Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-nine
Jacinth
The morning dawned bright and clear, and I found my excitement for this challenge rising rapidly. The chance to play with gems and create a potion in a royal Gemlab was beyond my wildest dreams before I came here.
It certainly beat trying to do alchemy using subpar gems and cracked bottles, hoping against hope for the slightest bit of magic as I kneeled behind trash cans in a deserted alleyway.
And then there was the fact that all my hopes and future dreams rested on the potion I would create.
I was practically bouncing from excitement and anticipation by the time I finished dressing. With what I hoped to see today, I needed to feel like a piece of home was with me and had dared to dress in a way that could very well raise eyebrows.
I’d forgone the ruby-red that had dominated my attire since this scheme began.
Instead, I’d gone for a mix of soft and bright pink shades.
My off-the-shoulder underdress was a light pink, with sleeves that billowed out a bit before clinging tight to my arm right above where the brown leather cuffs that circled my wrists began.
A marbled-pink and brown leather corset sat above a split skirt in the same marbled pink, which revealed the softer pink underdress in the center.
I wore a matching marbled-pink choker and topped it with my mother’s pearl necklace, which was somehow gifted to me by the mysterious woman at the market. It matched perfectly with the pearl and diamond bracelet that never left my wrist.
All in all, I was certainly not dressed as the Ruby Court competitor should be, but I found I couldn’t help myself.
I grabbed a few strands of my hair from the sides of my head and braided them back. I left the cotton candy-pink waves to tumble down my back, with a few pieces framing my face.
Today, I looked like a Pearl Court Lady.
The very thing I’d been prevented from being since that horrible night. The role that was ripped out from between my fingers as I was left tossed to the street like garbage.
I was fairly confident that no one would put together the truth now, at least…no one who didn’t already potentially know.
But with the potion I’d be making, and the truth I’d learn, I decided it was time to reclaim this little piece of my identity, even if I was the only one who knew it.
I greeted Alfrikr with a bright smile, making his amethyst brows shoot up to his forehead.
“Good morning, Alfrikr.” I practically chirped, not even aware I could make such sounds. “Ready to get to the market?”
He chuckled more warmly than I’d heard from him thus far. “Someone’s eager this morning. Don’t you want to get breakfast?”
I waved my hand in dismissal. “I’m not hungry, just eager to get started, like you said.”
Said eagerness seemed to amuse him, and he shrugged, joining me to make our way out of the palace.
I couldn’t believe I would actually get to shop in Diamond’s famous Gem Market.
I’d dreamed of going for so many years, and the fact that it was finally happening caused my hands to shake with excitement.
I noticed the looks that I received as we walked the city streets toward the market.
Everyone knew who I was now, and their excitement to see a competitor in the wild was obvious.
I was just as interested in seeing them, however, as it reinforced that the people in Diamond Court were happy under Azurill’s reign.
I’d seen most of the courts at one time or another in my years wandering from place to place and seeking new spots to stay safely. I’d been able to witness firsthand how many of the lords didn’t bother caring for their people the way Azurill did, the way they were supposed to.
But the people here went about their days cheerfully, healthy and prosperous, as they spoke and laughed together, hurrying or meandering their way through the city. The clamor of their voices increased as we neared the market, and I took a deep breath as it came into view.
I’d gotten only a glimpse last time, but now I could make out the entrance entirely. The iron gates were wide open, with a blessing to Veritx across the top, which was currently split in half with the gates standing open.
Upon entering, I found a cobblestone path bordered on either side by permanent stalls, each with a little overhang to protect the goods laid out.
Greenery grew off the tops of some, while others had fabric in all different colors draped from one roof to the one opposite, creating some lovely shade as you walked from stall to stall.
Lanterns of all shapes and sizes dangled from the overhangs, lighting up the merchandise and enabling customers to browse no matter the time of day.
Sellers called out as we passed, but I knew from the smaller markets in other courts that those at the front rarely had the best goods—those lay deeper in.
I did keep my eye out while looking over the multitude of goods on offer, however.
Despite being called Gem Markets, it was hardly just gems on offer.
Oh, they were in abundance, of course, but there were also ready-made potions and alchemy equipment, along with unrelated goods, such as spices, weapons, and fabrics; anything you could think of.
I could hardly wipe the smile from my face as we came to a table full of sapphires. Alfrikr huffed with amusement as I leaned down and examined them, looking for the perfect one.
As much as Elvish gem magic was a science, there was a bit of instinct—or godly influence—that played into it. The type of sapphire I used would affect the outcome of the potion, so I opened myself up to the influence of the gods, something I so rarely did.
Immediately, my eyes caught sight of a sapphire toward the back of the table. It was cut jaggedly, which felt somehow fitting for a gem that would take me back to a past that left me full of jagged edges myself.
It was about the size of my palm, and the inside of the gem glinted more brightly while it seemed to almost dim around the edges, but despite its flaws, I knew it would work perfectly.
I wouldn’t need all of it, but the dust would keep, and I had no issue leaving it for the Gemsmiths to use for other potions.
So, gem secured, we moved on to get the emerald, which took several different merchants to find the right one.
As we were making our way to find a diamond, I spotted something curious and paused mid-step.
Leaning over the table directly in front of me was the same human man I saw sneaking into the market previously.
He was speaking with one of the vendors, and they seemed to be working out a trade.
His blue eyes were bright and sly as he looked up, catching me watching him.
His smirk as he looked me up and down might once have affected me, but now all I could do was compare it to Azurill’s as he sauntered over.
“My Lady.” He bowed theatrically, making me raise a brow, unimpressed with his flirting.
“Pirate,” I responded dryly, making his smirk widen in delight.
“Ah, you know of me then?” he asked, reaching out a hand to one of the pink curls falling in my face, but Alfrikr stepped forward instantly, grabbing his hand and stopping it mid-motion.
