Stalemate

Chapter 35

Gwen came to Ashtin two days before she was supposed to leave with Clu for Concord.

Ashtin had been laying on the ballroom floor, merely staring up at the mural of the sky and the dancing children on the vast curved ceiling. Abderus stood near the stairs, rocking back and forth on his heels, his hands behind his back. Ashtin had heard the clicking of Gwen's shoes approaching her, but she did not sit up.

Even when Gwen stopped in front of her, waiting, Ashtin still did not sit up.

"I have your speech," Gwen said, her voice echoing in the empty room.

Ashtin wondered what had taken so long, but she did not comment on it. She hoped that Gwen would lay down next to her, hook her arm in Ashtin's, and they'd giggle and talk like they had before.

But Gwen remained standing, and Ashtin could tell that she was growing impatient. She glanced up at her, at the cards inscribed with tiny, barely legible words.

Ashtin sat up and took them from her. "Thank you," she murmured. "I'll start studying them now."

Gwen nodded.

Ashtin, expecting her to leave, said nothing else. She flipped through the cards; there were at least a dozen of them. Gwen lingered there.

Ashtin raised her head to see Gwen's face. She was staring past Ashtin, perhaps at Abderus. Then, to Ashtin's surprise, she bent down and sat beside her after all.

"I'm not supposed to tell you this," she whispered, her face serious, "but Uncle says you're walking a very fine line."

"I don't—"

"He knows you went downstairs to see that Minarian girl." Gwen flicked her eyes behind Ashtin, seeming to communicate that Abderus had been the one to tell him. Which meant that he knew that she'd left him that day.

"He also knows about your... walk that night. About your conversation with your guard—everything. He tells Uncle everything you do. You can't trust him."

Ashtin didn't understand what she'd done wrong in her conversation that night with Abderus; he'd prompted it, he'd been the one to speak to her. Was he trying to set her up somehow? She fought the urge to turn and look at him.

Gwen seemed to pick up on Ashtin's confusion. "Uncle is doubting your loyalty. He thinks you're working against him."

Ashtin shook her head. "Working against him? I've not—"

"Listen, Ashtin." Gwen touched Ashtin's hand. "You can't ever talk about Minara again. You can't so much as look in that girl's direction. You must forget."

"Forget what?"

"About everything before you came here. You have to make it clear that you've chosen us."

That feeling returned to Ashtin's stomach. That constricting feeling like she might be sick. "He told me I was here for my people. I don't understand how I'm supposed to be an ambassador for a country I'm never allowed to talk about."

Gwen squeezed Ashtin's hand, so tight it almost hurt her. "You just have to trust him. My uncle is good. He has a plan____"

Ashtin stared at her, trying to make sense of what Gwen was saying to her. "Why are you telling me this?"

Gwen, unexpectedly, kissed Ashtin's forehead and stood to her feet. She straightened her posture and smiled down at her. "I'll see you at supper, then?"

Ashtin mirrored Gwen's smile. "Yes," she said, "I'll see you then."