Chapter 12
Two weeks in the desert isn't fun, even when you don't have to walk. The sand ship moved quickly during the day, and a bit slower at night, since we were tacking into the wind. Days were hot and I took shelter from the sun under the wool cape that Edgerton gave me, holding it over my head like an awning. Nights were cold and I wrapped the cape around me for warmth. Sand swirled around our faces both day and night, forcing us to wrap silk bandannas around our mouths and noses. For distraction, I studied the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa.
One week into our journey, a stand of palm trees appeared on the horizon. Edgerton said it would take two weeks to cross the desert, which made me wonder if I was seeing things.
"Is it just me, or are there some palm trees in the distance?" I said, speaking the Common Tongue.
"It's an oasis," Edgerton said. "A dozen palm trees and some bushes being fed by an underground spring. We discovered it on our first trip across the desert. I'm amazed our sailors were able to find it again."
"Will we stop there?" If we didn't, I was tempted to jump ship.
"We did on our first trip. It gave us a chance to replenish our drinking water and wash off some of this sand."
Sure enough, just before we reached the oasis, our two sailors lowered the ship's sails. Once the sails were down, the sand ship came to a quick stop. Our two sailors took a dozen empty water bags hanging from the main mast and refilled them in the pool. They refilled our food bags with coconuts by picking one of the palm trees clean. Once they finished restocking our supplies, they told us that we could bathe in the pool.
"You first, Your Highness," Edgerton said. "We'll turn our backs so you can have some privacy."
I dropped my cloak and plunged into the pool still wearing my clothes, which needed to be washed as much as I did. The water was clear and cool, indicating the spring feeding it was deep. The pool wasn't big enough to swim in, not more than a couple of strokes. But it was deep. You could dive under the water and go a good ten feet down. There was a fissure in the pool's rocky bottom, with fresh water bubbling up from deep within the earth.
I stayed in the water until the pads of my fingers grew wrinkled, then reluctantly climbed out. I stretched out on the grass next to the pool and called out. "Next."
Edgerton slipped around the bushes the guys had moved behind to give me some privacy. He saw me stretched out on my back, the yellow silk clinging to me like a second skin, and went into a tizzy. "Your Highness, you must cover up."
"You cover up," I said. "I'm going to let the sun dry my clothes."
Any embarrassment I might have felt over being so scantly clad had long since left me. I was used to this outfit, used to my traveling companions. Not that they paid me a lot of attention. Bokham and Edgerton were too well mannered to gawk at me and the sailors were too busy.
Edgerton, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as comfortable with my body being on display. When he saw me lying there, wet and next to naked, he grabbed my cloak and tossed it over me like a blanket.
"The Queen of Vassa does not lie around naked when there are strange men about," Edgerton sputtered.
"Then I guess I'm lucky there are no strange men about. Just my traveling companions." I tossed the cloak off me and stretched back out. "Besides, I'm not the Queen of Vassa. I'm Lila Marie Haran, Princess of Adah."
Edgerton grew red faced. He wanted to argue with me, but didn't know what to say. Instead, he kicked his boots off and gingerly waded into the pool, still wearing his clothes.
The two sailors appeared, removed their turbans and vests, and waded into the pool clad only in their silk pants. It was the first time they had taken their turbans off, revealing the fact that they shaved their heads.
Bokham Moira, my blond haired guard, opted to walk into the pool with everything on but his boots and sword. I couldn't help but laugh at him and Edgerton, which made both of them turn as red as a setting sun.
"Are all the men in Vassa as embarrassed by their bodies as the two of you?"
"Our clothes are as dirty as yours were," Edgerton said.
I laughed and watched as three of the men produced knives and used them to shave. The two sailors shaved their heads. Bokham shaved his face. When they finished, they climbed out of the pool. The sailors put their vests and turbans on. Edgerton and Bokham slipped into their boots.
"It's time to go, Your Highness," Edgerton said.
I pulled myself to a sitting position, laced my sandals up my calves, and tied my cloak around my shoulders. I followed Edgerton through the bushes and back to the ship. "Did you know the Queen of Adah doesn't marry."
"I didn't know that," Edgerton admitted.
"She takes consorts, but she doesn't take a husband."
"Wouldn't that make you illegitimate, Your Highness?"
"Not in a matriarchal society, which Adah has always been."
"Do you know who your father is?"
"Mother said that it wasn't relevant. She said the only thing that mattered was that we were her daughters."
