7. Emilia
Chapter 7
Emilia
T he horses huff as Sigrid hands her bag to the attendant. The cold morning air prickles at my skin. Before the sun has risen in the sky, Sigrid is packed and ready to depart, she wants to make good time.
“Please be careful, Sigrid.” She smiles at me and grabs my hand, squeezing it slightly.
“It’s going to be fine, Emilia. It should only take me a few days to get to the High King’s court and I will write to you as soon as I know anything.”
“Oh, right!” I nearly forgot that I grabbed a messaging orb for Sigrid to take. Pulling the slightly yellow-looking orb out of the bag I was carrying, I hand it to Sigrid. “This will be faster than sending a messenger or even a bird. Timas said that it can transport immediately to its intended recipient. The Fae woman who made this orb for me said it can be delivered to three people. I didn’t want any information to be locked away from Timas so the orb can be read by Timas, Milori and myself, just in case. ”
Taking the orb, she places it in the handbag hanging from her shoulder. I dig at the side of my finger, a nervous habit I can’t seem to get rid of.
“Everything is going to be fine, Emilia. I’ll send word as soon as I can.” I nod and then pull her into a tight hug. She returns it with as much affection as I am giving.
“I am so happy you know everything now. Having you here to help me and give me advice has been such a huge blessing.” I’m going to miss the late night talks we have after I return from spending time with Timas, but I appreciate her willingness to help.
Sigrid climbs into the back of the carriage and waves as the horses pull away, heading for the docks.
I don’t even try to go back to sleep after she leaves, my mind has been racing for hours. At first I was worried about Sigrid and her well-being. Then, my concern shifted to what Gormash might be doing to persuade the High King to rejoin his alliance.
Eventually, I make my way into the royal garden. Ever since I met Timas here, I’ve come back numerous times to find some peace. It wasn’t exactly a peaceful place at the beginning—I was confronted by the Day Court King, who seemed to think we were meant to be together despite having just met.
Chuckling to myself, I take the winding path to the bench underneath the willow tree. The garden is enclosed inside the palace with a beautiful dome above, allowing the dawning sunlight to shine down inside.The windows are open now that the weather is nicer which has allowed dew to settle on the leaves. The garden is filled with the rich scents of different flowers. My personal favourite is the lilacs. I hope Sigrid will be ok. I know it’s likely a completely irrational thought, but I know what it is like to go somewhere and have ulterior motives, it’s a stressful feeling. With everything that has been going on in the past day, I feel the tightness that comes with stress pulling at my chest.
I’m not sure how much time passes while I’m lost in thought, but eventually, the murmur of voices outside the garden penetrates the quiet solitude I have found here. Sylphina bounds around the path, spotting me right away on the bench.
“There you are! I was worried when I couldn’t find you in your suite.” Her beautiful, carefree smile pulls me out of my contemplative mood, which is a nice change to the heavy thoughts.
“I couldn’t sleep so I figured I would just get up and walk around for a while.” I stand from the bench and head to the opposite side of the willow tree, Sylphina following behind me. “How was your date?” Maybe talking about something else will help me get my mind off of everything.
“It was magical! Rian did rent a horse and he took me to the ocean on the other side of the island! We went swimming and talked and kissed and talked.” She sighs, “It was perfect. I think I am falling in love with him.”
She looks off into the distance with a dreamy expression, as if she is getting lost in the date all over again. I have the same problem when I think of the time Timas and I have spent together, though it’s been a little while since we have had a proper date .
“Emilia, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. I told Rian he wasn’t supposed to come to the Royal Wing, but I guess he was too excited and wanted to see me. I told him that was no excuse, of course, and told him he had to wait for me until I was finished. He understands now and won’t do that again. I promise. I know I shouldn’t have told him how to get to the Royal Wing, I feel awful about that. I hope you can forgive me.” Slowing my steps, the stones crunch under my feet as I turn to face Sylphina. Her head is cast down, and she is looking at her feet; she is obviously remorseful about what happened yesterday.
“I understand Rian’s excitement. When you meet someone you are falling for, you want to be with them. I appreciate the apology, and I forgive you.”
As we finish our conversation, Estola walks into the garden. I’m surprised to see her here. Estola has been wonderful to me since we met, helping me navigate the politics of the court but then also extending a friendship to me outside of that. But the look on her face says today is not a social visit. I follow the winding path to Estola, who is standing with a serious expression on her face.
“Is everything alright Estola?” The words leave my mouth before I even reach her.
