Page 55 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)

Chapter Thirty-Four

Valeriya

V aleriya suppressed a hiss as her handmaids wrestled with her thick mane of red hair, attempting to twist it into two braids before her vanity. The tugging did nothing for her mood, already soured thinking of the mess between Az and Elyse.

After talking to Gyrsh earlier that week, who seemed entirely too dismissive of Elyse’s emancipation, she got the full details of what happened.

Valeriya tried to warn the girl that Az could be difficult.

Perhaps it was for the better. Elyse was timid and nervous, and though the two could make for a strong union between Satiros and Chorys Dasi, Valeriya had her doubts that the marriage would be a happy one.

After all, this wasn’t his first fast courting—far from it.

His love was oil and time was a flame, quick to burn but not long lasting.

She’d have to check on the girl, to see how she fared.

The attention it drew to the Chorys Dasians frustrated Valeriya.

Not only had they drawn Keyain’s attention twice now, but Az had made direct contact with Wyltam.

Even if he hadn’t been banned from the palace, Valeriya would have made it clear to keep him away.

The brazen attitude that made him entertaining also made him a liability.

A hiss escaped her mouth as the one handmaid found another knot, earning an immediate apology from the female.

With a wave of a hand, Valeriya dismissed it.

She always hated her hair and its knots and tangles.

Back in Reyila, she always wished she could chop her hair short like Katya, for ease of movement and stealth, but her hair was so thick that it would have just stuck up at odd angles.

Katya.

No, she wouldn’t think of her.

Valeriya turned her focus to Marietta, who was missing from court again.

She hadn’t seen or heard from her since they had tea a few weeks ago.

Of course, Marietta had learned a lot of information during that conversation, but nerves still clawed at Valeriya’s stomach.

Something was wrong. The only hint Keyain would offer was that she fell ill.

The tightened muscle in his jaw had revealed Marietta caused him some tension.

Whether it was a worry for her health or their marriage, Valeriya wasn’t sure.

Tea time with Marietta had been fruitful, at least. The half-elf confirmed she wasn’t held against her will in Olkia, that she loved Tilan freely and married him after leaving Keyain.

The most interesting bit of information she learned was that Marietta broke off her and Keyain’s relationship.

Though Valeriya didn’t know the details, it was clear Marietta held disdain for him.

Something was there at the root of their relationship, a detail shrouded in secret.

It was almost as if Marietta never wanted to marry him, or perhaps made a foolish mistake out of young love.

Valeriya couldn’t discern Keyain’s motivations in all of this.

Yes, he cared for Marietta, but how likely was it that they separated long ago? Marietta had remarried even.

Regarding the attack on Olkia, the only information she had came from Gyrsh and Royir.

Though on the King’s Council of Ministers, both were murky about the details around the reason for the seizure.

The one thing they agreed on was that Keyain and Wyltam searched for something .

Other than that, there was only Marietta and her ties to the Exisotis.

Perhaps that’s why Keyain brought Marietta to Saitros after all these years, because he needed a convenient reason to start a war.

If that was truly the reason, then Keyain and her husband were more cruel than she even knew. How many had died because they searched for an unknown thing? What could be so important that it was worth the lives lost? Valeriya gripped the arms of her chair, wishing she knew why .

A servant marched into her room, rousing her from her thoughts as her handmaids finished her hair. “Queen Valeriya,” the servant said, bowing, “King Wyltam requests your presence at your earliest convenience.” He turned about and left the room.

Valeriya sighed, placing her fingertips on her brow. Why must he always send a servant when she was just three rooms over in the suite? She smoothed the silky black fabric of her slip dress as she stood and went to her husband. He probably couldn’t be bothered to get up from his research.

Wyltam, per usual, was in his study doing exactly what she predicted. Black hair hung in his face as he wrote a note from the book displayed before him.

“Good morning, my husband,” she said with a slight bow of her head. She glided to a padded wingback chair before the desk.

A single hand floated up, signaling for her to wait as he finished writing.

Valeriya bristled, not hiding the irritation on her face.

