Fiona couldn’t remember a time when she had been more surprised in all of her life. There was, of course, the time that she learned about the endless ocean beneath the floating islands in Rise and the fact that no one had traveled to them. She was also surprised when she learned that her long-time mother figure, Mac, was the vanished Summer Monarch of all faekin and the entire Court of Copper page. That definitely seemed the thing that would take her breath away this year. But Richard’s answer to what nonsense he had been doing instead of continuing to kiss her left her more astonished than anything else in her life.

She had followed him from the Forlorn Isle fireplace to his bedchamber at the palace using the book he had left behind. Him in the midst of frantic activity and her in the midst of resolute frustration. To believe that he was trying to get back to work after leaving her so abruptly! But then he had kissed her again, and she was preparing to make amends when the world had gone gray and wobbly. Now, sitting on a wooden stool in the Thorn Palace archives, she wondered if even the kiss had been real. Or any of the feelings he had mentioned before he so rudely extracted himself from her. But his answer still rattled in her mind.

Fiona tensed, “Your brother? You said he died.”

Richard winced, “I didn’t say that.”

“You certainly implied it!” She crossed her arms and took a step towards him. “Why in Larrakane’s name would you be guarding against your brother?”

“Let’s focus on the real question. How do you keep remembering what I say and do?” Richard countered back at her. He ran a hand through his golden red hair leaving it in disarray.

She hadn’t the faintest idea, but she never let not knowing a thing stop her when she was intent on getting answers. She pursed her lips and took another step towards him, closing the distance. Warmth radiated off him, but his expression was that of a guilty suspect, “That’s beside the point. How does what you did guard anything?” She shook her head, the edges of fuzziness ebbing away. He had seemed so surprised when she recognized him, “Were you trying to do something with my memory?”

“Yes!” Richard threw up his hands, “And you’re being stubborn about it is starting to worry me. First you, then Hawkport. You two are shielded against me in a way I can’t begin to understand. I’ve not run into anyone who remembers what I don’t want them to.” He slid around her shaking his head.

Fiona grabbed his arm gently stopping his retreat. “Richard.”

He sighed, shoulders slumped but remained silent.

She wanted to give him a moment but if she did, he would close up. She was sure of it. Fiona ran her fingers down his arm softly and then held his hand, “You can make people remember specific things?”

Fiona snorted at the unlikely assertation, “If it doesn’t work on me and Hawkport there must be a connection.” Her brain started ticking. She was a page turner, lived on Spine, and was amongst the most diverse group of people in the Book. He was a noble whom for all she knew never left the page except perhaps on a holiday. She’d have to figure out exactly why Richard’s power didn’t work on them both. Besides being human they were very unalike. That is, if Hawkport was completely human. He had been ‘cousins’ with Stella and while she thought that was simply a trick on Stella’s part one couldn’t be too sure. “What about non-humans?”

Richard shook his head, golden red locks tussling. “Works on them too.” He sighed and muttered under his breath, “Thankfully.” He withdrew his hand from Fiona’s slowly and walked back to the printing press. He began tampering with it, turning his back to Fiona as if that was the end of the conversation.

For Fiona it was not. There was so much here, so much to unpack. And after the daring rescue, traumatic page turn, and chase after Richard she felt she more than deserved answers. “Can you at least tell me about this power? Since you’re clearly avoiding my questions about your family.”

“Can’t.” He turned back to her. “Can’t go into details on the family history. Would take an approval from Larrakane herself and you don’t need to be in the middle of things.”

It was almost exactly what Nicolosia, the elder druid, had told her when they refused to answer her questions about the guardians. Fiona stood taller, “I am already in the middle and quite frankly I’m sick of people trying to protect me. I’m intelligent-“

“Of course you are.” Richard said waving the notion, “But once you’re in this tangle, you’re in it forever. And that’s not for me to decide.” He sighed and took her hands in his rough ones. He squeezed them once but kept hold. “But some things are, I suppose. My abilities I can tell you a little of.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand and then dropped them, “That shouldn’t topple the whole card stack.”

