Page 12

Hawthorne

Thayarian ale should be carefully consumed, especially by those unused to its potent blend. Because of the recent isolation of the kingdom, Thayarians have had to become inventive to secure the things they used to import, such as alcohol. Their ale is created by water and plant channelers working together to ferment the grain quickly, and the thayar flower is used to amplify the process even further. This results in a unique flavor and the ability to knock even experienced drinkers on their arse with just a few pints.

A Brief History of Modern Thayaria

“She’s fucking powerful,” Fionn repeats for the third time. He came running back to our apartment, slamming the door behind him and looking at me with a terrified expression I’ve never seen from the warrior. Silene and I listened in stunned silence as Fionn relayed what happened at court. Some rebel group attacked, but before they could do any serious damage, Laurel stopped them.

“Some of her power made sense,” Fionn says. “The first dagger thrown at her exploded into shards, indicating metal channeling. She just broke the blade apart, though she did it quick as a whip. I would have had a fifty-fifty shot of pulling that off. And the wind, light, and water cyclone that circled them also could have been regular channeling, as were the plants that ensnared the group. It would confirm that she has an affinity for all the known conduits. But the way she made those weapons just… disappear… It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“I would just like to point out that the two of you have always insisted I was crazy for thinking the Queen had an affinity for all five conduits. Looks like I’m right,” Silene says with triumph in her voice and a wide grin.

“Fine,” I admit. “That does seem to be the case. But you have to agree the idea of that is… It’s inconceivable.”

“Yes, thank you, I’m incredibly intelligent, I know,” Silene says after sticking out her tongue. Both Fionn and I roll our eyes. Despite her flippant and childish demeanor, I can see the gears turning in Silene’s mind. “Did she appear to use any blood or speak any spells?”

“Not that I saw. But there was plenty of blood around her from the explosion. I don’t know if she needs to physically touch it to channel or just have it around,” Fionn answers.

“We just don’t know enough about it, and that’s the problem,” I say with a frustrated growl. “We’re not going to find anything out if all we ever do is meet with her never-ending Council of Advisors.”

“She made it extremely clear that we shouldn’t try another stunt like today, Thorne,” Fionn says firmly. “It’s too dangerous to attempt to spy on her again. I don’t even know how she knew I was there.”

“That’s what troubles me the most,” Silene offers. “Your light bending is impossible to spot. We’ve used it countless times, even around your father, and this has never happened. Did you slip at some point?”

“No,” I say, firmly. “I know I can be a cocky bastard sometimes, but when it comes to my magic, it’s warranted.” I give them a crooked smile. “I didn’t slip. I know I didn’t.”

“What do we do now?” Fionn asks. All three of us deflate, unsure where to go from here.

It’s been weeks since we arrived in Thayaria, and all we have to show for it are endless meetings with mid-level advisors. We’ve listened to them plan how much grain to purchase, where to store it, whether they should subsidize it; sat in on discussions about applications for government-sponsored small business and arts grants; even observed a contentious vote regarding raising taxes in Arberly to fund more scholarships to the magical training school for gifted channelers. On and on the meetings go, never about anything that might give us insight into Queen Laurel’s magic, pulling us from room-to-room with little time to rest or strategize with one another on how to get the information we actually want.

Today was the first day we attempted to get closer to the Queen, after one of the advisors let slip in a morning meeting on food security that she had to end early to attend court. It was a testament to how locked away we’ve been that we hadn’t even heard of the public court date yet. We hastily hatched our plan and sent Fionn to listen, deciding it was too risky to send me.

“Let’s go to the city tonight and try to learn more about this rebel group that attacked. We should see how the general public feels about today’s events,” I suggest. Silene and Fionn share a glance, and I sense their hesitation. “Look, very few people actually know what we look like, thanks to the Council of Advisors keeping us locked away. We can wear traditional Thayarian clothing and keep the hoods of our cloaks up. We have no idea how long we’re going to be here. I for one do not intend to spend months—or aether-forbid, years—of my life holed up with the two of you in this apartment,” I tell them with all the princely command I can muster.

“No way, it’s too risky,” Silene lectures.

