"My Lady," the guard spoke, his voice a deep baritone. "The High Lord requests your immediate presence. Please, come with us."
Katherine closed her eyes.
You must buy a single nightbloom from the girl to indicate you understand what you must do, and that you know what will happen if you do not do it.
She opened her eyes as the guards began to encircle her, and then it came to her. Katherine looked down at the display table next to her, and her fingers rested on a sentry device. She traced the symbols with her fingertips and the activation sequence came to her mind.
"Ohr-ahn. Tal-ihn. Tal-seh," she whispered.
As Katherine spoke, the object came to life.
Bright colours flashed and a sound like a thousand birds screeching rang through the market. The guards put their hands to their ears, grimacing in pain. There was a huge crash as fleeing shoppers struggled to escape the cacophony.
Katherine quickly ducked under an awning and pushed through a tented area, surprising a stunned merchant. The sound of raised voices and panicked townsfolk followed her as she searched for a way out, eventually spying a vertical split in the rear of the tent. She pushed through to where a narrow space opened up and a glimmer of light could be seen in the distance. Katherine squeezed her slim figure through the gap and shuffled along the wall behind the tents.
Gasping, she came to where the tents ended and joined the throng of the crowd as they fled the area. Katherine stopped for a moment and leaned against the wall, but the sense of urgency made her look up. She was moments away from her destination.
Ahead the market opened up onto a small square. Rays of sunlight shone down on a central fountain, scattered by the spray. Some vendors had stalls here selling simple food, and the aroma wafted towards Katherine as she approached.
Slightly away from the other stalls, a young woman had set up a stand selling flowers. A smiling man walked away as Katherine approached. In his hands he held a bunch of beautiful summerglens, their delicate petals drawing the eye to the rainbow of colours. Amidst such turmoil in her mind, the arrangements of flowers displayed at the girl’s market stall were suddenly captivating, and Katherine couldn't look away. Some bold bunches stood as tall as a boy, while others were tiny and looked terribly fragile.
Katherine felt her back itch — he would be watching, she had no doubt of that. It sickened her that such an evil man would be sitting by, watching the girl’s every move.
Ella’s face lit up when she saw Katherine, and the noblewoman felt her own spirits rise in sympathy.
"Hello, Ella," Katherine smiled down at the young woman.
"My Lady," Ella touched her fingers to her lips and then her forehead, but her eyes were sparkling.
"Could I… could I buy a single nightbloom?"
"Of course. Is there one in particular? Are you sure you wouldn’t like one of these beautiful…" Ella said.
"No, no. Just a nightbloom — any. Please, quickly, Ella," Katherine said.
"Of course, My Lady," Ella handed Katherine a flower, her expression puzzled.
Katherine breathed a sigh of relief when the flower was in her hand. There, it was done.
She handed Ella a gold coin.
"No, Lady Katherine, it’s too much," Ella said.
"Please, Ella. Just take it. Please, I insist."
Ella hesitated, evidently torn between disagreeing with the noblewoman and her desire to take only what was fair. "I’ll buy something for my uncle," she promised, putting the coin into a pocket in her tunic.
Lady Katherine smiled. "How is he? And your brother?"
"They’re both well. They still think I’m mad, but Uncle Brandon generally lets me do what I like. He’s more interested in Miro, anyway. I’ve started to sell gift cards too, have you seen?"
Katherine nodded. "They’re beautiful."
"I think I’m really going to do it. In two years I’ll have enough money to sit the entrance examinations at the Academy."
"I’m so proud, Ella."
Some men in dark clothing entered the square, and for a moment Katherine’s heart stopped, but these were labourers, they weren’t her husband’s men.
Ella looked at her with concern.
"Lady Katherine, is something wrong?"
"Yes… No…" Katherine struggled to pull herself together. She was conscious of eyes watching her. She had accomplished her goal, she had to remind herself.
"Ella, I… I’m not going to be able to see you for a while."
"What do you mean?"
"I’m sorry, Ella. You don’t know how sorry I am."
A huge hand clapped onto Katherine’s shoulder, holding her in a grip of iron. Katherine turned to once again face Tessolar’s personal guard. He wasn’t pleased.
"I… I have to go now. Trust in yourself. You will do well."
As the young woman looked on with an expression of confusion, the guards led Katherine away.
1
In the beginning, the world was empty. There were trees and plains of grass. Birds flew through the sky. The oceans teemed with fish. But the world was empty. And then the Evermen came.
— The Evermen Cycles, 1-1