Rhiannon moaned quietly as she fumbled with the mangled braid she had created, unsuccessfully trying to pin it behind her head. She had never done her own hair before. The ache in her chest was fierce as she thought of Kala and how deftly she had woven her hair into intricate styles.
The scouts were supposed to return today, and all of the council was to gather to hear their reports. Rhiannon and Jaida were invited as well. She frowned at her simple dress, bare face, and messy hair. It felt strange to look so plain for a public appearance. She missed her wigs, her makeup, her extravagant clothes, even the sticky hassenite paint on her skin.
Someone banged on the door. "Petunia! What is taking you so long? You better be sick, or dying, or taking the biggest shite ever."
Rhiannon opened the door to find a bedraggled Coretta with her fist poised to strike the door again. When she saw Rhiannon, the color drained from her face.
"Oh! I am so sorry, Queen Rhiannon. I thought you were Petunia," she said, bowing awkwardly.
Ever since Jaida told her family who she really was, they had walked on eggshells around her. Though it could be awkward, she enjoyed being treated as royalty again. She much preferred it to being covered in mud and insulted constantly by Jubil and Vess.
Rhiannon smiled graciously. "It's alright."
Coretta raised an eyebrow at the state of her hair. "Do you . . . do you need some help?"
Rhiannon pressed her lips together. Though she hated to admit it, she couldn't do this herself.
"Yes, please," she said. "I have not had much practice styling my own hair."
"It can be difficult to do it on yourself," Coretta said politely, following Rhiannon as she sat back down on the stool. "What would you like me to do?"
Rhiannon remembered a way Kala had used to style it and described it to Coretta. "Can you do that?"
"It would be my honor, your grace," Coretta said.
She looked tense as she brushed her hair, erasing the mess Rhiannon had made. Every time the brush caught on Rhiannon's hair the girl winced.
"Who taught you to braid?" Rhiannon asked as Coretta began weaving a plait. She hoped some conversation would relax the girl.
"My mother taught me," she said. Her brow creased as she intertwined one braid with a new one she had created. "You, um, have lovely hair."
Rhiannon laughed lightly. "That's sweet of you to say. I never liked my hair much."
Her eyes widened. "Why? It's so long, and very soft."
"It's such a plain brown," she complained, frowning at herself in the mirror. "You and Jaida have such a beautiful shade of black. And my sister," she said, rolling her eyes. "She had incredible red hair. Like flames licking down her back."
"Red hair?" she said, wrinkling her nose. "Aren't redheads usually odd-looking?"
"Not her. It helped her stand out. And red, it is a sacred color to my people. Red hair is a sign she was blessed by the gods."
At the mention of gods, she seemed to withdraw for a moment.
"So you have a sister?" she said when the silence became too thick.
"Three sisters," Rhiannon said. "And five brothers."
"Wow," Coretta said. "That's a lot of siblings. I just have Petunia."
"What about your brothers? Mila's children?"
"They're not my brothers. We don't have the same mother."
Rhiannon frowned. "But Onetta and Mila are married, no?"
"In a way," Coretta said. "Technically, they are each married to their husbands. But they have chosen to be companions to each other. It's a different bond."
"Why have husbands at all, if they would rather be with each other?"
"Unfortunately we need men to create life," she said with a sigh. "Every woman must have a husband so that she can fulfill her highest purpose. But that's all someone can use them for, if they have different preferences for other things," she said, giggling.
What a curious culture, she thought. "What if someone doesn't want children? Or what if they can't?" she asked.
Before she could answer, Jaida passed by the open door, stopping in her tracks when she saw Coretta doing Rhiannon's hair. A heated look shadowed her face.
"Don't worry, I'm almost done," Coretta said, mistaking Jaida's anger as directed towards her.
Things had been different every since that night in the hallway. She never saw Jaida except for at dinner, and even then they avoided eye contact.
Rhiannon schooled her features, hiding the longing she felt. She turned back to the mirror and raised her chin. She wouldn't let Jaida see how much she missed her.
"You don't have to do her hair, Coretta," Jaida said.
"Actually, Coretta offered to," Rhiannon said haughtily. "It was very kind of her."
Coretta flushed. "Oh, it's no trouble."
Jaida stormed off without another word.
Coretta rolled her eyes. "I don't know what her problem is. She's been grouchy ever since she got back."
Rhiannon frowned, feigning surprise. "I'm not sure. She's been very busy since we got here, we haven't spoken much."
