“What are you talking about?” Rolf asked.
“The griffin rider village,” Lilah said at last. “You know? Lulath is going there tomorrow. alone.” She gave Lulath a dire look.
“You’re going to the griffin rider village?” Celie’s voice squeaked on the last word. “Can I come with you?”
“I want to go,” Rolf declared.
“So do I!” Pogue added, while Orlath looked on in bemusement.
“And I want to go as well,” Lilah said with asperity. “I don’t even care about the village itself! I don’t want him to go alone! You have to help me talk sense into him!”
“I am not being alone,” Lulath said, taking her hand and squeezing it. “I am being with the many guards, and the . . .” He frowned. “The . . . men who are taking the money for my king?”
“Tax collectors?” Celie supplied.
“Yes,” Lulath said with a more genuine smile.
“Why now?” Celie asked curiously.
“An excellent question,” Lilah agreed.
For many years there had been a village on the coast of Grath where the people spoke a language no one else could decipher, never allowed strangers within the village walls, and paid no taxes to the king of Grath. Lulath had once attempted to visit them, to try to learn their customs, but they would not allow even the jolly prince to enter.
Just recently, after returning from Hatheland and hearing the language spoken by Ethan, who had come to Sleyne to help care for the griffins, Lulath had realized where the people of this village were from. They were the last of the griffin riders, those who had followed the unicorns to the sea with the last of their griffins, and then stayed there as their griffins (and many of their own people, probably) had fallen ill from a plague called blackblister that they had brought with them from Hatheland.
They had all talked about going to the village to find out if their suspicions were correct when they got to Grath. They thought that if these people were the old griffin riders, they would surely let the new griffin riders in the gates. But once they had gotten to the Sanctuary, in the excitement and stress of getting the ship built and meeting Lulath’s family, they had not spoken of the closed village at all.
“But you’re going now? Without us?” Celie asked.
“It is being better this way,” Lulath pleaded. “My father is saying, if these are truly being those who did flee because of the blackblister, they are being cowards all, and he is wanting to speak to them. I am taking two tax men to say at last, will you pay some taxes to your king where you live now, and some of the soldiers, in case there is being a small fight. But my darlings are here in the safety.” He held out his hands to encompass them all, even Rolf and Pogue.
This rather pleased Celie. Previously, only the dogs and Lorcan had been referred to as Lulath’s darlings. It was nice to know that he loved them as much as his girls and his griffin. With anyone else, Celie would expect to be regarded as better than an animal, but Lulath had so much love for animals that it was really very flattering.
Rolf and Pogue looked as though they felt the same way. But Lilah? Not as much.
“You can’t do this to me,” she said to Lulath. “What if you die? And I’m left wondering what happened to you. Or how it happened to you.”
“You . . . want to see him die?” Rolf asked, mystified.
“No,” Lilah said impatiently. “I want him to live, which is why I don’t want him out of my sight!”
They all just stared at her, except for Lulath, who sighed.
“My Lilah, my delight,” he said, “I am sorry that you are having worry over this. But the king my father has commanded this so.” He raised one hand to cut her off. “And it is not being because my father, he is having other sons and so is wanting to be rid of me,” Lulath said.
Celie glared at her sister. Had Lilah really said such a thing? Lilah gave her a defiant look in return. It seemed that she had.
“It is being,” Lulath went on, “because I am having the Ethan write down for me the common phrases of the tongue of his land, and I am being, with my many mistakes even so, a negotiator known of keenness,” he said with dignity.
“You’ve been learning Arkish?” Celie said in amazement.
“Is there anything you don’t know about?” Rolf said with a whistle. “The villagers are going to be dumbstruck!”
“I hate you all!” Lilah announced. Then she burst into tears and fled.
Chapter
5
The next day the entire court (and most of the palace animals) gathered to see Lulath and the tax collectors on their way to the griffin riders’ village. The griffins had made an uneasy peace with the dogs, but everyone nevertheless kept their eyes open for any sign of a fight.
Celie had her hand firmly on Lorcan’s harness, and Lilah stood on the other side of her betrothed’s griffin, also keeping him in check. Her eyes were red, and she looked like she hadn’t slept.
Which was not good, because Lorcan was becoming a problem.
The moment he’d seen Lulath step out in his riding clothes, he’d begun dancing around, clearly anticipating an outing. Though he couldn’t yet carry Lulath long distances, he made it known (by hissing at Lulath’s horse) that he wanted the prince to ride him on the first leg of the journey.
When Lulath had led him gently over to Lilah and Celie and told him to be the best griffin in the world and stay with the princesses, Lorcan had known immediately that he was being left behind, and he hadn’t liked it one bit. Lulath had given him firm instructions, and Celie had put a hand on his harness, and he’d settled for a moment—but only a moment.
“My son, go forth and treat with these neighbors,” King Kurlath was intoning in Grathian for the benefit of the court. “Learn the intent of their hearts, and ensure that we will continue together in peace.”
“O my father, and my king,” Lulath replied, “I do this gladly, and shall return soon with news, news that I pray will bring joy to all who hear it.” He embraced the king, who kissed him on both cheeks.
Lorcan scraped his front talons across the white paving stones of the courtyard. Celie pressed down on his back, pinning him in place.
“Return to us safely and soon, my son,” Queen Amatopeia said. She embraced Lulath and kissed his cheeks as well.
“Please my mother, look after my beautiful bride-to-be, who is more precious to me than my own life,” Lulath said. It was the formal way of speaking, but Celie could hear the real emotion in Lulath’s voice.
Lorcan lashed his tail and stretched his neck in a way that was all too casual.
“She is as my own daughter, and will be treasured near to my heart,” Queen Amatopeia replied, as was expected. She reached across Juliet’s back and took Lilah’s hand, which wasn’t part of the ritual, and Celie saw a single tear drip down Lilah’s cheek.
Celie reached over Lorcan’s back to touch Lilah’s shoulder. Unfortunately, it gave Lorcan the chance he’d been waiting for.
He exploded out from between Celie and Lilah and burst right past Lulath. With one flap of his wings he soared to the top of the coach that would carry the two tax collectors and settled himself there, his talons digging into the wooden roof.