Chapter 16
VALANCE
It is amazing how quickly things can be assembled when a member of the royal family demands something.
Like adding my newest fighter to the pit the same morning a day-long tournament was set to commence. Within an hour after waking and breaking my fast, I was heading for Titheden City in a royal carriage, the arrangements at the arena made.
Excellent work.
Kormac would fight in my name. We’d see how he worked, if he lived or died. And he’d fight and fight until he died or became an arena champion. Either way, this would be his future. My tool of violence, never breaking out of the circle.
A real test waited for the human’s first fight. He would be facing Bones—a human man with a nasty reputation for removing a bone from his opponents. He’d never lost a fight and fashioned his bone collection into jewelry of all sorts.
I couldn’t wait to see him in action.
At least I’d stopped shaking. I’d awoke from another nightmare of a murder spree in the palace. This time I’d killed Maeve. I gripped her hand as the carriage bumped along the Gold Road to the city.
The smells of the city began to creep inside the carriage. Shit and food and humans. I pulled back the gold curtains on the window to see the approach.
Titheden City was bigger than Summer City.
More sprawling to the north, lining the coast to its east, chalky lands to its west leading into the White Wastes—a vast expanse of chalk spreading to the west coast of Summer.
The Gold Road north of the city became the King’s Road, curving around the White Wilderness to the other Summer provinces up there, eventually ending at the Sidhe mounds.
There was never any need to venture into that chalky hell of bandits and death.
Unlike the gleaming gold of Summer City, this city was a combination of gray stone and brown brick buildings. Nothing as tall as the palace. The tallest building was the arena at the heart of the city, with the second being the mayor’s home and office on the same street.
Mayor Franklyn. Dealing with him was a small price to pay for the show to come.
The city had no outer walls, only buildings cramped together as they were throughout. Many guard posts were set up around the perimeter, along with plenty of spikes with heads and crows dining on them.
I held a handkerchief scented with lavender to my nose as we passed the spikes. So much stench.
Maeve and I had said little to each other this morning. What else could be said about Boyd? His funeral would be in two days.
I didn’t tell her about my dreams and the dizziness, which hadn’t returned.
Yet. And I certainly didn’t tell her about me and Garret.
It seemed so callous, so disrespectful to Boyd that I’d acted on lust. Well, not really lust. More like an animal instinct to fight my sorrow.
Even so, I shouldn’t have done it. I felt no better for it.
The gilded royal carriage wove through the streets, crowds of humans and fae of all kinds gathered on either side, held back by guards and barriers.
Waving their flags, cheering the name of Rosestar.
Goodness, things really had moved quickly.
I pulled back the curtain again to wave, to let the adoration wash over me.
“All for you,” Maeve said. “They love you so much.”
“I’m sure there are those who don’t in there somewhere.”
“Fuck them with hot iron pokers.”
I faced her, cocking an eyebrow. “Ouch.”
“Any who don’t love you deserve vicious death.
” Her hard expression softened. “Listen to them, Your Highness. The people love you. I want you to remember that after everything. The human and the sorcerer don’t matter.
Lasair doesn’t matter. Okay, they do matter, but not their hate.
Remember who loves you—from the common fae to me. ”
“That’s very sweet.” I took her hand. “How are you this morning?” It was the first time I’d asked since sunrise.
“I’m not fine.”
“Neither am I.”
“But today will be the start of healing.”
“Oh, yes. It certainly will be. “
We arrived at the arena, home of the fighting pit, to more crowds and heavier security. I stepped out and waved.
The love of the people? These people, yes.
But I was not a fool like my brother. He held many misconceptions about who he was and how he was seen.
He didn’t seem to link his brutality to rebellions.
I suppose the voice of love did ring stronger—as Maeve said.
But that didn’t make it powerful. Only noisy.
I didn’t care about love and hate. Right and wrong mattered more than anything else.
As did the preservation of this society.
The unseelie sought to undo it. Thus, they were the wrong where I was the right.
Because I knew what was right and what was good for Faerie.
A terrorist such as Lasair was not good.
A welcoming party of elves and Gentry fae greeted me at the vast royal entrance of the area.
The structure was the only building of a different color to the standard fare.
Gold and painted with pink roses and vines.
