6.
"Milady, may I compliment you on your performance today?"
Emilia quickly smoothed over a frown and said something polite. She hadn't often talked to Sir Radant, the handsome commander of the imperial archers. Though a princess, her military rank was relatively low, and the only Falcon General she saw regularly was Espria.
For a moment, she wondered if the unmarried Radant were aiming for an easy in to the imperial family, then dismissed the idea. According to Valena, he already had three or four women and probably wouldn't make any serious move until she was somewhat older. She didn't like Radant, but she was pleased to know someone so handsome and important had been watching the aerial drills that morning.
"I admire your determination greatly," Radant continued, lifting his wineglass in a small salute. "So many princesses would shrink behind a brother so...assertive." Emilia nodded, not quite sure how to respond. Radant bowed and moved on through the solarium, following the steps of one of Yggdra's ladies in waiting.
Emilia bit into her fudge torte and glanced at the clock: quarter to nine. Gulcasa hadn't told her when to be ready - indeed, she'd hardly seen him all day, and that from a distance - but the sky was already darkening. She licked chocolate frosting from her fingertips, grabbed a small butterscotch mousse, and edged her way out of the crowded solarium. She'd need to find her father before she could retire to her room. Another of many trials of being underage.
Because the gathering was in its final week, all the delegations seemed to be in higher spirits, and Emilia had to dodge small clusters of people in the hallways, the balconies, the reading rooms. She glanced at each, searching for her father. There was the White Rose on a balcony, being poured a glass of wine by one of her pet golems. There were several of the southern bishops, heatedly discussing the morality of a play that was to be performed later tonight. Falcon Generals Baldus and Eleazar arguing, looking as though they'd like to kill each other.
She finally found the emperor in a lit alcove, sequestered with Pope Joachim and King Ordene Arn Artwaltz of Fantasinia. Putting on her most engaging, respectful face, she walked over to the edge of the light, close enough to be noticed, but hardly close enough to intrude.
"The greatest blessing for all of our countries," the pope was saying, "is only peace. There is no prosperity without it."
Ordene took a sip of wine, his blue eyes the same shade as Yggdra's, his voice easy. "Fantasinia has always championed peace. We see no need to disrupt it for the petty chance to colonize."
Alkimus narrowed his eyes, bit down on his lower lip, which was half-hidden in his beard, and strategically chose this moment to acknowledge Emilia. He broke into an expansive smile. "My darling, do you need something?"
Emilia bowed her head to King Ordene, a deeper a bow to the pope, then said in an unrecognizably polite voice, "I wished to bid you goodnight, Father."
Alkimus patted her cheek, which he hadn't done for years, as if to say Could such a doting papa disrupt anyone's peace? "Sweet dreams, Emilia."
Emilia turned away and rolled her eyes at the three of them and their maneuvering - well, it came with the job of ruling a country, she supposed - then hurried back to her room. At a demure walk in very crowded hallways.
She dismissed Valena and changed out of her gown, wondering what Gulcasa wanted her to do. After a moment's thought, she put on her riding gear, then threw her nightgown on over it in case Valena came in for something. Then she turned down her lamp, climbed into bed, and waited.
So she was awake to hear the rasp of paper slid under her door.
She waited half a minute, then crept through the darkness to the door. In the strip of light from the outside hallway, she could see a short note. She angled it towards the light and read: Window.
Pulling her nightgown over her head and grabbing her small mace, Emilia slunk to the nearest window and peeked out. The night was moonless. Her room was high above any ramparts; the nearest landing was a sloped roof ten feet below.
And there, hazy from the light of a window on the lower level, was a slight figure.
Emilia didn't pause to wonder if it were a trap. She opened the window and eased herself halfway out, dangling her legs down. After a moment, she felt two hands grasp her ankles. She almost shrieked in fear: one of the hands was a large, metal claw. But then she realized it must be one of her father's special forces. Only now wondering if she might be tricked by an enemy, she released the windowsill.
The woman below caught her and held her fast a moment, wordlessly warning her to be quiet. Emilia could see slightly more of her - short hair, a mask over one eye, the other eye flashing yellow. The assassin released her and cautiously moved down the roof, only beckoning Emilia until more than a minute had passed.
Emilia had no idea how to sneak out of a castle, so she followed the assassin as closely as possible, trying to mimic each movement and footstep. The assassin knew her way, somehow, and they moved through the pitch dark without attracting notice. Shortly, Emilia stopped feeling mortared stone under her feet; she felt dirt. Then grass. Then the air grew close and rustled, and she realized they were in a forest. The assassin took her arm with her clawed hand and murmured, "Step carefully, milady."
