Soul Blaze

by Legacy, Aprille

  I felt Phoenix’s fingers begin to undo the laces of my dress and carefully pulled away. He was watching me carefully, hoping he hadn’t crossed a line. Instead of saying anything in fear of ruining the moment, I turned my back to him slowly so he could see the laces better.

  It took him about five minutes to undo the careful knots. When he had finished doing so, I stood carefully, allowing the grand dress to slide to the floor in a heap of undignified cloth.

  I stood before him in my underwear, somehow not turning tomato red. I sought out his mirror and slowly began to remove the clips and combs holding my hair in place. More and more curls of hair began to fall to my shoulders, and when Phoenix removed the last and largest of the combs, my long dark hair tumbled free.

  I turned and faced him. He’d removed the orange sash, his tunic and undershirt but had left his sword on his left hip. He held me carefully by my upper arms and looked at me.

  “Are you sure?” he asked quietly, and I knew he wasn’t asking about anything to do with ruling, or laws, or anything else that existed in our world right then. I knew what he was asking, and I knew my answer.

  “Yes.”

  ~ True to her word, Larni announced that she’d sent off messengers to the noble houses in the hopes that they’d bring their daughters to court. I waited anxiously for their responses, but when I finally got one, it wasn’t the messengers that brought it, but the daughters themselves.

  Larni had been right; as soon as the families had heard that monarchs again claimed the throne, they had seen it in their best interests to send their daughters in the hopes of gaining favours. Perched atop my throne, I watched the girls file in, trying to ignore the itch of my new tattoo.

  After the coronation night, I’d realised that I would need to investigate and invest in birth control. I sought out Dena, who smirked and then took me to a woman in the city. I was dressed in a glamour, looking remarkably unlike myself, so to this day the woman who tattooed the symbol for pregnancy prevention above my heart doesn’t know that she tattooed her new Queen.

  I’d sworn Dena to secrecy, but it hadn't stopped my father from seeing me emerge from Phoenix’s room early one morning. He’d huffed and puffed and just about had an aneurism before hauling me in front of my mother. Mum had promptly sniggered at Jett’s reaction and then asked me if I’d thought about the consequences. I showed her my new tattoo and she was satisfied. Jett, however, had left the room speedily, and I later found out he’d spent the day in the training room beating the stuffing out of mannequins. Griffin had later tried to recruit him to the city guard.

  The first daughter came forward, dipping into a neat little curtsey, her pale skirts fluttering around her slim figure.

  “Your Majesty,” she began in a simpering little voice. “I am Lady Nillia, of house Veston.” I’d asked Lord Hugh to attend the session, though Larni had seemed put out. As Lord of Riverdoor, he knew most of the noble families in Lotheria, and would be able to give me unbiased information about the houses.

  Now, he leant down to whisper in my ear. Nillia looked completely non-plussed; mayhap I’d done the right thing by asking a mentor to attend then.

  “Veston is a very powerful house, long line of traders, family in Melacore and currently residing in Gowar,” his words were for my ears only. “It would be wise to take their daughter as one of your ladies.”

  I nodded minutely, and then motioned for Nillia to rise. “Are you a mage, Nillia?” I asked, having been told to ask this question by Lord Hugh before the session had begun.

  In answer, she lifted her hand. Lime-green flurries drifted to the ground in pretty spirals. I nodded sagely and she curtsied again before the next daughter came forward.

  She had long dark hair and a complexion similar to Rain’s; a beautiful mocha that signified the Tsalski Islands were her birthplace. She, too, dipped a curtsey.

  “Lady Arianta of house Landis,” she said. She had a pleasant voice that made me warm to her immediately. She waited expectantly for Lord Hugh to fill me in.

  “Landis is a house that originated in the Tsalski Empire. Her family came to Lotheria when they realised that Arianta was a mage.”

  “The Empire doesn’t have an Academy?” I asked incredulously.

