“I want you to swear to talk first, before you try to kill me,” Daleina said.
“So you’re not ruling out the killing part if it’s necessary?” Not that Merecot wanted to kill Daleina. In fact, standing with her now, she couldn’t quite believe what she’d almost done and what she’d come here to do. Daleina seemed so alive. So . . . Oh, spirits, do I actually admire her? Weak, untalented, overtrusting, na?ve, idealistic Daleina?
She heard a muffled snort from inside the chambers, almost a laugh.
“You have someone spying on us? Right now, when you’re asking me for a leap of faith? Bit cynical of you, isn’t it?” So much for trust and friendship. Merecot plunged her mind into the palace, searching for a spirit in order to look through its eyes, but there were no spirits within.
“Of course,” Daleina said. “I’m hopeful, not stupid.” Her hand still was held out.
“Then you have changed.” Merecot paused. “I didn’t actually mean that. It was just such a good setup for the insult, I couldn’t resist.”
“I understand,” Daleina said gravely, but Merecot thought she saw a flicker of an almost-smile. She wished she could see what Daleina was thinking.
If I could penetrate the minds of the spirits who were linked to her . . . Quickly, in the pause in the conversation, Merecot slammed her mind into the thoughts of the spirits that hovered around the palace. She’d never tried to “read” anyone’s mind this way, but the theory was sound. She could see the memories of spirits, so if they held the memory of Daleina’s thoughts and plans . . . Sifting through the spirits’ minds, she found . . .
Nothing.
They knew nothing.
Daleina didn’t share her thoughts with them. She was linked to them, yes, but it was a softer link than either Merecot or Naelin had. Clever, Merecot thought. Daleina must keep herself shielded from them. Or else she isn’t strong enough to forge a more in-depth connection. Either way, it meant Merecot couldn’t access any memories the spirits had of her thoughts. Once more, she was at a disadvantage . . . and that bothered her a great deal.
“Say I say yes, I want to be friends again. What happens next?”
“You’ll be offered the hospitality of the palace, shown to a room, led to the baths, and invited to dine with me here in my rooms. Then we talk.”
Merecot held up one finger. “I already stated no giggling.”
“There will be no giggling,” Daleina agreed.
I came all this way. May as well see where this goes. I can always kill her later, Merecot thought. She was closer to the grove than she’d ever been. She could kill Daleina, race to the Aratayian grove, and seize the crown. Right now, with whatever army of spies was listening, Merecot knew she’d be foolish to try. Queen Jastra would have told her to do it anyway—use her strength and control of the spirits, use Daleina’s hopefulness against her to surprise her. But I’m not Jastra, and I have other cards to play. “You haven’t asked me about Ambassador Hanna or Champion Havtru. I gathered you’ve noticed I returned without them.”
“You won’t harm them,” Daleina said, certainty in her voice.
“Oh? You’re sure of that?”
“You won’t need to,” Daleina said. “I’ve invited you here in peace.”
Again, the na?veté amused her, but at the same time, it irked her. Because there was no way Daleina didn’t know its effect on her. She’s . . . toying with me. Yet it still wasn’t quite clear how. I should be the one controlling the conversation. I’m supposed to be outsmarting her!
Merecot tried hard to keep her expression as bland as possible. I underestimated her. She knows I left them behind as hostages. Daleina kept surprising her. This may be a more interesting visit than I thought. I wonder . . . if she’d listen. She’d come here planning to take the crown by force, but if she could convince Daleina to abdicate willingly instead . . . ?
Was it possible? Was Daleina smart enough, wise enough, queen enough, to understand why Merecot had to be queen of both Semo and Aratay? She’d never planned to explain herself, but if there was a chance that Daleina would listen and believe . . .
I could try.
For a moment, she felt breathless, nearly light-headed. She couldn’t put a name on the feeling that rushed through her, but she thought maybe it was hope.
“In that case, I’d be delighted to accept the hospitality of your palace.” Merecot held out her hand, and Daleina clasped it.
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 true every queen 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 discover why she 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 do you want?”
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.”
Chapter 28
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.