Fiona raised an eyebrow but held her tongue feeling on the brink of finally getting information. Like seeing your coffee just about to be done after being tired all day. She promised herself she didn’t have to be quiet forever.

Richard ushered her into the small archival room. Was it truly only a tenday ago she was here and trying to get him to work with her on finding the guardian of Rise? It all felt a little ridiculous now that she knew it was him. He had truly been trying to throw her off the scent from the moment they met. She made a conscious decision to withhold her ire. There was more here than Richard lying to get his way. After seeing Rise fall apart, would she have done differently in his shoes?

Richard left the door open and leaned against the drafting table watching over her shoulder. “My abilities are to give rise to what people think is happening and to rewrite their immediate memories. Through a variety of ways, I’m able to control what they remember about me, my…relations, and events revolving this page.”

Fiona was thunderstruck. Rewrite memories? It seemed so…specific. So delicate and grossly over powerful. What about people’s free will? It was their memories after all. “How could you do something like that?”

Richard tugged on his beard, “I didn’t set out to do it. It’s my responsibility. To ensure that this… that we’re all safe.”

He struggled with that. Why? “How? Surely if you told people what they were up against, even people who could help like myself, we could fix it.”

Richard scoffed, “Even Larrakane couldn’t fix it. And it was her failing.”

This wasn’t the first time he had mentioned that things were the goddesses fault. But he seemed so sure. “You’re being cryptic on purpose. I know you feel you have to hide things but please, you can trust me.”

Richard stared at her, inscrutable golden eyes wavering and then nodded, “When you’ve spent two hundred years lying to everyone you meet, pretending you don’t exist, trying not to exist, you become used to relying on yourself.”

“Not anymore.” Fiona reached out tentatively and rubbed her thumb across his rough bearded jaw. She had been wanting to do that for ages. It was the right amount of prickly. A reflection of him.

He sighed and patted her hand. Pulling a scroll from the rack above them he unfolded it to reveal a sketch of an open book, its pages blank. “When Larrakane created these realms, the pages as we call them, they were completely separate. I believe she thought herself an architect of sorts. And we the structures. I’ve studied all the mortal pages and I do believe she was simply recreating the same world over and over again with small changes. Some sort of vision you see. And then watched to see what would happen.”

Fiona dropped her hand, warmth and awkwardness making her movements jerky. She ran it over the scroll, but it was smooth, devoid of ink. “Like an isolated experimentation. I’ve seen Gaili do that before, trying to get the best outcome.”

Richard nodded, “When I was- that is to say over two hundred years ago Larrakane revealed herself to us. To humans.” He shook his head, “It did not go well. We had our own way of seeing the world you have to understand. A very concentrated idea of what was right and wrong and who created us. Of course, there were billions of us, and we conflicted on these ideas.”

Fiona held up her hands, “I’m sorry there were billions  of people in the Book?”

He shook his head, “Humans. Billions of humans.”

Unbelievable. There were only a few million humans at best spread throughout the page of Rise. And even then, the inhabitable floating islands were full of people. Where could they possibly fit ten times that number of humans? Where had they been living? “What happened?”

He huffed, “Larrakane happened. Oh, she told us she was our creator. Nearly half of the religious sects in our world went to war overnight. But her power was unimaginable and inarguable. It was clear that she was the one. And then she gave us a gift.” Richard pulled out a small book. Fiona hadn’t even seen where he had got it from. It was leather bound and wrinkled with use. He cracked it open. On the page was a portrait of Larrakane but not as Fiona had ever seen her before. Instead of being immensely tall and unapproachable she was a small human woman deep brown skin jet black hair but the cloak of blue starry night about her shoulders was the same that it was in all of the pictures and depictions of the goddess.

Richard pointed to the picture tapping it, “Larrakane gave humans the true words. A sort of magic if you will like the faekin have but instead of being able to use it for alchemy or inventions we were able to learn it to shape our world specifically into our happiness. Up until then magic had been a fairy tale, something no human ever thought truly existed, but the goddess made it real for us. Unfortunately, not equally.” He turned to Fiona and implored her with his eyes, “You understand about ambition, it’s one thing I think that all the mortal pages share and what truly makes us equal. That spark of desire and hope within each one of us that makes us strive for the things that we want. Back in my day humans were inundated with it and I’m sad to say we took the Word, as we called it, and we twisted it. I-“ He stopped, his voice becoming thick.

