Page 49 of Of Sockets Of Stitches
Did his breath hitch from a sense of desperation, or from a sense of guilt?
A queen could not guess.
So I would never know, and I could fathom why ancients had blinded him to me, and me to him. Without change and uncertainty, how could a mystery entice? How could intrigue last eons?
I said to King See. “The words I say and this choice I make are the easy part. The harder part is to embody and believe these words and this choice. That part could prove impossible, and that makes this part easier, really, because that impossibility lends this moment perspective.”
He straightened in his shackles. “I would hear your words to know your mind. I would hear your choice to know your heart.”
King See occasionally displayed this flair for poetic prose. Other kings were silent, though their silences ranged fromhopeful to entertained to sneering and to jealous. I was warmed to find that King Bring’s jealousy originated from the perspective ofwantingthe interaction between me and King See for himself and Princess Bring, instead of wantingme.
How clearly I saw four kings, and how unclearly I saw one.
I raised my chin. “King See, I forgive you. I forgive you for betraying me to force me to navigate the only future that led to saving the world. I understand your reasons for doing so, and I appreciate the inner turmoil that treating me in such a way must have caused you. Thank you for betraying me as you did.”
Perhaps the last sentence was not entirely convincing. I tried again. “Thank you for betraying me as you did.”
Resentful and bitter.
I pursed my lips.
“Think of your happiest memory, then try again,” mumbled King Raise from where he stared down into his stairway kingdom.
I thought back to Princess Bring happily squelching in dirty sand. “Thank you for betraying me as you did.”
“Much better?” King Raise said after a prolonged pause.
I would work on that.
See exhaled. “You believe me.”
“How did he get that?”muttered King Take.
I had to agree with King Take. “I came here to speak words and a choice, sir, as I said. Nothing more.”
His milky gaze shuttered. “Ah, yes. I fathom. You speak the words in the hopes they come true. In the hopes they will save the world.”
“I do, and I fear they meant even less than I wished them to.” How very annoying. “I do hope to make myself believe those words and you.”
How was that to be done? A queen had no ideas beyond this one. Speaking the words and choice had seemed theobvious first step. Without acknowledging my intent, how could that intent grow into a sentiment?
“From declared intent, may come true sentiment,” murmured King See.
I narrowed my eyes. But surely he could not read my mind. Surely. “You are aware of our timeline. You will need to ponder this matter night and day for a solution. A queen will not be responsible for the entirety of our destiny, and she feels like being far less than half responsible after your betrayal.”
Turning from him, I walked to King Raise, who was shackled to a panel on the ground. Like all kings, he faced his previous kingdom, and so Raise peered downward to look upon the thousands of stairways that he used to be sovereign of.
Soon to be governed by his duchess, though the kingdom would always belong to me.
Or perhaps it was a duchy now.
The panel rotated him up to face the sky, and then stood him upright in front of me.
“Sir, you are free of my stitch.” I called my stitch back and it wiggled into place to join two of my patches. “Sir, you are free of my shackle.”
His shackles creaked open and clanged to the copper panel.
King Raise remained frozen, and then lifted his arms as if in a dream. He rubbed his wrists. “But free?” he whispered.
