Of Spinning Gold and Song

| Thirty | The Assassin

The days coming back passed in a haze. Someone had talked to someone had talked to someone or whatnot, because the dragon head did not accompany us on the road home. Thank the skies.

All of the prince's men came back with us of course. And Augustin, and his two men whom he had brought from the capital. All the original men who had accompanied us when we were first starting out, such as Castor, had returned the other way back towards Betane. For a moment I had been frightened that Bradyn would have returned with them and I would have been all on my own, again, but he made no sign of such actions, which relieved me.

We had both wanted to send Rosie back. I trusted that Castor would see her safely home. Unfortunately, such was not so.

"No, no," Prince Lawrence had insisted without emotion. "After all, if you're going to be queen that means you're going to live in the palace. Your sister will come as well. She should see her future home."

I had been very grateful that Rosie was not around at that particular moment hear him speaking like that.

"No, she'll stay in Betane," I was haste to say. After everything that had happened, I was still terrified of the queen. Perhaps even more so than I was before. She must be up to something. After the story John had told about her past, I was reluctant to believe she wanted to put mam's blood back on the throne out of the goodness of her heart. Something was up. I was sure of it.

"No, no. Mam wants to see her future daughter-in-law's sister. She's heard all about her."

"Heard all about her? From who?"

"I haven't the slightest idea. I've just learned not to question her anymore. If you're to be spending time around her you should heed that advice."

So I'd busied myself by worrying all about the queen and what she was going to do with us. It was the easy thing to do. It took my mind off the other thing, the elephant in the room.

Or perhaps I should say, the dragon on the ground.

This time, a spare horse had been brought just for me and Rosie. I was grateful to be able to just spend the time with my sister. Sometimes she spoke excitedly of seeing the capital. Other times she sank into a deep depression about Pap where she just cried silently and I knew she was hurting; I ached and would have done anything to take it away.

Most of the times, she chattered with the horse. She told me that his name was Creel. He was eight years old, and had been born and raised in the palace. He really liked to go fast, but rarely got to. He was sometimes ridden by guests when they went on hunting parties or something, but he wasn't any one member's horse. He also really liked sugar cubes.

I was happy to see her happy. I thought I might warn her about the queen; I just couldn't bring myself to.

Besides, she already knew to an extent.

She knew she had taken Mam's spot. She knew that she had murdered everyone.

What she didn't know, was how close she had come to murdering me.

"Maybe she's changed," she said. "Maybe that's why she wants to make you queen. Because she feels so guilty and she knows that this will make it right."

Sometimes I thought she really meant it. Other times, I was sure that she was trying to convince herself of it just as much as she was trying to convince me. I wasn't sure but all I knew was that I would rather be anywhere but here.

One the third night back, we were all sitting around the campfire when Rosie voiced the question to me. "Sparrow, do you really want to marry the prince? I thought you were going to marry Augustin."