Kitania hesitated a little, but Alserah didn’t say anything, obviously waiting for Kitania to continue. It took a few moments, but the demoness continued to speak, hoping she wasn’t making a terrible mistake as she glanced down. “Well before the attack, Rose was kidnapped by demons. I’m sure Niadra let you know that she’s the wielder of Ember, but… anyway, the demons approached Estalia with her, since they had been hired, purportedly by angels, to get information from Rose and eliminate her. My mother’s price was Rose, who she helped in her own, strange way. Isalla and I rescued her from my mother, or thought we did until Estalia showed up on my doorstep. It was then that we learned that Rose had been betrayed, and based on the links between them, we suspected there was some form of conspiracy in the heavens, one which seeks to reignite the war between the heavens and hells. We’d been preparing to go to the palace to have Isalla’s wings regenerated when an angelic strike force struck, and they didn’t even attempt to rescue Isalla and Rose. They simply tried to kill them… and then I was shot. As for the rest, you know as much as I do.”
“Interesting. Obviously, you left out suspicions and some details, but even what you’ve told me is quite damning,” Alserah said, frowning deeply as she finally sat back in her chair, though she kept her back straight as she did so. Kitania was beginning to think it was just long habit but was distracted as the goddess kept speaking. “The idea of angels being able to open a portal that far to the south… that is troubling. Worse is the suspicion that they’re trying to start the war once more. The thought horrifies me, after all the devastation such has caused in the past, but I don’t think you’re wrong. Some zealots don’t think of the cost of war, just of victory at all costs… and your arrival here could have triggered a retaliation easily, especially if you hadn’t been able to tell us what happened.”
“I agree. It’s worrying, and I’m not sure what is going on, not fully. I don’t have all the information that the others do. I suspect that part of the reason they’re coming here is that it’s a good place to start their investigation, or to find people they trust,” Kitania said, smiling sadly, wishing that she knew whether the angels cared about her or not. “I don’t want war to break out again. I know Estalia doesn’t, either.”
Alserah nodded, looking thoughtful for the moment. Then she let out a soft breath and sat up again, speaking calmly. “While I believe you, I can’t take your word for this. If there is some sort of conspiracy at work in the heavens, investigating will be difficult. However, I do have allies of my own, and I will make inquiries. Quiet ones, and only from those I trust implicitly. It wouldn’t do to have the conspiracy target the Forest of Sighs.”
“While I agree with your approach, the last doesn’t seem accurate. Haven’t they already targeted you?” Kitania asked, shrugging uncomfortably as she considered, then explained herself more fully, hoping Alserah would take it the way she intended. “I mean, I arrived in your courtyard.”
“A definite point,” Alserah admitted, frowning at last as her eyes narrowed. “Perhaps it would be better to say that I don’t wish them to overtly target us. While I gave orders to strengthen our defenses when you arrived, preparing proper defenses takes time.”
“I’m not sure how overt they’d dare be. Openly attacking an allied nation… that would be going too far, I think. If they could do that safely, why would they bother betraying a pair of angels? They could just kill them and be done with it, or openly attack the hells,” Kitania said, shaking her head as she regained a bit of her poise, finally feeling like she’d found a subject she could contribute to. It was better than feeling like she was constantly off-balance. “Even so, I think your precautions are merited.”
“Fair,” Alserah agreed, smiling at Kitania as she laughed softly. “Not the most pleasant of subjects, is it?”
“No, it isn’t. But at least I was able to tell you something.” Kitania said, shrugging as she shifted in her chair. Her tail wasn’t happy with its position, but it was a minor discomfort at worst.
“True. Now, on a more lighthearted subject… what was this I heard about Niadra leaving your room early this morning?” Alserah asked, tilting her head slightly. “I didn’t expect her, or you, to be quite that forward.”
