Author's Note: First of all, I apologize for keeping you waiting for this chapter for so long. It's Lily's fault. I've lamented a few times about my characters holding me hostage and taking me on a 48-hour whirlwind editing spree. They added plot twists, sub-plots, new scenes, and they assured me that I'd be rewriting every chapter of Book Two [so far, that's been pretty accurate]. This chapter was held hostage by Lily demanding that I get her story line going.
Originally, Lily didn't have a plot at all; she was just going to be comic relief. But then she had the audacity to develop into a fully fleshed-out character, and she became important to the plot of what is now Book Four. Which meant that I had to go back and retroactively fit her in to the plot of Book Two. So yeah, from this point on, everything you're reading about Lily was added to the story about six months after I'd finished writing the original draft of Book Two. Her POV in this chapter was especially difficult for me to write, and it's the reason why this chapter wasn't out a week ago.
Tarrant and Dafydd also surprised me when I was originally writing this chapter. I hadn't originally planned for Dafydd to reveal quite so much as he does. But I can't be mad at him for it, because the confrontation between Tarrant and Dafydd was so great. The dynamics of their relationship are a joy for me to play with.
Naming Note: The name Shadhavar comes from a creature in Persian mythology. I got the title Marquis of Lutwidge from Lewis Carroll's real name.
Disclaimer: A bit of the history of Underland is inspired by the myth of Atlantis, as well as the pseudo-mythology of Tolkien [the fall of Gondolin, which is also based off the Atlantis myth]. Pretty much because I couldn't help myself.
Special Thanks: My beta Thirteen Thorns was instrumental in helping me get through Lily's POV. I hated the original version of the scene I wrote, and she was the one to help me fix it and find ways to ensure that Lily's story works the way I want it to. A million thanks to her!
The rescue party was largely silent as Tarrant led the way through Witzend towards the border mountains. It was hard to say who was more grim and displeased; Alice looked murderous as she held herself stiffly upright on Lewis, Tarrant was darkly brooding as he swayed in Windmare's saddle, and Dafydd's silence was so absolute and choking that it was astounding he was still breathing. No one spoke, but their anger with each other and their fear for Regina was clear in the set of their shoulders, their rigid postures.
For a while, the silence suited Alice just fine. After all, she wasn't particularly pleased with either of her travel companions, and she didn't particularly want their company. However, the longer she sat lost in the silence, the more she began to sink into her own mind, which was nothing so much as a writhing, coiling mass of snakes, hissing her fears and angers back to her. Her fears for Regina's safety, her uneasy certainty that Regina would not thank her for being part of the rescue party, her anger at Dafydd for failing to protect Regina, her hatred of herself for not coming along to Hightopp Hill in the first place… No, Alice could not abide her own mind right now.
"Tell me about the Outlands, Dafydd," she said suddenly, desperate to escape her own thoughts.
At first, Dafydd didn't really register that Alice had spoken. And then it took him another moment to process what she'd said. Those two seconds, however, were all it took for him to get angry all over again. So first Alice would heap abuse on their heads for their failure to protect Regina, and then she would join the rescue party when she clearly wasn't up to it, and now she was going to order him around?
Maybe Ioan had been right; maybe traveling alone with the Blue Royals wasn't his brightest idea.
Still, he had two choices- talk to Alice, or wrestle with his own dark thoughts, with the drums pounding in his brain that screamed for war and blood and destruction and death. He couldn't give in to the drums, and however he felt about Regina's mother, she was still Alice the Champion and could prove to be a useful ally in the Outlands. So he caved to the inevitable, and pulled Arturias abreast with Lewis.
"What do you want to know?" he asked.
"Anything useful," Alice said. "History, topography, how your people came to be there. Anything that might help us find my child."
Dafydd shrugged. "My clan ended up there the same way most Outlanders did- we were banished by an Adamasi king. There are legends that some of the Animal clans have been out there since the arrival of the first High King and his Hightopp attendants pushed them out."
"You malign my ancestors when you speak thus, you scallywag," Tarrant chimed in.
Though he was frowning, the sickly topaz of his eyes eased a bit, the dark bruise-like shadows around his eyes receding. Alice couldn't pretend she wasn't glad to see it, even though she was well aware that Dafydd and Tarrant were going to begin another bout of their verbal sparring. Regina was always tickled when the two of them got to bantering… Wincing, Alice shied away from the painful thought. She didn't want to think about her daughter right now; fast on those thoughts came guilt and regret and fear and she really didn't want to deal with any of that right now.
