Changing Fate [Fate series] (17 page)

Briam did not visit her, and Akila wondered why.
Granted, he seemed happy here when I last saw him, but I'm his sister—in fact I'm now his only living relative. And he can't be hunting all night, even if he does all day—and he wasn't all that fond of hunting before, but maybe it's more fun with his Companions than it was with Father. Still, he could at least stop in and say good night. Doesn't he even worry about how I'm doing?

Probably not. Why should he? You're doing fine.

I'm dying of boredom. At least at home people would come talk to me, even if I were sick.

Yes, they certainly would. “What should the cook make for dinner?” “Do we start the grain harvest tomorrow or next week?” “One of the maids is in labor and not doing well, may we send for the midwife?"—you should be thankful that nobody's bothering you.

So I'm ungrateful. But I'm not used to doing nothing. I feel so worthless, lying here and eating their food and not doing anything in return! And I'm worried about Briam; I'm used to knowing where he is and what he's doing. Who knows what kind of trouble he's getting into without me to watch him!

Considering the trouble he got into with you right on his heels, your presence is obviously no guarantee he'll stay out of trouble. And he's probably safer now than he's ever been in his life; there's a whole city making sure he comes to no harm.

Yet.

He's safe enough until summer's end, so turn your thoughts to how to get him out of the Sacrifice. At least you know now that it is possible to survive being Year-King, assuming that Lord Ranulf was one, and it certainly seems likely.

Yes. I'll have to find out if it really was Lord Ranulf and exactly how he survived. Too bad Druscilla's so far away; I have a feeling that no one else is going to be willing to talk to me about the Year-King, past or present. But I'll find out, somehow.

I'm sure you will. And don't worry about Briam. You've seen the Queen; do you have to look any further for the reason he's not spending his free time with you? Remember the way he reacted to Druscilla.

I remember. He's certainly picked the worst possible time to develop an interest in women. I liked it better when his affections were confined to his lute and the idea of romance, not the reality.

The Queen appeared suddenly in the doorway, almost as if thinking about her had summoned her. “How are you feeling now, Lady Akila?"

Akila swung out of bed and stood up. After two day of surreptitious practice she had stopped falling over every time she stood up. “Much better, Lady,” she said formally. “I thank you for your care of me."

"You are welcome,” the Queen replied, seating herself in one of the chairs and gesturing Akila to the other. “You do look much better—have you reached the ‘losing my mind with boredom’ stage yet?” She smiled her enchanting smile, and Akila smiled back. She felt a bit like a traitor, feeling any liking for the woman who planned to kill her brother, but it could be valuable to have the Queen's good will and trust.

"I'm afraid so. I hope there's something around here I can do; I'm accustomed to running an estate, and I find doing nothing very unsettling."

The Queen looked thoughtful. “There's no strictly defined role for the King's sister, but perhaps you could take over some of Druscilla's duties while she's away."

"I'd be happy to,” Akila said, adding cautiously, “if they are within my abilities. What does Druscilla usually do?"

"The sort of thing you're probably used to, plan menus, assign work to the spinners and weavers, and so forth. We'll have to get you some more clothes, though; you can't run around the palace in a bedgown. I'm afraid you'll have to either stay in bed or wear Druscilla's clothes for a few days until we can make you some of your own."

"I'll wear Druscilla's clothes,”
anything to get out of this bed and this room
, “but do I have to wear all of them?"

The Queen threw back her head and laughed. “So you share my opinion of her taste?"

"Her clothes are truly lovely, Lady,” Akila said sincerely, “but they're so elaborate! I don't see how she can move in them!"

"Years and years of practice,” the Queen laughed. “I suppose I spoiled her, but it seemed harmless enough at the time. After all, most girls like pretty clothes, and Druscilla has done beautiful fine sewing and embroidery from the age of five—"

"And the more she did, the more cloth she needed to display it, and the more elaborate her clothes got.” Akila started laughing too. “Let's hope she develops other interests—if she lived with me I'd give her the Great Hall to furnish. By the time she did a complete set of banners, cushions for all the seats, and hangings for all the walls, she might conceivably get tired of embroidery. And if she wasn't tired of it after one set, you could develop a sudden desire for a set of hangings for each season."

