Flight of the Five Swans -
Finished Chapter 38
Thaleia
The hardest part thus far,Thaleia decided, about having a wing instead of an arm—aside from the simplefact that she had a wing instead of anarm—was how complicated it made the task of getting dressed. Not to mention how humiliating.
Of the dresses provided them, onlyone had armholes big enough for Thaleia to fit her wing through. Even then, it took help from both Raia and Cliodne to settle the fabric overher shoulder so that it did not pull uncomfortably on her feathers. What was more, Thaleia needed their helpagain when it came to fastening her dress. She found it absolutely impossible to do up her buttons one-handed,though this was not from lack of trying. She twisted and turned her one human arm every which way, but to noavail. All she was able to accomplish onher own was to gain a sore shoulder in the attempt.
“Don’t worry, Thaleia.” Cliodne told her as she tied the sash ofThaleia’s gown. “Once we’re home, we’llfigure out a way to customize your clothes so you’ll be able to do this on yourown. Right, Raia?”
Raia nodded thoughtfully, her browfurrowed in concentration as she examined the gown that Thaleia had justdonned. She cocked her head and huffed,exasperated. “If I only had a needle andthread, I think I could do it now!”
“No need.” Cliodne said, knotting the sash with aflourish. “All done.”
Thaleia looked down at herfeathered appendage and flexed her muscles. Her wing arced gracefully, but Thaleia still found it very hard toreconcile herself to the thought that this part was attached to her. Permanently.
“The short sleeves won’t make iteasy to hide your feathers.” Euriellemused, her tone doubtful.
Thaleia shrugged, and thenstraightened her shoulders defiantly.
“I won’t need to hide them.” She said. “It’s a part of me now. And I’llshow it off…proudly.”
Thaleia knew that all of hersisters must have noticed her slight hesitation, but none remarked on it. Cliodne placed a hand on her right shoulderand squeezed it in silent encouragement.
Once the princesses were dressed,they did not have much longer to wait before the bedchamber door opened oncemore. A servant—one whom Thaleiaactually recognized from her time as a swan—entered the room, bowing deeply tothe princesses. His eyes widened when hecaught sight of Thaleia’s wing, but he quickly mastered his expression. When he spoke, he addressed himself almostsolely to Raia, and Thaleia remembered with a jolt that her twin both knew andwas known by the Ithcarians much more than she or any of the other sisters.
“Milady, the king has summoned allof you to the throne room.”
“But I thought we were going to eatfirst!” Thaleia heard Eurielle complainto Petra in a low hiss. Cliodne shushedher, yet Thaleia could not help but agree with her youngest sister. At that moment, she felt hungry enough to eata whole horse, cow, and pig besides.
“Thank you, Jhonatan.” Raia said,wringing her hands nervously in front of her. “We will follow you directly.”
Jhonatan bowed again and led theway out of the room. The six sistersfollowed, and were immediately flanked in the hallway by several Ithcarianguards. Thaleia glanced out the cornerof her eyes at the members of their sudden escort. She counted only four men guarding the six ofthem, and was momentarily confused—not to mention a bit indignant. Did King Naaman think so little of them thathe did not even consider them challenge enough for a guard apiece? Then Thaleia remembered the skill that theIthcarian guards had displayed in the courtyard when dispatching Soran’smen. Added to that was the fact that sheand her sisters were unarmed and still weak following their ordeal. However much she hated to admit it, Thaleiarealized that in light of their situation, even four of King Naaman’s menprobably would be more than enough guards to escort the six princesses to thethrone room without incident.
The six princesses fell into theirnormal positions on entering the throne room, lining up by age from eldest toyoungest. Cliodne led the way, her chinraised gracefully. Thaleia recognizedthe look in her eyes. She knew that herolder sister was ready to employ every bit of diplomacy she’d gained over thelast three years in order to ensure all of the princesses’ safe return toKyoria.
Yet a surprise was waiting for themin the throne room. King Naaman andPrince Ayden both stood on the dais talking to a man with gray-streaked auburnhair and beard. Even from afar, the manwas instantly recognizable to all of the princesses.
Thaleia gasped, and unbidden tearssprang into her eyes.
“Father!” she cried out, forgettingall decorum. She hiked her dress aboveher ankles with her right hand and rushed forward madly, Eurielle beside herand the other princesses not far behind. Thaleia launched herself into her father’s arms, nearly knocking himover with her exuberance. Her mismatchedappendages encircled his body in a mighty hug, and she heard the Ithcarianroyals behind him gasp at the sight of her swan wing. Yet Thaleia could not bring herself tocare. None of them—not even Petra—couldrefrain from shedding at least a few tears at the unexpected sight of theirfather in the Ithcarian royal palace. Gustave’s eyes were wet as well as he touched all of his daughters’heads in turn.
