Chapter 6 – Vale
VALE
Dusk loomed, hours away. Soon, we would fly south with only the stars as our witnesses.
If our gryphons flew at a moderate speed, we’d arrive in Myrr around the eighth morning bell.
Both Sian and Filip Balik had told me a dozen times that their father insisted that the family breakfast together at that hour.
Should Tadgh Balik be less inviting than I believed he’d be, we hoped to take advantage of that family togetherness and the good will of our friends sitting at that table.
“You alright?” Caelo came up alongside me, a saddle in his arms.
I poured more of the fish heads and innards into a gryphon’s bowl. My nose wrinkled. By the dead gods, the smell was horrendous. “As well as can be expected. Why?”
“You’ve been quiet. I thought with Lord Riis back and your sister here, you’d be more excited.” Caelo arched an inky brow.
My best friend understood me better than most people. I loved my sister with all my heart and even before I’d learned of our blood tie, I’d been very fond of Lord Riis. Seen him as an uncle.
“I can’t help it. I’m still thinking about Rhistel.”
After everyone woke up, but before we’d set out to prepare for our journey, we’d congregated in the annex and finished sharing what needed to be shared.
Others wanted to know why a princess of Winter’s Realm had arrived at Valrun, so I told the story of how Rhistel had threatened Saga’s life, leaving out any mention of whisperer magic, of course.
Very few knew about that, most of them blood—though, considering recent events, I was sure the secret wouldn’t remain in the dark for long.
That outing of my twin was a moral issue that I wrestled with.
He often used his power for ill, but Rhistel hadn’t asked to be born with illegal magic that would earn him a death sentence.
What was more, telling the world of Rhistel’s power might put Mother at risk.
Losing both of them to the laws of the land might be more than I could bear.
“Throw Rhistel from your mind.” Caelo nudged my shoulder with his own. “He’s not worth it.”
“It’s difficult.”
My friend gave me a stiff smile and swept a hand toward the stable door. “I can’t remember when it was this warm.”
He was right. One still required a cloak to work outside, but it did not need to be quite so thick. Nor pulled so tight around the shoulders. Soon fae with delicate wings, faeries like myself, might walk about with them uncovered by furs and cloaks for more than a few minutes.
“I suspect that Magnus is using the Scepter to gain favor with the people. We might soon see snow melting.”
Caelo let out a long hum. “If he can give them green grass, many will forget all of his wrongs.”
To hear the elder fae tell it, the kingdom had never been warm and lush like the Summer or Spring Courts in the south, but there had once been moons on end in which grass sprouted, soft rains nourished the land, and the sun warmed fae faces.
Neve and Thyra might go up against the king just when the public turned favorable eyes upon him.
“At least the warmth will make the south walk easier,” I said.
“If Lord Balik agrees to house the rebels.”
“He will. Eventually.” I’d make him see sense.
Caelo gave a single laugh. “I’ll take your word.”
The closest gryphon’s head lifted from his food and turned sharply to the door. We followed suit to see my father enter the stable.
I waved, and Lord Riis made his way over, his wide shoulders taking up much of the walkway between the rickety wooden pens.
“I was looking for you, Vale.” Lord Riis joined us. “Might I have a word?”
As a knight used to being dismissed by other lords and ladies, Caelo left wordlessly.
“Have you seen Thantrel?” I asked. That had been my father’s plan after we awoke in the late afternoon.
“I just left the sanctuary. He was asleep but looked to be in decent shape. Or as good as one can manage with such a recent wing injury. Luccan tells me you brought that healer, the half-dragon from Vitvik?”
“Rynni.”
“She’s quite skilled.”
One corner of my lips twitched upward. “That she is. In more ways than one.”
“Oh?”
“She healed Caelo, Neve, and me after we came across a band of orcs. Good healer, there’s no doubt, although I’ll admit, I didn’t intend to invite her along with us.
She used our wanted status against us and said she’d be on our side for a place in the White Tower. You know, if we win the war to come.”
Lord Riis’s eyes twinkled. “So she’s tenacious. An admirable quality.”
As a son of a wealthy merchant, Lord Riis had risen in society to become a member of the illustrious Sacred Eight.
He must have used buckets of tenacity to accomplish his goals.
Perhaps one day, when things were calmer, I’d hear the stories of how he managed a feat that normally took families generations.
