Queen of the Unwanted Read online

  In other words, he hadn’t so much been in a fight as been jumped and beaten senseless by his comrades. She glanced down at his hands, clasped together in his lap, and saw that the knuckles were scraped and bruised. He might have been jumped, but he had definitely fought back. It was hard to know whether to believe his words or the messages of his body.

  “Did Lord Jailom send you to try to get me to talk?” Corlin asked. “I had asked him not to worry you with this, and I’d thought he’d agreed.”

  “No, Lord Jailom has not spoken to me,” Alys said—an oversight which she would correct before leaving the Citadel. This time, Tynthanal would not be around to intercept her before she had a chance to tell her lord commander what she thought of his tactics. Perhaps she would have to remind him that she was not merely Corlin’s mother but the Sovereign Princess of Women’s Well. “I was here to express my gratitude to Cadet Smithson on his return and noticed you were not present.” She sighed heavily, hating the feeling of powerlessness that enveloped her. She desperately needed her son to be whole and happy, and yet not even the magic of their unique Well could accomplish such a thing.

  “Do you still want to remain at the Citadel?” she asked, already knowing the answer. “You could come home.”

  Anger flashed in his eye. “Is that what you think of me? That after a little adversity I’ll come crying home to cling to my mother’s skirts?”

  Taken aback by the ferocity of his answer, she could only sit there and gape at him. It had been as calm and civil a conversation as the two of them had had in a long time, and the temper had come on so fast it nearly took her breath away.

  Corlin sighed and closed his eye. “Sorry. Sorry.” He swallowed hard, and his shoulders lowered, though she had the impression he had forced them down rather than actually relaxed. He opened his eye again, and it was like he was wearing a mask of calm over the rage that still roiled within him.

  “I am where I need to be,” he said. “No one ever promised it would be easy, but I have no intention of letting a few toughs chase me away.”

  Alys refrained from telling him just how very tempted she was to use her power as sovereign princess to forcibly withdraw him from the Citadel. And though she managed to stand strong in the face of temptation this time, she did not dismiss the possibility that such might not be the case in the future.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Despite her pragmatic attitude toward the possibility of Tynthanal marrying another, Chanlix had to admit she’d not been especially predisposed to like Kailee Rah-Kailindar and had been fully prepared to treat the girl with only the most distant courtesy when she could not avoid her altogether. It was certainly how Tynthanal had been acting since Kailee had first arrived—never discourteous, but not his usual warm and charming self, either. He took each new fertility potion with grim determination, and received the failures with a confusing combination of disappointment and relief.

  Chanlix had had little chance to interact with her, but what she’d seen from the distance—and gathered from Alys’s warm descriptions—was that Kailee was a fierce young woman with an indomitable spirit. Someone Chanlix could not help admiring, despite the strife her presence brought to Chanlix’s heart.

  While Chanlix couldn’t help liking and admiring Kailee, the girl’s stepmother was an entirely different matter. Lady Vondelmai made no secret of the fact that she disapproved of just about everything about Women’s Well, and she had practically recoiled in horror when she’d realized that the Women’s Well Academy was largely staffed by the former abigails of Aaltah. Chanlix would not have expected the woman to allow her stepdaughter anywhere near the place. Which was why Chanlix was so shocked when one of her spell crafters came to her office and announced that Kailee had arrived and asked to meet with her. Both curiosity and courtesy demanded Chanlix accept Kailee’s request, so she agreed.

  Kailee arrived at the office with a scowling honor guardsman nearly treading on her heels. “Wait here for me,” she ordered as she crossed the threshold, and his scowl deepened.

  “I cannot in good conscience leave you alone with—” he started, turning his scowl to Chanlix. Apparently, he shared Lady Vondelmai’s low opinion of former abigails.

