In The Name of Love
54: Arrival

Of all the emotions Fifi might have felt upon seeing the turrets of Zosya rising ahead over the rooftops and trees of a nearby town, relief isn’t one she had expected, but it is the one that overwhelms her. She never realized before this trip how much she hates being in a carriage and traveling on a deadline. In their entire journey, no one would so much as pretend to entertain her requests to stop for a bit so she could sketch some deer or an eagle or a particularly gnarled elm tree. With each day that passed, their quick pace and the jolting carriage became more distressing to Fifi as they traveled through a variety of scenic vistas, mountains and forests all clad in glorious summer greens. Their only stop, apart from spending nights in the homes of various noblemen, has been to deal with some bandits who attempted to waylay them—and failed, replaceing that the Royal Guards accompanying the procession were bored and ready for a fight with anyone who would give it to them. I should have tried to draw then, she reproaches herself, although she knows she never could have focused on a drawing with such commotion around them and Minna paralyzed with fear beside her.

Each day since then Minna has become more rigid and withdrawn. Even now, with their journey almost at an end, she sits beside Fifi strangling her handkerchief with both hands, her eyes fixed on the castle that will host her wedding the next day. Her lips are pressed together in a tight line, and Fifi doubts that anything she says or does can help her sister overcome her nerves.

“What village is this?” she calls out the window to one of the guards, hoping to distract both herself and Minna.

“Azoya,” he replies, “but it’s more of a city than a village, if you ask me.”

Fifi nods and bites her lip, regretting the mistake and hoping that none of the townspeople poking their heads out of cottage windows to see them understand Aethyrozian. As they get closer, she sees that Azoya does indeed cover far more ground than any village she has seen, and it boasts a good many stone, multi-storied buildings and more than one grandiose zoche. Once again, her fingers itch to pick up her sketchbook and pens, but the bumping and clattering of their wheels on the cobbled road makes her think better of it.

“They don’t look happy,” Minna murmurs, dipping her head towards the townsfolk they are passing by.

“No…they don’t,” Fifi agrees, wondering why. Azoya seems prosperous; certainly these people don’t face the hardships that the people of Lonyr do, and their market square is bustling with merchants hawking all sorts of wares. But as the Royal Procession passes by the market square, conversations stop and the townsfolk regard the carriages with suspicion and contempt.

“Heartless wretch,” an old woman with a black shawl over her head mutters, spitting in the general direction of the Aethyrozians. Her Syazonian sounds sharper and more guttural than the kind the princesses learned, but they have no trouble understanding her harsh words.

“No respect for the dead,” another villager grumbles, turning his back on them with disgust.

“Because he’s still in mourning. Or he should be,” Minna whispers. Her forehead creases with worry and sadness. “Maybe this is a mistake—”

“No, Minna. You made the best choice you could for yourself. You’ve said so at least a dozen times,” Fifi assures her. “And he chose to accept you—”

“What choice could he have had? His father made him come to my Quest for Favor. Just like Father insisted….”

“Wait and see how they receive us at Zosya. It’s just up ahead. Not long now.”

“The opinions of the people matter, Fifi. Especially with the dispute with Barhesta over Andelios.”

“Yes, I know. But you won’t be able to win the people over until after you’ve married him and spent some time in Syazonia. These things take time. But they won’t be able to keep from loving you.”

“What if we don’t have time? What if I don’t get the chance?” Minna’s handkerchief, one of the new ones for her trousseau, is in tatters at this point. Fifi takes her sister’s hands and pulls the shreds of fabric away.

“It’s going to be okay, Minna. Just breathe. One step at a time. Isn’t that what you always told me when I got frustrated with lessons, and what Mother told you when the harpsichord was misbehaving for you?”

Minna takes a long, shaky breath. “Yes, but…I wasn’t thinking about…how the people might feel. I was just worried about him and me, but it’s bigger than us. Everything is always bigger than us.”

Fifi squeezes Minna’s hands in an attempt to offer comfort, even as she winces at her sister’s reminder of their place in the world. “Maybe. But focus on just him and you for now anyway. Seeing him happy again might be enough to win at least some of them over.”

“If I can manage that.”

“You can. And you will.” Fifi glances out the window and realizes with a start that they are approaching the tall, imposing gates of Zosya. Moments later, trumpet fanfare assaults their ears. Minna winces and tightens her grip on Fifi’s hands. With prodigious effort from a dozen strong men in uniform, the gates swing slowly open, allowing the Royal Procession from Aethyrozia to enter a large but rather derelict courtyard. Fifi observes with dismay that there are no gardens or fountains, just churned-up mud, a few sad patches of weeds, and a couple of scrawny ornamental trees that look as though they’ve been hacked by swords. The castle itself, however, is large and grand, with polished marble stairs leading to oak and wrought-iron doors and pristine pennants fluttering from the tops of the towers.

“Strange,” Minna mutters, voicing Fifi’s thoughts. Their carriage comes to a halt, and outside it guards and servants rush to unhitch horses and unload baggage. One of their own guards opens their carriage door, allowing both princesses to alight on a relatively clean patch of cobblestone near the steps of the palace.

Fifi recognizes the five Syazonian princes in their matching gold livery immediately; they stand on the shining stairs alongside two people clad in gold and royal purple who can only be their parents, the King and Queen of Syazonia. Fifi and Minna both drop a half-curtsey in greeting, and then Fifi steps to the side as Minna moves forward to greet her husband-to-be and his family.

King Celestino looks much like Adalberto, although his face is lined and his hair and beard silver-streaked from the cares of ruling. Beside him, Queen Casilda sits in a curious wooden chair, well cushioned with velvet but sporting wheels instead of legs in the back. Her hair is completely white, and though she looks on with a gracious smile, it’s clear to Fifi that she is unwell and ought to be in bed resting. The rest of her family seems not to notice or care about the queen’s frail health, making Fifi’s heart ache for her.

But heartache cannot last as Adalberto comes towards Minna. A familiar dagger with a ruby-studded hilt hangs from his belt. Although he does not smile, there’s a genuine warmth in his eyes and softness in his expression that tell Fifi he’s glad to see Minna. Likewise, the tension in Minna’s body melts away as she steps closer to her betrothed, and her expression is full of relief and joy. Good, Fifi thinks as she smiles at them from the sidelines. You deserve to be happy. Then she lets her eyes wander, taking in the rest of the scene around them.

Behind Adalberto on the stairs, Ramiro seems to be studying the Aethyrozian carriages, while Casimiro looks bored and annoyed that he’s not the center of attention. Lisandro, to Fifi’s eye, looks like he’s struggling with several conflicting emotions. To her intense discomfort, Emiliano’s gaze seems to be fixed on her. I thought Minna wrote to Adalberto that he was to forget me? Fifi wonders, returning her attention to her sister and her betrothed with the thought that ignoring Emiliano, rather than paying him any kind of attention, ought to get him to give up on her eventually.

“We are glad to receive you on this fine day, and that your travels have brought you to us unharmed,” Adalberto greets them in formal Syazonian. “Welcome to Zosya.”