Brightly Woven(66)

At any other time, the prospect of speaking to the queen of Palmarta would have filled me with excitement. Now, I felt hollow. My cheeks were still hot and flushed from my tears, and my throat was so raw I could barely breathe. How could I face the devastatingly beautiful queen now?

“Miss Mirabil,” Pompey said sharply. “I don’t think I need to tell you that it is very improper to turn down a personal invitation from the queen.”

“Please…,” I said weakly, but it was too late. Pompey held my arm a little too tightly as he escorted me down the hallway.

The four guards outside the queen’s chamber parted as we approached. Pompey knocked twice, and a high, feminine voice replied, “Enter!”

The first thing that caught my eyes in the airy space wasn’t the bright tapestry, nor the intricately painted wall and ceiling panels, but a table of four ladies playing a game of cards, one of them the young queen, wearing her crown.

Pompey cleared his throat loudly. The other ladies ceased their conversation, turning to stare at us with great interest.

“Oh, you’re here! How wonderful!” the queen cried, her voice high and girlish. She came toward us at once, her long yellow dress flowing out behind her. “You look positively dreadful—is everything all right?”

“Fine, now,” I managed to squeeze out. I held out my hand, but she only stared at it. I pulled it back and tucked it in my skirt.

“Your Majesty, may I present Miss Sydelle Mirabil,” Pompey said. I curtsied clumsily, keeping my eyes low to the ground.

This close to her, I could see just how truly flawless she was, her eyes a shade of blue so brilliant that it seemed almost unnatural. She was smooth lines and pale skin all over. She watched me, never once betraying what she was thinking. I curtsied again, unsure of what she expected of me.

“I’ve waited a very long time to meet you, Miss Sydelle,” she said. “May I call you Sydelle?”

“Of course,” I mumbled, looking down. I had never been given the chance to go away to a fancy finishing school. There was a schoolhouse in Cliffton, a one-room building that boys and girls shared. We had learned how to read and write and do arithmetic, but I certainly hadn’t learned how to set a table correctly or speak another language. There were only two or three years’ difference between the queen and me in age, but the confidence with which she held herself made her seem much older than me.

I felt like I was six years old again, cheeks stained with dust and scabs on my knees. The slightest movement made me feel boorish and clumsy.

“Well, Sydelle,” she began pleasantly, “I’m so very glad to make your acquaintance. I’ve heard rumors that you had quite the adventure coming here.”

“Your Majesty.” Pompey bowed. “May I take my leave to inspect the Wizard Guard’s progress?”

“Would you mind getting Oliver for me?” Queen Eglantine said. “I have a question I’d like to ask him.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.” Pompey bowed again and shut the door silently behind him.

We took a turn about the room, arriving back at the table of ladies.

“Leave,” Queen Eglantine said brusquely. The ladies-in-waiting stood, curtsied, and practically flew from the room.

“Now, Sydelle,” she said with a smile. “Please sit down. Would you like to play a game?”

I balked, wringing my hands until they were bright red.

“I’m very sorry,” I said after a moment, “but I don’t know how to play cards.”

“Don’t know how to play!” she repeated, looking astonished. “Where are you from?”

“Cliffton,” I said. What had my mother said? Not to look your elders directly in the eye? I tried to straighten my spine and keep my eyes trained on the beautiful carpet, but I was so tired that it didn’t seem worth it.

“Oh, that pretty little shipping town in the south!” she exclaimed.

“Actually, it’s out west,” I said, hesitating. Even before I saw the brief flash of annoyance on her face, I knew it wasn’t proper to correct her. Her smile quickly recovered, at least.

“Right, of course.” Queen Eglantine waved her hand dismissively. “There are so many cities and villages that it’s easy to confuse them. Are you homesick? You look a touch sallow.”

“A little,” I said, bringing a hand to my cheek.

“I’m homesick all the time,” she said. “I’m not from Provincia, you know, and I’d much rather move the capital to Estoria, or at least build another palace there.”

I nodded.

“Did you get a chance to see Estoria while you were traveling? We have such lovely shopping markets and flower fields there.”

I shook my head.

“You’re not very talkative, Sydelle,” she said a bit sourly. “You haven’t told me anything about yourself yet!”

“Well…,” I began slowly. “I’m from Cliffton….”

“Yes, we’ve already established that,” she said. I bristled slightly.

“Do you know what’s going on right now in Cliffton?” I asked. “In all of the western villages? They’ve been overrun by Auster’s ally.”

“Yes, I’m aware, but I didn’t realize that your village was one of those affected,” she said. “There’s a plan in place to protect them now. I promise no harm will come to your family and friends.”