People muttered, pointing and marvelling.
'By the look of things, Byren has been successful,' her mother whispered approvingly.
'King Rolen, Queen Myrella.' Since he had been on a mission for Rolencia, Byren greeted them formally. With a flourish, he flicked the staff's end up so that it lay horizontally across his open palms. 'I present the horned staff of Unistag Spar as a symbol of Warlord Unace's loyalty.'
King Rolen accepted the staff and the crowd cheered. Lence shifted impatiently.
'Well done, Byren.' Their father handed the staff to the queen and marched down the two steps to congratulate him and his men.
Piro would have run down but her mother took her arm firmly, saying, 'You must not make yourself ill again, daughter.'
Piro flushed and nodded. Her mother's keys of office chinked elegantly with each step as they descended from the dais. Ever since Piro could remember, they had been a symbol of the queen's power. She was the hub of the castle and the hub of King Rolen's world.
Piro now knew that she could never be the kind of woman her mother was.
What was she thinking? If she did not confess her Affinity and retreat to the abbey, monk Seagrass would reveal her deception. She glanced swiftly to her mother, who was smiling at Byren, and her heart faltered. By failing to hide her Affinity she had let her mother down. She would have to confess her failure, but not yet.
'Byren.' The queen hugged him. Their father had moved along to congratulate Captain Temor. Young Garzik was telling him about the amfina attack and offering to show off his new scar. Her mother smiled and met Byren's eyes. 'I'm sure you have some interesting stories to tell.'
Piro could hear the teasing laughter in the queen's voice, because no one else would ever know the ploy Byren had devised. His trusted men were sworn to silence and, as far as the menagerie keepers knew, the unistag had died of old age and been buried. Her mother had only had to take Halcyon's Affinity warder into her confidence because Autumnwind had to hold a mock ceremony to be sure the beast's Affinity returned to the goddess's breast.
'And no more scars, thank Halcyon!' Byren grinned.
Just then King Rolen called for his finest Rolencian red and the men moved off to celebrate. Their father put an arm around Lence and Byren. 'Now nothing can spoil our Jubilee Celebrations. When we line up with all our warlords to greet King Merofyn and his daughter, he'll — '
'That reminds me, father,' Byren said, gesturing to the staff in his mother's hands. 'Lence was saying he wished he had a unistag horn to give King Merofyn to replace the one that was stolen… well, here it is!'
King Rolen glanced to the queen. 'Give it away? What do you think, Myrella?'
She studied the horn on the end of the staff. 'The greater the gift, the greater the giver. Lence would — '
'Excellent!' King Rolen beamed and retrieved the staff from the queen, thrusting it into Lence's hands. 'A handsome betrothal gift from the future son-in-law to King Merofyn, eh?'
Lence studied the horned staff.
'Handsome indeed,' Cobalt said. 'Your twin does you great honour, Lence.'
'I don't know what to say,' Lence muttered.
'No thanks needed,' Byren told him, then hesitated as if he would say more, but didn't.
'Well…' Their father filled the silence. 'Come, let's hear how it went.' And he led Byren off, leaving Lence with the horned staff.
Lence and Cobalt strode after Byren and their father.
'Now tell me the true story,' the queen whispered, linking her arm through Piro's. 'The one that your brother and father won't hear!'
'Can we go to your chamber?' Piro asked softly.
Her mother took one look at her face and agreed.
Three floors up, they sat in the queen's private solarium, alone but for Seela who seemed to have a nose for trouble. The outer room, usually filled with chattering ladies, was oddly silent as Seela stirred up the coals in the ornately tiled warming stove.
Piro held out her hands, but no heat reached her. She was cold from the inside out. Aware of her mother and old nurse waiting for her to begin, she took a deep breath. Best get it over with. 'The warlord's healer, Monk Seagrass, sensed my Affinity. I must go to Sylion Abbey voluntarily or he will reveal everything, when Warlord Unace comes for the Jubilee.'
'But how — ' Seela began.
'He saw me quieten the unistag with my Affinity.'
Her mother's shoulders sagged. 'Only a monk could have sensed this. The chances of one being present… but I should have — '
'Don't blame yourself,' Seela insisted. 'It's bad luck, Sylion's luck.'
Her mother just shook her head.
'I'll have to go to the abbey,' Piro finally admitted, then turned to her mother. 'Can I stay for the Jubilee? Please? I don't want to miss it.'
The queen nodded and swallowed. 'We can tell the mystics mistress and the abbess the "good" news when they come for the celebration. Make a formal announcement.' She met Piro's eyes, her own shimmering with tears. 'I'm so sorry — '
Piro dropped to her knees and threw her arms around her mother's waist. 'It's not your fault. Who would have thought you'd have two children with the Affinity?'
Seela rubbed the queen's back. 'A curse on unwanted Affinity.'
Piro's mother lifted her head, brushing tears from her cheeks. 'It's not so surprising, really. I never met him, but I suspect Rolen's father had it, too.'
'King Byren the Fourth?' Piro sat back on her heels.
'Why else do you think he collected god-touched beasts? In fact, I think Rolen's older brother, Piren, also had Affinity.' She hesitated, then seemed to make up her mind, holding Piro's gaze intently. 'Rolen once described how they died — '
'On the battlefield, killed by a Merofynian renegade Power-worker,' Piro supplied.
Her mother nodded. 'There's more to it than that. They were in the tent with Rolen planning the dawn battle. Suddenly, the Affinity warders rushed in and began a chant to ward off evil power, but before they could finish it, they fell to their knees vomiting blood. Without their protection, King Byren and Piren clutched their heads, went into convulsions and died. There was nothing Rolen could do. At barely eighteen, their deaths left him king of a country at war. Don't you see? If Rolen'd had the same Affinity, he would have died along with them. His father and brother were susceptible — '
'To evil,' Piro whispered. 'But why didn't it affect father? On Unistag Spar, Steerden's evil Affinity tainted everyone around him.'
'Over time, Affinity can seep into those who would normally be unaffected by it,' her mother said. 'It wears down their natural resistance.'
'Oh.' Seagrass was right. Piro had to go to the abbey, where her life would be spent amidst hundreds of women, serving the cruel god of winter when she loved summer and growing things. Somehow she summoned up a smile. 'At least I won't have to marry warlord Rejulas.'
Her mother and Seela exchanged looks.
'What?'
'He will be furious. He'll think Piro has chosen abbey life rather than marry him,' Seela predicted.
'We should tell him before the Jubilee,' her mother decided. 'It would be rude to have him ride in and find out when we announce it. Lence can go. He gets on well with Rejulas.'
'When will he leave?' Seela asked.
'The sooner the better. Give the warlord of Cockatrice Spar plenty of time to get used to the idea.'
Piro felt awful. This time, through no fault of her own, she had complicated things for her family.
Her mother leant forward, to catch her hand and pull her to her feet. 'Come downstairs. Whatever we feel inside, we must present a united front for the celebrations tonight. Byren has done well and Lence is no longer trying to talk your father into war. The king can be pleased with his two eldest sons.'
Even this felt like a condemnation to Piro, because King Rolen's only daughter had failed him.