3
Alarie
The next morning, I woke up, reveling in the feel of the cool, cotton sheets brushing over my legs. And then I just lay there, contemplating giving myself some credit, for once, for how hard I’d worked to get there. Not in that bed specifically, but House Vitruvian and the High Court.
Unlike most people who made it to the High Court just by being born into the right family, I’d earned my place at the High Court by graduating at the top of my class at university. Each year, the top student of the graduating class at my university in Harborview was given the opportunity to serve as liaison to a House in the Azure Court. Once, all the Courts of Valencia had a liaison program. But now, the Azure Court was the only Court that kept the initiative alive with any regularity.
Along with the one-year liaison position, the top student earned their title—lady, in my case—a small stipend, and a bit of land somewhere in the Kingdom. To officially complete the liaison program, there was a written test the liaison had to pass during their first year at Court. However, there was no guarantee of employment after successfully completing the first year as liaison. The liaison had to secure a position at the High Court on their own by the end of their first year.
So, yes, I’d earned my spot at the High Court. But, if I was giving out credit, then I guess I’d have to give some to my mother. After all, she was at least partially responsible for my drive to get where I was. Growing up, my mother had made it all too clear to me that I had no safety net. So, if I missed a step, there wouldn’t be someone there to catch me. In my world, if I failed, failure was my only option. So, I didn’t allow myself to fail.
I’d felt an overbearing need to escape from my hometown and everything I knew since I was a small child. Every decision I’d made from a young age was made with the intention of earning that liaison spot. Otherwise, I never would have found myself with the unbelievable opportunity to serve under Lord Vitruvian’s tutelage. Because my family was poor, and I had mixed blood, and the people from my hometown just did not make it to the High Court that often.
I’m not pure high fae. My mother is an alluring lesser fae, a few inches shorter than me, with bright brown-and-gold eyes and beautiful fire-red hair. My mother’s beauty had drawn the attention of a high fae soldier traveling through Harborview one evening many years ago, ensnaring them both in a single night of all-consuming passion.
Or, at least, that was how my mother liked to describe the night she met my father. I was skeptical of it really being the fairy tale she made it out to be. If it were, then I thought she would have wanted to talk about my father more than she did.
I never got the opportunity to know my father. And my mother had only spoken of him a handful of times in my entire life. On one such occasion, my mother had explained to me that I was part high fae in response to my question as to why I looked different from many of the other children in my small hometown, which largely consisted of lesser fae. I used to get teased by the other girls in school about my distinctly high fae features, but the boys never seemed to mind. I was thinner than the average lesser fae girl, which translated, as I got older, into a less voluptuous figure than that of a lesser fae woman.
“They’re just jealous, Mandy. Ignore them,” my mother had said coolly one evening after I came home from school upset.
The girls in my class had chosen to give me the cold shoulder and exclude me from their group that day—as they had done the day before and the day before that. I’d gone and played kickball with some boys instead.
“Mandy” was what everyone called me back home. I’m not sure how my grade school soccer coach made the jump from Armand to Mandy, but he did and everyone else did too. Even my own mother. I’d never cared for the nickname as a child, and I’d grown to dislike it even more as I got older, feeling that it was too bubbly and did not match my personality at all. But the nickname stuck. At least, until the day I moved away from it and everyone who knew it.
Maybe my mom was right, and the girls were “just jealous.” But that had never made me feel any better. My mom wasn’t exactly the coddling or maternal type. In fact, she’d rarely ever said or done anything during my entire childhood that could be considered comforting. My mother wasn’t unkind. She just didn’t really have it in her to dole out hugs and kisses and affection like the other mothers I saw. My mother was kind of distant, and even when I was a young child, she had treated me like a mini adult.
As a result, I grew up quick, and I grew up tough. Instead of trying to get to the bottom of whatever it was that kept me from making friends with the other girls my age, I’d taken my mom’s advice and ignored them. So, I didn’t have any girlfriends.
