The Siren and the Deep Blue Sea - Kerrelyn Sparks Page 0,25
her bed she found herself unable to sleep. The old bedchamber that she had shared with her sisters seemed so empty now. Who would have believed back then that the four eldest girls would become queens?
And what did the future hold for her? Maeve wondered. According to the Seer, she would have answers tomorrow night. Would she see Brody? Would he finally admit that he’d been seeking her company in disguise every month for the past four years? Anticipation coursed through her, making sleep impossible.
Shortly before sunrise, she dragged herself to join the nuns at morning mass, where they said farewell to the moon goddesses, Luna and Lessa, and asked for their protection until they returned that evening. Afterward, the sisters headed to the dining hall to break their fast, and Nevis arrived in time to eat.
“Did you sleep onboard the ship last night?” Maeve asked as they loaded their plates with eggs, bacon, bread, butter, and strawberry jam.
Nevis shook his head. “I can’t stand the thought of admitting failure to Leo, so I went back to Lessa Castle to request another meeting with Queen Esther.”
“Did you see her?”
With a sigh, Nevis set his plate on a table and collapsed into a chair. “No, even though I waited several hours. By the time I gave up, all the rowboats had returned to the ship. So I took a room in an inn by the docks.”
Maeve sat across from him. “I wonder why she’s being so unfriendly.” When Mother Ginessa sat next to her, she asked, “Have you seen the queen lately?”
“Not for a long time.” Mother Ginessa tilted her head, thinking. “It must be nigh on fifteen years.”
“Are you sure she’s alive?” Nevis muttered, and Maeve shot him an annoyed look.
Mother Ginessa smiled. “Aye, I’m sure. She sends me a note every month with a generous donation.”
“So you exchange letters with her?” Maeve asked.
Mother Ginessa nodded. “She always asks us to remember her husband and two sons in our prayers.”
“Oh, that’s right.” Maeve recalled that during every mass, the nuns would beseech the goddesses to watch over a long list of people, and that list had always included King Rudgar and his sons. Growing up at the convent, she’d heard all the names recited several times a day, year after year. Eventually, she had ceased to pay much attention to them.
“What happened to them?” Nevis asked.
“They were lost at sea.” Mother Ginessa made the sign of the moons. “May the goddesses keep them in a loving embrace.”
Maeve joined her in making the sign of the moons. “I remember now. I was only about five years old when the news arrived that the king and his sons had died. People all over the island were in mourning.”
“Aye, ’twas terribly sad.” Mother Ginessa blinked away tears. “Poor Esther. Her heart was so broken, she closed herself off in the castle and has ne’er come out since.”
Nevis narrowed his eyes. “Then who’s running the country?”
Mother Ginessa gave him a wry look. “She may be heartbroken, but she’s still responsible and attends to her duties. The Isle of Moon is not that large, so there isn’t a great deal for her to do.”
“What about her daughter?” Maeve asked. “Maybe Nevis would have better luck seeking an audience with her.”
“Princess Elinor?” Mother Ginessa shrugged. “I’m not sure that would work. From Esther’s letters, it appears that the princess has very little interest in politics. She’s an artist.”
Nevis snorted. “Who does she think is going to run the place after her mother is gone?” He winced when Maeve kicked him under the table. “What?”
She smiled. “I thought we could spend the morning down at the docks, asking the sailors if they’ve ever seen or heard about islands to the south of here.”
Nevis grunted as he spread butter and jam on his bread. “If you say so.”
An hour later they were wandering about the docks, asking anyone they could find. Unfortunately, all the fishermen had gone out to sea before dawn. Only a few had returned, their boats filled with fish, but they were too busy unloading their haul to pay any attention to Maeve’s questions.
“Please, this is important,” she begged a fishing boat captain.
He gave her an impatient look. “Lass, there are things ye should not ask.”
“Why not?”
“Because there are places ye should not go. Places whence a boat may ne’er return.”