Silver Skeletons: Book 3 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Six: Change Calls for Blood

"No citizen can bestow upon a Slave any rights specified in the Law of Noelle to be the rights of a Person, and no citizen shall attempt to do so."

That same morning, Polaris and Drake stood once more among the gravestones with Wendell at their side, their gazes fixed on the Rose Tree. Its twisted trunk leaned farther away from the palace as if to aid its drooping pearl branches in their growing effort to touch the ground. Polaris expected the black leaves would brush the dirt before the end of the next month.

"Nothing new has happened since we smelled the soap and farm animals, Your Honor," Wendell informed.

"Well, I suppose no news is good news," Drake said.

"Not necessarily," Polaris replied. "The more information we obtain, the more evidence we have for Their Majesties. And the closer we get to a definitive answer."

"I suppose I can't argue with that," said Drake. "But since there is nothing new, I suggest we inform His Majesty about what we have so far, and see what he has to say about our results."

Polaris sighed. "I think I'll wait for more evidence."

"Why? The sooner we convince the king about our theory, the sooner we find Nadia and prevent a war."

Polaris faced Drake to be sure that his words were clear. "Yes, but only if we convince him. I don't believe that's possible with what we have. You forget, Drake, that I have yet to convince myself about this half-brained theory, how do you expect me to convince someone else? There will be no second chance for us. If I can't persuade Their Majesties the first time, their minds will be forever closed off to the idea entirely."

A sharp, splintering rip cut through the stillness, like bark being peeled from a tree with brute force.

"What was that?" asked Drake.

Another rip.

"It's coming from behind the tree," said Wendell.

They moved lightly around the tree, careful not to disturb its bowed branches. The tearing sound came a third time, ripping through the hush like claws on wood. That's when they saw them: three long gashes carved into the trunk at sharp angles, dark red and glistening. The bark split again with a wet crack, then again, each fresh wound blooming before their eyes, slick with what could only be blood.

"She's being whipped," Drake concluded.

"She's too young for that," said Polaris solemnly.

"I never noticed those other markings before!" Wendell pointed.

They all saw them: the same tell-tale mermaid spots that Nadia had claimed were the markings of a napaeae.

"What do those mean?" asked Drake.

"I'm not sure," Polaris answered, deep in thought. "But I'm going to find out. This could be the evidence I've been looking for all along."

He crouched low, balancing his journal on one knee, and scrawled a flurry of notes. He included sketches of the strange pattern of the spots, then added a second drawing tracing the way the lashes had carved themselves across the marks. When he finally straightened, he cast one final glance at the bleeding trunk, eyes lingering on the wounds as if they might shift again. He exhaled, long and heavy.

"I was hoping to find her before this happened."

Polaris and Drake rushed back into the library, footsteps echoing off the polished floors. Polaris darted between the maple shelves, fingers skimming spines until he found all the volumes about the various species he knew bore birthmarks on their backs—primarily books on seapeople. He dropped the stack onto a table, pages fluttering as he tore through them, scanning illustrations and notes in quick succession. Then he paused, one hand resting on a faded image: an ancient sketch marked with patterns eerily close to those blooming on the Rose Tree.

"Drake, we're right," Polaris said, not particularly thrilled. "The Rose Tree is mimicking Gerardo's descendant, who happens to be Nadia ... and Nadia's a mermaid."

Drake leaned over the page, studying it in silence while Polaris took a slow step back, the weight of realization pressing into his chest. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to steady himself. The evidence was right there, clear and undeniable, yet his mind reeled. All his life, Gerardo's survival was a legend, and mermaids were a myth. And now suddenly, he was not only dealing with the descendant of Gerardo, this person was also a mermaid—the second one he'd come across. The chances were less than slim, yet here it was. For a faint moment, he wondered how many more mermaids could be wandering around on land, and why they were here.

Then Drake's voice cut through the haze, pulling him back to the issue at hand. "Now that you have your evidence, no one's going to believe it."

"Can you blame them?" Polaris replied.

"Let's keep the mermaid part out of this. For now, we should try to convince Their Majesties that the Rose Tree is imitating Nadia, and leave all else out of the matter. This way we at least have a chance."

"I agree, but this is all so hard to prove without Nadia here to demonstrate the similarities."

Polaris and Drake sat in thought for a moment.

"Is there any precedent to this?" Drake asked. "Objects reacting to people in close proximity?"