“Touch her, and I’ll put you in the ground, Riker.” He spat, making the pirate, Riker, apparently, laugh loudly.
“Alfrikr!” His smile widened until I could see his tongue running along the back of his teeth, like a lion salivating over its prey. “I didn’t even recognize you, with your new look.”
He waved a hand at the armor he wore as a guard, but Alfrikr stared him down stoically.
“You two know each other?” I asked, mentally cheering that I’d pegged my guard correctly that first day.
“Oh yes,” Riker responded, his dark hair rustling in the breeze as he leaned back slightly, his legs spread a bit as his hands hooked onto his belt buckle in a pose clearly meant to intimidate.
I found it intensely curious that any human thought they could intimidate an Elf, but the nerves I could barely distinguish in Alfrikr’s eyes told me everything I needed to know. This pirate, human or not, was incredibly dangerous.
“Alfrikr here was part of Apsara’s crew,” he explained, as if that meant anything to me. His eyes were locked on Alfrikr’s amethyst ones, and the fiery hate that rose in them surprised me. His entire bearing seemed to change, from loose and sultry to cunning and threatening in a moment.
His fingers moved from his buckle to the inside of his jacket, making Alfrikr grip his sword tightly and pull it partially out of its scabbard. Everything around us became tense, both men tightly wound and ready to spring at any moment.
“I’m not part of that world anymore,” Alfrikr spat at him. “And you’re not supposed to be here, Gunnlod. Take your crew and be out of port by sundown, or you’re going to have problems.”
“Going to run to your king and tattle on me?” Riker laughed, his fingers moving so fast I didn’t even catch when he’d grabbed his dagger, only noticing it when he began to twirl it around nimble fingers.
Alfrikr smirked back at him, looking entirely unconcerned. “Maybe, or perhaps I’ll send a message to an old friend about where The Anamnesis is docked. It’s not often, after all, that one can find your ship so easily.”
Riker’s burning blue eyes stared back at him, his lip curling in a snarl.
“I’ll be done with my business and out of Gemaria by tonight, don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.
Perhaps I’ll send a message to your old friend instead.
Find Aletheia’s Eyes and give Captain Nixie your regards. ”
His distaste as he snarled out the word ‘Captain’ left me blinking in surprise at the heat he managed to pack into one word. Whatever dislike he felt for Alfrikr, his hate for this Captain made it seem inconsequential in comparison.
Alfrikr suddenly grabbed him by the lapels of his leather duster, pulling him in until their faces were close enough for my guard to speak directly into his ear, entirely ignoring the dagger aimed at his throat.
“Lay a finger on her, and I will hunt you to the ends of the earth, Gunnlod,” Alfrikr’s voice had deepened to a lethal rumble, making my eyes widen in surprise.
I had never seen his temper flare like this.
Purple fire raged in his eyes as his menacing words left his mouth.
“You will never regret anything the way you’ll regret touching her, that’s a fucking promise. ”
With that, he pushed the pirate back, the man glaring as he straightened his coat dramatically. Before he could open his mouth to say a word, Alfrikr spoke once more.
“Now get the fuck out of here, Captain. And don’t return.”
With that, Alfrikr took my arm, gentle but insistent, and guided me past the seething pirate left in our wake.
“Is it smart to just leave him like that?” I asked him quietly once I knew we were out of range of human hearing.
Alfrikr scoffed, shaking his head. “He won’t dare risk doing anything to bring Azurill’s wrath down upon him.
The pirates survive by staying as under the radar of the Fae as they can.
Getting the attention of the High King, who is allied with one of the major Fae kingdoms, would leave them with a target on their back.
Riker knows that, which is why he didn’t stab me back there. ”
His wry smirk had me shaking my head at him. “It was a risk. He doesn’t seem to like you very much.” I teased him, and Alfrikr heaved a heavy sigh laced with a sadness I couldn’t figure out.
“I used to be a part of the Apsara family’s crew. The head of the family, Pike, gave each of his children their own ships to captain.” He began to explain, and I perked up, curious to learn more about the pirates. “I was part of the crew of Aletheia’s Eyes, captained by his daughter, Nixie.”
As Alfrikr spoke, his amethyst eyes unfocused, as if he was seeing back into the past. “The Apsara family and the Gunnlod family are rivals, you see. Both families have their own lands they’ve claimed, and they’ve been in a deadlock power-wise for years, dating back to the rivalry between Pike and Tizoc, Riker’s father. But Nixie and Riker…”
He shook his head, a haunted and unsettled look on his face. “Let’s just say they took the rivalry to a different level and leave it at that.”
“So why did you leave?” I couldn’t help but ask curiously.
He looked down at me then, his eyes softening as he smiled at me.
“I’d wanted to escape the pressures of my position and the expectations my parents had of me.
So I left court to be a pirate, wanting to find adventure.
It wasn’t until I joined them that I realized how little my problems compared to the humans’, and I resolved to help them where I could. ”
His face twisted then, a grimace lining it that seemed out of place, as he continued. “But when the rivalry between the two families escalated, I couldn’t be part of it anymore. That’s as much as I can say.”
I tilted my head, watching the pained look on his face as he fought to get the words out, considering what I was seeing. “You truly can’t say, can you?”
He shook his head, pointing to his mouth. I gasped, a hand coming up to cover my own. I knew the humans had figured out a way to use relics to wield magic themselves, but I had never seen the results of it.
Not until now.
Alfrikr had a magical gag. Meaning when he left, the family thought whatever he knew was too dangerous to let slip. They’d ensured he could never say a word.
I burned with curiosity, hating that I couldn’t get to the bottom of what had happened.
Maybe one day that truth would finally come to light.
But it wouldn’t be today.