Well, she tried. The assassin couldn't keep her from tripping over logs and rocks, but she kept her from falling. And swearing. Every time Emilia pitched forward, the assassin clamped her claw over her mouth.
Eventually, she saw firelight flickering in the darkness. The assassin tensed and moved more carefully than before. Then, for no reason Emilia could account for, she relaxed just slightly and glided forward.
"Reporting, Your Highness," the assassin said as they stepped into the firelight, she finally releasing Emilia's face in order to genuflect.
Gulcasa himself knelt in front of a map alongside one of the dragoons from his personal unit. Neither were dressed in their platemail, but in lighter, less-conspicuous chainmail. Several more lightly-armored dragon knights stood at a distance, two more assassins even further from the firelight. Emilia could hear a hoof stamp in the darkness, and the irritated chuckle of a griffon. "Excellent work, Zilva." He gestured Emilia closer. "You're going to be my eyes tonight, Sister."
Emilia crouched down next to him, not bothering to hide her smile, gratified that, whatever Gulcasa was entrusting her with, it was secret and important.
The map showed the extreme west of Verlaine, its border with Fantasinia, and the Lennesey Mountains. Gulcasa pointed to their eastern foothills, to a loosely winding river. "Eight miles from here." He pointed to their own location, then drew his finger in a straight line back to the river, to a crescent lake that ran alongside. "How fast can you fly there?"
"Less than an hour, but if you want me to stay hidden..."
"We're allowing for three hours. Giving ample time for Zilva to scout from the ground. Likewise, I want you on the lookout from the air."
Emilia nodded. Her flight commander, Leris, had trained her what to watch for on lookout. "What'll I find at the oxbow lake?"
"A merchant's camp. You'll see a fire. Don't approach it, and try not to be seen. Wait, hold your lookout, and report to me." Emilia would've liked to learn more, but she sensed she'd be most useful obeying. She gave him a thumbs-up. Gulcasa looked past her and nodded to Zilva.
She rose. "Alara. Jula." With that, the three women slipped into the shadows.
Gulcasa had Emilia wait ten minutes before having a knight bring a griffon forward - a griffon she didn't recognize, who wouldn't instantly be associated with the princess of Bronquia. She mounted, the saddle little more than a leather pad with a girth. In lieu of stirrups, she buckled her thighs into leather loops attached to the saddle, giving her the best compromise between stability and mobility. Making sure her mace hung securely from her belt, she gathered up the reins and maneuvered the griffon around, studying the trees overhead so she'd be able to launch from the forest. Gulcasa repeated his instructions, then stepped well out of wing-range. Emilia tightened her legs, the griffon lowered herself - then leapt into the air, surging higher with each wing beat.
Emilia waited until she was high above the tree line before leveling off; in the black night, she'd be able to make out a campfire even at her highest altitudes. She studied the stars and tracked east, following the arc of the Raven constellation.
As she slipped through the night, Emilia wondered if she should feel more nervous, should rebuke herself. But it was hard. She felt safer in the air than on the ground. The only things that could hurt her were archers, mages and other griffon riders, and their visibility would just as low as hers. Of course, Gulcasa would be on the ground, in greater danger. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she again checked her direction by the Raven. The ground was opaque beneath her, trees rustling in the wind.
What was Gulcasa up to? Did Father know about this? Emilia chewed her lower lip. Was there some sort of plot Gulcasa didn't want Father knowing about? No, even if Father was unaware of it, Gulcasa would never act against his own family. She'd heard him talking with Baldus not long ago, about how his kin were as dear as Bronquia to him.
And another thing: She knew if Gulcasa were betraying someone, he wouldn't trick her into collaborating. He'd give her the honest choice of making herself a traitor.
She shivered. Gulcasa must know what he was doing. He'd never given her any reason not to trust her. Well, maybe the dead bear incident...
Something below snagged her attention. It was starlight, reflected and broken in the wide curves of the river. Emilia dropped altitude slightly, searching for an isolated crescent of the river - an oxbow lake. There was a light, as bright as a candle flame. She dropped further, seeing a small wagon, several shapes that were probably horses, and five or six people around the campfire. She made a broad loop, using the silhouette of the mountains as cover, then flew slowly in the direction from which she'd come, checking to see if any trouble had appeared behind her.
She continued making sweeps until she saw a light flare in the forest. Cautiously dropping altitude, she saw it was Gulcasa and his men, one of them carrying a torch. Gulcasa, on horseback, was hearing Zilva's report when Emilia flapped down, scattering leaves and putting out the torch. Emilia made her report while the dragon knights struggled to relight it.
"Excellent," Gulcasa said, his eyes catching the torch-flare. "We'll advance. Emilia, Zilva, you go ahead. Do not approach the camp until I arrive."
