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rainbowfic2013-10-27 05:07 pm
shadowsong26) wrote in rainbowfic2013-10-27 05:07 pm
Dirt Brown #7, Spilt Ink #5, Glitter #19
Name: shadowsong26
Story: The Swan in the Oasis
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Dirt Brown #7. Garden, Spilt Ink #5. Don't settle for someone who doesn't give you things to say. Forever is a long time to make small talk., Glitter #19. Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. - Pal Joey
Supplies and Materials: bichromatic, mural, eraser (Fairy Tale AU), oils, feathers, chalk, novelty beads, glitter, glue ("Your advanced organizational skills are needed to bail someone out of trouble today, and you are happy to ride to the rescue.")
Word Count: 10,299
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Nolani, Lonura, Kesshare, Isshiri, Andrell, Lord Rothbart
Warnings: Fantasy/fairytale violence, reference to political assassinations, references to previous violence involving a young child (age eleven), attempt at forced marriage, suspected background homophobia, adultery
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always. My submission forqueer_bigbang ; a retelling of Swan Lake. Kat made an amazing mix, and also erinptah made some beautiful artwork. You should check them out.
Princess Nolani was not what one would call an avid hunter. It was, like certain other courtly pursuits, one she enjoyed on occasion but would rather leave to others. Coming from a desert kingdom, where much of the time hunting required a long trek out to a carefully-stocked oasis, didn’t foster any stronger affection for the sport with her.
Still, it was a common pastime in her future husband’s court, over the border in Feredar, which was why she was out today, as she had been for the last four days. Even if she couldn’t advance from amused tolerance to a genuine affection for the sport, she should at least increase her skill in it.
Which was why she was here, for the fourth day in a row, hunting in an oasis about a half-day’s ride from the capital City of Glass. But it was nearly sunset now, time and past for her to be heading back to the capital, or to set up a campsite for the night. Again. She hadn’t had much luck on this visit—she was forced to admit that she was an indifferent hunter in all senses of the word—but didn’t want to return home empty-handed. On the other hand, she missed the comforts of her home, and her brother and sister. I’ll stay here again tonight, she finally decided, a little disgruntled, and go back to the capital in the morning.
As she was setting up her bedroll and starting to boil the strips of dried meat to make them more chewable, she caught a white flash of movement with the corner of her eye. Doing her best to quell her rising excitement, she shifted, trying to track it with a minimum of movement so as not to spook and lose the creature as she had the day before.
There, again, a glimpse of white wings in the sunlight, probably a tern or heron. Nolani had seen them in this oasis before, though she was deeper in than she’d ever come. Carefully, she slipped after the bird, watching for telltale flashes of wings in the dying sun.
Just when she was starting to think she’d lost it—how can I keep losing what I track? This oasis isn’t that large!—she spotted it again, got a good look at the bird. It was unlike any she’d seen before. Built differently from a heron, shorter legs than a stork, a broader wingspan than a tern, too pure a white to be an ibis, the wrong shape for a cormorant. It seemed vaguely familiar, like a half-remembered picture from a book, and was beautiful, one of the more beautiful birds Nolani had ever seen.
Her glance, though long enough to give her some detail, was too brief for her to target it properly, and her arrow missed. Swearing under her breath and giving up all pretense of sneaking, she broke into a full run, chasing the bird through the oasis.
She stopped, just as the sun sank fully below the horizon, when she broke through the trees to a surprisingly wide expanse. There was a manor-house, in the style of one of the eastern kingdoms—Isshifar, or perhaps Surenar—on a hill overlooking what was, to Nolani’s eyes, an inexpressibly vast body of water. She thought that it might be called a lake, but she couldn’t be certain.
Shaking the wonder of the sight from her mind, she scanned the horizon again for the bird.
There it was, gliding on the water. Nolani hesitated—it was in plain view, and within her range. She would have no trouble making the kill at this point, and then, with at least one success behind her, she could return home a little more optimistic about her marriage and her future.
But the bird was several feet out into the water, and she had no idea how deep it was, and she couldn’t swim. What would be the point of making a successful hunt if she couldn’t retrieve her kill after making it?
While she had been dithering, the reflection of the moon had been sliding across the water towards the bird. They met, some dozen feet from the shore, in a cascade of silvery light. Nolani threw up a hand to shield her eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter, with a sound of rushing wind and roaring water, and then everything went still and quiet.
Blinking the hazy afterimages out of her eyes, Nolani looked back at the water.
Where the bird had been, a woman stood.
She was waist-deep in the water, wearing a soft yellow dress that shone in the moonlight. She was perhaps a few years older than Nolani, and had the coppery coloring of a native of the desert. The ends of her mass of dark hair, unbound, brushed the surface of the water.
Nolani couldn’t help but stare at her. She was certain she had never seen anyone so beautiful in all her life. Never mind that she had also neither seen nor heard of any magic that could change a woman’s shape like this, any alarm at the situation faded utterly when she was watching the beautiful woman climb out of the water in the moonlight.
She hesitated only a half-second before emerging from the trees to speak to her.
“Hello?” she called, a little tentatively.
The bird-woman jumped, and turned to face her. She gasped, pulling back a little, obviously alarmed. But she didn’t run, at least, which was a little bit encouraging. She was just as beautiful up close, wide grey eyes providing a startling contrast to the rest of her coloring.
“I-I’m sorry, I won’t hurt you,” Nolani said. “I didn’t know you were--I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shot at you.”
She shook her head. “It’s all right,” she said, quietly. “You couldn’t have known.”
An awkward silence passed. “My name is Nolani,” she eventually offered.
“Mine is Lonura,” the bird-woman answered.
“Lonura,” Nolani echoed, tasting the name. “It’s--it’s nice to meet you.”
Lonura nodded. “And you,” she said, then hesitated. “I don’t get very many visitors here,” she continued, with a faint hint of wryness. “If nothing else, you’ve brightened my night."
Nolani grinned. “I’m glad I was able to do that. Despite the rough start.”
Lonura laughed—actually laughed—and Nolani felt a warm feeling at the base of her heart.
“May I ask how you--how you turn into that bird?” Nolani asked, after another brief hesitation, aware that it might kill the light, joyful mood they’d somehow managed to build in such a short time.
Lonura bowed her head and looked away. “It’s a long story, and an unfortunate one.”
“I have time,” Nolani assured her. It was too late for her go home tonight, after all, and any excuse to stay in Lonura’s presence was good enough for her.
Lonura gave a faint smile. “Very well,” she said. She paused then, as if considering where to begin. “I--my father was a border lord, in the mountains on the edge of Surenar. We were happy, when I was young, he and my mother and I. He had wealth enough to keep us comfortable, and was not so high-ranked that his presence was often demanded at court. I had near free run of the mountains that began just at the edge of our estate, and I spent most of my time there, singing with the birds and exploring all the hidden places I could find.”
It sounded, to Nolani, like the kind of childhood that only existed in hazy dreams and stories. “That sounds magical.”
Lonura inclined her head. “It was.” She hesitated again.
“What changed?”
“There was an accident,” she whispered, not looking at Nolani. “A terrible, terrible accident in the mountains. I think a rock slide, though I don’t--I don’t remember that time very well, I think because I try so hard not to.” She took a deep breath. “There was an accident and my parents--my parents died. There was nothing anyone could do, by the time they were found, they were already gone, but--” She trailed off.
Nolani reached for Lonura’s hand and held it, gently. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
Lonura merely nodded, then took a deep, shaky breath. “I became Lady of our holding, and once I--once I emerged from the fog of my parents’ death, I tried to do well. But I was only eighteen and cared little for the tasks involved, and every step of the way, I was reminded of my father and my mother. It was--hard.”
“I can only imagine,” Nolani murmured.
“But,” Lonura continued, not letting go of Nolani’s hand, “things seemed to settle into something like normality after a while. Months went by, and I slowly grew more accomplished at managing my family’s property, though I never grew to love it. Then--then it all changed again.”
Nolani, despite her curiosity, couldn’t bring herself to ask directly. She just squeezed Lonura’s hand to let her know she was still there, still listening.
“A man came over the mountains,” Lonura finally resumed. “Brother to the High Lord of Surenar, and desiring his throne. He had, it seems, come to my father shortly before the accident, asking for support and a place from which he could launch his invasion to claim what he believed was his rightful inheritance.”
Nolani flinched inwardly. She’d grown up with a mother as ambitious and disenfranchised as the villain in Lonura’s story. Nolani’s little brother had nearly been killed as a warning, but that hadn’t stopped her mother from murdering everyone ahead of her in the succession. Whatever the High Lord’s brother had done would be at least as terrible, Nolani was sure.
“He presented me the same request, with an added demand for my hand,” Lonura said. “You see, he had decided that renting a staging point was less attractive than owning one, and, when he won, using my holdings to expand into the desert itself.”
“My mother would never allow that,” Nolani said immediately.
Lonura blinked at her. “Your mother?”
Nolani flushed. “I--I’m sorry, I thought you knew, my name isn’t quite common, and--”
Lonura’s eyes went wide and she shook her head. “I didn’t know.”
Nolani flushed deeper. “My mother is the King’s niece and heir,” she admitted.
“Oh,” was all Lonura said.
But she still hadn’t released Nolani’s hand, which was important and at least some indication that she hadn’t bungled too badly.
Finally, Lonura continued her story. “I refused him. I had no desire to flirt with treason, or to betray my father’s wishes, or to marry a man like Lord Rothbart.”
This was all too close to her own situation, and Nolani hesitated to mention it. Her own upcoming marriage had been arranged—due in no small part to her mother’s efforts—as part of the treaty settlement after the late War. The idea was, at least officially, that Nolani’s marriage to the new King Andrell would serve as a long-term check on further aggression from Feredar. From what her brother, who had met the King, said, however, such a check was unnecessary, at least as long as Andrell held the throne.
Which, of course, led to why her mother had pushed so hard for the match, though she had not been the one to suggest it at the talks. Crown Princess Kesshare was ambitious, to say the least, and Nolani was second in line for the throne after her. Upon her marriage to King Andrell, if her first child was a son—for such was the law of Feredar—he would inherit both crowns in due time, laying the foundations for the vast empire that was Nolani’s mother’s dream.
Exactly what Lord Rothbart wanted, through Lonura, with the names of the territories changed.
Nolani hesitated, trying to decide if mentioning that was the right choice. Because it was so close to what Lonura was living, though somehow it didn't seem quite so heinous when her mother was the one planning it.
She decided not, in the end. It would sound patronizing at best, and at worst...
“But he didn’t take well to your refusal?” she asked, after a silence that had probably lasted far too long.
Lonura shook her head. “Far from it,” she said. “He--somehow, he had learned to do--strange and terrible things. These things are not the product of any kind of natural magic. They don’t draw on natural forces as the gods intended for mages to do. He--he called it sorcery.”
The very word sent a shiver down Nolani’s spine, and drove all thoughts of her mother and her marriage from her mind. “What did he do?”
Lonura stared down at their linked hands. “He came back to my home, two nights after I refused him,” she said woodenly. “He called unnatural fire and lightning, destroying everything in sight. He killed--I do not know how many he killed.” She closed her eyes. “He took me, bound my eyes and hands, and brought me here. He laid his curse on me, binding me to the form of a swan—a water-bird from his country—until such time as I changed my answer.”
Nolani thought, as hard as she could, for a way to save Lonura.
"Maybe my sister could help. Or one of her teachers, more likely."
Lonura blinked. "Your sister?"
"She's a priestess," Nolani explained. "Well, she hasn't taken final vows yet, but she's well-trained and...she knows things."
She brightened a little. "Do you think...?"
"I don't know," she answered, as honestly as she could. "But we could try. And even if she can't...you should still come away with me,” Nolani said, making up her mind in an instant. Her engagement, her mother’s plans—none of that was this important. Mother would want to hear about this Lord Rothbart and his ambitions in any case. She would find a way to protect Lonura, and stay with her forever. For this, she was utterly convinced, was the way it should be, and her only chance for true happiness in this life.
