Midnight Soul (23 page)

“So!” he shot back.

I heard laughter erupt all around us but
through it I also heard Queen Aurora’s shuddering with amusement
(shuddering!) command of, “Franka, no more talk of this nonsense.
Kristian is right. Your plans are far too risky and you’ve decided
them at a time when you’re vulnerable to making poor decisions. I
forbid you to cross the Green Sea. At least for a year. Should you
continue to wish to do so, perhaps it can be discussed again after
that time.”

I stared at my sovereign, speechless.

The Queen of Lunwyn was not speechless.

She carried on.

“Your choices are to return to your brother’s
home with your family or journey with me to Rimée Keep. With Frey,
my Finnie and my wee Viktor off to Bellebryn, I’ll be quite alone
and you’ll be lovely company.”

I
would be lovely company?

Me?

I remained speechless.

Aurora did not.

“You have until Kristian and Brikitta depart
five days hence to make your decision. Now,” she looked around the
table, “that’s done. Allow us to toast Kristian and Brikitta’s
lovely news and move on from sibling squabbles.”

She picked up her wineglass and all followed,
including me. When a queen toasted, you didn’t demur.

But I was fuming because, apparently, the
unexpected end to my parents’ years of torment caused me to be
uncertain of my feelings and my future and my entire bloody nature
and grow soft. However it caused my brother to grow a backbone. Not
to mention an open willingness to engage in inappropriateness by
drawing me into what could be described as none other than what the
queen had deemed it.

A sibling bloody squabble.

At the royal bloody dinner table.

I sipped my wine, ignoring the smiles all
around that I was sure had something to do with the fact my
brother’s family was growing, but more to do with mirth at my
brother and my antics.

Thus I did this frowning.

However, I noted the only one not seeming to
have enjoyed our display was Noc. He was not smiling. He was
regarding me intently.

When I caught his eyes, he mouthed, “All
right?”

“Fine,” I mouthed back.

He continued studying me before he
nodded.

“I do hope,” Aurora called out as everyone
resumed eating, and I looked to her to see her attention set on
Brikitta, “that your wee Timofei was able to get a good nap in this
afternoon. Prior to Franka taking her maid shopping, she was quite
thorough in addressing the servants to request that they practice
quiet around your rooms as your wee one has been having trouble
sleeping recently.”

By the goddess Adele, were my cheeks
flaming?

Brikitta’s eyes darted to me and they were
again large.

Yes, my cheeks were flaming.

Blast!

“A phase, I’m sure,” Aurora went on. “He’ll
stop fretting and return to good sleep soon, mark my words.”

“I say, Franka,” Kristian began after the
queen finished, speaking in my ear. “It’s too strange, gazing upon
this gentleman who’s the vision of Prince Noctorno. Uncanny. I’m
glad the prince has a scar or I wouldn’t be able to tell them
apart.”

I turned my head and blasted my brother with
an icy glare, stating without words I, unlike he, was not over our
very recent spat.

He grinned at my glare and asked in a teasing
tone, “Did you enjoy shopping with
your maid
?”

My glare intensified.

My brother took it in and did not cower.

He started chuckling and returned to his
consommé.

With no other choice open to me, I also
turned to my place setting, thinking I was not losing my touch.

It was gone.

And I had no choice as to what to think of
that.

Except, so be it.

My Valiant

Valentine

Valentine stood at the window of her lovely
little house in the countryside outside of Fyngaard and looked to
the shadowed frosty wonderland of snow and ice sparkling in the
moonlight.

Frey Drakkar stood in the middle of the room
behind her and he did this speaking.

As he spoke, Valentine fought the urge to
smile.

“We’re willing to make it worth your time,”
Drakkar declared as he concluded stating what he wished to request
from Valentine.

She’d do what he requested for free.

However, he didn’t need to know that.

“I’m sure your wife has shared much, though
you cannot understand the extent of it, Drakkar,” she said to the
window. “But suffice it to say that it’s an understatement when I
note that my world is much different than this one.”

