Chapter 105: Home

Chapter 105: Home

The kitchen was warm, the castle windows were wide, and one of those things felt like comfort and safety while the other didnt. Aaron had taken it for granted, when all hed seen of the world was the plateau, that uptowners liked their big windows. But they were a thing made popular after the dragons pact was put in place. A privilege of being so far inland, behind city walls and mountains and agreements made long ago, when the uptowners had moved out of Twokins to live in a place that didnt guard against attacks from above. Salts Mane and the fort at the enclave had kept to their arrow slits.

Which was to say: when Aaron sat down in the castles kitchen, he sat with his back to a wall. And if that wall happened to have an oven in it, and something wonderful smelling cooking inside, well, all the better.

Letter for you, Aaron said, holding out a rather unlabeled envelope. It wasnt as if it was meant to be delivered by anyone but him. Aaron wasnt clear on whether he was still a messenger, but hed two deliveries left to make, regardless.

Johnathan Baker accepted the letter with the look of someone who wanted to tear it open immediately, but was held back by such minor matters as illiteracy. And possibly by the contents not being fit for any eyes but his own.

Are you still going home? Aaron asked.

Enclavers are forbidden to travel, the boy said, tucking the letter away. For our own good, of course. Still, Ive already taken the days off, so I might as well use them. Its a shame Im not a forester. Theyre proper citizens; no ones stopping them.

True enough statements. But they had interesting implications for that caravan spot John had paid for weeks ago, and just what name hed planned to travel under. Because among all those other words, Aaron certainly hadnt heard a no. And there were plenty of foresters just as blonde as enclavers.

These, John said, sliding a tray of pastries from the oven, are the very last thing Im making here.

Can I have some? Aaron asked, even as the boy was keeping his body between Aarons hand and the tray.

These are a special order. And dont you dare bat them to the floor, Ill throw them out myself if you do.

Aarons most soulful staring couldnt change the boys mind, as he switched the pastries over to a fancy plate for serving.

I dont suppose you asked the princess if I could borrow that book of yours during my days off? John asked.

About that, Aaron said. Ive been wondering. Just what scribe have you been trusting, to be reading and writing letters no messenger is supposed to carry? Your brother can read. Your mother can write. And you arent half so dim as that teacher up in Helland seems to think you are.

John looked at him, for a long moment. Then he smiled, sweet as always. Stupid enclavers hear more than smart ones.

If you dont want it for practicing your reading, what do you want it for?

Aaron, the boy said. Aaron. That is a second edition, the original source of the kingdom tales, and I have spent months watching you complain that it being fully illuminated just makes it harder to read. It is beautifuland it is wasted on you and I would like to look at each and every one of its pages. Please.

...I can leave it here while Im at the meeting, said Aaron, who was not even going to pretend to understand that. But the book was already in his messenger bag, so it was hardly a bother to leave it with someone who appreciated it while he was off watching His Majesty get bowed to. Just leave it here when you go.

Youre a good friend, John said. Im sorry I havent been a better one.

Weve both the time to do better, now.

I would like that, said the boy, with a smile.

Aaron swiped a few pastries on his way out. It was a thing his friends had to expect of him.

* * *

His second delivery was to Connor: a tidy little stack, from a brother who hadnt known whether hed be accompanying them home or not.

Only eight? the prince said. I wrote him ten.

You can complain to him directly, then, Aaron said. That was a privilege the boy had, now that his brother was home. Have you seen him yet?

Yeah. Connors smile was a soft thing. He said wed talk more, after the meeting. But he looked good.

He did, Aaron agreed. Are you going?

To the first meeting all spring that Im allowed to skip? Absolutely not, His Highness said. Theyre not even going to do anything at this one. Itll just be hours of groveling, and hes going to have to be all gracious as he forgives them, and then were all going to pretend they werent trying to crown me while he was gone. Itll be awkward enough at every meeting after this; I dont need to be there for all the kneeling and fealty swearing.

The same as they would have done for Connor, if things had ended differently. No, Aaron didnt imagine the boy wanted to be there for that. Not untilnot unlessit was his own time to take the throne.

Today was only about having those inside acknowledge Orin as their king. A thing Aaron would gladly skip, as well.

* * *

Orins first order of business had been to call a meeting of all those needed to formally clear his name. The orders had been sent out before Aaron and his sister had even stepped inside the castle. Seeing as a significant number of those people had been elsewhere in the city when His Majesty rode triumphantly home, the actual meeting had been rather delayed. Aaron had been checking the hall while he was about his deliveries. Now that there was a fair number of people milling about the doors to the council chambers, he actually bothered to go over.