“I can’t,” Lonura said, at last withdrawing her hand.
Nolani scrambled for it again. “I can protect you. Or, rather, my mother can, and she’ll want to do away with Lord Rothbart, I know she will. And Kirana--"
Lonura shook her head and gently but firmly withdrew her hand once again. “You don’t understand. I--if I could come with you, I would, in a heartbeat, but--”
Nolani’s heart sank. “But--?”
“The curse stops me,” she said. “In order to become myself again, I have to meet the moonlight on the water. And as soon as the moonlight leaves the water--no matter where I am, I turn back into a swan.”
“Oh,” Nolani said, defeated.
“I’m sorry,” Lonura whispered.
“Is there any way to break the curse? Besides doing what Lord Rothbart wants?" Or whatever Kirana might have, but that could take years, and if Lonura could be safe in the capital while they waited, that was one thing, but leaving her with him...
She hesitated. “There...there may be...”
“What is it?” Nolani asked. “Whatever it is, whatever it takes, name it. I’ll do it.”
Lonura smiled a little, then shook her head. “You hardly know me,” she said.
Nolani blinked. “I know, but...I feel I know you enough to know that no task is too difficult if it means saving you.”
Grey eyes met her own dark ones searchingly for a long moment, then Lonura nodded. “To break the curse, you have to make a vow of everlasting love.”
“I do,” Nolani said immediately. “I swear on all that I hold dear, that I will—”
“You have to prove it to the world.”
Which made the task harder—which Nolani should have been expecting, this sort of thing was never easy—but not impossible. She was, after all, a princess, second in line to one of the greatest thrones in the world. “I will,” Nolani promised. “I’ll...” She hesitated, considering the best way to do it. “...come to the capital, in four nights,” she said. She'd do it sooner, if she could, but it would take that long to arrange it. “I’ll have everything—”
“Lonura?” a man’s voice called from just out of sight.
Lonura leapt to her feet. “Go. You have to go, now.”
“Say you’ll come.”
“I will, I promise, just go.”
“Four nights from now,” Nolani reminded her.
“Four nights from now,” Lonura repeated, pushing her towards the trees.
Nolani claimed a brief, achingly chaste kiss. “I love you,” she whispered, and meant it with every fiber of her being.
Lonura just nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Go,” she whispered, then Nolani was hidden by the trees and could see her no more.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura waited until she could no longer see or hear any trace of Nolani’s presence, before turning and calling back to Lord Rothbart. “I’m here,” she said, with ill grace.
He came around the corner into view. He was a tall, imposing man, fair, with a bushy beard and small, narrow, close-set eyes. Lonura had never found him more revolting as now, when she could compare him with Nolani’s luminous presence.
It wasn’t that she had never loved before—she had, a few times, pretty girls to share her secrets and her bed, for a time—but she had never been In Love, until now. It was the sort of thing, she realized, that couldn’t be described or commanded, no matter how hard one wished for it, but once it came, it was undeniable.
She was In Love with Princess Nolani, and she was determined to follow that love to the end of her days and beyond.
She swept Rothbart a sarcastic curtsy.
“Didn’t you hear me calling?” he asked, beady eyes ever suspicious.
“I was occupied with my thoughts,” Lonura said, and winced internally at how weak the excuse was. “I apologize.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, with alarming lightness.
“I know my own mind, my lord,” she replied, with a carefully measured amount of spite—just as much as she could get away with and still sound convincing, without giving away her beloved’s visit or arousing more of his ire than was entirely safe.
“I thought I heard voices,” Rothbart said, still light and conversational, poking at the trees.
Lonura’s heart found her throat. “Voices?” she asked, keeping her voice calm with the discipline only a lifetime of study could provide. A frighteningly practical application of her music lessons.
“Yes. Voices.”
“I…I don’t know what to tell you, my lord,” she said, somehow managing to speak around the lump in her throat. She only hoped she managed the right mix of contempt, bewilderment, and a faint tinge of hope—if, after all, her jailer ran mad, she had a greater chance of escape. “You and I are the only ones here.”
“Is that so?” He turned and eyed her. “Very well.” He smiled, a sharp, crooked thing, and Lonura wanted nothing more than to hit him so hard he lost all of his teeth and, with them, the menace in his expression. “Then I think I’ll ask you again, my dear.”
She stiffened. “Ask if you like.”
“You know the question.”
“And you know my answer.”
Rothbart placed a hand over his chest, as if cut to the quick by her persistent refusals. “Have pity on a poor man who only wants his due,” he said. “And think, dear lady, what you and I could accomplish together. All you have to do is accept me, love me, and I will give you anything your pretty little heart desires.”
“I have no desire to overthrow a stranger’s lawful monarch,” Lonura spat. “Let alone my own.”
Rothbart’s eyes narrowed again and he dropped his hand. “Fine.” He sketched a bow. “Until tomorrow night, then.”
“You’re wasting your time,” she said. “I will never change my mind.”
“Perhaps,” Rothbart said, and turned to go.
Lonura had just started to relax when he stopped, and turned back to her.
“One more thing,” he said.
“What?”
“I don’t suppose you have plans four nights from now?”
She froze. “Wh-what?”
He smiled. “Fear not, my dear. I care nothing for how you disport yourself after we are wed, so long as you provide me an heir. You can dally with a lady-friend to your heart’s content. But I will have you, Lady Lonura. So I’m afraid you won’t be meeting Princess Nolani as scheduled.”
Something hot burst behind Lonura’s eyes, and she didn’t care what she was risking in admitting it, in defying the man who’d held her as a foreign bird for near to two years. “If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me.”
Rothbart laughed. “Oh, I don’t think so, my dear,” he said, a deadly twinkle in his eyes. “You see, you’ve forgotten one very important thing.”
“She will prove our love to the world and then her mother will destroy you,” Lonura said.
He shook his head. “No, Lady Lonura. For I’m afraid that the moon is waning.”
The reality of his pronouncement hit her like a blow to the gut, and she dropped to her knees. “No…”
“And on the night in question,” Rothbart continued, twisting the knife, “it will be entirely gone.”
Lonura buried her face in her hands. How could she be so stupid, forgetting something so basic and important as that? Her one chance—her one chance at freedom and she wouldn’t be able to take it. Nolani would find her faithless and lose her love for her, and Rothbart would keep her in feathered chains for an eternity, laughing all the while.
With all hope lost, not caring if he heard, Lonura began to weep.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Rothbart paced restlessly in his house, in the little sorcerous pocket he’d woven in the heart of a little-used oasis for Lady Lonura’s prison. Damn the woman, he’d thought his curse was foolproof. He'd been sure the only way to prove a vow of everlasting love was to marry, and even in the more permissive City of Glass, marriage was for dynastic purposes, and could not be contracted without at least the barest potential for children. And Lady Lonura, he knew well, preferred women. However long it took, he’d been certain, her resistance and the pain of the nightly transformations and her crushing loneliness would force her to bow to his will. Because there would be no alternative.
Except now the daughter of the Crown Princess herself had stumbled upon his hidden glade, and the two girls had found love at first sight. Even without a marriage, the princess could prove her love, and ruin his chances for his brother’s usurped throne, with an announcement to her court and all its ambassadors.
Damn them.
He slammed a fist into the wall, and then, the sharp edge of his fury dulled, he considered how to salvage this situation.
For all his blustering, there was only so much he could do to keep Lady Lonura trapped in the oasis, now that she had a burning desire to flee and the threat of being trapped as a swan in the hot desert sunlight wasn’t powerful enough to withstand it anymore. True, the moon would cooperate for the planned rendezvous, but there was no guarantee that she’d be unable to get a message to the princess to reschedule to a more favorable night. If that happened, all would be lost for certain.
Unless…
His sorcery tingled at the tips of his fingers. He was not as ordinary men, after all. He had made scores of deals with unsavory entities for his unheard-of gifts and abilities. And, while Lady Lonura had somehow managed to find a loophole in his believed-unbreakable curse…
She was completely unaware of the other safeguard.
Of course, invoking it would mean losing her. But, with no legal heir to the estate, he could claim it for himself without her. It would be difficult to hold by military might, but possible. Which was why he had tried to achieve it legally, through marriage, first. But as that was becoming more and more impossible…
He smiled, slow and languorous.
If Princess Nolani were to make her gods-damned vow to the wrong person…Lady Lonura would die.
After some consideration, Rothbart decided he could live with that eventuality.
The problem was how to manage it. For all his skill with illusions, he could do nothing about voices. And Princess Nolani had fallen hard for his captive, so bewitching another girl—or himself—as a perfect Doppelganger in every other respect would not be sufficient.
...but there was his original safeguard to rely on in the end, after all. Princess Nolani was engaged. If King Andrell were to make a conveniently inconvenient appearance and demand a public affirmation of their betrothal, Nolani would have no choice but to submit, or cost her people the alliance and the treaty her mother had fought so hard for. Making such an affirmation would constitute a vow of everlasting devotion, though not necessarily love. While it was certainly possible for her to have a long-term devoted favorite while married for dynastic reasons—as he himself had said he’d allow Lonura, once she agreed—so long as Nolani vowed to Andrell before breaking the curse...
It would suffice.
Best of all, because the princess had never met her intended, so he could disguise himself as the young King with no difficulty. True, her little brother had fought with him after his defection and would know, and of course his ambassador, but as long as the two of them only saw him, and did not hear...
Rothbart smiled again, pleased at his brilliant solution to a thorny problem.
Once again, the world was ripe with possibility.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani rode hard for home, leaving the oasis at first light the next day, the sound of Lonura’s voice and the memory of her face thrilling through her veins. This would be no slight to her upcoming marriage vows, she was sure. Andrell, she hoped, would understand.
Nolani had consented to the marriage, of course. Even if Andrell was—despite her beloved little brother’s positive impressions of him—not whom she would have chosen, had she had the choice at all, she knew her duty. And he wasn’t entirely a bad choice. A conscientious man by reputation, her own age less a few months, willing to listen and adapt his policies and point of view as the situation demanded--if he wasn’t what she wanted, she could at least hope for compatibility and perhaps even friendship. With a little work at it on both their parts. Besides, a favorite of her own sex would pose no threat to the succession.
Not that the would have stopped her if Lonura had been male—she’d always favored both men and women equally—under these circumstances, anyway. She’d intended to confine herself to female favorites if possible until her childbearing years were over, out of respect for her husband and a genuine desire to win peace in the world, especially after all the horrors and tragedies her little brother had suffered during the War. But this...this thrilling affection for Lonura, stronger, she was sure, than any she’d had for previous favorites, overthrew all intentions of respect and discretion and decorum and even common sense. She loved Lonura, and she would save her, and have her as her favorite. Lonura could even function as her consort when she had to attend to her duties as second-in-line to the Crystal Throne, rather than Queen Consort of Feredar, since Andrell, her legal husband, certainly would be unable.
No, everything would be perfect. She would, of course, confirm with Isshiri that Andrell would be reasonable, and write her fiancé to explain things to him, but she had little doubt that it would all fall out as it should. Because she was in love, and her future looked not just tolerable, but exciting, for the first time since her mother had demanded her consent.
She fair flew into the City of Glass just as the sun reached its zenith and her home was spread out in all its glory. Her camel’s hooves chimed softly, as they always did, and she forced herself to put on her Public Face as she approached the palace. She didn’t want to give herself away until she made her vow, after all. Not that she thought doing so would pose any kind of threat to her intentions, but she had to admit a certain flair for the dramatic. Too many rumors too soon would spoil the show, not the vow itself.
As soon as she reached the palace and handed her camel off to the stable staff, she ran to find her brother. Isshiri, of course, would know everything. Particularly since he knew Andrell and could give her a better idea of what she could expect when this news reached him.
She tapped urgently on her brother’s door and was gratified when he answered almost immediately. “’Lani? What is it?” he asked, and he sounded concerned.
“Nothing. Well, nothing bad. I need to talk to you. Let me in, please?”
Eyeing her, he shifted out of the way and held the door open for her. She pulled it shut behind them and hugged him close.
