Authors: Barbara Ann Wright
She cleared her throat. “Have you and Princess Katyarianna been friends long, Brother Brutal?”
His face slid back into an easy chuckle. “Six years. I was already on the path to enlightenment at thirteen, and I ran into her in the city, literally. I wasn’t watching where I was going. I didn’t know she was the princess, and like every cocky youth on the path, I challenged everyone I met to a fight.”
“You fought her?”
“And she beat me.”
Starbride gaped, picturing a scrawny young Katya fighting a shorter, less-muscled Brutal, but she couldn’t divest him of all his bulk, even in her mind. “How?”
“Well, as I found out later, she’d trained in combat since she could toddle. I used the strength that Best and Berth gave me, but I never bothered to tax my brain, and I wasn’t fast. She had brains, and deft Jack and Jan were with her in spirit; she stayed a step ahead of me. Even without her blade, she struck and moved. I couldn’t catch her. Soon enough, she had me winded, and after that, she had me down. I expected her to taunt me, but she invited me for tea. She didn’t have many friends, see, and well, we’ve been close ever since.”
“Did you ever ask for a rematch?”
“We spar. Sometimes, she accuses me of going easy on her because she’s the princess.”
“And do you?” Lord Hugo asked.
“If we see the other is distracted. If we ever gave it all we had, who knows?”
Starbride gave him a critical look. “If you ever got a hold of her, you could tear her apart.”
He winked. “I’d have to catch her first.”
Starbride smiled, but the comment about Katya not having many friends tugged at her. She didn’t have many friends, either, so she kept those she made. “If you’re her childhood friend, what’s the story with the masked man?”
“Pennynail never takes off that mask, and he never speaks. Crowe trusts him, though, and that’s a rare thing.”
“Pennynail sounds Allusian, though I don’t know what a parent would be hoping for with the ‘nail’ part.”
“So, your parents were hoping for a ‘bride,’ eh?”
“That would be my mother. Sometimes, I think she just loves a grand ceremony.” She didn’t mention how her mother also hoped she’d bag an influential spouse. Luckily, she didn’t have to think of anything else to say. Katya beckoned Brutal forward and then took his place at Starbride’s side. She kept them all changing positions, and it began to look more like a military unit than a group of friends.
Even though she burned with questions, Starbride kept them inside. She didn’t know who among the group was entitled to what information, but she was certain Lord Hugo wasn’t allowed any of it. Just before they emerged into the fields surrounding Marienne, Katya dismounted and waved for Starbride to follow her. “I know you want answers,” she said.
“Yes, and I can hear the ‘but’ coming.”
Katya took a deep breath, and Starbride reminded herself that it’d been a long week for all of them. “I have to do this a certain way, Star. I have to send the prisoners and Crowe one way, and I’ll have to send you another and take a third for myself.”
“Embarrassed to be seen with me in these clothes?” Starbride plucked at the too-large garments, but only part of the question was frivolous. It hurt to ask if Katya was embarrassed to be seen with her, no matter her clothing.
“Nothing in the world would make me embarrassed of you, Star. You are…sublime.”
Heat rushed to Starbride’s cheeks, embarrassing her, which made them burn more. How did Katya make Starbride’s anger melt with a few well-chosen words? “And your tongue is made of silver.”
“You’ll find out.”
Starbride met Katya’s eyes and saw desire there, the kind that echoed within her, making her flush for another reason. Her anger had fled, and now need hummed in her. Her emotions were harp strings, and Katya was a master player. Starbride laughed and heard the breathlessness there. “No one has ever made me feel like you do. It has to be love.”
With a bright, beaming smile, Katya lifted Starbride’s hand and kissed it, a soft touch against her knuckles. “I’m going to send you with Brutal, Lord Hugo, and Maia; Brutal’s going to escort you all the way to your room. Please, stay there until I send for you, and then I promise, there will be answers.”