Coretta tied off her hair with a piece of string. "There. Is this what you wanted?"
Rhiannon studied herself in the mirror. Coretta had done a fine job; it looked almost as good as Kala's. Tears welled in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry," Coretta said, noticing the tears. "If you don't like it I can redo it!"
"No, no, it's perfect," Rhiannon said, blinking quickly. "I'm sorry, you just remind me of someone I lost."
"Oh, I -- I'm sorry. For your loss."
"Rhiannon!" Tabitha called.
"It seems I am late," she said, smiling apologetically. "My hair is wonderful. You're very talented."
"Thank you," Coretta said, flushing again. "Good luck at the council."
Rhiannon smiled, taking her leave. She was the last one to arrive in the kitchen, and as soon as she joined them they left hurriedly.
The chamber was full and echoing with nervous chatter. Two weary scouts were seated on the main floor, waiting for their chance to speak. Their expressions didn't seem to indicate good news.
Rhiannon took her seat next to Jaida in an area reserved for guests. She did her best to ignore her despite the anger charging the air between them.
When everyone had arrived, Orla and Tabitha called the council to order. The room was painfully silent as the scouts stepped forward.
The first scout spoke, her voice hesitant and soft. "To the east, Greze is in a state of panic. They are barring their doors, preparing for the end of times. But I saw no army."
All eyes fell squarely on the second scout. "To the south," she began, her voice breaking. She cleared her throat. "To the south, the biggest army I have ever seen is marching straight for Zephryine."
Whispers flooded the room. Though Rhiannon knew this would be the outcome, a knot still formed in her stomach. She pitied the Thraelians. There were few worse feelings than thinking you were safe only to find out that you were in terrible, terrible danger.
"Whose army? Elohine?" Orla asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.
"I saw Elohinian armor and standards," the scout confirmed. "But I also saw armor and standards from some of the smaller coastal kingdoms, even some of the tribes from the western plains. And -- and I saw Kheprian soldiers, and their queen."
Rhiannon scowled at the mention of her sister. Whispers exploded into shouts. Orla waved her hands and called for order.
"How much time do we have?" One councilwoman called when the clamor had died down.
"They were about twelve leagues away. The rains might slow them down, but at best, we have maybe four days."
"Why didn't we know about this sooner? Thrael is always prepared for an attack from Greze," another councilwoman shouted. Several echoed her reply.
"We are prepared, but we haven't been attacked in decades," Tabitha answered. "We had no intelligence to suggest we were a target, or that an army this size had formed. I mean, Elohine and Khepri," she laughed. "It's completely ridiculous. No one could have predicted they would join forces." She eyed the scout. "You're sure you saw Kheprian and Elohinian forces marching together?"
"I am sure," the scout said.
Angry shouts overlapped each other. After watching the chaos for a moment, Rhiannon decided now was her chance. She rose from her seat.
"What are you doing?" Jaida hissed.
Rhiannon ignored her and walked calmly to the center floor. The room quieted as they noticed a strange woman invading their chamber.
She paused for a moment to sweep her gaze across the room. When she was satisfied she had their attention, she took a deep breath.
"What the creatures told you was true," Rhiannon said, her voice ringing out across the chamber. "This is proof enough that you can trust them. Release them immediately. We will need their insight if we are to win this battle."
"'We'?" one woman scoffed. "They're monsters! And aren't you a Khep? We can't trust any of you."
Rhiannon spoke quickly, cutting off any responses. "Regardless of who I am, or what they are, we traveled the continent and risked our lives to warn you. We could have left you to the slaughter and saved ourselves, but here we are. Why would we come all this way, risk so much, just to betray you? That makes no sense," she said. "We want the same thing: to defeat this enemy. Elohine and Khepri are a deadly combination. Left unchecked, they will raze the continent. All of us, even the Sylph, want to stop this."
"What's in it for the creatures?" someone said.
"What does it matter?" Thalia said. "We can't defeat this army on our own. We need all of the help we can get, their motivations be damned."
"I move we release the creatures and bring them to the chamber for preparations," the woman next to Thalia said.
"I second that motion," Thalia said.
"It's too risky!" one voice cried as another voice said, "I third!"
"So we vote," Orla said. "All in favor?"
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Rhiannon insisted on accompanying the soldiers sent to release the Sylph. She wanted to be the first face they saw so she could smooth things over before they reached the chamber. It would be disastrous if the council regretted their decision to trust them, to trust her.