Fiona stroked his arm gently watching the myriads of emotions play on his face. Regret. Anger. Guilt. No matter what she said she would not be able to fix this for him, though she wanted to.

“It was my responsibility to make sure the people under my care, in my kingdom were safe. I used the Word the protect them. And in that struggle of protection, to keep my throne and the power to push back my-, someone who would usurp me and rule worse than I- I made a choice. And the reaction to that choice was deadly. Our world was destroyed. My role as guardian is to make sure that can never happen again.” Richard closed the book. “My use of the Word is limited now, thanks to Larrakane. It can only affect myself, this page and that people in the Book who would do it harm. I can’t change who you are or who anyone is, and I can’t change what’s already been done. Just their perception of it. That’s everything.”

Fiona held on to Richard’s arm trying to push through the waves of information. There had been more humans, and they had destroyed themselves with what Larrakane had given them. Not all of them. King Richard and his brother had destroyed them. What was Richard’s choice? He wouldn’t voice it which meant he probably couldn’t. She shook her head. If the fae had been given magic and used it to make their world glorious why had humans used it to destroy themselves? “What about Kerus? It’s clear that the fae were given something but what about the smilidon and the elephas?”

“I think Larrakane was looking for something, or someone special. And unfortunately, she found it with us before then.” He rubbed his face, “But as I said before, I can say no more on that particular subject. Doing so is more than keeping a secret, I assure you. It is dangerous to this page.” Richard swallowed and tugged on his beard, “Simply know I do what I have to do. I take no pleasure in rewriting the memories of all these people.”

“But what are you doing to stop having to do it?” Fiona said, raising her chin. “Richard, you’re telling me that you sit here, and you protect the page against possible danger, but danger came right to your door! Clearly the Painted Edge knows who you are and according to Stella they got what they wanted.” She placed her hand on his chest with trembling energy, “I can help. People can help turn this around so that you don’t have to make all these decisions on your own.”

Richard clasped her hand, “I have to do this on my own. It’s the only way to keep everyone safe, including you.”

“I don’t need your protection. Haven’t you figured that out yet? I may not be a Guardian but we are equals as far as I’m concerned.” Fiona took a step back, “Or are you trying to say there’s nothing here between us and it’s merely a king guarding a helpless princess.”

Richard snorted, “I’m not a king anymore.”

“That was not the point, and you know it.” She wanted him to tell her of course it was different. Of course, he saw them as equals and was attracted to her. He had kissed her again. He had said he cared about her. Well, dark edge swallow him whole because he was the one making it so difficult. Fiona took a breath, “Richard, I like you. And even though you’re stubborn, proud, and a bit arrogant you’re also thoughtful, clever and quite charming when you want to be. When we were working together you even broached on treating me as a partner. Why can’t that continue? We’re going to have to work together as we fight against the Edge.”

“Blasted woman, because I can’t help you! Hell, I can’t even leave the page. I’m stuck here. And that’s a good thing because if I can leave it means I’ve failed.” Richard said in a strained voice, “You want to be out there investigating and making this frayed Book safe.”

“So?” Fiona said, “I’m not saying we run off, get married, and become attached at the hip. Larrakane knows it would make my mother happy, but I’m simply saying we could try to see what this is. Or are you always attracted to every woman that argues with you?”

Richard shook his head, “Please don’t tempt me with things I don’t deserve.” He took a step back from her, “And I cannot have.”

Fiona’s anger flared up again but before she could tell him how foolish he was being there was a loud clang on the Archive doors. Richard jumped at the unexpected noise. He glanced at her, “Please don’t tell anyone what I have said. I trust you know how dangerous it could be to the wrong person.” He reached towards her but pulled back sharply and walked out of the room.

