Free Enna Burning by Shannon Hale Page A

to just sit here and wait until my captain says I can fight again.”
    “That’s right.” The other soldier stepped in closer, pointing his finger at Isi. “And if you don’t . . . ”
    “What do you mean, threatening the yellow lady?” Enna reached the group and stepped between Isi and the soldiers, shoving their chests until they backed up. “What, are you some Tiran pig dressed Bayern?”
    The soldiers stiffened. “We’re just saying what’s true.”
    “Oh, you’re just humming to hear the pretty noise. Get out of here, go on. If I hear you disrespecting our princess again, I’ll whip your hide so you’d think I was your own ma.”
    The soldiers hesitated.
    “Did you hear me, little boys?” said Enna. “Go on!”
    They turned and walked swiftly away.
    Isi sighed. “Those poor boys are grieving and don’t know what to do about it.”
    “I do. Give the word and I’ll flog them for you.”
    Isi laughed briefly and bowed her head. “I know you will, but I don’t think it’ll be necessary. This time.” She met her eyes. “You make me feel safe, Enna. I’m so glad you’re back.”
    Enna inhaled against an uncomfortable feeling, as though she had dreamed she had hurt Isi and was only now remembering. The fire. I haven’t told her. She realized now that part of the reason she left Ostekin so soon after the battle was to avoid telling her friend that she had read the vellum. She did not want Isi to look at her as Enna had looked at Leifer, wondering how much of what he did was really Leifer, how much was fire, and always feeling on edge, waiting for him to break and flames to rise. You make me feel safe , Isi had said. How could Enna betray that?
    “What’s wrong?” asked Isi.
    “I, nothing. I’m glad I’m back, too. How can I help you, Isi? I’d like to be useful, if I can.”
    “You’re still my maiden.”
    “Yes, that’s something,” said Enna. “Well then, I’ll be the most valiant queen’s maiden in Bayern history.”
    Isi shook her head. “Queen. For my first sixteen years, my mother was the queen, and when I came to Bayern there had been no queen for a decade. Now suddenly I’m the queen. I’m still not used to it.”
    “I don’t think most people are. Just now when I arrived, I said to the sentries, ‘Where’s the princess, or the queen, rather?’ and they said, ‘You mean the yellow lady?’”
    “I’m not surprised.” Isi patted the scarf that hid her hair. “I know I stand out too much with my hair so long and yellow as well, but I just can’t bring myself to cut it.”
    “Cut it?” said Enna. “No, you can’t. It’s part of who you are.”
    Isi smiled and entered the councilman’s house, but Enna paused at the door. She turned to face southeast, the direction of the kingdom of Tira and the direction of Eylbold, the closest Bayern town Tira had taken. She felt the hairs on her arms rise. They were so close. So close that she imagined she could close her eyes and feel her way southeast just by the heat of their bodies. The feeling twisted her stomach.
    Enna turned her back on the south and followed Isi inside to prepare for a war council, one of many that autumn. The leaves turned and pinecones fell, and there were councils and meetings and strategies, unexpected clashes with Tiran troops and dozens of Tiran prisoners. And then the weather turned decisively toward winter. The skirmishes between Bayern and Tira slowed and then stopped like tree sap in the cold. Tira had taken two more border towns but had launched no great battles, and now both sides seemed content to wait out the winter and strike again in the thaw of spring.
    And Enna grew restless.
    One evening she sat in the main room of the councilman’s house, darning an apron to keep her hands busy. Isi was with Geric somewhere, and it had been a week since the queen’s maiden was needed for anything more than being a friend. She found herself staring southeast again, toward Eylbold. A mild winter