Flight of the Five Swans
Fate Chapter 29

Raia

Raia wasfeeling a distinct sense of panic. Asfar as she could see, her current situation was now just as bad as it had everbeen when she was Soran’s prisoner. Atleast in Deturus, her sisters had still been able to transform back into humansand keep her company at night. Now, theother five princesses were swans at all times of the day and night and on top of that, Raia feared thatthey were slowly losing their humanity completely. She,on the other hand, still had two whole shawls to knit before she would be ableto break her sisters’ swan curse and set them free. And in the meantime, they were now trapped inIthcar, the country that had been threatening war on Kyoria since before shewas born.

Could things even get any worse?

The onlysilver lining that Raia could replace was that no one—not even Ayden—knew her trueidentity here. She thanked her luckystars for the initial suspicion that had prevented her from giving Ayden herreal name when he had asked. She wascertain that the king of Ithcar would exploit the situation to hisadvantage—and Kyoria’s disadvantage—were he to learn that he had even one of the Kyorian princesses under hisroof. She didn’t like to think what hemight do should he discover that he had sixof the seven of them within his control, though she was determined not to replaceout.

Still, Raia was having a hard timethinking what to do—not only to prevent her discovery, but also how toescape. She couldn’t very well send amessage to her father. In fact, posting anything to Kyoria was out of thequestion; she was sure such an action would draw unwanted and antagonisticattention. Nor did she imagine herselfcapable of planning an escape from the castle—let alone replaceing her way out ofIthcar—on her own. Raia would no longer haveher sisters’ help in plotting, and if their last trip was any indication, sheseverely doubted her chances of navigating them all home through theforest. Thus far, the extent of herplans consisted solely of keeping her identity secret, as well as trying tocure her sisters as soon as she possibly could.

By the time one of the servants hadappeared to escort Raia to her required audience with the king, Raia hadalready washed and changed into the strange garments provided her, and wasknitting madly at the fourth nettle shawl. She stuffed all of the shawls back into her grubby pouch when she sawthe door opening, and kept a firm grip on her pouch all the way to her audiencewith the king. No way would she feelcomfortable leaving her precious knitting alone in the room. To her, it was as priceless as anything Raiahad ever owned. The shawls meant thereturn of her sisters. She would notrisk losing them—or having anyone else touchthem—for the world.

Raia’s heart pounded in her chestas she was led down winding corridors to the king’s reception room. Relief flooded her when she entered the roomand saw that Ayden was also present. Hestood to the right side of the king with his hands resting behind his back,looking at her with an expression of encouragement on his face. Her eyes fixed on him desperately, as thoughhis mere presence anchored her, preventing her from being swept away by theforce of her own panic. Feeling slightlycalmer, Raia allowed her gaze to drift to the older man in the room.

From all the stories Raia had heardfrom her childhood of the evil Ithcarian rulers, she had imagined the king astall and skeletally thin, with a twisted mustache and evil red eyes. Well, maybe not the red eyes. But as far as Raia was concerned, the twistedmustache was a definite requirement for a leader who was reputedly so corrupt.

But the king of Ithcar was not atall as Raia had pictured. Tall, hecertainly was, and rather slim as well. His features were just as strong as his son’s, though the king’s facealso sported a neatly trimmed goatee that was peppered with gray. His dark hair was of the same salt-and-peppercoloring, and his eyes were the exact shade of brown as Ayden’s—a warm,cocoa-brown that Raia immediately found herself wanting to trust.

Raia curtseyed to the two men, hermovement practiced and graceful.

When she glanced up, she noticed aslight confusion on both Ayden’s and the king’s faces, though she couldn’timagine what had already perplexed them about her actions.

The king quickly recovered from hisconfusion.

“You are welcome,” he told her, hisvoice deep, and his tone rather abrupt. “I am Naaman, king of Ithcar. Myson tells me you are Deturian?”

Raia nodded her head almost tooquickly in confirmation. She was eagernot to give him any reason to suspect her of being Kyorian, even if it meantlying outright. Before the king couldask her any more questions, Raia held her hand up to her throat and patted itas she had done with Ayden in order to convey her inability to speak.

King Naaman was already nodding hishead. “Yes, yes.” He said to her, “Myson has mentioned that as well.” Raia bristled a bit as the king waved a handin seeming dismissal. Then she realizedthat the motion was an indication for one of his servants to step forward. The man who approached held out a flat pieceof slate, and Raia took it from his hands along with a small bit of whitechalk. She glanced at the items indismay, and then looked up at Ayden, whose expression was apologetic.

“It’s just for a couple ofquestions, Svana.” He told her, and Raia had to consciously stop herself fromwincing at the sound of the name.

Ayden did not seem to notice herdiscomfort. “And afterwards, you cankeep the slate, and the chalk. They’ll help us to communicate.”

“You can write?” King Naamanasked her, shifting as though he were a bit uncomfortable.

Raia hesitated, and then shenodded. While it may have been easierfor her to avoid interrogation by feigning ignorance of writing, she genuinelydoubted her ability to maintain such a charade for however long she was forcedto reside at the Ithcarian palace.

The king was visibly relieved ather answer. “Very good, then.” Hesaid. “Now, can you tell us your name?”

Raia wrote on the slate with ashaking hand, and then held it up to show the two men. Svana. Ayden’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“That is the name that I gave you.”He said. “Do you mean that that is yourreal name? Or the name you choose to goby?”

Again, Raia wrote. It ismy name now.

The king sounded impatient. “Butwhat is your name? Your realname. The name you had in the past.”

Ihave no name. I have no past.

This answer seemed to perplex Aydenand King Naaman even more. They wereboth silent, as if at a loss for what to say to her next. Finally, the king spoke once more, his voiceunsatisfied.

“Fine.” He said. “Your past is unimportant. What we want to know—what we need to know—is what your purpose ishere in Ithcar. Do you intend any harm?”

The king’s voice was stern and hisgaze intense at this last question. Hiseyes seemed to bore into Raia’s, as though seeking to read the truth straightfrom her mind.

Raia’s answer was definite.

NO.

The king still did not seementirely satisfied, but he nodded reluctantly all the same. “Very well. The truth of that, we shallsee, I am sure. You are free to go. I assume you already have a place to stay inthe city?”

Raia was caught by surprise by thesuddenness of her freedom. Her mouthdropped open in shock, and she found herself momentarily unable to answer theking’s question.

She hesitated too long.

Ayden’s familiar brown eyes boreinto hers, and his voice was soft. “You don’t have anywhere to go, do you,Svana?” It was more a statement of factthan a question. For a moment, Raia wastempted to lie and tell them that yes, yes she did have friends with whom she could stay. But then what would she do? Sleep in the street? She had no money for shelter or food, and noidea how to replace her way home to Kyoria.

And then there were her sisters toconsider.

Raia shook her head, averting hergaze from Ayden’s to hide the tears glistening in her eyes. She was stuck.

“Then you will stay here.”

Ayden’s voice was decisive, andRaia looked up at him again. She wastorn between utter horror and utter relief at his offer. On the one hand, staying in the palace wouldgive her a more or less secure place to live while she finished knitting thefinal two shawls. On the other hand, asa Kyorian in the Ithcarian court, Raia would be right in the middle of thelion’s den, so to speak.

That is, if they ever found out.

Raia glanced nervously at the king,expecting the man to oppose his son’s suggestion. But he did not. Rather, King Naaman seemed completelyunsurprised at his son’s words, as though he had already been expecting Aydento make the offer. Raia bit her lip andnodded tentatively. She would stay.