Quite ugly and garish—the gold and pink were cheap-looking to me and constantly spattered with bird droppings.
But what did I know? This wasn’t one of my cares.
Amongst the party, Mayor Franklyn stood out the most. Lime green robes, a mess of Gentry red hair, and a curly mustache, he waved at me with too much glee. He loved it when a royal graced the city, always brought his best groveling efforts.
His fair skin glittered with gold—some cream he’d used to make himself sparkle.
I approached him, and he bowed. “Your Highness. It is an honor to host you at the arena today.”
His rings were gaudy, on every finger. Gold with rubies and emeralds. A mugger’s dream if he ever found himself out in the dark alleyways of the city one night.
That wouldn’t happen.
“Thank you for the swift preparations,” I responded. “I appreciate your efforts and those of your staff.” I thanked the two slaves beside him.
He tried his best to hide his surprise. No stuck-up idiot enjoyed my courtesies with the slaves.
Tough.
“Indeed, Your Highness. I have an excellent staff.”
“You do.”
“If you will allow me to show you to the royal box.”
I know the way, but sure. “Thank you, Franklyn.”
He walked beside me through the dull golden corridors with the dull paintings on the walls, lined with bowing slaves and arena staff. I smelled blood and sweat. It got my blood pumping.
“I have to say this was a most unexpected surprise, Your Highness. A wonderful one. We haven’t seen you here in the city for a long time.” I felt his tension as sticky air beside me. “I received word of the loss of your friend. My condolences. What a terrible thing to happen.”
Stop speaking to me. “Thank you.”
“At least you have the opportunity to get him some vengeance. I know it doesn’t bring him back, but it will—”
“Will help,” I cut him off. “Yes, it will. Greatly.”
Would it? This irritating mayor was right in it not bringing him back. Therefore, healing became an impossibility.
I held back tears. Not to be spent here in this place of violence.
Glancing over my shoulder, I caught Maeve’s smile of hurt. I returned it. Her being there gave me the strength to keep walking, to not fall to my knees and scream to the heavens and demand the goddess Danu give me back my dearest Boyd.
The mayor steered me left down another corridor and up some stairs. Two guards stepped aside for us, Franklyn taking point.
“If you so wish, Your Highness, I have a suggestion. If you would permit me to speak it.”
“Go ahead.”
He cleared his throat. “I have just had my gardens landscaped. They are truly beautiful, and I would love for you to see them. I can have a special meal planned. But if you have no time, I completely understand.”
Why are you talking to me with your wretched wine-laced breath?
A fae slave behind her master spoke before me. “They are marvelous gardens, Highness.”
The mayor spun fast and cracked her face with the back of his hand. Rings and all. Instantly, her skin broke out in welts that bled. She didn’t touch her face but held her head bowed in shame.
Luckily, we’d reached the landing at the top of the stairs. Otherwise, the slave would have been tumbling down them.
“Forgive me, master,” she whispered in a shaky voice.
“And His Royal Highness?” the mayor seethed. His face had taken on a purple hue. “Is he not worthy of your apologies?”
“There is no need,” I said.
Mayor Franklyn straightened. “Your Highness. This slave—”
“Do you hit all of your slaves like this?” I questioned.
“When they speak out of turn, yes. Slaves require discipline.”
I folded my arms. “Did she?”
He licked his lips, paling. His eyes darted here and there, unable to focus on my regard for too long. “I, erm, I… Yes… I… Have I offended you, My Prince?”
I passed him, heading in the direction of the royal box I’d attended many times with my brother.
“If I see you harm a slave again,” I called behind me, “my hands will do the same to you.”
He scurried after me, coming to my side, hunched. “A thousand apologies, My Prince. I did not mean—”
“Enough of your sniveling. I don’t want to hear it. I will not be attending your gardens. Once this fight is over, we’ll be done here.”
He bowed and kept quiet for the rest of the journey.
Danu, I loathed men like him. Women like him.
Any who took their power and twisted it into this huge disrespect.
She had done nothing but help boost his suggestion.
And he’d shattered any chance of a royal visit to his residence.
Squandered his chances at being the talk of the town, the star of future dinner parties.
The darling of society as long as the candle burned for him.