Under the Roses

56 - Among the Daughters of the Air

ALICE

Alice saw the border from afar. The gates were tall, and she could see the guards standing at their posts. The road was unpaved, the ride rocky, and Alice was deathly afraid she was going to fall off the barrel she was sitting on, gripping the edge with white knuckles.

"I don't think any of you have papers, do you?" said Theresa, speaking for the first time. Her voice sounded almost identical to that of her brother's, but lighter, soft and elegant.

Alice shook her head. She glanced at Whit and Vanessa. She wasn't sure if Whit had papers...actually, she wasn't really even sure who Whit was. Was it even his real name? The thought had never occurred to her before. And Vanessa, well, maybe Vanessa could conjure up some identification papers from that satchel of hers.

Vanessa, having the same idea, reached into her satchel. She felt around in it for a minute, then pulled out a folded piece of paper. Frowning, she opened it up. "Oh, never mind," she said, putting it back into her satchel.

"What was that?" Alice asked.

"Just a sketch of mine."

"You draw?"

Vanessa shrugged. "It's just a hobby. I guess I don't have papers after all."

"So none of you have papers?" Theresa raised an eyebrow. "And you're all foreigners. Going to see the Queen. For some unspecified reason..."

Alice realized how suspicious it sounded. Being a Pleasance couldn't just get her everywhere. "It's not for anything bad," she said, before realizing how extra-suspicious that sounded. "We just need some help from her."

"With what?" Ava said. "Maybe we can help?"

Alice looked at Vanessa and Whit. Whit was expressionless, as usual. Vanessa was frowning slightly. She shrugged.

"Quickly, now, we're almost at the border," Ava said in a singsong voice.

Vanessa spoke first. "We're looking for the Crown of Faith."

Silence descended on the wagon. There was nothing but the clacking sound of the wooden wheels rolling across every possible rock and pothole.

"Well, well," said Thomas. "I suppose I shouldn't even bother asking why. Good luck, I guess, though I will say one thing: Amoret doesn't keep her part of the Crown with her. She might not even have it; it may very well be in the possession of some other lord or lady, or one of our dear siblings. Or maybe someone else entirely."

"And you know that you'll have to go to Amabel if you want to find another piece of the Crown," said Ava. "And the last piece is probably buried somewhere in Central Auvyn."

Alice nodded. She'd known it would be hard. Now it just seemed as if Red had been setting them up to fail.

"That makes me feel great," Vanessa muttered.

Ava laughed. "I'm sure it does," she said. "Now, you three need to hide before we get to the border. They won't let you through otherwise."

"Hide?" Alice echoed. Where was there to hide in the wagon? It was open, with nothing but—

"You want us to hide in these barrels?" Vanessa put the pieces together before Alice could. They all stared at the three faeries, who looked as calm as ever.

"Of course," said Ava. "How else will you go unseen?"

She slid off the barrel, not even stumbling a bit as the wagon hit a particularly large pothole that nearly sent Alice flying.

Ava pried off the lid of the barrel, peering in. She laughed a little. "Oh dear, that is wine. I hope you all can drink alcohol." She beckoned to Vanessa first, who was closest to her. "Come on, dear."