Unleashed, p.5
Unleashed, page 5
“My apologies, Your Majesty,” the servant said. “The princess was very insistent. She said—”
“Georgina? Are you out there?” she called.
“Here.” I made my way through the door. The room was a small chamber, finely decorated, but clearly meant for private hours and not company. Cheray lay on a sofa, her head in the lap of Duke Ylvar, her consort. They both looked at me with bemused smiles, and I tried not to flush at the sight they made. Both were fully clothed, though Cheray’s boots had been tossed in a corner, and Ylvar’s fingers were tangled in her hair. They very clearly hadn’t been expecting visitors tonight.
On instinct, I curtsied. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but I’ve discovered something important about Redmere.” With a shaking voice, I explained what had happened, from finding Tessa in the streets to what she’d told us in the hospital. “You said we needed proof that there was more going on in Redmere, and I’ve found it.”
I expected Cheray to leap to her feet. She might demand I take her to the hospital right away. Or tell me she’d always known I would find the truth. Instead, she tipped her head up so she could look at Ylvar. They shared some wordless thought. It reminded me of the times Lou and Maro had entire arguments using only the arch of an eyebrow or the flare of a nostril. Finally, though, she sat up.
“Tell me again,” she said. “Your friend’s sister said their brother was killed by the duke?”
“She said . . .” How had it gone again? That he was marked for some sort of ceremony. That he might already be dead. “The widows. They were helping widows escape.”
“From what?”
“From what?” My mind seemed to have gone blank. What had she said? All I could think of was the smear of crimson on her mouth as she’d tried to keep her life inside her body.
Cheray sighed. “I’m sorry. I know this is important to you. But we’ll need more details to present at court. One desperate woman in the street won’t carry much weight unless she can give us clear proof of who was captured and what their crimes were.”
“But you said . . .” Even that was vague, though. How many times had Cheray told me we needed more? Had she ever said what she thought would be enough? “Come with me to the hospital. Speak with her yourself.” When she saw the state Tessa was in, surely, she wouldn’t be able to stand by anymore.
“Tomorrow.” She nodded. “We’ll go first thing in the morning.”
So many hours. Why not now?
But I was a guest in Cheray’s court, and anyway, what would rushing her out after dark accomplish? She wouldn’t send ships out to Redmere overnight. Even if she believed everything Tessa told her, movement still would take days or even weeks.
It would be something, though. And by the time we were ready, Lou would be back.
I thanked Cheray for the audience, and we agreed to meet first thing in the morning. But as I walked to my room, the plan didn’t settle inside me the way I’d hoped. We couldn’t wait that long. Tessa wasn’t well. If she wasn’t able to speak with the queen in the morning, would Cheray be patient? Queens were busy. She couldn’t stay fixated on Redmere forever. Perhaps I could start gathering information now. Tessa might already be improving. A warm bed and a good meal with Rosie and Ender made anyone feel better.
The streets were nearly empty as I hurried from the palace to the hospital. Even walking in the dark like this, I always felt safe in Hilltop. It was such a far cry from my life in Redmere, where I wasn’t even allowed to walk alone in the daylight. Someday soon, I hoped the people there would be able to move about their city confidently, without fear of guards or a ruler who only used them for his own purposes.
Unfortunately, my hopes regarding the healing power of Rosie and Ender’s company were misguided, and when I slipped inside the hospital room, Rosie was slumped over in the small chair by the bed, face pressed awkwardly against the sheets. Asleep, it seemed. Tessa was also sleeping, though not nearly as easily as her sister. Her mouth was open, and she breathed in short gasping inhales that seemed to get stuck in her throat, never fully reaching her lungs.
Ender was standing near the foot of the bed, and when he saw me, he gave a short jerk of his head and followed me into the hallway.
“How is she?” I asked.
He stroked his beard. “The doctor has done what he can, but he told me she’s unlikely to last the night.”
Fear prickled over my skin. We were so close. So close to finding truth that we’d only heard whispered about, and it was slipping from our fingers.
“Does Rosie know?” I asked.
He shrugged. “She’s still refusing to leave Tessa’s side. Did you speak with the queen?”
“She’ll come hear Tessa’s story. Though maybe I should send a message and tell her to come now?”
“I would.” Ender’s tone, even whispered, was grim.
“I will. I’ll—”
“Ender!” Rosie’s voice echoed down the corridor, and neither of us hesitated as we rushed into the room where Rosie was awake again, hunched over Tessa, shaking her like she had in the street. “Wake up. Please, no. Please wake up.” Her gaze when she looked to us was frantic. “Ender. Help me, please. She’s not breathing.”
And sure enough, as we slowed and took in the scene, the absence of Tessa’s gasping breaths was notable.
“I’ll get the doctor,” I said.
Ender was already pulling Rosie into him. “I don’t think the doctor can help now.”
I still went for him. It was the right thing to do. Moments earlier, I’d been hoping to keep Tessa alive long enough to speak with the queen, but the moment had passed, and with it, the opportunity she had presented. Rosie, Ender, and I would have to speak for her, and hopefully, it would be enough for Cheray in the end.
