Chapter 2: Why Me II

A worn brown-leather pack leaning up against one of the oldest apple trees in the palace gardens was the only indication Aliah correctly guessed her daughter's whereabouts. Rounding the tree, she found the foothold carved into the trunk by a much younger version of herself. She had spent many an afternoon hiding amongst the leaves, escaping from the demands made on a princess of the realm, feeling sorry for herself.

Climbing into the broad branches was more difficult nowadays, but she managed it - just - thanks to her regular training with a weapons master. Not too far up, she found her eldest child, legs on either side of a stout branch, her back against the trunk. She followed Mina's gaze. A guard platoon was running through their drills in the practice yard, and they had her daughter's complete attention.

Once she had taken a place on the opposite branch, Aliah waited for her daughter to speak first. In their peaceful, leafy cocoon, the sound of metal crashing against metal wafted up, interspersed with birdsong and the buzz of bees. She closed her eyes, making the most of this moment of respite from the court life she sometimes found stifling, thinking to herself she should do this more often.

'Aren't you going to yell at me, Mother?'

Aliah sighed and opened her eyes, her break from the pressures of being co-regent and parent all too short. 'Would it achieve anything if I did?'

Mina didn't answer immediately, and Aliah marvelled at how changing her normal instinct to go on the defensive when attacked altered the dynamics between them. She grimaced; how she loathed it when Dominic was right.

'No... I guess not,' Mina admitted. 'I'm not going back though, so you may as well allow me to train as a guard and let me do my service to the country my way.'

Aliah clenched her fists and took some calming breaths, willing herself not to respond by telling her daughter her disobedience would not be rewarded by giving her what she wanted. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself talking to Duke Damon, her closest ally and leader of the Southern Duchy. Although they were friends, the duke had his own mind and often had to be persuaded to act in the interests of Aria as a whole.

'Mum, aren't you going to say anything?' Mina sat forward and stared at her mother.

Her daughter's eagerness for her parent to agree with her might play to Aliah's advantage. Focused on her end goal, she might not notice a more subtle approach, and in the meantime, she could teach Mina to build a better argument - one not based on "I want".

'Yes, Mina, I have plenty to say on this matter....'

Mina took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for another long lecture. In response, Aliah closed her eyes and relaxed against the tree, enjoying the warmth of the day and planning the best way to approach her argument. While she was thinking, Mina's impatience prodded her like tiny needles pricking her consciousness.

'Mum?'

'Maybe we can start by me admitting it was wrong to force you to attend school on Wizard Isle.' Aliah opened her eyes long enough to catch the startled expression on her daughter's face before it returned to its usual, sullen mask. 'I didn't do you the courtesy of treating you like an adult, and you responded by running away, just as a child would... so I shouldn't be surprised.' Voicing her apology caused some of Aliah's own anger to dissipate.

'I am not a child!' Mina spat, and an image of a cat arching its back ready to fight popped into Aliah's mind. Instead of telling her daughter if she wanted to be treated like a grown-up, she should start behaving like one, she said, 'Your father's and my reasons for sending you to school on the isle were not only aimed at benefitting Aria. It's true we wanted you to become a role model for others by becoming the first female licenced magic practitioner in the land - '

Mina snorted. Aliah ignored her.

'We believed learning how to use and control your magic would open more choices for you in the future.' Holding up her hand, she forestalled Mina's usual comments at this stage of the argument. 'When we discuss this, you always say, "I don't want to use my magic. I want to be a guard and serve my country in a troop somewhere in Aria".'

'Yes.' Mina's tone was weary, as if she did not quite trust this reasoned approach from her mother.

'You'd follow that up with something like "You're turning me into a slave to the nation, trampling on my free will," and other such things. Have I summarised correctly?'

'I guess... mostly.'

'What did I miss?' Aliah raised an eyebrow.

'I am not sure I want to be heir to the crown, or ever rule Aria, so all this is moot.'