“But how?” Cliodne asked, her voice choked.
It was King Naaman whoanswered. “Your father is here asKyorian ambassador. We are meant to signa peace treaty between Ithcar and Kyoria.”
Thaleia’s eyes widened, and theutter shock of the news—however welcome—seemed to have dried all her tears.
“A treaty?” Raia’s voice was low as she addressed herquery not to King Naaman or even her father, but to Ayden. He nodded in confirmation, and Thaleianoticed the way his eyes softened when he looked at her twin. She felt a small hint of panic, which greweven more on seeing a similar expression reflected on Raia’s face.
King Naaman raised his eyebrows andlooked directly at Raia when he spoke.
“Though I must add that your presence here in Ithcar almosthalted the negotiations outright. Therevelation of your identity last night was…shall I say, most…suspicious.”
Thaleia bristled at the king’swords, but Raia did not seem to take even the slightest offense. She curtseyed to the Ithcarian royal. “I apologize for the subterfuge, YourHighness,” she said, her voice calm yet rueful. “I felt it to be necessary at the time.”
King Naaman’s gaze left Raia andfell on her sisters.
“I have my suspicions why thatcould be.” He mused, his eyes lingeringon Thaleia’s white wing. “But I mustadmit to being curious as to the whole story.”
“I think weall are.” Ayden interjected pointedly, and King Naaman nodded at him.
“But,” he continued. “I believethat this story and all other explanations can just as well be told overlunch.”
Thaleia felt herself gettingteary-eyed once more at the offer of food. Eating like a bird for the last several months had done nothing to abateher appetite; on the contrary, she felt as hungry as she could ever rememberfeeling before.
King Naaman clapped his handstwice, and a slew of servants entered the throne room. While most carried platters filled with coldmeats, cheeses and fruit, several of the workers brought in low stools for theguests to sit on. It was a most peculiarform of dining that Thaleia had not yet experienced. Still, she found no reason to complain. Indeed, she sighed with relief upon seeingthe kinds of food on the trays; all looked relatively easy to eat using onlyone hand.
“I apologize for the eclecticpicnic.” King Naaman told them, likewiseaccepting a low stool in order to eat among them. “Our normal dining table is not quite largeenough, and our chef unprepared to accommodate seven royal guests—five of whomare entirely unexpected.”
Though simple, the fare wasdelicious. Giving his daughters time toenjoy their meal, Gustave took to explaining his sudden arrival in Ithcar priorto pressing them for their story.
“We have been negotiating peacesince before you all left for Deturus.” He told them. “Though in secret at the start, in casenegotiations proved unsuccessful.” Heglanced at the Ithcarian king, and King Naaman nodded once. Gustave continued.
“We agreed to terms just over amonth ago and as mentioned, I’ve come to sign. I’ve only just arrived this morning, and from what I’ve already heard, Iclearly missed an…interesting displayjust prior to my arrival.”
“In truth,” Gustave said with arather heavy sigh, “I’m getting a bit old for these kinds of trips, but ourofficial ambassador,” He touched Cliodne’s head of curls once more, “wasunavailable at the time. Enjoyingherself in Deturus—or so I’d assumed.”
The princesses stopped eating atthat, glancing down at their plates as though they had all suddenly lost theirappetites.
“But clearly,” Ayden interjectedsoftly, finishing Gustave’s thought. “That was not entirely the case.”
“Yes,” Gustave continued, eying hisdaughters with great concern. “Imaginemy surprise when I was immediately greeted upon arriving here at the palacewith an interrogation as to why my daughters were also here…and in secret!”
The Ithcarian king did not so muchas blink. “As I said, most suspicious.”Naaman said, popping a marinated olive into his mouth. He swallowed. “Though from your father’s account, combined with the testimonies of theDeturian guards we have taken into custody andthe events of this morning, I believe that I have developed a reasonablesuspicion as to what may have transpired to lead us all here. Now, all that remains,” he said, eyebrowsrising as he looked down at the six princesses expectantly. “Is to determinewhether or not my suspicions are correct.”
Out of the corner of her eye,Thaleia noticed her father and several of her sisters shoot a quick glance ather wing. Then Cliodne cleared herthroat and—responding to King Naaman’s implicit request—began to recount theirstory.
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