The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen, #2)(77)

But Aecor City as it stood now was a blank. Some queen I was.

Nevertheless, it was home. And it was right across the bay.

For a moment, we listened to the scratching sounds of James writing.

“Paige has made herself into quite the steward,” Melanie said. “Patrick told her to make the castle ready for your return. She’ll be so panicked when she realizes you’re here already.”

“We’ve lived in poor conditions before. I’m sure everything is more than adequate.” I pulled the tie off the end of my braid and threaded my fingers into my hair, unbraiding section by section. “Besides, Prince Colin and his regiment were living there, and the crown prince requires a certain level of luxury.”

“That he does. He—” She hesitated and shook off whatever she’d been about to say. “We have a lot to discuss. I want to know all about the other Ospreys, and how you ended up traveling with Tobiah’s bodyguard. And that boy who could be your brother.”

“So much has changed. Including this.” I touched her hair. “What happened?”

Her face darkened. “Oh—”

“Sorry to interrupt.” James turned from his notebook. “Melanie, I need to ask you a few questions.” He glanced at me. “Apparently he’s awake. He keeps writing where I’m trying to write. He says congratulations.”

“He doesn’t mean it.” I’d probably ruined a hundred of his plans I didn’t even know about.

“What is this?” Melanie grabbed the notebook and turned it over and around. “Both of you write in here? How does it work?”

“Magic.” I plucked the notebook from her hands. “I’ll explain later.”

More words appeared on the page—mostly questions with underlines and multiple pieces of punctuation—as I handed the notebook back to James.

“Thank you.” He started writing on the next page, as Tobiah’s questions continued appearing on the previous. “Let’s start with the goal of the ambush. Patrick’s force wasn’t big enough to invade, though you said you managed to take and hold Snowhaven Bridge for a matter of days.”

Melanie glanced at me, eyebrow raised.

“Answer all of his questions honestly.”

She gave a quick nod and faced James. “That is correct. Patrick had no desire to invade the Indigo Kingdom. He wanted Aecor as it had been. The ambush was on the Indigo side of the bridge for two reasons: to prove to the Indigo Army that we were truly a force, and to keep them out of Aecor.”

“I see.” James’s pen scraped paper. “And you took the bridge. How?”

While James and Melanie discussed, I slipped behind the partition and changed into my nightclothes. Once my dressing gown covered me, I stepped out to find James pushing back the desk chair.

“I’ve already sent a list of the Indigo Kingdom dead I know,” he told me. “We’ll have a more complete list once the dead are moved and on a wagon home.”

“All right.” For a moment, I wasn’t sure why he was telling me that, but then I realized it was because I should have someone do the same thing for the Aecorians. See to the dead. Ensure the families were told. Figure out how to transport the bodies.

All things queens should remember to do on their own.

“In addition to my account of what happened tonight, Tobiah would like to hear it from you. He’d also like to know your plans for the prisoners in Aecor City and whether you plan to free them. What you intend to do with Prince Colin now. And the wraith boy . . . Well, you’ll see the questions. I circled the ones you need to answer.” James offered the pen to me.

“Thank you.” So much for catching up with Melanie tonight, let alone getting any rest. Once James left, I dipped my pen into the ink and wrote.

Hello, Tobiah. It probably won’t help to know that I didn’t intend any of this. . . .





TWENTY-SEVEN


IN THE MORNING, I visited the wraith boy as promised, and then announced to James that we would be riding across the bridge.

“It’s warm out,” I said. A lie. The winter air was just as cold as it had been last night, but the sky was clear and bright.

And I was coming home a queen.

“Fine.” The groggy cant of his voice indicated he’d slept as little as I had. “As long as you know I think it’s unwise.”

“Your protest is noted.”

Ferguson was saddled for me—apparently queens didn’t saddle their own horses—and I climbed atop, the Ospreys and James flanking me.

Night wind had swept clean Snowhaven Bridge, leaving patches of white in the frothing gray water below. As the first wagons rumbled onto the bridge ahead of us, horse hooves rang and gulls cried long and loud. The birds perched atop the passageway, and all along the bridge on posts. A few dove toward the convoy, looking for food.

Finally, we passed between the guard stations and stepped onto Snowhaven Bridge. For the first time since the war, I was off Indigo Kingdom land.

“Are you all right?” Melanie rode next to me, her eyebrows pushed together. Ronald and Oscar rode behind us, while James rode behind them; there wasn’t enough room for all of us to ride abreast.

“My chest hurts.” I glanced at Melanie. “My heart is pounding so hard.”