The Icon Unbound

Chapter Twenty-Three, Part B - Rigel

The darkness rises. My lovelies your feedback is always appreciated. See you below! 

"Her majesty has not been seen leaving her rooms. Your cousins, however, are in the garden for their morning walk."

Any or all of those things could lead to better information. Rigel allowed his instinct to dictate his direction. Splitting headache aside, it had never steered him wrong. Something about mingling with his extended family peaked his interest.

"If you would point out the garden to me?"

"I would be happy to do so, your royal highness. This way."

This garden he vaguely remembered from yesterday. Now it was dotted with young people, all his age or a little younger. Most of them had his exact coloring, with hair ranging from copper to wine and eyes as green as emeralds or as light as spring grass. Every single one of them wore clothes that were too fine for even the most important feast day back home. Light silk, detailed embroidery, even pearls were visible. Not a hair was out of place that he could tell. Apparently everyone dressed in their finest, even for breakfast. They all looked like agitated birds waiting for the slightest provocation to take to the skies.

Out here, the air was pleasant. Sunlight warmed the ground. On stone tables, plates of sweetbread and fruit and thinly sliced meats were arranged in pretty flower shaped patterns. Trays of tea and glass pitchers of juice were carried about by pages dressed in the plain, gray uniform of the palace.

As soon as he stepped onto the grass, a woman perhaps a year or so older glided over and held out a hand. Her face was open, round, and fresh as a spring itself, unclouded by evil. Rigel found himself taking it before he could think better of it. "Hello cousin! Rigel, isn't it? Forgive me if I'm wrong, they say you have a twin as alike as a mirror."

"Yes, I'm Rigel."

"Are you hungry? I confess, I didn't think you would join us for breakfast. Or any meal for that matter, if you had any say. Not after meeting Queen Ru'a." Her voice was low, to keep prying ears from listening in, but the kindness and gentle curiosity of that voice made him want to bend closer to hear her. "I'm Isra."

"And my cousin?"

"We're connected through great grandparents, I think. Queen Ru'a is very particular about us learning the family tree, but really it has such gnarled roots that I have a hard time paying attention. She has us all taking lessons in our history for hours and hours every day. Other than that, all we do is stand around and look decorative." She waved a hand at the others and lowered her voice still further. "Do you know what it's for?"

"I'm not sure even she could tell us. She's as crazy as a bag of cats, that one."

Isra burst into a shocked giggle. "You're probably right. It feels good to hear that said. All these others are scared of her. I'll admit I hop when she says frog, though. Her eyes are like knives. How do you stand up to her?"

"Perhaps I don't know her well enough to be intimidated. May I ask you something impertinent?"

"I should say no but something compels me to say yes."

"My kind of girl. If you don't like the lessons, and you don't like your queen, why do you stay?"

"That's not so bad at all! I thought you were going to ask for my star sign, or..." Her cheeks turned pink and she snatched a glass of juice from a tray. "It's not anything secret. Everyone here has told me the same story as mine. Our guardians could not see any reason why not to obey the Queen when she put out the summons. They wanted to, but a poor relation does not refuse a messenger. Now that you're here, perhaps she'll lose interest and I can go home."