"The Hightopps pushed no one off their land," Tarrant continued.
"Perhaps the Hightopps didn't, but the Adamasi surely did," Dafydd said, and he wasn't completely successful in hiding the bitterness in his voice.
"I didn't know the Hightopps weren't always here," Alice said curiously. "Where did they come from?"
"From Over-Sea," Tarrant replied. "An island kingdom that sank beneath the waves. And the Adamasi held an alliance with the Outlands for generations," he shot back at Dafydd.
"True enough," Dafydd acknowledged. "Until Aleric came to the throne," he added, biting off the words and spitting out Aleric's name as though it were the filthiest of curses. "Aleric is the one who banished my people to the Outlands, because we refused to fight in his wars. Which were unfounded," he said acerbically.
"Aye, they were," Tarrant allowed. "Aleric was a bit of a warmonger. That's how Queast and Marmoreal were added to Underland's borders," he informed Alice coolly, barely sparing her a glance. "Before Aleric, the High Kings resided in Crims."
"Did they?" Alice asked, intrigued. "Why the change?"
"The Shuffling of the Deck," Tarrant replied. "Aleric was deposed and his crown was given to his wife, Amalia, the first High Queen. Amalia decreed that from then on, Underland would be ruled by Queens, and the Queens would shuffle the crown of the High Queen between them, to prevent one Suit from ruling supreme over the others. After the Red Queen was banished, Mirana took the crown as High Queen, so Marmoreal is now the seat of Underland."
"How interesting," Alice murmured. "But by the time Amalia took the crown, the Nazari were already banished."
Alice would have preferred to remain distrustful of Dafydd and his compatriots. They had been a threat, after all; the same men who had been sent into Underland by Stayne in order to attack her daughter. Alice didn't want to feel sorry for Dafydd. Especially not now, when his clan was responsible for her daughter's abduction. They were the enemy; she didn't want to relate to them.
But she couldn't help but feel for Dafydd, and his entire clan. It must have been very hard for them to be exiled from their homeland, and for such an unjust reason. Alice knew what it was like to be separated from the sustaining magic of Underland; could she really blame the Nazari for wanting to return home? Of course, she abhorred the action they had taken in their attempt to return; she could not, and would not, forgive them for kidnapping her daughter and waging war on her. But she understood the impulse behind it.
"Aye," Dafydd nodded. "The Outlands are desert now. Very little water anywhere, and the sun's relentless. Most Outlanders banded together in the oases and formed city-states. Then there's the bands of Centaurs and Sirens."
"Are your people the only nomads?" Alice asked.
"No," Dafydd negated. "But we're the largest clan. We probably won't run into anyone else though, not if Niall's as close to the mountains as I think he is."
"I see," Alice replied, biting her lip.
Well, that was troubling. On the one hand, it was wonderful that Regina wasn't terribly far away; the more quickly they could get to her, the more likely that they'd find her alive and unharmed. But if the Nazari were that close to the mountains, it meant they were also very close to invading Underland. Regina might be willing to offer the Nazari sanctuary in Crims, but Alice wasn't comfortable with them being that close to their ancestral homelands.
"Will they hold her hostage for ransom?" Alice asked.
"It's possible," Dafydd allowed. "Niall probably won't want to kill her. She's too valuable a bartering chip. He could use her to…" He paused, shooting a covert glance at Tarrant, before reluctantly continuing. "To legitimize his claim to Iplam."
Tarrant stiffened, his face instantly closing itself off and freezing into an expressionless mask. Alice glanced between the two men, wondering what conclusions Tarrant was coming to and what undercurrents she was missing.
"Iplam," he said flatly.
Dafydd sighed and looked at Tarrant fully, resigned and apologetic and steadfast all at once. "Iplam is Tearmunn. Our homeland."
Tarrant yanked on Windmare's reigns, pulling the Horse to a stop, and stared at Dafydd in amazement. For a long moment he didn't speak, merely stared at the young Outlander as though he'd never seen him before.
"Of course," he breathed. "The Nazari, the Fearail… you're those. The Lost Ones."
"Is that what your kin called us?" Dafydd asked softly. "I didn't think they ever spoke of us again."
"Not often," Tarrant allowed. "But everyone heard the tales of the Wandering Ones at least once. That's how you knew about the Music."
"Aye," Dafydd confirmed.