I didn’t really have a lot of friends, period, back home. I had mainly hung around with boys growing up. But once I decided to go for the liaison spot, my ambition placed a wedge between me and any hopes of real friendships. I consistently had to choose to do what I needed to do, not what I wanted to do, and that level of responsibility was just not relatable to most of the people my age, especially not the boys who just wanted to spend their afternoons at the beach crushing beers.
I rolled out of bed with a sigh, running my fingers through my long, silky brown hair. I threw on a pair of shorts under my oversized t-shirt and walked out onto the veranda adjacent to my bedroom. I saw one of the House’s lesser fae servants, Jena I assumed, using a broom that hovered in the air to beat the dirt out of several large rugs. I guessed that Jena, like many lesser fae, had some kind of magic that was particularly suited for caring for a house the size of the Vitruvian manor.
Even such a small showing of magic enamored me. By the time I was born, every fae’s magic, high fae or lesser, was diminished. It was not uncommon for fae born around the same time as me and after to exhibit no showing of magic at all. I’d never exhibited any kind of magical ability in my entire life. Whether I had specific abilities or not, all fae were said to have some magic, because magic was what made us immortal. At least, we had been immortal, before the fading started.
Looking out at the garden from my veranda, I thought about how in school and in life I’d always been good at doing what I needed to do. I decided right then and there that the High Court would be no different. I would do whatever it took to prosper as a lady of the High Court. I walked back into my room and started to get ready for my first day as liaison to House Vitruvian.
* * * *
I finished my morning routine, dressing in a fitted, black pencil skirt that hit below my knees and a stretchy light-blue buttoned blouse, paired with nearly transparent black thigh-highs and black pointy-toed heels. The heels were a necessity for every outfit. I was a few inches shorter than most high fae women, so I wore heels that were a few inches taller than normal to compensate. Also, I hated the way pantyhose felt, so I usually opted for thigh-highs instead.
I felt myself flush under the gaze of his gray eyes as I walked into the breakfast foyer.
“Good morning, Jay,” I greeted him confidently, pretending that I regularly greeted high lords first thing in the morning.
He sat on the top of a stool at the breakfast bar, lounging in a three-piece blue suit like other men lounged in their favorite pair of sweats.
“Morning, Alarie,” Jay replied casually.
He gestured to the spread of food for me to choose from, explaining that the kitchen staff was at my disposal if I wanted something different. But I had no real need of the staff. I wasn’t used to having someone wait on me. I preferred a light breakfast most days, anyway, usually just coffee and some fresh fruit. A few lesser fae servants buzzed around the manor while we finished our breakfasts and coffee.
I spoke to Jay about my hometown, Harborview, over breakfast.
“Harborview’s just a few hours north of my estate in Breakpoint,” Jay commented.
I pressed my lips against the fresh strawberry in my hand, savoring its sweetness, before taking a bite. Even the fruit was better, and fresher, here at the High Court. I was well aware of the fact that Jay’s estate was in Breakpoint. Jay’s estate in Breakpoint was the seat of the Azure Court, one of the five courts of Valencia. The Azure Court was aptly named because it was home to the only Azurinium caves in the Kingdom. Azurinium was a blue glowing mineral found in caves in the cliffs facing the Azure Ocean. It was an extremely valuable power source—even more so with the magic failing—and was used for everything from powering carriages to powering clocks.
“Have you ever visited Breakpoint?” he asked.
I noticed his glance slide to my lips, and I self-consciously ran my tongue across my lower lip, wiping away the red juices of the strawberry that undoubtedly stained my lips.
I’d never had any reason to venture down the coast. I’d never really traveled anywhere in my life. I hadn’t had enough money to do so. But I didn’t mention that part to the high lord. As the owner of all Azurinium in Valencia, I didn’t think he would understand not having enough money to travel just a few hours south.