“It isn’t what you think,” Kitania replied, forcing down the blush that tried to push its way onto her cheeks, clearing her throat before she continued. “She stayed late to talk to me, and eventually fell asleep in a chair. I put her on the bed to let her sleep, then slept on the other side. That’s all that happened.”
“Really? Well, if you say so,” Alserah said, smiling a little as she added. “However, you are aware that no one else is going to believe that, yes? And that rumors about it will have spread throughout the palace by this time, and possibly beyond it?”
“I… wish I could say I was surprised,” Kitania replied, wincing as her slim hopes of avoiding that died. “I hope it doesn’t upset Niadra.”
“I doubt it will. She seems far more confident now that I’ve given her permission to do as she likes. I suspect she was more afraid of being ostracized than anything else,” the goddess said, looking amused at Kitania’s reaction.
“If you say so. I can speak to the part about being ostracized, as I feel distinctly out of place much of the time. I also think more people would panic about me if I were armed, even if it’d make me happier,” Kitania said, feeling uncomfortable about her lack of weaponry yet again.
“Probably. It does help that you aren’t one of the more terrifying specimens of demonkind, but instead more attractive to elves,” Alserah agreed, then paused and looked at Kitania more closely. “However, I just noticed something. You barely seemed fazed by my comments about being interested in a relationship with you. Most people I’ve known would have been uncomfortable with the idea of such, when they’re already being approached by Niadra. You don’t seem to be bothered by the fact we’re related. That seems odd to me, even if the relationship is quite distant by this point.”
“That…” Kitania hesitated, considering the goddess, then shrugged as she replied as steadily as she could. “It simply doesn’t matter to me, Alserah. You and Niadra are separated by multiple generations, and I know you’ve been alive for longer than me. Conversely, my mother and her brother once had an intimate relationship, and according to rumor he’s my father. To put it bluntly, almost no one in the hells worried about it. Our cultures have very different approaches to such things.”
Pausing again, Kitania decided to throw caution to the wind as she decided to see if she could surprise the goddess, continuing. “Besides, almost nothing like that will shock me. Not after my grandmother tried to seduce me the first time we met. At least she did take no for an answer.”
Kitania suddenly decided that her admission had been worth it. If nothing else, the look of sheer shock on Alserah’s face was priceless, considering how poised the goddess usually was.
Chapter 31
“How much for this?” Kitania asked, turning the hair clasp over in her hands slowly, examining it critically. The clasp was wood carved into the shape of a rose and carefully painted to match the flower it was based on. What impressed Kitania the most was that the petals were so thin, yet it felt like they were rather durable.
“You can have it for five silver,” the shop’s proprietor said, the elven man watching Kitania closely as he shifted his position behind the counter. “The flower is carved of ironwood, so it should last a long time.”
“That does explain the price, and the durability of the petals,” Kitania said, admiring it as she smiled. “It isn’t really my sort of color, but it isn’t for me.”
“Oh? Who were you thinking of giving it to?” Niadra asked, her eyebrows rising slightly, sounding just a bit surprised.
“Not you, if you’re asking. You have much nicer things. No, the others should be getting here soon, and I was thinking that having a gift or two for them when they arrived wouldn’t be amiss,” Kitania said, shaking her hea
d as she smiled, feeling like it was a little forced, but not too much. She didn’t want Rose and Isalla to think she didn’t care about them.
It’d been the better part of a week, and she’d been told that the ship should be docking the next day. Coupled with travel time, she suspected they’d arrive the day after that. Kitania really wasn’t looking forward to it, with how nervous she was, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. Besides, the other option was never seeing Isalla or Rose again, and that didn’t bear thinking on.
“I see,” Niadra said, smiling in return. “Well, are you getting only one? Or are you planning on another gift?”
“I was planning on getting a couple of hair ribbons as well,” Kitania said, nodding toward a variety of ribbons off to the side. She also was being careful not to name her friends, not in public, since that could be a poor idea. “I don’t want to get anything too bulky, since adding more luggage wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Fair, I suppose. What about you? Are you planning to get anything for yourself?” Niadra asked, glancing at the guard in the corner before taking a step closer to Kitania. “You haven’t really gotten anything for yourself that I’ve seen.”