"The Queen looked at her approvingly. “That's an idea. I'll have to try it when she returns; it might work. In the meantime, see what you can find in her clothing chests. As I recall, her riding habit isn't too elaborate, and you can probably detach the sleeves from a couple of her other gowns—just be sure to sew them back on when you return them, or she'll be furious with both of us."

"I shall,” Akila promised. “Lady Druscilla has been very kind to me, and it would be a poor return to damage the clothes she has been kind enough to lend me."

"I'm glad that you got on well with her; she's been too much alone since her mother died.” The Queen stood up, and Akila hastily rose to her feet as well. “Find yourself something to wear and join us for dinner; your maid will show you the way to the hall. After dinner I'll introduce you to the household staff. The Shield-bearer will be glad of your recovery, she's been keeping an eye on the household as well as the guards, and it's been keeping her very busy."

Akila rang for her maid as soon as the Queen left, and they spent an enjoyable hour sorting through the clothing chests. The gown Akila finally chose for dinner was a beautiful deep green, embroidered with gold thread. She removed the sleeves, as the Queen had suggested, for although she was thinner than Druscilla, her arms were more heavily muscled. Especially after running on them for months, she thought ruefully. Well, the loose sleeves of the undergown would conceal that.

Moving carefully and reminding herself not to spill anything or wipe her hands on her skirts, Akila made her way to the dining hall. The Queen and the Shield-Bearer stood talking by one side of the fireplace, and Briam sat on a stool at the other side, petting the wolf who had come to the city with them.

With everything that had happened to her since arriving in the city, Akila had quite forgotten about the wolf. The wolf, however, had not forgotten her. He abandoned Briam without a backward glance and tore down the hall at top speed, bouncing, and whining excitedly. Akila shrieked, afraid that he'd tear Druscilla's dress and Druscilla would kill her—it was only afterwards that she realized that she had inadvertently presented a beautiful portrait of a terrified maiden.

Briam hastily ran forward to grab the wolf, who was bouncing around Akila and whuffling in welcome. “Down, boy,” the twins said in unison. The wolf sat, with Briam holding him down, and Akila reached out and let him lick her hand. Then she stroked him behind the ears until he calmed down and Briam could release him.

As they walked toward the table, with the wolf dogging their heels, Akila tried to think of an explanation of how the wolf could have met her before. Not coming up with anything, she decided to keep her mouth shut and hope nobody asked.

Fortunately the Queen confined her comments to, “I hope the wolf didn't frighten you too much; he and Lord Briam are virtually inseparable."

"No, Lady,” Akila assured her. “I was merely startled, that's all."

Wesia said nothing, but she appeared to be giving the matter a good deal more thought that Akila would have liked.

With my luck,
Akila thought,
she's seen enough of wolves to recognize “greeting a pack member's return” behavior. Oh well, even if she has, there is nothing I can do about it now.

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Over the next few days, Akila discovered that living with a wolf in a cave in the woods and living with it in the Queen's house in the city were two very different things. Although nominally the wolf was Briam's pet—and Briam, with an unusual lack of originality, had named him “Wolf"—the beast appeared perfectly willing to regard Akila as the pack leader; once she was up and about, he followed her everywhere. When Wesia made some remark about the animal's sudden liking for Akila, Akila shrugged and replied that she and Briam must smell alike, being twins. If Wesia didn't believe her, she did at least drop the subject.

The wolf still slept in Briam's room—at least Akila assumed it did, since she shut it out of her room every night and bolted the door. She knew that when she had a bit more strength back she was going to be sneaking out at night in changed form, and she didn't want a wolf having hysterics in her room to alert everyone in howling range to the fact that something odd was going on.

This left Akila free to worry about more urgent problems, like fur. In the woods, even before she had turned into a wolf she had worn rough clothes, so it hadn't mattered when Wolf leaned affectionately against her and left a layer of hair behind. But she was quite sure that Druscilla would not tolerate this as an addition to the trim on her skirts. The first thing Akila did was to get several large aprons and wear one tied over her skirts at all times. Even when Briam went out hunting and took the wolf with him, they were apt to return without warning and seek her out to tell her they were back.

