Chapter 3 – Vale
VALE
Ibreathed my first full breath since my sister and Lord Riis appeared.
The rebels’ bodies loosened, the anxiety lessened. They might not agree with everything Thyra did or said, but I had to hand it to her, Neve’s twin held incredible sway over those loyal to her.
Lord Riis clasped his hands in front of him. “Thank you for accepting my banner.”
Thyra cleared her throat pointedly. “As pleased as I am to call your house loyal to mine, I do still have questions. One of which I’d like answered in front of everyone present today.”
“Anything.”
“What’s your magic?”
“I can negate the magic of other fae.”
“So if Neve or I tried to freeze you, would you warm?”
“Not exactly. I simply wouldn’t freeze. That’s why I took the ice spider as my sigil.”
I shuddered. My father had no way of knowing that we’d recently fought more ice spiders than one usually saw in a lifetime. Many lifetimes, in fact.
“How would that power work on others?” Thyra prodded.
“I can protect others—if I’m close enough to focus my magic on them.”
“Many opponents?”
“No more than three, and that’s dependent on their strength.”
“Hmm, that’s useful.”
“Indeed.”
Thyra considered for a moment longer. “Are there types of magic that yours doesn’t work on?”
“None that I’ve come across. That being said, I’ve tested my power on many types of magic, but not all.”
Hence why my mother had practiced her whispering on him when they were young. Most would be defenseless in the face of Inga Vagle, but Leyv Riis let her manipulate his mind because he could, if needed, get out from under that magic. That and he had simply loved her that much.
Thyra turned her attention to Saga. Their eyes met, both the same shade of ice blue. “You command no armies and have no actual power other than a title. Is that right?”
My sister’s chin lifted. Thyra was at least a head taller than Saga, but my sister had a way of holding herself that made her seem much larger. Pride welled in me at the sight of her standing proud and strong.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Thyra said smugly. “And despite knowing you have no real power, I still wish for you to swear to us.”
“I never claimed to have no power. And I will do no such thing,” Saga announced.
Whispers began washing through the crowd.
I longed to insert myself. To be the big brother and protector my sister needed in the face of so many who did not trust her.
But my insertion wouldn’t help her. The rebels may trust me, but they’d assume love clouded my judgment.
In this, Saga needed to stand her ground and show her own power to earn the rebels trust and respect.
“I will not, right now,” Saga corrected. “Not until we’ve had a good and long conversation about what you plan to do with my mother.”
Just our mother. Not Rhistel, or her father—a fae who was once my father in heart and, I’d thought, blood.
“Not worried about your brother or the king?” Thyra asked, clearly thinking along the same lines.
“What would be the use in worrying?” Saga’s tone was firm, though her gaze flitted to the ground for a second as she spoke.
“I mean, I’d prefer that my father not die, but considering the things he’s done and the present company, that is a lot to ask.
” She inclined her head to Thyra, a daughter of the former King of Winter’s Realm.
Saga was admitting the king wasn’t fit to rule in front of his enemies, but it was what my sister was not saying that caught my attention the most. Saga didn’t care about Rhistel?
“However, I will promise I won’t harm anyone fighting in the rebellion. And I will offer you information freely.” My sister twirled a hand in the air and frost covered her fingers. “I have winter magic, and I’m a seer. The former is far stronger than the latter, which I have little control over.”
“The entire realm knows that.” Thyra twisted to Neve. “You trust her?”
“Saga was my first friend at court. She was kind to me and took me in when she didn’t have to do so, and she’s protected me many times since then.” My mate looked at my sister and offered a small smile. “Now, she’s also my family, so yes, I trust Saga with my life.”
Thyra let out a breath, heavy with exhaustion.
“Fine. We can have a conversation regarding Queen Inga later. The princess can stay in the annex with the rest of you. I’ll see that a cot is brought in.
The Lord of Tongues will have a room nearby because I believe that with the addition of the princess, you’re at capacity? ”
Thantrel was in the healing sanctuary under Rynni’s supervision.
His wings had been torn in the battle beneath the mountain, so for the time being, Thordur was taking his bed.
Bavirra would bunk in the smallest room with Rynni—that was, if the dragon-fae ever returned to the annex.
Half of the time she slept in the healers’ sanctuary.
