12. Timas
Chapter 12
Timas
T he air still has a bit of cold to it, but the sweat pouring down my body doesn’t seem to care. Milori takes another swing at my head, and I dodge it easily enough. Sparring with Milori helps keep my temper under control most of the time. Spinning, I kick out at him and land a solid hit on his leg. These sessions are more for using up physical energy, not utilizing our powers. Doing that would likely land Milori in a grave. That being said, he’d give me a good fight. My power is primarily derived from the force of nature. I can manipulate nature’s powerful energies, and my well of power is deeper than most Fae. Each Fae person has a reserve of magic. Some are stronger than others, and typically, those related to the royal families have stronger powers and greater reserves. Milori doesn’t like to tell anyone, but his mother comes from the royal line, and because of that, his powers are strong. He is proficient at fire magic. He could burn a place down quickly if he wanted to. A thunk sounds, and pain radiates up the side of my face.
“Come on now, your Majesty, you need to block.” He knows how much I hate him calling me that. I throw a weak left punch, and just as Milori goes to duck, I upper-cut using my right fist, hitting him square in the face. He stumbles back while I bounce from foot to foot.
“You were supposed to block.” I can’t help but smirk at him. He spits the blood out and wipes the remnant off with his hand.
“ Ha, ha . Good shot. Now, you were going to tell me what you got out of that assassin.“ Milori wanders over to the side, grabbing two glasses of water.
“You are supposed to be head of the entire guard, and you don’t already know?”
“I had other things to do. A couple of the human nobles have been… difficult. They have been coming up with false reports to have my team show up to assess the problem.”
“Your team? Or just you?” We both take a long drink before he responds.
“I thought the Fae were handsy, but the human nobles are on another level. They have some sort of fascination with us, and seeing as you keep running away after every speech, they have resorted to the plebians of the Fae people.” I nearly spit the water out of my mouth at that comment. He is nowhere near being considered a plebian–he is second-in-command. He is the one who handles issues if I can’t do it myself. But more than anything, he is my best friend. The man has more power than most in this Court. But for him, this isn’t an unusual occurrence. Fae women always seem to vie for his attention–he’s laid-back and charming, though his scruffy appearance and tousled hair are often criticized .
“The ladies are after you for your position, you oversized child. Besides, the spring events don’t have as much of an appeal as they once did.” The largest reason is that I can’t have my Emilia with me. That turns my mood rather sour. I hate being apart from her, and the bond constantly reminds me she is not wholly mine yet. I itch absentmindedly at my skin–a feeling that has become an increasingly annoying problem.
“The bond isn’t giving you an easy time, I see.”
“You could say that.” I don’t feel this agitated or like I need to get out of my own skin when Emilia is close by.
“So, you wish to know what we found out.” Milori nods, grabbing his white linen shirt and throwing it on, leaving the front undone.
“It was a young Orc from the Northern Clans. Unsurprisingly, his list of successful assassinations is nonexistent. This was the first time he had ever killed someone in this manner. The guards found him in the tavern, drinking to forget about what he had done. After he was brought to the dungeons, Estola and I went for a little …discussion, but she was not needed. After he was chained up, he couldn’t get the information out quickly enough, but he told us everything he knew. Estola confirmed the information was true and that he was not trying to deceive us or leave information out.” Grabbing my robe, I slip it back on. Without the demand for physical exercise, I am getting chilled. “The Night Court has allied with the Northern Clan as far as we can tell. Gormash, the leader of the Northern Clan, sent many spies and assassins by way of the blacksmithing trade. Something we will now have to be watching. The young Orc doesn’t know much other than the delegates from the Night Court came in the dead of night several months ago to meet with Gormash. Presumably, to talk about how they can disrupt the peace in this Court. The young Orc had been coerced into killing someone, anyone. He has been informed if he does not succeed, his return will bring death for him and his family. It seems Gormash likes to force his people to do what he wants using their families as collateral.”
It’s disgusting to think someone would use their people like that. I know the Orcs are known for their brute-ish ways, but I never imagined that the more ‘advanced’ Clan would use such barbaric tactics.
“The young Orc doesn’t know much. Because the Northern Clan is going to war and their more skilled fighters are required there, he was likely used as a throwaway to appease the Night Court. I assume this is the war Emilia is trying to obtain information on. There is far too much backstabbing and secret planning going on. Either way, the Orc says that the Night Court sends delegates to the edge of the Shrouded Forest every couple of weeks to get a report. It puts the entire city on edge because, when they come, a dense fog fills the city. The Orc says the spirits are not happy, whatever that means.” Milori shifts on the spot, looking thoughtful.
“So there really isn’t much new information. There is no reason why they are doing what they are doing and it seems there is no end in sight. ”
I push my hand through my hair because I, too, am frustrated.
“Everything the Orc could tell us, we already knew. The Night Court has a new leader about a hundred years younger than me. He is out for blood, apparently, to right old wrongs.”
The islands surrounding the continent have always had Fae inhabitants, and at one point, they were occupied by both the Day and Night court people. The Night Court King at the time decided he was dissatisfied with the ways of the Day Court, as the Day Court has always believed in listening to its people and its advisors. On the other hand, the Night Court has always believed in a totalitarian monarch where the King makes all the decisions despite opposition. The fact that some of the Day and Night courts cohabitated and shared islands in some places spurred on greater conflict. Eventually, the Night Court King decided his rule would be better for the entire Fae race, inciting a civil war where many Fae people lost their lives. My grandfather was the King at the time and was the one to exile the Night Court King and his people, officially separating the two courts. From what my father said, it was a mess, and the people struggled to recover for many years.
Since my becoming King, we have enjoyed peace in our lands. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that our recent issues are very likely due to the Night Court’s new King.
“I will have my people vet the blacksmith owners and their workers. Though I suspect we should ask Garrick for help–he might know more about who is coming and going. ”
“I never thought about that, but it’s a good idea.”
“I’m not just looks, you know.” He comes over and slaps me on the shoulder. “You look terrible, you know that?”
“Thanks, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear.”
“What are friends for?” he says with a stupid grin. I elbow him in the gut, causing him to fold over.
“Yes, such a friend you are.” He recovers quickly and starts laughing.
“I think you need to spend some time with Emilia, you’re crankier than normal.” I turn to look over my shoulder. He’s right, I do need to see her.
“Find her and ask her to meet me tonight for the Lantern ceremony.”
“ Oooh , a romantic night under the stars.“ He fans himself like an idiot, and I send a crate from the other side of the yard to him.
“AHH!” The guards standing around the training yard look at each other with shocked expressions. They’re likely thinking I’m mad, but Milori knows just how to push my buttons.
“Just because you can fling stuff around doesn’t mean you should , Timas!" Milori yells as I leave the yard.
With all this deception and the weight of the murders, I just need a moment. Finding Emilia has been wonderful, but I wish I didn’t have to deal with these murders. At the same time, I need to prove to her that I’m worth her time, but fate has a way of intervening. Tonight will be perfect. I will woo her and show her that she can take a chance on this bond, and then perhaps the very crawling of my skin will stop. And I imagine if I get another kiss, I will sleep a lot better.