Thorns of Decision (Dusk Gate Chronicles) (46 page)

William’s body jerked forward slightly, and he made a choking sound, but he didn’t say anything. Nodding, Quinn pulled him tighter to her side.

“I can understand that,” she said. “But there’s one more thing.”

Stephen raised his eyebrows.

“I want to join the Friends of Philip before I return to Bristlecone,” she said. “If that’s possible.”

“So do I,” William said, squeezing her hand.

Stephen and Nathaniel looked at each other, and Nathaniel nodded. “You need four members to approve,” Nathaniel said, “but we have that in the castle. I could try and arrange a meeting for tonight.”

“You’re sure, Quinn?” Stephen asked. “I don’t think you should make big decisions until you’ve at least been back home and had time to think away from all of this.”

She knew that his suggestion made sense; it would only be logical to take some time, especially time away from this world before committing herself so deeply. But she also knew that she didn’t need the time. About this much at least, she was certain. Whatever –
whoever
she was in her own world, in her other life, she was also the daughter of Samuel Rose. If things had been different, she would have been raised as a princess of Philotheum. She needed to acknowledge that – needed that connection to her father, even if she never stepped up to his throne. “I’m sure, and I’m ready to do it now, before I go ho … before I go back to Bristlecone.”

Stephen stared at both her and William for several long minutes before he finally nodded. She could see in his eyes that he understood the decision for what it was – a declaration without being a promise.

“We can arrange a meeting tonight – in the council room after dinner.”

“Yes,” Nathaniel said. “I’m going to go and speak to Marcus.” His eyes met Quinn’s, and she was taken aback by the depth of the emotion in them, or rather, the emotions. There was relief, fear, maybe even a hint of …
pride?
Love?

What surprised her even more was how deeply some of those same emotions resonated in her own heart.

“Will you please send Linnea and Thomas in here on your way?” Stephen asked, as Nathaniel stood to leave.

*          *          *

“I cannot believe I am finally going to your world,” Linnea said excitedly.

The four of them had been sitting in silence for several minutes since Stephen had left the room.

“It’s not a vacation, Nay,” William said. His fingers, twined with Quinn’s, tightened.

Linnea rolled her eyes. “Is that your new motto, Will? Every time I go somewhere with you, I get to be reminded of how hard you work all the time, and how seriously you take everything? It’s also not a funeral. I know there are serious things going on here, but this trip could be fun, instead of a bad thing. I’ve been wanting to see where you spend the rest of your time for as long as I can remember. You don’t have to ruin it for me.”

Quinn looked over at Thomas, and saw that his eyes were as wide as her own. She tensed, waiting for William’s reaction to Linnea’s attack, but after a few seconds, he relaxed beside her.

“You’re right, Nay. I shouldn’t be so grim about it; we can go and have fun. At least nobody will be trying to kidnap you in Bristlecone.”

Thomas’ jaw dropped. “You’re good for him, Quinn.”

Her cheeks grew warm as she glanced nervously up at William, but his expression was warm, and he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Very good,” he agreed.

There was a knock on the door then, so tentative that at first Quinn wasn’t sure she’d actually heard it, but then Thomas stood to answer it.

Mia came into the room looking uncertain, though she smiled when Thomas put his arm around her shoulders and led her over to where the rest of them were sitting.

“I heard you’re leaving?” she asked, looking around. “I was told to begin making preparations for all four of you to leave tomorrow.”

“Yes, that’s right,” William said.

“And you don’t know for how long?” Mia looked up at Thomas.

“No,” he said. “It will feel like a long time for you. I’m sorry.”

As she watched the exchange between the two of them – the glances and unspoken words, Quinn could see that things had grown more serious between Thomas and Mia than she had known.

Mia shook her head. “It will be good to know that you’re safe. Things are too uncertain here right now.”

William had grown rigid beside her again, and Linnea looked concerned, too. It took Quinn a minute to understand what their problem was – they were worried that Thomas had shared more with Mia than he should have.

“Mia,” she said quietly. “You need to show them.”

Mia nodded, and stepped closer to them before pulling back the collar of her dress.

Linnea sucked in a breath. “How long?”

“Almost a cycle now. Since I turned sixteen.”

“Did you know about this, Thomas?” Linnea demanded.

“Mia told me a couple of days ago,” he said, “right after she told Quinn.”

Linnea’s and William’s eyes both flashed to her.

“I guess I’m better at keeping secrets than I thought,” Quinn said, a little guiltily.

William put his arm around her shoulder. “It might be a necessary skill for a …” he broke off his sentence, glancing back over at Mia.

“It’s okay, she knows my secret, too.”

“Wait a minute! You told
Mia
before you told us?”