He passed by the Iron Captain and the armored merchants representative, gave a nod to Lochlann and Rose, as the princess waited with all due dignityand a fair bit of barely contained excitementfor her very first meeting, and went to stand at His Majestys side with the other councilors. His Majesty had not entered yet, and so neither did they; they were lining up to either side of the door like an honor guard. The investigation committee, on the other hand, had already been waved to enter. Orin was making a point of greeting each one at the door, like he was checking off a list in his head.

It was technically an open meeting. But their king was clearly sick of the spectacle of his own life, and had declined to issue a citywide announcement. The witnesses to this particular piece of history would be limited to a few of their fellow caravan travelers, sitting scattered around the stands.

Jeshinkra stood as door guard, of course. Though shed less an air of glaring and more of gloating, as she watched those whod most actively sought His Majestys death standing like petitioners on the kirin bone floor.

Petty, Aaron said, with approval.

Excuse me? Orin asked, like he was somehow still not used to the way Aaron talked.

You didnt have extra chairs brought in, Aaron said. And everyone thinks this meeting is going to be long.

Not so long as all that, the king said, smiling thinly. But it should be satisfying, at least.

Wheres the Lady? Aaron asked, because he had pastries in his pocket, and a distinct lack of anyone to attempt sweetening them up with.

Excused, Orin said. Having the Late Wake back me here is not what I need.New novel chapters are published on

Fair enough. Adelaide was already inside with the other committee members. Shed stood as witness to His Majestys poisoning, and half the investigation committee was hers; it was her word they were here to listen to, not a skin stealers.

I dont suppose I could be excused, as well, asked Aaron, ever hopeful.

Orin looked at him, overly long. Are you going to be espousing your support of doppels?

Absolutely. For example: do you know what would be useful to our kingdom? Those dragons from the coast.

Youve looked at our situation, Orin said, and decided that the best addition is more dragons?

Theyre here already. Better theyre here as friends.

It really doesnt bother you, His Majesty said, like that was only now sinking in.

When has it ever? asked Jeshinkra, from her doorway guarding. And incidental eavesdropping.

Orin looked to her. She gave him a glance over her shoulder, and a shrug back. He let out a long breath, and turned his gaze back to Aaron. Fine; youre excused. But Ill expect you at the next. Thats when the real discussions begin.

One day Ill get you to kick me from this council completely, Aaron said.

Today is not that day, apparently, His Majesty answered wryly.

Aaron gave the man one last look, all jokes aside. Youre sure you dont want me there?

Im sure youll bring more trouble than I need, at this particular meeting.

Aaron nodded to the man. And let out breath. Right. By the way, if I turn up dead, it was absolutely the Lady who did it.

His Majesty gave a short laugh, like that was a joke.

Adelaide had moved away from those inside; she caught Aarons arm as he turned to leave, and pulled him a little away from the others. Then she broached the topic shed long been avoiding on the road. Aaron. My father Our father

Today would be about the king, not the duke. But the man was still locked away under the castle, on charges of a murder Aarons testimony could help clear him of.

He doesnt have to die, Adelaide said. His sister didnt say please. Just held his gaze.

Duke Sung had been so against a doppel as king that hed been willing to get himself and his retinue killed to out Orin over the possibility. It didnt bode well for his opinions on integrating doppels into their society, in general. The man didnt have to die, no. But he might need to.

Well talk, Aaron promised her. Later.

Back down the hall, His Majesty was finally deigning to enter. The investigation committee parted for him and his council; hed offered Princess Rose his arm, and led her to what had been Mrs. Whites seat. It wasnt quite so powerful a statement as the empty seat of the crown prince would have been. But it was as close as she would get, in a rather literal way, and she was smiling rather radiantantly at her brother as she accepted it. And everyone could see just how happy she was, because while shed put a scarf in her hair the moment shed gotten back to the castle, shed not covered her face. Aaron paused a moment to share a small smile with Lochlann, as the man took up position across from Jeshinkra in the doorway; then he really did leave. He still had those pastries, and a much less formal sort of meeting to attend.

He passed by the Iron Captain and the armored merchant again on his way. The two were apparently too caught up in their conversation to notice that the rest of the council had gone inside.

Would you please just trust me? said the merchant, who was a Rafferty, which inspired in Aaron rather the opposite of trust.

Not if trust meis the best you have, the Iron Captain said back.

Which Aaron also didnt trust on principle, and even less so when he recalled a chat between these two in this very hall, on a night hed been escaping from the dungeon. The tapestries hung on the wall now as they did then, though the stained glass windows across from them cast warmer shades than they had by moonlight, and mostly on the walls. Kirin and griffin, dragon and kelpie all hung in the dark spaces between bands of tinted sun.

