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"Please do We uarded from now on"
"I’ll take care of it"
"I’ll have breakfast sent to you Not from the barracks"
He bows formally, but his lips twitch
When we reach own Ximena helps me shuck my boots, then I loosen the ties of my pants and collapse into bed, which is made up with freshly laundered sheets, thanks to Mara They’re still war the faint scent of rosewater Truly,ahen an idea startles ht off sleep
"Here," he says from the foot of my bed
"Do we have contacts in the Wallows? I’d like to pinpoint the cave’s location from the surface, find out all we can about it"
"I’ll look into it, Majesty"
"And please stop calling rit erated solemnity "I’d hate for you to ruin your teeth on my behalf"
"If that happened, I’d have no choice but to follow the general’s lead and order your execution" I esture and say, "Off with his head!" And then my face burns with my own crass inappropriateness
But Hector chuckles deep in his throat, and I feel it all the way down to my toes Softly he says, "My life has ever been yours, Elisa"
My lile and heat fills my cheeks as we stare at each other
I snap back toabout his duty Of course his life is mine He is Queen’s Guard, after all, sworn to jump in front of a crossbow bolt if that’s what it takes to save ood friend, Hector And I’round, and his chest rises and falls with a breath "Always"
Chapter 7
IT’S late evening, and sunset gloared on my bed, surrounded by faded parchment and musty scrolls--old palace architectural plans, retrieved fro them for hours
One shows the restoration of the throne rooive clues about secret tunnels or underground villages I push the slips fro along its tips Curious, I break the wax seal withdark--rot or h
It’s a map of Joya d’Arena My native county of Orovalle is unmarked--the beautiful valley that lies north of the Hinders was undiscovered when this map was drawn Which means it is probably five hundred years old, a priceless treasure that I have now exposed to light and air I should send it back to the archive i But I can’t s beyond the desert--now the country of Basajuan, ruled by my friend Cosmé--are referred to as "territories" Only the northern and southern holdings are clearly defined Much like my country appears now, I realize with a start The arable land of Joya d’Arena is once again a crooked sort of hourglass--fat on the top and bottoile in the center where the desert and ocean push together right here at my capital
But Joya d’Arena is not alone any my borders on two sides--my father and sister to the north, Cosmé to the east ItI must tell you," Xiht cheek, and wisps of gray hair dangle from her usually neat bun
She takes a deep breath, as if steeling herself "I’ve been doing some research on the Godstone Since you fell into a cohten too fast, and several scrolls topple off er across the parchment in her lap "You know the prophecy in Homer’s Afflatus, the one that says, ‘He could not knohat awaited at the gate of the enehter, into the realm of sorcery’?"
"Father Alentín thinks I fulfilled that prophecy when I was captured by Inviernos" I keep e her norance onto the stone I bear She believed it was the will of God I kno much it costs her to turn her back on this tenet of a deeply personal faith
"I’m not so sure you did"
I s hard "Oh" I’ve been clinging to the hope that I a queen will be reat service to God
She duate’ that gaveat the foot of e that also sometimes translates to ‘path’ As in, ‘narrow is the path that restores the soul,’ from the Scriptura Sancta"
"Go on"
"It’s the same e just found etched into the tunnel below the catacoate that leads to life is narrow and small so that few find it’" I wrapat," I say, butto what she’s saying So important
"I h all four of the holy scriptures looking for usages It occurs exactly ten tiate--or path--of the ene positive Like life, or restoration, or healing" Xiazes, and she says, "What are the chances of each reference occurring exactly five ti "It’s the holy nu will occur exactly five times if God wills it"
"Exactly He s do not happen by chance" She resuht those verses were ht the path that restores the soul was a way to live one’s life The way of faith, maybe But what if" She takes a deep breath "What if it’s a real place? What if they are both real places?"
The Godstone buzzes with affir prickles up ate of the eneate that leads to life"
"I don’t know, ht be able to help He has provided quiet aid to ua Classica, and I trust him with my life"
She nods "I’ll discuss it with him I’m at the point where I need access to the restricted areas of the monastery archive anyway"
"Ximena," I whisper "What if it is a real place? What if I still have to go there?"