7
Jay
“Grey, the discontent among the lesser fae continues to grow,” I warned King Heroux.
The discontent of the lesser fae was not new news. The issues with the lesser fae, like most issues in Valencia over the last quarter century, could be traced back to the dying magic. The magic of Valencia began to dim around twenty-three years ago, shortly after the conclusion of the war with Alancia. The dimming was so gradual at first that many did not notice at all.
The most conspicuous magical abilities were the first to noticeably diminish. Those with abilities to magically travel people and objects with the power of their minds could not travel the same amount or distance as they once could. Healers could not pull off the miracles they once could. However, these more discernible abilities tended to belong to the high fae, and they were very circumspect about revealing the diminution of their power. Eventually, all abilities, high fae and lesser fae alike, were perceptibly impacted, and no one could relegate this fact to the shadows.
The lesser fae’s magic fading, in particular, caused a chain reaction in the Kingdom. Daily transit, as well as the supply chain around Valencia, depended upon carriages powered by the magic of lesser fae transporters. The lesser fae used to be able to simply instill their transportation power into the carriage and send the carriage’s contents on their way. But, as the magic began to die, the power of transporters had to be supplemented with Azurinium, which was plentiful enough at my Court but otherwise limited throughout the Kingdom. The effects of the decline in easy transportation further exacerbated the already impacted resources in Valencia. Lesser fae with magical harvesting abilities could no longer harvest a crop with the snap of their fingers. Lesser fae with hunting abilities found their fish nets empty and their arrows unused in their quiver. This led to a shortage of food in some communities, which eventually impacted the distribution of all resources in Valencia.
“My King, you can count on House Mouchard to quell any disruptions along the northern border,” High Lady Tragon said sycophantically.
The muscles in my jaw jumped. The high lady pushed the King toward conflict with the lesser fae at every possible opportunity. She thought that a conflict with the lesser fae would give her an opportunity to elevate the status of her maiden House, House Mouchard, which was located along the northern border between Alancia and Valencia and would be strategically indispensable in such a conflict. It was a reckless power-grab.
“Grey, there is nothing that needs to be quelled at this time,” I said, ignoring the high lady’s comment.
It was true that high fae and lesser fae, once united by the common cause to defeat Alancia, found themselves once again at odds after the war. The lesser fae, who once stood shoulder to shoulder with the high fae during the war effort, quickly found themselves relegated to their pre-war roles in the Kingdom. After the war, the high fae moved back to their lavish coastal estates and their opulent manors at the High Court, and the diminished lesser fae were once again consigned to their meager existence in small towns and as servants to the high fae.
The divide between the high fae and the lesser fae became visceral around the time of Queen Heroux’s passing. Queen Heroux had been a beautiful mixed fae with liquid black hair and deep dark green eyes. As immortals, there were very few things that could bring a fae true death—essentially, rare magic or specifically crafted iron weapons or some combination thereof. We did not get sick, we were rarely injured outside of war, and we quickly healed on our own. And for the more grievous injuries, there were talented healers. But, after the war with Alancia, the Queen became weak. Despite the ministrations of the best and brightest healers in Valencia, the Queen continued to perish, just like the magic of the Kingdom.
When the Queen passed, about three years after the end of the war, the fae of Valencia were aghast. Fae were not immortal if their Queen could simply perish. And so, the fae of Valencia sought a way to distinguish themselves from the Queen—anything to separate her mortality from that of the immortal. The Queen’s lesser fae heritage was all too easy for an unfortunately large subsect of the fae population to latch onto.
And so, the Queen’s seeming mortality set off a reaction of extreme prejudice within some of the high fae of Valencia. The lesser fae were seen as tainted with mortality, and the high fae viewed themselves alone as immortal. This bit of propaganda was perpetuated, even though around the same time, a lord of pure heritage passed away under the same circumstances as the Queen, just seeming to fade away. The Queen’s death wasn’t even the first death of the kind, and certainly not the last, although it was the most widely known.
After the Queen’s passing, Grey found comfort in Gloria’s company and soon made her consort to House Heroux. This was unfairly viewed by some as their lesser fae Queen being replaced with a high fae lady. And then there was the fact that the mixed-fae prince, Prince Nikolas, began to come to the High Court less and less after his mother’s passing, which some mistook for further evidence of some prejudice on the part of the King.
The King’s relationship with the lesser fae populace since his wife’s passing was complicated. But it was not to the point of physical conflict, as the high lady suggested.
“We should send envoys to the lesser fae over at House Dumont,” I suggested. “They’re reasonable folk over there. I can go,” I offered.
House Dumont was the oldest and most established lesser fae House at the High Court. House Dumont maintained a residence and the largest contingent of lesser fae at the High Court until recently. Now, Lord Dumont resided in his manor along the northwestern border of Valencia in Ardmore.
Grey nodded, seemingly in agreement.
