32. DEBRIEF FROM AHNNAÒIN
Chapter thirty-two
DEbrIEF FROM AHNNAòIN
Amira
T he coronation ceremony was tomorrow evening, my first night with Riordan as mates would follow immediately, and then our meeting with the Sylvan was just a day later. So my mind was a little preoccupied, but I had offered to entertain Rhea for brunch since I’d had to cancel on her when I had spent longer than expected in the Rookery. There were still a lot of kinks to work out with the new relief program, but I was confident that we were already making a significant impact.
I found Riordan’s sister to be about as incognizant and spoiled as one might expect from a princess, and she still insisted that Riordan needed Nikos, but she was relatively harmless otherwise. We were not similar, and if we were not connected by her brother, then I knew we would not have been friends. But she seemed determined to help her brother’s mate, and I knew Riordan adored her, so both of us committed to our unlikely friendship.
The wine she preferred was so potent for humans that I had to dilute it. It still tasted exceptional, and the buzz actually made her gossip more bearable to listen to.
“My mother finally expressed interest in meeting you. She has been swayed, I think, by reports from Isaura that you are not a beast,” Rhea informed me with a smirk as she reclined deeper on my lounger. She already looked a bit flushed, and her beautiful wings had draped across the couch with a nonchalance that meant she was buzzed too. “She heard you have been training and tutoring.”
I still did not know what to think of Andromeda, so I decided not to say anything and popped some grapes into my mouth so that Rhea might feel inclined to go on.
“My mother is a proud woman. You should invite her to brunch next time,” Rhea informed me.
“I shall consider that,” I told her, although my attention was on Sofia who had gone over to my door.
“She is concerned with how quickly Riordan is making changes and how angry it makes the Imítheos. She wants to talk to you about it,” Rhea revealed, regaining my full attention again.
“She wants to talk to me ?” I verified as Sofia closed the door again and came toward me urgently.
“Riordan has always been too stubborn to listen to her. You have his ear,” Rhea shrugged.
“My lady,” said Sofia, curtsying in apology for the interruption before she leaned down to whisper to me.
Evidently, Iris had brought news that one of our spies had returned from the Spring Court. I needed to go meet Riordan to interview the informant once he reached the safety of Ergastiri.
I wanted to rush off immediately, but Orion had been strict with all of us about how important it was to keep our interest in the Four Courts quiet for now. And Rhea was already looking at me expectantly once Sofia had stepped away from me again. She would ask too many questions if I were to jump up and rush out on her.
“Please tell her that I preferred the purple fabric for it,” I said, covering for us, and Sofia bowed her head as if this response made sense to her. “There are always so many last minute details to be attended to,” I sighed to Rhea once my handmaid returned to Iris at the door.
“Always. And I also heard from Dio that you are going to the Silver Moor after the ceremony! I have never been there myself, but I hear it is breathtaking. Did you receive an invitation from the elves or did you request to go there for your mínas agápis ?” Rhea asked me.
I could almost hear Orion’s voice telling me not to tell her anything. Rhea might be Riordan’s sister, but I knew to use caution with her. She liked to gossip far too much, and Riordan anticipated that this news might make any possible enemies in the kingdom rather nervous that he was making such powerful alliances.
“Yes, I am very excited to go! I am told that it has been a while since they received guests there. We are extremely honoured that they invited us,” I said, avoiding the answer about whether we’d sent an envoy to the elves.
“Well, of course they invited their new king! Are you excited for the ceremony? Everyone is wondering if my brother will invite all the Ktínos to join us. It has never been done before,” she revealed as if it were scandalous.
“I believe he means to have all the appropriate officials there, including the newly appointed ones,” I answered.
“Lots of security then,” she mused, swirling her drink in her crystal goblet, although I was not sure that she was pleased by the prospect. I still was not able to get a read on Rhea when it came to her feelings on the Ktínos and her brother’s work. “Speaking of them, you should stay away from the Ktínos today. It is the full moon.”