Alice's breath caught in her throat as Tarrant's irises faded back to sickly yellow-brown, dark bruises appearing around his eyes. His mouth twisted in a snarl as his fingers, claw-like, tightened around the reins.
"Teel me, laddie," Tarrant glared, hand twitching around the pommel of his claymore. "Was 'at yer plan frae th' start? Charm mah bairn intae trustin' ye, likin' ye, sae she'd leid ye tae th' Brae? Waur ye plannin' oan soakin' in th' Magic ay th' Hightopps an' usin' it tae claeem th' lain fur yerself? Waur ye an' yer men workin' in league wi' th' villains 'at stole mah Regina?" he roared, his accent growing thicker with every word until he burred so badly that Alice could hardly understand him.
Dafydd remained silent while Tarrant accused him. When Tarrant finished, Dafydd squared his shoulders and looked Tarrant dead in the eye as he quietly defended himself.
"I won't pretend that wasn't our reason for allying with Stayne," he acknowledged. "He promised to lift our banishment and give us our land back, if we invaded and killed you, and the High Queen, and Regina. In the beginning, that was why we agreed to come to Crims," he admitted, pausing for a moment before continuing. "But not now. We felt the magic on the Hill, but we can't hear it. The land has forgotten us. And even if I wanted to reclaim Tearmunn…" He shook his head as a muscle in his jaw twitched. "I would never trade Regina for that. Not now."
Tarrant's eyes narrowed and his glare became, if possible, even more filled with hatred and anger. And while Alice wasn't overly fond of Dafydd, she had to give him credit; he didn't flinch beneath Tarrant's glare. He held his ground, meeting Tarrant's gaze squarely. That took a good deal of courage, and she grudgingly respected him for being man enough to face Tarrant's hatred. Besides, she couldn't risk him getting killed by an angry Hatter; he was their guide, after all.
"Now isn't the time to lay blame," she pointedly said. "We need to focus on Regina."
As Alice had gambled, Regina's name held power enough over Tarrant's psyche to recall him to himself. Dangerous- and dangerously close to Madness- he was, but Alice had known that he would push it aside for his daughter. Ignoring Tarrant so that he could pull himself back together, Alice refocused on Dafydd.
"So they won't kill her," she said, trying to look at this situation as pragmatically as she could.
"Probably not," Dafydd agreed. "Niall might try to get her to see things his way."
And Dafydd knew exactly how Niall would do it; he'd offer Regina a marriage deal. Which, frankly, was embarrassing. He didn't need his brother to arrange his marriage for him. Fates, the last time Niall had tried that, it had ended in disaster with his Betrothed, Afanen, having an affair with his cousin Taran, among a laundry list of others. Anyways, the idea of he and Regina being forced into marriage, and for such a manipulative, selfish reason… it made his stomach turn. He couldn't do that to her, couldn't let her be trapped like that. Especially not after everything he'd almost done to her. He'd once wanted to steal her birthright by force and murder; how could he condone stealing it from her through marriage? How could he negate his promises to her like that?
"She won't go along with it," Tarrant declared, his eyes fierce as they scanned the horizon.
"I'm sure she won't," Dafydd said wryly. "But if Niall tries to convince her, it buys us time."
"And if he loses patience?" Alice pressed.
Dafydd's face darkened, and he clenched his jaw. "He'll invade," he replied shortly. "And he'll dispose of Regina. My guess would be the Gulges."
Alice felt her stomach dropping; she didn't like the sound of that. Hold onto your Muchness, girl, she berated herself.
"What are the Gulges?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"It's a maze of a canyon," he replied. "No one really goes there. Niall will either have her killed outright, or he'll just set her loose in the gorge. Even if she did make it out, it's still in the middle of nowhere. No shade, no water. She wouldn't stand a chance."
"Then we must find your people before Niall sends her away," Alice said determinedly. "What's the easiest route into the Outlands?"
"There isn't one," Tarrant replied shortly.
"Aleric bewitched the mountains," Dafydd explained upon seeing Alice's confused face. "Getting into the Outlands is hard enough, but the spell was meant to make it impossible to get back out again."
"But you're here," Alice pointed out. "Your men are here. Clearly it's not impossible."
"Nothing's impossible," Tarrant reminded her, barely even turning his head to glance over his shoulder at her. "But it will be slow going."