My sister would have to squeeze in with Anna and Clemencia.
“We’ll make it work.” I didn’t want my sister to stay far from Neve and me.
“Brynhild, see to it that Lord Riis has a bed.” Thyra rubbed the spot between her eyes. “Now, I’m off to bed. No one wakes me unless they want their feet frozen.”
Thyra left and one by one, the rebels followed, some tossing dubious glances at my sister and father, but most simply looked curious as they left. Finally, only our friends remained. I performed quick introductions, noting how Saga paled when she met the vampire assassin sisters.
Upon being introduced to Prince Thordur and Princess Bavirra, however, Saga’s lips formed a surprised O. She curtsied, and they returned the gesture.
The formalities seen to, Saga beamed at them. “I’d love to hear more about Dergia! And how Vale and Neve found you. I’m sure that’s a great tale as well.”
“We’ve been awake for two days, Saga.” I laughed, as though I wasn’t dying to question her myself. Not now though. Best to do that in private. “And the dwarves raced from their home to save us before traveling here. Perhaps tomorrow would be better?”
Bavirra grinned. “Give me a long sleep and I’ll tell you anything you want, Princess Saga.”
“Maybe not anything,” Prince Thordur corrected. “We dwarves of Dergia must keep certain secrets.”
“Of course,” Bavirra rolled her eyes.
“It’s a date!” Saga chirped. “I suppose we should go to your—what did she call it—the annex?”
“That’s where we’re staying.” Neve slipped her icy hand into mine. “Come on then.”
Brynhild approached my father, exchanged a few words, and then the pair joined Luccan, Arie, Anna, and Clemencia, as our larger group made their way to the annex. As much as I wished to speak with Lord Riis myself, I waited. Answers on the events that brought him here will come in due time.
When we reached the castle’s doors, Neve waved over the vampire sisters.
“You’re ready to go?” Neve asked Astril, the oldest of the assassins. “And you have the letter to King Tholin?”
The dwarven king and his army were still waiting near Eygin for word of what we’d do next, where we’d go. A raven would deliver our letter to the abandoned coinary in Eygin, where a scout was waiting to take it back to King Tholin. From there, the army of Dergia would march to meet us in Myrr.
“I’ll send the raven now,” Astril confirmed. “We’ll see you in the southlands.”
“Travel safe.” Neve waved them off as the vampires slipped out the door, setting our plan in motion.
I snorted. As if the sisters, Red Assassins, had anything to worry about on the journey. If anything, I worried over others glimpsing them and being scared half to death.
It was not ideal to separate from the vampires, but Rynni was remaining behind to care for the injured and would not be able to fly a large contingent south.
That left us with only six gryphons and two pegasi to make the journey, so the vampires were heading south on foot and wing.
If we calculated right, we’d arrive at nearly the same time.
Speed was one of the vampire qualities I envied. That and their need for very little sleep. Both would be quite useful in the war to come.
We were halfway to the annex when Saga detached herself from Bavirra’s side and sidled up beside me.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Go on then.” I smiled.
“I saw you entombed in something white, and it scared me. At the same time, you were going west on the map. The Riis brothers told you about their map, right?”
“I do. And I know what you saw.” She was always curious about her visions. I supposed it was natural, considering many featured other fae, sometimes people she’d never met. Saga could never be sure if those came true or not.
“What?”
“We were trapped in ice spider silk.”
“Excuse me!?”
“We fought hundreds of ice spiders,” Neve cut in, and I had to chuckle. Her tone made it sound as though the battle was nothing at all. “It’s a long story. One we can tell you later?”
“Seeing as you’re safe and here, I guess so. But Fates alive, I can’t believe all that you’ve been through!” Saga’s teeth dug into her bottom lip.
For the rest of the walk, much of our group fell into silence. We were exhausted in each bone and needed a few hours’ rest to be prepared to travel when dark fell.
We passed by a window, broken at one edge and allowing cold air into the corridor.
I inhaled the frost and scent of the thick ice on the lake.
Valrun had been an experience, but I was glad we were leaving.
No matter how many sentinels kept watch, I’d never felt safe in this rundown castle.
Never truly protected, nor sure that I could protect those I loved inside the castle’s crumbling walls.