  “Just what do you expect Lady Chanlix to do to me?” Kailee interrupted. As usual, a veil covered the top part of her face, but Chanlix could almost hear the girl rolling her eyes. “I have matters to discuss with her that are not fit for men’s ears, and I can assure you that Lady Vondelmai would not consent to you being present to hear.”

  Chanlix crossed the room and stood by the door, wondering if she should interrupt with a greeting. The guard shifted from foot to foot, clearly uncomfortable with any mention of topics not fit for his ears.

  “She said I should escort you and she made no mention that I should wait outside,” he said, though it sounded as though he’d lost some of his conviction.

  Kailee gave an exasperated—and not especially ladylike—snort. “If you imagine my stepmother would like you to hear me discussing women’s issues in front of you, then you do not know her at all.”

  Chanlix was practically burning with curiosity, for she could not imagine what kind of “women’s issues” Lady Vondelmai would allow her stepdaughter to discuss with the former Abbess of Aaltah. Kailee stepped over the threshold into Chanlix’s office, and Chanlix waited to see if her honor guard would insist on following. He gave both women sneers of distaste, taking advantage of Kailee’s inability to see his inappropriate behavior, then stepped to the side and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Please have a seat,” Chanlix said, closing the door and putting a gentle hand on Kailee’s arm to guide her toward a chair. Having seen Kailee in public before, Chanlix was aware that the girl walked with surprising ease and comfort for one who could not see. And having learned from Alys that Kailee’s Mindseye was always open, she understood the origin of that ease. She could “see” people and animals, in a sense, because she could see the halo of Rho that surrounded all living things. Such sight would not allow her to avoid inanimate objects, but it did not leave her completely in the dark, either.

  “I must admit to some surprise that Lady Vondelmai would permit you to visit the Academy,” Chanlix said, suddenly wondering if Kailee was practicing a deception that would come back and haunt them both. “I was under the impression that she doesn’t much care for our work here.”

  Kailee smiled as Chanlix took her own seat. “It has taken a campaign of several days to convince her,” she said. “But she would love nothing more than to see me turned into a ‘normal’ and respectable young lady. For that to happen, my blindness must be cured, and for my blindness to be cured, I convinced her I must reveal to you—and only you—its cause.”

  It made perfect sense. Chanlix had already assigned several of her spell crafters to the task of researching cures for blindness so that they might try to produce more powerful versions, but then blindness wasn’t exactly Kailee’s problem.

  “I presume Princess Alysoon has already shared with you the shocking secret behind why I can’t see?”

  Chanlix felt the flush of embarrassment in her face and could not muster the smooth denial that the question warranted. She did not wish to confirm that Alys had shared the secret given to her in confidence, but her moment of hesitation gave her away.

  Kailee smiled again. “Don’t worry, Lady Chanlix,” she said. “I am not as ashamed of my condition as my stepmother would like me to be, and I told Princess Alysoon the truth while understanding that ours was not a simple conversation between two ladies that would be held in the strictest confidence. There is so very much at stake…”

  Chanlix sighed quietly. Alys had told her that Kailee had a sharp and strategic mind and that she was far from some sheltered young miss yearning for a husband. “Yes,” Chanlix confirmed. “She did tell me that yours is not a conventional blindness. We
will still endeavor to cure it, but—”

  “In actuality, I did not come here to talk about my sight or lack thereof,” Kailee interrupted. “That was the excuse I gave my stepmother to get her to allow me to speak with you in private. I have lived my entire life without any worldly vision, and while I admit to some curiosity as to what that vision is like, I cannot miss what I have never had. Her dream is for me to become ‘normal’ and enter into a normal and respectable marriage back home in Rhozinolm. But her dream is not my dream. To have that ‘normal’ life, I would be required to cut myself off from magic. I imagine the only way to give me worldly vision is to force my Mindseye closed. I do not miss the worldly vision I’ve never had, but I would miss the Mindsight I’ve relied upon my whole life. Just as I would very much miss the ability to practice magic, even though I’ve had very little opportunity to do so in safety.”

