For the second time in recent memory, Elurra woke to Terrin shoving foul herbs down her throat. She gagged and swatted his hand away blindly as she opened her eyes. She felt like she was on fire. Sweltering heat surrounded her on all sides.
“So hot,” she choked out, struggling weakly to escape the pressing torridity.
Terrin grinned down at her, his face bathed in orange light.
“Now you know how the rest of us feel in the Land of Snow. The cold is unbearable. This is the first time I haven’t been cold in ages.” Elurra yearned to strip off her clothes, but her decency wouldn’t let her. Terrin sensed her discomfort.
“Here, they said you would want something to change into when you woke up.” He produced a bundle of cloth. She stood up and discovered her knees were too weak to support her. She fell forward, only to be caught by Terrin’s outstretched arm. “Slow down, Snow. You don’t even know how to put on their clothing. It’s some sort of wrap. The maid can help you change.”
“I do not want to wait. I am sweating to death,” she said impatiently as she used his shoulder to support herself.
“Will you please hold still? You haven’t used your muscles in days. Your little stunt unsurprisingly almost killed you, and your body wasn’t used to the heat here. Lira said she had to recharge you—or something strange like that—to keep your nanites from absorbing all your energy. I don’t know. You were right about her. She knows a lot about magic. I’m amazed you didn’t burst into flames with the fever you had. Lira had to cast a spell on you to keep your internal temperature down. How many times have I said you need to think before doing something spontaneous?”
Her knees buckled again, but she used him as a crutch.
“Stop worrying so much. I am perfectly fine. I had complete faith in your abilities,” she said nonchalantly.
“Faith in my abilities?” he demanded, anger tinting his voice. “I couldn’t do a single thing for you! There was no way to know if your body could take the strain or not. If Lira hadn’t done whatever she did, you would have died. I’m tired of you doing stuff like this and leaving me to deal with the consequences!” He pulled away so she was forced to flop back down onto the bed. She glared up at him.
“Will you stop overreacting? I was pretty sure I was not going to die. Even if I had, it is not like it was your fault.”
His eyes sparked like live coals.
“What do you think they would’ve done to me if they’d found me in the queen’s room with a dead girl? Did you think of that?” he asked, his voice dangerously low. She avoided his gaze. “What could I have done, Snow? My own mother would’ve killed me on the spot without listening to a word I said, all because you took yet another grand risk without considering the people around you. Believe it or not, you’re not the only one who matters, Snow. I’m here to protect you, but I can only do so much.”
“I am sorry, Terrin. I realize this was risky, but what choice do I have? We do not have much time left. Nitiri is coming close to her goal, and I do not have long before I either save my kingdom or lose it completely. All she needs is one more Kutsal Stone. Now that she has failed in Amora, that leaves Tipet or Reagn. I need to be ready, and I doubt I will have enough time to fully prepare. I am going up against a madwoman, who has had decades of preparation, with a raggedy group of untrained, young men. I had to take this risk. I had full confidence I could live through the drain, and you could take care of the rest,” she spat back, red-faced.
“Snow, I could have lost you for good,” he breathed. His expression betrayed the terror underneath his anger. She felt a fountain of regret bubble up inside her.
“You cannot get rid of me that easily, Terrin,” she promised.
“You’re much easier to deal with when you’re asleep.”
Despite the intensity of the conversation, Elurra cracked a smile and held out her hand expectantly. With a sigh, he helped her up.
“May I please get changed now? These clothes are stifling,” she complained.
Terrin glanced toward the door, and Elurra followed his gaze. She was startled to see a dark-skinned girl in the room, watching them—a maid. Her clothes were decent but worn, and her gaze shifted to avoid eye contact. Terrin had learned the servants were trained not to look their masters in the eye in Tipet because it was considered disrespectful. He thought it strange. The maid was standing alert, but she looked distinctly uncomfortable. Elurra looked back at Terrin curiously.
“Who is she?”
“I’m currently under lock and key. You wouldn’t believe the time I had convincing them to let me take care of you. Even when the queen agreed, she still insisted I be escorted with armed guards, and I couldn’t be alone with you.”
The girl stepped forward, taking the opportunity to cut into the conversation.
“My name is Finila. I can help you dress, ma’am,” she said with a respectful bow.