When I opened the annex door, I allowed my mate to enter first, then waited for my sister. But Saga stopped at my side and cleared her throat, allowing others to pass instead.
“I have more I want to say, Brother. And I don’t want to wait.”
“Of course.” I nodded to Lord Riis as he and Brynhild continued on to wherever Thyra’s advisor would put him up during our last day in Valrun Castle. Luccan swept by us, and I patted his shoulder. “Tell Neve I’ll be a few minutes. Saga wants a word.”
“Will do.”
My friends and family disappeared into the annex for a well-deserved rest. I shut the door and turned to my sister.
Discomfort swept across her delicate features, and not for the first time, it struck me how much Saga looked like both our mother and her father.
She had King Magnus’s ice-blue eyes and naturally white hair, which she colored pink.
However, Saga’s cheeks, chin, and face shape were from our mother.
As were her dark wings. Vagle wings, many in the realm called them.
They were nearly black, a rare hue for faeries that were not Shadow Fae. Or so I’d read.
The only Shadow Fae I’d ever seen was King érebo. We hadn’t been able to see his wings properly because he’d been trapped in the tree, though I imagined they were as black as night. Just like his heart and soul.
A low breath left Saga, bringing me back to the moment. To my sister, who needed me to listen. “Lord Riis said I had to leave Avaldenn because I was in danger, but he didn’t say why. Did you wonder?”
“Of course I did. Still do,” I answered. “I assumed he didn’t offer the information in front of everyone for a good reason.”
“An excellent reason,” Saga affirmed. “I hate to tell you this, even more than I hated to live through it, but you have to know, Vale. Have to know how much he’s changed . . .”
“Father?”
“No. Rhistel.”
My jaw tightened. “What has he done now?”
“Mother told him who his father was. Your father too.” Saga met my gaze. “Who here knows?”
“Only those sleeping in the annex,” I gestured to the door, to those people I trusted with my life. “Thantrel too, obviously. He’s in the healing wing. Caelo and Duran are keeping him company. They know as well.”
“Right.” She looked away before focusing on me once more. “Well, Rhistel didn’t take the truth well. He accepted it, but he also thought of those who could take that truth and use it against him. Take what he sees as his.”
“The Crown of Winter’s Realm?”
“Yes. And obviously, the closest person to him that posed a threat to that future was me. The only trueborn daughter of King Magnus.”
My entire body went rigid.
“He threatened my life, Vale. He said he’d get rid of me and any threat to him taking the throne. Mother felt that she had no choice but to seize control of him. Mentally, that is.”
By the dead gods. Saga had not only learned that Rhistel and I were bastards, but that our mother was a whisperer. My blood ran cold.
Kind and generous, Saga didn’t have an evil bone in her body. She shone, a polished jewel, while the rest of us bore jagged edges and rough faces.
And Rhistel would have killed her. That meant my brother, the one I’d wanted so often to make excuses for and to see the best in, was well and truly gone.
“Lord Riis had been listening to the whole thing. You know, in the place where handmaidens can wait to be called. When I arrived, Mother had a hold of Rhistel and told Lord Riis to take me away. Basically to keep me far from our arsehole of a brother, and to find you.”
“I’m so sorry, Saga.” I folded her into my arms.
Though she’d been away from home for days, somehow she still smelled like Frostveil.
Or perhaps that was my imagination producing a distraction to the shame welling up inside me.
I was her older brother, the protector of the family, and at the time when my sister had needed me most, I hadn’t been there.
Hadn’t considered what danger she might face.
“I’m sorry too.” Saga pulled back and brushed away tears with the back of her hand.
“It pissed me off and broke my heart. If I could spare you those emotions, I wouldn’t have told you, but it also clearly shows that he’s changed, Vale.
Obviously, that’s been happening for a while, but I don’t think there’s anything left of the brother we grew up with. ”
“I’ve feared that for a long time,” I admitted. “He tried to harm Neve.”
To kiss her too. The memory of the day he’d whispered my mate, and how I’d nearly beat Rhistel to death afterwards made me both furious and upset.
“We’re all in danger from Rhistel,” Saga swallowed, “but her and Thyra, maybe more so than anyone else.”
It shattered my heart to hear her words, true as they were. If Rhistel was willing to harm Saga, there was no line my twin would not cross to keep the Crown of Winter’s Realm.