I clutched the proposal in both hands, glancing at the familiar document more for comfort than for a reminder of what it contained. Confidence, I reminded myself. Your face is a mask.
Smoothing my expression, I began. “This next decree is one you surely cannot object to. Prince Leoth would have proposed the exact same project if he had taken the throne in my place.”
A flicker of curiosity passed across Morrisse’s face.
“Several spans ago, an emissary arrived from King’s Port with a proposal that we build a road between Baylore and the southern port city. King’s Port has as much to gain from this new trade route as we do, so their governor, Lord Ingol, has offered to fund and provide labor for half of the road. In exchange for direct trade with Baylore, he has also agreed to begin paying taxes on all exports.
“We will benefit greatly from this road as well. In addition to the increased tax revenue, a new trade route with King’s Port will give us economic stability. We are in a very precarious position at the moment, with Larkhaven threatening to break away from Itrea. This will keep us from ruin if that does come to pass. I propose that we raise taxes on all sales made within Baylore by one percent to fund this project and make arrangements to begin work within the next two spans.”
“Did you not listen to what I said just minutes ago?” Ellarie demanded. “Raising taxes right now is a dangerous move, no matter what you are using them for.”
“I know, but the cost of this road is nothing compared to the cost of funding a war against Larkhaven. Those are our two options.”
“And what if Larkhaven sees this move as an attempt to curtail their trade? We risk alienating them further if we align ourselves more closely with King’s Port.”
“The emissary has made it clear that there are very few merchants in Larkhaven who supply the smugglers from King’s Port with goods. Most ships trade openly with the kingdoms that do allow our magical goods. We will take care not to disrupt our usual trade when this new route opens up.”
Pollard frowned at the back of the parchment. “Holden Queen Ellarie brings up several good points. As do you, Your Majesty. Unfortunately, this project is too risky to approve until we have a chance to speak with the governor of Larkhaven. We cannot risk turning them against us if we rush this forward without the proper precautions.”
“We cannot afford to wait!” I said. “My father barely managed to persuade Larkhaven to delay any decisions about trade. The more power the Truthbringers gain here, the less likely Larkhaven is to negotiate with us.”
“You may pass around your proposal, Your Majesty,” the Lord Chancellor said. “The precise wording might clarify certain aspects.”
This time I handed the document first to Pollard. While he read it carefully, brow furrowed, I said, “If we voted now, would any of you support this ruling?”
No one spoke.
I didn’t know what to do. I had assumed all along that I would be able to start this project as soon as I took the throne; if I let Ricardin down now, would he turn on me? Would he expose my corruption?
If Leoth had taken the throne, surely the holden rulers would have allowed the proposal to pass. This was ridiculous—it seemed my fellow monarchs were determined to vote against me no matter what decrees I brought forward. How was I supposed to prove to my people that I was a worthy queen if I accomplished nothing?
However, thinking about Leoth had given me an idea. It was very risky, because I could not guess what he would say, but I had no other choice.
“I have leave to summon others to support my argument?” I asked nervously.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Pollard was still reading the proposal as I stood and crossed to the door. Outside, the hallway was crowded with attendants for each holden monarch, though my parents stood closest.
“Has the vote finished already?” my father asked with a frown.
“No.” I lowered my voice. “Can you summon Leoth and Ricardin here? Right now?”
His frown deepened. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
Not waiting to see if he complied, I turned back to the chamber of law. Baridya smiled at me as I passed, but I could not bring myself to return the gesture.
Settling onto my throne once more, I forced myself to sit utterly still as the holden monarchs took turns reading the legal wording. My father had read over the document yesterday, so it should hold up to scrutiny, but sweat still dampened my palms as I watched them read. If they didn’t vote it into law, even after Leoth’s interference…plagues, I hadn’t realized how precarious a situation I was putting myself in by promising the road to Ricardin.
When the minutes dragged, I started to wonder if Leoth had disappeared for another few days, perhaps taking his lady-friend for a romantic getaway at his mother’s countryside estate. Don’t think about that. If she was the reason Leoth missed the lawmaking session and destroyed my reputation, I would wring her pretty little neck.
I wrenched my thoughts away from her, though the more I tried to block her from my mind, the more she taunted me. To distract myself, I studied Morrisse’s expression, trying to guess what he was thinking while he read the document. He was an unknown—handsome and foppish, with black curls framing his face like a skirt, he immediately struck me as an older version of Leoth. Charming, flirtatious, and reckless. Yet Leoth had spoken very seriously of political matters while we hid away at the inn far from Baylore; did Morrisse care as well, or was there nothing beneath his peacock-like exterior?
Come on, Leoth. Where are you?
Morrisse passed the document to Dennoric, whose lip curled.
Then, at long last, the door opened. My breath caught in my throat. Was it…?
Yes. Leoth and Ricardin strode into the chamber of law, Leoth’s cheeks flushed, as though he had run.
“Thank you for joining us,” the Lord Chancellor said, remaining in his seat. “Queen Kalleah has asked for you to argue on behalf of a decree she has proposed, to begin work on a new road connecting Baylore with King’s Port.