He hugged her back, but did not seem at all reassured. “You’re sure nothing’s wrong?”
“Yes. Well, mostly. It’s…complicated,” she said. “I met someone.”
“That’s…good?” he tried, uncertain. She knew her brother stayed out of politics as much as he could get away with—he was excluded from the succession, so he had more than a little luck with that, at least—but he would know better than almost anyone what anything jeopardizing her marital future could mean for the world.
“A lady,” Nolani assured him. “My marriage will still go forward, I hope.”
“You hope?” he said, but he did look relieved at that.
She nodded. “I just...you know Andrell, you fought with him, yes?”
Isshiri nodded. “Not well, exactly. But enough. He’s a good man, I’ve told you. He’ll be good to you.”
“I trust you on that,” she said. “But...the lady I met.”
“Yes?”
“I want her...I want her to be a part of my life. For...” Forever, pulsed through her mind, but she didn’t want to overstate things too much. Because, as she was keenly aware, while she could and would promise undying devotion, Lonura would be bound by no such oaths. And she had fallen in and out of love enough herself to know that it could, and did, happen from time to time. “For as long as she’ll have me,” Nolani finished. “And I want your impressions of how Andrell will feel about that.”
Isshiri tilted his head, considering for a long moment, before answering. “I...can’t be certain,” he cautioned, “but I think he won’t object. He’sÖinvested in this marriage for the same reasons you are. And I know that...well, from all reports, his parents had an ideal marriage, and his older brother’s wife was miserable. Not from mistreatment, but because he ignored her almost completely. So he has a good example and a bad example of what a marriage should be. AndÖI do believe he’ll want you to be happy.”
Nolani relaxed a little. “Lonura will make me happy,” she said. “I’m sure of it. And there’s no jeopardy to the succession, so...”
Isshiri nodded. “Exactly. On the other hand...” He hesitated, then sighed. “Feredar isn’t entirely open to the idea of this kind of romantic entanglement.”
“A favorite, a Queen’s favorite, or a Queen’s female favorite?” she asked, because it could be any one of the three.
“The second, of course, but I was more worried about the third,” Isshiri said. “I don’t know how much of that he feels, or how much of it he’ll have to pretend to feel in order to keep things together.”
Nolani made a face, but nodded. “I understand. I’ll...I’ll write him, and ask.” Not that there was any chance she’d hear back before she made her vow, but she had to at least make an effort. “But I will have Lonura with me, whether he approves or not. If it means that much to him, maybe she’ll stay here. But you and Mother both think that he wants the treaty to go through, so that limits how much he can object, right?”
Isshiri quirked a smile. “Now we’re getting out of my depth, ‘Lani,” he admitted. “I didn’t exactly have much opportunity to discuss this particular issue with him when we were fighting together.”
“No, I suppose not,” Nolani said, then hugged him again. “Thank you, anyway. You’ve helped.”
“I’m glad.” He grinned at her. “So, when can I meet her? Is she at court?”
“Not yet,” Nolani said. “And it’s...well, I said it was complicated before, and...”
He blinked. “For more than just Andrell’s reaction? Are you worried about Mother?”
Nolani waved a hand dismissively. “I can handle Mother’s objections, especially if Andrell doesn’t mind my having a female favorite.”
“Then what?” he asked.
Nolani hesitated a moment, considering how much of Lonura’s story it was appropriate to share, especially since she couldn’t quite explain what sorcery was or how Rothbart had done whatever it was he’d done to transform her. “There’s...an inheritance dispute that she got entangled in,” she finally said. “I’m working on getting her out, but...”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Isshiri asked immediately.
She smiled, but shook her head. “No, I have to handle it by myself. But thank you for offering, it means a lot. You’ll like her, I know,” she said, shifting the subject slightly so he wouldn’t press. “She’s very pretty, and she’s kind, and brave, and she has a lovely voice.”
Isshiri just smiled. “You have good taste, ‘Lani. I’ve only ever not liked one of your favorites, and that was because he talked down to me. You got rid of him pretty fast, anyway.”
Nolani laughed. She remembered the one he meant. “A temporary lapse in judgment.”
“Exactly.”
His smile softened slightly. “Andrell will probably be all right with this. And you’re probably right, Mother won’t do anything if he is.”
She hugged him again. “Thank you, Isshiri.”
He hugged her back, warm and tight. “Any time.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
My Lord King Andrell,
This letter will probably reach you after the deed is done, and I apologize if I misjudged your response. But I spoke with my brother, at whose side you fought in the last days of the War, and he seems to think that this will be all right. So I am going to proceed anyway, because the life of someone I cherish is on the line.
I met, yesterday—it’s hard to believe it was only yesterday—the woman I believe to be the great love of my life. By which I mean no slight to you, my lord, I assure you, simply that…while we could be friends, you are not a man I love in a romantic sense. I plan to be a supportive wife and consort to you, giving to you my hand and my body and my children, but my heart will go where it wills, and it has willed itself to this lady.
Her name is Lonura, and she is of my people, the daughter of a minor lord of some means on my country’s southeastern border. She is held captive—through means I barely comprehend—by the younger brother of the High Lord of Surenar, who wishes to take her hand, her lands, and his brother’s crown, all by force. I have it in my power to free her, but to do so I must swear myself to her.
Please believe me, this is in no way an attempt to renege on our betrothal. It is far from unheard of among my people, when marriage is contracted for duty and progeny, to have a long-term, even life-long, favorite at one’s side. This is the role I wish for Lady Lonura. She will serve certain political and social roles as my consort in my own land, as you will be bound up in your own kingdom, but will have no role save what you deem appropriate for a dear friend of your wife in yours. Or, if you are uncomfortable having her at your court, she will stay at mine.
Neither, I wish you to know, will I demand perfect fidelity of you. Should you find someone you love as I love Lady Lonura, I hope you will pursue happiness with that person as ardently as I am pursuing it with her. So long as my children come first in your lineage, I want your happiness more than fidelity.
I beg you consider what I’ve written in the spirit in which it is intended, and take no offense at this confession. I wish to be your friend, if not your beloved, and certainly your wife.
With all my respect and good will,
Nolani Loquelin Heidari, daughter to the Crown Princess Kesshare of the City of Glass, and her heir.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Her letter to Andrell complete, Nolani sealed it and sent it off by the most discreet messenger she could find, then went to see her mother.
Just because there was little Crown Princess Kesshare could do to stop this, now that all the plans were in motion, didn’t mean Nolani wasn’t nervous to the point of fear about approaching her. Her mother could do little to Lady Lonura that Lord Rothbart hadn’t already—other than kill her, but Nolani was confident that she could make that impractical before her mother could find her beloved. And she clung fast to the belief that, so long as Andrell had no objections to her lover, her mother would also accept her.
Kesshare surveyed her coolly when they met, and, as always, her mother’s hawkish stare stripped Nolani down to a small child caught where she had no business being. “What is it?” she asked.
Nolani took a deep breath. “I met someone, while I was out hunting.”
One dark eyebrow rose. “How likely is this…someone to cause problems?”
“Not very, I think,” Nolani said.
“Explain.”
She took another deep breath. “Her name is Lady Lonura. She’s the daughter of a border lord, both her parents are deceased. I’m helping her to sort through an…inheritance dispute, but I would like to bring her to court as my favorite soon.”
“Hm,” Kesshare said, tapping the end of a pen against her lips. “This should cause no problems. Fortunate that your eye lit upon a lady this time.”
Nolani flushed, hot and embarrassed. “Yes, Mother,” she said, then hesitated. “I want to present her to the court and ambassadors as my favorite.”
Kesshare studied her. “You have never bothered to do this before.”
“She will last longer than the others.”
“You seem very certain.”
“I am,” Nolani said. “I am past my wildfire years. I mean to love her as long as she’ll have me, and I want to declare it to the world.”
“You are oddly sentimental for no longer being wild,” her mother said, but—if Nolani was any judge, after more than a decade of playing politics by her mother’s side—she was amused, not annoyed. “Very well. When will you present her?”
“Three nights from now,” Nolani answered.
“Hasty.”
Nolani flushed again. “I know. This…touches on her dispute. The sooner my backing her is made clear, the easier it will be to disentangle the whole mess.”
Kesshare chewed over that explanation for a moment, then nodded. “As you will,” she said. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
Nolani brightened. “Thank you, Mother.”
Kesshare gave a knife-thin smile in response. “Of course, if your future husband objects to you keeping this lady, you will forsake her.”
“I don’t believe he will,” Nolani said. She had no intention of promising what her mother was asking—that would jeopardize her vow and Lonura’s safety, and she would not do that, not even to please her mother.
Kesshare gave her a sharp look, but blessedly let that pass. "Very well."
Nolani, not wanting to risk further questioning, took that for dismissal and escaped her mother's presence.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The next few days dragged and dragged, lasting longer than Nolani had ever imagined three days could last. But finally, the night of her announcement--and Lonura's freedom--finally arrived.
Isshiri had even turned up--he hated court functions with a passion, and skipped whenever he could, but he'd wanted to be there for her. He was hovering on the edge of the crowd. She, meanwhile, was milling around, pretending to give courtesy greetings to her guests but mostly watching, watching, ever watching the door.
Nothing. Hours passed, and nothing.
"Are you all right?" Isshiri asked, noticing how upset she was.
She shrugged. "I'm starting to think maybe I dreamed the whole thing. Went to all this trouble for nothing."
"I'm sure you didn't," Isshiri said, but he didn't sound like he believed what he said.
"Yes..." she said, and sighed.
And then someone pounded on the door.
Nolani jumped about a mile, and ran to the door. Isshiri caught her arm. "Don't, Mother's already glaring at you."
Right. Dignity. Right in full view of everyone. "I know," she said, but she watched the door eagerly.
It swung open. And Lonura wasn't there.
Isshiri stiffened next to her. "That's Andrell," he murmured.
Nolani blinked. "What...what's he doing here?"
"I guess he's come to see you."
"There's no way my letter got to him that fast," Nolani said, "and even if it did, he couldn't just drop everything and dash, and..."
Andrell was crossing the room over to her, the crowd parting ahead of him.
Isshiri nudged her. "Go see what he wants," he said.
"Right. Yes. I should...I should do that." She took a deep breath, and started across the floor.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It had taken Lonura hours to free herself from the ropes Lord Rothbart had fastening her to the ground. He's planning something. He has to be planning something, or he wouldn't have bothered tying me, he knows I'm stuck like this tonight, why go to all this trouble?
She had to get there. She had to stop whatever he was planning, or Nolani would suffer. Lord Rothbart would make her suffer.
It was sunset before she was able to take off, and then another hour before she could orient herself properly and head for the capital.
The she had to find wherever the event was taking place and somehow get in. As a giant white bird that clearly does not belong to the desert.
The best she could do was a window.
She hovered next to it, scanning the crowd for Nolani--there. There she was, just below her, talking to her brother. She seemed upset.
I'm sorry, Lonura cried out in her head. I'm so, so sorry, I forgot when I agreed.
She tapped on the window with her bill, as hard and fast as she could, praying Nolani would here.
Look up. Look up look up look up please look up I'm here, I'm here, I love you I'm here...
The door opened, and Nolani jerked, staring at the man who came in. He wasn't one Lonura recognized--pale, with a mop of light brown hair, and a serious expression, and...and after a heartbreakingly long moment, Nolani started to walk towards him.
No. Oh, please, gods, no...
She had to find another window, one where Nolani could see her. She just had to see her...
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Princess," Andrell said, and bowed low before Nolani, kissing her hand. His voice was oddly discordant--low and gruff, not what she'd expected from such a sweet-faced, if sad-eyed, young man.
But, if nothing else, the studied formality in his use of her title and bowing over her hand called her back to her position and her duty and her dignity. "Your Majesty," she said, and returned the obeisance, to the exact degree appropriate for a foreign monarch--and her future spouse.
"Please forgive my intrusion," he said, rising smoothly. "But I had to see you. I had to know..."
"Yes?" Nolani asked, still tense. Why is he here?
"If you were still interested in our marriage."
