The Young Queens

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The Young Queens by Kendare Blake

Poisoner Queen Camille gives birth to the triplet queens Mirabella, Arsinoe and Katharine. She announces Elemental Mirabella’s gift immediately but Arsinoe and Katharine’s gifts are much less prevalent than their sister's. All Camille wants is for someone other than a poisoner to take the throne next, so she tells Willa, the midwife who will raise the triplets until they are claimed by their respective families six years later, that she knows Mirabella will be queen. The other two barely have gifts and they likely won't quicken at all, but that's not so unusual for Fennbirn anymore. Many people’s gifts are weak, so it won't be surprising for the other two girls to not display their naturalist or poisoner abilities. Camille leaves the Black Cottage and the island of Fennbirn with her king consort, Philipe, and will soon forget all about everything that has happened on the island.

In Wolf Spring, where the naturalists live, six year old Jullienne Milone and her friend Joseph Sandrin are planning their afternoon of swimming after Jules and her Aunt Caragh get back home with the naturalist queen Arsinoe. Joseph doesn't want the Milones to have to take in the Queen, but they are the most powerful naturalist family and it is their duty. Maybe she won't be so bad.

At the Black Cottage, the three sisters get ready for their Claiming Day when the families aligned with their gifts will retrieve them. Willa has raised each girl according to her assigned gift, so Arsinoe, the naturalist, is always covered in dirt and Katharine is prim and proper as most poisoners are. Mirabella has been raised to be Queen since her mother told Willa she would be, so she's been learning more histories and stories of the island than her sisters have. The three will soon be taken to their new homes and their new lives. It's unlikely that they will see each other again, other than in passing at festivals, until they are much older.

Jules and Caragh make their way to the Black Cottage to retrieve queen Arsinoe and Matthew Sandrin, Joseph's much older brother, catches up to them, kissing Caragh and telling her how much he's missed her. They arrive at the cottage just in time to see lightning flash in the sky above them, but it is not coming from the Westwood family of Elementals, it is coming from the young Queen Mirabella. She is upset because her sisters are scared. The Arron family snipes at the Westwoods while the girls cry, but soon Mirabella is claimed and taken away. Arsinoe and Katharine cling tightly to each other until Jules steps up with her hand out and beckons for Arsinoe. As Natalia Arron slaps Katharine and Willa protests, Jules hugs Arsinoe.

On the way to Rolanth, Mirabella is ignored. Sara Westwood and her brother Miles refer to her as the Queen and talk about her as if she is not there. They mention sending a rider ahead to alert the townsfolk that they are coming so maybe they could meet and welcome the Queen, but then decide against it, even though Mirabella says she'd like to meet people. At their home, Mirabella is introduced to Bree, Sara's daughter, and they become fast friends. One day, weeks later, they make a cake and bring it to share with Sara and Miles, but they are talking about the Ascension and don't notice the girls. When Mirabella hears them talking about her killing her sisters, you better believe they notice her then. She screams and storms crash outside while the candle flames inside climb toward the ceiling. Bree helps Miles as they extinguish the fires with their gifts and then Miles knocks Mirabella out with a lamp to her head.

In Greavesdrake Manor, Katharine has spent most of her time tangled up in curtains trying to avoid Genevieve Arron, Natalia’s sister. Katharine likes Natalia and feels safe with her, but Genevieve … not so much. One day, while playing croquet out on the lawn, Natalia leaves Genevieve in charge of Katharine and the young cousins. They share may wine, a drink suitable for children and poisoners without a noticeable or strong gift, but Natalia warns her sister not to give them too much or to taint it further so as not to have vomit on the grounds. Shocking no one, after her third cup, Katharine falls ill. She wakes later and overhears Natalia and Genevieve in conversation. Genevieve is complaining about how weak Katharine is, especially compared to Mirabella, but then, Natalia strikes her. She reminds Genevieve to never mention the other queens because Katharine needs to forget them. 

In Wolf Spring, Jules and Joseph are playing in the water while Caragh and Matthew talk, Arsinoe standing some distance away, staring off in the distance toward Rolanth, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mirabella’s lightning. The adults are discussing how horrible it was separating the triplets and wondering if it's always that bad. They mention a very rare Blue Queen, a fourth queen, who is always the one who becomes queen, and Arsinoe overhears and joins in the conversation, starting to ask about what happens to the other sisters who do not become queen, but Caragh, not unkindly, sends her away to the market. Jules and Joseph come to her instead and invite her to play with them. Sometime later, Caragh and Matthew are together, Caragh thinking about how she's always caring for her sister's daughter and rarely has time just for herself, but she loves Jules and thinks of her as her own. Matthew then proposes to her, but, like she always does, she turns him down, telling him to ask again in three years. 