“Why is that?” I prompted her in confusion since I had seen Ares, Helena, and Orion that morning for breakfast and none of them seemed any different.
“Imítheos are not as affected by the moon, but I have heard stories about how the Ktínos are driven to frenzy. Just… do not be alone with any of their males,” she said kindly as if she were giving me sage advice.
She took a swill of her wine, and a wave of indignance swelled up inside me. It was on the tip of my tongue to reassure her that the Ktínos were just fine, I actually knew the feeling of being unsafe, and I’d never felt safer than I did among the Ktínos.
Sofia caught my eye as Rhea’s handmaid, Kassia, went to get another bottle of wine. My friend gave me a subtle shake of her head, but I was not convinced silence was the best way to confront such blatant bigotry.
“I have not noticed a difference in them. They seem as reasonable as they always are,” I assured the princess with as much calm confidence as I could muster.
Rhea did not even acknowledge what I had said as she finished her drink.
“Any idea where my brother will take you for your first night together after the ceremony?” she asked.
She was focused on Kassia who poured her another glass of the wine, so she missed the way I blinked at her in utter shock. I realized she had to be far drunker than I’d thought because that was such an inappropriately personal question for an Imítheos to ask.
“No,” I told her simply, and she finally raised her head with brows furrowed in either concern or confusion.
“Are you not in my brother’s confidence?” she asked, looking suspicious, and I wondered if that was actually all she cared about. She had no real interest in helping me, only in having a hand on the strings that she thought were attached to her brother. Rhea had already admitted that her mother wanted to see me in order to discuss her son. Something I needed to bring up with Riordan in case she really did have important information about the way that the Imítheos were responding. But perhaps that was all I had ever been to Rhea too: leverage for the king.
Not that I was too heartbroken over it. I didn’t really care for Riordan’s sister, and although I appreciated that it was important to play the game, it was also critical to know who people really were.
“Some things are better left as surprises,” I covered with as casual a shrug as I could while raising my glass to her as if to toast.
“I do not like surprises. They too often get you killed,” Rhea declared, but she tapped her glass against mine and drank with me while I mulled over her cryptic words.
Orion
“This is Amira. My mate,” Riordan told his spy when the witch finally joined us in the king’s old office in Ergastiri after her brunch with the princess.
She was still dressed in a pretty gown and full makeup rather than the sensible leathers she usually changed into when we worked or trained. And I could not help noticing how the heavy silk moulded to her form, leaving little to the imagination concerning her body. The wide belt only further accentuated the graceful curve of her waist and the swell of her hips as she strode into the office.
The witch had been growing steadily more confident in herself as Sofia dressed her more and more beautifully. But she seemed especially self-assured after she had taken on the relief program in the Rookery. Perhaps it was false bravado, or maybe she’d simply needed to find her purpose, but I had finally been able to catch a glimpse of the woman Riordan had been telling me about.
And I respected her a lot more than the insecure and timid little creature that the witch had seemed at first.
I still had concerns over her ability to use his magic and how controversial Riordan’s choice of her was for the majority of his subjects. But I had also been watching and listening to her and Riordan, not just in the meetings with the King’s Council, but at breakfast and during training. And it became clear that they really did complement one another surprisingly well. He emboldened her, and she softened him. He bolstered her confidence; she cultivated some greatly needed humility in him.
I was still hurt and grieving the loss of the relationship that I’d hoped to have with my skiá . Seeing him touch her in the free way that used to be reserved only for me was truly heartbreaking. But as the razor-sharp edge of my anger grew dull, I started to see beyond my own pain.
Helena, whose shrewd judgement I trusted above that of almost anyone, had embraced the witch even after she learned that she could use Riordan’s magic. The others initially accepted her because they trusted the judgement of our king, but I could tell they had genuinely begun to like the witch too. And she even managed to win over members of the King’s Council which was not something I had expected. Although that was not because they were especially fond of her, but rather that they recognized the impact she had on their king.
Which made her useful to them.
