“Are you still there?” he heard Torsten call worriedly, and, pulled from his reverie, Felix scrambled from the carriage top to join him, immediately pulling him into a hug.
“I nodded off somehow,” Torsten was saying at his ear. “One moment I’m worried sick you’re going to fall off the roof into that crowd and—”
Felix laid his hands on either side of Torsten’s handsome head and kissed him soundly on the mouth before falling back onto the opposite seat to look at him, grinning madly.
“It’s all true, Torsten,” Felix said, struggling to contain his excitement. “‘The Song of Whispers’ is real. You didn’t just nod off. I wished that you wouldn’t worry and you didn’t. The people on the street weren’t so enamored of my playing that they stopped to listen. I wished they would move out of the way, and they did. It’s real.”
“You’re saying you didn’t even need to play the flute to make what you wished for happen?” Torsten asked, looking at him in amazement.
Felix thought about it a moment. “I don’t know. It’s always been easier for me to express my feelings through music than with words,” he said, “so maybe the flute lets me channel it somehow, or helps me focus it. I guess now that we know, we need to pay attention and find out.”
Felix wondered if he’d been influencing people and events all along and just hadn’t noticed. He thought back to the night he’d first met Scorch. From the moment he’d come into the inn, Felix had played for him, his eyes on him constantly as he’d ruminated over what it must be like to be a handsome Guardian of the Guild. And the people at the inn had flocked to him. Dear Flora had set herself down on Scorch’s lap, something Felix had never seen her do before, and patrons of all ages and sexes had surrounded Scorch with curious questions and lustful looks. Everyone’s attention had been exclusively on Scorch that night, including, most unfortunately, the slavers, who’d killed Flora in the wee hours as she shared his bed. Had he caused that terrible event? Of course, had it not happened, Scorch would have never met Vivid, he wouldn’t have met Merric, and Queen Bellamy wouldn’t have been rescued, which all led to him being with Torsten right now.
Felix shook his head. Maybe he was reading too much into it, maybe his playing had nothing to do with anything that had happened before, but there was no question that it did now. Still, he wondered how many people and events he may have influenced in the past, and what he might cause to happen going forward. There was so much to think about.
“We’re here,” Torsten said as they rolled to a stop. He laid a gentle hand on Felix’s knee, drawing him from his musings. “We’ll figure it out, Felix. Together.”
Thousands were gathered with still more coming, and the crowd was loud and celebratory as the people awaited a glimpse of their queen. But as they stepped from the carriage, and he got his first close-up look at the long, narrow stage, which rested on a dozen wide columns of stacked stone and rose high above the heads of the surrounding crowd, Felix shuddered. There was something ominous about the platform, something that filled him with dread.
“Has that stage always been here?” he asked as Torsten took his elbow, guiding him forward. “It doesn’t really look like it belongs.” They’d disembarked from the carriage in the area set aside for the nobility, and those around them drew quiet as they passed, watching them, studying. The Royal Guard was also present in great numbers, with one guardsman having opened their carriage door, and another now leading them towards the stage.
“The parts are kept in a warehouse, ready to be assembled as needed,” Torsten explained in a quiet voice. He kept his eyes forward, acknowledging no one as they passed. “The queen would normally make an important announcement from the palace balcony, but as that’s not possible, I guess they had to make do with a temporary set-up, like with the tailor shop. This is actually where public executions are held, and that’s the platform they use. There’s grass beneath there, and this area is often used for picnics.”
Felix dug in the heels of his slippers and stopped, eyes widening. “That’s an execution stage?” he whispered fiercely, just as the crowd roared and turned en masse to view the royal entourage entering the square. “That’s what they’re using to hold your ceremony?” Felix was almost shouting now to be heard above the din, and he could hear the panic in his voice, and feel it in his stomach. “Who was executed here?” he demanded, his hands tightening on Torsten’s arm.