The next problem came to light when they joined her in the carpenter's shop one day. “What are you doing here, Akila?” Briam demanded. “I though you were in the laundry, finding out where they hid all my shirts."

"I was,” Akila retorted, “and I found your shirts; they were mixed in with a pile of old sheets, which were shoved in a corner because the chest that was supposed to hold them broke when someone put a heavy wash-tub on it. Then they shoved the pieces under the sorting table and forgot about it. So I brought the pieces here to be fixed, so the sheets can be put away properly so they won't lose your shirts anymore. I trust this meets with your Worship's approval?” she concluded sarcastically.

"All right, all right,” Briam threw up his hands. “I didn't mean to imply that you weren't working. Anyway, I got a deer, so we can have venison for dinner."

"Tomorrow's dinner,” Akila corrected him. “The cook is already cooking today's."

"Fine, tomorrow's.” Briam was being agreeable. “Sister, dear sister, could you do me a tremendous favor?"

"What?” Akila wasn't going to commit herself to anything he asked for in that tone of voice without finding out what it was.

"Sleep with the wolf."

"What?” Akila's mind flashed back to the morning she had awakened in the shrine, with the wolf beside her. She stared at Briam in horror.

"Just let him sleep in your room,” he pleaded. “He won't get on the bed, but he insists on sleeping under ours, and he gets upset any time we move."

Akila considered the implications of that and bit back a giggle. “Very well, I'll take him.” She beckoned to the head carpenter. “I have a small project for you,” she told him. “I need a cube, three feet square, solid top, bottom, back and right side, with the left side and front made of lattice-work and the front hinged on the right so it can swing open."

"Certainly, Lady Akila,” the man replied. “How soon do you need it?"

"By this evening, if possible,” she replied.

He looked around the shop. “I reckon I can have it done,” he said.

"Excellent,” Akila smiled at him. “Have it put in my—Lady Druscilla's—bedroom when it's done."

He nodded, but looked at her oddly. “If I may ask ... what's this for?"

"It's a den for the wolf,” Akila replied.

"But, Lady Akila,” he protested, looking down at the wolf. “Lattice-work won't hold that beast if he really wants to get out."

"It doesn't have to hold him like a cage,” Akila reassured him, “it's just to give him a den of his own where he'll feel secure."

"Secure?” the man asked incredulously. “What makes a wolf feel insecure?"

Akila looked down at the wolf, who stood between her and Briam, leaning affectionately against her leg while she absently-mindedly rubbed his ear. “Any number of things,” she replied. Wolf twitched his ear free of her fingers and tilted his head to look up at the carpenter.

"If you say so.” The carpenter did not appear to be convinced of Wolf's alleged timidity, but he went off to cut the wood, shaking his head.

Akila and Briam headed toward the great hall, accompanied by their faithful wolf. “Briam,” Akila said softly, after looking around to make sure that no one would overhear her, “are you happy here?"

"Yes, very,” Briam said, sounding surprised. “Aren't you? You have a household to run again, and you were happy doing that before, weren't you?"

"It's a little different running somebody else's household, but I'm happy enough,” Akila said. “But I'm asking about your feelings, not mine. Is this what you want to do for the rest of your life—hunt, eat dinner, play music, listen to music, dance a bit...” her voice trailed off, but Briam finished the sentence.

"Lie with the Queen at night? Yes, why not? What else should I be doing?” He frowned at her. “You don't want to leave here, do you? I won't hold you if you do; you don't have to stay on my account."

That's what
you
think, little brother!
“Do you love the Queen?"

Briam looked at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. “Of course I do; she's my wife!"

Somehow I don't think that's quite the way she sees it.
“But what about Druscilla? I thought you loved her."

"Well ... I like her—she's nice, but she's not even here now—and I'm married to the Queen. Would you want me to be a lecher?” He sounded totally bewildered.