Daleina instructed Belsowik to escort Queen Merecot to the guest chambers, and she ordered spirits to prepare it in advance, stealing finery from other rooms of the palace to drape Merecot’s rooms in as much splendor as possible. Judging by the number of jewels draped over Merecot, she associated finery with being queen.Might as well oblige her.She didn’t know if any queen of Aratay had ever hosted a queen of another country, voluntarily or not. Few queens were powerful enough to keep their spirits under control from a distance.We tend to stay put, and not try to invade one another. One country’s spirits are bad enough—no one wants more. Except Merecot.
After Merecot had been swept away, she located Garnah, who had wisely retreated to Daleina’s inner bedroom and hidden. Daleina made a mental note to have Hamon check the room for any stray potions or powders before she slept. “I assume you heard all that?”
“She’s absolutely charming,” Garnah said, climbing out from behind a chest and smoothing the wrinkles in her skirt. She straightened the feathers in her hair. “I adore her.”
“Can I trust her?” Daleina asked.
“Yes. Decidedly yes.” She held up one finger. “Once you determine what she wants. She’s the kind who will be steadfast in her pursuit of her goal.”
“She wanted to be rid of the excess spirits in Semo,” Daleina said.
“Ah, but why?”
“Because they were tearing apart the fabric of her country.”
“Why should she care?”
“Because people were losing their homes and dying, and it’s a queen’s responsibility—”
Garnah pursed her lips and made a rude noise. “You think Merecot cares for that?”
What a ridiculous question, she thought.Every queen cares about her people!Daleina began to reconsider her idea of including Garnah in these meetings. She had very little understanding of human emotion—Hamon would have said it was because she’d never experienced it. But before Daleina replied, she forced herself to truly consider the question. She had asked for Garnah’s opinion expressly because of her lack of compassion.Is it trueeveryqueen cares? What about Queen Fara?“Merecot has wanted to be a queen for as long as I’ve known her. She believes it’s her destiny.”
Garnah pressed again. “Why?”
“Because the world needs—”
“Don’t project your own nobility onto others. It’s not a weight we want to carry.” Garnah waved her hand in the air as if shooing away flies. “You need to discoverwhyshe wanted to be queen so badly that she left her school, her home, her family, her everything. Why she was willing to kill for a land that’s not her own. And more important, why she’s come here now, at risk to herself, even though she should have everything she wants. You need to know what she truly wants.”
She’s right, Daleina thought.Merecot doesn’t think like I do.That was why she wanted Garnah listening to these meetings in the first place. “What doyouwant?”
Garnah smiled. “All I want is my son’s love.”
Though rationally she knew she shouldn’t, though Hamon would have cautioned her not to, though Garnah had been a terrible mother, Daleina believed her. “Then we continue.”
Chapter28
Daleina wished Arin were here. She’d have created miraculously extravagant confections in the kitchen that would have distracted from the awkwardness of entertaining Daleina’s would-be murderer.On the other hand, it’s better that Arin’s safe at home. I can handle a little awkwardness.After all, the entire reason Daleina was doing any of this was to keep Arin and people like her safe.
Merecot slurped her soup, then dabbed the corner of her lips with a napkin.
Daleina didn’t know how she was supposed to convince Merecot to reveal her true motivations. She could ask point-blank and hope that Merecot was in the mood to monologue. Or she could be patient and hope Merecot revealed herself on her own.As Garnah said, she’s here, so she clearly wants something. But what?Maybe if she just got Merecot talking, tried to get her to open up...
“Tell me about your sister,” Daleina offered.
Merecot stiffened. She laid her soup spoon down and folded her hands on her lap, white-knuckled. “You knew her. You claimed to be her friend.”
“I washerfriend. And I think, for a moment, at least, she was mine. But I only know what she let me see. And I know some of it was true and some wasn’t.” Maybe Alet wasn’t the best choice of topics. She hadn’t meant to open a wound.
But here we are. And the wounds ran both ways.
“Occurs to me that you don’t have the best track record with friends. All of them seem to die around you. Maybe I’m better off not being your friend.”
That felt like a knife in the gut. She thought of Mari and Linna and the others. Most days she was able to make it through several hours without thinking of them. Maybe someday she’d even be able to think of them without picturing them lifeless and blood-soaked in the grove, but not yet and not today. “Maybe Alet was better off not being your sister,” Daleina snapped, and then she sucked in air, trying to steady herself again. She couldnotafford to lose control, not with Merecot.
“Ouch,” Merecot said. “So the queen does have teeth.”
Be calm, she ordered herself.Think of Aratay. We need this peace.“Were you close to your sister?” She wanted to sound kind and gentle, but the best she could manage was calm and polite.