She stared at him. "I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I was never aware that it was in any doubt...?"
He flushed. "No, of course not," he said. "Not...not really, but it's just...well, I've never met you, and I know this wasn't your idea, and...I know how committed I am to this, and I needed to know if you were, as well."
This didn't make any sense to her. And she thought she saw Isshiri trying to signal her out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't pull away from Andrell's gaze. "Your Majesty...?" she asked, unsure what else she could say.
"I want you to know," he said, holding her eyes, "that I am pledging myself--body, mind, and spirit--to you, for the rest of our natural lives."
She could feel the trap tightening around her, because she couldn't make the same oath, not with Lonura--but she had to say something. Everyone was watching, and the longer the silence dragged on, the more she put the treaty in jeopardy. And Lonura hadn't come, anyway.
Still, she had to hold out hope. She had to try.
Scrambling, she reached for an antiquated version of the marriage oath. "I pledge to you my hand, my body, my womb and my children, Your Majesty," she whispered.
From the cheering, she knew it carried to the room, but under it all, she thought she heard someone scream.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura saw the man pull Nolani close and kiss her, and it felt like a knife boring into her chest. She screamed inside her head, because she finally understood--Nolani was engaged, of course she was engaged, princesses had to be engaged, but that didn't mean she loved him.
And even Lord Rothbart couldn't make someone love him.
But if her marriage was important enough, he could make her swear.
Keening, feeling herself splitting along every seam of her soul, she spun away from the window and reeled through the air, back to her sheltered oasis and the never-ending hell that awaited her.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani pulled away from Andrell's kiss as soon as she could with any politic decency, and became aware that he was laughing.
"What is it?" she said, suddenly aware of how crowded and warm the room was. "Your Majesty, what's so funny?"
He stopped laughing, and he smiled a pointed smile. "You," he said, and spun his cloak and his hands, enveloped in red lightning. The room filled with ozone and broken glass from the floor, and Nolani stepped back, horrified.
When the smoke cleared, another man was standing in Andrell's place. This one taller, larger, with flint-smoke eyes and a smile sharper than her mother's, and he was laughing again.
"Lord Rothbart," she whispered.
"You thought you could fool me, didn't you?" he said. "Thought you could get past me, didn't you?"
"I didn't vow my love to you, it doesn't count," she said, weakly.
"Oh, it counts," he said.
"Then I forswear it," she said, finding strength in desperation. "I forswear all I said to you, I pledge myself, heart and soul, to Lonura, only to Lonura, please. I make a vow of everlasting love, I--"
"Too late!" he crowed, and her heart sank. "You made your vow, and you made it to the wrong man--and not even the right wrong man."
"Oh, gods."
"And because you broke faith with her--because you failed to prove your love..."
"No, please."
"Lonura will die."
Nolani's fists clenched, and she remembered being moved to violence, her baby brother smoldering on the floor. "I'll kill you first," she hissed.
He laughed in her fast. "You can try, little girl," he said, and launched himself up through the window shattered by his lightning. "You can try."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
No one could stop her as she fled the City--not her brother's fears, nor her mother's cold stare, nor her father pleading with her to be rational, Nolani, for the gods' sakes.
None of them could overpower the echo in her head, Rothbart's mocking smile, Lonura will die, will die, will die, you made it to the wrong man, Lonura will die.
She grabbed the first mount at hand and pounded across the desert, pushing it to the outer limits of its capabilities. Lonura, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I'll save you, I promise, just hold on...
"Hold on," she whispered, out loud, as the starlit sands--starlit.
She groaned.
"The moon."
Of course Lonura hadn't come. There wasn't any moon.
Grimly, blinking back tears, she pushed across the sands, for the oasis with Lonura's lake
If I can just get there in time, she told herself, if I can get there in time, I can save her. Even though the vow went wrong, I can save her. I just have to get there in time.
In time for what, she couldn't say. Just...in time. She had to get there in time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura skidded across the water and crashed into the far bank of her lake, but she barely felt the impact. The pain inside was too great, and she was so tired.
She curled around herself, hugging herself, weeping and--and catching her tears in her hands.
Her hands...?
"How...?" she whispered.
But no answer came, and then she knew.
The curse wasn't broken. It had found its ultimate fulfillment. She was no longer a swan because all of the power, all of the sorcery, was now focused on this pain inside of her, this draining of anything approaching strength.
She was dying.
Nolani was faithless, and she was dying.
Lonura whimpered, and curled tighter, the yellow fabric of her dress shimmering through her tears.
All she really wanted, despite the pain, despite the heartbreak and the broken oath, was to see her. To see Nolani, her beloved, one last time.
"I forgive you," she said, a cracked whisper to the sky. "I'll forgive you, just come. Please come."
One last time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani reached the oasis, and pelted in. "Lonura!" she called, as loud as she could. "Lonura, please, I'm here, please, please let me explain."
There was no answer.
And then she saw her.
She was in her human shape again, lying on the edge of the water, her face sunken into the bones, her hair and yellow dress a cloud around her. Her eyes were closed. She didn't seem to be breathing.
"Lonura!" Nolani yelled, and slid to her knees next to her. "Oh, no, Lonura, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean it, please, please wake up..."
"Nolani...?"
Nolani jerked, and looked down at her. Lonura was awake, those startling grey eyes open, but cloudy, unseeing. "I'm here. I'm here..."
"I'm so tired..."
"I know," Nolani said, choking back tears. "I know, I ruined everything, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."
Lonura smiled a little, and with obvious effort, reached up to run a finger along Nolani's cheek.
"I love you," Nolani whispered. "I swear it, I love you."
She couldn't answer. Nolani felt her go limp in her arms.
And then came faint, sarcastic applause behind her.
"You," she spat, turning around to find Rothbart leaning against a nearby tree.
"Me," he agreed.
"You can't let her die," she hissed.
"Really."
She leapt to her feet. "I won't let you."
"Is that a threat?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Don't you dare let her die!"
He held up his hands. "No need to be rude, Highness," he said.
"You're a monster," she spat.
He shook his head. "Is that any way to behave?"
She felt her cheeks burning, and pulled fire from the air. "She can't die!"
"Fine!" Rothbart said. "I'll let her live."
Nolani froze, suspicious. It couldn't be, he couldn't really be saying what she thought he was saying.
"But only if you defeat me," he finished.
Of course.
Nolani took a fraction of a second to weigh her options. He was bigger than her, and a master of some magic-like craft she had no understanding of. But she had someone to protect, and she'd killed a man when she was eleven for hurting her brother. She could do it again, if she had to.
And if she failed...well, if she failed, she would at least have tried to avenge her love. And then? Then her mother would take over. And Lord Rothbart would suffer before he died, suffer in ways Nolani herself could never stomach.
She could accept that.
She spun to her feet and launched a blast of fire, as hot as she could make it, right at his face. Laughing, he dodged, and responded with more of that unnatural scarlet lightning he'd used in the palace before.
She dodged with rather more difficulty than he'd shown--her hard ride across the desert had taken more effort than his trip had. He seemed to have boundless energy for the fight. Grimly, she pressed on, staying between the lightning and Lonura, who was not dead yet, just unconscious. She had to believe that.
Volley after volley of lightning he hurled at her, without giving her a chance to respond. She couldn't combat this, not with his skill, not without knowing more about how his sorcery worked.
Nolani took refuge behind a tree, panting and doing her best not to feel the hundreds of delicate scorch-marks he'd inflicted. She felt lightning impact the tree and shuddered with it.
She needed a plan.
...no, what she needed, she realized, was to get out of range of his lightning. Not far away, but close, to where he couldn't use it without risking immolating himself. Once there...well, she knew where to stab a man to end his life. That would be the easy part.
She picked up a sharp piece of her tree--an increasingly poor shelter--and took a deep breath. This first part, she knew, was going to hurt.
Without giving herself more chance to doubt, she launched herself directly into the lightning, keeping the heavy splinter in her hand, focusing on the direction the it was coming from, the direction of the thunder, rather than trying to spot Rothbart himself.
She felt impact after impact, trying to drive her back, but ignored it, until she collided with a tower of solid flesh.
She found his ribs with her hand, and shifted her grip on the splinter, shoving it in and up, twisting hard. She heard him scream, felt his fetid breath on her cheek, and slowly the lightning died around them.
Nolani jerked her makeshift knife out and stabbed him twice more, for good measure--once in the throat--then rolled off him.
Gasping at the searing pain that took hold as the adrenaline from the fight died, she staggered to her feet and over to Lonura, hoping against hope that--
She was still lying there.
She still wasn't moving.
Nolani slumped next to her and burst into tears. Shakily, painfully, she pulled her beloved close, beyond words.
Until she felt a feather-light kiss on her cheek, and turned her head.
Lonura was smiling at her.
"Look," she breathed, and Nolani turned.
The sun was just touching the horizon, and Lonura was still human.
Nolani buried her face in her shoulder, relieved beyond words.
"I love you," Lonura whispered.
All she could do was nod, and weep, and hold her until the dawn was complete, and she knew beyond doubt that they were safe, and would always, always be together.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Most Esteemed Princess,
I must admit, I was more than a little surprised by your letter. I understand that your people are...more frank about such things than mine, but it was still hardly what I expected.
Of course, if your lady makes you happy, I wish you all joy. I want nothing more for you than joy, in truth. You and I will have a family, and the treaty which the world needs, and--or so I fondly dare to dream--a kind of friendship, at the least. And, futher, I hope to, upon our meeting, love and respect your friend as I do my sisters. Anything more that is between you, I needn't know details, only that you and she are happy.
Your letter was followed fast by one from your brother, and I deeply regret that my face was used in the deception that caused you so much pain. I hope you are recovering, and look forward to our marriage and our life together.
Sincerely,
Andrell, King of Feredar
Postscript: With regard to my own...friendships, I will take those a day at a time, and endeavor to make them as minimally awkward for you as possible. I will not, I swear, tolerate a mistress trying to denigrate you because the respect we have for each other does not approach that kind of love. If any children come from such unions, of course our legitimate issue will have precedence, you needn't worry on that score.
--A
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Your Gracious Majesty,
Thank you for your kind words of support, and for your understanding of this matter. My Princess is not yet well enough, so I am writing on her behalf to you. I assure you that I bear you no ill will. To the contrary, I wish you, as you so charmingly put it, all joy.
If you would do me the honor of treating me as your sister, I would be beyond joy. Please know that I seek only to serve and support my Princess and her two monarchies. I am, with heady anticipation, looking forward to our meeting, in the hopes that all may be just as you say. For I do hope, as you do, that you and I--as well as my Princess and any friends you may have--can all live in companionable peace together. I fully understand my place in this, and ask only to be allowed to love my Princess, as I know she loves me.
She bids me add her gratitude to mine, and that she looks forward to your wedding next year. With both of us by her side, Your Majesty, I cannot fail to think that she will be happy, happier than any other mortal woman living, save perhaps myself.
Your obedient servant,
Lady Lonura
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura sealed their response to King Andrell's letter after getting Nolani's approval and left it to be collected the next time a page stopped by. She then slid onto the bed next to her, carefully wrapping her arms around her. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better," Nolani said, mostly truthful. "Still sore, but better."
"Good," Lonura said, then hesitated. "Nolani?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think I ever thanked you, for saving me."
Nolani shifted carefully, and kissed her. "You don't need to thank me," she assured her. "I love you. And people who love each other do this sort of thing."
Lonura flushed, and kissed Nolani's forehead. "Still. Thank you. And I love you."
"I love you, too," she murmured back.
"Until the day I die?"
"Until the end of time."
Moved beyond words, Lonura held her beloved close and let her eyes drift shut, content--no, more than that. Happy. Because no matter how hard it got, when Nolani was back on her feet and they had to face the world and politics again, no matter if Crown Princess Kesshare decided that Lonura was more trouble than she was worth, no matter if Andrell's letter contained only hollow promises, they would be all right. Because they had each other. They loved each other.
Until the end of time.
