"Well," said Bitterblue, "at least we have the crown."
Inside Katsa's room, Po sat on the bed, soaked through, huddled in blankets, something like the world's most miserable clump of seaweed. Katsa stood in the middle of the room, shaking water from her hair and wringing her clothing out onto the fine rug, looking like she'd just won a swimming competition. Bann's voice came from the bathing room, where he was running a bath. Raffin sat at the dining table, trying to wipe muck off of Bitterblue's crown by applying a mysterious solution from a vial, then rubbing the crown with what looked like one of Katsa's socks.
"Where did you leave the fake crown?" asked Bitterblue.
"A good bit closer to shore," said Katsa. "We'll go make a big, noisy production of fishing it out in the morning."
And Saf could leave Monsea with his name cleared. For Bitterblue
wasn't certain whether giving a fake crown to black-market lords, stealing it back, then throwing it into the river was a crime or not, but it didn't seem like much of one. And at least it wasn't treason. Saf could come back someday, and he would never hang.
THE DAY HAD started with Skye walking into her office, though it seemed ages ago. Every day was like that, so full that she stumbled into bed once it was over.
She'd been reading a report from Death when Skye had arrived. She was in her bed that night when she finally picked it up again.
He does kill Bellamew, as he has been threatening to do for some time. He kills her because he sees her, in an unguarded moment, with a child that she has claimed has been dead for years. The child disappears from the room once he has apprehended her, Lady Queen, not surprisingly, as we can only assume that the child is Hava. Bellamew refuses to produce her. Leck takes Bellamew away to his hospital, furious with her for lying about the child, has her killed with much more expediency than usual, then goes to his bedroom and tries to destroy her work with paint. Over days and weeks, he searches for the child but cannot find her, and simultaneously, his desire to be alone with you begins to grow. He begins to write of molding you into a perfect queen, and of both you and Ashen becoming increasingly unaccommodating. He writes of the anticipatory pleasure he feels in being patient.
This is the sort of intimate and painful information I would not normally burden you with, Lady Queen, except that the implications, when one considers everything together, seem significant, and I thought you would like to know them. If you will remember, Lady Queen, Bellamew and Queen Ashen were two victims Leck claimed to have "kept for himself." And his preoccupation with this child is striking, is it not?
It was striking. But it wasn't surprising. It was a thing Bitterblue
had begun to wonder about on her own. It was even a thing she'd asked Hava once, but they'd gotten interrupted.
Bitterblue climbed out of bed again and found a robe.
IN THE ART gallery, she sat on the floor with Hava, trying to stop Hava from being so frightened.
"I haven't wanted you to know, Lady Queen," Hava whispered. "I've never told a soul. I intended never to."
"You mustn't call me by my title anymore," whispered Bitterblue.
"Please let me. I'm terrified of other people knowing. I'm terrified of you, or other people, or anybody, starting to think of me as your heir. I would die before I became the queen!"
"We'll make some sort of provision, Hava, I promise, so that you'll never be queen."
"I couldn't, Lady Queen," Hava said, her voice breaking in panic. "I swear to you, I couldn't!"
"Hava," Bitterblue said, taking Hava's hand and holding it tight. "I swear to you that you won't."
"I don't want to be treated like a princess, Lady Queen. I could not bear people fussing. I want to live in the art gallery, where no one sees me. I—" Tears were streaming down Hava's face. "Lady Queen, I hope you understand that I mean none of this personally. I would do just about anything for you. It's just that . . ."
"It's too big, and everything is moving too fast," said Bitterblue.
"Yes, Lady Queen," said Hava, sobbing. She flickered, once, into a sculpture. Then came back as a sobbing girl. "I would have to leave," she cried. "I would have to hide forever."