She didn’t follow instead rolling up the scroll on the desk roughly as if it was Richard’s neck. How dare he act like such a blotter. He was the one with all the knowledge, all the power, and yet was consistently punishing himself. And for what? Oh, he couldn’t tell her. He didn’t want her to get involved in the tangle. Well, that wasn’t his choice. She was involved. Up to her neck in it honestly. Oh liking him made things all the more complicated. She stopped balling up the scroll and dropped it to the table. Fiona took a deep steadying breath. He was the first person in a long time who had truly sparked something within her. Interest. In more than simply a curious way. She enjoyed being with him, talking to him, and yes well kissing him. But she wouldn’t sit around and be rejected forever. She had chased him once. She wouldn’t do so again. She wouldn’t tell anyone his secrets of course but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t investigate them for herself.

Footsteps echoed in the archive towards her position. She put on her best glowering face ready to give Richard another volley if he had so boldly chosen to come back to her at this moment. But Fiona stilled seeing a royal court messenger tentatively step into the room.

“You’re wanted in Queen Brillance’s private chambers mistress.” The messenger said quickly. He bowed, a little wobbly and then got back up, “I’m happy to escort you.”

Fiona frowned. She had already told the minister at the docks exactly what she thought about fulfilling the Queen’s request. She really had nothing more to say but perhaps she had to say it to Brilliance’s face to get her to understand. Regardless of how she felt about the man currently avoiding her in the next room she would not give him up to a power like the queen. She nodded and followed the messenger out of the room and through the archives. Richard sat at his desk tidying papers as if completely engrossed in his work. Fiona was tempted to barge right past him but said, “It seems the Queen has questions for me. But don’t think our conversation is finished.”

Richard tilted his head and eyed the messenger coolly before replying, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Fiona nodded curtly and exited the room following the messenger. Proud arrogant man. Lionheart. More like Lion’s stubbornness.

She fumed quietly as they made their way through the winding stone passages. The messenger kept glancing at her and the fifth time he snuck a peek it broke through Fiona’s thoughts. Why on earth was he watching her? Perhaps he was to report any suspicious activity to the Queen. Fiona straightened up. She was missing a valuable opportunity here. She shouldn’t let Richard distract her so. “How fair things with the Queen. Is she well?”

The youth jumped, “Yes mistress. She’s very well. Thanks to you of course.” He nodded his head. “Begging your pardon mistress, but please know my hearty thanks at all you’ve done for us.”

Fiona pursed her lips. Richard said he had rewritten memories. Shouldn’t people not remember a thing? What had she done for them exactly that even a messenger would know about it? Oh bother she hadn’t gotten a chance to learn what exactly Richard did. How could she ask the messenger what he meant without appearing daft? “That’s very kind of you. I suppose if you know then more people know who I am?” She winced. Not the best question but perhaps he would be too awestruck to notice it.

He nodded eagerly, “The Royal Court is singing your praises mistress. Lord Hawkport thwarted, and the Queen returned all in one fell swoop.” He warmed up to his subject grinning, “Why what they wrote about you in the last Card is more than true.”

Ah, Hawkport. Well, it was true that he was planning something dastardly for the Queen so he could take over. But the Travel Guild had dealt with him surely. How did Fiona’s name come in connection? And returning the Queen? Where had she gone?

There was no more time for questions as they approached the private chambers of the Royal Court. Unlike Fiona’s first introduction to this quarter of the palace, falling through a secret door, another thing Richard had gotten her in to, this time she was escorted into the small audience chamber.

Queen Brillance sat upon her makeshift thrown, a decorative wooden chair at a large dressing table. Her frizzed red curls encircled her face and the golden brocade of her gown twinkled in the many smokeless candles bordering the room. A few scattered nobles surrounded her, the Principal Secretary in large neck ruffs to her side. And peeking from the other side of the throne not even a hair out of place was Richard. How in the world had he gotten here before her? There must be tunnels abound in the Palace. He looked much calmer than he had ten minutes ago. Her eyes met his and then he looked away towards the floor. Fiona’s chest tightened and she kept her gaze roving around the room again so as to not draw attention to their connection.