Alice bristled at the implication. She knew that she had Aged, that she wasn't as spry has she had been once. But to insinuate that she would slow the rescue party down, that she couldn't keep up with them! What had happened to the Hatter she remembered? This angry, insulting man was intolerable; she wanted her Hatter to be with her, to help her find their child.
"You're no spring rooster yourself, Hatter," she snapped. "Set the pace and I shall keep up."
Tarrant rolled his eyes in irritation, but didn't bother to grace her with a reply. He simply spurred Windmare on, turning towards the looming mountains ahead. Alice gritted her teeth in discomfort; by the Butterfly, her joints were already aching from Lewis' rolling gait. But she was determined not to slow them down; she wouldn't give Tarrant the satisfaction of holding it over her head that he'd been right. So she clenched her jaw and followed him, glaring at his back. And following along behind them, Dafydd allowed himself the luxury of slapping his palm against his forehead, sighing heavily. At this rate, it would be a miracle if they found Regina before they all killed each other…
Hold on, dearbadan-de, he silently pleaded with her. I don't know if we'll get to you in one piece, but we're coming… just hold on a little while longer…
Lily hurried through the halls of the palace, gripping her filmy skirts in both hands as she rushed towards her mother's study. The palace had been buzzing with rumors all evening; even the walls had been whispering to each other in speculation. Rumor had it that the Azure Princess had been stolen, again. That the Blue Queen and the Sapphire King were mounting an army to rescue her. That the Oraculum had nothing to say on the matter. That the Princess' Outlandish bodyguards had all been expelled from Witzend by the Blue Queen. In general, Lily ignored the rumors whispered behind the fans of the ladies of the Court. One would be wise not to believe everything one heard in a Court whose Queen was the Mistress of White Lies.
However, when Lily had tried to contact Regina using their matching set of hand mirrors, she had been unable to connect to her cousin. Given that the Princesses communicated using this method at least twice a day, the fact that Regina's mirror was suddenly unavailable was strange. True, Regina was currently at her beloved Hightopp Hill; perhaps she was busy dancing on the Hill again and had left her mirror in her room. But then why would the Court be buzzing with rumors of abduction, when everyone knew where Regina and Tarrant had gone? And, for that matter, how in all the Days had this rumor gotten started, anyways?
Therefore, Lily was hurrying to her mother, her short black curls bobbing about her pretty face as she approached the study. No one had seen the White Queen since this afternoon; according to the doorknobs, who always knew everything, she had locked herself in the study and would not be disturbed. That seemed to point to a serious situation; it was a rare Day that Mirana ignored her duties to the Court and cloistered herself.
"Ooooh!" the doorknob complained when Lily grasped it. "I'm locked, you know."
"Then unlock yourself," Lily said. "I must see my mother."
"Lily?" Mirana's voice sounded from behind the door. "Is that you?"
"Yes, Mother," Lily replied. "The doorknob won't let me in."
"Twist, would you mind?" Mirana asked.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Twist said, twisting itself.
"Honestly," Lily muttered, rolling her eyes at the temperamental knob before walking into the study. "Mother?"
"Close the door please, Lily," Mirana requested.
Lily did as she was told, then paused, evaluating the scene before her. She wasn't well acquainted with the Duke of Tenniel; after all, the Red Lion was loyal to Crims, not Marmoreal. And besides that, the Lions hadn't been seen in Underland since Iracebeth seized the throne. Leferidae had only reappeared in Crims once Regina defeated Stayne in battle six months ago. Still, in that six months' acquaintance she was quite certain she had never seen him this angry before. His tail twitched agitatedly, his claws threatened to utterly destroy the chair he was gripping, and the force of his glare was truly frightening. But Leferidae was supposed to be in Crims; what was he doing glaring at Mirana?
Standing just behind Mirana, one hoof resting on his hip near his sword, was Shadhavar, the Marquis of Lutwidge. The Unicorn had been the servant of the White Royals since time immemorial; for as long as Lily could remember, Shadhavar had been there, guiding, advising, defending and occasionally acting as Mirana's regent. Idly, Lily wondered if the Lion and Unicorn would come to blows, as their ancestors had once done. Certainly, Shadhavar was displeased with Leferidae; he kept shifting his weight, ready to step between the Lion and Mirana, if it- whatever "it" was- came to that.
The High Queen, for her part, stood behind her desk. Clearly, she and Leferidae had been Having Words; though Mirana's face looked clear and unconcerned, it was clear from the set of her jaw that she was steeled for battle. Her mother's uncustomary stillness unnerved Lily and made her suddenly unsure of what she had walked into.
