Page 23

Clarissa

“ W e had a bit of a setback on the way here,” Galen started, “but we’ve made it. I’m delighted to introduce you to Her Majesty Clarissa Aris, future Empress of the Veridian Empire.” He brandished an arm toward me.

Stepping forward, I inclined my head to Lord and Lady Silenus, racking my memory for the few pieces of information Galen gave about the regent family before the incident.

I kept eye contact with Dion as I said, “It’s wonderful to meet you. Your territory is beautiful—you’re truly blessed by the Fates.” Bringing my attention to Vespera, I offered a smile. “I look forward to getting to know you better in the coming days.”

She exchanged a swift glance with her husband, causing her long, thick black locks to swish along the front of her navy dress. When her dark eyes met mine again, they were hesitant but not unkind.

“We’re so sorry to hear about what happened but are happy to have you in our home, Your Majesties.” She curtsied to both Galen and me, but Lord Silenus remained unmoving, assessing us with an impassive expression on his pale, wrinkled face.

“Maurice,” Vespera said gently, looking down at the little boy at her side and urging him forward. He peeked up at us as he stuck his thumb in his mouth and bowed, the movement causing him to stumble.

I grinned and knelt into a crouch, discreetly pulling a gold coin from the pocket in my pants. “And who might you be?”

He took his thumb out of his mouth long enough to say, “My name is Mo.”

“He can’t say ‘Maurice’ yet,” his mother explained.

My smile widened. “Well, I think Mo is a great name. And look what I found.” I gave an exaggerated gasp and reached out to “pluck” the gold coin from behind his ear.

His eyes flashed, and he slowly lowered his thumb, staring at the coin in awe. “Is that mine ?”

I chuckled. “It can be. If your parents say yes, of course,” I said, deferring to Vespera. She tilted her head as her lips curved into a small smile and nodded once. Maurice took the coin from my fingers and marveled at the gilded edges.

“Thank you, miss,” he said, the last word coming out as a whistle.

Shooting him a wink, I said, “You can call me Rissa.”

“If you will follow me, Your Majesties, I can show you around the property,” Vespera said, her smile now more relaxed. “We weren’t sure what time you would arrive, so we don’t have our formal dining room in order, but we’ve had the kitchen prepare a small dinner in the drawing room.”

“Will you and Lord Silenus be eating with us?” I asked as we stepped over the threshold and into their home.

Dion was already several paces ahead and didn’t look back when his name was mentioned. The side of Vespera’s jaw twitched. “The lord has some affairs to attend to. But I’ll accompany you, if that’s alright.”

“Of course,” I said. “Please, you and Maurice should both join.”

Maurice tugged on his mother’s hand. “Can I, Mama? Please?”

Without breaking her stride, she scooped him into her arms. “Now, you know it’s far past your bedtime, young man. I already let you stay up late to greet our guests. ”

His lips turned down into a pout, and the sight was so adorable, I couldn’t help but smile.

Vespera bade her son goodnight and passed him off to a nearby maid.

He waved to me as she carried him away, and the rest of us continued our trek through the manor.

It was simple but beautiful, with a sort of rustic edge.

Cozy rust-colored rugs ran along the dark, hardwood floor, and a handful of portraits of the Silenus trio decorated the wooden walls.

“You’ve already made a good impression on one Silenus, at least,” Galen whispered next to me. “You’re wonderful with children.”

I shrugged. “They’re just like anyone else—they want to be noticed and appreciated. Everyone should be made to feel special every once in a while.” And I highly doubt his father does that , I thought to myself.

We were ushered down another corridor and into an open chamber, lit with a roaring fire on the back wall and several iron lanterns surrounding three couches and a grand piano.

On a table in the center rested a pitcher of water and plates of sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, and a selection of cheeses.

Vespera, Galen, Mother, and I sat on the velvet cushions.

While Vespera questioned Mother about the incident on the road, I saw a maid stop Thorne at the door and whisper something in his ear.

He abruptly nodded and turned on his heel, following her down the hall and out of sight.

My eyes tracked his movements until I felt Azura Reaux’s cold gaze lingering on me before she went after her son.

I turned my attention back to the food. The others engaged in polite conversation while I sat back and observed.

Vespera had been withdrawn at first but was now a lively and animated host, constantly refreshing our glasses and filling any uncomfortable silence with talk of her son, our journey, and what we’d be doing over the next few days.

I had an inkling her change in demeanor was due to her stiff-necked husband no longer at her side.

“We’ll spend the next four days introducing you to the community.

Farm tours, visits to the marketplace, that sort of thing.

Oh, I can’t wait to show you some of my favorite food vendors,” Vespera said, taking a bite of her sandwich.

“After that, the fifth day is when we’ll hold a tournament in preparation for the Harvest Festival.

People bring their crops and livestock to be judged and are awarded prizes that evening at the festival, where we offer the best of the harvest as sacrifices to the Fates. ”

“It sounds like you have many traditions here,” Mother commented.

Vespera nodded. “We’re very close people.

