Page 13 of Stars May Burn

“Lady Batton!”

“Welcome, Lady Batton!”

“Blessings to General and Lady Batton!”

Miss Claris was still tugging on my arm. “Now look what you’ve done,” she scolded from inside the carriage. “You should have listened.”

“They sound happy to see me.” I couldn’t help smiling. “Oh, Miss Claris, they’re welcoming me!”

The carriage was moving slower than a walk now, and the damage seemed done, so I pulled back the curtain and waved through a gap between the horses. A small girl held by her mother saw me and waved back, lifting her doll for me to see. I smiled and gave her doll an amazed expression. She giggled before disappearing behind the next horse.

Sir Cley cleared his throat. “There will be plenty of time to meet the people, my lady. Don’t worry.” His voice was deep and loud, but I strained to hear it over the cacophony.

“I had no idea they would be so excited.”

Sir Cley chuckled. “These people have wanted Kasomere to have a lady for a long time. The general is away frequently and often absorbed with war. You offer them stability and a future.”

I hadn’t thought of that. I looked at the excited, hopeful faces as more flowers were thrown, and I hoped I wouldn’t let them down.

When I’d married Frederick, my reception had been different. I had only been welcomed as a source of money, the status of my birth an unpleasant nuisance. When I had failed to become pregnant, I had quickly faded into the background, doing my best to run a household in which many of the servants made life difficult for me. I had been disliked by almost everyone because of what I represented.

Here, I was something else entirely. A dream. A symbol. Something I hadn’t earned, and possibly, something that could shatter into a million pieces if I didn’t cradle the people’s hope carefully.

I pressed my lips together and made a solemn, silent vow that I would do my best.

“Ugh, at this rate it’s going to be nightfall by the time we reach the castle.” Miss Claris finally joined me looking out the window, but only for a moment. “We will miss our tea.” She folded her hands tightly on her lap and pursed her lips, deliberately not meeting my eyes. “We have already been eight hours in here, I do not wish to add to it.” I could tell from her tone that she blamed me for the delay.

The sounds of horns caused me to look ahead. Mounted soldiers were pushing through the crowd toward us, forcing the people back, though there were no weapons or shouts of alarm. They poured from the castle walls, well over a hundred, and possibly even two. My heart raced as the smartly dressed soldiers lined the road and cleared a path for the carriage.

One man remained in the center of the road atop his huge destrier, dressed in black and barking orders. It was easy to recognize my husband. A strange tingle of pride trickled to my stomach as he efficiently handled the situation in a rather impressive display of power. I supposed, since he led armies, controlling crowds would be second nature to him.

He didn’t come to speak to me, but rode just ahead of the carriage, glaring at any citizens who tried to push past the horses. The citizens fell into order, but their shouts grew louder.

“General Batton! Lady Batton!” Over and over until my head was dizzy with it.

It was only when we clattered over the moat and reached the simple gate of the castle then tunneled through its thick, towering walls that the sound died and the crowds dispersed.

The gates clanged shut, and my cheeks warmed, knowing that I had been the source of so much fuss when Sir Cley had told me to keep my face hidden.

I looked for my husband so I could apologize, but he had vanished.

SOPHIE

The courtyard was full of dismounting soldiers and guards; the sharp noise of hooves on stone echoed, making it hard to hear anything else. Stable hands and squires flooded out from doorways to help with the horses and lead them through a wide archway.

A guard I didn’t recognize opened the carriage door with a bow, and I stepped out into the evening heat, searching for my husband or anyone else I recognized. Sir Cley had dismounted and was talking to a servant boy who appeared only a few years younger than me.

Lucy and Beatrice were helped down from the back of the carriage; another servant passed down baggage from the top. Everyone seemed busy.

I stood with folded hands and waited to be directed inside. Miss Claris positioned herself beside me, studying our surroundings with sharp eyes as she unfolded a parasol to protect us both from the dying sun.

“Remember the sunlight is much harsher here than in Adenburg, my lady. We must take extra care to protect your skin. I’ve heard it can even cause your hair to fade.”

I studied the strange-colored grasses in pots near some of the doors, the only plant life in the courtyard, and wondered if the gardens would be as sparse. If the ground was too sandy or had no irrigation, it would take a lot of work to grow anything I wanted.

“Don’t fidget. Be serene among the chaos.” Miss Claris’s voice was low so only I would hear. Where had General Batton gone? And why hadn’t he greeted me? The more I lingered on the question, the more it troubled me. Had I displeased him?

A new guard strode up to me and bowed. She was so tall, it took me a moment to realize she was a woman. She had long black hair in a thick braid down her back, and her skin was russet brown. She wore no makeup on her bold yet feminine features. Her shoulders were broad. A slender sword hilt poked over each shoulder with nothing but sweat-stained leather on the hilts, clearly not for show.

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