"Mother?" she asked warily. "What's happened?"
"You've heard the rumors, I assume," Mirana said.
Lily nodded, a terrifying possibility beginning to form in her mind. "Are they true?"
"If every rumor whispered in my Court was true, Underland would have fallen into anarchy seven times over by now," Mirana said.
A brief smile graced her pale face. However, the instant Leferidae growled low in his throat, the Queen's visage sobered again. Shadhavar shot Leferidae a quelling look, stamping a hoof in irritation. The Lion and the Unicorn exchanged a glance, having a silent conversation in a moment, before the Lion backed down, looking away with a scowl. Ignoring the Animals' silent conference, Mirana motioned Lily forward, indicating a small, blue-green Egg resting on a thick cushion beneath the warm glow of a lamp.
"The truth, I'm afraid, is worse than the rumors," she said, her voice soft. "Yes, it is true that Regina has been kidnapped-"
"Again?" Lily interrupted. "Are we sure she's not part Fish? She's awfully slippery."
"Well, she is the daughter of the Hatter. Perhaps she's made of mercury," Mirana said, her lips quirking in a smile again.
"Well, that too. So she must be a merfish," Lily shrugged. "Who took her this time?"
Mirana delicately cleared her throat. "I don't know."
Lily frowned. "You don't know? How could you not know? Wouldn't the Oraculum-"
"Yes, it would, if it still existed," Mirana cut Lily off. "But the Oraculum was destroyed when Absolem Faded."
Lily froze, staring, her eyes wide. "Destroyed?"
"I'm afraid so," Mirana nodded. "You must not tell anyone that this has happened, Lily, do you understand? We have enough to deal with, without the people flying into a panic because we no longer have an Oracle."
"Yes Mother," Lily said, her voice subdued. "What will we do now?"
"We will wait for the new Oracle to be born," Mirana replied, indicating the Sac on her desk. "And we'll wait for Tarrant, Alice and Dafydd to bring Regina home."
"Just the three of them alone?" Lily asked, skeptical. "But Alice and Tarrant-"
"I know," Mirana cut her off again, holding up a hand to quell any more arguments. "But despite how they feel about each other, they are still Regina's parents, and it's their right to go after her."
"And it's my right to protect my Queen," Leferidae growled, glaring at Mirana in irritation.
"No, Leferidae, that's Dafydd's right as Champion," Shadhavar corrected him.
"I don't trust the cub to keep her safe," Leferidae argued. "He doesn't even see her clearly-"
"Be that as it may, it is his right to protect her," the Unicorn interrupted. "Your job as the Red Lion is to preserve the queendom until your Queen returns."
Behind their backs, Lily rolled her eyes at the pair of them. Did they really think that arguing like this was going to help bring Regina home safely?
"Mother, if the Oraculum can't help us, how will Alice and Tarrant find her? We don't even know where she is!" she pointed out.
"That's why Dafydd's gone with them," Mirana said. "He could track Regina to the ends of either world."
Lily sighed softly and quirked an eyebrow, shrugging and conceding the point. The great hulking Outlander had been shadowing Regina's steps for months; he probably knew her better than even Lily did. If anyone could track Regina down, it would be Dafydd. Even if he was tied up with Alice and Tarrant.
"But there's nothing we can do?" Lily pressed. "I can't just sit here, helpless!"
"This is not our quest, Lily," Mirana said, a note of finality in her voice. "This quest was given to Alice, Tarrant and Dafydd for a reason. We cannot interfere."
Alright, Lily understood Leferidae's frustration now.
She beat a hasty retreat back to her own rooms, frowning as she stalked through the halls. How could her mother ask her to just sit around when Regina was in trouble? Regina was her best friend, her cousin; Lily couldn't countenance not coming to her aid.
Her mother was constantly pulling her back, Lily thought with a scowl as she paced through her chambers. Lily had wanted to join the battle against the Knave on the chessfield, but Mirana had refused that, too. Just because she was a Princess, that didn't mean she was helpless! Her father had been training her in swordplay and survival skills her entire life. She was just as capable as Tarrant and Alice at finding Regina. Indeed, she had a distinct advantage over them, being younger and not as Mad.
