D’arvan rested an arm across the unicorn’s withers. “I don’t like this at all,” he told her. “There’s something about that man…” He shook his head. “He will bear watching—closely.” So saying, he suited word to deed, and made his way toward the rebel camp, the unicorn following at his heels.
20
A Queen in Waiting
What do you mean, they decided to come back?” snapped Raven, her voice echoing sharply among the rafters of the great throne room. “Who told them they could do that? How dare they! And what has happened to the Mages?”
Sunfeather flinched—and he was not the only one. All of the Queen’s Council of Advisers—with the exception of Elster, who seemed calm as always, and Aguila, Captain of the Royal Guard, whose impassive face rarely betrayed his emotions—looked decidedly uncomfortable, if not distinctly nervous.
“Your Majesty, I’m sure that you distress yourself needlessly,” said Sunfeather, his suave demeanor belied only by the haste with which he spoke. “As Wingmarshal of the Syntagma, I took it upon myself to question the couriers myself on their return, and—”
“Did you, now?” Queen Raven glared at him. “Then you have taken too much upon yourself. Where are the couriers? Why were they not brought to me at once?”
“My—my Lady, I did not wish to disturb you with such trifles.” For once, Sunfeather was at a loss. Since the departure of the groundling Wizards, the Queen had seemed much more malleable, and he had been growing increasingly confident of his power over her. He’d thought that he had charmed her with his handsome looks and courtier’s manners, but suddenly he had the sinking feeling that he might have miscalculated.
“This is not a trifle!” Raven shouted, hammering her fists down on the table in front of her. “Bring them to me at once!”
“But Majesty, they are sleeping after their long journey—”
“At once, I said!” The Queen locked eyes with Sunfeather—and she was not the first to look away.
“Very well, Majesty. If that is your wish, I will have them sent for,” the Wingmarshal replied with cold dignity.
“No, Sunfeather.” Raven spoke quietly now, but her voice had an edge of steel. “I told you to fetch them. This council will await your return—with the couriers.”
Sunfeather opened his mouth as if to protest, but closed it rapidly when he saw Aguila half rise, his hand upon his sword. Though his expression remained as impassive as ever, the Captain of the Royal Guard’s eyes were sparkling with malicious amusement.
Tight-lipped and fuming with anger, Sunfeather stalked out of the chamber. How dared she humiliate him in front of the entire Council? One day, he thought grimly, I’ll make her pay for this. Why, after that scandal with the Khazalim groundling, she has no right to the throne at all—and unless she mends her manners toward me, I’ll see that she isn’t Queen for long!
In the awkward silence that followed the Wingmarshal’s departure, Raven cudgeled her brains for a way to take control of the meeting—but she had no idea how to begin. Elster gestured for a servant to refill the wine cups. When the youngster had finished her task and gone, Aguila, speaking out of turn, much to Raven’s annoyance, turned to the Acting High Priest. “Did you know about this business?”
Skua shrugged. “Sunfeather did mention it when the couriers returned, but I had to oversee some matters concerning the rebuilding of the temple, so I left him to deal with the situation as he saw fit. Even as acting High Priest”—he glared resentfully at Raven, who still had not confirmed his position—“I have responsibilities. My time is not my own…”
“Really,” Aguila drawled. “Well, at least you fared better than I. The first I heard of it was just before this meeting, when I asked Sunfeather if he knew why Her Majesty had called us together. And what of you, Cygnus? You are the Wingmarshal’s friend. Was he keeping you equally in the dark?”
Raven glared at him. It was typical of him—of all of them—to start talking across her, taking over the meeting and ignoring her as though she wasn’t even there. “That’s not the point,” she cut in, wanting somehow to take back control. “What I want to know is—” She was interrupted by two things: a sharp kick on the ankle from Elster, and the return of Sunfeather, with the four winged couriers behind him.
Raven rose to her feet. “Well?” she demanded sternly.
“What have you to say for yourselves? Why did you disobey my orders and abandon the Magefolk and their companions?”
The culprits fidgeted uncomfortably under her harsh gaze. Raven gritted her teeth. “You may begin,” she told them, “by telling me what happened to the Mages after they left me, until you left them.”
The couriers looked at one another, then one of the winged men stepped forth. “The world is a fearsome, hostile place, Your Majesty, beyond the boundary of our mountains. You would do well to hearken to what we say…”
Raven listened as he recounted what had taken place after the Mages had left Aerillia. As the tale unwound, her heart grew heavier and colder with dread for her former companions, until it seemed as though it was sinking to her very feet. When the winged man’s story ended with the attack in the Xandim Fastness, she could not believe it was over.
“And you just abandoned them?” she demanded. “You don’t even know if they survived? You offered them no help at all, despite the orders you were given?”
The winged couriers looked at the ground and shuffled their feet.
“Speak up,” Aguila barked. “The Queen asked you a question.”
One of the Winged Folk looked up, her expression sullen. “If it please Your Majesty,” she began, “no one mentioned anything about orders when we went with the groundlings. We were given to understand that we were volunteers.”
“That’s right,” another winged man chimed in. “And no one mentioned anything, when we volunteered, about fighting with the great cats, our lifelong foes; or getting caught up in wizardly battles; or risking our lives in some attempt by the Horsefolk to overthrow their leader. With the greatest respect, these matters are not the concern of the Skyfolk. And as for being cursed out by that female demon of a Wizard… Well, Your Majesty, it was just too much.”
“I notice it doesn’t seem to have been too much for your two loyal companions, who elected to remain behind,” Aguila growled. “The blood of the Skyfolk runs thin these days, if that is all the extent of your courage.”
“Sir, that is scarcely just,” the winged woman protested. “We are loyal warriors of the Syntagma. But when we volunteered, Wingmarshal Sunfeather told us that if ever we wanted to come home, it would be permitted—”
“He told you that you could leave the Mages whenever you liked?” Raven demanded furiously. “Those were not my orders.”
“Upon my honor, Majesty, I told them no such thing!” Sunfeather protested loudly. “Full well I knew what your orders were. These cowards must have willfully misunderstood me.”
“Perhaps you didn’t explain it to them clearly enough,” Aguila drawled. “Are you sure you understood Her Majesty’s orders yourself?”
Sunfeather flushed scarlet with rage. “Of course I understood…” His words tailed off, and he shut his mouth hurriedly as he realized how neatly Aguila had trapped him.
“This is all very well,” Cygnus cut in quickly, rescuing Sunfeather from his floundering, “but it brings us no nearer to deciding the punishment of these miscreants.”
“Punishment for the couriers?” Aguila lifted a sardonic brow. “Since the confusion seems to have stemmed from the Wingmarshal’s orders, perhaps he should, in all decency, share their fate.”