Three years later, Sara Westwood seeks help from the High Priestess, Luca, about Mirabella. Mirabella has still not forgotten her sisters and is very powerful and uncontrollable, so uncontrollable that they've kept her locked in the basement of their home in Rolanth. Sara brings her to a place called Starfall Lake to meet the priestess, so Mirabella acts on her best behavior just so she can see the sky again. When they get to the lake, Luca asks Mirabella about her sisters, just to see what she still remembers. This was a bad idea. Mirabella pulls a creature made from water out of the lake and tries to drown the priestess. Luca, knowing Mirabella will be condemned as Mad just like Elsabet all those years ago, stops others from trying to help her and reaches out to the girl, loudly declaring her the Chosen Queen.

Arsinoe has been with Jules and Joseph for three years now, and even though she is not as rowdy as they are, she is fitting in well with them. They are playing one day when a beautiful woman approaches. It is Madrigal, Jules’s mother. Madrigal left the island of Fennbirn when Jules was only three and it is said that once one leaves the island, they will forget about it and will only find it again if they are meant to return. Caragh meanwhile is inside the family home with her mother Kate and father Ellis, discussing the children playing alone at nine, an age where they could get up to things, and then Kate references Caragh and Matthew. Caragh is set on marrying Matthew, but Kate is not so sure. She mentions the family curse that the Milones have, where, when there are two sisters, one will always be barren, which is painful obviously but more so for naturalists, but Caragh has Jules and Matthew loves them both. Kate then sees Madrigal approach with Jules lovingly at her side and rushes out, Ellis not far behind. They swing their prodigal daughter around, so happy she's returned, and Caragh is left alone, stewing, grasping at her empty womb.

Natalia, after a full breakfast of poisoned foods, just like every other meal, takes Katharine to the Volroy and shows her the poison room where they mix up a poison easy for beginners to make that is pretty and fizzy. Natalia is careful to make Katharine wear gloves as she has not come into her powers yet and they discuss her hanging more tapestries in the palace when she is Queen so it will feel warmer. Katharine asks if all queens are poisoners and Natalia tells her no, but that the island has come to depend on the poisoners because they are so powerful. Natalia accidentally knicks her skin with a blade and Katharine rushes to help her. Natalia is surprised at how kind this young poisoner is.

Arsinoe, Jules, Joseph and Madrigal are on a walk. Madrigal and Jules grow grass around them and summon butterflies and Aria, Madrigal's crow familiar, flies around joyfully, filling up on the bugs. Madrigal sends her bird away and asks Arsinoe if she can hear what the butterflies were saying. No, she can't. Madrigal tells her they are questioning whether Arsinoe will ever get her gift, whether she will be strong enough to fight her sisters when the time comes. Everyone is shocked by this, but Jules tells Arsinoe she will protect her. Caragh and Matthew arrive then and Matthew can't stop staring at Madrigal. They send the children along ahead of them and Caragh questions what Madrigal is doing, talking to Arsinoe like that. Madrigal puts Caragh down for treating Arsinoe so delicately and not training her at all. She tells her younger sister that clearly Jules is meant to be Arsinoe's protector and Caragh is meant for nothing at all. 

Two years later, Arsinoe, Jules and Joseph try to escape the island but are found, lost in the mists. They are taken to the Volroy for punishment as the Queens are not allowed to leave Fennbirn. Kate and Caragh are there and some others as well. Natalia, head of the Black Council now, is set to punish them. She wants to have Katharine practice her poisoning on Jules and Joseph, but instead, she sends Joseph away to the mainland until they decide he can return and sends Jules to the Black Cottage to become the next midwife. Arsinoe tries to stand up for her friends, telling everyone they are innocent and that it was her idea to leave, and Caragh steps in to take Jules’s place at the Black Cottage.

Mirabella has been with High Priestess Luca since they met and Luca has come to love the young Queen. She still hopes that one day, Mirabella will forget about her sisters, but because she was locked in a basement for three years with only them to think about, she probably won't. Mirabella asks about what happened with Arsinoe and is told about the punishments for her friends. As they go about their day, they encounter a procession of carriages with a boy who was caught stealing at the Capital and was put to death. This makes Mirabella angry at the Black Council. How could they do something so terrible just for theft?! In reality, Luca has set this up. The boy was accused of murder, not theft, but she needs Mirabella’s righteous anger if she is to make any changes to Fennbirn.

Two years later, Arsinoe and Jules are walking through the forest, still feeling alone and sad after Joseph and Caragh were sent away. Arsinoe is stewing about the Arrons and plotting how she can take them down before the Ascension when  she will have to face off against her sisters, but she still has two more years before that will happen. They come to a stone that both are sure they would never find again if they ever went looking and decide to rest. When they wake, Jules hears a crunching in the leaves and puts her arms out to protect Arsinoe. She doesn't have to though. What comes to her is a small mountain cat cub, and inside her head, Jules hears the name Camden. She has found her familiar, and it will grow to be bigger and stronger than any other familiar in a long, long time.