The Destiny Detour

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Lillya

Lillya slept the entire next day. Well, almost. At a certain point, she awoke in bleary-eyed terror to Tansy bouncing up and down on her chest, demanding to be told about the flying horses. Chandra plucked her sister away mid-bounce, and Tansy was told to let the princess recuperate.

The next time Lillya opened her eyes, light streamed through cracks in the closed curtains, and the room was empty. She grabbed for the fruit, water, and biscuits next to her bed and battled her parched throat to down all three at once. After she had pacified her stomach, she unrolled a bandage from her arm. Only tiny scratch remnants were visible after her day of sleeping and healing. She carried the bandages across the room and set them on the table by the door.

She stared at the table, fixated on Papa's squirrel book. Somehow she had forgotten about the Seer and her warning in the midst of her harried return last night.

The door opened, and Chandra stepped through it.

"Where's Papa?" asked Lillya faster than Chandra could start talking. Lillya had neither the time nor the patience for Chandra's shenanigans. "I need to talk to him." If anyone could read that message, Papa could.

"You need a bath if ever a child needed a bath," disagreed Chandra. "Besides, your parents are busy fretting and humoring guests."

Lillya did need a bath. Chandra had given everyone strict orders to leave her be, so she was still covered in ash and swamp muck. The musky smell of pegasus dung seemed to be wafting from her as well. Chandra's stance of crossed-arm determination implied the woman was not about to set her free. Halfway through a rejuvenating pounding by the waterfall pool, Lillya remembered Arlana's exact instructions. Only Grandmama. She nearly leapt out of the waterfall half scrubbed, feeling like she would burst with her undisclosed news, but she needed to humor Chandra if she was to be free of her. The woman was extra fussy today, like she was making up for an entire week away in one afternoon. Eventually, Lillya had ribbons braided into her hair, a strand of pearls for a belt over a layered violet frock, and comfy laced boots. After a week in the woods, it was nice to be a princess again, minus the overbearing feeling of being hunted, obviously.

"Do you need anything else?" asked Chandra, admiring her handiwork.

Lillya forced herself to smile brightly and wait half a heartbeat before rushing into a "No, thank you!"

She was convincing enough, and Chandra did not stay to press her to give up her secrets. Chandra had a palace full of other people to meddle with. The second Chandra was out the door, Lillya's fingers darted to the book and flung it open. The words were still there.

She ran all the way to Grandmama's door, but her rapping was to no avail. Grandmama's room was empty. She checked the schoolrooms to see if Rosaliy could help her, but the schoolrooms were full of worried parents picking up their traumatized children for the harvest break. A few families had left already. The ones remaining clutched their cream-smeared children and a few protective amulets while plying Rosaliy for answers she did not have.

"I don't think Iris is in further danger," Rosaliy was saying, "but I'd be lying if I told you not to be vigilant."

Lillya hoped they would all come back in a few moons to keep training. Well...she might not be too heartbroken if bossy Jadelynn took a year or two off. At least she was able to say her goodbyes to Ruby.

"I'm worried about you," sniffled Ruby in the middle of a teary hug.

"Rubes, nothing could attack me here," promised Lillya. "It's a magical fortress."

"Then maybe I should stay here," muttered Ruby.

Lillya wished she could, but she walked Ruby and her father to the entryway. Truth was, Ruby's mother had just had a baby, and Ruby would be a big help to her father and mother juggling the harvest and infant care. In fact, families who were less put out by losing a daughter for moons had said no to Sorceress training. There had been little reason to practice magic for years, even though Sorceress Athena was very persuasive about the importance of the dying art. Lillya was lucky to have met Ruby at all. Would recent events make families more or less likely to relinquish their girls for magical instruction, Lillya wondered.