"Or vice versa," Polaris added as he approached a bookcase. "I may be able to come upon something. Help me search around and see what we can find."

※

Polaris and Drake pieced together what fragments of data they could, anything that might lend their claims some scientific weight. It wasn't much, but between the fading trail of clues and the sparse records they'd managed to uncover, they assembled a case as best they could, threadbare but urgent.

Once they were as ready as they would ever be, they were ushered into the royal conference room. At the head of the long oak table sat King Darren, stern and silent, while Queen Ariana lounged beside him, a white rabbit curled in her arms like a breathing ornament. Drake took a seat a few chairs down, directly across from the queen, but Polaris remained standing. Sitting felt impossible.

The room felt tighter with every passing second with too many walls, and not enough air. Mirrors lined nearly every surface, and no matter where he turned, Polaris caught glimpses of himself: pacing, sweating, fraying at the edges. His reflection stalked him like a ghost, amplifying every twitch of unease. He rolled his shoulders, tried to breathe, but the rising heat in his body made him feel like he was being slowly smothered in his own skin.

Finally, when the king and queen turned their attentions toward him, Polaris seized the moment. He laid out his notes, diagrams, and carefully compiled evidence—all of it, except the part about mermaids. That detail, for now, stayed locked behind his clenched jaw.

"Your Majesties," Polaris began. "I have studied the Rose Tree relentlessly for nearly a month now, and I have been able to come to one, and only one, conclusion as to what is causing its unusual alterations. It is as bizarre as the circumstance itself, but what can one expect?"

"So, tell us," Darren pushed.

"I believe that your Rose Tree is mimicking Nadia, and every major aspect of her life."

"You jest," Ariana replied with a forced chuckle.

Polaris ignored her, and proceeded to lay out the precedent he and Drake had found. "I believe that Nadia is in this kingdom. The changes in the Rose Tree leave little doubt. Nature doesn't bend to forces from afar, and I have a series of similar cases from history which support this."

"Nature?" Ariana challenged. "What is so natural about this happenstance?"

"What evidence do you have to prove the tree is imitating Nadia?" Darren asked.

"The tree has pearl-white bark just as Nadia has pearl-white skin. Behind the Rose Tree, whipping marks appeared before our eyes, and as she was purchased from the Slave Market in your dream, we can already confirm she is a slave." Polaris showed the rulers his sketches. "Wendell, Drake, and myself all witnessed the moment these lashes appeared one by one on the back of the trunk of the tree. You may observe them for yourselves if you so wish. I am convinced that once we find her, she will have the exact same markings on her back. I also suspect that once you sent out your search party, Nadia's owner colored her hair black. Therefore, the leaves on the tree have turned black. Why do I believe that these are what reflect her hair, you ask? Well, observe."

Here, Polaris revealed a leaf he had taken from the Rose Tree, and removed a handkerchief from his sleeve. He rubbed the handkerchief against the leaf, and presented the result to the two rulers.

"Is that not the original hair color of the child in your dream?" Polaris asked them.

The king and queen looked over the leaf.

"Blinding specks, it is!" exclaimed the king.

"This proves nothing," said Ariana. "It would be showing her true hair color if it were mimicking Nadia."

"Not if it's mimicking every major aspect of her life," Polaris corrected. "It has also been producing the odors of soap and farm animals. Nobody whipped the tree either, but sure enough, lashes appeared before our eyes. It droops as if depressed, as most slaves are. All we have to do is find a very wealthy slave owner who also owns farm animals and we'll soon find Nadia."

"Which is about ninety-nine percent of all slave owners in Noelle," said Ariana. "Do you have any other magnificent suggestions for us, Polaris?"

"Ariana," said Darren. "Calm yourself, he's only doing what I asked of him. And might I add he has done a spectacular job."

"He's coming up with preposterous conclusions, and wasting our time!"

"Then you may step out and take care of whatever else you find more important! Right now, I want to hear everything he has to say." Ariana kept silent and remained where she was. Darren turned back to Polaris. "Why would the Rose Tree be mimicking Nadia, do you suppose?"

Polaris and Drake glanced at each other, and Polaris strived to develop a reason separate from Nadia's lineage. He cleared his throat.

"The Rose Tree is a major symbol of the Noelle royal family. You and Ariana shared a dream which prophesied the future generations of the family. When this prophecy failed to transpire, your Rose Tree found it necessary to intervene with the purpose of protecting the future of the royal family."

