Chapter 13 – Isolde
ISOLDE
Fae stared as we rode by. The Myrranese might not see inside the covered sleigh, but the carriage was dark green and gold and lavish enough that they knew someone important rode within. Gliding in our tracks was another lavish conveyance filled with the Scholars and Livia, adding to the rumor mill.
We were on our way to the Great Library of the South, hoping to bring information about the Shadow Fae to light.
To learn about their magic as well, though of course our new ally did not know about that.
As far as the Warden of the South understood, we were hoping to learn about the Shadow Fae history—not untrue. Not entirely true either.
My stomach was in knots at keeping the secret from Lord Balik.
“This city is magnificent,” Bac murmured, peeking out the window from the opposite velvet-covered bench. Astril and Freyia sat with him, also looking out the window, but for threats, not pleasure. “A true light of the realm.”
I had to agree. Myrr was clean, the streets and buildings well cared for, and the people seemed happy.
Before leaving for the library, Thyra and I had intercepted Aleksander.
He’d already slipped behind Arla’s eyes to deliver the message to the rebels that it was safe to move south.
I hoped that when the rebels arrived in a few days’ time, they would like Myrr too.
“My city brings out the best in fae.” Lord Balik’s gaze was trained on Bac. It was clear that he recognized how much Bac resembled his family line.
“You said your name is Bac?” Lord Balik asked.
Thyra’s friend and advisor met the high lord’s stare. “It is.”
“That’s the river that runs through my city. Not a common name outside of Myrr.”
“Yes.”
Silence stretched between them, but Bac offered no information. He wanted to know more about the Baliks, but on his terms. In his own time. I respected him for that.
“Why do you say it brings out the best in fae?” Thyra asked.
“Ah, well, many of those who were not born in the Golden City come to Myrr for the library. And those who are born here use it freely and often. My city is the most widely educated in the realm. Its scholars are second only to those in the House of Wisdom.” He paused, smiled smugly.
“And I can’t fail to mention that we’re one of the few cities that trade with the Autumn Court, which means our food is excellent.
Our cuisine draws some fae to Myrr too.”
I had noticed the food the Baliks’ ate differed slightly from what I’d had in Guldtown and Avaldenn.
Vale told me it was because Lord Balik’s grandmother was from the Autumn Court, and she’d missed her own kingdom’s comforts so much she’d established trade routes through the mountains where none existed before.
The Autumn Court’s influence was present in the names of the Balik children too.
“Here we are,” Lord Balik said as the sleigh came to a stop.
The doors opened, and the high lord exited. Thyra and I followed, and Bac and Astril emerged last. I didn’t miss when Bac’s eyes widened at the sight of the library, the very place where his mother had worked. Where his parents had met.
A symphony of gold and dark gray stone polished to high shine, the walls of the library reflected the light of the day.
Faelight torches hung around the entire perimeter of the building, which was nearly as large as Ramshold with multiple towers coming off it.
According to Lord Balik, these towers had been built to look like the Ice Teeth Mountain Range.
Dozens of fae sat on the long line of steps leading to the doors, soaking up the sun and relaxing.
It was warm outside. Or warm by the Kingdom of Winter’s standards.
That meant it was almost warm enough to melt the snow and much too warm for my thickest furs, which I was sweating beneath.
Though the rise in temperature eased so many pains, I didn’t like to think about it.
Any action King Magnus took that could be seen as beneficial to others would only make dethroning him more difficult.
Particularly in places where fae rarely saw their king and had only others’ stories to judge him by.
Smaller towns and villages constituted most of the kingdom.
Those in the second sleigh joined us, and we followed Lord Balik into the library.
As with the outside, the inside proved a feast for the eyes, boasting so much gold, the miners must have drained entire mountains of the metal.
Unlike the outside’s glittering gray, the inside of the library was a calming cream hue illuminated by warm faelights.
By comparison, the library in Frostveil was quite small. Confined to one of the castle’s towers that spun up seven stories. From the bottom, a viewer could gaze up at all of them and take in the shelves filled with knowledge. Still beautiful, yes, but far less impressive.
“Lord Balik, welcome. How might I help you today?” a brownie librarian appeared, dressed in a billowing cream robe that hid any other clothing.
A few other librarians or assistants flitted about behind her, all wearing the same shade, though the younger fae wore pants and a top.
I took a guess that the robe, which looked to be made of a luxurious material, was for librarians only.
“I’m here with Princess Isolde and Princess Thyra, both of House Falk,” Lord Balik announced.
The librarian’s jaw slackened before she fell into a clumsy curtsey. “Of course. Welcome, Highnesses.”
“They wish to study other wars. Those involving the Shadow Fae, as the White Bear’s Rebellion hits too close to home.”
“We have an entire section on their kind.” The librarian had regained her composure.
“It includes much of the war won by Queen Sassa. Though much information on the queen and the war is also in another section. One dedicated to histories of the various noble families. Which sounds more like what you need?”
“We’d like to visit the section dedicated to Shadow Fae,” Thyra said.
The librarian’s gaze drifted to my hip, where Sassa’s Blade hung.
Unless one was a guard, it was odd to carry a weapon in a library.
But even when the vampires watched the Hallow, I didn’t like being parted from the sword for long.
Thyra felt the same about the Fr?r Crown, currently hidden in a cross-body satchel she wore.
“Follow me, then.” The librarian waved, apparently deciding not to comment on the sword.
She led us through the expansive lobby. Fae of all orders stared as we filed through, and Lord Balik acknowledged many. They seemed as happy to see him as they were curious about us.
“In here,” the librarian turned into a room.
A vast space, empty save for two young males, one who had to be part troll judging by his size, who were reading at a table. They looked up and grinned at their high lord.