“No, Lady Linnea. It isn’t Lady Quinn’s fault. I … I overheard a conversation I shouldn’t have.” She looked at Quinn. “I haven’t told anyone, I promise, not even Thomas. I wouldn’t.” Her hand went over her heart, over the tattoo.

“I know you wouldn’t, Mia.

“Do all the Friends of Philip know?” Linnea asked.

“If anyone does, they’ve never shared it with me,” Mia said. “I can’t say that I’m happy I know. It’s an enormous secret that carries more responsibility than I’d like. To be honest, even knowing the little I know about your world has been a burden.”

Again Quinn was reminded of how much depended on the decisions she had to make. She couldn’t blame Mia for how she felt – the weight of her responsibility was humbling and terrifying.

“I think I want to join the Friends of Philip,” Linnea said.

Everyone turned to look at her, and Quinn’s stomach twisted as she realized that she and William hadn’t shared those plans with her.

“Father won’t allow it until you’re of age,” Thomas said.

“How do you know?” Linnea turned on him, frowning.

“I’ve already asked. He’ll consider allowing me to do it at sixteen, instead of waiting until I’m eighteen, but definitely not before.”

Linnea threw her head back against the couch cushion. “You already asked him? Without telling me? Anyone else have a secret to share while we’re at it?”

There was a resigned half-smile in William’s eyes as they met Quinn’s.

“William and I are both joining the Friends of Philip before we go back to Bristlecone,” Quinn said softly.

“You’re both certain about this?” Nathaniel asked. His words were to both of them, but his eyes were on Quinn, scrutinizing her expression.

After dinner, Nathaniel had asked Quinn and William if they would join him on a walk outside, before the meeting where they would declare their intentions to join the Friends of Philip.

Quinn was silent for a long moment, meeting his gaze as she considered his question. She was sure … but she did want to make sure that she had put thought into all of the aspects of her decision. Her stepfather, Jeff, had always called this “due diligence”. She swallowed hard; it was oddly painful thinking of him here, now, when for so long she’d pushed thoughts of home out of her mind.

“What would my father – Samuel – have wanted me to do?”

A shadow crossed over Nathaniel’s face. “He never intended for you to have to make this decision on your own. Honestly, Quinn, once you were born, it was something he struggled with immensely himself. He was a good man, with the potential to be a great king, but he was human, just as you are, and things aren’t always so simple. For a while, when you were tiny, he considered the idea of just staying in Bristlecone forever, of keeping you safe there, of never even sharing the secret with you.”

“And then?” William was curious, now.

“I think he started to realize that some of his choices had been mistakes, and that he sometimes even regretted ever running away in the first place.”

“Even though if he’d stayed he’d have been killed?”

Nathaniel shrugged. “We don’t know that’s what would have happened, Quinn. It might have all worked out if he had stayed and fought for what was rightfully his.”

William’s hand closed tightly around hers as she closed her eyes, deep in thought for several seconds. Finally, she nodded. “I’m sure I want to do this. I’m not ready to decide what it means, but I’m sure about this.”

*          *          *

William had only been in his father’s council room a few times before; he couldn’t even remember when the last time had been. A sharp intake of breath beside him as they approached the thick wooden doors told him that Quinn was more nervous than she was letting on, and he tightened his grip on her hand.

Stephen was there, waiting just inside the door as William, Quinn, and Nathaniel entered. He had been leaning against the back of one of the tall armchairs that made up a small sitting area near the front of the room, but he stood up and came over to meet them at the door.

He doesn’t look like a king
, was the first thought that entered William’s mind. It was an odd thought to have – his father rarely did look like a king to him, except maybe on special occasions. But today, maybe because he’d been thinking so much about Quinn, and the decision she was facing, thinking about her father and the choices
he’d
made, it really struck him that Stephen was really only an ordinary man with an extraordinary responsibility.

As his father wrapped him in a hug, William offered up a quick, silent prayer for him and for this meeting tonight.

They weren’t alone in the room. Marcus was there, already seated at the enormous table, along with Luke Willoughby, another of his father’s personal guards. The two men stood as they approached. William raised his eyebrow at the sight of Luke here at this meeting – that explained Mia. She was Luke’s daughter. He wondered if tonight’s meeting would hold any more surprises.

“Hello Master William.” Marcus said, holding out his hand in greeting. “And Lady Quinn.”

William had to withdraw his hand quickly from Marcus’ and reach to steady Quinn, who had stumbled backwards slightly, as both guards lowered their heads respectfully towards her.

If Marcus noticed her reaction, he didn’t acknowledge it. “Lady Quinn, this is Luke Willoughby, I believe you know his daughter, Mia.”