After breakfast, Jay led me around the manor, since I’d not been given a tour the night before. The manor contained many rooms of different sizes, consisting of varied styles, for serving a variety of purposes—all of which we would go into as part of my lessons, Jay explained. Perhaps noticing my lack of enthusiasm—I’d never really taken to domestic duties like my mother thought I should—Jay assured me that formal hosting would be just a small part of my education with him. He would also thoroughly prepare me for the written liaison test and my time at the High Court.
We made our way into a private bar. I ran a hand over the polished brown wood of the bar top, admiring the high lord’s collection of bottles. He casually mentioned it was mine to choose from any time I liked.
It was the library, where we would spend most of our time for my lessons—according to Jay—that was, by far, the most magnificent room in the entire manor. Lord Vitruvian’s personal library was even more expansive than the library at my university; I took in the varied colors of book after book on the floor-to-ceiling shelves that lined the walls of the room. I loved how the sunlight came through the full-length glass-paned window that served as the back wall of the library. I would be able to work in the library and not feel as though I was closeted inside all day.
We began my lesson for the day almost immediately upon entering the library.
“Sit,” Jay said firmly but not unkindly, gesturing toward a large table in the middle of the room.
He explained that we would begin with the history of the Houses serving at the High Court before making our way into some more nuanced aspects of magical theory.
“I learned all about the five Courts at university,” I said, hoping to head off some of the more elementary aspects of the lesson. And, if I were being honest with myself, itching to show the high lord what I thought I did best.
There was the High Court seated in Vlaise and ruled by King Heroux himself. The Emerald Court was the seat of House Heroux before the King sat on the throne at the High Court. It sat in the Emerald Isle and was currently ruled by the King’s son, Prince Nikolas Heroux. The Azure Court, Jay’s Court, was seated in Breakpoint and under his dominion. The Ruby Court, found in Eaton in northern Valencia, was ruled by High Lord Rein. And then there was the Silver Court, located in the southern tip of Valencia, which was governed by Luke’s father, High Lord Bellamy.
“And that, my dear, is why we are starting with the Court’s history,” Jay admonished.
Butterflies took flight and fluttered about in my chest. Whether from the high lord’s words, my dear, or the fear of being wrong, I couldn’t tell. I remained silent, waiting for further instruction from the high lord.
“There are six courts that you must know about. A fact commonly glossed over by our education system,” he said, as if that explained the issue.
“Six. Six?” I repeated under my breath. “Oh, you mean the North Court,” I replied, relieved that I was not totally ignorant of what he was referring to.
“The Diamond Court,” he corrected. “Although, yes, Alarie, I guess you are correct. It has come to be known as just the North Court since you have been alive.”
I did not know that the North Court was once called the Diamond Court. I had to admit that I knew almost nothing about the Diamond Court other than it was ruled by King Rexford Vandros and was located in Alancia, the kingdom north of Valencia.
“It’s called the Diamond Court because there are diamond mines there?” I guessed, unwilling to give up on my efforts to show the high lord I possessed some kind of cleverness.
“That is one of the reasons,” he said approvingly.
I felt myself brighten at the approbation in his deep voice.
“But let’s take a step back. Do you know the reason why all the other courts are named what they are?”
I may not know much about the Diamond Court, but of course, I knew the reason behind the name of each of the other courts. I began to rattle them off.
“The High Court is named as such because it’s the home of the High Council,” I answered, like I was still in class at university.
“The Azure Court”—I inclined my head to the high lord—“is named after the Azurinium caves found there. The Emerald Court was given its name due to the gems found in that area, most notable among them the beautiful green emeralds. The Ruby Court was given its name because…” I hesitated, thinking that the next explanation I intended to give had always been thin. “The Ruby Court was given its name because King Heroux decreed it. And the Silver Court…”
I had stumbled across a hole in my knowledge I had not even known existed. I ran through the possibilities in my head. Silver wouldn’t be mined near Port City, where the Silver Court was located. It was on the coast, and all the mining of silver in Valencia occurred near the Ruby Court.
