Fireblood (Frostblood Saga #2)(47)
We hadn’t yet come close to the proficiency displayed by the senior masters, though. Many of the children even showed certain skills that already exceeded my own. Still, my gift was strong and growing stronger. Hope grew a little every day. I only wished hope equaled certainty. Even if I’d been the brightest pupil in Sudesia, there would be no guarantee I’d pass the trials. After all, even Kai with his staggering speed, agility, and power had somehow failed his first attempt.
Which meant I needed a backup plan.
Pernillius’s book could very well be in the library at the school, but I wouldn’t gain access to it unless I passed the trials. So I had to explore other paths to knowledge. I made a point of speaking to the masters during my breaks from training, hoping to find Sudesia’s version of Brother Thistle. Surely one of them knew of a scholar whose favorite pastime was burying himself under piles of decaying volumes and musty scrolls. My tentative questions all led me to the same answer: Master Dallr was a keen student of history. He was the one to speak to if I had any questions on esoteric knowledge.
The problem was that Master Dallr had the friendly demeanor of a locked vault and the approachability of a sea-worn cliff. I could bash myself against his jagged exterior for hours on end and all I would get was a headache. Small talk yielded nothing. When direct questions about his love of history didn’t work, I moved on to flattery. When that failed, I attempted charm, which was awkward for everyone. Kai winced at my eagerness. He began to tease me about hero-worshipping the legendary master, until I walloped him, flipping him onto his back in the school courtyard in a cloud of dust. He, of course, grinned.
The most I could glean from all my efforts was that the library did indeed house the most rare and valuable of the kingdom’s manuscripts. And without exception, only the masters were admitted entry.
When the week of training was over, I was gripped by a sense of inevitability, underpinned by panic. I could no longer tell myself that I’d find the book without committing myself to any vows. Only as a master would I be trusted with the knowledge I needed.
The night before the first trial, Kai and I were invited to dine with the queen.
We entered the great hall, a spacious room on the second floor of the south tower with embroidered silk curtains in warm colors, and bronze hanging lamps with lacy openings that blazed with light. The highly polished wood table reflected the lamps, throwing an extra glow onto the colorful porcelain plates and glass goblets. Side tables topped in mosaic tiles were covered with fragrant dishes emitting the scent of roasted meat and unfamiliar spices. The queen sat at one end of the main table, and Prince Eiko sat at her right. Though the setting was rich and stately, the atmosphere seemed intimate. It struck me as less formal than dinners in the Frost Court.
With help from a lady’s maid named Ada, I’d dressed in a white gown with gold lace covering the bodice—borrowed from the overstuffed wardrobe of some Fireblood lady of the court. Kai, with clothing that had clearly been tailored just for him, was a study in masculine perfection in a cream doublet over fawn trousers and black knee boots. Queen Nalani wore a wine-colored silk dress and a heavy gold filigree crown, while Prince Eiko wore loose robes in navy blue. Her lips curved in the hint of a smile, but her expression remained as watchful as ever. I dropped into a curtsy, my palms damp against my skirt.
“You may rise, Ruby,” she said in Tempesian, surprising me with both her fluency and her willingness to speak the language, presumably as a courtesy to me. “Good evening, Prince Kai.” She invited Kai to sit at her left side and for me to sit next to him.
As Kai pulled out my chair for me, Prince Eiko stood politely. I took a second to examine him more closely. His sable hair was streaked with hints of white, his narrow but handsome face just beginning to soften at the jawline. My attention was arrested by his eyes, a bright shade of leaf green. They seemed to be fixed on the left side of my face, which made my scar feel unaccountably warm. I rubbed it briefly to ease the sting.
As he bowed, he towered over the table. I realized he was perhaps the tallest person I’d ever met, his height accentuated by his lean, almost skinny, frame. I curtsied again and took the seat that Kai held out for me, glad to have the table to hide the fact that I couldn’t stop bouncing my knee. I didn’t know why I was so nervous. The queen had decided to let me take the trials. As long as I didn’t come at her with a fish fork, I didn’t think she would change her mind.
A footman poured the wine, which tasted fruity and smooth but strong. I would have to be careful only to sip it. The queen and Prince Eiko made small talk with Kai as dinner was served, plate after plate of artfully arranged dishes laden with fish, sweet potatoes, pork, rice, and a variety of fruit. I took an experimental bite of a yellow fruit, blinking in surprise at the strong taste: both tart and sugary.
The queen chose that moment to turn her attention to me. “How is your training progressing, Ruby?”
“She learns quickly,” said Kai before I could answer. “And she knows more than I expected. Perhaps almost as much as an initiate after two or three years of training.”
My brows rose at that. He’d seldom praised me, not in actual words.
But the queen continued to look at me expectantly, obviously wanting me to answer as well. As if my answer mattered, which was an about-face from the last time we’d met. Yet her demeanor was surprisingly warm now. Perhaps this was the face she wore for social occasions. Or perhaps she wanted me to let down my guard. Did I dare to hope that I had earned some respect for doing well in my training? She had said her Fireblood masters were vital. If I passed, I would be important to her. To the entire kingdom. The idea sent a little buzz of satisfaction through me. I had to remind myself that I wasn’t here to please the queen. I had my own agenda.