“Come on,” I whine, dragging out the last word. “I’m stir crazy in this palace, and if you don’t let me out, I’ll end up barging in on the Queen and demanding an audience. You know I have no patience and a tiny tendency to be impulsive.”

Fionn snorts while Silene chews her bottom lip and narrows her eyes. “Fine. But only because you have a massive tendency to be impulsive, and I love a costume opportunity.” She gives me a stern look. “But we have to be careful. We stick to crowded pubs. We wear disguises. No fighting, and absolutely no drinking. ” Fionn and I smirk at one another over Silene’s head even as we nod our agreement.

As luck would have it, because of the public court day, many fae traveled to Arberly to petition the Queen and the streets are filled with citizens from out of town. An hour later, we’re seated in a pub that’s packed to the brim, every table crammed with fae drinking copious amounts of an amber liquid that looks unlike any alcohol I’ve ever seen. A bar maid walks around with a giant pitcher, refilling anyone who has the coin, and musicians are just setting up for the evening in the only space left. I nurse the ale Fionn purchased at the bar, surprised by how good it tastes, earthy and nutty all at once. Silene only rolled her eyes when he returned to the table with a glass for each of us, immediately breaking her no drinking rule.

“I’m surprised at how… high functioning everything in this kingdom is,” Silene screams across the table at me, and I nod in agreement. “The sub-committees and the Council—it’s all so civilized and organized. And the programs you described from today’s court session… Those would never exist in Velmara.”

“It’s nothing like the stories told about the Queen abroad,” I respond as loudly as I can. Fionn looks around, spotting a table that has just vacated tucked away in the back. He nods in that direction, and we follow.

“That’s better,” Silene’s already hoarse voice says.

“I hate to admit it,” I continue, “but I’m having… not fun… but I’m enjoying being an ambassador. I’m learning more than I ever would have under my father. Even if none of the topics are actually all that important.”

“Your father would certainly never run a kingdom this way. He would have to give up too much control,” Silene observes astutely.

We drop into a comfortable silence, watching the comings and goings of the pub. Despite the many fae from out of town, there still appears to be a large gathering of regulars in the middle of the room with several tables pushed together so they can play a card game I don’t recognize. They greet one another as they enter, calling out and raising hands to indicate where their group has gathered. The space feels just like a Velmaran pub, maybe even a little more lively. For a kingdom rumored to be in squalor, the city of Arberly is thriving.

“So, here’s what we know.” Silene’s catchphrase and sudden interruption of the silence makes me smile, while Fionn groans and rolls his eyes. “The Queen delegates almost all aspects of running her kingdom to an endless hierarchy of advisors and sub-committees. She rarely leaves Thayaria, but we don’t really know what she does here, since her advisors seem to handle the day-to-day decision making. The kingdom is prosperous, despite being isolated…” Silene says the words matter-of-factly, ticking each item off using her fingers before trailing off.

I chime in. “At least some of her people feel comfortable enough to petition her for help with even minor things like the cost of flour. That means people aren’t largely afraid of her. Despite my father’s nonsense about being the Golden King, no Velmaran would come to him for help like that.”

“But—we also know there’s a rebel group opposed to her rule who believe her to be a witch,” Silene adds. I nod.

“We know she’s fucking powerful ,” Fionn adds, causing my lips to twitch in amusement.

“So we’ve heard,” Silene teases him. “Anything else?”

“The aether is stronger here than anywhere else. I’ve always heard it was because of all the leylines, but now we know that’s true,” I add.

“What do you mean?” Silene asks.

“Well, it’s hard to put into words…” I say. “When I tapped into the aether, I didn’t have to exert as much effort to pull the current through the light. And it bubbled up so quickly I almost sliced Fionn in half.” He grimaces, and I give him a wink. “I was obviously able to control it, but it took me by surprise. I didn’t notice it until today, though. Every day that I’ve water channeled it feels the same. Have you guys noticed anything with your magic?”

“I haven’t used my magic at all,” Fionn says, disappointed. “Not much need to guide weapons into their targets when you’re sitting in diplomatic meetings all day.”

“Depends on the meeting,” I joke.

“My air channeling experience is the same as yours,” Silene says. “Have you noticed anything else?”