Valiantly holding back her questions, Emilia took to the air. Shortly, she saw the torch and four riders emerge from the forest. There was movement in the camp, three of the figures walking forward across the black field. She couldn't see Zilva or her women.
Gulcasa halted within shouting range of the camp, bringing his arm up. Emilia recognized the gesture from her training and flew down, landing not far from him. She drew her legs back on the griffon, signaling her to keep her wings extended, prepared either to attack or fly.
"Your Princeship," said the man in front, a simply-clad merchant who, from his words and his lack of a genuflect, clearly didn't deal much with royalty. "I have the packages you promised to buy."
"Let me speak to them," Gulcasa demanded.
The merchant gestured to his flunkies, who ran back to the fire. Emilia heard some quick talking - "We can walk on our own!" - and then the campfire was deserted as all four figures approached the prince. Gulcasa nodded the torch-bearer forward.
Emilia raised her eyebrows. The light showed the "packages" half in shadow - twin girls, blonde, blue-eyed and delicately featured. Their hair was matted, faces streaked with dust, and one had a broad, blistered gash down her cheek. They were about fifteen years old.
"What are your names?" Gulcasa asked, pitching his voice to a somewhat gentler tone.
"I'm-" The girl who spoke swallowed, as if trying to cover the rasp in her voice. "I'm Aegina, and she's Luciana."
Gulcasa turned to the merchant. "What else?"
"They have no other names," the merchant said. "I don't know how you knew about them, they're nothing but whore brats. Not famous or anything." He laughed. "I don't usually get such specific requests."
Gulcasa waited a beat and turned back to the twins. "What are your middle names?"
Luciana's eyes widened, and she gave Aegina a careful look before speaking. "Rune and Eine, sir."
"As he said," Gulcasa muttered, soft enough that only Emilia and perhaps his knights could hear. "Very well," he said more clearly. "Godard, pay him."
One of the knights rode toward the merchant, who gave the twins a distasteful look. "Not to criticize you, sir, but I could get you better virgins." His attention was on Gulcasa, so he didn't notice Godard's drawn sword. Emilia almost cried out to warn him.
And didn't.
Luciana flinched, and Aegina tightened her jaw as the merchant crumpled to the ground. As his flunkies turned to run, Gulcasa gestured two of his remaining knights forward, pursuing at a gallop. Then regarded the twins. "Don't worry. We're not going to harm you."
Aegina grabbed Luciana's wrist and glared.
"You see, I know who you are."
Aegina blinked, her face becoming sterner, as if she refused to believe. Luciana chewed her pinkie nail.
"Aegina Eine and Luciana Rune, firstborn children of Ordene Arn Artwaltz."
Emilia turned sharply to Gulcasa, no less surprised (rather more so) than the twins. "How did - what?"
"I'm told Luciana was born first. That would make you the heir."
Luciana spluttered, her voice harsh, as if she refused to believe any of this. "Yes, but Mum always said - we're bastards, aren't we? We have no rights!"
"Let us go!" Aegina demanded, though no one had restrained them.
Gulcasa cocked his eyebrow. "Legitimacy. Is Ordene no less your father than Yggdra's?" He smiled. "Regardless of how little your own people value you, I do not want to see either of you lost. Will you come with me?"
"Brother?" Emilia whispered.
He ignored her, steady under both of the twins' stares.
"Ordene-" Aegina said the name with no tenderness "-would just try to have us killed again. He's tried before."
"What?" Emilia asked, trying to think of Ordene, so soft-spoken, so courteous of Yggdra, seeking to murder his own children.
Everyone ignored Emilia. Gulcasa paused a moment, then dismounted, approaching by only a step. Even so, the twins stepped away. "You will have to keep your surname secret, for now. But-"
"You've got a plan," Luciana shot back. "I can tell." She held tightly to her twin's arm, either for security or to protect her.
"Yes," Gulcasa admitted. "But it's a better plan than the one that merchant had for you."
Aegina glanced at the merchant's corpse, tightening her lips, her shoulders trembling in a swift shudder. Luciana rested her forehead against her twin's for a moment, then said, "It can't be much worse."
"All right," Aegina muttered. "We'll go along. For now."
"I appreciate it." By then, the knights had returned from their duties. "Egar, let them have your horse. Emilia, I need you to scout our way west. I will have to drop these two off before we return to the castle."
Emilia rode close as he remounted. "What is going on? Ordene had - What are you planning?"
"I can't tell you now, we need to hurry back."
"But you will tell!"
He legged his horse around. "Yes, in time."
"How - how did you even know they existed?"
Gulcasa glanced back at the twins. "I have a thorough informant."
"That's not an answer, you nitwit!"
"Scout ahead," was his reply. And though he said it with a smile, it didn't give Emilia any consolation.