“We shouldn’t let this sentiment fester with the lesser fae,” I advised.
Statue beheadings would be the least of our worries if the lesser fae truly began to rebel. We relied heavily upon the lesser fae for so many things to keep the Kingdom operating.
High Lord Rein chose not to weigh in on the issue. He’d previously told me that he could see points on both sides—as of now, the northern Houses, including his House, were bearing the brunt of the lesser fae discontent because that was where the majority of the lesser fae population resided. But it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle, at the moment at least. If matters escalated, however, Lord Rein agreed with me—this was not just a northern problem, and unlike the high lady, he had no desire to take on the entire governance of the lesser fae relations on his own.
“Perhaps you’re right, Jay,” the King said at last.
I began to release the tension I was subconsciously holding in my shoulders.
“But let’s let the northern Houses handle this a little longer,” the King decided.
The muscles in my shoulders tightened again. I was going to have to push Lord Rein off the fence he so often sat on when it came to High Council matters. Otherwise, those at the High Court would, without fail, believe the issues along the northern border with the lesser fae were the northern Houses’ issues alone so long as they did not touch the High Court. But when it finally did affect the High Court, and it would eventually, the King and the other lords and ladies would demand action.
I’d answered the call of my King in the last war, at great personal cost, while others had sat on the sidelines maneuvering for personal gain. I would not be the High Court’s martyr. Not this time, not ever again, I promised myself.
Grey knew me well enough to pick up on my subtle displeasure.
“You have some other things on your plate right now, Jay, that I need you to devote your full attention to,” he added.
Things that the King had not even shared with the other members of the High Council.
I pursed my lips together, knowing my friend was right, at least about the part where I had other things to do. I could not be in two places at once, not even if Nik agreed to travel me everywhere, and I had other issues that required my immediate attention.
* * * *
“How can you say that, Jay?” she asked with fire in her voice.
My disagreement with Grey still on my mind, I’d merely suggested to Alarie that maybe not having lesser fae lords and ladies at the High Court was the natural order of things, after all.
I’d made my way back to the manor, having taken wine and supper with the King. I’d thought that I would have to take reports from Luke and Alarie the following day, but when I’d arrived at the manor, I’d found Alarie in my bar, reading.
“Alarie, my dear,” I reproached, feigning exasperation, “you must allow me to finish my thought.”
My tone was one of reprimand, but the truth was that I was not exasperated at all. As the King’s Contra and spymaster, few ever argued with me, and most thought complete silence was the safest and only course of action when in my presence. But over our time together, it seemed that Alarie had forgotten to see me as my role at Court. It was refreshing to have conversations with someone who was not too intimidated to challenge me.
I also appreciated the unique perspective Alarie added to our conversations, perhaps because she was half lesser fae, or perhaps because of where she was from. Or perhaps it was simply because she didn’t know enough about my position at the Court just yet to be intimidated by me like everyone else.
She stretched out her arm before her as if giving me the floor to speak.
I raised an eyebrow at her in warning, but it didn’t stop a smirk from forming on my lips before I proceeded.
“I fought in the war next to lesser fae whom I considered close friends—friends who did not all make it out alive. If lesser fae want to be here, then, as far as I’m concerned, they’ve earned it. But, Alarie,” I said, my gray eyes boring into her, “you have to realize, in this political climate, there are ramifications for voicing this support at the High Court right now. My status allows me the freedom to express my support openly. But this is something you need to be aware of for your own sake,” I cautioned, my eyes tracing the gold that ran through her green eyes.
“What about the King?” she asked, looking away from the intensity of my stare. “Does he share your support of the lesser fae?”
“The King…” I chose my next words carefully. “His late wife was half lesser fae. While she was around, it almost felt like the invisible line between the high fae and the lesser fae at the High Court was erased. But after she passed, the presence of the lesser fae at the Court seemed to lessen. And like the dying magic, the influence of the lesser fae at the High Court diminished. It’s a difficult subject to address with the King due to the loss of his love. But, yes, my friend and I are of a like mind on this topic. Unfortunately, there are some at the High Court who are not,” I finished.
“Jay, I’m sorry for—”
“Don’t apologize,” I interjected fiercely. “Never apologize for standing up for what you believe in, Alarie. Not to me. Not to anyone. I want you to feel free to challenge me. So long as others are not around.”
She gave me a small nod.
“Anyway, the issue I was alluding to, Alarie, is more one of retention. The lesser fae who do make it to the High Court never seem to want to stay. Take the liaisons who come out of the liaison program you are part of. They almost never stay at the High Court after their one year is up,” I said, bringing the conversation back to my original point.
Emboldened by my words, she said, “Well, since you asked for it… it seems to me that issue is really some kind of self-fulfilling prophecy. The reason that the only lesser fae still around are servants is that almost everyone at the High Court thinks the lesser fae should all be fucking servants.”
The girl has a damn dirty mouth. But she also had a point.