Chapter 14 Ryder
RYDER
Everyone at the table turned and stood as I moved through the doors.
I gestured for them to sit. Keeping my face steady, I racked my mind.
What meeting had I forgotten? With so many things on my plate, I was barely keeping afloat.
I struggled to even make time for the women, though at least I’d reduced the number of them over the last week before Audryn's arrival.
Getting her here had taken longer than I’d expected. Not wanting to delay any further, I’d taken matters into my own hands. I wasn’t proud that I had ordered her garden to be destroyed, but she’d left me with little other choice.
Repairing the damage in a matter of hours at least confirmed her land magic was powerful.
Though I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t her friends who’d done the mending since it was fixed under the cover of night.
If it were her, at least she was wise enough not to attempt the repair again once I placed Hunt and Fisher to stand sentry.
“There are several situations requiring your immediate attention,” Leanna said, redirecting my train of thoughts. “And since you were preoccupied, I began the meeting to give you an adequate amount of time with your …” My sister feigned a cough, her clear tell that she was full of shit.
“I am never too busy to deal with matters that affect my kingdom, though I appreciate your ongoing effort.” I narrowed my eyes at her.
She was occupying my father’s chair. My chair.
A discussion was needed, but it would need to be held in private.
A family dispute in front of others revealed weakness and, with my father’s failing health, that was the last thing we needed.
“Anything I can do to help.” Leanna’s voice was airy.
“Thank you for waiting,” I announced, my jaw clenching.
Leanna stood and vacated my seat. She took the chair to my right, the one I’d sat in for nearly my entire life with my father at the head.
At my father’s insistence, she’d started attending meetings, but that was the first time she’d held one in my absence.
“Your Highness,” Commander Tashe began, “this evening, several ships were lost en route to their destinations.”
Each set of eyes moved to me and awaited my response, but I sat silently. If I’d learned one good thing from my father, it was that more information was divulged from uncomfortable moments of silence than any line of questioning. I’d applied the rule to nearly all aspects of my life.
Tashe continued, “The weather continues to be an issue, and with the aging fleet and lack of weatherproofing, they simply can no longer handle the trade route as they used to.” He took a breath.
“This doesn’t take into account the number of attacks from the islands.
We simply don’t have the means to defend ourselves at sea. ”
Leanna quirked an eyebrow at me. She had likely processed the information before I was even aware of the meeting. Maybe she’d even formed a solution; meanwhile, I was forced to construct one on the spot while everyone watched me scramble for it.
“Sir, we need more crude—not only for weatherproofing, but for incendiaries as well.” Tashe tapped a finger on the thick wood. “Our supply depleted months ago, and we’ve not been able to continue with the same tenacity as we once had.”
“How many boats were lost?” I asked, and nearly everyone's eyes dropped to the table in front of them.
“Six fell to weather and two to attacks,” Tashe said, “each with over fifty men aboard.”
Shit. We’d lost nearly four hundred people in one night. Rivale hadn’t gone to war in decades, but with a loss so great, it certainly felt as if we were in a battle. Perhaps it was a war waged against resources rather than fae.
“Why did they not defend themselves from the attacks?” I asked anyone willing to answer.
“They did—well, to the best of their ability,” Tashe replied. “They fought valiantly with bow and arrow, but they were dealing with an invasion from the sky.”
I scoffed, “Surely there were Divine wielders on board to protect themselves.”
Several at the table stiffened while others adjusted nervously in their chairs.
“Well, yes, Your Highness, but given their choices”—he hesitated—“death was the only certain outcome. Whether they could not defend themselves from the attack because of inadequate weaponry or were punished upon return for wielding magic against the king’s orders.
Their fate was death regardless. It is far more honorable to fight for one’s kingdom than against it. ”
“Did you make the request for additional crude? Or did you nearly stand by and let all of your fae perish?” Leanna questioned the commander.
Tashe had the foresight to see the impending issue more than a year prior.
My father denied his request because of his own personal need for crude, one he’d never explained to me.
My sister sat in on meetings, but she didn’t have full access to everything on the back end.
Only those with clearance viewed orders, missives, and plans.
“Yes,” Tashe said simply, keeping his gaze on me. I couldn’t override my father’s allocation of resources, and he knew that. I could only assuage each disaster after it occurred.
“Your Highness,” Captain Vexley spoke up, “not to add more to your plate, but it appears there’s been a resurgence by the resistance.”
“Are you dealing with it?” I asked. He was the most competent leader I’d had the privilege of working with.
“We are.” Vexley lifted his chin.
I nodded. “If you need to shift personnel, let me know.”
Half a dozen sets of eyes around the table focused on me. Nearly every person was older, and likely wiser too, yet they all looked to me for orders.
“That is not all, Your Highness,” castle steward Blackwell began.
“There’s been an incident at the northwestern tower.
” She stood and spread a large scroll out on the table in front of her.
Even from a distance, the red marks drawn on the paper caught my attention.
“Earlier today, a guard was crushed because of spalling,” the woman finished.
More death due to mismanaged resources. I blew out a breath. Things were getting worse while my father lay useless in bed, yet he still insisted I go to him before making any decisions myself.
“The ocean air continues to erode the stone despite the repair efforts.” Blackwell’s green eyes darted around the table at those who still occupied the room, knowing the conversation’s limitations.
“Commander Tashe.” I pushed away from the table and stood, the others following suit.
“We’ll speak later regarding the issue at sea.