“I do get this impression, Valentine, and
thus that world holds no interest to me outside those things I pay
you to bring for my wee one that she misses,” Frey replied. “It
sounds busy and crowded, overcomplicated, and from what I’ve heard
from Finnie, the majority of those who inhabit it live lives
mistaken as to what’s important.”

Valentine turned toward the man. “And yet you
wish to send Franka there?”

“She needs to be rid of bad memories. She
also needs a challenge,” he responded. “But I sense she’ll be
seeking ones much different than what she’s sought in the past. And
with you and Noc and perhaps Circe to guide her way, she’ll not get
lost again, even in that world.”

“I see your point,” Valentine murmured.

Frey gave her a short nod. “And her riches,
you’ve mentioned they’d be considerable there as well, but they’d
also be suspect if discovered by those in positions of authority.
Franka is accustomed to a certain standard of living and will
expect that in any land she inhabits. She also has lived a life of
independence, outside the threat of her parents’ actions. I can’t
imagine that’d change, and with that threat eradicated, I can only
imagine her desire for autonomy will increase. She’ll not like her
standard of living lowered or her new liberty threatened with, for
example, the need to seek employment or the like. Both would most
assuredly sway her decision in the wrong direction about whether or
not to go.”

Valentine’s lips curled. “I’ve ways to assist
her in converting her parallel universe resources to my-world
currency, not to mention other issues she may have, such as finding
and paying for appropriately appointed accommodation. She’ll live
very well, Drakkar, and do it not having to ask if someone wishes
‘fries with that.’”

“Good,” he murmured then asked, “Fries with
that?”

Valentine lifted a hand and flipped it
languidly, “The explanation to that is truly beneath your notice,
Frey.”

The Drakkar didn’t reply.

Valentine tilted her head, querying, “And
this was Noc’s idea?”

Frey gave another short nod. “Yes, and I
believe a good one.” At that point his lips twitched. “We
discovered at dinner tonight that she intends to cross the Green
Sea. The queen forbade it, of course, but it indicates Franka is up
for an adventure, the bolder the better.”

“And would it be me or Noc that will suggest
this to her?” Valentine went on.

“It’s my understanding that Noc’s speaking to
her this evening.”

Valentine’s smiled a small smile. “Excellent.
Well, do keep me informed, Frey. When she’s agreed to leave this
world for mine, I’ll be certain to put all the pieces in place for
her to do so and enjoy her position when she arrives.”

His brows rose. “There’s the matter of
payment, Valentine.”

“Of course,” she said quietly. “And you’ll be
seeing to this? Or will Franka be expected to compensate me for my
services? Perhaps Noc?”

“This is a gift from Finnie and I,” Frey
answered.

That was what Valentine hoped he’d say.

“If that’s the case, I request an audience
with the elves in their realm under the ice,” she shared and
watched his mouth grow tight.

“This is a grand request,” he stated
shortly.

“Even I don’t have the power to visit the
elves and I’ve a feeling it would be most interesting.”

“You would be right, Valentine, but they hold
their realm dear and may not grant this request.”

“You rule them, Frey,” Valentine reminded
him.

“I do, but I do not do it through tyranny as
one of my predecessors did, resulting in losing them for
centuries,” he returned. “I take their desires and concerns into
account, and if something is important to them, I consider it
gravely.”

He lowered his voice and his gaze never left
hers as he continued.

“You know I appreciate all you’ve done for my
Finnie, myself and my country, even if, for most of it, you were
paid handsomely. Your life as well was often in danger and you
showed courage and loyalty, which I admire. You also know because
of this I hold a fondness for you as does my wife. But even so, the
elves have free will and can retreat to their underground dominion,
not to return until there’s a new Frey who does not rule them with
an oppressive hand. If they refuse your visit, Valentine, I can
offer you time speaking with Nillen and his council by calling them
up to the ice. This would cause no umbrage and it, too, I would
hope would be interesting.”

