’t want to be led by a severe young woman, and they would forget this brief war and the Norns in no time at all. Anything she did
accomplish would be credited to Brunner or Sebastian or whoever else happened to be at hand. She knew how these things worked.

Freddy caught her eye across the room. She had barely seen him since the battle; he had gone to visit his parents as she was swept into the whirl of political negotiations over Urobrun’s
autonomy. He had sent a postcard while he was gone with a picture of her doing the revolutionary salute and the message: “Ha-ha, you’re even famous (infamous?) out in the woods.”
The dye had washed out of his hair; it was silver again now.

“Governor Horn,” Freddy said. “How does that feel?”

“Getting what you want might not be as good as it sounds, but people are aching for a change, so I think I will have less old-guard sentiment to battle with at least.”

“The battles will come later, I’m sure.”

“Such an optimist.”

“You’ll enjoy it, won’t you? You can’t tell me you hate conflict, quick as you are to pick a fight.”

“I don’t pick fights. You’re picking a fight.” But she could tell he was teasing. She didn’t mind it as she once had.

She glanced at the couples moving around the dance floor in an energetic newer dance. The older officials were frowning on the sidelines. “Are you going to Irminau, then, with Thea and
Nan?”

“I suppose it depends on who might offer me a job.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “I’ll give you first crack for old times’ sake.”

“Or is it just because Sebastian stole your girlfriend?”

“How kind of you to remind me.”

“I am already thinking I need to conduct a survey of the government-subsidized farms surrounding the city. Hunger was a problem this winter; it will only get worse if we don’t make
sure we’re maximizing our usage of those lands. I could have you go around and make a report on that.”

“I see. I wanted to work with plants and so…farm inspector. That’s very glamorous. I thought maybe you’d just hire me as your gardener.”

“You really don’t know
how
to be a gardener.”

“How hard can it be?”

“There are century-old prize rosebushes in this yard, so I’d rather not find out.”

“All right. If you want to send me on the road…I thought you might want some human company, but I guess you’ll just have to look after my cat.”

“Oh well. Maybe I can find you something here.” Marlis looked at him sideways. “Still, you can’t be my
gardener
. For heaven’s sake.”

W
hile Thea was, theoretically, Sebastian’s date, she still could hardly get near him. This was his first trip back to Urobrun since the
coronation, and the officials were falling over themselves to speak to him. Of course, she was certainly having more fun, gossiping with Nan and Sigi and eating “Austerity Cake.” Marlis
had instructed the servers to be sure everyone knew she was not serving indulgent food at her inauguration while people were hungry.