Ricardin bowed to me, smiling broadly, while Leoth gave me a tight nod.
“My fellow rulers believe the taxation required for this project would endanger the monarchy,” I said, taking the document back from Dennoric. “However, I believe the danger of not securing a second port city is greater still, especially while Larkhaven threatens to break away from Itrea. I hoped you might offer a different perspective on the matter. Ricardin, I also hoped you would explain why Larkhaven will not see this as a threat to their own trade with Baylore.”
Ricardin gave me another bow and put his hands behind his back. He was a natural performer, and the eyes of my holden monarchs were drawn to him.
“Your Majesties. I have not had the privilege of speaking with you before now. However, I am sure you will agree the Great Southern Road is a necessary and vastly beneficial project for all of Itrea. As I have explained to the Reycoran family before, only a very small portion of Larkhaven’s merchants trade with us. Our own merchant ships often deliver magical goods to those kingdoms where magic is illegal, and the majority of Larkhaven’s merchants would prefer not to engage in smuggling. When the road is complete, only one or two merchants will have to rethink their business arrangements. Meanwhile, you will see a huge increase in demand for magical goods from King’s Port, since it will be more lucrative and less risky for us to export these directly.”
“And is someone going to explain that to the governor of Larkhaven?” Ellarie asked sharply.
“I will send someone to negotiate with Larkhaven on my behalf,” I said. “We will not leave this news to be delivered through rumors and hearsay.”
“This is a necessary precaution,” Leoth said urgently. “I agree wholeheartedly with Queen Kalleah on this proposal. Itrea is in a very precarious position right now. I think Larkhaven is overreacting, but that does not change the fact that they control a large portion of our economy. A huge percentage of our magical goods are shipped overs
eas—as much as half, I would estimate—and if we lost our only port, Baylore would fall into a deep depression. There would be riots and uprisings worse than anything we’ve seen in centuries, and people would starve.”
Ellarie and Pollard were looking at Leoth in surprise, while Dennoric shook his head.
“Our people can bear a minor tax right now.” Leoth approached my throne and glanced at the document. “One percent on all sales—that is nothing. When we announce the tax, we can introduce it as the lesser of two evils. What merchant or shopowner or craftsperson would complain at a one percent tax when the alternative is total economic collapse?”
“You make a good point,” Pollard said. “The fact that this proposal has support elsewhere in the Reycoran family gives me confidence.”
That stung. Apparently he would listen to anyone in the Reycoran family except me.
“Good,” Leoth said. “I hope you will vote in favor of the project now. I had no idea this proposal would encounter so much resistance. It’s a good plan all around, and I was already making plans to travel to King’s Port with Ricardin before I learned you might vote against it.”
“Are we ready to vote?” the Lord Chancellor asked.
My holden monarchs nodded.
“Very well. If our representatives could please vacate the room, we will proceed.”
Leoth and Ricardin left quickly; Leoth hesitated in the doorway, as though hoping to overhear the vote, but the Lord Chancellor stood and shut the door.
“Are there any who oppose this decree?”
Dennoric’s hand shot up at once, but to my surprise, none of the other three moved.
The Lord Chancellor waited another moment before clasping his hands together. “Thank you. The motion has passed successfully, Your Majesty. You and I will each add our signatures to the decree, and I will then announce it before our citizens.”
The Lord Chancellor took the bill from me with a smile so fleeting I might have imagined it. He signed it first, with a feathered ceremonial quill, and I stood to add my name beneath. My legs felt weak; I could not believe I had pulled it off. If I had let Ricardin down, I didn’t want to consider the consequences.
“Will you accompany me to present the new decree, Your Majesties?” the Lord Chancellor asked.
Ellarie and Pollard both consented to join him, but I declined. Whenever I faced my citizens, unrest had broken out. I didn’t want to stir things up this early in my reign.
Outside the chamber of law, Ricardin waited to hear the verdict, though Leoth appeared to have fled.
“Well?” my father asked. “What news?”
“Ricardin and Leoth will travel to King’s Port to finalize negotiations. The Great Southern Road has been approved and will begin very soon.”
“What excellent news, Your Majesty,” Ricardin said, bowing with a flourish. “And if I do not have reason to visit your court again, may I say it has been an honor to remain here as your guest.”
“The honor is all mine.”
Only as I set out toward the Cheltish wing, my entourage trailing behind, did worry replace my initial flush of success. This had been a bad precedent to set. Yes, I had passed the law, but I had shown my holden monarchs that I could only accomplish as much with Leoth’s help. And he would be gone for the next several spans.
4
The Fugitive
L eoth left two days later without saying goodbye. I didn’t even realize he was gone until Mother mentioned it at dinner that night. I was oddly vexed by that. But what had I expected? I knew Leoth cared nothing for me. Yet the way he had stood up for me at the royal assembly…it almost made me believe he was on my side again. Lady Eshaline notwithstanding.
Speaking of which, I did not see her for several days after Leoth’s departure. Had she traveled with him? Or had she given up on his courtship? I secretly hoped for the latter.