  “I see,” Chanlix murmured, finally realizing just how far from a proper young miss Kailee really was. And understanding why her stepmother might have urged her father to put her away. A spirited, plainspoken, unabashedly intelligent young woman might fit in very nicely in a place like Women’s Well, but not so much elsewhere in the world.

  “I cannot imagine anything I would want more than to remain here in Women’s Well,” Kailee continued, and though her eyes remained hidden, Chanlix could hear the incipient tears in her voice. “As much as Lady Vondelmai has tried to shield me from the ‘corrupting influence’ of this place, I am still perfectly capable of seeing the freedom I could have here. Just as I know my future is bleak if I am forced to return to Rhozinolm. I need this marriage. Without it, my father will never allow me to stay.”

  Chanlix swallowed hard to keep a lump from rising in her throat. She could only imagine what it would feel like to walk in Kailee’s shoes, to see freedom and acceptance dangled before her nose and have it snatched away from her at the last moment. She had come to Women’s Well fully expecting to marry Tynthanal—and no doubt willing to overlook a great number of flaws in his character if necessary—only to find out that the union might be impossible. Chanlix understood Alys’s impulse to tell Kailee the truth after Kailee had been so honest with her, but she herself might have chosen to keep the secret until all hope was lost to spare her any needless anxiety.

  “We are doing all we can to make that marriage possible,” Chanlix assured the girl.

  Kailee nodded. “But it might not work, no matter how hard you try.” Despite the veil and the blindness, Chanlix could swear she suddenly felt the girl’s eyes boring through her. “If everyone involved is indeed trying.”

  “W-why of course we are,” Chanlix stammered, strangely discomfited by the accusation that seemed to come out of nowhere.

  Kailee raised her chin. “As I told Princess Alysoon, people have a tendency to speak more freely in front of me than they would if I were not blind. And because I am already considered all but unmarriageable, I can get away with a certain number of unseemly questions without doing any further damage to my reputation. I know that Lord Tynthanal would very much prefer to marry you than me.”

  Chanlix almost gasped, although perhaps it should not have come as so much of a surprise. She and Tynthanal had hardly made a secret of their relationship. It was not, however, a subject that would ordinarily be mentioned to Tynthanal’s prospective bride, despite the expectation that she both tolerate and ignore any relations he had with other women, even once they were married.

  It might be politically expedient for Chanlix to deny the relationship between herself and Tynthanal. After all, despite the expectation that a bride ignore infidelities, it was not unheard of for a bride’s father to take offense at this insult to her sensibilities. But there seemed little chance Kailee would believe the denial, even if Chanlix could have forced herself to utter one.

  Chanlix cleared her throat and fidgeted, unable to think of a single thing to say.

  “Please don’t be offended,” Kailee begged, apparently misinterpreting Chanlix’s silence. “I know it is my duty as a woman to pretend ignorance, and I certainly don’t mean to shame you or complain. I just…” She sighed and lowered her head. “I am hoping that your love for each other is not interfering with your attempts to treat his condition,” she finished softly.

  Chanlix took a deep breath to steady herself. Everything within her revolted at the idea of discussing her relationship with Tynthanal with the girl he was supposed to marry. She was far from prim and proper herself, but it seemed…cruel to rub Kailee’s face in it. And yet she seemed to have little choice.

  “I assure you,” Chanlix said, “we are trying our hardest to find a cure. I am not an especially gifted spell crafter myself, but Princess Alysoon is one of the most naturally talented crafters I’ve ever known. If anyone can produce a cure, it will be her. And I can personally attest that Tynthanal has drunk every potion she has given him. I won’t say he has done it with any great enthusiasm, but we both understand that he is not free to marry at will. And if he must marry another,” Chanlix finished impulsively, “you would be just the sort of woman I would choose for him. He would not fare well with a…more conventional bride.”