It wasn't that she doubted Dafydd, she thought. She knew that Regina's Outlandish Champion was perfectly capable of finding Regina all by himself. It wasn't a contest to see who the better tracker was. But Regina was probably lost and afraid and alone, and in need of a hug. Brilliant Champion Dafydd might be, but Lily highly doubted he could do for Regina what another woman could do, simply by being a shoulder to lean on. Absolem knew that Regina wouldn't care to lean on her mother's shoulder; Lily was the only logical choice.
A purring, thoughtful voice broke into Lily's thoughts, seemingly plucking her thoughts out of her head and voicing them.
"You know, if it was my cousin missing, I'd stop at nothing to find her."
Lily turned, blinking in surprise to see Witzend lounging on her bed. Lily hadn't seen much of Regina's Kitten lately; she'd been spending much of her time with the Cheshire Cat doing Underland only knew what. Witzend had certainly never sought Lily out like this before.
"I can't just sneak out," Lily pointed out. "Mother would send Pawns after me the second anyone realized I was missing."
"Seems to me that you need to be in two places at once," Witzend said complacently, licking her paw.
"I have yet to hear of anyone who's pulled that off," Lily rolled her eyes.
Witzend looked up at Lily, tilting her head. "The Hatter pulled it off."
"Yes, but he had Chess-"
Lily cut herself off mid-sentence as that thought caught up to her. She refocused on Witzend to find the Cat smiling at her smugly.
"I can't masquerade as you indefinitely, you know," Witzend purred. "I have other people to take care of. But I can give you at least a few hours; long enough to get to Iplam."
Lily frowned. "Iplam?"
"Regina's in the Outlands. With Dafydd's kin," Witzend frowned. "You'll need a guide who knows that land. Fortunately for you, there are eleven such guides currently in Iplam."
"Ohhh," Lily nodded. "I understand. Thank you, Witzend."
Witzend jumped down from the bed gracefully, trotting over to Lily and twining around her ankles. She rubbed against Lily's leg, batting at her skirts until Lily leaned down to pet her.
"Ouch!" Lily exclaimed, jerking back and shaking her hand. "What was that for?" she demanded, frowning at the beads of blood welling up from the scratches on the back of her hand.
"I need blood to make this work," Witzend informed her apologetically, wrinkling her nose as she licked at the blood on her claws. "Ugh. You taste like licorice. I hate licorice."
"My apologies," Lily said acerbically.
Witzend didn't reply. The Cat sat perfectly still, closing her eyes. Lily watched, fascinated, as the air around the Cat began to waver, as if she were looking at Witzend through steam. And then Witzend herself began to waver, and to change. Lily watched, fascinated, as Witzend's body began to curve and turn white, as her legs disappeared beneath a billow of white, as her ears slid down her skull and the hairs on top of her head darkened and grew longer. Moments later, the No-Longer-Cat stood, shaking out her frothy white skirts.
"Well," Lily said blankly, staring at her doppelganger. "This is certainly odd."
"I find it odder that you're standing and gawking at me instead of changing and sneaking out of the palace," the Other Lily replied, folding her arms. "I can't do everything for you."
Shaking her head, Lily rushed into her dressing room. Witzend-Lily followed, tugging at the buttons on her dress.
"I always thought opposable thumbs would be lovely," she said, sounding frustrated. "But they're slippery little buggers."
"Well, you have time to practice with them," Lily pointed out.
She kicked aside her dress and hurriedly changed into the breeches, boots and poet's shirt she wore to practice with her weapons. She grabbed a knapsack and quickly filled it with a few essentials- flint and tinder, water skins, a blanket, dried jerky, and coins for bartering. Snatching up her dagger belt and her bow and quiver of arrows, she headed outside, trying to look like she was merely going down to the practice fields for some exercise.
Fortunately, the palace gardens were miraculously deserted, and Lily wasn't accosted as she hurried to the stables. She peeked through the door, and upon finding everything quiet she walked to her Bear's stable, placing a finger on her lips to warn the other Animals to silence.
"Feel like a run, my friend?" she asked as she let herself into the Bear's stall.
"You look heavy," Urso frowned. "Why all the extra limbs?"
"Wha-? Oh," Lily said, glancing at her weapons. "I'll explain on the way."
Urso sighed, lumbering to his feet. He stood patiently while Lily strapped on his saddle, then followed Lily out to the yard.
"I hope I get honey for this," he commented as Lily clambered into the saddle.
"And some berries, if you hurry," Lily promised him.