Rosie was nearly inconsolable as the doctor finished his all-too-brief examination. He asked if Tessa had any other family we should notify before her body was taken away, and the question only made Rosie cry harder. Finally, the doctor left us alone. Ender rocked Rosie in the little chair, one big hand on her belly and the baby within it. The scene was all too intimate and left me feeling like an intruder.
“I should go,” I said.
“Yes, you should.” Rosie’s face was half buried in her chest, but she sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve.
“Rosie?” Ender asked, sounding as surprised as I felt at the hardness in her tone.
“She was here,” Rosie said. “Who knows for how long? We’ve been living at the palace, sleeping comfortably and being served more food than we could ever eat, and she’s been out here starving this whole time.”
The lump was back in my throat. Our life at the palace was a privilege, one we all took for granted.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “If we’d known—”
“We should have looked for them. When I sent letters and didn’t hear anything, we should have gone looking for them.”
“If your letters didn’t reach them, how would we know where to even start looking?” I asked, but Rosie didn’t want to hear it. With every word, she sat up straighter, pushing herself out of Ender’s embrace.
“They’re my family, George,” she said. “How could we not have looked for them?”
I shook my head. She wasn’t making sense, and I didn’t have an answer for her, anyway.
“When Lou gets back,” I tried, but Rosie was already pacing in a circle. Her hands sat protectively on her belly, as though some unseen threat would come for her child at any moment.
“My family. And we left them there.”
“We couldn’t have known,” Ender said.
“Well, we do now,” Rosie said. She squared her shoulders and marched toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“Go?” I asked, tripping after her. “Go where?”
She didn’t look at me. “I told you. To find my family.”
I froze, and Ender nearly ran me over before he could stop himself too.
“To Redmere?” he asked.
“We’ll start there.”
“You can’t really mean it,” I said, reaching for Rosie and managing to snag the edge of her sleeve. “What about—”
She whirled, and the fury in her eyes had me frozen to the spot. Rosie. My sweet, compassionate friend. But now, when she spoke, every word was an accusation.
“I have never asked you for anything, George. Not once. I followed you onto a pirate ship without question and I have gone with you everywhere since without ever asking for a single thing.”
I gaped, throwing a glance at Ender, hoping he might have some answer for this, but he looked as blindsided as I felt.
“I know,” I said, though truthfully, her words were a revelation. She had been with me since the start of all this, and it might have been of her own choosing, but she had traveled in every direction that Lou and I chose without complaint. She was the consummate companion and crewwoman. And now, the stricken look on her face made my heart stop.
“We’ll leave in the morning,” Rosie said, as though everything had already been decided.
“We?” I asked. “You can’t go.”
“Why not?” Her eyes flashed with challenge.
“The baby,” Ender said.
“We’ve sailed farther. The passage to Redmere is only a few days. The baby will be fine.”
“It’s not a risk we should take,” I said, silently sending up a prayer that Lou was on her way. If I could hold Rosie off for a few more weeks, then Lou and Maro would return, and we could make a plan, and—
“Not a risk? George, they’re my family.” Rosie’s tone was defiant. “I’ve risked everything for you, and you won’t do this one thing for my family in return?”
“It’s not that simple,” I said, glancing at Ender, waiting for him to say something, but his lips were pressed together as he watched his wife with worried eyes.
“It is that simple,” Rosie pushed on. “They might already be dead, and—” Her voice broke, and tears streamed down her cheeks. She crumpled, and Ender managed to catch her as she started to cry all over again. My stomach churned at her misery.
We couldn’t go to Redmere City. What would the three of us do? Rosie was pregnant, and I had some skills with a knife, but I was no assassin. Ender could protect us, but even he wasn’t as strong as he’d been, and in Redmere, his size would only attract attention. We should wait for Lou and the others.
And yet . . . as Rosie sobbed, a voice in my head that sounded very much like Lou’s said that Redmere wasn’t all that far. If she was still at sea for a few more weeks, we could very well sail there and back in the same time. If we returned with Rosie’s family and maybe a few more, it could only help our cause. We could tell Cheray exactly what was going on in Redmere and why the time to act was now. She’d said Tessa’s story might not be enough, but who would be able to deny us when we told them what we’d seen with our own eyes?
I squeezed Rosie’s shoulder gently. “I’m sorry. I’ll be back in a while.”
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Don’t worry,” I said.
“Should I come with you?” Ender asked me, but his gaze stayed on Rosie.
“It’s fine. I’m only going to the harbor. No one will bother me.”
The city was quiet as I made my way from the hospital to the water. Compared to Redmere City, Hilltop was truly a safe haven. We were safe here. Should no doubt stay here.
And yet, as I pushed open the door at the Cephyr and the Whale, I knew we couldn’t stay. We might return, but remaining here in safety when others were not was unfair.
“Your Highness!” Svi’s voice rang out over the crowd of patrons. A few heads turned in my direction, but no one gave me much interest. Perhaps things would be similar in Redmere. No one really knew me there. We could slip in and out without any recognition and be back here before anyone knew we were gone.
