Chapter 7 Audryn #2
“Do you want to buy a picture?” The girl tugged at the hem of my shirt. I knelt down and looked on as she dug out a folded scrap of paper from her pocket. The folds were worn, and the sheet was nearly falling apart. The drawing had a sun with several wyverns flying near a big puffy cloud.
“Oh wow, this is very good,” I said, pointing to the drawing. “You captured the sun’s rays with these lines perfectly. How much are you asking?” I traced the lines extending across the top.
Dimples popped in her cheek, and she straightened her back. “Two coins, please.”
The request was enough to catch Dolcie’s attention. She dropped her hand from Grave’s shoulder and pulled her daughter back. “Don’t bother the woman with your drawings,” she admonished.
Digging into my pocket, I found two coins and pulled them out, displaying them in the palm of my hand.
The girl snatched them quickly and went running down the street, leaving the paper drifting down to the ground in the wake of her chaos.
I folded it, placed it in my pocket, and stood next to a smiling Grave.
“You didn’t need to do that,” she chided.
“It’s a lovely picture, it’s only right to pay for her hard work,” I said, but the compliment didn’t land.
She turned back to Grave. “Will you be going to the celebration at the end of the week?”
He nodded and offered a wave to several who passed with curious eyes. A look of disappointment crossed the woman’s face as she watched him expectantly, but whatever she’d been hoping for the king didn’t give.
“Oh gosh,” Dolcie said, before running off after her daughter, who was flashing her coins to a group of children.
Grave offered an arm, and I reluctantly took it before he led us down the street.
Groups of people paused and whispered as we passed.
Every fae held the same thin frame. Even those in the slums back home had more meat on their bones than those who filled the streets; yet every face bore the same wide smile as they looked to their king.
“Everyone’s so thin.” I lowered my voice. “Do they not make enough money to feed themselves?”
“We live on rations. Each week we’re given an amount of food to supplement what we’re able to grow.
” Grave selected two pastries from a vending cart and dropped several coins into an outstretched hand.
“In addition, some choose to sell handcrafted goods on the street, while others cook specialty foods available for purchase.” He handed me one of the sweets.
“But all are given enough food to sustain their bodies. It’s something I’ve worked on since taking over King Graystorm’s position. ”
“Your father,” I corrected.
He shrugged. “Sure, we’ll go with that.”
I bit into the pastry filled with strawberry jam and raised a brow at him in question.
“Yes—he was my father.” Grave looked away. “Though I wish he weren’t.” He guided me to the door of a small building. “Would you like to send your father a missive? I doubt your prince has let him know you’re away.”
“He’s not my prince.” I groaned. “And I don’t have the money to pay for such a service.”
Affluent families took advantage of messenger hawks, not people like me. Even when I’d sent the pendant to my mother, I had to send it by horse. Though, my parents had scraped enough funds to send word of Kamden’s scheduled execution by messenger hawk.
“It’s covered.” Grave pulled open the door and gestured me inside.
The blank sheet of paper stared back at me as I contemplated what to write.
So much had happened since the last time I saw him, and I wanted to give an explanation—though I wasn’t sure I could offer a reasonable one.
Telling him Ryder found out about Kamden and his involvement with the resistance would only cause him to worry, so I kept it short and stuck to the basics:
Dear Father,
I’m currently in Kuroden. I’m well, and I’ll be home in three weeks. Don’t worry about me. I’ll explain everything when I’m back. I’m safe.
Love,
Audryn
It was as much of the truth as it was a lie. I wasn’t sure I’d be home in three weeks, not to my proper home at least. I considered writing to Benton and Orion, but decided against it. My friends would likely hear the news from my father anyhow.
By the time I returned outside, a small crowd had formed around the king. His eyes lifted to me, and a dimple popped as he threw a smile in my direction. A moment later, he was excusing himself from the group and moving to meet my side.
Dark stone buildings lined both sides of the street, their signs created with colorful hues. Paintings, stained glass art, and other items sat on the shelves in the windows. Bookshops with candles and tiny tables were bustling with people, old and young alike.
“If you give them food, do they even need to work?” I bent down to inspect a plant on the front porch of an unpainted home. Bare tomato vines sat sadly in a purple-painted container. Its soil was damp and thriving with the familiar life I was so used to.
It was odd to see the pots accessible to anyone who passed; thieves could easily take what they wanted. I poured magic into the soil, sending tomatoes blooming down the thin vine.
“Everyone works, whether at the seeps, at home raising children, selling goods, or helping within the community.” Grave watched as I moved to a miniature lemon tree on a nearby patio.
“We work together for everything we have. Those unable to work, because of illness or otherwise, are supported by those around them.”
For several blocks, I stopped and bloomed each plant and vine I came across, allowing the glittering magic to pour into the soil-filled containers.
Some were proper clay pots, while other vessels were made of household dishes and jars.
Nobody could claim the fae of Kuroden weren’t resourceful with what they had.
“How’s Dysis been?” Grave asked.
He’d offered Zalzre to me at the beginning of the week for our daily trips, but I refused and took Dysis instead.
I quickly learned he’d been right, and it was like riding a horse, though the danger of falling off was more worrisome.
But the castle was a straight shot, and other than takeoff and landing, the ride was pretty calm, plus Amalee stayed right beside me.
“She’s really amazing.” It was the truth. The beast was cautious when my nerves had gotten the best of me and seemed to push my limits as my confidence grew.
“And your time here?” he asked. “I know I’ve been gone quite a bit and haven’t been able to help you settle in. How are you adjusting?”
He bit his lower lip, and I stared intently at the fullness and blanched skin. “Things have been fine, considering,” I said.
I had fallen into an easy rhythm in my temporary life. Amalee and Sky ate breakfast with me at the table just after sunrise, and during the day I attempted to repair the land. In the evenings, I found myself downstairs in the common room alone while the two women went off on their own.
The crackling fire of the hearth had kept me company each night as I read the tiny book of children’s stories.
Fisher had thankfully packed several books from my room in Rivale, including the one Roark had passed off to me from King Grave.
The stories were sweet and somehow lulled me to sleep before I could make it to the end.
Each morning I woke up on the sofa with a blanket covering me and the rising sun shining through the window.
Truthfully, I felt at peace, though my goals of killing the king and finding the name of the executioner aimlessly lingered in the back of my mind.
There was nothing I could do to complete my tasks being so far away.
Ryder was the only person who knew the name of Kamden’s executioner, and King Sutton might die before I even had the opportunity to kill him.
All I was left with was to focus on the needs of Grave’s Kingdom.
Plus, seeing the people up close and how little they had, made me even more determined to heal the land.