Chapter 9
Aisha adjusted her grip on the reins and snuck a glance at Queen Farrah riding alongside her. They had been riding for nearly an hour, the castle shrinking behind them until it disappeared from sight. Four guards trailed closely.
When the queen had sent an invitation for her to join her on a morning ride, Aisha had expected a leisurely walk through the city.
But then they’d left the city entirely, the landscape becoming more and more isolated.
Cobblestones turned to rocky paths, and the scenery turned to harsh, barren terrain.
And still barely more than a few words spoken between them.
‘Your Majesty,’ Aisha said, ‘may I ask where we’re going?’ She kept her tone light despite the growing unease in her chest.
Farrah kept her eyes ahead. ‘You shall see soon enough. Patience is not your strong suit, I see.’
Not when she felt like her life was in danger. The lack of detail had Aisha worried that she was about to have an ‘accident’ resulting in the queen returning to the castle alone. She held her breath every time one of the guards’ horses moved closer to hers.
The path narrowed, winding between sheer rock faces that funnelled the horses into single file. Dust stung Aisha’s eyes as they descended, the air growing chalky and bitter-tasting.
Then she saw it.
An entire hillside had been gutted, torn open. Timber scaffolding clung to the rock, propping up entrances to tunnels. People moved in endless lines, stooped, exhausted, their faces white from the dust. The clang of pickaxes rang out, broken by the occasional shout of an overseer.
Aisha pulled her horse up to take it all in.
‘Welcome to Dareth Mine,’ Farrah said, stopping beside her. She sat tall in the saddle as she surveyed the scene. ‘It is the largest in Gruisea. The backbone of Gruisea’s wealth. Without it, our kingdom would crumble.’
It was the first time Aisha had seen a mine, and it made her stomach turn. An endless grind of human suffering.
‘Let us take a look around,’ Farrah said, nudging her horse into a walk.
Aisha had no choice but to follow.
As they made their way between the wagons, the horses attached to them snorted and shuffled their hooves. The men paused their work briefly to look at them, then continued loading without so much as a polite nod.
Aisha looked from face to face. Some workers were quite slim and short, and she wondered how they managed the weight. Then a slow realisation came over her. Those were not men—they were children. Young children. Some around the same age as Omar, carrying loads far too heavy for their tiny frames.
A small breath escaped Aisha, drawing Farrah’s attention.
‘Peace and prosperity come at a cost,’ the queen said. ‘And it requires a strong stomach.’
Aisha looked around at the weary faces. ‘Some of these boys look too young to be working here.’
‘The youngest are ten,’ Farrah replied.
Aisha blinked in disbelief. ‘Ten years old?’
‘The minimum age for mine work used to be sixteen. However, we were forced to lower it in order to meet demand.’
Questions flooded Aisha’s mind. ‘What would drive a parent to send their child to work in a mine at such a young age? There must be safer ways to earn money.’
There was a beat of silence before Farrah answered her. ‘It is not a decision for parents. It is a decision made by the crown.’
Aisha stared at the queen, her breathing shallow.
‘Every boy over the age of ten, excluding those born into noble households, is now required to work for the benefit of Gruisea’s future,’ Farrah explained.
‘In Avanid, we call that child labour.’
Farrah laughed. ‘You do not get to claim moral superiority with me. When the Emperor came for Avanid’s resources, your father opened the borders and handed them anything they wanted.’
‘That’s not true—’
‘Your father is a weak leader,’ Farrah said matter-of-factly. ‘I am sure it hurts your feelings to hear that, but it is the truth.’
Aisha shook her head. ‘Enslaving young boys does not equate to strength.’
Farrah’s nostrils flared, but she didn’t respond.
Aisha watched a nearby boy drag a block of limestone across the wagon floor. ‘Why did you bring me here? Was it to shock me into leaving?’
‘To show you the truth about who we are.’ Farrah’s voice was quieter now.
‘Tariq would not bring you here because he is ashamed. He clings to a version of Gruisea that no longer exists.’ Her gaze drifted back to Aisha’s.
‘If you wish to be the Queen of Gruisea one day, then you must pursue it with your eyes wide open.’ She paused.
‘Marriage is a business transaction. Your kingdom aligning with this kingdom in an attempt to hold on to the things we have left.’ She looked away on an exhale.
‘So look around you. Ask yourself if you can bear to inherit this, to uphold it. If the answer is no, then you must decline Tariq’s offer of marriage and return home. ’
An older man shuffled by, his shoulders rounded under a heavy basket. He looked so exhausted. Aisha watched him dump his load before heading back in the direction from which he had come.
