Page 112 of Of Sockets Of Stitches
See turned his body on his seat and placed a hand upon mine. “Perantiqua, I understand that Change seeks the ruin of the world, and that you cannot allow him to stand in the way of saving. I wonder if I spoke with him about his human family and of our time as soldiers, whether I may reach him. If I can do that. If he changes at all or just enough, then that could be the difference for all monsters.”
I did not miss that he offered my single reason for being as the motivation for his conversation with King No Change. “His name is well earned, sir.”
The conversation would do nothing.
“I believe that I can make a difference in matters,” pressed See, gripping my hand.
He knew something.
Was that something that he could not share, or would not share?
I could translate that he needed to speak with King No Change to prove something to himself. Or was he guiding me in the only way possible without affecting the future?
Should I call Candor?
And what would she tell me? The skeleton monster would hesitate to offer the truth, unknowing of whether futures may be affected. Just as I was.
There was something here, too—a chance to have faith in See. A chance to believe him on his merits as I had not wanted to do at our first audience after his betrayal. My heart had forgiven him, and we had moved on.
But I was a queen.
See could achieve nothing dire by speaking with King No Change, and I would eavesdrop on the entire conversation. Could he do good? I expected that King No Change would remain ever unchanged. Yet a queen had sometimes been wrong.
I would be happy to applaud See if he could soften the heart and mind of his brother in any way. “You may converse with King No Change. I expect no alteration in him, sir, but I sense that your feelings seek reassurance or validation on the matter.”
See lifted my hand to his lips. “Thank you, my darkness. He is my brother of fate, after all, if not my brother of blood, and he has respected me most of all monsters. I must try. Imust.”
Chapter Thirty-One
A change to Change.
There was no reason to wait when an unchanging king could not change. I had listened to the conversation between him and See for the last several hours. While Change respected See most, he did not respect See more than himself.
As was right.
Even if I wished change was possible.
A change to Change.
“Huckery,” I called from beside Mother. We had been talking of times gone by, and that only added to the feeling that the noose was tightening and the end drawing near.
Huckery padded over, his yellowed eyes curious. “My queen.”
“Dear pawn, do you recall the situation of the Raises? In one night, a king was a duke, and a princess was a duchess.”
His answer was wary. “I recall thesituation.”
How to phrase this? “Huckery, you are rather more than a pawn, and you always have been. Reflect how you are able to reason. Reflect how a simple monster shares exclusive romance with you. This is not usual for a pawn.”
The werebeast did not answer, and that was because his instincts were admirable. “What might a pawn be if not a pawn?”
“A pawn may be the queen’s baron.”
His beast eyes widened, and then suspicion returned. Though happier within than ever before, the pawn tended toward wariness, and that was not always a bad thing when coupled with wisdom.
I did not fill the baffled silence with further words.
Huckery swallowed. “What is the purpose of a baron?”