Aaron took a step past the two conspirators. Then he turned about. Because this was broad daylight, in a castle he lived in now, and if the redcoats were to be called it would not be him locked away this time.

Something the rest of His Majestys council should know? he asked them, perfectly pleasant.

Id imagine, said the Iron Captain, given that Id like to know it, as well.

Later, Councilor Rafferty said. And that was all the more either of them got from him before he left. He did not go to the council chambers; another party excused from todays proceedings, whether by the king or by himself.

Poison could force a shift, if the doppels other body was the stronger. Theyd poisoned Orin slowly, over the course of nine days, to give him a chance to survive if hed no dragon body to retreat to. Johnathan BakerJahnalistrinhad no such concerns for the Ladys continued health. He rather suspected the boy had gone for overkill, given how quickly Aarons own throat seemed to be closing. The boy always did have a heavy hand with his favorite ingredients.

As Aaron shoved the real bezoar into his own mouth, the Lady slipped from human to full fox with the ease of any experienced doppelgnger. Her fur shimmered where it caught the sun, a shade of red so blended with her natural blonde that it had turned a fiery gold. Her tails were as white tipped as her fathers. She was larger than a simple one-tail, if not by much. Those teeth of hers were certainly large enough to tear out a throat.

Aarons breaths were already evening out. Hers werent. There was froth at the sides of her mouth. Then she was darting for the open balcony doors, her paws hitting the rail next to where her Death sat looking out. The Lady launched herself over the side even as Aaron ran out after her. He had one last glimpse of her tail tips, before all he could see was three white doves, flying down low to the courtyard before each broke off for a different direction. At least she was feeling well enough to put up an illusion again. If that was a good thing.

He needed to think, but all he could do was stand there stupidly trying to track each dove with his eyes as the stone rail dug into his palms. Had anyone else seen her? He looked to the wall, to the gatehouse bell tower, where

Where someone was lowering down a redcoat, nice and quiet and out of sight. They paused for a glance around, just like he was doing, and Aaron recognized the dragon doppel hed spoken with outside the enclave. She still didnt act as if she recognized him, even when her gaze locked on his.

There might be another reason for that, besides her playing dumb.

He couldnt see her eyes narrow from here. Only the way she stilled. Aaron didnt make the same mistake; he let his eyes keep moving, and his head too, then gave the sort of frown a man gives when hes not found what he was searching for. He ignored the Ladys Death still swinging her heels over the railing.

Shed have eaten the whole tray of those things herself, if youd not been around to steal some off. And make her talk while she chewed, the Death said. Shed have had her bezoar without you, of course, but your little friend in the kitchen has a liberal hand with more than just sugar. Im reasonably certain that his idea of poisoning starts with how much would kill a griffin, and he scaled up from there.

I mean no offense, Aaron said, but do you have anything important to say? Something just came up; you might have noticed.

The Death laughed. No, no, dont let me stop you. Theyre right; youre making this far more interesting.

Aaron resisted the urge to edge away from the window, or check whether he was still being watched. He just turned, like a man whod not seen a thing he shouldnt, and walked back inside. Closed the balcony up behind him. Then he checked his knives, and ran for the door.

There was a guard down the hall. Not someone he recognized. But there was someone else, too, just backing out of another room, a basket in her arms. Aaron fixed on his smile, nodded to the guard, and dashed to catch up with the woman.

Mrs. Summers, he said, taking the basket, lovely to see you.

Dont bother with buttering me, boy, the housekeeper said. Though she let him do her carrying, all the same. What do you want?

Yes, well. He leaned in close, all conspiratorial-like, tracking the guard with his eyes until the man rounded the corner. Weve at least one dragon at the castle. The main bell towers been taken. Seems theyre trying for quiet, but at least one of them suspects I saw. Get someone you trustsomeone you really trustrunning for a town bell. I doubt things will go pretty, once the time for quiet is done.

There was barely a hitch in her step. Easy enough to write off as her usual limp, if anyone were watching. Always making me work, she grumbled. She met his eyes; gave the slightest of nods. Then she kept moving, perhaps a little faster than she usually bothered to go. But she was a busy woman, after all.

Aaron ditched the basket outside a room, where a servant might have left it for just a moment, and made for the stairs down. Rose was in the council chamber, with his sister and Lochlann and Orin

Rose was arguably among the most competent party in the entire castle. Connor was alone in his rooms at the top of the royal tower, reading the letters Aaron had brought, as far from a safe escape as he could get without literally sitting on the roof.

