Page 27 of The Shadowed Throne (Midlife Fairy Tale #4)
K ing Khamsin’s royal sitting room was larger and more pleasant than the imposing throne room had been, but that was at it should be and nothing unusual. They took seats in a square grouping of chairs, all of them upholstered in silk brocade patterned with vines and leaves and forest creatures.
At the center of the group was a low, square table that held a firepit. Golden, egg-size chunks of some kind of crystal filled the pit. The chunks burned with a blue flame that gave off no smoke but a faint, piney scent.
Ro had never seen anything like it. “Your fuel is so unusual. What is it?”
“Dried resin from the sahain pines. We tap them for it, although it can also be found naturally, weeping from any cuts or wounds to the tree.”
“I imagine a wood fire would produce too much smoke to be useful to you.”
The king nodded. “For general purposes, yes. We do have a few industries that use wood, but they’re more externally located. But I don’t imagine you came here to talk about fuel sources. Unless I’m wrong.”
“No, you’re not wrong.” She smiled. “I’m just fascinated by anything new.
We all are.” She glanced at Illesha. “I’ve already been told we ask too many questions.
But you’re right. I’m not here to waste your time.
As I mentioned, my kingdom is on the verge of war due to the neighboring queen believing that she is somehow entitled to the throne of Summerton. ”
“How did you become queen?” Perza asked. “Was your father king before you?”
“No.” Ro sat back. Several staff members had entered the room with trays of food and refreshments. “I’ll give you the short version. I pulled an enchanted sword from a stone where it had been placed for safekeeping and was instantly transported to this realm, where I was pronounced queen.”
Khamsin’s and Perza’s eyes rounded, and they looked at her ears. Khamsin spoke first. “You’re from the mortal realm? You don’t look mortal.”
“I’m not. I’m fae. Apparently, it’s fairly common for our kind to move to the mortal world and lose track of their true bloodlines. I had no idea.”
“Remarkable,” Khamsin said. He accepted a cup of tea from one of the staff, then leaned in. “I have always wanted to travel to the mortal realm.”
“Don’t you have portals to do that? I know the sun is not kind to you, but surely you could go at night.”
He shook his head, and it wasn’t lost on Ro that Perza looked unhappy. “Our portals were all destroyed in the great fire, as was the magic to rebuild them, sadly.”
“We could help with that.” Even as Ro said the words, she prayed the neph wanted to go to the mortal realm for good reasons and none that were nefarious.
She thought she had better clarify. “Assuming your desire to visit the mortal realm is good-natured. I have friends there. It’s a place that was once my home.
I don’t want anything bad happening there.
The mortal realm has enough of its own problems.”
He smiled. “I swear it to you. We are merely curious.”
“Much like we are about you. But you tested us all the same.”
He nodded and held a hand up. “You make a good point. Whatever you need to do to protect the mortal realm, we will abide by.”
“Of course, the portals would be contingent upon us reaching an alliance agreement.”
“We understand that,” Khamsin said. “We have some contingencies of our own.”
“Completely reasonable. What are they?”
“Namely…” He glanced at his wife. “We are a small kingdom that has been on its own for a long time. Our bloodlines grow thin.”
Ro had been anticipating this. “You want our people to get to know yours in the hopes that some marriages might take place. That children would be born. New blood to strengthen yours.”
“Yes.” He seemed relieved that she understood. “We thought that the best way to do that would be to offer our daughter, Ghylla, as an example. You have a son, do you not?”
“I do, but it’s not up to me to tell him who to marry.” That was a much bigger contingency than Ro had been anticipating.
Khamsin’s brow wrinkled. “You are both his mother and his queen. And political marriages are common. And accepted.”
Perza seemed perplexed. “Our daughter is very beautiful.”
“That might all be true, but my son will marry for love, not advantage. I’ve already promised him that, and I won’t be swayed from it. It doesn’t mean you and your daughter wouldn’t be welcome to come to Summerton and meet the prince, but that would be as much as I could promise.”