But above all else, Riordan was happy, and as much as it cut me down to the bone that he was with someone else, I would have given him my last breath if he asked.
Besides, she was right about one thing; Riordan made it clear that neither of us would be displaced in favour of the other. My relationship with my skiá was not changing, and that precious friendship had been more than enough for centuries, so I’d find a way to make it enough again.
It had to be enough.
The witch gave me one of her tentative smiles as she walked by me with Ares, Helena, and Sofia behind her. She greeted Iris in the corner with whom her companions went to stand, and then she acknowledged the spy who jumped from his seat at the sight of her. She finally met Riordan who reached for her hand and squeezed it.
But I missed her words because all I could seem to focus on was the scent of her. A mixture of the sweetness from the wine that she had been drinking at lunch and her natural clove scent that seemed to suddenly sink teeth and claws into me.
I blinked in shock at myself and realized the full moon must be riding me harder than usual. Typically it was little more than an adrenaline buzz in my veins.
This was different.
I watched as the witch leaned against Riordan’s desk, oblivious to my stare while she was introduced further to the spy who was an orc male, named Olirik.
An orc who was certainly not blind as he looked at his king’s new mate.
Are you alright? Riordan inquired of me through our bond when fury ripped through me.
He is looking at her.
Of course, he is looking at her. She is beautiful. But she is not uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was alright to him, but I did not like it.
“You have a report for us?” Riordan prompted Olirik, and I was certain it was for my benefit that he moved the conversation along.
“I met up with Uruk who was in Ahnnaòin, so do you want my Spring Court debrief first or his from Autumn?” asked the orc.
“Please begin with what Uruk reported from Autumn,” Riordan requested as he sat behind his desk.
Olirik agreed and began with a quick update on how Uruk had gotten into the Autumn Court and then located the Wild Hunt once he was there.
I wanted to listen, but I was distracted every time his eyes would drift helplessly over the witch as if he were absorbing her without even meaning to. He tried to hide his intrigue with her by looking at Riordan as well. But he gave himself away every time his nostrils flared when she moved and caused her scent to drift to him. I was not sure if he was appreciating the warm and spicy clove scent of her natural smell or the artificial fragrance of her bathing oils that complemented it so well.
Either way, it agitated me that this stranger was able to savour any part of Riordan’s mate.
I moved before I had thought about what I meant to do and stood next to the witch. She glanced at me in surprise, but I ignored her as I crossed my arms and glowered at the orc. He understood, and that was all that mattered.
“Is everything alright?” she whispered.
“I am doing you a favour,” I advised her and inclined my head at the orc who now focused wholly on Riordan as he continued to give general details on Autumn.
The witch did not respond, but I could tell when she realized what I meant. I felt her freeze, her heart picked up speed, and her scent grew warmer and spicier.
Are you finished distracting everyone? Olirik is barely able to concentrate, Riordan chastised in annoyance.
He had trouble concentrating before I had to intervene, I retorted and felt Riordan’s equivalent of a mental sigh.
Thankfully, the orc had finished confirming details that we already knew about the Autumn Court and began to tell us new information about the Wild Hunt.
“Five riders, including the Autumn Prince. They are mostly a kind of fey called “aes sídhe” with the exception of the silver one that they call “the Guardian” who is not fey at all. Uruk did not feel like he could ask what that rider was without giving himself away as an outsider.”
“How many in the army? And what kind of fey have joined them?” asked Ares eagerly.
“Uruk said there were easily six thousand but hard to say because they constantly get more, and it sounds like he has allies in other courts. The fey he mentioned to me were orcs and centaurs along with some giants and trolls. Elves and pixies of all kinds too.”
“And are they trained?” Helena wanted to know.
“Not like griffins, but aye, always training. Uruk said he was very impressed,” admitted Olirik apologetically. “He said each race is trained separately, honing their own unique skills, and the leaders of each kind of fey form a war council that advises the Wild Hunt.”
“So much for hoping they would be uncoordinated,” lamented Helena.
“Rian knows he is not a general,” I guessed.