He might literally be sitting on the roof. He liked the spot well enough. Rose would never forgive Aaron if her brother got killed because of a choice hed made. He found the nearest entrance into the old ways, and raced up.

The crown prince was in his rooms, thankfully. And Aaron appearing from the old ways too out of breath to speak was its own sort of warning.

Whats wrong? the boy was asking, even as he ran over. Aaron pulled him in, and they gave the doorway its blood due with hasty handprints of blood; then he got them racing down again. Hed not bothered with a lamp. He didnt need one, not for smooth walls and level stairs. Connor was slow enough that soon he was the one gasping, and Aaron had caught his breath enough to explain.

Dragons in the castle. Ones whove doppeled already, so this isnt about that. He doubted that much theyd seen this spring had been about that. Your brother and Rose are in the council chamber. Well get them

Go, Connor interrupted, breathless. Youre fasterand whos going to get me in here?

If we cant wait for you, Aaron said, get to Twokins. Theres a blacksmith on third down; she looks out for kids.

Go, the boy said, and Aaron had no way of seeing his expression, but his voice was sure enough.

Aaron left the prince there, in the dark.

The bells rang when he was halfway down. Two, two, wings in the blue. The sound was muffled through the walls. If there was active fighting yet, he couldnt hear it. He couldnt either feel or hear the familiar thump of ballistae, either. Which could have been the walls blocking it, or because no dragons were in the sky, but was more likely because taking the ballistae out would have been up there with silencing the bells in their priorities. And it wasnt as if the castle had many to begin with: the only ones they had were those that Aaron and the Captain of the Guard had moved from storage in the Downs, after making sure the things even still worked. This place was the OSheas pride, built after the pact with the dragons was well and truly established. Proof that humanity no longer need fear their own skies.

It had been a good few hundred years since then. A short-sighted arrangement.

Hed reached the ground floor. The council chamber was a newer addition to the castle: tacked on later than the rest, after the Letforget was let forgot. There were no old ways directly to there. He came out in the kitchens instead, andand John was gone, of course he was, and the little poisoner had stolen Roses bookwhich was a stupid thing to be angry about, but it got Aaron ignoring the ache in his legs a little longer. Hed the deer cloak about his shoulders, but that wouldnt have been much help on smooth castle floors with twitchy humans about. The militia was moving to general defensive positions, as far as Aaron could tell, but until Mrs. Summers got the word spreador until the dragons truly tipped their handmost would be looking for threats from the sky, not from the people standing next to them.

Aaron hit the doors to the council chamber. And, well. Bounced off. There was something extremely heavy holding them closed on the other side, and a hint of scales under the door, now that he was forced to take a step back to look. There were other entrances, but he didnt honestly expect a different result. There were windows above the stands, big enough to climb through, because the design of this castle was terrible, but at least that was a way out if he and Rose could

If she could climb down a wall. Which he could, but she couldnt, not at any speed. Why had he wasted so much time teaching her about knives, when he could have been teaching her to climb?

Those sounds of fighting Aaron hadnt been able to hear in the old ways, or in the castle at large: they were here. Right beyond this door, and the dragon holding it closed. It didnt take a genius to realize why dragons would strike while all the castle leadership was in one place. Theyd tried to kill Orin in the north. His Majesty had been angry at Aaron for growing a whole forest in their way, because Orin had thought hed had it handled, but the dragons leader was smart; they would have adapted their strategy soon enough. Thats what Aaron had argued.

Theyd adapted, all right. And knives wouldnt do Rose any good against dragons, which meant Aaron had never taught her a single useful thing.

He leaned his forehead against the door. Tried to steady his breath, or his hands, or his thoughts. Tried to think. There had to be something he could do

Except there didnt.

People died all the time. Kept right on trying to think themselves out of things, right up until they were too dead to. And there was only so much thinking Aaron could do without thinking how Rose was the least prepared fighter in that room. How that wouldnt save any of the rest of them, either, because Aaron had seen everyone going in and not a one of them had come armed to fight dragons. His sister had stuck a sword through one once, but that was only because the dragon had done most of the work; humans had to be prepared to fight dragons, or it was no fight at all.

His sister. He had a sister. He was going to go south with her, visit her home, and hed been planning on complaining about it a significant portion of the way but hed still have gone. Hed had a sister, and maybe he still did, but he couldnt even open a door.

He should he should get Connor. Get him out, at least. And Mrs. Summers and the servants hed worked with, and all the kitchen staff John had left behind. At least the enclave boy had gotten out, hopefully early enough to avoid whatever else came of this.

