Page 30 of Kingdom of Feathers

“It’s decided then,” said the king, sounding pleased. He smiled at Wren, as if he was giving her a boon, instead of exposing her to the ridicule of yet another kingdom. “An excellent opportunity for you to be more active in an important matter of state, Wren. I’ll meet with King Basil when he arrives, of course. But if he wishes to stay for extensive negotiations, you can act as his guide and minder. With the protective presence of your guards, of course. What do you say?”

Wren stared at him. He was truly going to pass the Entolian king off on her? Hands shaking in her anger, she pulled her slate from her pocket. But before she could write a word, her eyes were drawn to the scribblings still there from her earlier conversation with Lady Anneliese.

What do you want?

What are you going to do?

Wren stared at the two messages. She couldn’t remember the last time the answer to those two questions had been the same. All at once, her defiance leaked out of her. It didn’t matter that she didn’t want to be polite, and play hostess to the representative of the kingdom that had ruined her life. It was the duty required of her.

Stowing her slate back in her pocket, she nodded. She took no pleasure from her father’s satisfied tone as he called for a page to prepare his response to the Entolians.

Wren didn’t stay to hear the details, moving back into the corridor with heavy steps. Why couldn’t King Thorn have held on for a few more months, so that all of this would be Caleb’s problem? Her brother would treat with the young king gladly and capably. He would secure a favorable outcome for Mistra, and there would be no question of offense.

Instead, Wren was once again shouldering a burden she was completely incapable of carrying. She sighed, trying to lift her thoughts as she made her way through the castle. Perhaps she’d get lucky. Perhaps King Basil would get cold feet about the whole idea, and stay far away in his own kingdom.

Chapter Six

Basil didn’t bother looking up from his desk as the door to his study crashed unceremoniously open. Only one person was still willing to be so casual with the young king’s privacy.

“For the last time, Zinnia, Iamleaving in the morning, and you arenotcoming.”

“Hey!”

Basil turned at last, smiling slightly at the outraged look on his sister’s face.

“I wasn’t going to say any of that,” Zinnia huffed.

“Then why did you come charging in here like you’re on a life-saving mission?” Basil asked calmly, as she rushed over to his desk.

“Well, I am on a mission, and I hope it’s not as drastic as that, but I do want to keep you alive,” Zinnia said in a rush.

Basil blinked at this flow of words. “You…what?”

“Come on, Bas,” said Zinnia impatiently, tugging at his arm. “I don’t know how long they’ll stick around.”

“Who?” Basil demanded, perplexed.

“I’ll explain on the way!” Zinnia said, still pulling fruitlessly on him. Basil remained seated, untroubled. “Don’t you have ten minutes to listen to your sister?” she scolded him.

“If I’m honest—” Basil started.

“When are you anything else?” Zinnia muttered.

“If I’m honest,” Basil repeated, ignoring her, “Idon’thave ten minutes. I’m due to meet with the head of my military escort in five, and I have a great deal to take care of before I leave for Mistra. Besides, I seriously doubt you’ll confine yourself to ten minutes.”

“Your military escort will wait on their king’s convenience,” said Zinnia impatiently. “The dragons won’t.”

“Dragons?” Basil shot to his feet at last. “If there are dragons here to see me, you should really open with that, Zinnia.”

In a surprisingly canny move, Zinnia didn’t respond until they had already hurried from the castle’s entrance.

“They’re not here to see you, precisely,” she said, no apology in her voice. “It’s just Dannsair, and she’s down at the shore.”

“Zinnia!” Basil protested, pulling up. “You interrupted something important for this! If Dannsair is at the shore, she wants to be left alone. She’d come to the castle if she wanted to speak with me.”

“She won’t mind,” said Zinnia, prodding him back into motion. “I’ve been checking the beach every day since you sent that message to King Lloyd, hoping she’d come before your departure. And she finally did!”

Basil frowned, glancing back at the castle’s entrance, and the two stone dragons that flanked it. He really did have about a hundred other things he should be doing with this time. With a sigh, he surrendered, following his eager sister through the castle’s open gates and down the short path that led from their low cliff to the ocean below. Two guards went ahead of them, and four trailed behind. Basil had left the castle so rarely since his coronation, he still wasn’t entirely used to the honor guard such outings required.

---