“I am troubled.” She looks at Sylphina, and I know she wants to speak alone.
“Thank you Sylphina. I will see you back at my suite.” Taking the obvious hint, she leaves the two of us in the garden .
“What is it?” Nervous tingles start to cover my skin. Estola is a brilliant woman, wise, powerful, and unwavering, but the look she is giving me makes me pause, wondering what could be putting her on edge.
“I have been thinking about the council meeting we had yesterday, and something doesn’t feel right. I never would have expected Aecus to call a vote on the Royal Compliance Act. He rarely cares about anything if it doesn’t include wine or ale. I was able to speak with his wife and she informed me that he has been acting strange for the past couple days, or rather more strange than usual. Even Uldor was acting strange, it seems as if he is leaning towards voting yes as well. As it stands right now I am not sure we will win the vote. I am the only one who will be voting against this stupidity.” She pushes out a harsh breath. “I want to visit Aecus and see if I can get a reading on him, see what his motivation is for forcing the King into this situation. Will you come with me?”
“Of course I will.” We immediately leave the garden in search of Aecus. Estola leads us out of the palace through the many hallways. The Fae people we pass immediately move to the opposite side of the hallway, deliberately trying to avoid us, or rather, Estola. Her ability to sense people’s true intentions is well-known in the city, and for that reason alone, many avoid her. I have never feared her abilities, mostly because I have nothing to hide. We leave the palace and head for the upper-class section of the city. The streets are immaculate, and flowers fill the streets. It’s clear the money flows freely by how perfectly painted the houses are. The windows in the upper level of the city have intricate and colourful designs while in the lower city, the panes are single-coloured with far fewer embellishments. Estola stops in front of a gorgeous three-story home. The arched windows are accented with hanging baskets of flowers and vines. Estola walks up to the door and raps on it twice. After I stop gawking at the beautiful homes, I step up beside her. The door opens, and a Fae woman steps out to greet us.
“Hello?” The petite woman looks like she has been hard at work, the sleeves of her dress rolled up a bit to show the rough hands of a servant.
“Good morning. We are here to see Aecus.” Estola’s cold tone must put the woman on edge because she shifts and looks around.
“I’m sorry but Lord Aecus is not receiving anyone at the moment.” Estola takes a small, intimidating step closer to the woman, staring her down with a cold gaze.
“Inform Aecus that we are here to greet him. He should be more than willing to receive us.” The petite woman cowers and nods, backing up slowly. She turns to go inside and closes the door behind her. “Even this behaviour is odd. To not even invite us in is horribly rude.” She mutters.
“Are you… feeling anything?” I don’t know how her power works but maybe she can tell something from here.
She looks at me with a smirk and says, “Just your nervousness. There is no need to be nervous, this is just a simple conversation.” Swallowing hard, I nod—it is daunting that she can tell that sort of thing. The door opens again, and Aecus is standing there, slightly unsteady on his feet.
“To what do I owe such an honour that the Queen-to-be and my dear friend Estola should visit?” His speech is slightly slurred, but Estola does not hesitate to ask her questions.
“What are you hiding, Aecus? You do not invite us in but rather leave us standing outside for your presence. Never mind the fact you are more than intoxicated at mid-morning, which, even for you, is unusual. My concern before arriving here was more to do with your insistence on enacting the Royal Compliance Act, but something tells me there is more going on here.”
Aecus stands taller now, no longer slouching on the door; her little speech sobered him up to some degree.
“I do not know what you are referring to, Estola. What right do you have showing up at my door and demanding answers? I have been around longer than you and my family holds more power than yours. Do not question my loyalty to the Day Court people. I serve the council faithfully and will not be talked down to. If you wish to see me again, you will send a messenger and make an appointment.”
He slams the door shut, leaving me stunned and Estola very upset.
“So, um, did you feel anything from that?” I feel like an idiot asking the question, but again, I really don’t know how her power works.
“No.” She huffs. “He was all over the place. He felt afraid and nervous at our arrival and then angry and guilty. It doesn’t make sense. A lot of what he was feeling, however, was clouded by his intoxication and it doesn’t help that he comes from a rather strong bloodline. I could not get a good read on him, which is concerning.” Humming my agreement we turn from the house and head back in the direction of the palace.
“We should tell Timas.” I say. He should know about Estola’s concerns.
“I agree. I think he was to visit the crime scene this morning. Perhaps we can meet him there.” Making a turn down a narrower street, we head in the direction of the crime scene.