Quintana of Charyn

Gargarin hesitated.

‘A man losing his grandson doesn’t make him a man you can trust,’ he said. ‘But he does have a point. The godshouse needs to exist and that won’t be the priority of the Provincari once things have settled. The Priests can’t afford to be left behind in talks of the new Charyn.’

‘Then why your doubt?’ Froi asked.

‘Because I don’t trust them,’ Gargarin said flatly. ‘There is no denying that the people loved the godshouse before the curse. If Charyn begins again and the Priests finds themselves an Oracle from the gods know where, then the Priests may take control.’

‘And how is that any worse than the Provincari?’

‘At least the Provincari keep each other honest to a certain degree,’ Gargarin said. ‘Remember, it was the Priests who sent out Rafuel in search of a king killer. Who is to say that they don’t have an entire army hiding somewhere? I don’t want Simeon’s people finding Quintana first. I don’t want any of them finding Quintana, except for a combined army. There must be a balance of power, Froi. For Charyn to survive, there must.’

Chapter 16

It rained for days and days and Phaedra could have endured the damp if it wasn’t for the company of the other women. Strange that she had liked them well enough in the Charynite camp, but confinement had turned them into bitter cellmates.

In their boredom they spoke of every person with ugly words, judgement in each breath. Jorja and her daughter had learnt to gossip with the nobility of Nebia. Cora never ever had anything good to say about anyone but her brother, and Ginny had praise for no one but men. By the third day of rain they had covered every camp dweller’s life and had no choice but to start on the Lumaterans, beginning with Tesadora. Ginny believed she was a witch and the others half-agreed.

‘I saw her once,’ Phaedra said, her cheeks flushed. ‘With her scarred lover.’

‘You saw them?’ Cora asked.

‘I saw them.’

Cora looked annoyed. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about, Phaedra. I’m sure many people have seen them. It’s no secret she has a lover.’

‘No,’ Phaedra said, feeling her face become even warmer. ‘I saw them.’ She put her hands together. ‘Together. Naked. No … not naked. I don’t think they even took the time to remove their clothing. It was out in the woods. I heard them first …’

She regretted the words the moment she spoke them.

Enough, Phaedra.

‘And then you saw them,’ Ginny mocked, looking for the others to join in, but no one in the cave was interested in Ginny. Phaedra didn’t care to elaborate and hoped that very soon one of the women would find the next victim to scrutinise.

‘Swiving,’ Quintana finally announced. She never joined in, not having known the camp dwellers. She just watched with disdain. ‘That’s what she means.’

Ginny choked out a laugh and the others flinched to hear the word. It was the second time Phaedra had heard the Princess use it. She had only heard the word spoken by one of her father’s guards once, never out of the mouth of a woman. Matters of the body and the mysteries of what men and women did behind closed doors were not spoken about in such crude terms.

‘You saw them mating?’ Cora asked.

Phaedra looked away, nodding. She caught Quintana’s stare. It was almost curious. She heard an ugly laugh from Ginny.

‘You’re not still intact, are you, Phaedra?’ she mocked. When Phaedra didn’t respond, Ginny snorted. ‘But you are!’

The women were suddenly interested in what Ginny had to say. They waited for Phaedra’s response.

Phaedra’s face was burning now. ‘Of course I’m not,’ she mumbled. ‘I was married.’

‘Well, I heard …’ Ginny shrugged and Phaedra saw spite in her face. ‘I heard the Mont sent you back because you didn’t satisfy him.’

Quintana stared at Phaedra with an I-told-you-so look in her eyes. She was the last person Phaedra wanted commiserating with her about spousal life.

‘I’ve seen the Mont,’ Ginny continued, relishing the attention of an audience. ‘If he was sharing my bed …’ She shrugged. ‘There would be no sending me back.’

‘You’re an idiot of a girl,’ Cora said.

‘There’s nothing wrong with enjoying it,’ Ginny snapped. ‘There’s nothing wrong with bringing a man pleasure.’

Florenza looked at her mother. ‘Is that true?’

Jorja looked pensive and then brushed a lock of hair from Florenza’s pretty face.

‘Of course, my princess. Don’t let anyone ever convince you otherwise. But we have to find you the right man first.’

‘See,’ Ginny said spitefully to Cora. ‘Even Lady Muck of the Sewers agrees.’

There was an exchange between them all and the words hag and slut bounced off the cave walls. Quintana was strangely quiet and Phaedra caught her staring at Jorja.

‘She’s not a princess,’ Quintana said, her voice cold. ‘Your daughter. Why is it that so many girls in this land presume to be one?’

‘It’s just a word of endearment, Princess,’ Jorja said disdainfully.

‘Funny that when you use it to address me, it’s not endearing at all, Jorja of Nebia. And it’s Your Majesty, if you please. I was married to King Tariq. The title of Queen is mine.’

The mood in the cave changed and Jorja had the good sense to look fearful. Quintana was a mystery to them still. They had no idea who she was aligned to, or what lay behind the madness. Was it a façade? Worse still, they had no idea what she was capable of. But people like Jorja knew exactly what Quintana’s father had been capable of. Harker, Jorja and their daughter had escaped a province aligned with the dead King. They had heard stories from the surviving Serkers. As much as Phaedra didn’t like the air of superiority enjoyed by Jorja and Florenza, she understood that they had a strong sense of right and wrong. They had given up everything for it. A place in the Nebian Provincaro’s court. Land. Privilege. Everything Harker and Jorja had worked for all their lives. As hard as life in the valley seemed, Jorja was there because she had two weaknesses. Her husband and her daughter.

‘I want to hear about Phaedra and her Mont,’ Ginny said and Phaedra didn’t know what was worse: the idea of what the Queen of Charyn would do to Jorja, or listening to more talk about her failure with Lucian.

‘There’s nothing to say,’ Phaedra mumbled.

‘Did you at least enjoy it?’ Florenza asked, curious.

Phaedra was silent.

‘She didn’t enjoy it, poor girl,’ Ginny continued. Ginny only came to life when talking about keeping a man happy.

‘You don’t have to be embarrassed, Phaedra,’ Florenza said, all too eager to hear the woes of Phaedra’s life. ‘Tell us more. It’s just certain words that we don’t use.’

Florenza sent a quick look at Quintana.

‘Such as swiving?’ Quintana asked bluntly and Phaedra knew she was taunting the girl. She was like a cat Phaedra had once seen, playing with a mouse. Jorja nudged her daughter into silence.

‘Well, if you must know, such things were never spoken about in my home,’ Phaedra said. ‘My father would not have dreamt of mentioning it and my mother … she died when I was ten. So let us say … it was quite a shock.’ Phaedra hoped the discussion was now well and truly over.

‘What was a shock?’ Jorja asked.