'I'll find somewhere to stay for the night. I have some coins in my bag that will see us through.'
Sakura had given up her polite, deferential tone she might once have used towards me. After a day of long crowds and being on constant watch for pickpockets, we were finally arriving in the capital late afternoon. Though we'd passed the border patrols around an hour ago, the small lane became two lanes wide, then three, and more, as lines joined together to form the large thoroughfare into the capital. Angels were walking on foot and by horse, though we soon found the latter became difficult as the crowds grew bigger. Children, women, men, elderly-- all were convening upon the Diamond City in celebration of an event I hadn't known to be this large.
We still hadn't passed through the watch towers at the walled boundary of the city, manned by dozens of guards on watch. They were watching for signs of trouble, not inspecting anyone passing unless they caused a scene, or looked particularly uncleanly. Sakura warned me that if someone looked diseased, drugged, thieving or another such offence, they would not be granted entry. Whilst the festival was a tradition, it was not above the King's scrutiny.
Beyond the open gates, a distant spire rose high into the clouds, covered at its tip by mist. I'd seen it before, on a flight that first brought me to this island, and I'd seen the houses with white walls and blue roofs, and a spiral tower made of crystal glass.
Not for the first time, I doubted my rash decision to scramble to the capital. The Equinox Ball idea had been discussed, but never at length-- like the prison break plan had. And that had cost Clae.
The brown-haired girl's gentle way popped into my head. This is for her, I promised.
And there was another I had to think of. Kaelan had been found among the rubble, injured but otherwise alive, and was still back at the caravans, recovering. His leg was broken badly, and not likely to heal for a while.
Valkyrie was another matter. The frazzled ginger-haired girl had vanished, and I had a sour feeling it was to do with the Commander, Daedoran. Either he'd taken her with him by force, for he too had vanished-- or she had followed him, we weren't sure. Kitty, who had been waiting for us to escape through the tunnels, had waited in the darkness for a signal that never came. But she did claim to hear running, echoing off the walls. She'd thought it sounded like several people running, but it was hard to tell.
Which meant one thing: Daedoran knew about the tunnels too. And there was more than one person; Valkyrie could be the other.
Either way, I dreaded that I now needed to find Reia, Arianna and Val. My luck so far had been nil, and more missing people were piling up.
I wondered how many others were entering the Diamond City with an odd wish like mine.
We joined the hub of people, and were ordered to dismount. Progress slowed, Sakura and I were pushed together and jostled as our horses grew uncomfortable.
Sakura's head was damp with sweat from the sunlight streaming onto us, an unusual hint of the last embers of summer before the winter arrived. She saw my awe mixed with my fear, and gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze.
The gesture made me pause--then frown. I glanced up at her, remembering the time when I'd been struggling to use Clae's power, and yet Sakura had made it easy...
'What did you do?' I asked out of the blue. The girl looked confused, and almost hurt, when I murmured, 'The battlements.'
Recognition flickered into her eyes. 'Amplifier,' was her reply, before she moved in front of me to make room for me to pass.
An amplifier! Of course, I thought, She increases an ability. I was told that, when I lived with Morwena. Oh, shoot-- if Morwena doesn't kill me over Val's ageing spell, she will definitely finish me off for losing her.
I nodded. 'You saved my life. Thank you.'
'I should have done it sooner. I didn't realise how difficult it was for you.'
Our conversation was interrupted by reaching the gate. Guards scanned our eyes as we walked past, but we followed the shuffling crowd, avoiding their gaze. Better to appear meek than a target.
We passed through safely, and I stared at the beautiful, crowded street of the Diamond City.
White, pearl walls. Paved streets. Silver road signs. Blue slate on the roofs. Bay windows and sweeping balconies. Hanging flower baskets.
Sakura grabbed my arm. 'Remember what I said, let's find somewhere to stay for the night. Before everywhere fills up. I'll go look, stay here, close to the guards. Nobody will cause trouble here.'
I nodded, but distantly. The girl dashed off, leaving me holding two horses and gaping at my surroundings. I doubted anyone in this perfect city could cause trouble. What would be the point? They surely had everything in their fancy houses.
I didn't spot the cloaked figure, lurking in the shadows, watching me.
I was still gawking when Sakura came back, panting after jogging, around twenty minutes later.
'Sorry-- for the wait,' she huffed, taking gulps of air. I blinked at her, unaware of the time that had passed.
'It's so interesting to stand here!' I said. 'I could watch people all day, it's fascinating...'
Sakura gave me a glare. 'I don't want to stand here all day. Come, I got a room for us.'
Taking her horse, she swung her leg up and I followed suit, shakily. My thighs were aching from riding, and I was sure I would have blisters. Wincing, I let Sakura take the lead, the clopping of the horses making people on foot move out of the way.
Now and again, a chaise car would come past; a small carriage, carried by four runners. Sakura leaned over to me, and said, 'Those are for the nobles. They're small, so they're convenient when carriages wouldn't fit well in the narrow streets. And of course, nobles can't walk, not when the streets are so filthy.The Diamond City looks beautiful now, but it's been thoroughly cleaned for the occasion...by the poor, of course.'
