Chapter 40: Frederico – There was a Time
Frederico returned to Beloú with his soldiers, their bones heavy with the ash from the Mouth of War. Frederico had never been inside the Mouth of War, he had never crossed the gates to the east. He’d rather not have seen that bone plantation, with metal pieces peering out from under the dead ground. It made it worse that he had crossed the valley for nothing. There were no survivors.
‘Look,’ Leon pointed to the top of the royal mansion, where Patire’s flag had been hoisted.
Faust was back. Frederico quickened his pace to the mansion, ran up the stairs and opened the door to his brother’s room. In front of the window, with her back to him, was a deflated woman with grey hair, wearing a yellow dress. The queen turned slowly and the nightmare howled inside Frederico’s head.
‘Where is Faust?’ he asked.
‘Son,’ said Margot of Patire.
Frederico’s last memory of his mother included the callous hand of that man in the Dungeons of Ice, the roughness of a dagger in his own hands, the little dog’s huge eyes.
Margot took Frederico’s hands.
‘So soft. You haven’t changed.’
‘Have you?’
‘We... your father needs you.’
‘He never has before.’
‘He needs you to be a warrior.’
He pulled his hands from hers.
‘Frederico, you must understand,’ said Queen Margot. ‘What use has Patire for someone like you?’
He eyed her with sadness, then anger, then indifference.
‘The king already has a warrior. The other son, the one he loves.’
She took his hand again and put something in it. Something cold, heavy, metallic.
‘Not anymore,’ she said.
Frederico looked at Faust’s medallion in his hand.
‘Patire has been invaded. Neville of Baynard killed your brother.’
The queen left Faust’s room and went haltingly to the room at the end of the corridor. In there was an old man on a chair. He twisted his fingers and shook his head, moving his lips without a sound.
Margot walked past the man who sent all her children to war and stood at the window. A while later she saw Frederico outside. A young, black soldier gave him his horse’s reins. Frederico pulled his crestfallen horse to the gate. The soldier seemed to call him, but Frederico didn’t hear it. A red-haired soldier joined the younger one and the two of them stood there staring at the back of the prince who left.
There was a time when Queen Margot had five children. Now she had none.