Changing Fate [Fate series] (15 page)

"No!” Druscilla protested.

"Yes,” the Queen said firmly. “I will not have you moping around court making eyes at the Year-King for the next four months. Go call your maids."

Druscilla ran weeping from the room, slamming the door behind her. The swordswoman dropped to sit on the bed with a groan. “What are we going to do with her?"

"I just don't know, Wesia,” the Queen sighed.

So the Shield-Bearer does have a name
, Akila thought.
I wonder what the Queen's name is
.

"I had hoped she would outgrow this foolishness,” the Queen continued, “but she seems only to get worse. Fancying herself in love with the Year-King!” She sighed. “I can't keep her as my heiress."

"But, you have no choice,” Wesia protested, “there is no one else."

"I shall just have to bear another daughter then, shan't I?"

"The odds of your surviving that...” Wesia's voice trailed off in anguish.

"It's more important that my daughter survive,” the Queen replied grimly. “You'll have to be regent and guardian for her if I die."

"You know I'd do anything for you, but there are some things I'd rather not do!"

"I also, but things will go as the Goddess wills them.” The Queen stood up abruptly. “I'd best go robe, collect the King, and introduce him to his Companions. I hope that escorting Druscilla to her mother's estate isn't one of the things you'd rather not do, because I'm afraid that's your lot for today."

"With the amount of time I spend dealing with that wretched girl, we're undeservedly fortunate to have any discipline at all left among your Guard,” Wesia retorted.

"Take the dozen most in need of your personal attention as an escort on the road,” the Queen suggested, sounding amused. “I don't doubt your ability to handle both Druscilla and the Guard."

The door opened again, and Akila could see the hem of Druscilla's nightgown along with three other sets of feet, presumably the maids.

"Ah, there you are, child,” the Queen said. “The Shield-Bearer will escort you on your journey and return to fetch you for Winter Court. Do you wish to take one of the maids with you, or have you enough staff at the estate?"

"I'll manage with the staff there,” Druscilla said in a subdued voice. “But I thank you for the offer, Lady,” she added hastily.

"Very well,” the Queen crossed to the door, which one of the curtsying maids held open for her. “Shield-Bearer, gather a proper escort for the Lady Druscilla."

"As you command, My Queen,” the swordswoman said, following her from the room.

What now?
Akila wondered. She wasn't entirely happy with her present position—what if one of the maids decided to check under the bed for dropped clothing?

But it was Druscilla who dropped the night candle under the edge of the bed and snapped at the maid who reached for it, “I'll get it! For the love of the Goddess, pack quickly; the Queen wishes me on the road by mid-day!"

"Listen, Akila,” she whispered urgently. “I'll leave you some clothes. Sneak out after we've gone and follow us—we'll be going down river. I'll make sure we travel slowly, so you can circle around and come up to us as if you were coming from inland. Say you're traveling to the city in search of your brother and ask if we've seen him."

"All right,” Akila agreed. She wasn't sure exactly what Druscilla was planning, but she was beginning to develop considerable respect for the girl's abilities in her own environment.

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For once
, Akila thought,
something in this wretched adventure is going smoothly
. Druscilla had left her plain clothes, suitable for someone who had allegedly escaped from her home and been wandering in the woods ever since, and Akila had slipped unnoticed out of both the palace and the city. She had then bundled up the clothes, changed to her eagle shape, and flown high over the river until she sighted Druscilla's party. She couldn't see Druscilla, who was traveling in a closed litter, but Wesia and the dozen guards were easy to identify. She flew another few miles downstream and inland, then landed and changed back to human form.

Her body felt extremely strange. She wasn't surprised that her fingers were clumsy on her bodice laces—after all, that wasn't a skill she'd had much practice in lately, but it seemed to be further to the ground than it used to be, and her balance felt different and wrong. She rolled briefly in the dirt to mess her clothes suitably and grind dirt into all exposed skin, being thankful that they hadn't been able to do anything about her hair yet. It would certainly make her tale of months in the woods believable! She then headed toward the road, pausing to wash her hands and face as best she could in a stream she passed. She wanted to look as though she'd been surviving in the woods, but not as if she'd descended to the level of an animal—even though that
was
what she had done.