“True enough. I’ve been looking, but nothing has really stood out to me.” Kitania said, looking around the shop and smiling at the man apologetically as she added, “Most of it’s just not made for someone with my sort of skin tone, really.”
“That’s unsurprising, as I believe you are the first person I’ve seen with it,” he replied, looking at Niadra with a bit of askance, but didn’t say more.
“In that case, maybe I should pick one for you,” Niadra said, her smile growing a little larger.
“If you want to, I certainly wouldn’t object,” Kitania replied, setting the clasp on the counter, then stepping over to the ribbons, looking for a blue one that would look good on Isalla.
It didn’t take Kitania long to find a ribbon that she thought would suit Isalla. A sky blue would match her eyes and contrast nicely against her hair. The hair clasp wouldn’t be quite right for Rose’s hair when Kitania thought about it, but the color was different enough that it shouldn’t blend in too much.
“I think this would suit you,” Niadra said at last, and Kitania looked over and blinked, then smiled. Niadra was holding a polished wooden bracelet, one that was mottled light and dark wood with a rather pleasing pattern. It was also inlaid with pieces of turquoise, and Kitania looked up at Niadra after a moment.
“It is rather nice, isn’t it? What type of wood is that?” Kitania asked curiously, wondering if this was how Isalla had felt in the hells. “I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”
“I’m not certain, really,” Niadra said, frowning at the wood, then looked at the owner. “I suppose I should ask you, in fact.”
“That’s made of poisonwood. Not that the wood itself is poisonous, mind you,” the man hastened to add as Niadra suddenly looked at it in worry. “I’m told that the leaves can cause itching or the like, but the wood has beautiful patterns if polished.”
“Interesting, and the first I’ve heard of it. Not that such is surprising, considering where I grew up,” Kitania said, looking at the bracelet more closely, and Niadra offered it to her. She turned it over in her hands, then slipped it over her wrist, pleasantly surprised at how easily it slipped on while still not feeling like it’d fall off at any moment. “It fits well, too.”
“I did consider earrings, but you don’t have pierced ears,” Niadra said, fortunately not mentioning that any piercing wouldn’t last long. The princess smiled and shrugged, explaining. “I just thought it’d look nice on you, and like you said… it’s best to have something that isn’t bulky.”
“Thank you, Your Highness. It’s very much appreciated,” Kitania replied, considering the bracelet for a moment, then nodding as she spoke more happily. “I also think that I would like having this, too. That being the case, I think I’ll take these three—”
“No, you’ll take the other two items, Kitania,” Niadra interrupted firmly, smiling as she looked at the owner. “I’ll be purchasing the bracelet.”
Kitania looked at her in amusement, then let out a soft laugh as she shook her head and spoke patiently, her tone mild. “If you say so, Your Highness.”
“Very well, one moment while I package them,” the proprietor said, and pulled out a piece of cloth with which to package the items, speaking as he worked. “The ribbon and hair clasp will be five silver and six copper, while the bracelet will be a gold.”
“Excellent,” Kitania replied, reaching into her belt pouch to fish out the coins in question. She’d been given a stipend a couple of days before, so she was finally able to make a few minor purchases of her own. She hadn’t made many purchases so far, but a gold would have been a fifth of it, where the other two barely put a dent in her funds. Mostly, she’d gotten a couple of snacks and a few pairs of socks, ones which would have cost a small fortune in the hells, but which were incredibly cheap here. Handing the coins over, Kitania saw the man’s discomfort ease slightly, and a tiny part of her wondered if he thought she wouldn’t be able to pay him.
On the other hand, Niadra simply gestured her guard forward, and the man paid the owner for her. It was a sign of the differences between the two of them, but Kitania really didn’t mind. She’d been on the other side of things growing up, after all.
