Switched ~ a Fractured Fairytale

Chapter Nine ~ Decisions

Bash left for home at dawn the next day, leaving his mirrors and a code-book to decipher messages. As Cassy was the only one of us who knew the codes and understood how to work the mirrors, she took over as codebreaker and spent most of her evenings up the tallest tower, sending and receiving messages.

Two days after Bash left, I found Father and Theo sitting beside the fire, surrounded by maps and letters. Theo was painting a barn owl and Father was looking over a map of Santiana's southern towns. He looked exhausted, I could see dark shadows under his eyes and his hair was greyer than I remembered. He smiled as I sat beside him.

'Hello Poppet,' he said. 'Come to help your old man?'

'Father, I want to understand what's going on,' I said.

'Elia,' he said with a sigh. 'It's complicated. I don't want you-'

'I'm in the middle of it whether you like it or not,' I said stubbornly. 'After Duke Victor the other day, I need to know what's happening.'

'El-'

'I don't want to be caught out,' I said. 'Please Papa.'

He sighed and put down his papers. 'Very well,' he said. 'What would you like to know?'

'What's happening out there, what are our chances, what can we do to-'

'Slow down there,' he said with a laugh, holding up his hands. 'Pass me that map and I'll explain.'

For the next hour, Father explained the situation. Santaina was a small country, wedged between two much larger countries. To our south was Zlarov, and Duke Victor had large ambitions for his country. Victor needed Santiana's milder climate and good harbours to expand his kingdom. He had formed an alliance with some of the desert tribes to our east, who were now attacking our border. The latest reports from Bash suggested around four companies, eight hundred soldiers, were camped on our border, much more than Santiana's standing army.

Father and I had witnessed for ourselves the destruction Duke Victor was causing, just miles short of our southern border and if he attacked us there, Santiana would fall; we could not hope to withstand an attack on two fronts.

As we spoke, Theo set aside his paints and came to sit on the arm of my chair, listening. As Father moved little war counters across the map, I glanced up at Theo. He was unusually silent, staring intently at Father's movements, a little frown on his face. He caught me staring at him and flashed me a small smile.

'Why would Percival help us?' Theo asked. 'What are we offering in return?'

Father glanced at Theo in surprise. 'King Percival has not explicitly stated,' he said slowly. 'But I believe he would like access to our gold deposits in the mountains.'

Theo swore under his breath as Father's personal secretary entered the room and bowed to us.

'Your Majesty, Highnesses,' he said. 'Sir, there are some documents requiring your signature.'

'Thank you,' Father said, nodding.

Theo and I stood quickly and left them to it, neither of us much liked state papers. We wandered out onto the balcony and Theo slipped his arm around my waist and I rested my head on his shoulder. Theo still seemed in a pensive mood and I was happy for the chance to think over what Father had told me.

'El,' Theo said after several minutes.

'Hmm?' I said.

'What... Do you think we can win this?'

I looked out over the manicured palace gardens, considering what Queen Indra had said and what Father had just told us. 'I don't know,' I said. 'If we have support then maybe, but alone...' I trailed off, neither of us wanted to voice the alternative.