Story: The Swan in the Oasis
'Verse: Feredar
Colors: Dirt Brown #7. Garden, Spilt Ink #5. Don't settle for someone who doesn't give you things to say. Forever is a long time to make small talk., Glitter #19. Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered. - Pal Joey
Supplies and Materials: bichromatic, mural, eraser (Fairy Tale AU), oils, feathers, chalk, novelty beads, glitter, glue ("Your advanced organizational skills are needed to bail someone out of trouble today, and you are happy to ride to the rescue.")
Word Count: 10,299
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Nolani, Lonura, Kesshare, Isshiri, Andrell, Lord Rothbart
Warnings: Fantasy/fairytale violence, reference to political assassinations, references to previous violence involving a young child (age eleven), attempt at forced marriage, suspected background homophobia, adultery
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always. My submission for
queer_bigbang ; a retelling of Swan Lake. Kat made an amazing mix, and also erinptah made some beautiful artwork. You should check them out.Princess Nolani was not what one would call an avid hunter. It was, like certain other courtly pursuits, one she enjoyed on occasion but would rather leave to others. Coming from a desert kingdom, where much of the time hunting required a long trek out to a carefully-stocked oasis, didn’t foster any stronger affection for the sport with her.
Still, it was a common pastime in her future husband’s court, over the border in Feredar, which was why she was out today, as she had been for the last four days. Even if she couldn’t advance from amused tolerance to a genuine affection for the sport, she should at least increase her skill in it.
Which was why she was here, for the fourth day in a row, hunting in an oasis about a half-day’s ride from the capital City of Glass. But it was nearly sunset now, time and past for her to be heading back to the capital, or to set up a campsite for the night. Again. She hadn’t had much luck on this visit—she was forced to admit that she was an indifferent hunter in all senses of the word—but didn’t want to return home empty-handed. On the other hand, she missed the comforts of her home, and her brother and sister. I’ll stay here again tonight, she finally decided, a little disgruntled, and go back to the capital in the morning.
As she was setting up her bedroll and starting to boil the strips of dried meat to make them more chewable, she caught a white flash of movement with the corner of her eye. Doing her best to quell her rising excitement, she shifted, trying to track it with a minimum of movement so as not to spook and lose the creature as she had the day before.
There, again, a glimpse of white wings in the sunlight, probably a tern or heron. Nolani had seen them in this oasis before, though she was deeper in than she’d ever come. Carefully, she slipped after the bird, watching for telltale flashes of wings in the dying sun.
Just when she was starting to think she’d lost it—how can I keep losing what I track? This oasis isn’t that large!—she spotted it again, got a good look at the bird. It was unlike any she’d seen before. Built differently from a heron, shorter legs than a stork, a broader wingspan than a tern, too pure a white to be an ibis, the wrong shape for a cormorant. It seemed vaguely familiar, like a half-remembered picture from a book, and was beautiful, one of the more beautiful birds Nolani had ever seen.
Her glance, though long enough to give her some detail, was too brief for her to target it properly, and her arrow missed. Swearing under her breath and giving up all pretense of sneaking, she broke into a full run, chasing the bird through the oasis.
She stopped, just as the sun sank fully below the horizon, when she broke through the trees to a surprisingly wide expanse. There was a manor-house, in the style of one of the eastern kingdoms—Isshifar, or perhaps Surenar—on a hill overlooking what was, to Nolani’s eyes, an inexpressibly vast body of water. She thought that it might be called a lake, but she couldn’t be certain.
Shaking the wonder of the sight from her mind, she scanned the horizon again for the bird.
There it was, gliding on the water. Nolani hesitated—it was in plain view, and within her range. She would have no trouble making the kill at this point, and then, with at least one success behind her, she could return home a little more optimistic about her marriage and her future.
But the bird was several feet out into the water, and she had no idea how deep it was, and she couldn’t swim. What would be the point of making a successful hunt if she couldn’t retrieve her kill after making it?
While she had been dithering, the reflection of the moon had been sliding across the water towards the bird. They met, some dozen feet from the shore, in a cascade of silvery light. Nolani threw up a hand to shield her eyes as the light grew brighter and brighter, with a sound of rushing wind and roaring water, and then everything went still and quiet.
Blinking the hazy afterimages out of her eyes, Nolani looked back at the water.
Where the bird had been, a woman stood.
She was waist-deep in the water, wearing a soft yellow dress that shone in the moonlight. She was perhaps a few years older than Nolani, and had the coppery coloring of a native of the desert. The ends of her mass of dark hair, unbound, brushed the surface of the water.
Nolani couldn’t help but stare at her. She was certain she had never seen anyone so beautiful in all her life. Never mind that she had also neither seen nor heard of any magic that could change a woman’s shape like this, any alarm at the situation faded utterly when she was watching the beautiful woman climb out of the water in the moonlight.
She hesitated only a half-second before emerging from the trees to speak to her.
“Hello?” she called, a little tentatively.
The bird-woman jumped, and turned to face her. She gasped, pulling back a little, obviously alarmed. But she didn’t run, at least, which was a little bit encouraging. She was just as beautiful up close, wide grey eyes providing a startling contrast to the rest of her coloring.
“I-I’m sorry, I won’t hurt you,” Nolani said. “I didn’t know you were--I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have shot at you.”
She shook her head. “It’s all right,” she said, quietly. “You couldn’t have known.”
An awkward silence passed. “My name is Nolani,” she eventually offered.
“Mine is Lonura,” the bird-woman answered.
“Lonura,” Nolani echoed, tasting the name. “It’s--it’s nice to meet you.”
Lonura nodded. “And you,” she said, then hesitated. “I don’t get very many visitors here,” she continued, with a faint hint of wryness. “If nothing else, you’ve brightened my night."
Nolani grinned. “I’m glad I was able to do that. Despite the rough start.”
Lonura laughed—actually laughed—and Nolani felt a warm feeling at the base of her heart.
“May I ask how you--how you turn into that bird?” Nolani asked, after another brief hesitation, aware that it might kill the light, joyful mood they’d somehow managed to build in such a short time.
Lonura bowed her head and looked away. “It’s a long story, and an unfortunate one.”
“I have time,” Nolani assured her. It was too late for her go home tonight, after all, and any excuse to stay in Lonura’s presence was good enough for her.
Lonura gave a faint smile. “Very well,” she said. She paused then, as if considering where to begin. “I--my father was a border lord, in the mountains on the edge of Surenar. We were happy, when I was young, he and my mother and I. He had wealth enough to keep us comfortable, and was not so high-ranked that his presence was often demanded at court. I had near free run of the mountains that began just at the edge of our estate, and I spent most of my time there, singing with the birds and exploring all the hidden places I could find.”
It sounded, to Nolani, like the kind of childhood that only existed in hazy dreams and stories. “That sounds magical.”
Lonura inclined her head. “It was.” She hesitated again.
“What changed?”
“There was an accident,” she whispered, not looking at Nolani. “A terrible, terrible accident in the mountains. I think a rock slide, though I don’t--I don’t remember that time very well, I think because I try so hard not to.” She took a deep breath. “There was an accident and my parents--my parents died. There was nothing anyone could do, by the time they were found, they were already gone, but--” She trailed off.
Nolani reached for Lonura’s hand and held it, gently. “I’m so sorry,” she said.
Lonura merely nodded, then took a deep, shaky breath. “I became Lady of our holding, and once I--once I emerged from the fog of my parents’ death, I tried to do well. But I was only eighteen and cared little for the tasks involved, and every step of the way, I was reminded of my father and my mother. It was--hard.”
“I can only imagine,” Nolani murmured.
“But,” Lonura continued, not letting go of Nolani’s hand, “things seemed to settle into something like normality after a while. Months went by, and I slowly grew more accomplished at managing my family’s property, though I never grew to love it. Then--then it all changed again.”
Nolani, despite her curiosity, couldn’t bring herself to ask directly. She just squeezed Lonura’s hand to let her know she was still there, still listening.
“A man came over the mountains,” Lonura finally resumed. “Brother to the High Lord of Surenar, and desiring his throne. He had, it seems, come to my father shortly before the accident, asking for support and a place from which he could launch his invasion to claim what he believed was his rightful inheritance.”
Nolani flinched inwardly. She’d grown up with a mother as ambitious and disenfranchised as the villain in Lonura’s story. Nolani’s little brother had nearly been killed as a warning, but that hadn’t stopped her mother from murdering everyone ahead of her in the succession. Whatever the High Lord’s brother had done would be at least as terrible, Nolani was sure.
“He presented me the same request, with an added demand for my hand,” Lonura said. “You see, he had decided that renting a staging point was less attractive than owning one, and, when he won, using my holdings to expand into the desert itself.”
“My mother would never allow that,” Nolani said immediately.
Lonura blinked at her. “Your mother?”
Nolani flushed. “I--I’m sorry, I thought you knew, my name isn’t quite common, and--”
Lonura’s eyes went wide and she shook her head. “I didn’t know.”
Nolani flushed deeper. “My mother is the King’s niece and heir,” she admitted.
“Oh,” was all Lonura said.
But she still hadn’t released Nolani’s hand, which was important and at least some indication that she hadn’t bungled too badly.
Finally, Lonura continued her story. “I refused him. I had no desire to flirt with treason, or to betray my father’s wishes, or to marry a man like Lord Rothbart.”
This was all too close to her own situation, and Nolani hesitated to mention it. Her own upcoming marriage had been arranged—due in no small part to her mother’s efforts—as part of the treaty settlement after the late War. The idea was, at least officially, that Nolani’s marriage to the new King Andrell would serve as a long-term check on further aggression from Feredar. From what her brother, who had met the King, said, however, such a check was unnecessary, at least as long as Andrell held the throne.
Which, of course, led to why her mother had pushed so hard for the match, though she had not been the one to suggest it at the talks. Crown Princess Kesshare was ambitious, to say the least, and Nolani was second in line for the throne after her. Upon her marriage to King Andrell, if her first child was a son—for such was the law of Feredar—he would inherit both crowns in due time, laying the foundations for the vast empire that was Nolani’s mother’s dream.
Exactly what Lord Rothbart wanted, through Lonura, with the names of the territories changed.
Nolani hesitated, trying to decide if mentioning that was the right choice. Because it was so close to what Lonura was living, though somehow it didn't seem quite so heinous when her mother was the one planning it.
She decided not, in the end. It would sound patronizing at best, and at worst...
“But he didn’t take well to your refusal?” she asked, after a silence that had probably lasted far too long.
Lonura shook her head. “Far from it,” she said. “He--somehow, he had learned to do--strange and terrible things. These things are not the product of any kind of natural magic. They don’t draw on natural forces as the gods intended for mages to do. He--he called it sorcery.”
The very word sent a shiver down Nolani’s spine, and drove all thoughts of her mother and her marriage from her mind. “What did he do?”
Lonura stared down at their linked hands. “He came back to my home, two nights after I refused him,” she said woodenly. “He called unnatural fire and lightning, destroying everything in sight. He killed--I do not know how many he killed.” She closed her eyes. “He took me, bound my eyes and hands, and brought me here. He laid his curse on me, binding me to the form of a swan—a water-bird from his country—until such time as I changed my answer.”
Nolani thought, as hard as she could, for a way to save Lonura.
"Maybe my sister could help. Or one of her teachers, more likely."
Lonura blinked. "Your sister?"
"She's a priestess," Nolani explained. "Well, she hasn't taken final vows yet, but she's well-trained and...she knows things."
She brightened a little. "Do you think...?"
"I don't know," she answered, as honestly as she could. "But we could try. And even if she can't...you should still come away with me,” Nolani said, making up her mind in an instant. Her engagement, her mother’s plans—none of that was this important. Mother would want to hear about this Lord Rothbart and his ambitions in any case. She would find a way to protect Lonura, and stay with her forever. For this, she was utterly convinced, was the way it should be, and her only chance for true happiness in this life.
“I can’t,” Lonura said, at last withdrawing her hand.
