The Wildkin’s Curse (44 page)

‘I can never prove it,' he said. ‘I left my pack with the bell box back in the tower. And my lute. Oh, my poor Lady Oriole, I shall miss her.'

‘Of course you can prove it,' Mags said softly. ‘Do you think I would leave such important papers lying around? No, of course I brought them with me when I flew from the palace. And your lute.'

She held out the leather lute bag and Merry took it, laughing unsteadily. ‘Everyone is conspiring against me!'

‘Will you let that horrible old woman win the throne, with her pugsie-wugsie?' Zed said. ‘Or Adora? Even you'd be better than those two, squirt.'

‘It's impossible,' Merry said again.

‘As impossible as rescuing a wildkin princess from a tower?' Liliana challenged. ‘As impossible as a prophecy that has come true?'

Rozalina frowned a little, thinking it through. ‘It is the eldest child that becomes Erlqueen or Erlking among the Stormlinn, regardless of whether they are a boy or a girl. It seems a much better way, for we all know women can be just as wise and strong and courageous as men.'

‘My swan wife,' Zed said to her with a sleepy smile.

‘I am glad,' she said to Merry. ‘I did not want to be queen.'

‘But you are queen,' Liliana said. ‘Just queen of the wildkin, not the starkin.'

Tom-Tit-Tot crept forward and bowed, a strange gesture from such a hideous small creature. ‘I am glad that I have seen, the lovely face of our Erlqueen.'

‘Tommy-boy! I never knew you could be so gallant,' Merry cried, while Liliana and Rozalina both laughed, in a sudden joyous release.

‘We will make a treaty,' Rozalina said. ‘The first ever treaty between starkin king and wildkin queen. We will promise to be good kings and queens to our people, and work together for the good of everyone in the land.'

Merry reached out his hand, and she clasped it above the bloody bandages that bound Zed's broken body.

‘Just give me a few weeks, and I'll be up and fighting for you,' Zed promised. ‘You'll be king by midsummer.'

Merry smiled wearily. ‘You'll be the king's champion.'

‘And I'll be the king's mother!' Mags crowed. ‘Wouldn't my old da laugh!'

‘And you'll be my queen,' Merry said to Liliana. ‘Won't you?'

She smiled wryly. ‘Queen of the starkin scum? Now that's something I never imagined would happen.'

‘What's this?' Mags cried. ‘A marriage proposal? You're far too young, Merry.'

‘You were the same age when you met my father,' Merry reminded her. ‘Would you have let anyone tell you that you were too young?'

‘Leeblimey, not on your life!' she exclaimed.

‘Then neither shall I,' he said.

She laughed and threw up her hands. ‘Listen to him, he's getting all high-handed already. I can see he needs a strong woman to stop him from getting too cocky.'

‘I think I know just the girl,' Zed said and winked at Liliana. She smiled through tears and held out her hand, and Merry gripped it in his one good hand.

Then Priscilla said in a plaintive voice, ‘Is there any way I get to be a princess in all these plans?'

She gazed expectantly around as everyone burst out laughing.

Pedrin called for wine, to drink a toast, and Mags said, ‘Leeblimey, I'm fair famished. I never got to eat any of that feast you were all scoffing down.'

‘You were the feast,' Rozalina said, laughing, and Zed laughed too, then winced and held his ribs, saying, ‘Don't make me laugh! It hurts.'

At once Rozalina was fussing over him, trying to make him more comfortable, and Priscilla went to show Mags the way to the galley, and Palila went to see about cabins, and finding some men to move Zed somewhere more comfortable, and Merry and Liliana were able to slip up to the poop deck, watching the birds soar and swoop among the stars.

‘Only when a blind boy sees and a lame girl walks on the water shall peace come again to the land, and the rightful king take the throne,'
Merry repeated thoughtfully. ‘Do you think it will ever happen? It seems so impossible . . .'

Liliana turned on him furiously. ‘Don't say that! Words have weight, you should know that. Don't say “never”! Say “one day”.'

‘One day,' Merry promised, and bent his head to kiss her.