Chapter 18: The Night Before

By midnight the fort was a hive.

Torches burned along every wall, and the hex-riders' fires glowed red on the far side of the Fen, a mile off.

Brunhild had walked every post.

She had posted the Shield on the west wall and the vanguard behind the gate.

She had set the thirty men in the yard in rows, with their litters and kettles.

She had put the Court Mage in the gate tower with two of the Queen's guards at his elbows.

His wards were the only thing that would hold the gate, and the Queen had said to use them first and judge him after.

She had given every order in the same dry voice.

Only when the last captain had gone to sleep did she climb to the tower room, and stop at the door, and wait.

Yui was already inside, sitting on the cot.

She had lit a single candle.

"The latch is still broken," Brunhild said.

"I know."

"I do not intend to sit against the door tonight."

"Good."

Brunhild closed it behind her.

She stood a moment with her back to the wood, tall and tired, her cropped hair silver in the candlelight.

Yui saw her hands open and close at her sides.

"If the line crosses tomorrow," Brunhild said, in a voice she kept very even, "I would like to have been loved first."

Yui's heart went still.

"It won't cross."

"If it does."

"It won't."

"Yui." Brunhild came forward and knelt on the floor in front of the cot, so that their eyes were level.

"I am not asking you to promise. I am asking for tonight, as a gift."

"Whatever tomorrow does, I want this to have happened."

Yui put her hand against the hard cheek, and her thumb found the corner of the mouth.

"Then it'll happen," she said, "and it'll happen slowly. I'm going to take all night."

Brunhild's shoulders dropped.

She turned her face into the palm and kissed it.

Yui drew her up onto the cot, and for a time they only held each other and breathed.

Then Yui began to undo the buttons of the shirt, one by one.

Brunhild undid the ribbon in Yui's hair, and the black strands slid across her fingers.

They undressed each other without hurry.

It was not like the first night, when Yui had led and Brunhild had followed, trembling.

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