Nolani scrambled for it again. “I can protect you. Or, rather, my mother can, and she’ll want to do away with Lord Rothbart, I know she will. And Kirana--"
Lonura shook her head and gently but firmly withdrew her hand once again. “You don’t understand. I--if I could come with you, I would, in a heartbeat, but--”
Nolani’s heart sank. “But--?”
“The curse stops me,” she said. “In order to become myself again, I have to meet the moonlight on the water. And as soon as the moonlight leaves the water--no matter where I am, I turn back into a swan.”
“Oh,” Nolani said, defeated.
“I’m sorry,” Lonura whispered.
“Is there any way to break the curse? Besides doing what Lord Rothbart wants?" Or whatever Kirana might have, but that could take years, and if Lonura could be safe in the capital while they waited, that was one thing, but leaving her with him...
She hesitated. “There...there may be...”
“What is it?” Nolani asked. “Whatever it is, whatever it takes, name it. I’ll do it.”
Lonura smiled a little, then shook her head. “You hardly know me,” she said.
Nolani blinked. “I know, but...I feel I know you enough to know that no task is too difficult if it means saving you.”
Grey eyes met her own dark ones searchingly for a long moment, then Lonura nodded. “To break the curse, you have to make a vow of everlasting love.”
“I do,” Nolani said immediately. “I swear on all that I hold dear, that I will—”
“You have to prove it to the world.”
Which made the task harder—which Nolani should have been expecting, this sort of thing was never easy—but not impossible. She was, after all, a princess, second in line to one of the greatest thrones in the world. “I will,” Nolani promised. “I’ll...” She hesitated, considering the best way to do it. “...come to the capital, in four nights,” she said. She'd do it sooner, if she could, but it would take that long to arrange it. “I’ll have everything—”
“Lonura?” a man’s voice called from just out of sight.
Lonura leapt to her feet. “Go. You have to go, now.”
“Say you’ll come.”
“I will, I promise, just go.”
“Four nights from now,” Nolani reminded her.
“Four nights from now,” Lonura repeated, pushing her towards the trees.
Nolani claimed a brief, achingly chaste kiss. “I love you,” she whispered, and meant it with every fiber of her being.
Lonura just nodded, her eyes filling with tears. “Go,” she whispered, then Nolani was hidden by the trees and could see her no more.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura waited until she could no longer see or hear any trace of Nolani’s presence, before turning and calling back to Lord Rothbart. “I’m here,” she said, with ill grace.
He came around the corner into view. He was a tall, imposing man, fair, with a bushy beard and small, narrow, close-set eyes. Lonura had never found him more revolting as now, when she could compare him with Nolani’s luminous presence.
It wasn’t that she had never loved before—she had, a few times, pretty girls to share her secrets and her bed, for a time—but she had never been In Love, until now. It was the sort of thing, she realized, that couldn’t be described or commanded, no matter how hard one wished for it, but once it came, it was undeniable.
She was In Love with Princess Nolani, and she was determined to follow that love to the end of her days and beyond.
She swept Rothbart a sarcastic curtsy.
“Didn’t you hear me calling?” he asked, beady eyes ever suspicious.
“I was occupied with my thoughts,” Lonura said, and winced internally at how weak the excuse was. “I apologize.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, with alarming lightness.
“I know my own mind, my lord,” she replied, with a carefully measured amount of spite—just as much as she could get away with and still sound convincing, without giving away her beloved’s visit or arousing more of his ire than was entirely safe.
“I thought I heard voices,” Rothbart said, still light and conversational, poking at the trees.
Lonura’s heart found her throat. “Voices?” she asked, keeping her voice calm with the discipline only a lifetime of study could provide. A frighteningly practical application of her music lessons.
“Yes. Voices.”
“I…I don’t know what to tell you, my lord,” she said, somehow managing to speak around the lump in her throat. She only hoped she managed the right mix of contempt, bewilderment, and a faint tinge of hope—if, after all, her jailer ran mad, she had a greater chance of escape. “You and I are the only ones here.”
“Is that so?” He turned and eyed her. “Very well.” He smiled, a sharp, crooked thing, and Lonura wanted nothing more than to hit him so hard he lost all of his teeth and, with them, the menace in his expression. “Then I think I’ll ask you again, my dear.”
She stiffened. “Ask if you like.”
“You know the question.”
“And you know my answer.”
Rothbart placed a hand over his chest, as if cut to the quick by her persistent refusals. “Have pity on a poor man who only wants his due,” he said. “And think, dear lady, what you and I could accomplish together. All you have to do is accept me, love me, and I will give you anything your pretty little heart desires.”
“I have no desire to overthrow a stranger’s lawful monarch,” Lonura spat. “Let alone my own.”
Rothbart’s eyes narrowed again and he dropped his hand. “Fine.” He sketched a bow. “Until tomorrow night, then.”
“You’re wasting your time,” she said. “I will never change my mind.”
“Perhaps,” Rothbart said, and turned to go.
Lonura had just started to relax when he stopped, and turned back to her.
“One more thing,” he said.
“What?”
“I don’t suppose you have plans four nights from now?”
She froze. “Wh-what?”
He smiled. “Fear not, my dear. I care nothing for how you disport yourself after we are wed, so long as you provide me an heir. You can dally with a lady-friend to your heart’s content. But I will have you, Lady Lonura. So I’m afraid you won’t be meeting Princess Nolani as scheduled.”
Something hot burst behind Lonura’s eyes, and she didn’t care what she was risking in admitting it, in defying the man who’d held her as a foreign bird for near to two years. “If you want to stop me, you’ll have to kill me.”
Rothbart laughed. “Oh, I don’t think so, my dear,” he said, a deadly twinkle in his eyes. “You see, you’ve forgotten one very important thing.”
“She will prove our love to the world and then her mother will destroy you,” Lonura said.
He shook his head. “No, Lady Lonura. For I’m afraid that the moon is waning.”
The reality of his pronouncement hit her like a blow to the gut, and she dropped to her knees. “No…”
“And on the night in question,” Rothbart continued, twisting the knife, “it will be entirely gone.”
Lonura buried her face in her hands. How could she be so stupid, forgetting something so basic and important as that? Her one chance—her one chance at freedom and she wouldn’t be able to take it. Nolani would find her faithless and lose her love for her, and Rothbart would keep her in feathered chains for an eternity, laughing all the while.
With all hope lost, not caring if he heard, Lonura began to weep.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Rothbart paced restlessly in his house, in the little sorcerous pocket he’d woven in the heart of a little-used oasis for Lady Lonura’s prison. Damn the woman, he’d thought his curse was foolproof. He'd been sure the only way to prove a vow of everlasting love was to marry, and even in the more permissive City of Glass, marriage was for dynastic purposes, and could not be contracted without at least the barest potential for children. And Lady Lonura, he knew well, preferred women. However long it took, he’d been certain, her resistance and the pain of the nightly transformations and her crushing loneliness would force her to bow to his will. Because there would be no alternative.
Except now the daughter of the Crown Princess herself had stumbled upon his hidden glade, and the two girls had found love at first sight. Even without a marriage, the princess could prove her love, and ruin his chances for his brother’s usurped throne, with an announcement to her court and all its ambassadors.
Damn them.
He slammed a fist into the wall, and then, the sharp edge of his fury dulled, he considered how to salvage this situation.
For all his blustering, there was only so much he could do to keep Lady Lonura trapped in the oasis, now that she had a burning desire to flee and the threat of being trapped as a swan in the hot desert sunlight wasn’t powerful enough to withstand it anymore. True, the moon would cooperate for the planned rendezvous, but there was no guarantee that she’d be unable to get a message to the princess to reschedule to a more favorable night. If that happened, all would be lost for certain.
Unless…
His sorcery tingled at the tips of his fingers. He was not as ordinary men, after all. He had made scores of deals with unsavory entities for his unheard-of gifts and abilities. And, while Lady Lonura had somehow managed to find a loophole in his believed-unbreakable curse…
She was completely unaware of the other safeguard.
Of course, invoking it would mean losing her. But, with no legal heir to the estate, he could claim it for himself without her. It would be difficult to hold by military might, but possible. Which was why he had tried to achieve it legally, through marriage, first. But as that was becoming more and more impossible…
He smiled, slow and languorous.
If Princess Nolani were to make her gods-damned vow to the wrong person…Lady Lonura would die.
After some consideration, Rothbart decided he could live with that eventuality.
The problem was how to manage it. For all his skill with illusions, he could do nothing about voices. And Princess Nolani had fallen hard for his captive, so bewitching another girl—or himself—as a perfect Doppelganger in every other respect would not be sufficient.
...but there was his original safeguard to rely on in the end, after all. Princess Nolani was engaged. If King Andrell were to make a conveniently inconvenient appearance and demand a public affirmation of their betrothal, Nolani would have no choice but to submit, or cost her people the alliance and the treaty her mother had fought so hard for. Making such an affirmation would constitute a vow of everlasting devotion, though not necessarily love. While it was certainly possible for her to have a long-term devoted favorite while married for dynastic reasons—as he himself had said he’d allow Lonura, once she agreed—so long as Nolani vowed to Andrell before breaking the curse...
It would suffice.
Best of all, because the princess had never met her intended, so he could disguise himself as the young King with no difficulty. True, her little brother had fought with him after his defection and would know, and of course his ambassador, but as long as the two of them only saw him, and did not hear...
Rothbart smiled again, pleased at his brilliant solution to a thorny problem.
Once again, the world was ripe with possibility.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani rode hard for home, leaving the oasis at first light the next day, the sound of Lonura’s voice and the memory of her face thrilling through her veins. This would be no slight to her upcoming marriage vows, she was sure. Andrell, she hoped, would understand.
Nolani had consented to the marriage, of course. Even if Andrell was—despite her beloved little brother’s positive impressions of him—not whom she would have chosen, had she had the choice at all, she knew her duty. And he wasn’t entirely a bad choice. A conscientious man by reputation, her own age less a few months, willing to listen and adapt his policies and point of view as the situation demanded--if he wasn’t what she wanted, she could at least hope for compatibility and perhaps even friendship. With a little work at it on both their parts. Besides, a favorite of her own sex would pose no threat to the succession.
Not that the would have stopped her if Lonura had been male—she’d always favored both men and women equally—under these circumstances, anyway. She’d intended to confine herself to female favorites if possible until her childbearing years were over, out of respect for her husband and a genuine desire to win peace in the world, especially after all the horrors and tragedies her little brother had suffered during the War. But this...this thrilling affection for Lonura, stronger, she was sure, than any she’d had for previous favorites, overthrew all intentions of respect and discretion and decorum and even common sense. She loved Lonura, and she would save her, and have her as her favorite. Lonura could even function as her consort when she had to attend to her duties as second-in-line to the Crystal Throne, rather than Queen Consort of Feredar, since Andrell, her legal husband, certainly would be unable.
No, everything would be perfect. She would, of course, confirm with Isshiri that Andrell would be reasonable, and write her fiancé to explain things to him, but she had little doubt that it would all fall out as it should. Because she was in love, and her future looked not just tolerable, but exciting, for the first time since her mother had demanded her consent.
She fair flew into the City of Glass just as the sun reached its zenith and her home was spread out in all its glory. Her camel’s hooves chimed softly, as they always did, and she forced herself to put on her Public Face as she approached the palace. She didn’t want to give herself away until she made her vow, after all. Not that she thought doing so would pose any kind of threat to her intentions, but she had to admit a certain flair for the dramatic. Too many rumors too soon would spoil the show, not the vow itself.
As soon as she reached the palace and handed her camel off to the stable staff, she ran to find her brother. Isshiri, of course, would know everything. Particularly since he knew Andrell and could give her a better idea of what she could expect when this news reached him.
She tapped urgently on her brother’s door and was gratified when he answered almost immediately. “’Lani? What is it?” he asked, and he sounded concerned.
“Nothing. Well, nothing bad. I need to talk to you. Let me in, please?”
Eyeing her, he shifted out of the way and held the door open for her. She pulled it shut behind them and hugged him close.
He hugged her back, but did not seem at all reassured. “You’re sure nothing’s wrong?”