“Murderers, rapists, those who’ve committed crimes against a noble,” Torsten replied matter-of-factly. “And elementals, and anyone doing anything mystical the queen had a dislike for.” Felix tore his eyes from the stage to look at Torsten and saw his expression was grim. “My mother forbade me to attend them, but I did—once—when I was about fifteen, and saw a woman killed. I never wanted to see such again.”
“Pardon me, my lord,” the guardsman who’d been leading them was saying somewhat anxiously. “But I see the queen’s arriving, so we should hurry.”
“Of course,” Torsten said to him. “Lead on.”
“Was she an elemental?” Felix asked as they resumed walking. “The woman you saw executed?”
“No,” Torsten replied thoughtfully. “She was something else, they said, something from East Viridor. East Viridor is much like the Heartlands, you know, with monsters and magic, and they claimed she was an animal. They cut off her head.”
Felix pulled at him, demanding his eyes. “What kind of animal?”
“A wolf.”
“There you are,” came a gravelly voice as Audrey pushed aside the guard and settled her hands in a tight grip on Felix’s shoulders. “You’re almost late,” she said, addressing Torsten, “but then again, it’s not as if we could start without you. And Felix,” she said, turning back to appraise him, “I believe most of this crowd would have turned out just to see you in that hat.”
Reluctantly, Felix tore his eyes from Torsten with a silent vow to ask more questions later. He looked at Audrey, who had spruced up considerably since he’d seen her last. Her eye patch was crimson with swirls of black and gold, and her hair was worn down, shiny and loose, with small braids threaded throughout. She still wore her signature tight black leathers, but these were different, softer somehow, with the cuts and angles not as severe. Altogether, Audrey’s appearance was the most feminine, even delicate, that Felix had yet seen.
“You look very pretty,” he told her, because even dangerous and deadly ex-assassins must want to hear a compliment once in a while.
She grunted, her hands leaving Felix’s shoulders to rest on the hilts of her double daggers. “I don’t like the ceremony being here,” she said, ignoring his compliment as she turned to lead them to the waiting area. “It’s too out in the open. Anyone holding a grudge over Malcolm will have the perfect opportunity to try and land an arrow in Torsten’s heart.”
“Gods!” Felix yelped, grasping Torsten’s arm as they moved into the large waiting area that surrounded the base of the steps. Save for the guards surrounding it, they were the only ones there. “Do you think that might happen?” He looked at Torsten with fearful eyes.
Torsten covered Felix’s hand with his, smiled, and shook his head. “The Royal Guard is watching,” he said, nodding his head to indicate the various perches guard members held: in trees, on buildings, and even atop some of the massive torchlights used to light the square at night. “And our bandit friends are spread out and scoping for danger as well,” he continued soothingly. “We worked it all out earlier, Felix. I’m not worried.”
Audrey nodded approvingly, but it did little to reassure Felix. “It’s not enough against this large a crowd,” he protested. “It’s not nearly enough!”
“Ten bandits, all these guards, and me,” Audrey said, unsheathing a dagger from her thigh holster and giving it a dangerous swirl. “I don’t like it, either, Felix, but given that Bellamy insisted this ceremony be held so soon, and in public, it’s going to have to be enough. We’re as prepared as we can possibly be.”
> Felix gulped, and as Audrey turned to leave, took Torsten’s hand, pulling him as far from listening ears as possible before grabbing him by the sleeves and leaning in close. “What if this is all a set-up?” he whispered urgently, talking fast. “What if this ceremony is just an elaborate cover for what you feared, that Bellamy is looking like she’s welcoming you back, when her plan all along has been to kill you? Only she’s going to have someone else do it—in front of the Gods and everybody—by piercing your heart with an arrow! She’s even marked you with a target!” This last was punctuated by Felix pressing his hand to Torsten’s chest atop the royal sigil of gold.
