“—I would have asked honored Suiden for a guard.”
“And we all know who the ‘fool’ is,” Javes said.
Just then Groskin emerged from the officers’ mess, carefully avoiding Basel standing behind me. After him came more troopers who weren’t as adventuresome, and they stopped.
“Please move aside, Basel,” I said. The haunt obligingly shifted, but still no one moved. That may’ve been because of how Suiden’s eyes had flames flickering in the center.
“What is this?” Suiden asked. The troopers were all in their dress uniforms, accoutrements gleaming.
“They’ve heard that you’re taking Trooper Basel’s body with you and they wish to form an honor guard, sir,” Groskin said. “Please.” More soldiers appeared, coming from both upstairs and the ground floor quarters.
“Well, here’s insurrection,” Esclaur said, his brows raised.
But Suiden shook his head. “Except for those on guard rota, all may come if they wish.” He sighed. “It’ll be something else to tell his family.” The captain’s eyes then blazed at Groskin. “I will gut you myself if you even so much as hint that you are fomenting unrest, Lieutenant.”
Groskin winced, then nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Javes lifted his glass at Suiden’s flaming glare. “That’s something that’ll make all the children go screaming to their mothers.”
“Your eyes are yellow, sir,” I said helpfully.
“Thank you so much for telling me, Rabbit,” Javes drawled. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“It is the physical manifestation of your translations,” Laurel said. “The outward appearance of what has happened internally, even though your bodies have returned to their human form.” He shrugged, his beads rattling. “It’s what Rabbit’s been seeing all along.”
“You mean they’re going to stay like that?” Esclaur asked, his own winter blue eyes wide as he stared at Suiden.
“Yes.”
“Then the children and their mothers are going to have to deal with it,” Suiden said, “as we must get to the palace, especially with Slevoic loose in the city.”
Someone had dug up the banners and pennants Javes’ troop had brought to a mountain lea so long ago and, as our procession wound through the city streets, the wind unfurled the flags until they were snapping in the breeze. For the first time since we arrived, the streets were empty of spectators as the big cat went by, though I did notice troubled faces peeking out from doorways and from behind window blinds. I suppose the sight of a flag-draped bier borne by ten large soldiers going by in a funeral procession was a little nervous-making. And the ghost probably didn’t help.
I caught a flicker to my side and turned. Basel, now in his stag persona, paced beside me, his hooves making no sound on the cobbled streets. Though, as I thought of it, none of us were making any noise. I looked down and saw mountain grass and meadow flowers springing up from the stones. Lady Gaia was indeed mourning.
We were halfway to the royal compound when hooves came thundering down the street and a detachment of the King’s Own, led by Lord Commander Thadro, rode up to us, their horses’ hooves abruptly muffled as they reached the front riders. Our spines snapped straight as Lord Esclaur’s brows rose until they almost met his hairline. “His Majesty must really want to make sure we arrive.”
“Captain Prince Suiden,” the Lord Commander said, his grayish blue eyes twinkling. “Not that I don’t think that you can get across the City without help, Your Highness, but the king has asked that I join your escort.”
“Yes, sir,” Suiden began, but broke off at more thundering hooves growing louder in the distance. This time a detachment from the Royal Garrison appeared. They reined in when they saw us, and I blinked as I recognized the major from the Royal Garrison’s mess—it was truly a small world. The major pulled to a stop, startled to find himself face to face with the Lord Commander. “Sir! I’ve been sent by Commander Loel to bring Lieutenant Rabbit to the Royal Garrison.” A couple of muscular soldiers separated from his troop and headed my way.
“Now, that’s interesting,” Lord Commander Thadro said, turning his horse. “As I was ordered by King Jusson himself to escort the entire party to him. Including his cousin, Lord Rabbit.” He leaned forward. “Are you countermanding His Majesty’s order, Major?”
The major stared at Lord Commander Thadro with a deepening frown on his face, then shot me a frustrated glare. “No, sir,” he said.
“Return to the garrison, Major,” Thadro said. “Now. That’s my order.” The major spun his horse around, plunging back to the garrison troops, and they immediately thundered off again.
King Jusson must’ve made it very clear that come hell or high water, Thadro and his men were to deliver us to the palace, as they hesitated for just a moment when they saw Basel, only a couple making warding signs against evil as they fell in with us.
“He’s harmless, sir,” Captain Javes said. His mouth quirked even as he sighed. “At least he was when he was alive. A smashing cook, though.”
“Oh?” Thadro asked, the lurking humor in his face fading. He glanced over his shoulder at the shrouded bier, then back at Javes. “What happened—?” He broke off as his gaze sharpened. “What the hell?” He looked closely at Suiden and his mouth fell open. “What the bloody hell?” He stared down at Laurel pacing beside him. “Did you do this?”
“No,” Laurel said. “Not I.”
Remembering the metallic taste in my mouth, I sat very quiet on my horse, hoping no one would ask me.
“Then this just happened?” Thadro asked. He cast another glance at Suiden and Javes, but this time noticed Esclaur’s blue gaze. “What did happen?”
“Slevoic ibn Dru challenged Prince Suiden,” Laurel said. “The prince won.”
“What?”
“It is a Border embassy, no? An actual part of the Border in the middle of the Royal City, which itself rests on what was once Borderlands. And so it behaved like the Border, and the soldiers were translated.”
“Translated?” Thadro looked back at Suiden and Javes, then caught sight of Esclaur. “You mean, turned into magicals?”
“I was a wolf, sir,” Javes said, giving way to a tongue-lolling grin. “So was Esclaur.”
“Indeed, yes,” Esclaur said, also grinning.
“Slevoic’s faction tried to use this to drive a wedge between Suiden and his men, and between Lord Rabbit and his fellows,” Laurel said, reclaiming Thadro’s attention. “No matter that Rabbit has had repeated attempts against his life, including fifteen venomous spiders placed in his bedroom.”
“Pale Deaths,” Javes murmured.
“The bloody hell” Thadro said softly as he and several guardsmen blessed themselves.
“While no one was harmed by the weavers,” Laurel said, “honored Basel was made a casualty of the factional infighting.”
“He was murdered, sir,” I said. “Slevoic slit his throat.”
“That’s for the review board to decide, Lieutenant,” Suiden said.
“Yes, sir.”
“As we don’t want anyone accusing us of jumping to conclusions, however correct.”
I smiled. “Yes, sir.”
A couple of butterflies flew by, circled around and landed on each of my shoulders, their weight running through my arms and legs. As their wings opened and closed slowly, I could feel the brush of them against each cheek, like a kiss.
“Rabbit, your hair,” Jeff said from behind me.
I reached up, and then down, and then down some more. My hair now reached the middle of my back, though the queue Javes made was still in place.
At Jeff’s words, Javes looked at me. And sighed. “Suiden.”
Suiden turned his head, taking in the butterflies and my lengthened braid. “Pox take it, Rabbit. We have an audience with His Majesty and we’ve enough weirdness as it is.”