"The Rose Tree has the ability to make decisions now?" Ariana asked.

"You're absolutely right," said Polaris, biting back his irritation. "Allow me to rephrase: since the Rose Tree, a symbol of the royal family, has been blessed by God, and this prophecy which we all believe to be a message from God has been interrupted, God is using the Rose Tree as a way to navigate circumstances back to where He wants them. Does this make more sense, my Queen?"

"It does to me," said Darren as he shot a warning glance to Ariana. "Can you explain anything else happening with the Rose Tree that would support your theory?"

"I suspect the action of drooping along with the sudden appearance of lashes tells us that things aren't going so well for Nadia. I do suspect that if we continue to monitor the Rose Tree, a pattern will reveal itself and provide more information that will assist our search for her."

King Darren considered Polaris's information. "What you've shown me does make sense. However, Ariana is correct. There are too many wealthy slave owners who own farm animals, and it seems this is all you have to offer when it comes to Nadia's whereabouts. If you can narrow down the search, I'll consider your request. In the meantime, I will be sending my army on their way to Saíd on the morrow."

"So soon, sire?" Drake asked. "Forgive me, I was under the impression you wish for those new weapons to be manufactured first."

Darren stood with a proud smile. "Yes, and come tomorrow, I will have succeeded in arming three companies in two days."

"How is that even possible?" Polaris asked.

"I, along with Lord Mendor, have funded an entire factory to quickly build these weapons non-stop for ninety-six hours. The result has been pleasingly effective so far, if I say so myself."

Queen Ariana offered a slow, serpentine smirk but remained silent. Polaris caught the glint in her eye—too amused, too knowing—and something in his gut tightened.

"Well I must say, Your Majesty," he said to Darren. "You are certainly making good time."

"Of course I am," replied the king. "We have no time to waste. Neither have you."

"Indeed," Polaris agreed. "Sire, might you and Her Majesty be able to describe the appearance of the man in your dream who originally purchased Nadia?"

The king and queen paused for a moment and glanced at each other. Darren was the only one to give it a try. "He appeared human to me. He may have been just under six feet tall, black hair passing his ears, black facial hair ... he wore a crest..."

"What did the crest look like?" Polaris encouraged.

"Hmm ... there appeared to be a serpent and a wolf ... with some floral design surrounding the two I believe. I wasn't exactly paying attention, as you might imagine."

"Understood. You wouldn't happen to know if there were any weapons on this crest, would you?"

"Arrows," Ariana answered quickly.

"No, no, no," Darren stopped. "I remember very well there was one sword, and a matching dagger. There were griffin wings on the hilts."

Polaris smiled. "I have one final request, sire. It may benefit us both in the end."

"What is it, Polaris?"

"Allow me to take charge of the search parties. After all, you are so busy with your battle preparations. This way, you should be relieved of some responsibilities so that you may dedicate one hundred percent of your focus to a single task. In the meantime, I'll develop a profile on our failed buyer, and narrow the search down for the sake of adequacy, time, and expense."

Queen Ariana's eyes narrowed. A flicker of protest played at the corners of her mouth, but whatever objection she sought, it withered before it could form.

"Very well," Darren said. "I shall turn the authority over to you. Report any major news to me immediately after you learn of it."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

※

Polaris charged down the corridor, his crimson angarkha snapping behind him, with Drake scurrying after to keep pace. The moment they reached his chamber, he threw the door open and strode to his desk. With a vicious growl, he slammed the books down—a sharp release of the anger he could no longer contain.

"She is so bloodthirsty!" Polaris roared. "Tell me you observed her as well; she clearly feels no concern for Nadia whatsoever!"

"I did notice, in fact," Drake said. "I would go so far as to say she even wishes to stall the search."

"They're both right, however." Polaris raked his hand through his hair. "Just about every slave owner in the kingdom owns at least one farm animal, and most are quite wealthy."

Polaris smiled a little, and paused to ponder his next thought. Drake took a seat in a lounge chair and waited to hear why Polaris grinned so bright.

"But not every slave owner has a family crest displaying a wolf, a serpent, and a sword and dagger."

Drake racked his brain for a moment. "The Viscount of Baskerville!"