“All right, but I will hold you to that promise if I have to write it out and pin it to your coat.”
Katya winked, and they returned to the party to split up again. Crowe, Pennynail, and the prisoners went off into the trees. Starbride and her party went down the road; Averie and Katya would follow later. Starbride cast a glance over her shoulder, and Katya waved her on.
Inside the city gates, Lord Hugo doffed his cap, returned Brutal’s cloak, and clutched his ruined coat round him. “My path doesn’t take me to the royal stables, I’m afraid.” He sniffled. “Good-bye, Miss Starbride. I’m overjoyed that you’re safe, though I’m afraid I wasn’t much help.”
Starbride touched his shoulder gently. “You did fine, Lord Hugo. Thank you. Without you, the princess would never have found me.”
“And that honor will live in my heart, as the princess says. Good-bye, Brother Brutal.”
“Lord Hugo.” Brutal bowed from the saddle. “Come and find me at the chapterhouse when you’re ready to fix that nose.”
“Thank you. Farewell to you, too, Miss Maia.” He didn’t look at Maia as he spoke, only turned his horse and rode down the lane.
“You know what to do?” Brutal asked.
Maia nodded. “I’ll keep a discreet eye on him.”
“Watch your back,” Brutal said.
Starbride didn’t ask. She’d already guessed that these people were more than friends. Brutal lent her the enormous cloak and accompanied her back to her room without a word. Wrapped in the cloak, she got only a few odd looks instead of nothing
but
odd looks, and when they arrived at her room, he left her. She almost wished he’d reminded her to stay put so she could let a little of her anger out. It would’ve been good practice.
Just inside the door, Dawnmother fell to her knees and threw her arms around Starbride’s legs. “Dawn?” Starbride asked. She leaned against the door to avoid toppling over.
“When I couldn’t find you, I was so worried! I searched the entire palace, top to bottom!” She tugged at the dead man’s clothes. “Star, what has
happened
to you?”
“I have a long story to tell.” They didn’t bother to move to chairs but sat by the door and held one another.
Dawnmother’s face ran a gamut of emotions before settling on anger by the end of the tale. “I should have been with you. I should have insisted.”
“You would have talked me out of such a foolhardy course.”
“Even if I had to lock my arms around your legs and hold on!”
“I want to get out of these clothes, and then I hope you’ll burn them.”
“Oh, of course, of course. Where is my head?” She helped Starbride into a dressing gown and then ducked into the hallway to send a servant for hot water.
“How do you get them to do what you want?”
“I’ve earned some favors; I won’t bore you with details. Now, let me look at the wound on your side.”
“Wound?” With a start, she remembered the bloody stone that had dug into her. “I don’t think it’s more than a scratch.” She disrobed enough to investigate her side.
“It’s a cut under one of your ribs, not too deep but deep enough. Now that I’ve touched it, it’s started bleeding again. When the hot water arrives, we’ll wash and bandage it.” She turned Starbride’s hands over. “You’ll have some bruises from the bindings, but the cut on your finger hasn’t reopened.” A knock sounded on the door, and Dawnmother let in the water-bearing servants.
Starbride had forgotten how good it could feel to wash after a long dirty day. It’d been a long time since she’d acquired so much filth. It wasn’t a full bath, but two buckets of hot water and some soap did the trick.
When she was clean, dressed, and safe in a soft chair, her thoughts drifted to Katya. She tried to drum up her anger, but her thoughts kept wandering to their more tender moments. When Katya kissed her, it was like a swallow of strong wine. Her head spun, her cheeks burned, even her toes tingled. She worried about the state of her balance. How could their relationship be fair if Katya kept spinning her around? Of course, there was no denying that she spun Katya as well. She glanced up to find Dawnmother watching her.
“You’re smiling and blushing just a little. Thinking of the princess?”
“There isn’t much to tell.”
“Do you think there will be? Soon?”
