her, and together we marched the two children to the center of the square.
"Don't be afraid," I told them both. "I'm sorry about this, but your father wasn't taking us seriously. Now he'll take us seriously. Do your wrists hurt?"
I had the younger daughter. She looked over her shoulder, and there were tears. She shook her head.
It ate me inside, her look. I was responsible for that look, and I hated myself.
"For the record," Nori said to me quietly, "what your feeling now -- that's how I felt three years ago in Gallen's Cove."
"You hid it well," I told her.
"You're not doing so badly yourself," she replied. "It helps having the big picture."
We turned the girls to face us. "What are your names?" I asked them.
"Lia," said the eldest. "She's Tamma."
"Well, Lia and Tamma, would you like to meet a queen?"
Tamma looked at me nervously. "A real queen?"
"A real queen," I agreed, "although she won't look like any queen you've read about in school. She's the queen of the Amazons, and she's here today."
I looked around. Malora was a short distance away, watching. I gestured, and she stepped over.
"Queen Malora," I said, "this is Lia and Tamma. Lia and Tamma, this is Queen Malora."
They both looked at the dirt. Malora stepped forward and used her hands to lift their chins to her. Lia was full grown, but Tamma still had a year of growing left to do. "Hello, Lia," Malora said. "I am pleased to meet you, Tamma." Malora turned to me. "Did they misbehave?"
"Their parents did," I said.
She turned back to the girls. "You aren't going to misbehave if we untie your hands, are you?"
"N-no, Your Majesty," Lia said.
Malora smiled at them. "You should call me Queen Malora," she instructed. "Maya, untie them. They'll behave."
"You girls understand you need to stay with us for now," I said, and they both nodded. Nori and I untied their hands. The girls rubbed at their wrists, but they made no move to bolt.
Not that they would have gotten far; we were surrounded by Amazons.
After that, I let Malora work her magic on them. She was exceedingly charming, after all. The girls stood, enrapt, as Malora spoke softly to them. Nori and I stepped to the side, watching the square slowly fill with people.
"I made her cry," I said softly. "Damn it, Nori."
"I know," she said.
"I'm going to talk to Malora. I don't want you to keep being part of the bad team. But I need someone I know will stay cool. Badra was good."
"Don't worry about that," she replied. "You need either Malora or I there. You keep doing what you're doing. And yes, Badra was good. She's steady."
"That c ould have been a disaster with Tarine."
"Yep."
We watched as the square slowly filled. It took longer than twenty minutes, but as long as people continued to arrive, I was going to give them the opportunity. Finally the mayor approached, and Nori and I stepped forward to intercept him.
"Everyone is here. Give me my daughters!"
"Your daughters are busy talking to the queen," I said. "Is this everyone?"
"You said-"
"I said if you began to cooperate, we would talk. And we will. Your daughters are safe. You can see them." I shifted and pointed. "They are unharmed and they will remain unharmed. We will talk, and then we will tell you what is to happen next. And you are going to agree, aren't you, Mr. Mayor?"
"Please," he said. "Let me have my daughters back."
"We'll be discussing that." I frowned. "I have no intention of taking anyone from this village who doesn't want to go."
Then I turned my back. "What do you think?"
"We're short a few, but they may not be here," Nori said. "This village holds more than this."
"Do you think we have most of the daughters?"
"I can't tell."
"Mr. Mayor," I said, "right now the queen is asking your daughters for the names of all their friends. And in a moment, I am going to go over there and ask them to point to their friends. What do you think we are going to do if any are missing?"
"Everyone is here!" he said.
"We both know that's
"Don't be afraid," I told them both. "I'm sorry about this, but your father wasn't taking us seriously. Now he'll take us seriously. Do your wrists hurt?"
I had the younger daughter. She looked over her shoulder, and there were tears. She shook her head.
It ate me inside, her look. I was responsible for that look, and I hated myself.
"For the record," Nori said to me quietly, "what your feeling now -- that's how I felt three years ago in Gallen's Cove."
"You hid it well," I told her.
"You're not doing so badly yourself," she replied. "It helps having the big picture."
We turned the girls to face us. "What are your names?" I asked them.
"Lia," said the eldest. "She's Tamma."
"Well, Lia and Tamma, would you like to meet a queen?"
Tamma looked at me nervously. "A real queen?"
"A real queen," I agreed, "although she won't look like any queen you've read about in school. She's the queen of the Amazons, and she's here today."
I looked around. Malora was a short distance away, watching. I gestured, and she stepped over.
"Queen Malora," I said, "this is Lia and Tamma. Lia and Tamma, this is Queen Malora."
They both looked at the dirt. Malora stepped forward and used her hands to lift their chins to her. Lia was full grown, but Tamma still had a year of growing left to do. "Hello, Lia," Malora said. "I am pleased to meet you, Tamma." Malora turned to me. "Did they misbehave?"
"Their parents did," I said.
She turned back to the girls. "You aren't going to misbehave if we untie your hands, are you?"
"N-no, Your Majesty," Lia said.
Malora smiled at them. "You should call me Queen Malora," she instructed. "Maya, untie them. They'll behave."
"You girls understand you need to stay with us for now," I said, and they both nodded. Nori and I untied their hands. The girls rubbed at their wrists, but they made no move to bolt.
Not that they would have gotten far; we were surrounded by Amazons.
After that, I let Malora work her magic on them. She was exceedingly charming, after all. The girls stood, enrapt, as Malora spoke softly to them. Nori and I stepped to the side, watching the square slowly fill with people.
"I made her cry," I said softly. "Damn it, Nori."
"I know," she said.
"I'm going to talk to Malora. I don't want you to keep being part of the bad team. But I need someone I know will stay cool. Badra was good."
"Don't worry about that," she replied. "You need either Malora or I there. You keep doing what you're doing. And yes, Badra was good. She's steady."
"That c ould have been a disaster with Tarine."
"Yep."
We watched as the square slowly filled. It took longer than twenty minutes, but as long as people continued to arrive, I was going to give them the opportunity. Finally the mayor approached, and Nori and I stepped forward to intercept him.
"Everyone is here. Give me my daughters!"
"Your daughters are busy talking to the queen," I said. "Is this everyone?"
"You said-"
"I said if you began to cooperate, we would talk. And we will. Your daughters are safe. You can see them." I shifted and pointed. "They are unharmed and they will remain unharmed. We will talk, and then we will tell you what is to happen next. And you are going to agree, aren't you, Mr. Mayor?"
"Please," he said. "Let me have my daughters back."
"We'll be discussing that." I frowned. "I have no intention of taking anyone from this village who doesn't want to go."
Then I turned my back. "What do you think?"
"We're short a few, but they may not be here," Nori said. "This village holds more than this."
"Do you think we have most of the daughters?"
"I can't tell."
"Mr. Mayor," I said, "right now the queen is asking your daughters for the names of all their friends. And in a moment, I am going to go over there and ask them to point to their friends. What do you think we are going to do if any are missing?"
"Everyone is here!" he said.
"We both know that's
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