Polaris's smile grew wider, and he pointed an excited finger at Drake. "The Viscount of Baskerville. That's exactly right." He began to pace the room, deep in thought. "Now, in order to have changed the dream which both of Their Majesties dreamt, someone would've had to bid higher than the viscount. As I've mentioned before, it must have been a very large amount since it nearly changed fate, so this new person must be exceedingly wealthy."

"But there are many who are wealthier than a viscount," said Drake.

"Yes, but not wealthy enough to change fate. So, Nadia's new owner must be a high noble, in Helvetica. He also seems to get word of Their Majesties' actions quickly, so he must be someone who has access to the palace or access to someone within the palace. And quickly."

"So ... the Duke of Helvetica ...?"

"Drake. You must agree with me now that Queen Ariana is suspicious."

The assistant paused. "Somewhat, I suppose."

Polaris took a seat at his desk, and leaned toward Drake. "I believe that she informed our suspected buyer of Nadia's existence." There was a tense pause. "I believe that our buyer is Sir Rallian."

"That's quite an accusation, Polaris," said Drake. "You really believe he would risk his reputation over this?"

"He has the queen to protect his reputation. Additionally, it's possible she offered him something grand in return."

"Yes, of course. Perhaps we should pay the Viscount of Baskerville a visit first, just to be safe before we waltz around accusing nobles of starting a war for dishonorable purposes. Surely, he remembers who outbid him for Nadia."

Polaris nodded. "I quite agree."

"Or you can simply save time since you're right about it being the Count of Helvetica."

Polaris and Drake jolted at the sound of a third voice in the room. Their heads snapped toward the chamber window to see a small, glowing creature standing on the advisor's open journal, its light flickering softly against the pages.

"Great griffins!" Drake exclaimed. "A pixie!"

Polaris was only curious, and furrowed his brow at the tiny fairy. "And who might you be?"

"My name is Rein Bow." She bowed. "Two words. I'm a friend of Nadia's, and the rest of her family."

Polaris narrowed his eyes. "The rest of her family?"

"Yes, her mother, Empress Renée, and her grandfather, Emperor Gerardo. I've been a family friend for centuries. I know of Nadia's situation very well."

Polaris glanced at Drake. "She's of royal blood even." He turned to face Rein again. "How much do you know, exactly?"

"Everything." Rein sat cross-legged on the journal. "You were correct. Nadia is a descendent of Gerardo of Liko, who did survive his plunge into the Aquamarine and became ruler of every body of water in the world. Nadia was adopted by Gerardo's son, her cousin, and was made heir by ceremony. She'd been sent to land because the ocean was no longer safe for her, but as you know, she was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The Count of Helvetica purchased her."

"For how much?" Polaris inquired.

"Fifty twilights."

"Savage sprites!" Drake whispered.

"So, what is Nadia?" Polaris asked.

"She's mermaid. She inherited the human form by eating some form of crystals concocted by the miracle worker under the Aquamarine."

Polaris's eyes widened and he turned to his assistant. "This is highly unfortunate, Drake. This is going to make things exceptionally more difficult for us."

"No doubt," Drake replied.

"Does the count know she's a mermaid?" Polaris asked Rein.

"Not yet, but he's getting close," Rein answered.

"Hopefully we can keep it secret. Does Nadia ever leave Aimonbay?"

"As much as possible ... which isn't much," Rein answered. "However, she'll be running a stand in the market next Market Day."

"Fantastic! That's where we'll find her!" Polaris faced Drake. "I'll bring her straight to the palace and have her freed by royal command. Then we can figure the rest out afterward. Until then, the only thing we need to focus on is her safety and well-being, and to make sure that Rallian never learns of her ethnicity. Rein, how is she doing?"

Rein lowered her head while she searched for the best words. "I suppose as good as one can expect. She doesn't have the type of spirit that does well trapped ... if you can understand what I mean."

Polaris nodded. "I understand. Fortunately, she won't be trapped for much longer."

※

Back at Aimonbay Estate, leshy attendants carried Nadia's bruised and bloodied form on a stretcher, their silent steps leading her to the quiet of her bedroom. She would spend the rest of the day healing—if not in peace, then at least in stillness. The leshies, forest-born nymphs known for their bond with animals and rare healing skills, moved with practiced care. Their luminous, multicolored eyes shimmered in the dim light, marking them clearly from the other enslaved peoples in the count's possession.