Being married to Wyltam was like being married to a corpse.

He was cold, lacked emotion, and stiff when he talked to her.

Even after being married for how many years, he still hadn’t warmed up.

Wyltam set down his charcoal utensil and finally acknowledged her. “Valeriya, thank you for coming.” He sat back in the chair, his head resting on a hand.

“Of course,” she said, forcing the disdain from her voice as if any normal husband and wife requested to talk to one another. “I was hoping to ask you about the missing pilinos situation and the rumors surrounding it.”

Wyltam blinked slowly, shifting in his chair with an unreadable expression on his face. “Which rumors?”

“Some of the ladies in the Queen’s Court mentioned a little over a month ago that six pilinos went missing, then another two were reported missing a week later.

” She paused, waiting to see if her husband would chime in, and unsurprisingly, he didn’t.

She sighed and continued. “Have they found any of them? Were there any more?”

Wyltam sat for a long moment, quiet, his eyes lost in thought. Speaking to him was near pointless when his mood wasn’t talkative. Valeriya sighed and went to stand.

“Seven more have gone missing. None of them have been found.”

Valeriya collapsed back into the chair, her heart sinking. At first, she hoped it was just half-elves escaping to freedom. Valeriya didn’t blame them for wishing to leave Saitros; yet so many had gone missing in a short amount of time, leaving Valeriya uneasy. “And are you doing anything about it?”

“Keyain’s guards are handling it.”

Valeriya huffed a dry laugh, not finding the matter humorous. Keyain handling the situation meant it wasn’t being handled at all. He was the perfect second to Wyltam.

“What I would like to talk about,” he said, shifting so that one leg bent and his foot rose to rest on the seat, “is our own missing half-elf from court.”

Valeriya bit back her annoyance at his posture. At least no one was around to see him this time. “What would you like to know?”

“Where is Marietta?”

“Haven’t you asked Keyain? After all, he is your friend.”

Wyltam stared at her through his expressionless eyes, yet she knew she hit a nerve. “He tells me to not worry about his wife.”

“Funny,” she said, smoothing the fabric of her dress. “He had more to share with me.”

“And?”

She fought the smirk that wanted to curl on her lips, enjoying getting under Wyltam’s skin. “She’s ill. Keyain said she’s been bedridden for weeks.”

“Funny,” Wyltam drawled. “I checked with the infirmary, and they haven’t been informed of her illness.”

Valeriya cleared her throat, sitting up straighter. To not check the infirmary was an oversight on her part. “So you’re giving me another task? To check in on her?” Truly, she wished to do it, but she would never admit that to Wyltam.

“I’ll take care of this one, actually.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “You’re dismissed.”

Marietta had been through enough. Likely she grieved for the life she lost and for a husband she didn’t know as well as she thought. Her husband's prying into the matter would just make it worse. “Wyltam—”

He cut her off with a raised hand, pointing towards the door as his head bent back into his book. Valeriya sighed, leaving the room and closing the door harder than she ought to have.

Afternoon sun lit the hallways of the Minister’s Chambers as Valeriya made her way to her meeting with Gyrsh.

Not often was she privy to political meetings, but every once in a while she was called in to check on Satiros’s hospitality .

The notion that it was her sole political responsibility outside the Queen’s Court vexed her, as if she cared about the tedious needs of foreign dignitaries.

Gyrsh had a team of nobles working under him that handled that.

As she walked, nobles paused their conversations to bow their heads in her direction. She kept a pleasant smile on her face, trying to acknowledge each one. Better to win their favor now, for one day they will be the nobles underneath her.

Two males walked towards her down the hall, deep in conversation.

With coiffed golden hair and an amiable smile, it was easy to understand how Adryan Pytts rose to his position as Minister of Commerce.

Quick to laugh and able to win the hearts of many, the short male proved his personable nature with every action he took.

The male he walked with was older, his dark skin wrinkling and his black hair flecked with gray.

Leyland Fedyr held the Minister of Vassals position and oversaw the non-noble population as well as managed the relationship with the temples.