Perza shook her head. “We expected you to be more … enthusiastic about the proposal.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I love my son very much.
I want him to be happy in everything he does.
That includes falling in love with and marrying the right woman.
He’s going to be king someday. There will be enough people trying to use him and his position.
His mother will not be one of them, not even to advance the crown’s agenda. No matter the consequences.”
For a moment, the royal couple were silent.
Perza sipped her tea, then set it on the edge of the firepit.
She clasped her hands in her lap and raised her chin.
“I admire your stance. To be honest, I feel the same about Ghylla, but our kingdom needs new blood. I didn’t think we had the luxury of letting her choose. ”
Khamsin sighed as if this was an old discussion. “We don’t.”
“What if we could find her a selection of suitors among the Radiant?” Ro asked. She glanced at Uldamar and Gabriel, but it was Uldamar who nodded.
“I believe that would be a very easy thing to do, your highness.” With a gentle smile, he turned his attention to the king and queen.
“It isn’t hard to find a suitor for a beautiful young woman.
Add to that her royal status and I believe the young men of Summerton would be lined up to meet your daughter.
You would have your choice of our finest, so long as they were also amenable. We could certainly see to that.”
Khamsin frowned. “I cannot have my daughter marrying a commoner.”
“There are plenty of nobility in Summerton,” Uldamar assured them. “And as far as the alliance goes, I cannot speak for my queen, but it seems to me that the very fact your daughter would be marrying a fae from Summerton would be enough to keep our kingdoms friendly for generations to come.”
“He’s right,” Ro said. “It would create a whole new era of neph-Radiant relations.”
The king took a breath and looked at his wife. “We have much to discuss.”
“There is one more thing,” Ro said.
They looked at her.
“I have brought you some gifts. To show you the kinds of goods we would be willing to trade, as part of the alliance.” She gave a nod to the guards.
The first one brought the pouch of crystals and the strands of trillianites. She took the crystals out first. “These are from our ally, the Wyvern, who would become your ally by default. They’ve already agreed to it.”
Perza gasped softly. “Those are lovely.”
Ro handed them over. “And I am told they are small examples of what the Wyvern can offer.”
Next, she pulled the strands of trillianites from their bag. “We call these trillianites.” In the light of the fire and water lanterns, the trillianite came alive with blue fire.
“Truly spectacular,” Perza said.
The guard with the bolt of wool approached. Ro untied the string and removed the muslin wrapper. “This is marula wool. It’s gorgeously soft, warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and something we have in abundance, thanks to the marulas raised in Summerton.”
She held the bolt out so the king and queen could touch it.
Khamsin nodded. “It’s very soft.”
Perza’s hand lingered longer. “A winter gown from that would be wonderful.”
“Finally,” Ro said, gesturing the last guard forward. “We have the famous blackberry brandy of Summerton. I don’t know if you consume alcohol or not, but?—”
“We do,” Khamsin assured her.
She took a bottle from the saddlebags over the guard’s shoulder. “Then I hope this is to your tastes. It’s a little sweet but very popular.” She handed the bottle to the king.
For a moment, he hesitated, then pried out the cork and poured a measure into his now empty teacup. He sniffed it, then took a sip.
His eyes narrowed. Then he smiled and passed the cup to his wife and stood. “Queen Sparrow, I think we would be foolish not to become allies with you.”
He held out his hand. “By the power of my crown, let us move forward and find common ground.”
Smiling, Ro stood and shook his hand. “I would like nothing more.”
The door opened, and a man in a royal uniform entered and bowed. “Forgive me, your highness. A letter has arrived.”
Khamsin held out his hand. The man brought him the letter.
Khamsin opened it, read it, then folded it and tucked it into his belt.
“Something to be dealt with at a later time. For now, we will draw up something simple, with the final details to be decided by both our councils. If that meets your approval?”
“It does.” Ro exhaled. As happy as she was to have accomplished this, she was ready to go home.
Another ally was fantastic, but she doubted it would be enough to stop Anyka.
And there was no telling what she might do next.