“Hello, Svi,” I said as he wiped down an empty table with a foul-looking rag. He grinned his crooked grin and pulled a chair out for me with a flourish. It was all a bit much, especially since I didn’t intend to stay long, but he needed the pageantry, and I needed a favor.
“Where are the others?” he asked. “We don’t see you unattended very often.”
“I need to speak privately,” I said, and he took my meaning immediately, pulling a second chair close.
“Of course,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Whatever I can do for you, Highness, I will.”
“Exactly as I hoped.” The Lou-voice in my head asked me if I was sure, and I told her I was. This would be simple. Rosie and I knew the city. We would be in Redmere for a few days at most. I leaned in so only Svi would hear me. “I need you to get me a ship.”
5
LOU
As we sailed up the coast to Obwan, none of us were all too pleased with our new passenger. Nel climbed aboard the Maiden’s Blush and swaggered over the decks like she owned the place.
“How rich are you, exactly?” she asked.
“Excuse me?”
“This ship is expensive. New. Much nicer than the ugly old ones we see in Obwan.” She pulled the brass chain that dangled from the ship’s bell, and it clanged, echoing over the water. Several sailors turned curiously because we were nowhere near a change of watch. I tried not to let my annoyance show as I placed a hand on it to dampen the sound. Perdita hurried toward us and shuttled Nel away with an apologetic salute. I climbed to the quarterdeck. Maro followed, and when we were away from the others, I waved an annoyed hand. “Go on.”
“With what?” Maro asked.
“Isn’t this the part where you tell me what a terrible idea this is? How we don’t know her and can hardly trust her?”
But they didn’t seem particularly upset. In fact, they leaned against the door with their arms folded over their chest. “Why would I do that?”
“Because it’s what you always do?”
They sighed. “I’m fairly certain there’s nothing but death and misery waiting for us, one way or the other.”
I laughed, sharp and loud. There was the Maro I relied on to steer our voyage.
“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” I asked. “About her mother being the princess?”
They pursed their lips. “It’s certainly possible. Her skin says she’s not from Sevnan, or at least, her ancestors aren’t. For a moment, I thought she was George.”
“So did I.”
“The branches of a country’s noble family tree are often fewer than among the rabble. It wouldn’t surprise me if George had a great-grandfather in common with the prince and his family. So there’s every chance Nel’s telling the truth about her mother being the princess. We won’t know until we arrive in port.”
We sailed on. Nel didn’t show any signs of subterfuge while we were at sea. In fact, she was inquisitive to a fault. She had a habit of getting in the way while the crew was trying to work and asked altogether too many questions.
“Is it true you use the stars to navigate?”
“Have you ever been in a shipwreck?”
“What if we come across pirates?”
In the days it took us to reach Obwan, she must have asked a thousand questions. Each one cemented my belief that she was a girl who had never been anywhere to speak of, though the fact she felt entitled to so many answers said she wasn’t some poor fisherman’s daughter either. In any case, Perdita took it upon herself to show Nel where the best places to watch were and answered the stream of endless thoughts and queries that passed through Nel’s lips.
Although Obwan was the capital city of Sevnan, it was sleepier and less impressive than many of the ports I’d seen. No one stopped us as we rowed the longboat ashore. No one asked any questions about why we’d arrived or what our business was. An excellent hideout for an exiled princess who didn’t want to be found.
“Which way?” I asked as we reached the end of the wharf.
Nel stood with her hands on her hips and eyed the streets uncertainly. For a minute, I thought she might have lied after all. Instead, she turned, and her tone was cajoling when she spoke.
“We should stay in town for the night. It’s already getting late. There’s an inn not far and—”
“How long to your mother’s house?”
She chewed on her lip and glanced at me uncomfortably. Maro and Perdita had accompanied us, both well armed in case we ran into any trouble.
“It’ll be long dark if we walk,” Nel said slowly, and my first instinct was to snap at her because she was clearly stalling us.
Instead, I smiled as if the idea had just occurred to me and said, “Then we’ll go to that inn you mentioned and see about some horses. Perdita, you can ride, right?”
Perdita nodded, and Maro let out a long-suffering sigh. They were always more comfortable on a ship than a horse, but their discomfort was less important than making sure Nel followed through on her promises. At the suggestion of riding, she looked unhappy and bit on her lip even harder, no doubt working up to some new protest, but finally, she slumped and nodded before heading off toward the town.
Horses acquired, we rode out into the countryside. My horse shuddered from time to time, trying to shake off the bites of tiny unseen insects, and once, Maro’s horse shied off the road for no obvious reason at all—which led to more aggrieved sighing and curses as they struggled to regain control—but otherwise, our ride was uneventful.
The full moon turned the road into a silvery sliver. For a long time, no one spoke until we turned a corner, and out of the darkness, a sprawling house rose up on a hill. Dozens of windows flickered with candlelight, as if someone was waiting for us. An impressive set of stone gates were set at the edge of the road, but they’d been left open, beckoning us inside.
“If there’s a princess here, she’s not doing much to hide,” Perdita said softly, and I had to agree. The house was alone on its hill, but the lights would be visible for miles. Whoever lived here wasn’t worried about someone coming to spirit her away in the middle of the night.
Nel slowed as we approached.
