Page 115 of What Fury Brings
As soon as she shut them indoors, Sanos turned to her. “Ydra.”
He didn’t get more than her name out before she strong-armed him into the nearest deserted room, some sort of parlor. She practically threw him into the nearest chair.
“Talk. Now.”
Olerra sequestered herself in her aunts’ rooms while the door to her own was being fixed. She sat at the queen’s desk with a quill in hand and stared at the empty sheet of parchment before her. She needed to write to the king of Brutus, but she couldn’t let any of her feelings show. The calculating general needed to come through.
Olerra separated the thoughts in her head by their usefulness. Anything unhelpful would go into the wooden chest she’d conjured in her mind.
Insecurity? The chest.
Fear? The chest.
Anger? That could stay.
Hurt? The chest.
Spite? That could stay, too.
She locked the chest and threw away the mental key.
Then she wrote.
Atalius, dear!
I hear you’ve misplaced your heir. I might know where he is. I’m guessing my bedroom, but it’s also possible he’s visiting the baths. I’d have to check.
I found him wandering the streets of Medos and have taken the poor dear in. He’s been my special guest for the past two months. Now that I’ve had my fun, I’m prepared to give him back. My generosity will cost you, though. I want Andrastus. I’ll trade you a son for a son. Your heir for the spare. This one’s a bit too rebellious for my tastes anyway.
Kindly collect your prince at your earliest convenience, but if you show up empty-handed, no deal.
Sincerely,
The better general, Olerra
Olerra gave the letter to a messenger with strict instructions to deliver it directly into the king’s hand. By then, her rooms were ready, and Olerra shut herself within. She kept a guard outside this time, in case Glen tried to force her way inside again.
Ydra came to visit Olerra that night, but Olerra told her she wanted to be alone. It was enough knowing that Ydra was there for her if she needed it.
Olerra didn’t know what she needed. She spent hours alone with her thoughts, but she was no closer to making anything feel better. How long would it be before the nobility sought her out to demand if it was true that she was Giftless?
Olerra sighed deeply and didn’t fall asleep until many hours later.
The knock came in the middle of the night. At first, she thought it might be Andrastus. Then she remembered that Andrastus was Sanos, and he wasn’t in the palace. He was being held by the queen somewhere. Her despair from earlier returned, but she tried to forget it as she threw on a robe. Olerra rubbed the sleep from her eyes before turning the handle.
“What is it?” she asked.
Vorika, charged with Olerra’s personal spy network, stood beforeher. Olerra felt her stomach sink, fearing the news must be terrible if the woman risked waking her.
Olerra let her into the room before closing the door.
“It’s Atalius,” Vorika said. “You wished to be notified at once if there was any movement.”
“Go on.”
“He’s coming here.”
“To Zinaeya?”
