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Silverweb gave me a quick curtsey, then immediately pulled out a thick ledger and hoisted it on the table. She was all business, and before I could sit down, she was flipping through the pages.
“Since the Court of Snow and Ice was overrun by Myst, we would think that the coffers were depleted, but the Indigo Court appears to have had no need of money. Most of the gold and silver was intact, as were a good share of the Eldburry Barrow’s nonephemeral treasures. The vast majority of art, along with a great deal of our glassware, was destroyed in the battle for the Barrow, which is a tragic loss, but most of the precious metals were left intact, although a few pieces were dented. Restoring the Barrow cost a pretty penny, even with our artisans’ volunteering. But the treasury is at sixty percent of its former reserves, we estimate.” She pointed to some figures, but I realized I had no clue what the words beside them said.
“I can’t read that. Just the numbers.”
Wrath rubbed his forehead. “A stumbling block we did not think of—and it will be the same for your cousin. You were not brought up here, so of course you cannot read our language. I see we shall have to arrange for a tutor to start working with you the day after tomorrow. You must learn the tongue as quickly as possible.”
I hadn’t even thought of that little matter. Everyone around me had spoken to me in English. But now that I thought of it, it made perfect sense—the Fae would have their own language, their own dialects, their own lexicon.
Sobering, I stared at Strict, Silverweb, and Wrath. “I’ll have to trust my advisors until I become proficient in the language.”
“You have me, my love.” Grieve took my hand. “I will translate for you when it is needed, and work with you when we are alone to help you master the language.”
Strict leaned back. “This will be a learning experience for all of us. Meanwhile, I can instruct you in the laws of the land—take notes in your own language so you don’t forget. You will be administering justice, Your Highness. You must know what boundaries are set and, if you so choose, change them.”
I jerked my head up. “Change them? You mean if I don’t like something, I can change it? Without questioning?”
He cocked his head to one side, smiling faintly. “If your changes are too disparate, the Greater Unseelie Court may call you to question, but for minor things? Yes.”
And so we got to work—me with a notebook, Strict teaching me the legal system of the Court of Snow and Ice. I immediately understood that it was darker than Lainule’s court. There was a greater leeway on suspect behavior, and harsher punishments for those things proscribed. The sorting out would take months, but as we progressed, I began to see that I was going to be Queen over a feral and wild populace.
Three hours later, I sat back, limp, with pages of notes I’d jotted down.
Strict leaned across the table. “It is much to take in, but that is what I and your other advisors are here for. We’re to help you make this transition, and it will take some time. We all expect that. It was bad enough when I helped Tabera take the throne, and she was born for it. But you…you may have been born with the destiny, but you were not born into Court, so you are still unfamiliar with all of the ways of our people. Your people, too, you know,” he added softly. “You are half Cambyra on your father’s side. You have our blood running through your veins.”
I’d been suspecting something for some time, and now I looked directly at Wrath. “You were born to the Court of Snow and Ice, weren’t you?”
He paused a beat, then nodded. “Yes. I moved to the Court of Rushes and Rivers when I met your mother. I fell in love with her, before she was Queen. I switched sides for her. But yes, the Winter…it is my true home.”
I met his gaze. “You and Lainule, you crossed courts like Grieve and I did in our life long ago. Perhaps not quite the same—Summer and Winter do not battle, generally. But you defied tradition.”
He winked at me then, his smile broadening. “That we did.”
And then Strict dismissed me for the day. “You must prepare for your coronation tonight.”
“Will Rhiannon and I take the thrones together?” I was hoping for a yes, but I already knew the answer.
“No. You will ascend to the throne in the Court of Snow and Ice at one hour before midnight. She will take the throne in the Court of Rivers and Rushes at one hour after midnight—when the year has begun to wax again. You will be moving to the Eldburry Barrow today.”
“Today…” And then it hit me—this was it. Today was my last day as just Cicely Waters. Tonight, by midnight, I would be Queen of a strange land. And a strange people. I sucked in a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed. “I can’t do this…”
“You can, and you will. You’ve passed through the hardest part. If you were not meant to take the throne, you and Rhiannon, you would have died when your heartstones were being extracted from you. There is no turning back, my daughter. You’re just afraid. Go now…spend some time outside the Barrow, but do not stray far. Get a breath of fresh air and take your cousin with you.” Wrath motioned to Grieve. “Attend them, and keep them safe.”
Grieve bowed to my father, then took my arm, and we headed back toward the common room. Rhia was just sitting down to lunch with Chatter. Peyton, Luna, and Kaylin were nowhere in sight.
“Cicely!” Rhia jumped up and grabbed me. She had a look of panic on her face, one I recognized only too well. “I’m…”
“I know. Me, too. Let’s eat lunch and then go for a walk. Grieve and Chatter can come with us, but we need to talk.” I glanced around. “Where are the others?”
“Today’s moving day. They’re up at the house, putting things to rights.”
“I want to go there. To help them. It will take our minds off tonight.” I turned to Grieve. “You will go with us?”
He shrugged, and—with a sideways smile at Chatter—said, “Do we have a choice?”
“No.” Feeling a little better, I sat down and dug into my beef and mashed potatoes.
As we emerged from the portal, with Check and Fearless behind the four of us, I shaded my eyes. The winter was still raging, and it felt like it had when Myst had controlled the Golden Wood. She must be near.