I looked up at the high lord, my silence an admission that I did not know the reason behind the Silver Court’s name. There was a knowing half-smirk on his face, as if he knew this was where I would get hung up in my answer.
“Alarie,” the high lord began, and his tone was resolute but not harsh. “I know you’re brilliant.”
Despite the humbling position I found myself in, I still felt a flush of warmth at his words of praise.
“That’s why I claimed you for my own House instead of allowing you to go to another House in my Court.”
My hometown, Harborview, was part of the Azure Court. Each year, a student from each court was awarded the opportunity to join the liaison program. But being accepted into the liaison program did not always guarantee a spot at the High Court. Sometimes, a high lord like Jay would keep the liaison for their own House. But often, especially when it came to House Vitruvian, the liaison would be assigned to a lesser House within the high lord’s court. For instance, Jay could have placed me at the Azure Court or passed on me altogether and given the lord in Harborview, Lord Tildon, a liaison for the year. I was beyond ecstatic when I found out that I was placed with House Vitruvian at the High Court.
“But,” he continued, “you’ll find that there is a thing or two that I can teach you. I dare say that you may even learn some things from me that cannot be found in any book.”
His last statement was made matter-of-factly and not boastfully.
Sufficiently chastised, I began to admit that Jay was right. But he moved on, apparently without the need to extract such a concession from me.
“The Emerald Court is named not only for its emeralds because, as you know, the M is rich in other precious gems as well, but also its emerald-green waters. Similarly, the Azure Court is known for its azure ocean.”
“The Ruby Court…” he paused, “well you weren’t far off. You see, after the Diamond Court separated from the rest of the courts of Valencia, Grey and I had to decide what to do with the realm in the north, this side of the border. A new court was preferable to just tacking the land on to the large amount of land owned by the Crown. The truth is that we had already decided that the new court would go to House Rein.”
“We were speaking to High Lord Rein and his son, Rhett, about the new court, and Rhett is the one who came up with the idea of the Ruby Court. He said rather matter-of-factly that he had spent hundreds of years establishing his wardrobe in various shades of House Rein’s red and he wouldn’t start over, not even for a court of his own to inherit someday.”
“And when I pointed out that rubies have nothing to do with the resources from the land in the north, Rhett pointed out my next point regarding the Silver Court. The Silver Court does not have anything to do with the mining of silver, which, as you likely know, actually takes place in the realm of the Ruby Court. Instead, it’s named after the silver coin said to glimmer between every handshake that occurs at the port in Port City.”
It was fascinating to hear the backstory on events I’d only read about in my textbooks.
“You said that diamond mining was one of the reasons that the North Court was named the Diamond Court. What are the other reasons?” I asked, more interested in a history lesson than I’d ever been before.
The high lord seemed pleased by the fact that I’d remembered to follow up on his earlier point.
“The people from that area, from Alancia, they are hard people, Alarie. They are strong; some would say, even unbreakable, just like diamonds. It’s an apt name, I assure you,” the high lord said. “But do you know what resource, more valuable and more precious than even diamonds, originates from the Diamond Court?”
“I… I don’t know,” I admitted eagerly.
“Iron,” Jay replied simply.
The word hung in the air between us. This was the exact kind of information he had alluded to—the kind of information that I would be able to learn from him that could not be found in any textbook. Information regarding iron, one of the few things fatal to fae, was not commonly known, much less shared with someone like me.
My interest piqued, I asked, “Did that impact the war?” And then, without waiting for an answer to my first question, I followed up excitedly with, “That’s why we had to put up the wall, isn’t it?”
Jay gave me an appraising look out of the corner of his eye.
“Very good, Alarie. The quick answer to both of your questions is yes.”
Like back when I was at university, the warmth of satisfaction at being right washed over me.