  “None that they deemed good enough for their daughter.” Arianta cast a small bird made of glowing sparks, in beautiful peach hue. Everyone present watched the creation soar around the room, until Morri, who’d arrived a few minutes before the girls had, took offense to the sparks and dive-bombed it. After it promptly exploded like a small firework, Morri drifted down to my shoulder and stood proudly, like he’d done us all a great service. But before Morri had destroyed it, I’d seen the complexity of her conjuring. I was impressed; she was skilled. I filed this away for my consideration.

  “Since arriving in Lotheria, her family have set themselves up very well. They still have connections to families in the Empire, but they’ve also made new ones to families here.”

  I glanced up at him.

  “And is the house of Lyon one of those houses?” I asked quietly. “They have been friends for a long time,” Lord Hugh admitted. “For while, we were entertaining the thought of matching her up with Petre. But after viewing his relationship with your classmate, we decided against it.”

  “You’d recommend Arianta for my ladies?”

  “Very highly.” They continued coming forward until the sun was setting. I’d seen Larni scratching down names and I was eternally grateful to her. Whilst she had refused my offer to become one of the ladies herself, she’d remained by my side anyway.

  I was about to rise and adjourn when the double doors to the hall opened again. I could see someone silhouetted by the outside light, and as she started forward, her long black dress swishing around her legs as she walked, she began to come into view.

  Short black hair framed a delicate pixie face, which was currently fixed to ‘un-interested’. I sat back down as she approached.

  “I apologise for my late arrival, Your Majesty,” she called up to me, though she didn’t look sorry at all. “My name is Nemoidia, from Orthandrell.”

  It was the first time any of the potential ladies-inwaiting had introduced themselves from a state instead of a house. The fact that it was also Phoenix’s home state made me pause. I glanced up at Lord Hugh, but he shook his head minutely. He had no idea who she was.

  “Forgive me for asking, my lady, but which house do you represent?” I asked haltingly. “None. I am from the Shayde Mountains like your King,” she clasped her hands together, her dark eyes fixed on mine. I knew that her magic would be similar to the hue of Jett’s. “In fact, I knew him growing up.”

  That was it. I suddenly recognised the challenge in her voice. She knew Phoenix, had grown up with him, and from the way she was acting towards me, it wasn’t hard to draw a conclusion.

  She loved him. Something hot and white began to burn in my stomach. I’d seen girls at my old high school in Ar Cena fight over boys before, but that all seemed so trivial now. This woman in front of me loved the King. My king.

  I’d dealt with his and Eleanora’s relationship (barely) back at the Academy, but now that we were together, I hadn’t expected to have to face it again.

  I wasn’t sure why Nemoidia had come to court. She didn’t represent a noble house and therefore wasn’t a candidate for my ladies. My advisor had no idea who she was and that pretty much ruled her out in my eyes.

  “I thank you for coming all of this way,” I said, more coldly than I’d meant to. “If you’ll join the others for dinner, I have other matters to attend to.”

  She didn’t move, and I could see her working out what conclusion I’d come to.

  “May I see the King?” she asked, instead of following the other women from the hall.

  I paused but didn’t turn back to her.

  “I’ll send him down,” ice was warmer than my tone at that point. “It was nice to meet you, Nemoidia.” I saw her smile slightly out
of the corner of my eye, and I resisted the urge to say anymore. Instead, I swept from the throne room with Lord Hugh hot on my heels. As soon as the heavy door had cut us off from the room, I tore off my uncomfortable shoes and threw them down the corridor. Hugh watched them sail and land with a soft thump. Morrigan chirped angrily.

  “Is this what I’m going to have to deal with when my daughter begins to grow up?” Hugh asked.

  “Probably,” I sighed, leaning against the door. “She’s baiting me, Lord Hugh. Could you tell?” “As a man, I am oblivious to these things,” he responded sagely, picking up my shoes and gathering them in the crook of his arm. “But I do believe she was baiting you. Rather unwisely, I must add.”

  He offered me the arm that was free of my shoes and I took it. We made our way down the corridor in silence.

  “Who would you recommend?” I asked eventually, remembering the purpose of the day.