She reached the edge of a bluff overlooking the road and looked up the road. The travelers were just coming into view around a bend, so she started to scramble down the debris left from a recent rock slide to reach them. The late afternoon sun, descending toward the river, was in her eyes, but that couldn't be helped.

She quickly discovered that her rock-climbing reflexes were still adapted to four legs instead of two. For perhaps half a minute she managed to keep her footing among treacherously tilting rocks, but she knew she was starting to fall—and in front of the Queen's Guard, she didn't dare shift, though it took all her concentration to remain in human shape as she fell down the hill in a mass of sliding rocks. She heard her voice whimpering in terror, felt something strike her forehead...

"Easy, now, just lie still.” The voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. “You had a nasty fall, but you're all right now."

A thin arm lifted her gently and a cup of cool water was held to her lips. “Here, drink some of this.” Akila swallowed the water gratefully; her lips were cracked and her mouth was horribly dry. She tried to speak, but only managed to croak.

"My name is Druscilla,” the voice said.

Oh, yes, of course
, Akila thought. Slowly her memory began to return. They'd been in the woods, she and Briam, and Druscilla had come, and been afraid of the wolves—"Where's Briam?"

"What?” a voice demanded from across the room. Akila heard booted feet approach the bed. She tried to open her eyes, but the light hurt them and she closed them again. It was daytime, and there were two women near her, but that was all she could tell. “When did she come around?"

"Just now, Shield-Bearer,” Druscilla replied.

'Shield-Bearer'—she came to fetch Druscilla and they took Briam to the city
... “What did you do with my brother?"

"Briam is your brother?” the swordswoman asked.

You know he is, Akila thought, but it was too much trouble to say more than “Yes."

"He's in the city,” the Shield-Bearer said soothingly. “We'll send a message telling him you're safe; I know he was worrying about you. We were too; you've been unconscious for a full three days and then some."

"Oh,” Akila said, barely understanding the words as she fell asleep.

When she woke up again it was night, or rather just before dawn. She lay quietly trying to sort things out in her aching head. The rest of her memory had come back now; she knew that Briam was in the city as Year-King and she had less than four months to come up with a plan to save him—
again
, she thought wearily. Druscilla had been banished to her country estate, which must be where they were now, and Wesia,
no, I'm not supposed to know her name, call her “Shield-Bearer,"
had escorted her and was still here. She cast her mind over what she'd said when she woke up before and decided she hadn't uttered anything too incriminating—
after a knock on the head, “what have you done with my brother?” doesn't necessarily imply anything more than that I'm looking for him.

But what do I do now?
She looked around in the dim light that was starting to come through the windows. She lay on a cot in what was presumably Druscilla's room; the furniture was arranged in the same way as her room in the city. The bed curtains were partly open on the side nearest her, and she could see a thick blond braid and a little bit of the top of Druscilla's head. The rest of Druscilla was buried under the blanket.

Akila turned her attention back to her own body and started taking stock. She felt battered and she ached all over, especially her head, and she was sure she would discover a fine crop of bruises when she tried to get up. She moved her hands in front of her face and studied them in the dim light. The palms were scratched, but healing, and the calluses had protected them somewhat—tough, hardened skin didn't tear as easily as the delicate soft skin a lady was supposed to have. Someone had obviously washed her and put her into one of Druscilla's nightgowns; she had never owned one with lace at the wrists. She reached up and felt her hair; it was still the tangled mess it had been when she changed back from being a wolf. No doubt they hadn't wanted to pull it about while she had a head injury.

A noise came from Druscilla's bed, something between a moan and a whimper. “Druscilla?” There was no reply, unless one counted Druscilla's continued whimpering.

Akila cautiously sat up and set her teeth against the pain. Her head felt ready to split open and her ribs felt as thought someone had been using them for drums. She managed to swing her feet over the side of the cot and reach the floor, but, when she tried to stand up, her legs refused to take her weight. Fortunately the space between her cot and Druscilla's bed was narrow, so when she pitched forward she landed on the bed—and, of course, on Druscilla. Druscilla awakened abruptly with a shriek.