Her accent was stronger than Terrin’s. Elurra had trouble understanding her. Finila had dropped a few of her vowels, and she spoke quickly so her words streamed together like a river.
“Thank you, Finila.”
The maid crossed the room and took the clothes from Terrin, then escorted Elurra to the divider in the corner. Terrin wasn’t sure what to do with himself. He knew he should leave, but he didn’t want to awkwardly stand outside with the guards.
They may take it as an excuse to escort me back to my room, he worried. Thankfully, Elurra decided for him.
“What happened while I was out?” she asked, her voice muffled by the barrier between them.
While Finila helped her change, Terrin recounted the eventful moments after their sudden arrival. She tried her best to focus, but the heat made her mind feel sluggish and her eyelids heavy. She attempted to help Finila with her clothing, but it took most of her energy to stay upright. By the time the maid was done, Terrin was saying, “And after your parents’ visit, she assumed you would be as hot as they were. I must give her credit; she does plan ahead. You should hear about some of the things she’s done to fix—”
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Elurra stepped out from behind the divider, and the words died on Terrin’s lips as he looked her over.
“Do I look okay?” she asked, feeling conspicuous.
He didn’t seem to hear her question. Confused by his reaction, she peered down at herself critically. She had to admit, the garments were like nothing she’d ever seen before. A loose tan cloth looped across her shoulder and tied into a separate yellow-tinted bolt of fabric, which wound around her chest. The ends were secured together so they dangled down to cover the rest of her body like a soft skirt. The other end of the tan cloth crossed over the front of her. Finila had secured one corner of each cloth on her hips so none of the loose ends could fall apart and expose her. The result created a crisscross pattern that left a triangle of exposed skin on her back and stomach. She was awestruck by how much cooler she felt in the soft fabric. Even though she felt better, her cheeks warmed as she realized why Terrin was staring at her. The farther south she traveled, the more revealing her outfits became. In Lur Alava, wearing an outfit like this would be suicide. His gaze made her uncomfortable.
“Why are you staring at me?” she demanded.
He looked up, astonishment written on his face.
“I’m sorry. You just look so…different,” he stuttered, turning his head.
Finila cleared her throat politely.
“Ma’am, would you like me to style your hair as well? In this climate, long hair tends to become a bother.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Finila gestured to a large pillow facing a low dresser decorated with hair supplies and a large mirror. Elurra looked at the pillow questionably but sat down anyway. The pillow seemed to be filled with rice, much to Elurra’s shock. Finila caught her amazed look and said, “If you’re wondering, ma’am, a lot of what you northerners consider chairs are filled with grains here. When the food stores are low, the furniture suffers. Otherwise, it’s convenient and comfortable storage.”
Elurra nodded slowly as Finila picked up a brush. It was awkwardly silent as she busied herself with Elurra’s long, golden locks.
“You met your mother, then?” she asked Terrin, who was lounging on her bed.
For the first time, she noticed his apparel, which was much looser and thinner than she was used to. His shirt came down into a deep V, which exposed a portion of his chest as he casually reclined against the mattress.
“Yes.”
“Did anything about her shock you?”
“She wasn’t anything like I’d imagined, but the real jolting surprise was—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Elurra heard the door swing open, and a child’s voice asked, “Brother? Who are you talking to?”
The door blocked Elurra’s view of the visitor, but she was sure it was a little girl talking. She turned her head as a bob of hair popped around the edge of the door to study her with wide blue eyes. Elurra had to do a double take to convince herself she wasn’t hallucinating. The little girl looked just like her.
Or at least, how I used to look, Elurra corrected herself. As soon as the little girl saw her, her eyes lit up.
“Sister! You are finally awake!” she cried happily as she ran into the room to give Elurra a hug, squeezing her tightly. Elurra locked eyes with Terrin through the mirror, unsure of what was going on. Terrin simply smiled at her.
“Raeya, Princess Elurra isn’t your sister. You just look alike.”
“She is if I say she is,” she said crossly as she stomped her foot to drive her point home. Elurra bit her lip to keep from laughing at the sassy display.
Terrin sighed. “Have it your way,” he said with some exasperation.
The younger girl smiled. “I am going to tell mother sister is awake!” She dashed out of the room, and Elurra heard one of the guards call after her.
“Terrin? Who was that?” Elurra asked slowly.