  He listed off a few names, including Nillia and Arianta. “I wouldn’t suggest Nemoidia,” he said eventually. “She doesn’t have any ties that would prove useful for us. I would discuss it with the King however; as she is his friend, he might like to have her around.”

  I grumbled at that but knew he was right. I found Phoenix in the study that accompanied our chambers, in the midst of writing a lengthy letter. When he spied me hovering in the doorway, he put down his quill and smiled at me. Morrigan promptly took the opportunity to bail out of a nearby window. He knew what was coming.

  “Do you continue getting more and more beautiful every day?” he asked, holding his arms out to me. I grinned, some of the tension in my body melting away as I approached him. I slid onto his knee and he put his arms around me. Suddenly I felt like a teenage girl alone with her boyfriend.

  “How did picking your ladies in waiting go?” he asked, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. As innocent as the movement was, it set my heart racing.

  “Interestingly,” I settled on eventually. “I met an old friend of yours.”

  The fingers that had been tidying my hair paused.

  “Who was it?” he asked, his tone bland. “Someone called Nemoidia,” I was watching him out the corner of my eye for a reaction, but he didn’t give one. “She asked for you.”

  “She would,” he sounded disinterested. “She was my friend when we were growing up, but she changed when we got older.”

  I considered telling him that she’d fallen in love with him, but decided against it. Nemoidia would enlighten him soon enough, no doubt. As for now, any misgivings about him reciprocating her feelings had vanished.

  “I’ll go down and see her in a minute,” Phoenix was saying. “What do you have planned now?”

  “I’m supposed to be drawing up a list of potential candidates for my ladies, why-”

  He cut me off by kissing me.

  “Can you take some time off?” he murmured against my lips.

  “I probably shouldn’t, they’re waiting for my answer-”

  He kissed me again, sliding his hands around my waist. “I can take some time off,” I heard myself answer, and we both grinned as he lifted me onto the desk, sweeping away everything that had been atop it.

  Duty could wait.

  ~Chapter Twenty-One~

  “You can’t! You simply cannot!” I raised an eyebrow delicately, aware that all eyes were on me. I made eye contact with the short, tubby man who was vilifying me.

  “I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your opposition to this proposal, Lord Meric,” I said amiably, lacing my fingers together.

  Lord Meric huffed and puffed before spluttering and bringing some papers together. I watched him, making sure my face gave away none of my misgivings. I had been expecting opposition to my laws but nothing of this calibre. I couldn’t let them see that I was nervous.

  “The non-magi have been slaves for generations, to grant them wages would ruin noble families,” Lord Meric raged from across the council table. “What you are proposing will ruin the economy and lower the status of many of our lords and ladies.”

  A few of the other nobles were nodding along with him. I could feel my temper beginning to rise as Lord Meric looked smug and pleased with himself, but instead fought it down and asked quietly:

  “And how many non-magi slaves do you have yourself, Lord Meric?”

  “I fail to see what that-”

  “How many?” I pressed, my tone making it very clear that he should answer.

  He visibly ground his teeth together and replied.

  “A dozen.”

  “And will this new law denounce your status of nobility?”

  I saw a small spark of apricot coloured magic ignite in his hand before he quelled it.

  “Yes.” “Then I’m afraid I cannot accept any of your objections to the law,” I said easily, sitting back in my hard wooden chair. “You have a personal agenda that is interfering with your judgement,” I made eye contact with Griffin, who was standing near the door in his standard issue black chainmail. “I’ll have to ask you to leave the meeting now, Lord Meric. As well as anyone else who has personal investments with this law.”

  A few of the lords and ladies rose and left the room. Lord Meric looked to his side, where Griffin was standing. “Fine,” he snapped. “Pass your little law. The savages won’t listen to you anyway, and you’ll have an uprising of angry nobles on your hands. Maybe then you’ll learn who your friends are.” He dropped a small coin purse on the table, lifted his chin arrogantly, and left the room.