She wanted to ask Farrah why they didn’t push back on Slevaborg’s demands for more supply, but she already knew the answer. Holy warriors would be swarming Gruisea within the month. That would turn Gruisea from an overworked kingdom into an unsafe one.
‘I would like to return to Azura Castle now,’ Aisha said.
The queen studied her for a long moment before swinging her horse around. ‘Of course.’
They didn’t speak on the return journey. Aisha saw her surroundings through entirely new eyes. The city now felt like an extension of the mines, the misery spilling over.
As they neared the castle, they passed the army barracks.
Aisha noticed this time that the gates hung open.
There were no soldiers drilling in the yard, no thud of boots or sound of steel.
The place was empty. Not a single soldier in sight.
She looked down at the crest on the saddle, with its pick and hammer.
The castle gates opened to receive them, guards bowing as they passed through. When she finally slid from her horse in the courtyard, her legs were like jelly from being in the saddle for so long—and perhaps other reasons.
‘Thank you for your company,’ Farrah said to Aisha as she removed her soft leather riding gloves.
Aisha searched her eyes, then bowed her head. ‘Your Majesty.’
The queen walked away, leaving Aisha trembling in the courtyard.
Aisha rounded the corner of the corridor and slowed when she spotted Tariq waiting at her chamber door. He was leaning against the stone wall, arms folded and expression unreadable. He straightened when he saw her.
For a long, weighted moment, neither of them moved, the dirty truth between them. He knew what she had seen, and she knew he had wanted to keep her from it.
‘How long have you been waiting?’ she asked when she finally resumed walking.
‘Not long. Kaidon informed me you were back.’ He looked her over. ‘We should talk.’
She nodded. ‘Fine, but not here.’
They didn’t say a word until they were out of the main castle and safely among the olive trees. Only then did she turn to face him, her heart beating faster than usual. ‘When were you planning on telling me that your dynasty is built on the backs of children?’
His jaw tightened. ‘I gather from your question that you visited Dareth Mine today.’
She crossed her arms. ‘You should have told me what sort of place you were bringing me to.’
‘I know what you’re thinking—’
‘I doubt that.’
He exhaled. ‘I wanted to give you time to settle in first before burdening you with all of this.’
‘That translates to you thought you could trap me here and that I would accept any circumstances for Avanid’s sake. You definitely overestimated our desperation.’
Anger flickered in his eyes. ‘I chose you because I believed you were strong enough to face it.’
‘Face what, exactly?’ she asked. ‘A kingdom so broken it enslaves its own children?’
He stepped closer. ‘Gruisea’s position is fragile. Everything I do—everything—is to protect my people.’
She forced herself to remain in place. ‘Where are all the soldiers?’
Confusion flashed in his eyes. ‘What?’
‘We passed the barracks. They’re empty. Where are all the men?’
His eyes closed for a moment. ‘In the mines.’
Another piece of the puzzle fell into place. ‘No ruler would order their army to lay down their weapons and take up tools unless they were bending to the will of another.’
‘You would know,’ he fired back. ‘It was Avanid that paved the path for the rest of the empire.’
His words stung, but not because they were false. ‘We didn’t have a choice.’
‘Neither did we.’
‘My father couldn’t fight.’
‘And mine refuses to.’
Aisha’s chest rose and fell—hard.
Tariq stepped back and looked around, collecting himself. ‘The queen took you there in an attempt to scare you.’
Her eyes burned. ‘Well, it worked.’
His features softened into something resembling empathy. ‘I have a plan for change.’
She searched his eyes. ‘Why do I get the feeling the king and queen aren’t on board with your plan?’
His silence was his answer.
Aisha let out a huge breath. ‘Go on, then. Tell me of this plan.’
He immediately appeared uncomfortable. The discomfort was followed by more silence.
‘I see.’ She dragged her teeth over her lip. ‘So, I’m just supposed to trust you?’
He relaxed slightly. ‘Yes.’
A small laugh escaped her, even though nothing was funny.
‘Imagine you were me. Imagine leaving your family and travelling to a foreign kingdom because you thought it would help the people you left behind. Then imagine finding out they can’t even protect themselves, let alone help anyone else.
’ Another awkward laugh. ‘We’re slaves to the same master. ’
They both looked off in different directions.
‘Nothing’s official,’ he said. ‘No announcement of any kind has been made.’ His expression turned serious. ‘You can leave and return home if that’s what you want.’
Quiet stretched between them, taut as a bowstring.
Aisha drew herself up, meeting his eyes with as much steadiness as she could muster. ‘I think it best that I return to Avanid.’
Her words hung in the air like a blade.
Tariq studied her face for the longest time before nodding. ‘So be it.’
Then he left her standing amid the olive trees with tears spilling down her cheeks.