Torsten smirked down at him. “If the queen wanted me dead, don’t you think she would have seen it done before she had her beloved councilman tossed into the dungeons?” Felix looked at him warily, and he sighed. “Of course this could be a trap,” he admitted. “The sheer audacity of setting this whole thing up just to create a dramatic public spectacle is something I believe Bellamy entirely capable of. But what we must remember is this,” he began, as the cheers of the crowd rose to a crescendo. They both turned to look as Queen Bellamy descended the steps of her carriage and began making her way through the nobles. “The queen has the authority to have anyone killed for any reason, or for no reason,” Torsten whispered, as the crowd grew silent to meet her passage with a formal bow. “We aren’t in the woods anymore, Felix, and there’s no escaping the simple fact that she can kill us now, or she can kill us later, on a whim. You are wise to fear her. We all are. But we cannot let our fear prevent us from doing what is right.”
Felix knew Torsten was right, and he agreed with him, yet he still felt strongly conflicted. His gut was telling him they were exactly where they needed to be, but there nonetheless remained a heavy sense of wrongness in the air.
They bowed as Bellamy and her multitude of attendants entered the waiting area, where she was quickly encircled by her guard. He could just see her through the mass of people, dressed resplendently in a high-collared, woven tapestry coat that reached her knees, its subtle blend of colors set off by the soft rose pink of her blouse. The queen was a stunningly beautiful woman, and she had been kind to him. Perhaps his suspicion was based more on fear than reality. With the circlet of gold rimming her ebony head and her whole face lit with a brilliant smile, she certainly didn’t look as if she were scheming to murder.
He watched her raise her hand in summons, and the one she’d summoned was Niall. The people around her parted just enough that he could see them both clearly, and the lanky guard glanced over at Felix as he went to her, meeting his eyes before Felix could look away.
Audrey returned to them then, following Felix’s gaze with a laugh. “I can’t believe her sometimes,” she said. “She’s standing in the middle of thousands of people and still has to have a drink.” Sure enough, Felix looked again to see Bellamy sipping at a flask that was doubtlessly filled with her favorite guild-brewed whiskey. A moment later, she returned it to Niall, who replaced it on his belt as she gave him a nod of thanks.
“They’ll be calling you in a moment, so I’ll see you up there,” Audrey announced before quirking a brow at Felix. “I just came back to let you know that I think you look very pretty, too, Felix.” She nodded at Torsten and left.
Felix blushed, and the amusement on Torsten’s face made it worse. “What?” he challenged. “Are you going to tell me I look pretty now?”
Torsten bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Oh, you absolutely do look pretty. I think it’s the hat,” he teased. “That feather is very flattering.”
“My Lord,” a familiar voice called as Felix searched his wits for a clever retort. Winchester emerged from among the attendants who’d entered with the queen. “The council is queuing up,” he said after a short bow. “You are to be the lead, if you will come with me.” After another short bow he turned, and, joining hands, Torsten and Felix followed to where a group of nobles—the nine men and women of the council—stood in a silent line, waiting. Torsten returned the somber nod of each of them as he passed, then took his place at their head.
“You are to go up separately, sir,” Winchester said quietly to Felix, “once the council and queen have been presented and taken their places.”
“Yes, alright,” Felix replied, holding a hand to his stomach as members of the Royal Guard came forward to act as the council’s escort. He gladly moved out of the way for them—the more armed guards the better— then looked at Torsten with the biggest smile he could manage. Torsten returned the smile, one so warm and genuine that it all but melted Felix’s heart. “I’ll see you in a moment,” Felix mouthed silently. “Be careful up there.”
“In a moment,” Torsten mouthed back, and then he turned, and Winchester was leading them away.
The crowd roared as the council appeared on stage, and Felix watched anxiously as they strode to the center front, nodding to the crowd before stepping back to their designated places. Torsten was the youngest man up there, the most fashionably dressed, and definitely the handsomest. But then, he would be the handsomest man in any gathering, Felix was sure.
A deafening roar burst from the crowd, jolting Felix from his thoughts. The queen was traversing the stage and she was truly in her element, waving and smiling to the people as her golden crown reflected the rays of the late afternoon sun. Felix mounted a few of the steps to look out at the sea of people, and most of them looked ecstatic, genuinely thrilled to see her. But the crowd also held some stoic faces, and some angry ones, the faces of those who didn’t like the new decrees for elemental rights, or who’d been fans of Councilman Carwyn and didn’t like that he’d been imprisoned and was about to be replaced.