“Dawn.” She and Katya had only kissed, and she’d tell Dawnmother more after they’d… She chuckled softly at the thought. Was it a foregone conclusion that they’d be lovers in every way? The idea brought heat to more than just her cheeks.
When Starbride glanced up again, though, Dawnmother’s face wasn’t inquisitive or impish, but stone-like. “I’ll order you some food.”
Starbride crossed her arms. “Out with it, and don’t just say your life for me and also the truth.”
Dawnmother’s expression didn’t soften. “Even if it’s so?”
“Tell me, even if you know I don’t want to hear it.”
“This woman is too dangerous for you, Star.”
“What would you have us do? Return home?”
“No, your mother would only send you back. Does the princess have some hold on your heart?”
Starbride’s mind whirled, remembering Katya’s proclamation of love, remembering her own.
It has to be love
. “I…”
“Are you not sure?” Dawnmother knelt in front of the chair, her face earnest, even angry. “Then tell her to leave you alone, Star. She cannot pursue you without your permission. And if she tries to, we’ll leave in the middle of the night, and your mother’s servant will have to
kill
me to send you back.”
Starbride breathed out in a rush before she wrapped Dawnmother in a hug. “Thank you, Dawn, for always taking such good care of me.”
“My life for you, but this hug tells me you won’t do what I’m suggesting.”
“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like I’ve come too far.” It was true, in many ways. She had undeniable feelings on many levels, not the least of which was a strange protectiveness for Katya. The people after Katya wanted to harm her and her family because they were different, something Starbride could identify with. But no one had ever tried to kill Starbride because she was Allusian. Katya was a stranger hiding among her own people; she couldn’t completely be one of them, even though she and her family had to protect them from the wrath of Yanchasa. And with the populace willing to kill her if they found out about the Fiend, Katya was besieged on all sides.
Averie arrived at Starbride’s room a moment later. Dressed in Katya’s livery, she offered Starbride a curtsy and Dawnmother a nod. “The princess is in council with the king and queen. I came to assure you that she hasn’t forgotten about you. She’d rather be here, believe me.” Her expression was light, jovial, as if she was happy that Katya had found someone to care for.
“Can you tell me why the king and queen rely on their daughter and her friends to investigate these matters?”
Averie’s face went still. “Well, Katya does things on her own sometimes. That’s why her parents are probably a hair’s breadth from giving her a hiding, no matter her age and position.”
Starbride kept her face composed. It was an elusive answer to say the least, and she didn’t know how much to believe. She wished for a little more from Katya at that moment, like a note, something more personal. One more thing to discuss, if her turn with Katya ever came. “Thank you for coming.”
“She
will
join you as soon as she’s able.” At a short knock on the door, she said, “Ah, right on time.” She admitted a page boy with a large stack of books. “The princess ordered these for you.” The boy set the books on the table, and Averie dismissed him.
“She outthinks us, your princess,” Dawnmother said. “I was just about to suggest we fetch some books from the library.” She gave Averie a look of deep respect. Katya was winning over Dawnmother without even being in the room.
“She’s a smart woman,” Averie said. “She knows the right path when she sees it.” After a second curtsy, she departed.
When Starbride investigated the law books, she found the note she’d been hoping for.
Dine with me tonight
, it said,
if it pleases you. Otherwise, I’ll throw myself from Hanna’s Retreat. I’ll come as soon as I can. K.
Dawnmother read over her shoulder and snorted. “Throw herself to her death, indeed.”
“It’s sweet.”
“Sending her servants to appease you is sweet?”
“She’s more than a servant. I think their relationship is more like ours, like friends.”
“Are you as sure of your position as before, Star? If things progress and she sends a ‘friend’ to make her apologies on your birthday, will you be so calm?”
“Why not a scenario where we’re already married and she sends her apologies via a potboy while I’m giving birth to our first child?”
“You cannot have children together.”
“In this imaginary setting, Katya has arranged for a surrogate father, but she and I will raise the child together.”