In an instant, Urso was off, carrying Lily away from Marmoreal and towards Iplam. Urso wasn't the fastest of Animals, but Time must have been feeling unusually generous, because it didn't take as long to cross Underland as Lily would have thought. Usually it took at least a few hours to cross the breadth of Underland, but Lily was arriving in Iplam before the sun had fully set.
Urso drew to a stop in front of the High House. Lily slid off the Bear's back, looking around. It was very quiet, and Lily frowned; had she missed the Fearail? Had they already returned to Crims?
"Hello?" she called. "Anyone home?"
"Princess Lily? What are you doing here?"
Lily turned around to face one of Regina's Deuces [she had never learned all of their names]. In all honestly, Lily didn't have much patience for Regina's guards; they were all brusque to the point of rudeness, and they tended to keep as far away from Lily and her siblings as possible. She had no idea what their problem was, and she had no patience to find out right now. Not when she was on a mission.
"I've come to go after Gigi," she informed him. "Have Dafydd and the Blue Royals left yet?"
"This morning," the Deuce shrugged dismissively. "You might as well go home, Princess. I doubt you'd help 'em any."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lily asked, folding her arms.
"Look, no offense, Princess, but I doubt you'd be much use to three Champions," another of the Deuces chimed in. "They'd end up so busy protecting your precious hide that they'd have no time to find Regina."
"How dare you!" Lily scowled. "You know nothing about me!"
"Oh, we know everything about you, Adamasi," another of the Deuces said as he ambled up, a sneer on his face. "You're just like the rest of your kind. Arrogant, spoiled, and cruel."
"Excuse me?" Lily spat, her voice dripping with disdain. "I have done nothing to any of you."
"You and your kind have done plenty," a Deuce spat back, glaring at her. "Go home and leave Regina to us."
"Enough."
Lily watched the Deuces all shut up in unison, every last one of them refocusing on a point over Lily's shoulder. She turned, silently thanking the stars. Apart from Dafydd, Ioan was the only Fearail Lily was really familiar with. Ioan might not be the courtliest gentleman she'd ever met; as a matter of fact he was acerbic and blunt and never genteel in anything he did. But that was why she enjoyed his company. That and the fact that he wasn't quite as rude as the rest of the Deuces. Surely he could help her.
"What are you doing here, Princess?" Ioan asked coolly.
Or perhaps not.
"I'm going to the Outlands to find Gigi," she replied staunchly.
"Right," Ioan said. "And what makes you think that you're better qualified than Dafydd?"
"I never said I was," Lily retorted. "But I can't just sit and do nothing while my cousin is in danger. When Dafydd finds her, she's going to need me."
"I don't have time to argue this with you," Ioan said.
"Good. Then we won't argue. Where's your Horse, I'll get Urso and we'll leave," Lily said stubbornly.
"Ioan, leave her with us, we'll take care of her," one of the Deuces broke in. "You have to go now if you're going to catch up with him."
"You're already going after Dafydd? Perfect," Lily said, throwing her arms up. "Why are we wasting time?"
"Go home, Princess," one of the Deuces snapped. "This isn't your concern-"
"She's coming with me," Ioan said suddenly.
"I am?" Lily blinked in surprise.
"She's what?" one of the Deuces echoed.
Ioan glanced at his men. "When we find Regina, she'll need some feminine comfort, and we all know she won't want her mother," he pointed out. "At the very least, she'll be enough to distract Niall."
Lily had no idea what Ioan was talking about, but if it got him to bring her along with him, she wasn't about to question him.
"Stars help you, Ioan," one of the Deuces said sardonically.
"They'll have to, if I'm going to find Dafydd before he loses it," Ioan sighed. "Hope you're ready to travel, Princess."
"Ready when you are," Lily nodded.
Ioan nodded shortly, then whistled for his Horse. As the magnificent Stallion trotted up to him, Lily swung herself onto Urso, hoping that Ioan would lead them quickly.
"Owain's in charge," he informed the Deuces. "Remember what Dafydd said. Scout the woods for the basic healing herbs and food for when we get back. I want one of you to go to Crims and tell Leferidae what's going on. Hopefully we'll all be back in a couple of days."
Ioan glanced at Lily, raising his eyebrows in question. She nodded shortly, spurring Urso on and following as Ioan led them off on the start of their adventure.
Regina hadn't slept at all. She considered this a great testament to her will, because the drugs she'd been given still hadn't completely worn off yet. It would have been so easy to give in to the drowsiness and sleep away her worries. Instead, she had fought to stay awake, knowing that if she wanted to escape her captors, she had to come up with a plan in these hours while they slept.