“Felix!” Audrey shouted from the top of the steps. “Come!”
He bounded up the steps to her, just ahead of other close friends and family members of the council who’d been invited to the stage. Winchester directed them to walk along the back as they proceeded to their places beside their member. Torsten, having been first, stood at the far end of the line, providing Felix the opportunity to have a look at the other councilmembers as he passed.
Each was not only older than Torsten, but appeared to be older than the queen by some twenty years. Felix had no problem with that, as he hoped with all his heart that Torsten would live to grow just as old and grey on the council. But even viewed primarily in profile, and even on public display on what was supposed to be a celebratory occasion, each councilmember looked as if they’d just tasted something particularly vile. Even as Bellamy continued her promenade across the stage, radiating welcome and happiness, these men and women wore open expressions of displeasure, some even bending their heads to glare at Torsten with distaste. And as he neared Torsten’s side, the man standing to his left turned completely around and glared at Felix, looking for a moment as if he meant to spit. Felix glared back at him, tipping his chin and trying to arch one of his brows. The man grunted, looking confused as he turned back.
“Are you flirting with other men?” Torsten asked quietly as Felix joined him.
“No,” Felix said quickly. “That man glared at me, so I was being intimidating.” He showed Torsten his eyebrow arch. “See?”
“Oh, yes,” Torsten said, turning to face the front. “I can see it now. Very nice.”
More of the Royal Guard had come on stage behind him, lining up along the back before being called to attention. Felix tugged at his vest, squared his shoulders, and, assuming his proudest posture, turned his face to the front. He couldn’t tell if Torsten was being sarcastic, but chose to believe he was not. “It seems clear these councilors don’t like you,” he said as he gazed out at the crowd, looking for trouble. “It makes me think they knew exactly what Malcolm was up to, and may have even been in on it.”
“That’s precisely what I was thinking,” Torsten said. He leaned forward, quickly sweeping his eyes along the line of councilors. “Some of them may just look like they want to kill me, but are really just jealous of my
vest. We’ll know more after socializing with them at dinner, but it’s looking like my report to the queen may be a grim one. With so much hatred in evidence, at least some of it must be directed at her.”
Felix sighed. If there weren’t a few dozen armed guardsmen behind them, he’d be worried one of the grim-faced councilors might attack; that’s how disdainful they looked.
As the queen lifted her hand in a request for silence, Audrey appeared behind them. “Come stand with me now,” she said, taking Felix’s elbow. “Torsten, go to Bellamy when she calls you, and for the love of the Gods, don’t forget to bow.”
Felix smiled nervously at Torsten and gave his hand a quick squeeze before he let Audrey lead him away. They moved to the center back of the stage, taking their places in front of Niall. The guard smiled at him, eyes glinting, and Felix offered him a polite smile in return before discreetly inching closer to Audrey. If she noticed, she had no time to comment, because the ceremony was about to begin.
“Citizens of the Royal Quarter,” Queen Bellamy began, and the cheering resumed. From her place on center stage, she laughed, then raised her hand again, and the thousands present fell silent once more. “These have been trying times for all of us. We’ve had to bear the sad news of our beloved High Priestess’ passing. Then, a terrible storm destroyed much of the palace. And now, we suffer the betrayal of a friend and councilman whom we all trusted, with not only our livelihoods, but with our lives.” She paused, hanging her head in sorrow, and most all in the crowd, and all on the stage, did the same. “But now,” she continued after a few moments, lifting her head and her voice so it could be heard at the far reaches of the square, “now is a time of joy! Elementals are no longer beings to be persecuted, but will be respected and taught. The palace is being reconstructed, and soon will rise, grander than ever. And today, we welcome a new member to our esteemed council, with every confidence that he will succeed in making all of our lives better.”
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