“Thank you for your patronage. Here are your purchases,” the shopkeeper said, handing over the wrapped package.
“Thank you for your time,” Kitania said, nodding politely as she took the cloth and slid it into her belt pouch. It took up most of the space inside but fit well enough.
“Shall we go? I’m sure that Cecilia has ordered the things that I needed, and it would be good to get lunch,” Niadra said, smiling as she glanced at Kitania. “I’m thinking the one tea garden I mentioned yesterday.”
“Oh? The one with the… honey rolls, was it?” Kitania asked, trying to think of the name for a moment, a sense of anticipation growing along with her hunger. “Didn’t you call it the Red Pavilion?”
“That’s the one,” Niadra confirmed, smiling. “You have an excellent memory, most of the time.”
“I do try,” Kitania agreed, laughing as Niadra offered her arm and she slid her own through the crook of the princess’s elbow. “I’m curious to try the rolls out, since you seem to like them so much.”
“Wonderful,” Niadra said, smiling as the guard opened the door for them. They stepped outside, where three more guards awaited them, surrounded by the bustling populace of Mist and the clear, brightly lit skies above.
“Where to next, Your Highness?” one of the guards asked, his voice unusually deep for an elf. Kitania found it interesting, since the man didn’t look that much different than most other elves she’d met.
“We’re going to the Red Pavilion, at least once Cecilia returns. Do you know where she is?” Niadra asked, glancing around curiously, then moving out of the way of the door. Kitania had noticed that no one else had entered the shop while they were inside, which told her that the guards had likely kept others out. She did hope it hadn’t cost the owner too much business.
“I do not, Your Highness. I believed that she would be back more quickly than this, and… ah, I see her coming now,” the guard replied, looking down the street. Kitania followed his gaze to see Cecilia moving quickly, her blue gown almost billowing due to the breeze and her pace. The woman sped up when she saw them looking at her, and quickly made it close.
“My apologies, Your Highness, I thought you’d be occupied for a bit longer, but obviously not,” Cecilia said breathlessly, bowing her head. “I hope you weren’t waiting for long?”
“No, of course not. We’d just finished, though I’d expected you to be back a little sooner. Please, catch your breath,” Niadra said, glancing at Kitania with a hint of a twinkle in her eyes. “I take it things weren’t quite as easy as I’d thought?”
“I would hav
e been quicker, but there was a dwarven couple who’d come to order a set of furniture. Unfortunately, they seemed to be arguing over exactly what they wanted, since they hadn’t worked it out beforehand, and they insisted on having Master Uvreth there to answer all their questions until they were done,” Cecilia explained, the faintest hint of a grimace on her face. “Master Uvreth asked me to convey her apologies at the delay as well. I’m also afraid they were rather loud.”
“They must have been, to be audible outside the design rooms,” Niadra said, then glanced at Kitania as she explained. “Master Uvreth goes over the designs requested in private rooms that normally are quite good at keeping any discussions from being overheard. To be heard outside of them requires extremely vocal individuals.”
“I see,” Kitania said, wincing in sympathy for the woodworker in question, considering how keen elven ears tended to be. She hesitated, then asked, “Considering that this is the Forest of Sighs, I assume that one of your major exports is woodwork?”
“That’s right. We do a lot of trade with the surrounding nations, but particularly with Quordok and Phenal,” Niadra confirmed, pausing before continuing. “Quordok is a dwarven kingdom that’s inland, and we get most of our metal from them. Phenal is primarily humans, and focuses on trade, so they especially like our ships and the like.”
“Which explains why the dwarves would come here,” Kitania said, nodding in understanding and appreciating the chance to make a little more sense of the local economy. “I’m not the best with plants up here, but even I know that trees don’t grow well underground. I guess it makes for a good bit of trade between the two nations. Do you import stone, too?”
Mortal Gods (Mantles of Power Book 2) Page 26