“I would pit Riordan’s battle strategy against anyone,” Ares declared dismissively, but I knew it was not that simple when the Autumn Prince had such dark power.
“Uruk also mentioned there was talk of a conflict with two of the nations on either side of the army. He said it was unclear if the Autumn Prince started the conflict or if he is mediating it,” said Olirik.
“Possible allies if we want to infiltrate?” I suggested.
“I want maps of the Autumn Court: detailed ones that include altitude and the usual wind patterns. There must be winged fey in Ahnnaòin who have such information,” Riordan said, and the orc nodded. “I also want to know everything about the two nations at odds with Rian.”
“Any idea yet what it is he wants?” asked the witch.
“Uruk heard talk of a rot that is set in. Some kind of magic that made all the orc tribes join with the Wild Hunt. He did not know what the army had to do with it, but they do plan to come and take more fey,” Olirik confirmed.
“Did he see the dryad?” asked the witch, sounding as if she could not withhold the question any longer.
“Aye, briefly from a distance,” the orc spy confirmed. “He said that she was with the riders so he could not get close enough to deliver a message. The rumour around the camp is that she must be fucking at least one of them. Non-riders are not usually allowed into their inner circle,” the orc explained with a shrug.
“So she might be switching sides?” I pointed out.
“No,” the witch asserted and shot me a glare. “She is staying safe in whatever way she can,” she insisted, looking sick and angry.
“Regardless, Rian is keeping her awfully close to him. Especially for someone who is typically very difficult to get close to,” I insisted to Riordan who seemed to agree as he began to nod distractedly.
“Did she look alright?” the witch wanted to know.
“Uruk said she looked tired, and she was covered in black blood,” said Olirik.
“They are fighting Fuath there too,” Riordan deduced easily enough as he leaned over his desk. He laced his fingers under his chin in the way he did whenever he was absorbing information and processing. “Alright, Olirik, please tell me what you learned in the Spring Court.”
“The Autumn Prince has been searching each of the Four Courts looking for the fey monarchs. Word is that he plans to… consume them,” admitted Olirik quietly.
“Can he do that?” demanded Ares in alarm.
“What would that mean? What could he do with that kind of power?” the witch asked Riordan.
“It is hard to estimate, but the fey monarchs have all been in decline since the Summer Queen was murdered,” Riordan began thoughtfully. “Rian is not weak, and he already possesses such immense power. Should he acquire their magic as well, then I am not sure there would be any reasonable checks against him,” Riordan admitted.
“Is he close to finding the Spring King?” I asked.
“He is actively searching and has even recruited some Spring fey to turn against King Balor and help find him for the Wild Hunt,” revealed Olirik.
“Rian sounds rather… charismatic,” noted the witch with a hint of suspicion.
“What do you mean?” I demanded, but Riordan was nodding at her in agreement as if he understood a deeper meaning to her words.
“It seems odd the fey are siding with an outsider from another court against their own king,” she pointed out. “Rian has either frightened them beyond all reason or he has something that they need,” she explained.
“Maybe they are tired of a declining and decrepit king and long for one who they think can serve them properly,” suggested Helena.
“But an Autumn fey?” the witch asked.
“I want you to return to the Spring Court and try to find the king before Rian does,” said Riordan to Olirik. “Find a way to make it known that we will offer him sanctuary in the Vale. That might finally bring him out of wherever he has been hiding. But I want his alliance.”
“You want to bring a fey king back here ?” I verified. “What if he challenges your power or undermines your authority in the Vale—”
“If he is willing to come and bring an army with him to help us repel Rian, then that is an alliance I cannot afford not to at least contemplate. I want a chance to talk to him,” Riordan insisted to Olirik who nodded.
“I will see to it and ensure Uruk gets his orders as well. Do you have a message for the dryad should he get the opportunity, my lady?” Olirik asked the witch.
I wanted to bare my teeth at him.
“Tell her… I remember what she said. And I miss her. Be safe and come home soon,” said the witch.