Gently, they laid Nadia face-down on the bed. One began soaking a cloth in a bowl of pungent herbal oils while another traced fingers lightly around the fresh lashes marring her back. The air filled with the sharp scent of roots and bark. Just then, Garnet swept into the room, her presence quick and tense.

"Great griffins, Lila! Why did you confess?"

"Because Master already knew," Nadia answered hoarsely. She kept her puffy red eyes cast down at the floor.

"He could've been lying, though. To trick you into confessing. Don't you know anything about questioning?"

"Oh well, the damage is done. But it was all worth it to me."

The leshy pressed the soaked cloth gently against Nadia's back. The sting was instant, fiery and biting. She flinched and tensed her muscles, drawing a sharp breath through her nose to push past the pain and let the healing begin.

"Just let that sit there for some time," the leshy said. "Get some rest; we'll be back in an hour or so."

The leshies slipped silently from the room, leaving Nadia's wounds to breathe and cleanse. Then a rush of air stirred the curtains. Before Garnet could utter another word, Rein swept in through the open window, wings catching the light as she hovered above the girls.

"I came as soon as I could," Rein said. "What happened?"

"Lila confessed to what she did last night because Master said he knew that she sabotaged the construction," Garnet answered.

"Oh, Honey," said Rein.

"It was worth it though," Nadia insisted. "I'd do it again if I had the choice."

"I wouldn't," said Garnet.

"Well don't do it again," said Rein. "Understand? The best thing to do is to win your master's favor, not his disapproval. Well, it might not matter anymore anyway. I've managed to gain us help from a palace-worker." Rein's elation quickly amplified. "You'll officially be living in the palace after next Market Day!"

"What?" Nadia asked.

"Yes, the royal advisor is going to pick you up, take you to the palace, and get you freed by royal command. Then you shall live in the palace for the rest of your life!"

"For however long that may be," Nadia replied. "I don't want to go to the palace."

"Why not?" Rein asked, stunned stiff from confusion.

"The queen lives there," Nadia explained. "She hates me. She wouldn't stand to allow my presence in her palace."

The confusion slipped from Rein's expression. "You're absolutely right. I hadn't thought of that. After all, she's the reason you're here." She took a seat on Nadia's dresser, and processed this realization for a moment. "Well in that case, we must prepare for you to be here for an indefinite period of time. To start, I would tell your master that you're a mermaid so to avoid another punishment like this. We all know he won't be very pleased if he has to find out the hard way."

"You're a what?" Garnet nearly shouted. She looked back to Rein for verification, but Rein only put her finger to her lips.

"Who says he's going to find out?" Nadia asked.

"I do," Rein snapped. "Because he eventually will. He's a very educated former knight, unfortunately. Not only wouldn't I underestimate him, but I would do what I could to win his favor. I really hate to tell you this, Nadia, but if you refuse to go live in the Helvetican Palace like you're supposed to, you might be stuck here for much longer than we anticipated, and you'll want to make this as painless as possible for yourself. So please trust me, obey your master, and don't keep any secrets from him. Except, of course, for your curse. That must remain hush-hush for as long as possible."

"But the miracle worker told me not to tell anyone about my ethnicity," said Nadia.

"The miracle worker didn't expect you to be bought by the Count Rallian of Helvetica," Rein replied. "Of all Noellites to purchase you from the slave market, it had to be the queen's best friend. It appears that not only has fate been completely destroyed, but it seems to only be getting worse." Rein rubbed her face in frustration. "So you must choose, Nadia. Stay here and tell the count the truth, or live your life in the palace and trust that Polaris and I will protect you from Queen Ariana."

"Great griffins, what's going on here?" Garnet asked.

"I'll explain later." Nadia was silent for a moment. "I'll think about it, Rein."

"I'll accept that for now." Rein sighed. "What about your ball? Have you retrieved it yet?"

"No I haven't," Nadia answered. "I forgot. I'll fetch it tomorrow."

"Please do because the water's revealing it. I'll make sure it's still there and hidden in the meantime."

With that, Rein vanished through the window, and Garnet left shortly after to get back to work, leaving Nadia alone in the hush of the room. She remained in bed for the rest of the day, her body aching, but true rest never came. Her thoughts churned too violently with the knowledge that she would be a slave on Aimonbay Estate for longer than she previously thought. Or would she be spending the rest of her life fighting to survive Queen Ariana's wrath in the palace? Which was better? Which should she choose?