The Queen by Suzanna Lynn Page A

anything, it is
written down on the parchment. Try to keep track of when it was
given so we do not give too much or too little,” Luana instructed.
She was suddenly understanding Master Keon’s anxiety. With this
many people in the room, we could be exposed to a plague and
wouldn’t know it until it was too late.
    Master Keon finally returned, followed by
two stewards carrying books and rolled parchments.
    “So it begins,” the old physician
mumbled.
    “Don’t worry, I have things under control,”
Luana soothed. “I’ve already taken care of several patients and
sent them on their way.”
    “Very good,” Master Keon said, waving her
off as he turned toward the bookshelf in the corner.
    Luana walked the aisle between the beds,
making sure everyone had been seen to when she spotted a familiar
face. “Awen?”
    “Luana? Is that really you?” Awen called. “I
thought I’d never see you again!” The girl was covered by bloody
scrapes and blue bruises, her brown flowing hair tangled with grass
and dirt.
    “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Luana said,
sitting down on the edge of the girl’s bed. Awen was a year younger
than Luana. She also grew up in Open Shaw and they spent their days
playing as children. Once Luana took over the goat farm, she had
little time to play and rarely saw her.
    “You know me, always playing about,” Awen
laughed. “Really, though, I got busted up during the mob.”
    “The mob?” Luana asked, taking a damp rag
and cleaning a scrape on the girl’s forehead.
    “When they came into town and announced that
everyone would be moved into the castle, it turned to chaos,” Awen
said. “People were certain the war had already begun. Some went to
their homes to gather their things, others went mad with fear and
tore off running down the road toward the castle.”
    “Didn’t the guards explain?” Luana asked,
pulling grass from the girl’s tangled mess of hair.
    “They tried, but it was too late by then,”
Awen said. “When it happened, I was going back to the house and I
got caught up in the crowd. I tried to push through them but they
carried me on. When I fell, no one even stopped to help. I was able
to roll to the side for most of it, but not before I got stomped
several times.”
    Luana’s thoughts wandered to that of her own
family. “My parents and sister… Did you…?”
    “No, they moved to Black Hallows,” Awen
replied.
    “Black Hallows? Why?” Luana gasped. “What
about the farm?”
    “When you were chosen as the Prince’s bed
wife, the Kingdom paid them a great sum,” she explained. “They sold
the farm and bought a shop in Black Hallows selling bread, crops
and meats. It’s a right fine shop. You’d be proud of them.”
    “A shop,” Luana whispered to herself. “I
can’t believe it.”
    “My mum told me, last she heard, your family
was planning on staying behind,” Awen continued. “Something about
not wanting to leave their shop to vandals.”
    “You mean they haven’t come to the castle?”
Luana stood up.
    “They might have changed their minds, but I
haven’t seen them,” the girl said. “Do you remember the old
blacksmith shop near Fagin Forest? Old Man Finbar’s son took it
over.”
    “Yes,” Luana said.
    “You might find him,” the girl instructed.
“He knows your family and would be able to tell you.”
    A maid brought over a bowl of water and a
rag to clean the girl up. “Milady, would you like to care for the
girl?”
    “I’m sorry, Awen,” Luana said. “I have to go
find my parents.” She turned on her heel and tore through the
doorway before Master Keon could stop her.
    Luana ducked through the crowd of people who
had begun to gather in the halls as they moved to the catacombs.
Families with young children, their faces tight with worry. Old
couples with everything they owned kept in a single satchel. The
sight was heartbreaking to Luana, but her goal was to find her
family.
    She turned to go into the main corridor of
the