Firebrand

It loosened her tongue. “Yes, I’m Anna.”

“Good. You are to report to the queen immediately.”

The chatter among the servants ceased. Anna refused to look in to see their faces. Let them think what they wanted. She followed the boy down the corridor, but what in the world would the queen want with her? Suddenly her legs got shaky.

“Am—am I in trouble?” she asked the runner.

He shrugged. “I dunno, miss. I’m just supposed to escort you there.”

Escort. It sounded serious. Had she done something wrong during the attack? Had they only just figured it out and now wanted to reprimand her? Then she looked down at her hands and her skirts—they were coated with ashes and soot. How could she go before the queen like this?

“I need to clean up!”

“You look fine to me,” the boy said. “Best not to keep the queen waiting.”

Anna despaired and tried the best she could to pat ash off her hands and skirts as they went. It was probably in her hair and on her face, as well.

She meekly followed the boy into the royal wing, her mind filled with the direst of dire thoughts of all that she might have done to displease the queen. The stern faces of the Weapons she saw along the way did little to bolster her confidence.

When the runner halted, she was so absorbed in her own worries that she walked into him.

“I’m sorry!”

“It’s all right, miss. No need to be so fretful. The queen is kind.”

His words made her feel better until she saw they’d reached the queen’s door and one of the tall broad-shouldered Weapons was gazing down at her.

“This is Anna,” the boy said, “the one Queen Estora sent me to fetch.”

“You may take her in, Rob.” The Weapon’s low voice was like the low roll of thunder. He opened the door.

Anna thought to run, but the boy, Rob, took her by the wrist and pulled her into the queen’s apartments. She followed him all the way into the sitting room and was surprised to find not only Queen Estora on her sofa petting one of the king’s little white dogs, but Sir Karigan sitting beside the fire. A tall woman with steel gray hair stood beside the queen’s sofa. She was immaculately attired, and Anna thought she had seen her before, an important servant in the royal wing.

Rob bowed before the queen. “Here is Anna as you requested, my lady,” he said.

“Thank you, Rob,” Queen Estora replied. “You are dismissed.”

He bowed as he backed away, and when he turned, flashed Anna a smile, then hastened out. Remembering herself, she bobbed a curtsy.

“Hello, Anna,” Sir Karigan said with a friendly smile. “It’s good to see you again, and this time without us being under attack.”

“Yes, Sir Karigan. I mean, hello.” Sir Karigan looked well, Anna thought. She’d only seen the Rider at a distance since the day of the attack, and one of those times she’d been surrounded by Weapons.

“Anna,” the queen said, “I would like you to meet Mistress Evans. Mistress Evans is in charge of the servants in the royal wing.”

Anna curtsied again before the forbidding woman.

“None of that,” Mistress Evans said. “I haven’t a speck of noble blood in me.”

True or not, Anna thought, she certainly had a regal bearing.

“Now, let’s have a look at you, lass.”

Mistress Evans looked her over with a critical eye and she just wanted to hide. As if sensing her discomfort, Sir Karigan told her, “Anna, the queen says there is an opening on her personal household staff, and she thought maybe you’d like the position.”

Anna stood there in shock. She’d come expecting some kind of scolding, but now the queen wanted her as part of her personal staff?

“Well,” Mistress Evans said, “I can see you’ve been taking care of fireplaces and stoves.” Anna’s cheeks heated up as she thought of her ash- and soot-stained skirts. “Has Master Scrum given you other duties?”

“No’m, just taking out rubbish sometimes.”

“Hmm. Have you family around?”

Anna considered how to answer, conscious of all three women awaiting her answer. “No’m. I mean, not as there is any who care.”

“Explain.”

“Anna,” Sir Karigan said with a sharp look at Mistress Evans, “you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”

Anna gazed at her feet. “It’s all right, Sir Karigan. I’ve got sixteen brothers and sisters, you see.” The queen raised her eyebrows and placed her hand on her belly at this. “Too many mouths to feed for my mum and da,” Anna continued, “so they found me a job at the castle and left me.”

Mistress Evans, on the other hand, looked relieved. “That was sensible of them, lass, to find you a place that would keep you safe, warm, and fed.”

Anna knew it could have been much worse, but she’d never gotten over her sense of betrayal at having been abandoned.

“Can you read? Figure?”

Ashamed, Anna shook her head.

“We can do something about that, perhaps,” the queen said gently.

“I suppose,” Mistress Evans replied. “Well, she is polite enough and seems biddable. I think she’d do for hearth duty for the time being, certainly, and perhaps some other simple tasks, and then we can see how she develops.”

“What do you think, Anna?” Queen Estora asked. “Would you like to work here?”