For now, moor the remaining ships until we find a solution.
” He nodded, and I flicked my chin toward the door.
Tashe and the other commanders promptly left, leaving Leanna, Blackwell, and me alone.
“Get Elowen,” I ordered my sister. To my surprise, she left without hesitation.
I made my way to Blackwell’s side and studied the drawing depicting the castle’s layout and its surrounding grounds. There was more red on the paper than the last time I’d seen it and more areas affected than not.
The door creaked open, revealing my sister and the tawny woman following close behind. Her black eyes revealed nothing but boredom. She didn’t bow or comply with any of Rivale or the continent’s customs; it was the agreement my father made with her when they’d begun working together.
“Good evening,” I greeted and gave her a tight smile, despite my misgivings. “It appears there are issues with the work you’ve done on the grounds, specifically the stone repair.”
She glanced down at the drawing and then up at me, offering no words. Her infuriating attitude, oddly enough, didn’t seem to bother my father. I knew little of their history and nothing of Elowen. I really had no interest in her type other than her ability to bend magic.
“The stone is failing here,” I said, pointing to the northwestern tower, “and here.” I pointed to another location on the scroll. “As well as here.” I looked over and saw she wasn’t even paying attention. She was more inconvenienced than interested. “It appears your work has failed.”
“For a moment, I will entertain your inquiry.” Elowen didn't hide the smugness on her face.
“Your father chose to use the byproduct of crude to repair the castle. He demanded the appearance of the bitumen to be turned white and accepted the consequences of bending magic. He knew the risk of the changed composition.” She turned to leave, allowing no time for questions.
“We aren’t finished here,” I demanded. “You will stabilize the material.”
Slowly, she turned back, her kohl eyes burning into the depths of my soul. “I do not answer to you, prince. Your father is the only person who may make a request.”
“A guard has died,” I sneered.
“There is always a price to be paid, for a deal a mouth has made,” she purred. “What price will you pay for your own requests? In the end, it may be something you ultimately detest.”
I refused to argue; she was wretched. “You’re dismissed.”
She eyed me carefully and tilted her head. “We will see each other soon, that I am certain.” The door clicked closed as she left.
Blackwell cleared her throat. “Your Highness, we could make repairs with the bitumen itself, unaltered. We only need more crude to process first.”
Leanna huffed a breath. “As if that will be easy.”
There were too many issues to address, and I wasn’t sure which to tackle first. Even if we had bitumen to make repairs around the castle, my father would order my death if I used the brown, sticky substance. Doing so would only point out how badly damaged the castle actually was.
Aesthetics were less of an issue with the ships, and I could allocate our remaining resources there to continue our trades, but then I’d need to defer other obligations. It was impossible to satisfy every need. With so many eyes watching, there was no room for mistakes.
“Quite the conundrum, brother,” Leanna tsked. “What will you do?”
“Steward Blackwell, please excuse my sister and me,” I requested. “I’ll meet with you soon to resolve the issue.”
“Please know the longer we wait, the worse the issue will become, Your Highness,” Blackwell replied, rolling the scroll tight and leaving the room.
I turned to Leanna. “I suppose you have opinions to share?”
“Does it matter?” She rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t appear you’re open to any of my suggestions regarding Rivale or the women here.”
“Is this really about Audryn?” I exhaled and ran my fingers through my hair. “I don’t see the problem. How can you take issue with a sparring match?”
Leanna began pacing. “I don’t think you see the bigger picture. Do you really want the help to see your possible betrothed in a compromised position? Wouldn’t you rather have a proper woman who seamlessly blends in and falls in line? Someone who doesn’t snap at your sister with retorts?”
I walked by my chair and to the window, looking past the garden and to the distant sea.
The white-capped waves were more captivating than concerning myself with the opinions of others.
My mother followed the rules, and it only led her to a life of misery.
If people were going to judge Audryn for enjoying time with me, who cared? I would be the fucking king.
“You have two wonderful women who could be your perfect match.” Leanna placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I think you’re failing to see those in front of you.
Instead, you’re focusing your attention on someone who didn’t even want to be here—probably still doesn’t want to be here.
Do you not receive enough rejection from our father? ”
I turned to face my sister. “Give her a chance. There’s something about her that’s different ... interesting even. And I’m not willing to give that up just yet.”
The door opened, and a guard pressed in. “Your Highness, please excuse the interruption. King Grave and his sister have arrived, as well as their two wyverns.”
I scowled at the thought of their filthy creatures. “Did Grave request any specific accommodations for his beasts?”
“He said they would stay on the cliffs, but requested grazing access for the duration of their stay.”
I waved a hand. “Permitted.” As long as I didn’t have to see the creatures, they could feed wherever. If the people of Rivale caught sight of the wyverns, they might think we were being invaded by witches; though they wouldn’t be too far off given Grave and his sister were here.
The guard closed the door, providing privacy for my sister and me once more.
Her holding court in my absence was a pressing issue, but I needed to focus on her problem with Audryn first. Without Leanna’s support, Audryn wouldn’t last long.
Even if she became my betrothed, my sister would make her life miserable every step of the way.
“I’m sure it’s difficult for her. The others had time to fall into the rhythm of life around here. Audryn arrived late.” I grabbed Leanna’s hand and turned to face her. “Please help her adjust? Do this for me?”
Leanna let out a long exhale and squeezed my hand. Her eyes softened. “I will forever assist you in getting everything you deserve, Brother.”