Of course, there was more to the king’s plan than simply kidnapping the princesses. King Pierre had been obsessed with Urkan gold Gerard’s entire life. He was now trying to conquer Elea’s country so that it would be his. He’d killed the other Urkan princess. The only heir to the throne besides . . .
Elea.
He’d dreamed that she was going to burn.
Shaking his head, he remembered that Elea had not believed in his visions. Maybe both Elea and her cousin were alive and fine. Perhaps he’d spent too many hours in the sun and it had addled his wits. He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath. He could smell the lovely aroma of sizzling bacon, eggs, and fresh bread. Madame Petit—no,MamanPetit—must have woken early to cook him breakfast.
He walked back into his old room, shutting the balcony doors behind him. He pulled up his trousers and tried to straighten his shirt that he’d slept in last night. Glancing at the small mirror on the wall, he thought he looked mostly presentable, so he went down the back stairs to the kitchen.
Maman Petit was bent over the stove, but she glanced up at the sound of his steps. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost,mon fils.”
The wordsonfilled the empty chambers of his heart.
“I, uh, I had another vision,” he said, his eyes falling to the painted floor tiles. “The worst one so far.”
“Tell me about it.”
Gerard skimmed over the heads on pikes. His adopted mother didn’t need to know about the faces of the people. Faces that would haunt him as long as he lived. He told her about the pyre being built for Elea. The stone circle and his other mother.
“You must have had this vision for a reason.”
He swallowed. “There’s more. From the upstairs balcony, you can see the full Kaul armada sailing northeast for Urka. I think King Pierre has declared war on them.”
“The king is a fool,” she said, taking the skillet off the stove and placing it on the stone counter. “My father died in the last war with Urka. And for what? There is no winning against the Urkan seer. She sees all.”
The Seer Queen. Elea’s grandmother.
Maman Petit picked up a plate and piled bacon, eggs, and fresh toast on it. She handed it to Gerard.
“It’s better to think on a full stomach, I’ve found.”
He took the plate and waited for her to serve up her own. They sat together at the large table. Gerard could not help but look at Petit’s empty chair at the head of it. He wished his mentor was here so that he could ask him for advice.
“Petit would know what to do. He is fearless.”
Maman Petit pointed her fork at him. “You’ll need to be fearless too if you’re going to save your princess.”
He shook his head. “She’s not my princess, and she doesn’t want me to save her.”
“I doubt she will pick the pyre over you,” Maman Petit said dryly.
A smile tugged on the corner of his lips. “Not a very complimentary choice. I don’t think anyone would choose the fire.”
“Eat up,” she said, sticking her fork into her eggs. “I’ll pack you some food and supplies for the journey and you’d best wear one of my husband’s old coats. A Kaulish uniform will make you stick out horribly in Urka and get in the way of your daring rescue.”
He laughed so hard that he couldn’t breathe and his adopted mother did too. When their mirth subsided, she pulled her necklace out of her dress. There was a wooden trigon on the end.
“My mother was a traveler and she believed in Màthair,” she said in a reverent voice. “And I believe the Mother Goddess is sending you these visions because you are needed. You must save the young Urkan queen and help her fulfill the prophecy. And when this is all over, you’ll have to bring her home to meet me. So I can see if she’s good enough for my son.”
Gerard blushed. “Elea made it quite clear that she does not think I am worthy of her.”
She lifted her glass of juice. “Bring her anyway.”
They quickly finished their breakfast, and Maman Petit went back to the kitchen to prepare him food and water for the journey. He selected a plain black coat. It hung on him, for Petit was broader around the middle.
He heard Maman Petit laugh. “You’ll grow into it eventually.”
In one hand, she was carrying a large basket filled with food and two jugs of water. In the other, she held several blankets. “In case you get cold. Even when it’s hot, the wind can chill you right to the bone.”