It’s hard not to be when you spend so much of your time working with each other, relying on the land itself and the Fates to provide what we need.

That’s all we can really depend on, in the end.

People fall short, but not the Fates. Not after everything they’ve given us. ”

I could see what Galen meant about the Mid Territory being so spiritual.

They really put their faith in the Fates.

There were some devout followers back in Veridia City, but it was becoming more and more rare.

In the empire, the Fates had faded into more of a myth—beings to place blame on when things didn’t go your way, but never really carrying much weight.

I supposed, over the course of time, we’d begun putting our faith in our magic.

Veridians were so reliant on the power that ran through our blood, there wasn’t much room for the three divine beings in our lives.

But Mysthelm…they didn’t have that magic.

The Fates were their sole source of power, however absent they may be.

Something else pricked in the back of my mind from our carriage ride down here. “Lady Silenus, I noticed some of the fields in the area seem to be…” I searched for the right word for what I’d seen. “Well, it almost looked like they were rotting. Have you had droughts or anything this summer?”

Her sunny disposition immediately shifted, her smile fading and eyes falling to the plate in her hands.

She took her time before responding, “Not droughts, but there is a strange blight occurring in a number of the farms, yes. We don’t know what the cause is, but we’ve been told it’s being investigated.

” Her eyes shot to Galen and back down again, the motion so quick I almost missed it.

“Yes, that’s most peculiar.” He took one more drink of water before standing. “Not to worry—I’ve had the best of my academics researching the problem. I’m confident we’ll have a solution for you soon.”

Vespera stood as he crossed the room to her, dipping her head in respect. “I’m going to turn in for the evening. Your hospitality is much appreciated, Lady Silenus,” Galen said.

Next to me, my mother stifled a yawn, and I put a hand on her shoulder. “We had a long day, Mother. You should go get some rest.”

“I should be saying the same to you. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, Mother. I promise. I’ll follow you soon,” I said.

“Let me accompany you to your room, Evadine,” Galen said, holding out his arm for her. A chorus of “good nights” followed them as Galen and my mother made their way out of the drawing room, leaving me alone with Vespera.

I smoothed my hands along my pants. “I’m sorry to hear about the blight,” I started. “Is it hurting your people? Your crops and animals?”

She licked her lips and kept her hands busy by rearranging the empty trays of food on the table. “You’re kind to ask, but it’s really nothing you need to worry about. King Grimaldi said it’s being taken care of. I know that’s not why you’re here, anyway.”

Leaning over, I placed my hands on top of hers to stop her fidgeting. “I want to know. It doesn’t matter if that’s not the reason for our trip. If there’s anything that can be done for your territory, I want to help.”

Her light brown eyes, almost as gold as her son’s in the firelight, searched mine.

“Why would you care about us, Your Majesty?” It wasn’t a judgmental question, merely curious.

As if she truly couldn’t understand why I’d show such concern for a land that wasn’t mine.

For a land we’d had a centuries-old grudge against out of no fault of our own.

My brow furrowed. “Because if people are suffering, and nothing is being done to end it, it becomes the responsibility of those with power—those with a voice —to do something about it. It doesn’t matter if that voice is Veridian or Mysthelm.”

She let out a breath as her eyes softened. “You aren’t what we expected, Your Majesty.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said, letting go of her hands. “And you can call me Rissa.”

With a grin, she stood and walked to a metal liquor cart behind the couch. “I think we need something a little stronger, don’t you?”

I smirked. “I knew I liked you for a reason.”

As she poured us both a drink, she said, “The blight started about five months ago. That’s just what we call it—we don’t know exactly what it is.

One day, farmers started noticing patches of farmland dying with no warning.

Green and thriving one moment, black and dead the next.

It was small areas at first, not enough to cause much panic.

But then…it spread. Trees in the forests beyond the fields rotted and died.

Farmers would dig up root vegetables and find them completely destroyed.

“We never know when it’s going to strike.

It’s so sporadic, without any type of pattern.

And it’s happening all over, so we know it’s not based on location.

” Vespera paused to press a finger to her temple.

“We’re still producing enough food for now, but if we can’t put an end to it soon…

” She trailed off, her worries evident on her features.

This had been happening for five months? Had Galen known about it this whole time? Frustration boiled inside me at the way he’d brushed it off before he left. What was he doing to help them? To ease their fears and find a long-term solution if the blight kept getting worse?

Was he even doing anything ?

“I want to see it,” I blurted out.

Her lips parted. “The blight? ”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “Tomorrow when we explore the farms, I want to see it.” Maybe there was something people were missing. I knew next to nothing about crops, but I would never know if I didn’t look for myself.

“Vespera,” said a gruff voice from the entrance to the drawing room. Dion Silenus stood there, arms crossed over his chest. “It’s late.”

She lowered her gaze and nodded, giving me a wistful smile. “I hope you have a pleasant night, Your Majesty,” she said as she stood to follow her husband. “Please let the staff know if you need anything.”

And just like that, they were gone.