It wasn't a loud shriek, but it produced a guard before Akila could move. “What's amiss, my Lady?"

"Nothing, thank you,” Druscilla replied hastily. “I had a bad dream, that's all.” Both girls held their breath, afraid that the guard would open the bed curtains, but she merely closed the door and returned to her post.

"How are you feeling, Akila?” Druscilla whispered softly. “I'm sorry your hair is still such a mess; I wanted to wash and comb it, but the Shield-Bearer wouldn't let me."

"That's all right,” Akila whispered back. “The way my head feels I don't even want to try to wash it now, to say nothing of trying to get the tangles out. I may have to cut it off."

"Oh, I hope not,” Druscilla said. “Briam has such beautiful hair, and you must too."

"Under all the dirt?” Akila's hair was not her major worry. “What day is it? How long have I been here?"

Druscilla reckoned it on her fingers. “You met us in the late afternoon on the first day of our journey—do you remember?"

"All I remember is that I saw your party on the road and then fell down with a rock slide."

"Yes. About a third of the rock slide came down with you—it's a mercy it was a small one. You were unconscious when we picked you up, and you stayed that way for the rest of the journey here, that's three more days, and you didn't wake up until the afternoon of the second day we were here. Then you were awake only a few minutes before you fell asleep again, and now it's,” she glanced out the window at the graying sky, “very early morning of the third day here, so you missed six nights and four days."

"Oh, no!” Akila whispered. “What's happening to Briam while I'm away?"

"Nothing,” said Druscilla in surprise. “It's a very bad omen if the Year-King dies before the appointed time. Believe me, the whole city will make sure nothing happens to Briam before Summer's End. Even when he goes out hunting his Companions go with him, and its their special job to make sure no harm comes to him."

"His Companions?"

"Eight youths of good family, who attend the Year-King whenever he's not with the Queen. It's considered a great honor, and unless the Year-King is a real pain, it's a pretty comfortable job."

"So they keep him safe until Summer's End,” Akila said, trying to make certain she understood the situation. “And then they kill him."

"The Companions don't kill him; the Queen and Shield-Bearer do—if we don't stop them,” Druscilla said through gritted teeth. “But we will stop them. Somehow."

She took a good look at Akila. “We'd better get you back to bed. Can you sit up?"

With a lot of help from Druscilla, Akila made it back to her cot, where she promptly fell asleep again.

When she woke again the sun was streaming in through the window across her bed. It was warm, and it felt wonderful. Druscilla was sitting on a cushion on the broad windowsill, still in her nightgown. Akila tried to speak aloud, but her voice came out as a croak.

"Oh, you're awake.” Druscilla jumped off the windowsill and went to the table, which held a pitcher and several cups. “Let me get you some water."

There was a noise of booted feet hurrying down the hall away from their door. “Brace yourself,” Druscilla warned softly. “We're about to have company.” She propped Akila up, using the pillows from both beds, and held the cup of water to her lips. Akila sipped it gratefully.

It was only a minute before they heard footsteps coming toward them. “Act dumb,” Druscilla advised hastily, just before the door opened.

I suppose that under the circumstances, that's good advice
, Akila thought,
but why does she always do it? Does she have enemies, or is it just that she doesn't get on with the Queen?

"So you're back with us,” the Shield-Bearer said pleasantly. “How are you feeling?"

"Battered,” Akila replied ruefully.

Wesia laughed. “I can well believe it. You're very lucky not to have broken bones. How is your sight?"

It took Akila a moment to make sense of that, to realize that Wesia was referring to eyesight rather than clairvoyance or the changes in vision that resulted from changing shape. “Fine, thank you."

"Good. Think you could eat something?” Akila considered that. She didn't feel hungry exactly, but she wasn't nauseous and she was obviously in need of fluids at least. She nodded, and hastily clutched her head. Nodding hurt!