“Yes. Well, mostly. It’s…complicated,” she said. “I met someone.”
“That’s…good?” he tried, uncertain. She knew her brother stayed out of politics as much as he could get away with—he was excluded from the succession, so he had more than a little luck with that, at least—but he would know better than almost anyone what anything jeopardizing her marital future could mean for the world.
“A lady,” Nolani assured him. “My marriage will still go forward, I hope.”
“You hope?” he said, but he did look relieved at that.
She nodded. “I just...you know Andrell, you fought with him, yes?”
Isshiri nodded. “Not well, exactly. But enough. He’s a good man, I’ve told you. He’ll be good to you.”
“I trust you on that,” she said. “But...the lady I met.”
“Yes?”
“I want her...I want her to be a part of my life. For...” Forever, pulsed through her mind, but she didn’t want to overstate things too much. Because, as she was keenly aware, while she could and would promise undying devotion, Lonura would be bound by no such oaths. And she had fallen in and out of love enough herself to know that it could, and did, happen from time to time. “For as long as she’ll have me,” Nolani finished. “And I want your impressions of how Andrell will feel about that.”
Isshiri tilted his head, considering for a long moment, before answering. “I...can’t be certain,” he cautioned, “but I think he won’t object. He’sÖinvested in this marriage for the same reasons you are. And I know that...well, from all reports, his parents had an ideal marriage, and his older brother’s wife was miserable. Not from mistreatment, but because he ignored her almost completely. So he has a good example and a bad example of what a marriage should be. AndÖI do believe he’ll want you to be happy.”
Nolani relaxed a little. “Lonura will make me happy,” she said. “I’m sure of it. And there’s no jeopardy to the succession, so...”
Isshiri nodded. “Exactly. On the other hand...” He hesitated, then sighed. “Feredar isn’t entirely open to the idea of this kind of romantic entanglement.”
“A favorite, a Queen’s favorite, or a Queen’s female favorite?” she asked, because it could be any one of the three.
“The second, of course, but I was more worried about the third,” Isshiri said. “I don’t know how much of that he feels, or how much of it he’ll have to pretend to feel in order to keep things together.”
Nolani made a face, but nodded. “I understand. I’ll...I’ll write him, and ask.” Not that there was any chance she’d hear back before she made her vow, but she had to at least make an effort. “But I will have Lonura with me, whether he approves or not. If it means that much to him, maybe she’ll stay here. But you and Mother both think that he wants the treaty to go through, so that limits how much he can object, right?”
Isshiri quirked a smile. “Now we’re getting out of my depth, ‘Lani,” he admitted. “I didn’t exactly have much opportunity to discuss this particular issue with him when we were fighting together.”
“No, I suppose not,” Nolani said, then hugged him again. “Thank you, anyway. You’ve helped.”
“I’m glad.” He grinned at her. “So, when can I meet her? Is she at court?”
“Not yet,” Nolani said. “And it’s...well, I said it was complicated before, and...”
He blinked. “For more than just Andrell’s reaction? Are you worried about Mother?”
Nolani waved a hand dismissively. “I can handle Mother’s objections, especially if Andrell doesn’t mind my having a female favorite.”
“Then what?” he asked.
Nolani hesitated a moment, considering how much of Lonura’s story it was appropriate to share, especially since she couldn’t quite explain what sorcery was or how Rothbart had done whatever it was he’d done to transform her. “There’s...an inheritance dispute that she got entangled in,” she finally said. “I’m working on getting her out, but...”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Isshiri asked immediately.
She smiled, but shook her head. “No, I have to handle it by myself. But thank you for offering, it means a lot. You’ll like her, I know,” she said, shifting the subject slightly so he wouldn’t press. “She’s very pretty, and she’s kind, and brave, and she has a lovely voice.”
Isshiri just smiled. “You have good taste, ‘Lani. I’ve only ever not liked one of your favorites, and that was because he talked down to me. You got rid of him pretty fast, anyway.”
Nolani laughed. She remembered the one he meant. “A temporary lapse in judgment.”
“Exactly.”
His smile softened slightly. “Andrell will probably be all right with this. And you’re probably right, Mother won’t do anything if he is.”
She hugged him again. “Thank you, Isshiri.”
He hugged her back, warm and tight. “Any time.”
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
My Lord King Andrell,
This letter will probably reach you after the deed is done, and I apologize if I misjudged your response. But I spoke with my brother, at whose side you fought in the last days of the War, and he seems to think that this will be all right. So I am going to proceed anyway, because the life of someone I cherish is on the line.
I met, yesterday—it’s hard to believe it was only yesterday—the woman I believe to be the great love of my life. By which I mean no slight to you, my lord, I assure you, simply that…while we could be friends, you are not a man I love in a romantic sense. I plan to be a supportive wife and consort to you, giving to you my hand and my body and my children, but my heart will go where it wills, and it has willed itself to this lady.
Her name is Lonura, and she is of my people, the daughter of a minor lord of some means on my country’s southeastern border. She is held captive—through means I barely comprehend—by the younger brother of the High Lord of Surenar, who wishes to take her hand, her lands, and his brother’s crown, all by force. I have it in my power to free her, but to do so I must swear myself to her.
Please believe me, this is in no way an attempt to renege on our betrothal. It is far from unheard of among my people, when marriage is contracted for duty and progeny, to have a long-term, even life-long, favorite at one’s side. This is the role I wish for Lady Lonura. She will serve certain political and social roles as my consort in my own land, as you will be bound up in your own kingdom, but will have no role save what you deem appropriate for a dear friend of your wife in yours. Or, if you are uncomfortable having her at your court, she will stay at mine.
Neither, I wish you to know, will I demand perfect fidelity of you. Should you find someone you love as I love Lady Lonura, I hope you will pursue happiness with that person as ardently as I am pursuing it with her. So long as my children come first in your lineage, I want your happiness more than fidelity.
I beg you consider what I’ve written in the spirit in which it is intended, and take no offense at this confession. I wish to be your friend, if not your beloved, and certainly your wife.
With all my respect and good will,
Nolani Loquelin Heidari, daughter to the Crown Princess Kesshare of the City of Glass, and her heir.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Her letter to Andrell complete, Nolani sealed it and sent it off by the most discreet messenger she could find, then went to see her mother.
Just because there was little Crown Princess Kesshare could do to stop this, now that all the plans were in motion, didn’t mean Nolani wasn’t nervous to the point of fear about approaching her. Her mother could do little to Lady Lonura that Lord Rothbart hadn’t already—other than kill her, but Nolani was confident that she could make that impractical before her mother could find her beloved. And she clung fast to the belief that, so long as Andrell had no objections to her lover, her mother would also accept her.
Kesshare surveyed her coolly when they met, and, as always, her mother’s hawkish stare stripped Nolani down to a small child caught where she had no business being. “What is it?” she asked.
Nolani took a deep breath. “I met someone, while I was out hunting.”
One dark eyebrow rose. “How likely is this…someone to cause problems?”
“Not very, I think,” Nolani said.
“Explain.”
She took another deep breath. “Her name is Lady Lonura. She’s the daughter of a border lord, both her parents are deceased. I’m helping her to sort through an…inheritance dispute, but I would like to bring her to court as my favorite soon.”
“Hm,” Kesshare said, tapping the end of a pen against her lips. “This should cause no problems. Fortunate that your eye lit upon a lady this time.”
Nolani flushed, hot and embarrassed. “Yes, Mother,” she said, then hesitated. “I want to present her to the court and ambassadors as my favorite.”
Kesshare studied her. “You have never bothered to do this before.”
“She will last longer than the others.”
“You seem very certain.”
“I am,” Nolani said. “I am past my wildfire years. I mean to love her as long as she’ll have me, and I want to declare it to the world.”
“You are oddly sentimental for no longer being wild,” her mother said, but—if Nolani was any judge, after more than a decade of playing politics by her mother’s side—she was amused, not annoyed. “Very well. When will you present her?”
“Three nights from now,” Nolani answered.
“Hasty.”
Nolani flushed again. “I know. This…touches on her dispute. The sooner my backing her is made clear, the easier it will be to disentangle the whole mess.”
Kesshare chewed over that explanation for a moment, then nodded. “As you will,” she said. “I’ll make the arrangements.”
Nolani brightened. “Thank you, Mother.”
Kesshare gave a knife-thin smile in response. “Of course, if your future husband objects to you keeping this lady, you will forsake her.”
“I don’t believe he will,” Nolani said. She had no intention of promising what her mother was asking—that would jeopardize her vow and Lonura’s safety, and she would not do that, not even to please her mother.
Kesshare gave her a sharp look, but blessedly let that pass. "Very well."
Nolani, not wanting to risk further questioning, took that for dismissal and escaped her mother's presence.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The next few days dragged and dragged, lasting longer than Nolani had ever imagined three days could last. But finally, the night of her announcement--and Lonura's freedom--finally arrived.
Isshiri had even turned up--he hated court functions with a passion, and skipped whenever he could, but he'd wanted to be there for her. He was hovering on the edge of the crowd. She, meanwhile, was milling around, pretending to give courtesy greetings to her guests but mostly watching, watching, ever watching the door.
Nothing. Hours passed, and nothing.
"Are you all right?" Isshiri asked, noticing how upset she was.
She shrugged. "I'm starting to think maybe I dreamed the whole thing. Went to all this trouble for nothing."
"I'm sure you didn't," Isshiri said, but he didn't sound like he believed what he said.
"Yes..." she said, and sighed.
And then someone pounded on the door.
Nolani jumped about a mile, and ran to the door. Isshiri caught her arm. "Don't, Mother's already glaring at you."
Right. Dignity. Right in full view of everyone. "I know," she said, but she watched the door eagerly.
It swung open. And Lonura wasn't there.
Isshiri stiffened next to her. "That's Andrell," he murmured.
Nolani blinked. "What...what's he doing here?"
"I guess he's come to see you."
"There's no way my letter got to him that fast," Nolani said, "and even if it did, he couldn't just drop everything and dash, and..."
Andrell was crossing the room over to her, the crowd parting ahead of him.
Isshiri nudged her. "Go see what he wants," he said.
"Right. Yes. I should...I should do that." She took a deep breath, and started across the floor.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
It had taken Lonura hours to free herself from the ropes Lord Rothbart had fastening her to the ground. He's planning something. He has to be planning something, or he wouldn't have bothered tying me, he knows I'm stuck like this tonight, why go to all this trouble?
She had to get there. She had to stop whatever he was planning, or Nolani would suffer. Lord Rothbart would make her suffer.
It was sunset before she was able to take off, and then another hour before she could orient herself properly and head for the capital.
The she had to find wherever the event was taking place and somehow get in. As a giant white bird that clearly does not belong to the desert.
The best she could do was a window.
She hovered next to it, scanning the crowd for Nolani--there. There she was, just below her, talking to her brother. She seemed upset.
I'm sorry, Lonura cried out in her head. I'm so, so sorry, I forgot when I agreed.
She tapped on the window with her bill, as hard and fast as she could, praying Nolani would here.
Look up. Look up look up look up please look up I'm here, I'm here, I love you I'm here...
The door opened, and Nolani jerked, staring at the man who came in. He wasn't one Lonura recognized--pale, with a mop of light brown hair, and a serious expression, and...and after a heartbreakingly long moment, Nolani started to walk towards him.
No. Oh, please, gods, no...
She had to find another window, one where Nolani could see her. She just had to see her...
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Princess," Andrell said, and bowed low before Nolani, kissing her hand. His voice was oddly discordant--low and gruff, not what she'd expected from such a sweet-faced, if sad-eyed, young man.
But, if nothing else, the studied formality in his use of her title and bowing over her hand called her back to her position and her duty and her dignity. "Your Majesty," she said, and returned the obeisance, to the exact degree appropriate for a foreign monarch--and her future spouse.
"Please forgive my intrusion," he said, rising smoothly. "But I had to see you. I had to know..."
"Yes?" Nolani asked, still tense. Why is he here?
"If you were still interested in our marriage."
She stared at him. "I...I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I was never aware that it was in any doubt...?"