  To her surprise, Kailee laughed lightly. “ ‘Unconventional’ is one of the kindest descriptions I’ve ever heard used for me,” she said. The smile quickly faded, and once again Chanlix felt as if she were being closely watched. “I want you to understand that what I want from this marriage is not what my father and my stepmother want. I have never aspired to a ‘normal’ woman’s life as they see it. All I want is to live free from fear that I will be sent to the Abbey or hidden away from public view. The only way I can have what I want is to marry Tynthanal, but it is not him I want. I need the marriage because it is my only chance to remain in Women’s Well, where I will not be shunned for my open Mindseye. I will not complain or be hurt or insulted if you and Tynthanal continue to love each other once we are married.”

  Chanlix wondered if Kailee would still feel the same way after the wedding, if it ever happened, but she knew better than to argue. Kailee’s willingness to accept a loveless marriage made Chanlix’s heart ache for her. “You deserve better.”

  “So do you,” Kailee answered without hesitation. “And though I’ve barely spoken with him since I’ve arrived, I’ll venture a guess that so does Tynthanal. But if we cannot get what we deserve, perhaps we can all get at least some of what we want.”

  “I promise we are all doing the best we can to create a cure.”

  “I believe you,” Kailee assured her. “But I would like to propose tilting the scales further in our favor.”

  Chanlix raised an eyebrow, well aware Kailee could not see her expression. “And how do you propose to do that?”

  “Do you agree that it is best for everyone involved if this marriage happens?”

  It was certainly best for the people of Women’s Well, and Chanlix could see that it was best for Kailee, as well. Sometimes what was best for everyone still wasn’t good enough, but there was no point in railing against it when the other options held so little appeal. “Yes.”

  “Then I propose we not rest all our hopes on a fertility potion that may or may not be effective. I have little knowledge of how these things work, but I hope it is possible to falsify the results of a bloodline test.”

  This time, Chanlix could not keep her gasp of surprise contained. “You would marry Tynthanal even if he could not give you children?”

  Kailee shrugged. “I told you exactly what I need from this marriage. I need all the official trappings—the legal papers and the protections and treaties that will make it appealing to my father—but I don’t need a true husband. Even if one of your potions works, I’d prefer not to lie with a man who loves another.”

  “B-but…surely you want children someday?” It was true that not all women wanted children—no matter what “conventional wisdom” might claim—but for rea
sons she couldn’t put her finger on, Kailee didn’t strike her as one of them.

  “I do,” Kailee affirmed. “But it need not be right away. And—” She cut herself off abruptly.

  “And what?”

  Kailee clenched her hands together in her lap and didn’t reply, for the first time looking as uncomfortable with the conversation as Chanlix had felt since the beginning. Which made it easy for Chanlix to follow her thought to its logical conclusion.

  “And it need not be Tynthanal’s?” she asked gently.

  Kailee blushed and did not respond, but it was clear that was exactly what she’d meant. “Can the bloodline test be falsified?” she asked instead.

  Chanlix smiled ruefully. “I could use an illusion spell to hide the true results, but I suspect that with the import of this particular marriage, your father—and perhaps even Queen Ellinsoltah—will politely request to have the results verified in Rhozinolm. Even the most powerful illusions we can conjure here wear off eventually.”

  Kailee nodded. “Which means you will need me to switch the sample before it is sent off to Rhozinolm for its second test. I’m sure you can obtain a blood sample from another man, one that will give us the test results we need.”

  Chanlix could scarcely believe they were having this conversation—or that Kailee would go to such extraordinary lengths to ensure her marriage to Tynthanal. “You would do that?”

  “If it would allow me to stay here? Absolutely. It would still be best, naturally, if one of your potions works. There would certainly be risk involved in trying to switch the samples.”

  A chill went through Chanlix thinking about just how disastrous it would be if they were caught trying to falsify the results. As kindly disposed as Queen Ellinsoltah might be toward Women’s Well, she could hardly help but take the gravest possible exception to such deceit.