I’m about to shake my head no, when I remember the mist. “Actually, I can’t believe none of us remembered this and brought it up yet. The mist is somewhat sentient.” Silene and Fionn look at me in confusion. “It… reacted when we walked into it, remember? It—I don’t know—it caressed my face, like it was trying to figure me out. And it had an energy to it, like it was welcoming us in.”

After a few beats, Silene says, “That didn’t happen to me. It was just a thick mist.”

“Same here,” Fionn says. “Maybe you just have a thing for mist.”

“I do not!” I exclaim. “It definitely touched me.”

“And where would you say that it touched you?” Fionn croons, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes.

“Not like that, you bastard!” I yell, pushing him out of his seat. He grins widely at me, then heads back to the bar to get another round of drinks.

Silene furrows her brow, staring absentmindedly in concentration. “We need to learn more about the Sons and Daughters of Thayaria,” she murmurs. “Figure out why they think she practices witchcraft, and whether the leaders of the group are genuinely afraid of her or whether they’re just using a convenient narrative to take power for themselves.”

“Agreed. It doesn’t appear the attack has made anyone more fearful,” I say, looking around the room at the continuous cheering and conversing of the patrons. “I think it’s time we do a little mingling. Get to know the locals.” I stand just as Fionn returns with a fresh pint of ale.

“Are we leaving?” he asks.

“No,” I tell him. “Just going to stretch my legs a little and see if I can make any new friends.”

“He’s mingling ,” Silene mocks. “And I want to go on the record saying this is a bad idea. You may be many things, Thorne Vicant, but a commoner is not one of them. These people are going to spot you for who you are instantly.”

I clutch my chest in mock offense. “I will have you know, I once convinced an entire tavern that I was a merchant from Delsar, exploring the Nivan Desert for new ways to transport goods in hot climates without magic.”

Fionn roars with laughter, causing a few heads to turn in our direction. “No, you didn’t, you bloody idiot. Everyone knew who you were and just played along because they didn’t know what else to do.” He and Silene trade looks of amusement.

I blink, genuinely shocked by the information, but recover quickly. “Well, no matter, people here don’t know what I look like. It’ll be fine. I’ll challenge a few people to a drinking game or two, buy some tables a few rounds, and everyone will think I’m just a drunk looking to have a good time.”

“You are a drunk looking to have a good time,” Fionn and Silene both say at the same time. I only wink at them, then down my pint of ale in one chug.

I drink my way through the pub, making several friends who give me very little information but who enjoy the rounds of drinks I buy for them. A group of females celebrating the last night before their friend is married buy me drinks, and when I try to leave, they put up a hearty protest. Silene has to rescue me, and we make our way to another pub, this one a little less rowdy but still accommodating. I finally find a man who’s happy to tell me all about the so-called witchcraft the Queen practices, though his description of her activities is wholly limited to sexual acts with willing fae males. Unsurprisingly, he has no reservations or concerns about her witchcraft, and simply hopes she’ll call upon him one day to serve her.

“Creep,” Silene whispers under her breath as she and Fionn drag me away. I protest, but my ale-addled mind can’t fight off their combined strength.

At the third pub, at least half the tables are set up for gambling, so it’s harder to make casual conversation. I want to join in, but Silene pulls me back, reminding me I don’t actually know how to play the game they are calling Skran. Instead, we sit at one of the smaller tables and order a round of drinks. Silene’s eyes watch the game with an intense focus that means she’s scheming.

“Stay here,” she eventually tells us before walking over to one of the tables and joining in on the game. Within half an hour, she’s cleaned out all of the patrons. It’s a testament to how females are regarded in Thayaria that the protests are jovial in nature. In Velmara, I’d be worried for Silene’s safety if she’d bested a group of males out of so much coin.

“So much for staying under the radar,” Fionn hisses at her as she returns to our table with a heaping pile of verdes, the Thayarian currency. Her expression is sheepish but proud.

“Well, I didn’t mean to win so often. I was just trying to learn,” she responds, causing both Fionn and me to chuckle. “The game is simple, really. There are five suits of cards, one for each aether conduit, and corresponding tokens. The goal is to trade with others to make as many sets of matching cards and tokens as you can. But you can wager on every aspect of the game—even whether another player’s lying or not. You play until someone thinks they have the most matches, and they yell Skran. Then, everyone reveals their hands. The trick is to make people think you’re lying and don’t have very many matches.” We just stare at her. “Come on, let’s go to that empty table. I’ll teach you both. Might as well have some fun!” We follow her to the table and proceed to lose our own coin to her as she attempts to teach us the local game.