The prison was a small, sturdy building close to the chamber. A sterile smell burned her nose, and the floors and walls were pristine, the cells minimally furnished. Rhiannon attributed the lack of stink to the emptiness. Aside from a handful of men, the Sylph appeared to be the only occupants. They were packed into one cell, flanked by two armed guards. Jubil was pacing along the back wall, and Vess was perched on the cot.
"Give me a moment with them," Rhiannon said. After exchanging a glance, the two soldiers motioned for the rest of their detail to stay back.
Rhiannon scanned their faces as she approached, planning what she was going to say. They appeared to be clean and well fed, and pail of water with a ladle stood in the corner, half full. Cerridwen was taking a drink when she saw the detail arrive.
She dropped the ladle with a splash, springing to her feet.
"Rhiannon!" she cried, rushing to the bars. "Oh, thank the gods you are here. If I spend one more moment in this tiny cell with Jubil -- "
"You are the one who will not stop talking!" Jubil said.
Rhiannon wrapped her hands around Cerridwen's. "Everything is alright now," she said. "I'm here to get you out. The scouts confirmed it, an enormous army is marching for Zephyrine."
"They locked us up, and now they want our help?" Jubil sneered.
"They were afraid," Rhiannon pleaded. "Just as we were when we first saw you. To them, you aren't supposed to exist. They didn't understand what was at stake. But they understand now."
"Oh Rhiannon, thank you -- "
"Why are you thanking these humans? They -- "
Vess raised her hand, and they stopped their bickering. Rhiannon noticed the two guards on either side of her tense and clench their weapons.
After a long moment, Vess spoke, her voice as dry and unforgiving as the deserts of Khepri. "One way or another, I must face my sister. If they are willing to clear my path, then so be it. We will fight with them."
Rhiannon breathed a sigh of relief and motioned for the soldiers to come forward. "They're waiting for you."
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What would have been a logistical nightmare for Khepri was a quick process for the Thraelians. Rhiannon marveled at the efficiency. Within three days, all men, children, and elderly were evacuated to the nearest city, anything that could be harvested outside of the walls was picked and stored, the walls were sealed tight, and all able-bodied women were called up and organized into battalions. Though most brought their own armor and weapons, any necessary equipment was provided. Even Rhiannon had been outfitted with her own armor and bow. Mila had braided her hair back in rows away from her face and showed her how to thread them through her helmet.
As the sun sank under the horizon on the third day, torches and campfires could be seen in the distance.
Vess frowned at the smoke. She and Rhiannon were perched at the top of the wall, surveying the terrain.
"They will be here by dawn," she said flatly.
Rhiannon nodded. Though she had been trained in archery, fencing, and hand-to-hand self-defense, she had never seen battle before. She had managed to get herself stationed as an archer on the top of the wall. She wasn't sure how she would fare down on the field, and she wasn't planning on dying before she could take back her throne.
"Is Roltandre with them?" Rhiannon asked.
Vess nodded. "I can feel her."
"Can you defeat her?"
After a beat of silence, Vess spoke. "We shall see."
She turned and descended the stairs, leaving Rhiannon alone on the wall to worry. Night fell, revealing the fires of the approaching army in sharper relief. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear the footsteps approaching behind her.
Jaida propped herself on her elbows next to her, looking out at the dark field. A field that would be bloody tomorrow.
After what seemed to be an eternity, Jaida broke the silence. "I was assigned to the front line. They want their fiercest warriors leading the charge."
Rhiannon swallowed, but said nothing.
Jaida sighed. "If I die tomorrow, I don't want to die with regrets. So I wanted to tell you that I love you. I know it doesn't matter to you, and that I can't give you what you want, but I wanted you to know. I didn't want to carry that to my grave."
Rhiannon's breath caught in her throat, but she couldn't bring herself to look at Jaida. She struggled to identify the emotions roiling through her. Was it happiness? Panic? Yearning? Anger?
As the silence stretched, Jaida sighed. "Well, that's all I wanted to say."
The breeze from Jaida walking by raised goosebumps on her skin. When her footsteps rattled on the first stair, Rhiannon seemed to jolt from the onslaught of emotions. She didn't understand what she was feeling, but she knew she didn't want to leave things like this with Jaida.
"Wait!" she called, whirling around.
But she was already gone.