Chapter 9 #2
“You truly honor us coming all the way out here. And so soon after taking the throne.”
“But where is your retinue?” asked Narinda, peering over Leita’s shoulder. “Surely you didn’t come alone?”
“I did. I’m accustomed to…traveling light.”
Glenys and Narinda shared a look before he patted Leita’s hand again. “No matter, no matter. More carrots for your dread-mare, then.”
Just point me in the right direction, hooted Thalia.
“She’ll be pleased, thank you,” said Leita instead.
Glenys nodded amiably. “I’d be honored to give you a tour of our beautiful town, Your Highness. We’ve prepared the best rooms for you, and the children have organized a—”
“Before you do, perhaps Her Highness is thirsty? From her journey?” suggested Narinda.
“Oh, oh, yes! Quite right, yes, this way, my Queen.”
Narinda winked as Leita passed her, tugged along merrily by Glenys.
Have fun, Thalia snickered.
Wait, don’t leave me—
Glenys marched them through the door he’d just come out of, through a foyer and what looked like a parlor, to the back of the first floor into a chaotic office.
An enormous desk was almost lost beneath hills of ledgers, books, and parchment, all topped by inkwells, rags, and paperweights.
Shelves lined most of the walls, stuffed full of tomes.
Some attempt had been made to organize it all, but with the many books half-pulled out, ribbon place-markers dangling, it seemed fruitless.
“I think Queen Leita will be more comfortable in the parlor, my love,” Narinda chided gently.
“Yes, of course, but first I…let me just…yes, here’s the blasted thing.
” Lifting a smooth crystal from one of the many open drawers of the desk, Glenys held it up to the light before wrapping both palms around it.
Leita immediately recognized it as a spelled crystal, one used for sending simple messages.
She had her own to use but had let them migrate to the bottom of her pack days ago.
“Chancellor Charis asked that I send word when you arrived safely. I’m sure they worry for you back in Fallorian. ”
Leita opened her mouth to stop Glenys, but before she could, the crystal began to glow with his magic.
Well, no use now. Charis knew where she was and how to find her.
Not that that was a bad thing, she had to remind herself.
It was just…Leita didn’t quite want to be found yet. Not before she figured out several of her new complications.
With the response sent, Leita was ushered back one threshold to the much neater parlor. Installed in one of the deep, plush sedans, Leita was quickly handed a goblet of cider and told to make herself comfortable.
Instead, she sat on the edge of the cushion, not wanting to dirty Narinda’s fine seating arrangement.
This space was clearly Narinda’s, all soft greens and gold tassels. A few books sat on a low table, one open with its place-marker nestled in the crease. With a wave, Narinda lit the candles and sconces, adding a bit more light to the already bright room.
“There now,” said the mistress of the house. “Let us speak, then, while your rooms are made ready.”
“Oh, please don’t trouble yourself. I won’t be staying.”
The mayoral couple looked at her owlishly, as though she’d started squawking like a harpy.
“The chancellor sent a message ahead that you wished to inspect several of the towns here in the east,” said Glenys. “Is that not so anymore?”
“No, I do, I just…” She needed both hands to hold her goblet steady and so couldn’t pick at her own cuticles. “I don’t want to impose.”
“You are the Queen,” said Narinda. “We’d be honored for you to impose.”
“Yes, well…” Leita took a sip of cider to buy herself time. “I’m used to the outdoors, is all. And I want to continue to ensure any lingering hotspots have been snuffed.”
The mention of the wildfire seemed the right topic to distract the couple.
Even Glenys became grave as the two informed her of how they’d witnessed the fire start some eight days before.
Narinda spoke of how strange it was to see a fire grow so large so quickly, and Glenys talked of how the winds kept the fire near the border.
“Has anything else strange happened?” Leita asked.
“I’m afraid so,” he said. “Strangers coming to town before never appearing again. Healthy trees felled across the border as though to make a bridge. And on the other side, more and more humans. Not just in their towns, but at the border. As though patrolling it.”
“The border itself has felt…diminished of late.” Leaning forward, Narinda asked, “Is it like that elsewhere, too, my Queen?”
Leita swallowed hard. She wanted to lie, but that was beyond the capability of the fae. “Unfortunately, yes.”
“Perhaps it is just a symptom of your new reign?”
“Perhaps.” Clearing her throat, Leita hurried to add, “But I’m here in part to help reinforce the border.”
That information clearly relieved the couple, the two of them sitting back in their seats.
“In truth, it was weakening before you took the throne. It didn’t surprise us, given how…” Narinda’s lips thinned.
Leita understood. Amaranthe had fractured the balance. The cycle had been rotting away for centuries; so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see such flagrant cracks out here in the borderlands.
“All the more reason to celebrate your arrival, then, in all ways,” Narinda concluded.
Leita nodded, sipping at her cider rather than speaking. She didn’t want to make grand promises; although she did intend to strengthen the border, she hadn’t much inkling how to do it yet.
The drink was just the right balance of sweetness and spice, rolling down the throat pleasantly. Gazing into her goblet reminded Leita—
“I’m pleased to see you’ve taken to drinking so easily. Those in Fallorian are more reticent.”
The mayoral couple shared another look. “In truth, Your Highness, many fae here in the hinterlands never fully gave up eating and drinking,” explained Narinda.
“Magic is used for a great deal, of course, but we have our local ways, you see, and we’re quite stubborn about them.” Glenys chuckled, swirling his goblet. “We’re far too fond of good food and drink to give it up.”
Leita returned his jolly smile, genuinely astonished. “I’m very pleased to hear it. Perhaps you’ll be able to teach the city-folk to love it again.”
“Say the word, and we’ll send you back with more barrels of cider than you can carry!” Glenys exclaimed. “My father would weep with joy to know we did business with Fallorian again.”
“I’m sure Charis can work out a fair—”
The front door crashing open echoed down the hallway, quickly followed by a panting fae sentry. She looked local, wearing leathers rather than a uniform and having white sclera.
“Forgive me, duana-daín, but something strange has been sighted overhead.”
Leita shared surprised looks with the couple before abandoning her goblet. She hurried with them through the mayoral home, rushing into the town center. A crowd had gathered there, faces turned skywards.
Worried mutterings filled Leita’s ears as she too looked up.
High above, so high they were barely more than dots in the sky, flew a tight formation. Too lofty to be birds, and too big to still be visible that high and anything other than dragons.
“It can’t be…”
“They haven’t been seen in centuries…”
“What could it mean?”
What indeed. It was time that lizard she was keeping in a cave start talking.
From that cave, in the shelter of its mouth, Attalus watched the formation of gorgoroi soaring overhead. Well, shit.
Unhelpful but not unexpected.
At least Leita’s efforts and the rain would have washed away his impact crater by now. Still, they’d be drawn to the obvious burn scar left across the land. Leita too had thought Attalus started the blaze. Dragons were of fire; they were naturally drawn to it.
Araxos must really want him dead.
Which left Attalus with few choices.
Conniving as it might be, his best hope was to successfully woo his powerful fae mate. He contented himself that it could be a wholly pleasant task, and that he meant to be a good mate. Attalus never had the luxury of mourning what could’ve been—plans and fortunes changed.
So the sooner she returned, the sooner he could get to courting Leita properly. And save his own scales.