“She’s my twin sister. She’s very fond of you, if you haven’t noticed. She visited you almost as much as I did while you were asleep, and she talked to you incessantly. I think she appreciates having someone like her around.”
Elurra was speechless.
“Princess, I have finished your hair,” Finila informed her, cutting through the awkward silence.
Elurra reluctantly took her eyes off Terrin’s reflection and focused on her own. For a moment, she didn’t recognize herself. A small braid started near her part and slowly spiraled behind her right ear and into a bun on the back of her head. Other smaller strands of hair weaved together and fed into the braid. An intricately carved stick made of an unknown material pierced through the heart of her bun at an angle and secured it.
“Thank you, Finila. It looks beautiful,” Elurra told the servant girl sincerely. The girl beamed under her praise.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Before anyone could say anything, it swung open, and an older woman with graying hair stepped into the room, her breath coming in short gasps.
“Has the princess been in here?” she panted, her eyes scanning every corner of the room.
“Why yes, ma’am. She was here a few minutes ago. She ran off in search of her mother, I believe,” Finila answered. The older woman groaned.
“The queen’ll have my hide, she will. She told me to keep a sharp eye on her today. It’s Consult Day, and she specifically asked me to keep Princess Raeya out of the throne room while the pleas were going on.
“Do you want me to help you find her, Governess Alani?” Finila asked.
“If you have the time, I’d appreciate it,” the older woman said as she walked out of the room. Finila hastily followed, shutting the door behind her.
Terrin and Elurra were left completely alone.
“Consult Day?” Elurra asked, turning to Terrin.
“Don’t ask me.”
The door opened, and one of the guards stepped into the room. He didn’t appear older than thirty and was clean-shaven. He had lightweight armor covering his chest, arms, thighs, and legs. A sheathed scimitar dangled from each hip. An impressive array of knives, daggers, short swords, and throwing discs covered his person in various sheaths on his back, legs, chest, and boots.
“It is the peoples’ day,” the guard said. It took a moment for Elurra to realize he was commenting on their conversation.
“The peoples’ day?” she asked, trying to keep her eyes away from his numerous weapons.
“Queen Lira sets aside one day of every month for the people. She invites commoners to come into the throne room to listen to their problems and complaints, then decides what is to be done for them. It helps her get a feel for the troubles of the land and the biggest issues in the kingdom.”
“How long do these audiences last?”
“As long as the queen deems acceptable, ma’am.”
“Is it likely she will be done soon? Is there any chance of speaking to her today?” Elurra inquired hopefully.
Terrin cleared his throat softly, trying to attract her attention.
“Snow, I doubt she will want to see you immediately. I’ve been here a week, and I’ve barely seen her, save a few brief meetings. I doubt she will be seeing you anytime—”
Before Terrin could finish, there was another knock.
The guard opened the door without taking his eyes off the two prisoners. He stepped to one side as a page dressed in tan and bronze—the official colors of Tipet—entered the room. The page’s fingers twitched nervously, and his eyes shifted, never resting on one object for more than a few seconds before skipping to another. His nervousness rolled over Elurra in waves.
“Her Royal Highness, Queen Lira of Tipet, invites the claiming ruler of Lur Alava, Princess Elurra, to dine with her in one hour,” the page said quickly. He was visibly relieved when he finished.
“Tell her I thank her for her gracious invitation and would be delighted to join Her Highness for lunch,” she responded. She ended her message with a slight bow, both to thank him for his services and let him know she was finished speaking. The young man quickly left the room, his lips moving silently as he repeated her response to himself.
“Well, that was good timing,” Elurra said happily as she turned back to Terrin. Her smile faltered when she saw his expression.
He turned away from her furtively, but she saw the hurt and betrayal in his eyes.
Lira refused to see him but arranged a meeting with me as soon as she found out I was awake. Naturally, he is upset.
“I am sure your mother is—”
“Drop it,” he said icily. His shoulders were rigid, and his body language made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it.
“Terrin,” Elurra said softly, hesitantly reaching out to touch his shoulder.
“I don’t want your sympathy,” he said, his voice flat and emotionless. “I would like to return to my room now, if that’s alright.”
The guard nodded silently and escorted him out. He avoided Elurra’s eyes as he left.
“Terrin?” she said softly.
The door was shut behind him, leaving her alone in the empty room.