At least she'd been comfortable through the hours of her vigil. To her surprise, Niall had ordered a couch to be procured for her. He had removed the rope from her wrist- only to attach a longer length of rope to her ankle that kept her tethered to the couch, it was true, but at least she was able to move now. She was even able to pace a little, and she'd always found it easier to think while pacing…
If only there was something useful for escape! Niall hadn't been so stupid as to leave out weapons for her, nor anything so helpful as pishalver or upelkuchen. Granted, he had left a map of the Outlands on his desk, and Regina had studied it intently. From markings made on the map, she'd been able to figure out roughly where she was, and what she assumed were the gorges she would be taken to. After studying the map, she was sure that if she followed the river upstream it would lead her to the mountains, and she could climb over them to get home.
So really, the only plan she had was to somehow overpower her captor once he'd gotten her alone, and then follow the river to make her escape. She didn't like her plan; it was too sketchy, left too much to chance, and it would inevitably involve killing. But what else could she do? She couldn't very well give up. She was the Azure Princess of Witzend, for the Butterfly's sake; the daughter of two Champions of Underland. Her parents had never given up on anything in their life [with the possible exception of rescuing her as a baby, but that was a whole other cup of badly-made tea], and neither would she.
Resigning herself to her plan, Regina had curled up on the couch, overwhelmed by a wave of loneliness. It occurred to her, as she lay there staring into the dark, that she didn't feel safe. Which of course should have been obvious; she was, after all, in enemy territory, kidnapped by men who were going to kill her. But despite the threat of death hanging over her head, she hadn't paid attention to the danger she was in until she tried to recline.
It was the fact that Dafydd wasn't there, she realized suddenly. For months now he had constantly watched over her, sleeping on a pallet at the foot of her bed every night. Every night for six months, she had fallen asleep to the sound of his breathing, and now the silence was keeping her awake. She felt the loss of him, and it made her feel afraid and vulnerable. Funny, that she'd become so dependent upon him in such a short period of time. She'd become so used to having him always a step behind her; his absence now was overwhelming and left her completely unsure of herself. How she wished he were here with her right now…
She shivered, curling up tighter. She was reminded of several nights when she had woken up from a nightmare; always the same one- that she had been forced back Up Above and not only could she not get back Below, but she didn't even remember what she was looking for. Dafydd, never a heavy sleeper, had always woken up when she shot straight up, and he had never failed to sit beside her, to calm her and to watch over her as she fell back asleep. Sometimes he had told her stories of the Outlands, or fairy tales from his childhood; sometimes he would have her tell him of her childhood. But he had never failed to ease her panic and send her back to sleep. She wished he was here now.
Well, part of her did; the part that was afraid and wanted the comfort of his quiet presence and watchful sapphire eyes. The other part of her didn't want him anywhere near, because when he did come near he would have to fight a battle against himself- the part of him that was kin to the Nazari, and the part that bound him to her.
Regina forced herself to draw a slow, deep breath. She couldn't give in to panic and fear, not here. Closing her eyes, she drummed up the memory of dancing with Dafydd yesterday, of how the entire world had gone still as if Time had stopped himself for them. They had seemed like the only two alive in the world, and the Music of the Hightopps had wrapped around them like a caress. And by the Fates, she had felt so safe in his arms, so precious; as if she had never been truly alive until that moment. Wrapping her arms around herself, Regina had begun to hum the Music softly, imagining that she were home where she belonged, dancing on the Hill with him.
In this way she passed the few hours that remained until dawn. As the sun's first rays illuminated the tent, Niall walked in with Taran.
"Come now, Princess. It's time to leave," Niall said gently, as if she were to be embarking on a pleasure cruise.
Regina forced herself to stand, to appear calm and show no panic. She sized Taran up quickly; he wasn't anywhere near as bulky as Dafydd, which was a good sign. While she had no doubt that he was an effective fighter, she judged from his gait that he didn't usually fight on foot; he was a cavalryman. Well, that could work to her advantage… As would the dagger in his belt. No, she would not go down without a fight.
"Time for your breakfast, Princess," Taran said.
He grabbed her chin, forcing a vial of pishalver down her throat. Regina choked and coughed, but the pishalver did its job, and she scrabbled in vain to hold onto a scrap of clothing as she sank down towards the floor. Oh God, how was she going to fight when she was too small to draw Taran's dagger? What would happen to her now?