Chapter 47

CHAPTER 47

WREN

It was going to take several days to get to Pelias. The knights moved like a living shield of metal around Elodie and Wren. They were constantly surrounded.

Every night it seemed they had to stop in someone's estate or castle. There were banquets and discussions, crowds of people gathering on the edges of the towns and villages to see them pass. The word had gone out that the queen had been found.

If she was honest, Wren would have bolted back to the forest at the first opportunity if it was not for Finn. She suspected Elodie would have been only two steps behind her. But Roland was not letting his queen out of his sight. The constant coldness between them was only making things worse.

It was almost a relief to finally see the city. Almost.

Pelias clung to the edge of the ocean, white and shining in the sunlight, blue tiled roofs and golden domes making it a striking view from a distance. Wren caught her breath when she saw it and beside her, on his own mount, Finn grinned easily.

‘Beautiful, isn't it?'

She could only nod. She had never seen anything like it. What could possibly compare?

‘Welcome home,' he said.

Home. What a strange concept. Pelias had only been a word before, a distant place out of stories. And now it was home.

Trumpets sounded as they entered the city gates. For all the grim whispers about an inquisition and a trial, Elodie's people seemed ecstatic to see her. They threw flowers from above and thronged the streets. But all the time Elodie rode like a statue, straight and tall, her eyes fixed on the distance. Roland wasn't much better.

Thankfully, no one here really knew about Wren yet so she just followed behind them, safe for now, or so she hoped. Anselm and Finn flanked her, having been given orders by Roland to guard her, no doubt. Although she thought Finn would have been there anyway.

They passed through internal fortifications and up spiralling streets until they reached the palace. A huge white stone of a building, a keep so old no one knew of its origins. As they dismounted, an older woman appeared, grey-haired and birdlike, but on sight of Elodie she gave a cry and ran across the courtyard, embracing her like a long-lost child.

‘Lady Ylena, her aunt,' Anselm supplied. ‘Your great-aunt, I suppose.'

‘I suppose,' Wren said, feeling very lost. It hadn't occurred to her there would be other family members here. Not that the woman seemed in the slightest bit interested in her.

On the other side of the courtyard huge wooden doors decorated with gold swung open and twelve women dressed in white seemed to glide out. They also surrounded Elodie and the foremost of them bowed her head curtly. It wasn't exactly deferential. In return, Elodie nodded in much the same manner.

‘Who are they?'

‘The Maidens of the Aurum. They live in there, in the Sanctum. It opens only in two places—this courtyard and the Sacrum itself, where the Aurum burns. They'll be leading the trial. She might have been one of them in another life.'

Wren hadn't known that. She hadn't even suspected it, but she supposed Elodie had to have learned magic somewhere. She glanced at Finn but he had that same fixed expression, which meant he was holding something back. She knew him too well now, she realised.

‘What happens next?'

But it was Anselm who answered. ‘Next? We rest. We eat. We definitely wash.' He mimed holding his nose and she had to laugh. Thank the light itself for Anselm, she thought. His answering smile was somewhat rueful. ‘Next, your life really changes. I'm sorry Wren.'

So was she.

For the rest of the day, she had been pampered like some kind of prize hound, offered a dizzying array of ridiculous gowns from which she had selected only the simplest, and had been kept away from Elodie at all costs.

It was grating and Wren had had enough.

Someone insisted on putting a coronet on her head, befitting her station apparently. A simple enough circlet, given the other monstrosities on offer, she decided, but it felt so strange, her hair pulled up around it to hold it in place. Too heavy. Out of place. Strands of her hair caught on it, wrapped around it.

All Wren wanted was to tear everything off but that was going to take too long, and there were far too many hands ready to stop her. The first moment she had, as soon as their backs were turned, she slipped out of her door. There had to be somewhere she could be alone, even if just for a while.

The ladies-in-waiting were already talking about the great feast being prepared for her, how her father – what a strange concept – would want to present her to the regents' council, and let the nobles greet her, to let her learn her place in the court. It was like being a child and she really did not take well to that. She was a grown woman and knew her own mind. She even contemplated using some choice words of othertongue to get rid of them. Or, failing that, some old hedge witch charms might do the trick.

But then what would they all say? They'd blame Elodie for that too, no doubt. Look how she raised the girl, they'd say. Look at the monster Elodie made.

Except they didn't call her Elodie. She was Queen Aeryn here, and any brief mention of her true name, or her possible fate at all, was hushed and fraught with tension. They didn't know what was going to happen to her either. No one did.

The door opened noiselessly and Wren closed it just as quietly. There was no guard, probably because there was no way she would be able to get out of the keep on her own. The moment the gaggle of women in there realised she'd gone, they were going to come after her. Maybe the ladies-in-waiting were the real guards. They were certainly fanatical enough.

She didn't even know what way to go. The place was a maze. She was in the safest place they knew, the stronghold of the Knights of the Aurum, the palace of the royal family of Asteroth. They didn't need to guard her.

But Finn was waiting for her. He unfolded from his place against the wall in the shadows and Wren had to smile to see his easy grace. This was not what she had expected. It was better.

‘Running away again?'

‘If I actually could, I would,' she answered, truthfully. She'd give just about anything to get away from here. But that would mean deserting Elodie and Wren would not do that. Not again. Especially not now when everyone seemed set against her. ‘Where's Elodie? They won't let me see her. And they won't answer any questions.'

He nodded slowly and took her arm, leading her down the corridor as if they were just going for a stroll. Perhaps they were.

‘She's with the maidens. Preparing for her trial. It isn't going to be easy, not on anyone. They loved her and if she did truly betray us all?—'

Wren was so sick of hearing about Queen Aeryn the traitor.

‘She wouldn't. Whatever happened, she had reason. I know her.'

His voice turned serious. ‘She's lied to you all your life, Wren. Did you ever think about that?'

Of course she did. But she didn't want to say that now. It felt ungrateful somehow. If Elodie had lied, well, it was to protect her. From all of this. Wren understood it all too well now. She'd do anything herself to get out of this. She just wished she could tell Elodie that. Forgive her. Let her know that in one way, even if only the one, she had done the right thing.

Finally finding out who she was, where she came from, who her parents truly were… that had always been her dream. She had never thought it would turn out to be such a nightmare.

At least she had Finn. She leaned against him, and he slipped his arm around her shoulders.

‘What will happen? At the trial, I mean?'

Wren wasn't even sure why she asked. She didn't want to know what would happen if they found Elodie guilty. She could guess and that was enough.

‘She'll be presented to the Aurum. It will decide.'

‘A fire ? They're going to let a fire decide? How does that even work?'

He laughed and his hand brushed against her arm, sending shivers through her. ‘Come on, you know it's not just a fire, Wren. It's… it's alive with magic. It's linked to Elodie, and through her to all of us. It is light incarnate. You felt it running through both of us. You used it to save me.'

Had she? Sometimes she wasn't so sure. She had used something. Yes, she had felt the light, the burning, blinding, brightness of it, but she had also felt the chill and soothing touch of its antithesis, the dark.

‘Can you… can you show it to me?'

It wasn't that Finn squirmed, he'd never do that. But he shifted a little uncomfortably. ‘We're not meant to just wander in there. It's a holy place. But… if we're quick and quiet… all right then. Come with me.'