Chapter 40
What Father had meant, Rossa discovered the next morning, was that she would need to dress for court before leaving the castle, for Zuleika could cast magic portals that allowed her, and those accompanying her, to travel instantly from one place to another. Having nothing better than the red gown she'd worn at Christmas, Rossa had put that on, which Father had insisted on ornamenting with a ruby necklace that weighed more than the belt she'd sheathed her daggers in only yesterday. Father had brought her a new cloak from Byzas, in a deep wine red that rivalled Zuleika's for its brightness. She'd fastened it with the brooch Boris had given her, though she dreaded what her father might say when he saw it.
Boris and Igor wore clothes Mother must have found for them, all of which were very fine, yet Boris had chosen to wear his white bear skin cloak, and a crown she knew had come from the sack of treasures he'd kept in the cave. She hadn't looked too closely at it before, but now it sat in his pale hair, woven strands wrapping around his head, with a single sparkling stone in the middle of his forehead. A diamond, surely, though it was as clear as water and drank the light, sending out rainbows when the sun hit it. He looked every inch a prince.
Father chose grey, as always, but she recognised his grey finery as distinct from the grey travelling clothes he'd worn yesterday. The only jewels he wore were on his weapons, and even they were few. The king might have made him a lord in name when he married her mother, but Father himself had not changed a bit because of it.
Zuleika had refused to wear any but her own clothes, and, to Rossa's surprise, Father had simply nodded and left it at that. Zuleika was younger than Rossa, Rossa had discovered, but the ease with which she created the portal to take them to the court in Buda demonstrated that she was a far more powerful enchantress than Rossa would ever be.
Zuleika's portal had barely faded before she said, "This is where I leave you, for I am needed at another court today. It is a small matter, regarding a ball and some shoes that shall be lost, but it is nevertheless of the utmost importance. Should you have need of me, I believe my other god-daughter will no longer need my services after midnight, so I shall return then." Before any of them could say a word, she cast another portal and was gone.
Rossa looked askance at Father, who merely shrugged and said, "My mother and my sister were forever flitting about the world, seeing to the affairs of their various godchildren. My sister fought a dragon for her godson once. To hear her tell the tale, it was more of a skirmish than a battle, which did not last long, but I have it on good authority that everyone else who fought the dragon died, right up until the day someone finally slayed the dragon. As she says, if we need her, she'll be here after midnight. I'm sure we'll survive a day without her." Father offered his arm, and Rossa took it. "Let's go see the king."