"Your country is very different from mine. The Kings of Vassa have always married."
"Is your queen married?"
"She is not."
"So there's no law that requires your queen to marry."
"Not that I know of."
"Glad to hear that." I wasn't sure I wanted to get married. I wasn't sure I wanted to be tied down to one man. I liked the idea of being able to toss men out of my bedroom whenever the whim struck me. Although if Edgerton and Bokham were any indication, I might have a hard time luring a man from Vassa into my bedroom.
We walked behind the ship, following it as Bokham and the two sailors pulled it around the oasis.
"Do you have any brothers?" Edgerton asked me.
"No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."
"Ever?"
"Ever. Nobody is quite sure why. That's just the way it's always been. Is that going to be a problem?"
"It shouldn't be. In our part of the world, the king's or queen's first born becomes heir to the throne, regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl."
"What becomes of the younger daughters?"
"They marry a duke or a baron, live the quiet life of what's referred to as useless royalty. We have a lot of useless royalty in our part of the world. Many of which will seek your hand in marriage."
"We have no useless royals in Adah," I said. "We have our queen and a barren hill called the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."
"I think I like our system better," Edgerton said.
"What will happen when we reach Vassa?"
"I'll introduce you to our queen, Catlett Shae Laamatt. Queen Catlett if you prefer. You'll spend some time with her. If she likes you and thinks you're fit to rule, she'll make you her heir."
"How is that done?"
"A public ceremony will be held in which she'll place the crown of the heir presumptive upon your head. A ball will then be held in your honor and all the useless young royals will begin to court you."
"If you have so many useless royals, why can't one of them become your queen's heir?"
"They're mostly low level royals, barons and baronesses. Plus, Catlett doesn't like any of them enough to make one of them her heir."
"What will happen when Queen Catlett dies?"
"Following a grand funeral, another ceremony will be held in which the royal chancellor, me, will place the queen's crown on your head. Following that, another ball will be held to honor the new queen, you. Once again, all the useless and handsome young royals will seek your hand in marriage."
"I didn't get to attend my mother's funeral. I was already running for my life."
"From your sisters?"
"From my oldest sister, Bedonna. She was in charge of the palace guard. Thanks to you, she'll now assume the throne of Adah unchallenged."
"Had you remained in Adah, she may have killed you and assumed it anyway."
"She wants to make war on the Dark
Wizards of Sorea. Last time we had a queen foolish enough to do that, we lost an entire army."
"Then her reign as Queen of Adah will be short lived. Which will be good for you."
"How do you figure?"
"As far as I know, there's no law that says you can't rule two countries at the same time."
"You're getting ahead of yourself, Chancellor. Queen Catlett may not approve of me. She may not like the way I look, or speak, or she may consider me to be too much of a barbarian."
"If that happens, I'll hire a sand ship to take you back to Adah."
"It'll be too late to return to Adah. Bedonna will have consolidated her power and those that supported me will have dispersed. I may as well cut my own throat as return home."
"Then I'll make you my heir," Edgerton said. "I have considerable holdings, including an estate I rarely use. You can live there, as mistress of the house."
"I don't think your wife and children will appreciate that."
"I have no wife, no children that I know of."
"You never married?"
"The woman I love was never in a position to marry me."
"You're in love with Queen Catlett?" It was a guess, but from what I knew about Edgerton, an educated guess.
"Was, am, and always will be," Edgerton said.
"Is she in love with you?"
"What does it matter?"
I took that as a no. "In Adah, she could take you as one of her consorts. Your daughter would be a princess, with an equal right to compete for the throne."
"Don't you mean with an equal chance to end up in your Cemetery of Would Be Queens?"
"If I become queen and chose to take consorts rather than marry, will I create a scandal?"
"Unquestionably, but you'll be forgiven."
"Because?"
"Because you come from the barbarian side of the world. People make allowances for barbarians." Edgerton smiled, letting me know that he at least, didn't consider me to be a barbarian. The sailors were signaling us, letting us know it was time to set sail. "I believe we're ready to go."
Edgerton offered me his hand. I climbed onto the back of the sand ship and he followed. Once we were all on board, the two sailors raised the sails and we were off. We had another week of sliding across the barren sands. Another week of nothing to do except study the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa. Another week of nothing to eat except coconuts. Another week of shielding myself from the unrelenting desert sun, the swirling desert sands, and the cold desert nights.