Chapter Six #3
“A bask is a group of crocodiles,” he replied, surprising me again.
I couldn’t remember the last time a man answered a question I asked without mocking, scoffing, or calling me stupid. It had been that long.
“They are crocodile faeriken.”
I nodded slow, taking that in. I didn’t know much about crocodiles. One didn’t encounter them in a big city like Lyrica, but Mama did a few times, when she went to battle with Papa. She compared them to big, angry lizards.
That explains why their limbs don’t match the size of their bodies. As the curse takes hold, it must be getting harder for them to hunt. Certainly too hard to chase a flying rabbit up a tree.
I kept my voice low. “But why would they be starving? They don’t have to hunt. Our carriage passed through a bustling market only yesterday.”
“We are cut off from the other kingdoms,” he replied, matching my tone. “We must survive on what we grow and hunt here in this land of winter. Our people must be self-sufficient.”
I wondered if I’d ever get used to him referring to them as our people.
I don’t plan on staying long enough to need to.
“When they have a surplus of food, they bring it to the market to trade,” Alisdair said, continuing the longest civil conversation we had since we met. “But no one could hunt enough to feed forty basks.”
“Forty?” I squeaked.
He inclined his head.
“So,” I drew out, putting the pieces together. “Like everyone else, they must rely on themselves for hunting. But then their prey took off to the mountains earlier than expected. Is there a reason? Did something happen?”
“This land has been cursed for a millennium. All living beings had to adapt or die. The plants and flora learned to grow without sunlight. The woodland animals evolved new ways of escaping predators in the dark,” he said. “And the predators in that darkness...”
I knew without him saying so. The Taken.
“As their numbers grow,” Alisdair went on, “the animals flee. Soon it will be only us, and them.”
The hairs on my skin stood on end at the very thought of being trapped in this place with only the Taken.
“What are they?” I whispered, voice shaking. “Are they your people? The faeriken? Is the last stage of the curse becoming... that?”
He gave me a long, unreadable look. So long, discomfort tightened my skin. “Oh, little bird,” he said softly. “It’s much worse than that.”
“My lord? My lady?” Aeris spoke up, saving me from trying to force a reply from my suddenly dry mouth. “What is your decree?”
All eyes were on me—Alisdair’s included.
Drawing back, I blew out a breath. “All right, I believe I understand the problem, and that problem is any solution that utilizes our current resources would be temporary. We’ll all be right back here within a week. What we need is to open trade between the other kingdoms.”
“Well, there was a certain treaty that ended the war and allowed for the very trade you speak of,” Bradach sang. “But a certain princess saw the end of that.”
“Thank you, Bradach,” I forced through clenched teeth. “As always, your unasked-for interruptions are most welcome and not in the least bit irritating.”
Winking, he bowed deeply. “You’re welcome, my queen. I am your eternal servant.”
I rolled my eyes. “The truth is, you never need a treaty to trade. All you need is a fake merchant license, and someone who blends in with the n—with the fae,” I corrected, leaving out the word normal.
“I will forge the license and teach our chosen merchant what they need to know. You”—I turned on Alisdair—“will provide the coin.
“This palace is rife with riches. A few trinkets from the front entryway, and you’ll have fifty cartfulls of fish, chickens, turkeys, and flightless bunnies,” I said.
“In the meantime, we will work out a schedule that gives both your basks equal access to the marsh. That should tide you over until...” I glanced at Alisdair.
“How long is the journey to and from Lyrica?”
“A fortnight.”
“Two weeks,” I announced to the bask leaders. “If you both can get along and abide for the schedule for two weeks, you’ll soon have all the food you need. Agreed?”
The men stiffly turned in each other’s direction, as if having to look at each other was torture itself. Snarling, they both said, “Agreed.”
“Very well.”
Noise sounded in the throne room. It was applause.
“Well done, Queen Ana,” Aeris gushed. “Of course you would know exactly what to do.”
“She’s amazing.”
“Our queen. Beautiful and wise.”
I blushed in spite of myself, preening a little in my seat.
I didn’t want to admit it, but their praise felt good.
As good as it felt to come up with a solution to a real problem, and be heard.
The only hope of a future I had was selling vegetables in a market square.
The only thing anyone would ever ask of me was the price.
But now here I was, solving food shortages and ending territory disputes. Me, the queen of nothing, and owned by no one.
“Yes, very well done,” Alisdair remarked. “A fair and reasonable plan that solves their issue and a great many more. I like it.”
