Page 129 of Of Brides Of Queens

My sixth was far larger tonight. I was in possession of two hundred and fifty humans. They did amuse with their comings and goings. That was part of what I liked about this bench seat.

The garden and humans were not the only additions to my queendom.

I looked at King See and smiled because Icouldlook at him and see him. “Yes, they do.”

Four kings came for me this dusk.

“Raise returned to the alliance,” he said next. “I did not think he would so soon.”

I passed King See a letter. After stitching another Mother to Cassandra’s left hand, I had come back to the letter.

“My swinging Perantiqua,”King See read aloud in some rage. “To our union, you have agreed, and the date is set for three nights hence.” He did not read Bring’s slogan and signature aloud.

I might have felt calm about the letter now, but I had not yesternight. “He did not like my reply that informed him what he might do with the date.”

King See crumpled the letter in a fist. “What does he mean by swinging princess?”

Hmm, I had not bargained on answering that question. “He wishes to dress me prettily and have me sit on a swing in his kitchen as he toils over charm and curse. He wishes to kneel under this dress when it suits him. You may assume the rest.”

“I can well assume,” the king said mildly.

My throat tightened at the sudden thought of sharing Bring’s fantasy with another king. See and I had not touched again since my return. There had been so many connections to make.

I touched him now to thread my stitched fingers between his. His hand, so oversized, engulfed mine, and they rested perfectly together. I was not lured into the lie, for much still complicated our destiny. “See, I will not join Bring in union.”

“He will call a tribunal, Perantiqua. There is precedent to consider.”

“Precedent means a lot to kings.”

“It must when we are immortal. Disagreements cannot always be decided with humans, or no humans would remain to save or use for ruin.”

Ah, yes.Of course. “I fathom. There is no precedent for a queen, however, and I mean the words I say. I will not be a bride to Bring.”

“Will you be a bride to me?” he mused aloud.

The question was not designed for answer, and we had none anyway. “New ancientness is settled in me, sir. Hellebores fulfilled their purpose again. I am grateful to you for placing me in them.”

“I war within myself about how delightfully things might have gone if I had not.”

That was a natural enough regret.

We fell into quiet. I could hear the faint roars of a crowd. Fevered humans. Four sixths. Or two-thirds, as Picket might prefer to have put it.

The rope monster was now complete in all features and clothing, and he was out adding bricks to mortar in a last effort to provide more protection. No brick wall could protect us from four kings, but we each coped as we could.

“They come,” said See. “And what will we do?”

We.That word from his cruel mouth meant much. “We will meet them, you and me. But I have a question for you. I am more ancient after a dried bouquet, and this question had since occurred to me.”

He focused milky eyes on me. “Speak it.”

“What is there if not love?”

Such was the quiet up here that such vulnerable questions could be uttered and answered in a calm way that did not alter and shake the world.

King See grunted. “This evening you have asked an ancient question indeed.”

I had been so adamant that love must exist between us, while See had felt equally and oppositely that love could not exist at all. Finally the right question had occurred to me.

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