Chapter 45 – Isolde
ISOLDE
The sun was breaking on the horizon when we entered the castle in Bitra.
Once our mother’s ancestral house, imagery of the aura owls struck me the moment I stepped foot in the castle. My lips parted as I took in so much more that was out of place given the current owner.
The House Skau colors of blue and copper provided the sitting room with a pleasant ambience.
Bookshelves lined each wall, and meticulously curated tapestries and paintings hung between each shelf.
A single polished white statue of a female faerie stood by the windows, an aura owl perched on her raised hand.
I knew little of the dead gods, but even I knew she represented a fae version of the goddess Mimeil.
She had been the goddess that House Skau, also called the house of scholars, worshipped above all others.
“I think his guilt got the better of him,” Thyra said after she caught me staring at the stony owls above the hearth. “I didn’t understand that when I was here before.”
Indeed. Not only had Queen Inga demolished House Falk by toying with our father’s mind, but her actions had brought about the downfall of our mother’s house too.
They’d all died for their loyalty to Harald Falk.
I inhaled, as if trying to breathe in that lost family, but got only the faintest hints of brewed tea and charred wood in the fireplace.
“Move along,” Arie spoke with a soft command in his tone.
Lord Riis, Luccan, Arie, Clem, and Anna had arrived an hour ago to prepare the castle. Now Arie was in charge of keeping order.
For his part, Luccan sat in a chair, his entire focus on the gateway. I took heart that he was not already sweating and hoped he could continue to work his magic long enough for the entire army to pass through.
My sister and I moved out of the way, making room for those who would join us.
As leaders of this war, we had walked through together.
Just the two of us, a symbol of our unity.
Thousands of soldiers and horses, gryphons, and our pegasi waited behind us, the line so long it extended from the brothel in the heart of Myrr to Ramshold Castle where masses of soldiers waited.
Bac, Aleksander, Livia, and our Valkyrja came next, the pegasi and a few gryphons at their side. Twenty seconds, the allotted time between waves of people, went by and more arrived. Some on gryphons, some on horses, some on foot. All armed to the teeth.
“Princesses?” a voice I did not recognize spoke.
I turned to find an ancient fae standing at the door, a tea tray in his shaking hands. At the sight of me and Thyra, he let out a soft breath. “You look so much like them. Your parents.”
“Thank you,” I replied as we crossed the room to the servant. “You met them?”
“My daughter attended your mother before she left for the White Tower.” The male gave a sad smile, maybe thinking that our mother’s journey to become a healer had been interrupted by meeting our father.
“I didn’t know the old king, but there are many paintings of him. Though they’re not on display here.”
“Of course not.” Thyra took a cup and poured herself some tea. I did the same. Sleep had not come easily the night before, and I’d likely need many more cups by the end of the day. “Lord Riis has informed the household of what’s happening?”
The servant nodded. “I’m in full support.”
“Well, that’s good.” Thyra grinned. “I’d hate to think what he’d say or do if you weren’t.”
Unease flickered across his face. “Dissenters would be locked up, but Lord Riis is not cruel, so they’d not be mistreated.” The servant added as his gaze drifted over us, back to those owls. “That being said, my loyalty will always be to House Skau. Which means I am loyal to you two.”
Thyra peered at him with interest. She’d been here before, during the heist at the Bitra coinary. Had she seen the servant then? Something told me no—that they’d done their best to be seen by as few as possible.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Hátlu, Master of Household. For House Skau, and now House Riis.”
“Isolde,” I said, in case he didn’t know which of us was which, which seemed all too likely considering few had seen us and known us by our birth names since we were toddlers.
“And so you’re Princess Thyra,” Hátlu said. “It’s my pleasure to meet you both.”
“Can you show us where the command is?” Thyra asked. “And send others to move the soldiers, gryphons, and horses into quarters where they may wait and rest until we’re ready to move on?”
It was dawn, but about a third of the force had been up for hours already. They needed to get sleep when possible.
“Servants are already in the grand hall waiting. Food and drink are prepared, as are cots and bedrolls. As for command, I’ll take you there.”
After instructing Livia to take our pegasi to the stables, we followed Hátlu with our Valkyrja in our wake.
I could not help but notice that the rest of the household did not all seem as happy to see us.
Most watched us with interest—though some showed blatant distrust in their eyes.
Did they see us and think we were more like our father than our mother? Mad and cruel?
I wasn’t sure, but as we continued through the castle, the variety of looks we received were impossible to ignore. So much so that I felt great relief when we entered the study where Lord Riis waited. That was until I saw the expression of distress on his face.
“What happened?” I asked as Hátlu shut us inside the room of gleaming wood and shelves of books lining the wall. Bottles of liquor littered the small table behind the lord’s desk. One I recognized as Dragon Fire.
Lord Riis held up a piece of paper, his hand trembling.
I still could not help but feel revulsion towards him, though it had lessened somewhat since Inga’s death.
“News came,” Lord Riis said. “All the way from Avaldenn, and I fear it’s spreading quite fast. By design, of course.”
“What is it?” Thyra cut across the room in five long steps. She took the page from Lord Riis and sucked in a breath. “So, it has begun.”
I joined my sister, and when I peered down at the page, my heart dropped.
A royal decree. One claiming Thyra and I as dangerous shadow wielders.
Of course, there was no mention at all of the Shadow King.
I had no idea how Magnus and Rhistel were going to present that tidbit to the kingdom, but the tone would be different from the article in front of me.
“There’s no reason to wait any longer,” Thyra said. “We have to release what we know of Rhistel. It will only help our cause. Might even make it easier to get into the city and take control.”
Now that Inga was dead, there was no reason to withhold that information because it would not harm her. Some might even question if Vale was being controlled and try to help him.
“We’ll do that now.” I turned to go to the door. To send someone to find a scribe who could draft an official notice. Many notices. And then send those off from the aviary.
Before I took two steps, Lord Riis spoke again. “There’s more. Something worse.”
My spine straightened at his tone, solemn. Fearful.
I twisted, arched an eyebrow. “Worse?”
The high lord let out a long breath. “My sources in Avaldenn sent word. And if what they tell me is true, we may well lose much of the Virtoris Armada by tomorrow.”