Mina's sulky tone set Aliah on edge, and she imagined giving in to her initial reaction to shake her daughter until her teeth rattled. Unfortunately, that would not do anyone any good. Aliah closed her eyes again and prayed to the goddess for patience before answering. 'You're a moon-turn away from your seventeenth birthday, when you are required to begin your year's service to the crown. Let's sort the next twelve moon-turns out and worry about the future later.'

'All right, if it will make this go more quickly.'

The concession was given grudgingly, but Aliah was happy to take the small win. Gritting her teeth, she attempted to build momentum. 'So now that we are agreed the focus will be on your service to the crown, let's look at this problem a little more closely. Why do members of the royal family offer themselves to Aria for a year?'

Again, a dramatic sigh preceded Mina's answer. Clearly, discussing this with her mother was almost too much for her to bear. 'We've been over this a thousand times.'

'We have, but please indulge me.'

'You always tell us "We grow up with many privileges, and it is our way of paying Aria back before we set out on our chosen paths as adults", but you never did it, did you?' Mina blurted out.

"Goddess!" Aliah couldn't decide what to do. Should she allow herself to be side-tracked, or should she carry on as planned? It would be easier to ignore the outburst, but she was aware if she didn't respond, Mina would continue to use this as an excuse to back out of anything they agreed to. 'When I was younger than you, I was forced to leave for a faraway land to wed a foreign king I'd never met - '

'But you didn't marry him.'

'No, I didn't, thank the goddess. However, the barons and the council thought risking my life to save Aria from the Carsten invasion more than counted as my service to the crown.'

'Of course, how could we forget... you're The Great Warrior, saviour of Aria.'

Bitterness laced Mina's words. Ordinarily, this would cause Aliah a mass of guilt, followed by her either giving in or getting angry - because she was mindful of how having ballads sung about your mother's bravery could not be easy on a child. This time though, she pushed her own negative emotions aside and struggled on. 'Mina, I am talking to you as a mother and your queen, not as The Warrior. Being Aria's saviour is my past - and I'm happy for it to remain history. Besides, it has no bearing on what we're discussing now. You grew up a princess in this palace, well educated and well cared for. In return for all you've received, we ask you to give something back to the people of this country.'

'But - '

Aliah pressed on. 'In the past, for princesses, this meant cementing Aria's ties either internally or externally through marriage.'

Mina groaned under her breath. Aliah continued as if she hadn't heard. 'Your father and I convinced the king's council to change the laws and allow for female royal children to do something for Aria, just like their brothers would.'

'I have no problem with that, and I appreciate not being forced to marry some power-obsessed male who only sees me for my title. I just don't understand why my year can't be spent in the guard.'

'Because so far, the only benefit your father and I can identify is you want to do it, which totally misses the point of giving service being about what Aria needs... not what you want.'

Aliah realised she had pushed too hard too fast when she saw the stubborn set of her daughter's face.

Mina folded her arms and leaned back against the trunk. 'Perhaps you should marry me off then, if this is all too difficult for you.'

Opening and closing her fists to release the building tension, Aliah fought the urge to lash out in the same way her daughter had. Only her experience from their previous encounters held her back. Reacting to the taunt would not get them anywhere. Stretching, she said, 'Perhaps I have been remiss in passing on some of our family history. Maybe you would not be so quick to become a bride if you had experienced what it feels like to be treated as chattel.'

'I don't believe you could tell me anything that would make marriage less appealing than spending a year on Wizard Isle.'

'Challenge accepted, although I think the branches of a tree are not the best place for storytelling. While you take your belongings back to your room, I'll organise some food and join you. Then I can tell you about the first Natari princess to come to Aria.' In the following silence, Aliah wondered if Mina had taken the bait.

'Okay, see you soon.' Mina swung down to the ground and threw her pack over her shoulder. As she ran towards the palace, a mass of dark, unruly hair escaped its bindings and caught in the straps of her bag.

Taking a more measured approach, Aliah climbed down and stretched her limbs before walking back through the castle.