Suddenly, I felt ashamed at allowing the glamour of the capital to sway my view. For a moment, I had seen a pretty picture and thought all was well.
It was much faster to get to the inn on horse than it was for Sakura walking, and she said she'd tried a few that were full before finding this small one. Sat behind the main streets, actually overlooked the wall on the outskirts of the city, covered in vines and wallflowers. The building itself was beautiful, like all other buildings here; it was very open, with a spacious veranda and neat, perfect flowers in the pots beside the door. Inside was even smarter; shining marble floors and a simple but elegant bar, with a man waiting behind it.
Sakura had obviously already explained to the man, since he recognised her and called a young girl to take our horses, tethered outside, to the stables. Then he led Sakura and I to our room, a small but light space with two single beds and a sink to wash in. Our window overlooked the small square outside, another display of marble and mosaic, and a water feature.
'So much money...' I whispered after the man had left us. Sakura agreed, preoccupied with setting her bags down upon her bed and throwing mine across to me.
'The King spends all his money on his beloved capital,' she said, and there was more than a hint of disapproval in her voice. 'Probably why there's governors of each district. Without them, the districts would probably rot in hell for all the king knew.'
I didn't know how to reply. Letting the silence fade, I said, 'We need to come up with a plan.'
---
'How does that sound?' I asked, waiting to hear Sakura's opinion.
Sitting in the inn's tavern, we ate an Angelican delicacy; a fish pie made of sammon, a type of fish found only on Angelica. The noise levels were so high, we didn't bother trying to lower our voices. There was too much activity, from bar drinkers to other diners.
Two nights to go until the ball, and this inn was already full.
'Risky,' Sakura said truthfully, chewing thoughtfully. We'd discussed ideas, and whether to try and find the rest of the group, but Sakura thought that there wasn't enough time. They could be anywhere in the city.
In reality, I knew there wasn't a lot I could do in two days. But I was honest with Sakura. I wanted to get into that palace not to overthrow a King, but to find my missing friends. Perhaps with them safe, I could concentrate on becoming the Queen these people wanted me to be.
Clae's loss had caused something inside of me. Now, a strange fear bubbled inside me that I might not see Reia again if I didn't act quickly. Clae's blood had been spilled before my very eyes.
I can't go through that again.
I needed my sister. My friend. She would know what to do. If I had to become a Queen, it was with her by my side.
Thankfully, Sakura agreed with my idea.
'It's risky, but doable,' she continued, taking a sip of that green tea the Emerald district loved. The bitter taste still alluded my desire, and I drank orange juice. Neither of us felt like anything stronger, it seemed. 'I reckon we can get you into the palace. The others might be aiming for the crown, but we don't have that luxury. But if this girl is as important as you say, having her on our side will be a very credible move.'
I nodded, keen. 'Reia is the princess.'
Sakura gave me a strange look. 'You're the princess,' she said slowly.
I opened my mouth to say, "the real princess", but paused. A shadow passed over us, and a hooded figure was standing over our table. Sakura turned to snap at the lingerer, thinking them to be a drunk or a beggar (despite having strict scruples with who to let in, the crowds were too large to keep everyone deemed unfit out), but her green tea slipped back onto the table with a clunk. Her hand has suspended, clawed, not holding the mug.
Looking up from my food to see what had silenced her, I stared into a familiar face. Straw-like, dead brown hair, in straggles down a withered face of a fairly young woman. The scar from temple to jaw. The murderous expression that stared me down, making all of my crimes since leaving her Bathhouse come to life and dance around me in the nude.
Plain to see.
Morwena stares at us both, lifting her hood down.
'Morwena!' Sakura's amazement soon makes way into joy at seeing her mother-friend figure, and reaches out to embrace the woman. Instead, I shook. I would never see Reia again. I was going to die here.
'Where's my daughter, Lumina?'
Was this what it felt like to let someone down? Perhaps if this was a visit from the mother of a brokenhearted lover, there might have been some gain in it for me. But Valkyrie had been wild from the start, and I hadn't been able to control her.
Weak excuses. I looked her in the eyes, knowing that if I looked away, I'd be dead.
'I don't know.'
I didn't say I was sorry. Not yet. There would be time for that later.
Morwena's face twitched. I wondered what she was feeling; anger? Sadness? Fear? Resolve?
All four seemed to pass through her at some point in that next minute.
Then Morwena put a hand to her head, sliding onto the bench beside us. 'Val always was a spirited kid. After her father died, she became worse. Reckless. I'm not surprised she got away from you.'
My mouth dropped open. Was Morwena forgiving me?
'I'm not forgiving you,' she said in a stern voice, and I wondered if she could fathom out what I'd just been thinking about. 'But if my daughter is missing, I want to help. What's going on?'
We filled the woman in straight away, from the prison break to the fire bomb, to the running away guild. With her cool gaze, she assessed the situation independently. 'I agree,' she said, 'But how about...'
And so Morwena helped us create the plan that would see me safely within the palace, and back out alive.
Fingers crossed.
---
A/N: Thank you for 10K reads! To me that's a huuuuuge number of reads so thank YOU !!!!
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