He flushed. "No, of course not," he said. "Not...not really, but it's just...well, I've never met you, and I know this wasn't your idea, and...I know how committed I am to this, and I needed to know if you were, as well."
This didn't make any sense to her. And she thought she saw Isshiri trying to signal her out of the corner of her eye, but she couldn't pull away from Andrell's gaze. "Your Majesty...?" she asked, unsure what else she could say.
"I want you to know," he said, holding her eyes, "that I am pledging myself--body, mind, and spirit--to you, for the rest of our natural lives."
She could feel the trap tightening around her, because she couldn't make the same oath, not with Lonura--but she had to say something. Everyone was watching, and the longer the silence dragged on, the more she put the treaty in jeopardy. And Lonura hadn't come, anyway.
Still, she had to hold out hope. She had to try.
Scrambling, she reached for an antiquated version of the marriage oath. "I pledge to you my hand, my body, my womb and my children, Your Majesty," she whispered.
From the cheering, she knew it carried to the room, but under it all, she thought she heard someone scream.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura saw the man pull Nolani close and kiss her, and it felt like a knife boring into her chest. She screamed inside her head, because she finally understood--Nolani was engaged, of course she was engaged, princesses had to be engaged, but that didn't mean she loved him.
And even Lord Rothbart couldn't make someone love him.
But if her marriage was important enough, he could make her swear.
Keening, feeling herself splitting along every seam of her soul, she spun away from the window and reeled through the air, back to her sheltered oasis and the never-ending hell that awaited her.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani pulled away from Andrell's kiss as soon as she could with any politic decency, and became aware that he was laughing.
"What is it?" she said, suddenly aware of how crowded and warm the room was. "Your Majesty, what's so funny?"
He stopped laughing, and he smiled a pointed smile. "You," he said, and spun his cloak and his hands, enveloped in red lightning. The room filled with ozone and broken glass from the floor, and Nolani stepped back, horrified.
When the smoke cleared, another man was standing in Andrell's place. This one taller, larger, with flint-smoke eyes and a smile sharper than her mother's, and he was laughing again.
"Lord Rothbart," she whispered.
"You thought you could fool me, didn't you?" he said. "Thought you could get past me, didn't you?"
"I didn't vow my love to you, it doesn't count," she said, weakly.
"Oh, it counts," he said.
"Then I forswear it," she said, finding strength in desperation. "I forswear all I said to you, I pledge myself, heart and soul, to Lonura, only to Lonura, please. I make a vow of everlasting love, I--"
"Too late!" he crowed, and her heart sank. "You made your vow, and you made it to the wrong man--and not even the right wrong man."
"Oh, gods."
"And because you broke faith with her--because you failed to prove your love..."
"No, please."
"Lonura will die."
Nolani's fists clenched, and she remembered being moved to violence, her baby brother smoldering on the floor. "I'll kill you first," she hissed.
He laughed in her fast. "You can try, little girl," he said, and launched himself up through the window shattered by his lightning. "You can try."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
No one could stop her as she fled the City--not her brother's fears, nor her mother's cold stare, nor her father pleading with her to be rational, Nolani, for the gods' sakes.
None of them could overpower the echo in her head, Rothbart's mocking smile, Lonura will die, will die, will die, you made it to the wrong man, Lonura will die.
She grabbed the first mount at hand and pounded across the desert, pushing it to the outer limits of its capabilities. Lonura, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I'll save you, I promise, just hold on...
"Hold on," she whispered, out loud, as the starlit sands--starlit.
She groaned.
"The moon."
Of course Lonura hadn't come. There wasn't any moon.
Grimly, blinking back tears, she pushed across the sands, for the oasis with Lonura's lake
If I can just get there in time, she told herself, if I can get there in time, I can save her. Even though the vow went wrong, I can save her. I just have to get there in time.
In time for what, she couldn't say. Just...in time. She had to get there in time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura skidded across the water and crashed into the far bank of her lake, but she barely felt the impact. The pain inside was too great, and she was so tired.
She curled around herself, hugging herself, weeping and--and catching her tears in her hands.
Her hands...?
"How...?" she whispered.
But no answer came, and then she knew.
The curse wasn't broken. It had found its ultimate fulfillment. She was no longer a swan because all of the power, all of the sorcery, was now focused on this pain inside of her, this draining of anything approaching strength.
She was dying.
Nolani was faithless, and she was dying.
Lonura whimpered, and curled tighter, the yellow fabric of her dress shimmering through her tears.
All she really wanted, despite the pain, despite the heartbreak and the broken oath, was to see her. To see Nolani, her beloved, one last time.
"I forgive you," she said, a cracked whisper to the sky. "I'll forgive you, just come. Please come."
One last time.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Nolani reached the oasis, and pelted in. "Lonura!" she called, as loud as she could. "Lonura, please, I'm here, please, please let me explain."
There was no answer.
And then she saw her.
She was in her human shape again, lying on the edge of the water, her face sunken into the bones, her hair and yellow dress a cloud around her. Her eyes were closed. She didn't seem to be breathing.
"Lonura!" Nolani yelled, and slid to her knees next to her. "Oh, no, Lonura, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I didn't mean it, please, please wake up..."
"Nolani...?"
Nolani jerked, and looked down at her. Lonura was awake, those startling grey eyes open, but cloudy, unseeing. "I'm here. I'm here..."
"I'm so tired..."
"I know," Nolani said, choking back tears. "I know, I ruined everything, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry..."
Lonura smiled a little, and with obvious effort, reached up to run a finger along Nolani's cheek.
"I love you," Nolani whispered. "I swear it, I love you."
She couldn't answer. Nolani felt her go limp in her arms.
And then came faint, sarcastic applause behind her.
"You," she spat, turning around to find Rothbart leaning against a nearby tree.
"Me," he agreed.
"You can't let her die," she hissed.
"Really."
She leapt to her feet. "I won't let you."
"Is that a threat?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Don't you dare let her die!"
He held up his hands. "No need to be rude, Highness," he said.
"You're a monster," she spat.
He shook his head. "Is that any way to behave?"
She felt her cheeks burning, and pulled fire from the air. "She can't die!"
"Fine!" Rothbart said. "I'll let her live."
Nolani froze, suspicious. It couldn't be, he couldn't really be saying what she thought he was saying.
"But only if you defeat me," he finished.
Of course.
Nolani took a fraction of a second to weigh her options. He was bigger than her, and a master of some magic-like craft she had no understanding of. But she had someone to protect, and she'd killed a man when she was eleven for hurting her brother. She could do it again, if she had to.
And if she failed...well, if she failed, she would at least have tried to avenge her love. And then? Then her mother would take over. And Lord Rothbart would suffer before he died, suffer in ways Nolani herself could never stomach.
She could accept that.
She spun to her feet and launched a blast of fire, as hot as she could make it, right at his face. Laughing, he dodged, and responded with more of that unnatural scarlet lightning he'd used in the palace before.
She dodged with rather more difficulty than he'd shown--her hard ride across the desert had taken more effort than his trip had. He seemed to have boundless energy for the fight. Grimly, she pressed on, staying between the lightning and Lonura, who was not dead yet, just unconscious. She had to believe that.
Volley after volley of lightning he hurled at her, without giving her a chance to respond. She couldn't combat this, not with his skill, not without knowing more about how his sorcery worked.
Nolani took refuge behind a tree, panting and doing her best not to feel the hundreds of delicate scorch-marks he'd inflicted. She felt lightning impact the tree and shuddered with it.
She needed a plan.
...no, what she needed, she realized, was to get out of range of his lightning. Not far away, but close, to where he couldn't use it without risking immolating himself. Once there...well, she knew where to stab a man to end his life. That would be the easy part.
She picked up a sharp piece of her tree--an increasingly poor shelter--and took a deep breath. This first part, she knew, was going to hurt.
Without giving herself more chance to doubt, she launched herself directly into the lightning, keeping the heavy splinter in her hand, focusing on the direction the it was coming from, the direction of the thunder, rather than trying to spot Rothbart himself.
She felt impact after impact, trying to drive her back, but ignored it, until she collided with a tower of solid flesh.
She found his ribs with her hand, and shifted her grip on the splinter, shoving it in and up, twisting hard. She heard him scream, felt his fetid breath on her cheek, and slowly the lightning died around them.
Nolani jerked her makeshift knife out and stabbed him twice more, for good measure--once in the throat--then rolled off him.
Gasping at the searing pain that took hold as the adrenaline from the fight died, she staggered to her feet and over to Lonura, hoping against hope that--
She was still lying there.
She still wasn't moving.
Nolani slumped next to her and burst into tears. Shakily, painfully, she pulled her beloved close, beyond words.
Until she felt a feather-light kiss on her cheek, and turned her head.
Lonura was smiling at her.
"Look," she breathed, and Nolani turned.
The sun was just touching the horizon, and Lonura was still human.
Nolani buried her face in her shoulder, relieved beyond words.
"I love you," Lonura whispered.
All she could do was nod, and weep, and hold her until the dawn was complete, and she knew beyond doubt that they were safe, and would always, always be together.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Most Esteemed Princess,
I must admit, I was more than a little surprised by your letter. I understand that your people are...more frank about such things than mine, but it was still hardly what I expected.
Of course, if your lady makes you happy, I wish you all joy. I want nothing more for you than joy, in truth. You and I will have a family, and the treaty which the world needs, and--or so I fondly dare to dream--a kind of friendship, at the least. And, futher, I hope to, upon our meeting, love and respect your friend as I do my sisters. Anything more that is between you, I needn't know details, only that you and she are happy.
Your letter was followed fast by one from your brother, and I deeply regret that my face was used in the deception that caused you so much pain. I hope you are recovering, and look forward to our marriage and our life together.
Sincerely,
Andrell, King of Feredar
Postscript: With regard to my own...friendships, I will take those a day at a time, and endeavor to make them as minimally awkward for you as possible. I will not, I swear, tolerate a mistress trying to denigrate you because the respect we have for each other does not approach that kind of love. If any children come from such unions, of course our legitimate issue will have precedence, you needn't worry on that score.
--A
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Your Gracious Majesty,
Thank you for your kind words of support, and for your understanding of this matter. My Princess is not yet well enough, so I am writing on her behalf to you. I assure you that I bear you no ill will. To the contrary, I wish you, as you so charmingly put it, all joy.
If you would do me the honor of treating me as your sister, I would be beyond joy. Please know that I seek only to serve and support my Princess and her two monarchies. I am, with heady anticipation, looking forward to our meeting, in the hopes that all may be just as you say. For I do hope, as you do, that you and I--as well as my Princess and any friends you may have--can all live in companionable peace together. I fully understand my place in this, and ask only to be allowed to love my Princess, as I know she loves me.
She bids me add her gratitude to mine, and that she looks forward to your wedding next year. With both of us by her side, Your Majesty, I cannot fail to think that she will be happy, happier than any other mortal woman living, save perhaps myself.
Your obedient servant,
Lady Lonura
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Lonura sealed their response to King Andrell's letter after getting Nolani's approval and left it to be collected the next time a page stopped by. She then slid onto the bed next to her, carefully wrapping her arms around her. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Better," Nolani said, mostly truthful. "Still sore, but better."
"Good," Lonura said, then hesitated. "Nolani?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think I ever thanked you, for saving me."
Nolani shifted carefully, and kissed her. "You don't need to thank me," she assured her. "I love you. And people who love each other do this sort of thing."
Lonura flushed, and kissed Nolani's forehead. "Still. Thank you. And I love you."
"I love you, too," she murmured back.
"Until the day I die?"
"Until the end of time."
Moved beyond words, Lonura held her beloved close and let her eyes drift shut, content--no, more than that. Happy. Because no matter how hard it got, when Nolani was back on her feet and they had to face the world and politics again, no matter if Crown Princess Kesshare decided that Lonura was more trouble than she was worth, no matter if Andrell's letter contained only hollow promises, they would be all right. Because they had each other. They loved each other.
Until the end of time.
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Also, expertly done with the politics here. They're way too often ignored.
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