Midnight Moon

Chapter 29 - Peace and War

Palimara plucked at the collar of her dress, suddenly stifled by the velvet and pearls clinging to her neck. She had been comfortable mere moments before by the roaring fire, but now the soothing warmth turned to blazing heat that flooded her veins and crept across her cheeks.

She shook off the shawl clinging to her shoulders, hastening to the window and unhooking the latch. A cool breeze flowed blissfully over her skin, drawing away a little of her internal fire. She closed her eyes and savoured every breath, pacing out each second until this blaze inside her ended.

The winter wind was clear and cold, the fragrance of flowers long gone and the gardens drab below her. Smells of nature still drifted on the breeze, hanging like a perfume in the air.

Palimara opened her eyes and stared at the horizon. The distant hills were cloaked in rain, the damp scent clinging to the breeze though the downpour had not yet reached the palace. The landscape's lush green had vanished for the winter, the disc of the afternoon sun weakly visible through the thin clouds.

She sighed and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, dabbing at the sweat beading at her temples. These waves of heat were becoming irritatingly more frequent, though at least they signalled that she wouldn't have to eat the tikyn root anymore. A daily measure of the plant was preferable to the crippling pain and flowing blood that came with the monthly tides, but its bitter taste and chewy texture were not something she was going to miss.

It felt strange now to be so accustomed to it, when once she had gone years without the medicine, wishing the plant was what kept her from being with child. Even those worries, so painful years ago, paled in comparison to the prospect of losing the child she now had.

A sob threatened to claw its way up Palimara's throat and she choked, blinking away tears before her vision could blur. She had spent long enough weeping; now she wanted numbness. The world kept turning and she could not afford to be stopped in her tracks.

She threaded her fingers into her hair and pulled at the roots, the straining sensation on her skin soothing. A small glimpse of control, simple cause and effect, tangible and understandable. Where was that control when it came to her body, her family, her kingdom?

She started at a knock on the door, straightening up and smoothing her hair. "Yes?"

"The ambassador from Horsion has arrived, your Majesty," a servant called.

She closed the window, the heat having finally faded from her skin, and brushed creases from her skirt. "Send him in."

Palimara moved back to the fireplace, draping the shawl delicately across her shoulders before the door opened and a man was escorted in. His fair hair was neatly trimmed just above his shoulders, and a close-cropped beard framed his well-rehearsed smile.

He bowed, the silver embroidery on his blue tunic catching the light. "Your Majesty." His accent warmed her; the unmistakable sound of their homeland.

"Zihrak," she greeted, smiling and extending a hand, "I trust you are well, cousin?"

"Well enough, thank you." He held her forearm and shook, the sapphires in his silver rings sparkling. She held back a wry smile: he had learnt well from her uncle, every part of his appearance echoing the colours of Horsion's royal family. Her family, even if they rarely felt like it anymore.

A servant arrived with tea, and Palimara gestured for her cousin to sit. "And the family?"

"Ups and downs, as always. Dysha wants to study architecture in Invej and isn't happy that we're not keen on the idea. As you can imagine, we don't want her going to a kingdom that threatens to cut off trade with Horsion any time we try to regulate what they bring through our ports."