Several nobles in the chamber gave Richard a curious glance. It was as if they’d seen him before but were puzzled as to his seat beside the Queen. The Queen leaned over and whispered to him. He nodded and gazed back at Fiona. What she wouldn’t give for some form of enhanced hearing. But the look they gave her was the opposite. All eyes on her, all watching and somewhat intrigued by her every move. She patted herself conspicuously remembering that she was no longer in Rise appropriate attire and instead in her every day altered plum doublet, verdant wool stockings, and bright multi-colored scarf. Well, there could be nothing for the right fashion after solving an important case.

The Queen acknowledged Fiona with a wide smile. Evidently whatever she had done had not only pacified the queen but delighted her with Fiona. By Larrakane’s grace what had Richard written?

“Mistress of the Page. It is with appreciation that I call you here today to thank you formally and officially for what you’ve done for Rise.” Queen Brilliance stated with a raised eyebrow.

Fiona swallowed, the heat of many stares making her confusion more frustrating. She bowed and simply said, “It is what any Schiflan would do for their country.”

“Be that as it may, you have gone above and beyond, and I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t thank you personally from saving me from those painted ruffians.” The queen teared up somewhat dramatically. She dabbed at her eyes with a gold thread embroidered cloth. “To be stolen away to a such an unimaginable place as that cursed jungle, bound with rope-“ she stopped speaking and covered her face with her hand seemingly overcome.

The Principal Secretary, ruffs quivering stepped forward and handed the Queen his handkerchief. “Her Brilliance underwent quite the ordeal by this Painted Edge. That you found her and brought her back home to safety when no other could is most appreciated. In honor of your-“

The Queen cut him off with a sharp raise of her hand. She threw her shoulders back and smiled, all traces of tears gone. Loudly she said, “I proclaim you no longer simply Mistress of the Page but Baron Thornbeard, Lord of Forlorn Island and Protector of the Court. You may thank me.”

Scattered gasps, murmuring, and exclamations burst within the small chamber. Some nobles looked outraged while others were amused. Fiona pressed her lips together trying to hide her surprise but couldn’t help glancing at Richard. He surreptitiously nodded and looked at the Queen with a wry smile and an arched eyebrow. Fiona warmed, for a brief moment not from anger at him, to delight. He had given her and her family quite the boon. She quickly bowed low to the floor to hide her delay at answering and said loudly, “Thank you your highness.”

The Queen nodded, “As for Lord Henry Hawkport and his family, I renounce all title and lands from them. Lands will be dispersed by hand of the Principal Secretary on the morrow and titles revised.” The Queen raised her voice over another burst of chatter, “Come Lord Thornbeard. You will attend me.”

The Principal Secretary swanned into the group of nobles who clamored towards him. Richard held out his hand for the Queen who took it rising from her seat. A guard opened the door and Richard began escorting the Queen into the hallway alone. What else could the Queen possibly have to say she wouldn’t dare say in front of the Royal Court? Fiona hesitated for a moment before following.

Richard walked slowly down the hallway with the Queen at his side. A few guards flanked the sides of the hall but as the Queen approached, they disappeared into the shadows swiftly. Fiona walked behind Richard and below the Queen as manners dictated.

“I have given you and your mother an advantage.” The Queen said. The swish of her skirt against the rush carpet on the floor underscored her words. “While Forlorn Island is not much, there is space for a home I believe.”

“Did Baron Lionheart suggest I be given the lands?” Fiona said with a practiced light voice. How far did Richard’s re-writing power work? She couldn’t pass up this chance to test the boundaries. To see just how much he balanced free will and his power.

The Queen paused but didn’t turn around, “Baron Lionheart? Who is Baron Lionheart?”.

“I believe Lord Thornbeard is thinking of one of your majesty’s privy members. Griffintail.” Richard interjected smoothly.

So, Richard had erased his true name altogether then? That was in conjunction with what he said he kept his powers to. Fiona gripped her hands behind her back as the Queen addressed her sternly.   

“It is I of course who rewarded you with land for your deeds. Our charming historian here provided information about the overlooked land, and I cleverly deduced it would benefit you.”

