Page 40 of Of Sockets Of Stitches
“Is that still true now he is no longertakingof his own accord? He has not taken since being shackled.”
Princess Take lifted a shoulder. “But he musttakeagain eventually. I do believe that our queen shouldering the burden of who is taken will alleviate his moral turmoil.”
“Remove your flesh,” Princess Change said quietly.
Princess Take arched a brow. “No, thank you.”
I smiled. “A wise notion indeed. Yes, that is what you must do.”
The taking princess cast a wide-eyed look at me, and I added, “You must remove the sight of your flesh. You must cover your flesh. Where, I wonder, is one of the thick robes that Princess Bring used to wear?”
Princess Raise grunted. “Perfect.”
Indeed. A perfect starting point.
“My king will go mad without release. I have attempted to withhold my flesh before.” The taking princess worried at her pouty lower lip.
“A mad king is exactly right. He,and you, must learn to do without the pleasure of the flesh. In this way, youwill know of each other’s minds and power. This will give you diversity of emotion and union.”This will heal a frayed union.
Or begin to.
That is all I could undertake tonight—a beginning for all. And for myself.
I shuddered at the thought of what I must do.
“My queen is aware of the failings of my union,” Princess Raise said, turning her face in a way that suggested furtive looks at the others.
I saw no reason to hide that knowledge now. “Your king holds you in greater esteem than his purpose.”
The other princesses gasped. And no wonder. His affliction was no small thing, though his origins as a foot soldier had meant he would never succeed as a king. I held a great deal of respect for King Raise, for he had tried so mightily and for so long to be a monster he was not. He had done this entirely for others and never for himself.
“Then who upholds his purpose? How is it that his princes did not torture purpose back into him?” asked Princess Take.
Princess Raise hung her head. “I uphold his purpose.”
There was a silence after her confession that spoke of the utter confusion of princesses in general. Until Princess Raise, a princess had only existed to witness her king’s rhyme and reason. She had not existed tocarry outher king’s rhyme and reason. There had always been a barrier there, an absence of the quality that might drive a princess to action. I saw the concrete limitations in pawns, too, in a differing sense—they lacked the ability to decipher and connect. That is why Huckery stood out so well.
“H-how?” Princess Change spluttered. “How could you… do that?”
How was a great question, and irrelevant in this instance.
I rested back in the armchair. “How does anything arise in monsterdom, but through the intentions of ancients? Kings could not save the world, and so a queen was created, and yet theplan was always in place, and so a queen was always fated to save the world where kings were never intended to. So King Raise was always meant to struggle between love and purpose. So his princess was always meant to help him. The how does not matter. We can deal with what is.”
Princesses stared at me in confusion.
I leaned forward. “I see a solution that is unprecedented. I cannot tell, though, whether this solution will ruin or save your union, Princess Raise. But I cannot fathom any other path.”
Princess Raise’s breaths quickened. She did not immediately speak, then managed to say, “If there is no other path, then this solution must be the way.”
She did not ask for the solution because she was afraid to know, and I could empathize with her mind’s instincts to protect itself.
I said, “Your king has been reduced, and I must reduce him further. I must uplift you at the same time.”
“Reduce him to what?” The shadows on her face darkened.
What.What indeed. “A king shall become a duke.”
There had never been a duke in monsterdom, so I had not expected there to be much reaction.