“I hate to do this, but could you lads clear out?” Lord Balik asked. “We have research to do and would like to keep it quiet.”
The larger youngling slammed his book shut. “I need to be getting home, anyway.”
His friend said nothing, but the pair filed out.
“Shall I post assistants at the door?” the librarian asked. “To turn away those who will come by to see you. Or the princesses.” She shot a sidelong glance at me.
“Please. Our guards will be inside too, but it’s better that your assistants intercept others.”
Our guards were vampires, though it was difficult to tell when their eyes were no longer red, and they took care to blend in.
The librarian left, and Lord Balik turned to us. “This is where I leave you. I will have my sleigh return after it takes me home.”
“Thank you.” I inclined my head.
“It’s the least I could do for my allies.”
As he walked out I spotted two assistants already posted at the door. The librarian worked fast.
“Split up?” Duran asked.
He, like Clem, Anna, and Arie, appeared stunned by the beauty of this place. Livia acted as their guard, but as the most bookish of the vampire assassins, she too looked charmed by the room. Astril and Freyia, on the other hand, seemed bored.
“We’ll cover more ground that way,” Thyra said. “But if anyone finds a section on magic, call me over.”
“Me too,” I added.
Anything we learned about the Shadow Fae might be useful, but learning about their magic remained the priority.
We made to split up, but before I got too far, Clemencia came to my side, a faint cloud of her signature snow lily perfume in her wake as she fidgeted with excitement.
“We’re here for academic reading, but—”
“Before we leave, we’ll find the section with stories,” I promised her, not needing to hear the rest. My friend was a prolific reader, and I enjoyed tales of adventure and romance, too. “I’m dying for something fun and swoony to read too.”
Thyra smirked. “I’ll never understand what you see in those things.”
“Or course you don’t,” Clem said dryly.
Thyra’s back stiffened. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Clem’s lips whitened. “You rejected your own mate. Given that choice, I don’t imagine you know much about romance, Princess Thyra.”
My mouth fell open. Despite her respectful tone and use of my sister’s title, which Clem insisted on because she didn’t know Thyra like she knew me.
Red splotches appeared on my sister’s cheeks, and I rushed to diffuse the situation.
“I’ll find you later, Clem.” I took my sister’s hand and pulled her down an aisle.
“I suppose your friends all dislike me for rejecting Thantrel?” Thyra murmured.
“To be honest, it doesn’t come up much anymore.”
“Anymore?”
“When Thantrel was drinking a lot and crying, people brought it up. Hard not to when we were all living in the annex and had to witness his pain.”
My twin winced.
“But he hasn’t been acting all wounded for a while, so no one has been saying anything.”
“Still, they want me to accept him.”
I rounded on Thyra, exasperated. “Of course they do! He’s a good male. Kind, smart, and honorable.”
She glanced away.
“Mates are destined, Thyra. The stars deemed you two an excellent match. While I understood your rejection when you didn’t trust any of us, I can’t any longer.” I shrugged. “So yes, no one can understand why you’re still spurning something that others dream of.”
“As if I don’t know that.” Thyra’s attention snapped back to me. “Also, when were you going to mention that you wished to free the slaves?”
We hadn’t had a moment alone since our meeting with Lord Balik, and perhaps I should have anticipated the question, but it still took me off guard.
“I’m not sure. They’re often on my mind.” I paused. “Do you disagree with the bargain I made?”
“Of course not,” she scoffed. “I don’t hate humans, or enjoy seeing them treated poorly, but I still would have liked to speak about it with you first. To appear united.”
I hadn’t given her that chance.
“I’m sorry.”
“Let’s just look for books on Shadow Fae magic, alright?” She turned away.
Discussion closed. Stars, was this going to be how the other hard conversations we needed to have would go too? I hoped not. Thyra and I had been avoiding other serious matter of who—if we both lived through the war—would sit on the throne.
Before, I thought I’d be happy to give the throne up to Thyra, and a part of me still felt that way, but an equal part liked the idea of leading. Of getting to shape Winter’s Realm in meaningful ways.
I started by examining the closest titles. Many seemed to pertain to the rulers of the Shadow Fae long before Queen Sassa Falk lived. I moved on. And on. And on again. My search, and the silence between my sister and me, stretched for an hour before Thyra let out a loud hum.
“What is it?” We’d each taken one side and moved away from one another, so I found myself at the end of an aisle, and her on the other.
“Nothing about their magic. Rather, their enemies.”
“I kind of thought that was everyone else in Isila, considering they planned to start wars with each kingdom.” Winter’s Realm had just been the first and hardest hit, due to our proximity to the Shadow Fae Isles.
“Their enemies could live in multiple kingdoms,” she agreed. “It’s not a kingdom that poses the greatest risk to them, but a type of magic. Limiters—though I believe the dragons and wolvea call light wielders something else.”
“Light magic. That’s the antithesis to their shadows?”
“I’d never considered it before but it makes sense.”
It might also explain why I’d felt so off while we trained that morning. I would bet Sassa’s Blade that the shadows inside me were reacting to Sian’s magic, which he had been using in abundance during combat practice.
“When we were training, did you feel off, Thyra? Particularly when Sian used his light?”
My sister’s head tilted. “Actually yes. I put it down to all the rich food from breakfast, but you think it was the shadows inside us?”
“It might have been. Easy enough to test.”
“We’d have to let Sian or Baenna in on that secret. Will they tell their father, because I don’t think we’re ready for that yet.”
I swallowed. “We’re friends, so I’d like to think that they’d keep it a secret until we said otherwise, but maybe it is best to wait to test out our shadow’s aversion to light magic. At least until after Lord Balik makes his oath.”