“I would prefer my own adventure in the elfin
realm, Drakkar, but if I must accept the alternative, I would do
that as well,” she granted.

“My thanks.”

Valentine looked to the door then back to
Frey. “I don’t wish to be rude, and you know I always enjoy your
company, but even if the hour grows late, I have things to see
to.”

“Of course,” he murmured, moving her way.

Valentine stayed where she was.

When he arrived at her, he bent to brush his
lips against her cheek and pulled back, again catching her gaze.
“I’ll deliver a message when I know of Franka’s decision.”

“In the meantime, I’ll hope she makes the
right one.”

This time, Frey’s lips curled. “With what I
see growing between her and Noc, I’ve no doubt she will.”

Valentine hoped that was true as well.

“Our gratitude, Valentine,” Drakkar said as
he began to move away from her.

Valentine watched him go, relished doing so
for he was quite the specimen, and she did it replying, “I enjoy
being at your service.”

He stopped at the door to the room and looked
back at her, now fully smiling.

“You enjoy being paid,” he retorted, a
teasing note to his voice.

“That too,” she agreed.

He shook his head, lifted a hand and bid,
“Farewell.”

Valentine said nothing. She simply stood
where Frey left her and watched the door, pleased that things were
progressing so well and so swiftly with Franka and Noc, even
without her meddling.

But now she had an actual invitation to
meddle, and Valentine looked forward to doing just that.

Thinking of meddling, she turned her
attention from the door to her crystal that lay on its bed of
emerald velvet.

She moved to it, drifting her fingertips
across the orb, watching the smoke swirl inside, her mind taken not
only from Franka and Noc but also what was in that very house
upstairs waiting for her attention, and Valentine directed her
thoughts to what was in the sphere.

She again wafted the tips of her fingers
across the crystal and watched the smoke change direction and a new
vision formed.

She should not dally. If left to their own
devices, it would never happen simply due to location and
circumstances. She further couldn’t court either of them finding
another.

She’d done her research. She’d been thorough.
She knew she’d made the right decision. There was nothing further
to do.

Except find the perfect time.

And then intervene.

In fact, with the plans she had for Franka,
it might be agreeable that they work together to see Valentine’s
other scheme to fruition.

An excellent idea.

She snapped her fingers and the wisps in the
crystal disappeared.

She then looked at the clock on the
mantel.

Frey had arrived a quarter of an hour after
she’d given her instructions. He had not stayed long. If she wished
to make her test a more onerous one, she’d wait another half hour,
or longer.

But thinking what awaited her, Valentine
found uncharacteristically that she didn’t wish to wait even a
minute longer.

No.

She was quite keen to see the results of how
her instructions had been carried out.

Thus, it was time to see to things.

And this Valentine walked leisurely to the
door to make her way to what awaited her in her bedchamber in order
to do.

* * * * *

Franka

“There you are.”

I turned at my brother’s voice and saw him
sauntering into the room.

I turned back to the window where I was
staring out at the snow-covered back garden of the palace,
concocting elaborate schemes of packing up Josette and myself,
finding Irene and making a clandestine escape.

Alas, I feared if I attempted any of the many
maneuvers I’d dreamed up in the hours that had elapsed after
dinner, the queen herself would order me found. She’d likely send
her son-in-law after me and we’d be on the run for, my guess, a day
and a half before we were dragged back.

I sighed at the window.

“It’s very late, Franka, and I wish to join
my wife in bed,” my brother said, and I could hear now he was
close. “But I didn’t want to do so without making certain you were
over your pique from earlier.”

That made me cut my gaze to him and arch a
brow. “My
pique
?”

He grinned. “Surely even you,” his eyes slid
to the window and back to me, “after hours of brooding can’t still
think a voyage across the emerald waters is a good idea.”

I looked back to the window, suggesting,
“Perhaps we can cease discussing this topic.”