I knew the war between Valencia and Alancia ended about twenty-three years ago, a couple of months before I was born. The war started with the Diamond Court breaking from Valencia and creating its own nation, Alancia. The war ended with a permanent magical barrier forever separating the two warring kingdoms.
“Grey and I came up with the idea of the wall, in part, in answer to the unevenly matched supply of iron weapons that favored the north,” he explained.
I looked at Jay, awed by the revelation of his personal involvement in something I’d learned about in my textbooks. Excitedly, I waited for him to continue with his story.
“But there’s a lot more to that story that we aren’t getting into just now.”
A shadow of a smile passed over the reserved high lord’s face in response to my visible disappointment.
“War is not the topic of today’s lesson, dear. Today, we are discussing the High Council and the Houses on the High Council.” And with that proclamation, Jay continued with my lesson.
I knew that House Vitruvian was an old and well-respected House consisting of a long line of pure high fae high lords and ladies. High Lord Vitruvian had made a name for himself, long before he became Contra to the King, as a businessman and a scholar, mixing the two in a skilled manner that made House Vitruvian flush with resources, both in riches as well as status among those who mattered most at the High Court. With the magic dwindling, the Kingdom had become more reliant upon Azurinium to help with everyday tasks. I could only imagine what this surge in demand had meant for Jay in terms of riches.
When the High Court was established a little over twenty-five years ago. Jay was appointed the Court’s first Contra. The Contra was part of a system of checks and balances established within the hierarchy of the High Court. Fundamentally, the King’s power was absolute. He was the ultimate arbiter of all issues in the Kingdom of Valencia. The Contra, second in power in Valencia to the King alone was, by design, meant to be a rival of the King’s, someone who would not act sycophantically and instead would challenge the King when necessary to serve the best interest of the Kingdom.
“The high lords, or ladies,” Jay added, sounding less than pleased, “who rule the courts of Valencia make up the King’s High Council and serve as immediate advisors to the King.”
The topic of the High Council brought several questions to my mind. Perhaps noticing that I appeared as though wanting to interject, Jay paused in his colloquy.
“High Lady Tragon, she doesn’t have her own court though, right?” I asked.
“That’s right,” he confirmed.
“Then how is she on the High Council?”
“Lila Tragon serves at the King’s pleasure,” he said in a not wholly unkind but clipped tone I was already getting used to.
“I should amend my prior statement. The Houses of those who govern the courts of Valencia are guaranteed a seat on the High Council. The King may, of course, appoint any others whom he believes will benefit the Kingdom.”
Jay’s answer was unfulfilling. He was essentially saying that High Lady Tragon served on the High Council because the King wanted her to, which I understood to be the King’s prerogative. But I still didn’t understand why the King wanted Lady Tragon on the High Council. What did she have to offer? However, sensing that Jay’s evasive answer had been somewhat purposeful, I chose to move on to my next question.
“Since King Heroux rules at the High Court, does that make Prince Heroux high lord of the Emerald Court?”
“No,” Jay responded, his foreboding mood seeming to lessen. “Nik is not part of the High Council, so he is not a high lord. Although you’re correct, Nik does rule at the Emerald Court while his father sits on the throne of the High Court. And he is next in the line of succession for the throne.”
I nodded, already thinking about my next question, the question I had been thinking of ever since I learned that Luke’s last name was Bellamy.
“If Luke’s father is on the High Council, then why does Luke work for your House?” I asked, somewhat timidly, knowing that my last question was not strictly related to the topic of our lesson.
“That, my dear, is a question best asked of Luke. But I can tell you that he is a very valuable asset for House Vitruvian and, on my part, a friend.”
Jay ended his lesson for the day, leaving me with many books to set upon before my lesson with him the next day. The texts did not look like the books from my university and instead seemed to be books of limited circulation from Jay’s personal library.
Flipping through the pages, I noticed that some of the texts even had handwritten notes, presumably made by Jay. The prospect of getting to learn history shaped by the high lord’s hands was so enticing that I could hardly wait for my next lesson with him.