“At any rate, I’m relieved that she helped you out. Since you left Riis Tower, I’ve been worried about you and Neve.” He clapped my shoulder with a meaty hand and squeezed. “I’m glad the lads found you.”
“True brothers.” The words had barely left my lips before I winced. Lord Riis caught the motion, and his lips pressed into thin lines.
“Seeing Rhistel threaten your sister and mother.” He shook his head. “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve experienced.”
I leaned back against the wood of the pen. “I can imagine.”
“Yes, well, Inga is a strong fae, but I don’t think even she could have fathomed . . .” He trailed off with a sigh.
Stillness settled between us, until I broached the subject I’d wondered about. “Why didn’t you two marry?”
My father’s eyes, near twins to my own dark brown ones, locked on me. “It was never in the cards. Your father had learned of Inga’s powers long before they wed.”
“How?”
“He overheard Lord and Lady Vagle, Fates rest her departed soul, talking about them and how they might use Inga to secure some boon to the family.” He scowled at that, clearly not liking the idea of anyone using my mother.
“From that day forward, Lord Vagle kept your mother in Odelia—at least he did until Queen Revna called her to court.”
“She was at Frostveil a while before wedding Magnus. And returned only for a short stay before the Rebellion, yes?”
“Yes. And during Inga’s first stint at court Magnus did not spread the word of her power, which led Lord Vagle to believe that his daughter was safe.
That Magnus would stay quiet. That fantasy came crashing down the day Magnus came and asked for Inga’s hand.
” He snorted. “It wasn’t like old Airen Vagle could say no. ”
“You two could have run off long before that.” I ran a hand along the rough wood of a post, trying for nonchalance.
“She didn’t want to put a target on me by association. No matter that I would have accepted it.” A long breath left his lips. “And for a while after Magnus discovered her secret, we stayed away from one another.”
“Not forever though.”
He gave me an impish smile. “No, not forever. After she wed Magnus he went away, and I happened to be in the same city. That was before Inga went to court to serve Queen Revna for a second time, back when your mother lived in Aalborg. Inga and I spent a few nights together. During one of those nights, you and your brother were conceived.”
“Our lives might have been better if you were our father.”
Simpler, certainly. I suspected more full of love too.
He barked out a laugh. “Bold thing to say, considering I have many children. Most of them see me only as often as their mothers will allow, which is to say not often.”
I fiddled with a piece of wood coming off a stall. “If you were with my mother, you never would have taken another lover. Destiny favored you.”
My father looked down at my hand, at the soulmate mark there. “We might have been destined by some higher force, but the stars did not make us mates.”
“It doesn’t make your love less powerful.”
“No, it doesn’t.” He gave me a sad smile. “I worry about Inga. Always have, but especially now.”
I understood the feeling. Saga had told me that Rhistel was fighting mother’s powers when they left Avaldenn. What if he’d broken free?
My stomach tightened, and I cast about for something more upbeat to consider. It was then that I caught sight of Arie and Luccan leaving the stable. My heart warmed. I didn’t have to look hard to find joy in the world.
“Then again, if you and mother got together when you were younger, I wouldn’t have Luccan, Arie, or Thantrel as brothers,” I continued. “So perhaps things turned out as they should, and now fate is turning in your favor. After this, you should be with my mother.”
Slowly, he placed two hands on my shoulders and pulled me into an embrace. I inhaled. He smelled of the spiced tea that the rebels served in the dining hall.
“That would be my dream.” The spymaster’s voice was rough with emotion. “And speaking of your mother, she tasked me with delivering a message to Neve.”
I broke the embrace. “Oh?”
“Not that I do not want to tell you, son, but your mate should hear it first.” He took a step back.
The joy that had been on his face mere moments before dropped. Replaced by something? Unease? What could Mother need to tell Neve that would make Lord Riis, a fae well practiced at hiding his emotions, so clearly troubled?
“Do you know where she is?” my father continued.
“You look ill.”
“What I must say won’t go over well.”
“Neve is understanding.” I couldn’t say the same of her sister, but my mate always tried to see the best in people. And Lord Riis had always been so helpful towards us.
“Everyone has their limit,” he replied. “So, Neve?”
“In the library,” I answered after a pause filled only with the clicking of gryphon beaks and the stomping of pegasus hooves in the far back pens. “With Thyra.”