Aaron rammed his shoulder against the door. It didnt do anyone any good, but he did it again, and again, and

And with a sound like a cliff face shearing, the wall next to the council chamber doors wrenched open, and Rose shoved Lochlann through, leaving a red print on his back. She turned back to face her new doorway. In one hand, she held her ornate knife, with its fancy script from a book that had held no other words. Her other hand was bleeding freely from a palm slit open wide. The blood dripped onto the groundtoo fast, it needed to be wrapped, needed pressure on it, needed a stitches and weeks to heal

Her blood dripped on the ground. And flowed, in two wavering lines, over to the ragged edges of her new doorway, tracing out a crude remembering of the words around the doors to the old ways.

Not. You, she said, still facing into the council chambers. And when Orin tried to step through after her, the doorway itself repulsed him.

I can just use the real doors, the king said, amused.

Go ahead then, said Princess Rose. Open them.

Through the doorway was the tail of the dragon shed crossed over, in making her door. And its head, just now coming down to peer at them. She was light gray as the stone of the council room, with highlights of white: kirins bone. She was copying the floor.

Aaron didnt know for certain that the dragon was female. But he did know that the position of door guard had last been held by Jeshinkra, and he suddenly doubted shed been moved.

The king stood easily with a dragons head watching over his shoulder. His new sword hung at his side, still sheathed. Behind him, the gray floor was spilling red, and most of those whod started the spring calling for His Majestys blood wouldnt be doing so again. The fight was still going on, too far to the side for Aaron to see, but there werent many outcomes from here.

A satisfying meeting, indeed.

Red was steadily creeping into Jeshinkras colors. There was a smear across His Majestys cheek, as well, much realer than hers. Aaron couldnt see his sister.

We need to get out, he said, which was the point that everyone noticed him.

Aaron, Orin said. It is Aaron isnt, it? Not Markus? Forgive me; Jessie wasnt sure.

Connors on his way to meet us. We need to go, Aaron said. He kept his gaze on the king through Roses door, and tried very hard not to look at the real doors right next to the man, that Orin could have opened at any time. Though that would give all those still fighting a chance to run.

Aaron, the dragon wearing Orins face decided. You want doppels to be citizens? Join me. You dont need to run; if Id wanted you dead, Id have had you in here. I know this is rather crude, as proper introductions go, but you do have the most fascinating things to say. Ill not hurt any who bend the knee to me. And I have it on good authority that youre the sort of man Id choose for my council.

Aaron wished, very sincerely, that those words didnt have any appeal. But whatever tug he might have felt from them was quickly forgotten by a rather physical tug from Rose, who was backing away from her door, and taking Aarons arm with her. Lochlann stepped next to them in a guarding position; then he thought better of things, and shoved his sword through the handles of the chambers real doors. Breaking out would be a short enough delay for a dragon, but more than trying to scratch their scales would buy.

Youre not my king, Aaron said. Youre not even my Orin.

If which I am matters so much to you, then tell me: when did Jessie kill him? When did he step out, and I stepped back in? You dont even know.

Aaron really didnt.

The man glanced to the real doors. Smiled, amused, at Lochlanns little delaying tactic; then he waved them off, with a kings graciousness. Go evacuate, then. Get settled in. There will be time enough to talk later.

Rose gave his arm another tug. Then they were running, him and Rose and Lochlann, and Orin couldnt follow them through the door Rose had made.

He didnt even try. He just turned back towards the fight inside, lowering his arms down as if to crouch; then he was bulging, growing, with the sort of grotesque unevenness common in those newly doppeled. His Majesty was a red dragon with gold highlights. And then his camouflage kicked in and bone white crept up his flanks, followed by a darker red.

Rose was faster than Connor had been. And had enough breath to shout, too.

Dragons. Dragons in the castle. Everyone to the Downs, by order of

Your King would have been traditional.

Your princess, Lochlann finished where she faltered, and that was what they went with.

She opened the same path in the old ways she once had, to meet Aaron at the Wake for the Old Year: the one that ran from the castle through the outer wall, and opened to the street outside.

They neednt have bothered. The main gates were open, too, and a dragon with yellow highlighting her stone-gray scales crouched above them. She watched them leave, as she watched everyone else brave enough to cross under her.

She made no move to stop them. Which was worse, far worse, than if she had. There was a plan here, and Aaron had no idea what it was, except that it didnt matter to the dragons king whether they fled or not.

They waited for Connor. Stood rear guard in the road, until the last of the castle staff had passed them. But Connor had never explored the old ways in the same way his twin had, and probably didnt know this exit, which meant he could be coming out anywhere. Rose shut her eyes. Took in a breath, and let it out. Then she followed her people down the Queens Stair, and he and Lochlann followed after her.

Into the Downs. Into Two Kings, or however many kings.

Aaron was home.