  The room remained silent once he’d left. A third of the council had left, but those who remained were a combination of lords, town mayors and the few non-magi who’d risen to status. I could see Lord Hugh watching me carefully, wondering what I’d do.

  I stood and held my hand out towards the purse, incinerating the contents with a jet of green fire. The cloth vanished immediately, and the coins fused together in a lump of gold. Scorch marks marked the wood grain of the table, but no one had flinched. I sat back down heavily.

  “I’ll not be bribed,” I informed the rest of the council. “Let that be a lesson to you.” They nodded, recognising their dismissal. The council filtered from the chamber, and once they were gone, I sighed, resting my head on my hand.

  “That was awful, wasn’t it?” I asked Griffin, who remained. He laughed.

  “You did fine, Your Majesty. Though I think you made a few enemies today.”

  “If I hadn't, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly.”

  He grinned a crooked side grin.

  “Very true, Your Majesty. Shall we adjourn?” I was to address the city guard for the first time as their monarch. What they didn’t know was that I’d also be adding one to their ranks.

  Eleanora had been in contact with me a few days after the coronation. Morri had brought me a few letters from her, and whilst she had refused the appointment as Captain, she did express her interest in becoming one of the guards. She would be the first non-magi to join their ranks.

  Phoenix was holding court for the first time in a thousand years, and had been kept busy by the people who had flocked to the palace to see their new King and to tell him their troubles. I had agreed to take the council meeting, though I feared that Phoenix could’ve done a better job.

  Griffin knew I was adding a non-magi to his ranks, and whilst he appeared to be fine with it, I watched him closely as we approached the training yard. I feared turning him into an enemy. I had been lucky that he hadn't taken offence to having lightning blasted at him. In fact, he seemed to find the whole thing funny.

  It was a beautiful, bright day in Castor, though clouds had begun to roll in from the sea. I frowned; we’d been having many storms lately. A sea breeze caressed my bare neck, and I inwardly thanked the palace seamstresses yet again for my new dress, a green gown embroidered with cream designs, over a crisp white undershirt. The whole thing left my shoulders bare, and therefore kept me nice and cool in weather such as this.

  The city guard had spared w
hat guards they could, and they lined up before me in their black chainmail. I felt a flutter of nervousness begin in my chest, but before it could take hold, I began to speak to them.

  “I thank you for taking the time to meet with me today,” I began, my voice carrying loudly. “I understand that we all got off on the, uh, wrong foot.”

  Some guards chuckled, but others, like the one that had been harassing Seff, simply glared. I ignored him and moved on.

  “I’d like to announce to you all first hand that there are going to be changes. No longer is the city guard going to be restricted to mages or nobility. Non-magi now have the authority to apply, provided they can prove their abilities to keep up with their mage counterparts,” there was murmuring in the ranks now, but Morrigan had fluttered to my shoulder and peeped once in my ear as though telling me a secret. I knew what he meant; Eleanora had arrived. “I’m granting Griffin the authority to remove those from ranks that he feels do not deserve to be there.

  “But enough of all this,” I could see Eleanora standing awkwardly behind the men, dressed plainly in boots, trousers and a tunic. To my relief she’d brought her bow. “I’d like to introduce to you your newest member of guard.”

  All the guards eyed her off silently, but she ignored them and headed to me. When she reached my side she turned and faced them haughtily.

  “Eleanora will prove her abilities to join the guard. I want to make it clear that she isn’t getting any favours from me.”

  I saw the corner of Eleanora’s mouth twitch.

  “Can ye shoot?” One of the guards called to her.

  “Better than any of you.” She replied at once.

  This caused more muttering to stir through their ranks.

  “Prove it!” One of them called finally. Eleanora smirked, an expression I’d once hated, but now I found I was quite enjoying her smugness. I, too, was eager to find out how well she could shoot.

  I led the guards and Eleanora to the shooting range. As Eleanora prepared herself, Griffin sidled up to me.

  “Can she really shoot?” “It was her chosen weapon at the Academy,” I replied steadily. “And if my suspicions are correct, she’s only gotten better.”