“You do?” I hated immediately that I asked that. Hated even more that a small, lonely, pathetic part of me was pleased at his approval.
“I do,” he replied, rising up. “I like it so much that I will have this schedule drawn up immediately.” Alisdair nodded at Aeris. “Aeris, share it with their widows as soon as it’s complete.”
My smile twitched. “Wait. Their wid—?”
Alisdair roared. Launching off the dais, he changed in mid-air. The handsome king melted away, and the ferocious beast took over.
Lorcan had just time enough to shout before his throat was ripped out.
I screamed.
Gurgling, hacking, spurting blood, Lorcan thudded on the ground and Alisdair pounced on him—ripping him apart.
Arin turned and ran on legs too short to take him far. Three bounds, and Alisdair was on him.
Something flew through the air, smacking me across my screeching mouth. I looked down on the bleeding remains of a foot.
“Ahhh!”
Slapping it off, I ran.
I bolted out the side door, skidding out into a plain, stone hallway. Blast of cold air smacked me in the back, turning me around to two wide-open doors leading outside to town. I took off sprinting.
It was my sad tale that I was accustomed to violence, sickness, and death.
I’d watched many a kind, older woman fall prey to the wasting sickness.
I’d been attacked many times for the little I had, and survived.
I’d also seen the remains of people who were attacked for what they had, and didn’t survive.
I’d seen it all... but I’d never seen that.
I burst outside, and searing, mind-numbing pain exploded in my right leg.
“Ah!” I cried. Seizing up, it dropped me flat on my face, bouncing my skull off the icy stone. I slid across the ground—dazed and in pain.
“That was your worst escape attempt yet.”
My insides curdled.
“How is it you’re not learning from your previous?
” Alisdair picked me up one-handed, and held me out dangling in front of him like a cat by the scruff.
He was covered in blood. And me, upside down and eye level with my own knees, I realized I was too.
“You cannot outrun me, little queen. Especially not when covered in sacred, magic runes promising that during the day, your place is beside me.”
I glared, burning him where he stood. “That was awful. They came to you for help, and you killed them for no reason. You’re a monster, and I hate you. Every day for as long as I live, I will hate you!”
“Aww,” he mocked, setting my teeth on edge. “Do you promise?”
Alisdair waved his hand, and a glowing, beautiful starflower appeared between his fingers. He tucked it behind my ear. “And I promise you, my wife, my queen, to be worthy of it.”
He carried me back into the throne room. Yes, carried.
Ignoring my kicking and shouting, he dragged me inside like a sack of oranges and deposited me back on my throne.
“As I was saying,” Alisdair growled. Below us, servants scurried to clean the remains of the crocodile faeriken. “I will have no more of these territory disputes. No more killing and hoarding of food. If you are unable to live and work together civilly, then you will die brutally!
“Now who else wishes to test my patience?” he roared.
Half the people in line ran for the door, trampling each other in the melee. The brave few who remained moved up to receive their wisdom, but none from me.
I didn’t speak for the rest of the morning, but inside, I thought of nothing but my mother. All these years, enduring a cruel, heartless, selfish man for our sakes.
I never understood her more.
“AWAY,” ALISDAIR BARKED after what felt like hours.
There were still dozens more faeriken to be seen, but that didn’t stop him snatching my hand and dragging me out the door.
Temper bursting in my chest, I lunged forward and sunk my teeth in his hand.
“Argh!” Roaring, he whirled on me, fangs growing in the blink of my eye.
I smashed my nose on his and growled right back. “I can do it too, Lord Shitsoul. That’s the last time you drag or carry me anywhere. You wanted a pretend queen for your paper throne, so start treating me like one!”
His lips peeled back from his teeth. “Be very careful, pretend queen, or I just might bite back.”
I pushed back harder. “I’ve seen your bite,” I hissed. “It doesn’t scare me.”
We faced each other down, his rising growl sounding a warning that I should be heeding, but I knew a thing or two about bullies. Back down once, and you’ve lost the power forever.
“Ahem.” Someone cleared their throat behind us. “The schedule has been written and delivered to the basks as requested. Lunch is also prepared and waiting for you both.”
“Feed her.” He pulled back so suddenly, I stumbled. “And make sure she eats.”
Of course he knew.
“Bring mine to the tower.”
“Oh, are you certain, my lord?” Aeris asked. “I thought you’d like to enjoy a meal with your new—”