The Cogsmith's Daughter (Desertera #1)(14)
Aya looked at her father. He motioned for her to go. “I’ll see you soon, sweetie.”
Aya tapped her temple. “I won’t miss a single detail.” The butler, who introduced himself as Alfred, took Aya all over the palace. He showed her the engine room, a cavernous space filled with hundreds of dormant machines that Aya could envision glowing and growling. He guided her through all the back corridors, some of which were so skinny and twisty that they made her lungs feel tight. Alfred even took her up to the very top of the palace, to the deck, and led her through the greenhouse. Inside, the greenhouse air was so full of water that it fogged the glass panes of the walls and softened the harsh sunlight. Aya had never seen such green plants or such brightly colored foods. Alfred informed her that most of them were called fruit, and they could only grow in the special temperature and thick moisture of the greenhouse. Aya salivated at the thought of all that color touching her tongue, but before she could sneak a bite, Alfred led her back out to the deck.
Near the edge of the palace’s deck, Alfred walked Aya along the line of lifeboats so she could examine the frayed ropes that still strapped them in place. He allowed her to stand on top of one of the spools that wound an anchor chain, and she held her arms out to her sides, enjoying the breeze on her damp clothes and skin. From the spool, Aya could see all of Starboardshire, with its tall houses and flowered horse pastures, to her left and all of Sternville, with its hovels and smoke-covered tents, to her right. Until she had a hawk-eye view, she had never realized the stark contrast between these two villages, and she promised herself that she would be kinder to the wellmen next time she fetched water, as anyone living in such conditions could surely use more kindness.
After a few hours, Alfred kept his word and led Aya to Prince Lionel’s chambers, where her father was attempting to repair his pet bird, Penelope. Aya had heard that Prince Lionel was about her age, and she wondered if this was true. She’d started to notice boys her age and a bit older, and she wondered if looking at the prince would make her blush the way she did whenever she spoke to Castas.
As they neared Prince Lionel’s chambers, Aya saw a tall, thin man pass through an ornate double doorway. He wore thick, velvet robes and the tallest top hat Aya had ever seen, embroidered with a golden pattern of interlocking cogs and jewels of all different colors: rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethysts. Everything about his face was sharp—his crooked nose, his blue eyes, his pointed black beard.
Alfred tapped her shoulder then pointed after the man and mouthed “the king.” Aya patted her bun, her fingers finding a stray curl to tuck back into place. Alfred winked, and they walked together to the double doors. Before they entered the prince’s room, Alfred held his arm out and stopped. Aya bumped into his outstretched arm, startled.
“Father!” A boy stood in the middle of the room, clutching a smaller version of the king’s top hat in his hands. His white cravat was rumpled, as was his brown hair, which kept flopping over his eyes as he moved his head back and forth. The prince. “Master Cogsmith says he can’t fix her, Father. He says that she is broken beyond repair.”
King Archon stepped toward Aya’s father, who stood opposite the prince, holding a mechanical bird in one hand and a screwdriver in the other. Papa swallowed as the king approached. Aya could see Papa’s throat tighten from the doorway.
“Is this true, Master Cogsmith?” King Archon spoke slowly, softly, as if he had never struggled to be heard in his life.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Papa’s voice cracked. “I have tried everything I can think of, and she just won’t come back to life. Her heart cog is chipped. One of the teeth has broken completely off.” Aya’s father pulled back the bird’s wing so King Archon could view the broken cog, but the king kept his eyes on the cogsmith.
“I see.” King Archon raised his chin. “Do you not have a replacement at your shop?”
“Unfortunately, I don’t. Her inner cog has nine teeth. That is extremely rare, as most mechanical animals operate with eight or ten.”
“Could you not make one?” The king towered over Aya’s father. She moved to cross the room, but Alfred kept his arm stiff, blocking her path.
Papa shook his head. “I’m afraid I cannot. Much like the bookbinder and his parchment, I am limited to the old-world relics we already have. We do not have the necessary raw materials to fashion new parts in Desertera, and even if we did, I do not have a proper mold for the metal.”
“And you refuse to try?”
“I, well, I could try, but—”
The king held up his hand, and Aya’s father fell silent. King Archon went to Prince Lionel and placed his hand on the prince’s shoulder. The prince shuddered under the king’s touch, and Aya noticed tears dripping down his cheeks.
“It seems Master Cogsmith refuses to fix Penelope, Lionel,” King Archon crooned. “Does this hurt you, Son?”
Prince Lionel clenched his teeth. The king had his back to the door, and Aya could not see his face or actions, but judging by Lionel’s face, both royal men grew more upset by the second.
“Does it cause you pain, Lionel, that the cogsmith denies your request?”
Prince Lionel looked at the ground. “Yes, Father.”
King Archon turned and grabbed the bird from the cogsmith’s hand, throwing it across the room. Penelope shattered against the wall, her broken pieces cascading to the floor like the rain that never lasted. Aya froze, feeling as if she were in a trance, watching the scene from outside of her body, unable to move.