“Of course, your majesty.” Fiona said quickly. It seemed that Richard only adjusted what made sense. He could’ve made the Queen do much more. Putting Forlorn Island into the hands of Fiona was wise yet so at odds with his rejection of her help and need to protect everything himself. Perhaps he could not say in words what he could do with action. Fiona realized there was no more conversation flowing from the Queen and quickly pulled her thoughts to the leader saying what was expected, “We are very grateful to be in your thoughts.”

“Yes, yes.” The queen said somewhat impatiently. Perhaps the needs of others were beginning to take up too much of her time. “But to more important matters. I am relieving you of your need to find a Guardian of Rise.”

“Oh?” So, no one remembered her speech at the airship then? Pity, she had quite liked rejecting the Queen’s request.

The Queen smiled, “I am to be named Guardian of Rise soon. And the Travel Guild will be putting more jackets in place to support me.”

Richard spluttered. He tried to turn it into a cough, but Fiona watched as his tawny face grew red. This most certainly had not been part of his plans. Then whose were they?

Brilliance laughed tinkly, “I see I’ve surprised even you my good friend. Well, all in a days work, as the pulp say.” She laughed again. “Please see the Principal Secretary for your deed and decree.” She waved her hand dismissively and began ordering one of the invisible guards to retrieve her maids.

Fiona bowed and turned down the first corridor she approached away from the Queen. She had so many plans to make and not a wink of sleep before them. What to do about the Forlorn Islands now that they were hers. Fiona stumbled as a thought occurred to her. How would she protect its secrets, and Richard’s, from her mother once she knew about the island?

“Mistress Thorne.” Richard said behind her.

She was proud of herself for not jumping as engrossed as she was in her own thoughts. She raised her head high and turned slowly to him. “Yes, Sir-“ She faltered. All of his names were made up, were they not?

Richard blushed and he lowered his head, “Lionheart. But they should know me as Mourninghide again.”

She nodded not wanting to let her voice betray her feelings about his topsy turvyness. Nor the way he looked when the pink tinged his cheeks. Yes, she could see him as how he looked as a man of four and thirty years so long ago.

“I know I have very little right to ask you for a favor, but I must. This Travel Guild business. Do you know about it?”

“No, it was just as surprising to me.”

Richard bit his lip, “It’s probably for the best. Perhaps the Guardian in Spine is making it harder for the Painted Edge. The devil only knows how many of the ruffians remember what actually happened versus what I wrote.”

Fiona’s brows furrowed, “The devil? And what Guardian in Spine?”

He waved his hand, “I’ve never talked to them but I…well I believe there’s a Guardian for every page. I assume Spine is no different.”

“Have you talked to any of these Guardians?”

“None that I know of.” He dipped his chin down, “but then I suppose I don’t know as much as I thought I did.”

Fiona hesitated but desire took over and she placed a hand on his arm, “None of us ever do.”

Richard glanced at her hand. He took a small breath and said in a rush, “Should you ever want to toss ideas with a frustrating old man, well, this is for you.” He produced a small bound journal from his doublet and thrust it at her. “Don’t feel you have to of course.” He pushed it into her hands and with a quick glance at her face strode off.

Fiona had no time to recover barely saying, “Richard.” Before he was gone from sight. She sighed frustrated. Topsy turvy of a man. He was always saying things that didn’t make sense, words that she had no definition for her in vast vocabulary, and making herself hot and cold all at once. She turned the journal over. It was warm from his hand. A small quill was tucked into the spine but other than that it looked very non-descript. Her curiosity was piqued but she tucked it into her multi-pocketed scarf, putting it in the lace-colored pocket where she liked to keep her dearest items. She would look at it in detail later after getting home. For now, there was a more pressing matter at hand. A Guardian of Spine, The Painted Edges dangerous plan, and an unknown leader whom Stella worked for. Trouble was piling up and although it had already been a truly long day, she felt it would be longer indeed. She had a date with a druid and would meet Nicolosia before something else untoward could occur. Eager determination was sometimes the only way to get to the bottom of anything at all.