A hooded figure sits down next to me.

“Care if I join you?” a male voice asks. Fionn and Silene stiffen, but I pat him on the back in a welcoming gesture.

“If you’re willing to lose all your verdes to this one,” I nod at Silene, “then be my guest.”

He lowers his hood, revealing a fae with blonde hair, golden eyes, and a scar across one cheek. He grins at us, then places a small pile of the bronze coins on the table. “Deal me in.”

We play several hands in silence, and he beats Silene at least twice. She takes the loss in good humor, though I can tell she’s wary of him by her quick glances in his direction. Despite his skill, she still manages to rid us all of our initial starting bets.

“Looks like you’re as good as they say,” he says jovially to Silene. Then he looks at me. Voice low, he murmurs, “You’ve been inquiring about the Sons and Daughters.”

“Is that a question?” I ask with a cocky grin as both Fionn and Silene tense.

“I might have a contact. What makes you interested in them?”

“Guess I just heard about today’s events and decided I wanted to learn more,” I say, truthfully, allowing him to read his own intentions into the statement. “Do you have information?”

“I might,” he says cautiously. “But first I need to know you’re serious. What do you think about the Witch Queen?”

I pause to consider my words carefully, choosing to rely on the truth. “I don’t know much about her, really, other than what I hear from others. That makes me unsure of her intentions and whether she’s fit to rule.”

The male eyes me thoughtfully, then smiles. “Buy me into the next round of Skran and my next drink,” he says. “We’ll discuss some ways you can ‘learn more,’ as you say.”

Silene’s eyes are wary, and Fionn looks like he wants to bury a knife in the man’s chest, but I only grin and agree to his offer, always the one in our group who’s most comfortable around strangers. Silene deals us in again, this time with my own coin sponsoring our new friend.

“So, tell me about the Sons and Daughters,” I say in a hushed voice after the first hand.

“They’re a network of humans and fae who work to ensure the future of the sons and daughters of this kingdom.”

“I see,” I say, slowly. “And you aren’t part of that network, is that right?”

He grins. “Exactly. I just know of them. Nothing more.” We both know he’s lying, but I don’t press it. Silene and Fionn stay silent, listening intently while continuing to place bets on the game, leaving me to navigate the conversation.

“And does this network often target the Queen of Thayaria?” I ask.

“Today was the first act against Queen Laurel herself. Earlier attacks mostly targeted smaller villages across Thayaria. But I’ve heard there could be more planned. Rumors only, of course.”

“Of course,” I say, considering his words carefully.

“Skran,” the stranger calls. Silene’s lips twitch. She knows she’s won. “Six pairs,” he says.

“Nine pairs,” Silene immediately responds, revealing her hand. She scoops the last of his verdes—my verdes—into her pile.

“Well, that’s my cue to leave,” the stranger says with a good-natured grin. He leans down close to me, and says, voice low, “There’s a granary a few blocks from here, painted red. Go there and ask for a fae named Restin.” With that, he stands and stalks to the door.

Fionn practically carries me home, Silene keeping a watchful gaze as I sing a bawdy tune all the way to the palace. While we were speaking with the stranger, I drank way more ale than I realized as he continued to wave over the barmaid for refills.

Once inside our apartment, they deposit me in bed and set several glasses of water on the bedside table. “You guys are the besssssst friends a male could ask for,” I slur out. They both roll their eyes, then close the door and leave me to my drunken state.

Thayarian ale must be strong, because while I drank a lot, a night like tonight back home wouldn’t have made me this inebriated. The ceiling spins above me as I think about the Queen and the information I’ve learned. Suddenly, I have an idea and stand from the bed before crashing back down. I take a deep breath, then stand again, and this time it holds. Stumbling to the desk, I pull out a blank piece of parchment and dip a quill into the inkpot. Then I pen a scathing note to none other than Queen Laurel.

Sealing the letter with my signet, I stumble into the common area and lay the missive on the dining table, promising to send it in the morning.