Six days after the vote, Deance did not show up to help me dress in the morning. When I asked Baridya about it while she fixed my hair, I could see her smile in the mirror.
“She’s heading for a meeting of the Truthbringers. It’s a big one, I think, held at an old warehouse.”
I immediately pictured the disused warehouse with its café in one corner where I had first followed Leoth to a meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had returned to the same place.
“How did she find out about it?”
Baridya paused halfway through the complex braid, a lock of my hair wrapped around her fingers. “You’ll have to ask Deance. She wouldn’t tell me.”
“I hope she’s not putting herself in danger.”
“I know. So do I.”
Not until evening did Deance slip into my chambers, where Baridya and I were enjoying a goblet of wine while we waited.
“Deance!” Baridya said, jumping to her feet. She was a little tipsy, her cheeks flushed. “How did it go?”
She tugged off her boots, which were caked with snow, and hung her coat on a hook just inside the door to my private sitting-room. “Well, I made it into the meeting.” Her expression looked as though she had bitten into something sour. “They’re every bit as hateful as I imagined. But I think you might find something to ban.”
“Excellent,” I said. “Come, get warm. We’ve saved a bit of wine for you.”
Deance continued to shed layers as she joined us on a settee. “It’s bloody cold out there. I don’t envy your guards on night duty.”
I shivered at the thought.
“Here.” Baridya passed her a goblet and curled her slippered feet to one side.
Deance drank deeply before speaking. “The meeting was packed. The whole warehouse was practically full—there had to be hundreds at least. The man who spoke was old and white-haired, and he greeted everyone personally when we entered. He looks kind and harmless, and he was always smiling and asking the members how their children or their spouses were faring, but when he started talking…” She shook her head. “And it’s not just the forbidden races he attacked. I’m a Minstrel, Your Majesty, and even I was nervous to be there. I wondered if they would turn on me at any minute.”
She paused to take another long sip from her goblet, which Baridya refilled.
“He was telling us how the magic races are demons, descendants of the Gods of Sin, and as long as we exist, the world will be a mess. He told dozens of stories. How a noblewoman with hidden magic blood acted normal for most of her life, until one day her demonic side won against her normal side—or something like that—and she went crazy, killing her husband and all of her children. How Makhori always steal from their employers, cheat their husbands, spoil crops if they walk too close, turn milk sour, and go on murderous rampages. That sort of thing. And the worst part is, the crowd was loving it. They kept cheering and shouting all manner of horrible things.” She took another drink, and this time her hand trembled slightly. “They believed every word he said. They were willing to turn against the magic races on the word of a lunatic.”
“Oh, Deance, I’m so sorry you had to see that,” Baridya said, hand over her mouth.
“No, it was my choice. But knowing those sorts of people exist in Baylore…it’s frightening. I don’t know what they might be driven to do.”
“And what did you think we could make illegal?”
Deance slumped back in the sofa. “They were encouraging people to refuse to do business with the magic races. To raise their prices when a Makhori entered their shop. To keep an eye on their neighbors and report to the Truthbringers if they see anything suspicious—which includes walking in back alleys or growing plants they don’t know the name of.
“If you could make it illegal to encourage discrimination, they wouldn’t be allowed to talk about that any longer.”
“Unless they started meeting in secret again.”
“True.” Deance sighed. “I could probably keep spying on them, if I had to. I know when the next meeting is.” She twisted the heavy gold band off her thumb and dropped it on the table.
“How did you find out where this meeting was?”
Deance shot an annoyed glance at Baridya.
“You don’t have to tell me. Baridya said you didn’t want to talk about it.” From the way Deance spoke of the Truthbringers, I no longer harbored any doubt of her true motives.
“You may as well know. Otherwise you might hear it from someone else and start wondering whose side I’m on.”
“Deance—”
“I went and spoke to my father. I made up a sob story about how my mother had forced me into your service, and how I despised both of you but idolized him. He liked that, the bastard. When I told him I thought the Truthbringers were right about you bringing ruin to Baylore, he asked if I wanted to attend one of their meetings. I didn’t even have to push the matter. So now my Varse-damned father thinks I’m a fan of him and his arrogant, womanizing ways, and I bet my mother is going to hear about it.”
“You should tell her before she hears it from him,” I said.
“What, do you want me to tell my mother I’m spying for you? Are you sure you want others knowing about that?”
I had nothing to say to that.
“No, I won’t say anything. If Mother knows me at all, I hope she’ll realize my father is just trying to hold this over her. I hope she doesn’t think I’ve turned against her, after everything she’s been through.”
“What a mess,” Baridya said, her eyes moist. “I think you need a bit more wine.”
“I think you’re right.”
* * *
The next day, I paid a visit to the Ruunan wing to find Prince Calden. This anti-discrimination law would also fulfil my promise to Cal, who had almost singlehandedly helped me win the election. I wanted his perspective as I drafted the proposal—a Flamespinner himself, Cal was fond of sneaking into the city, and likely knew more about the state of the magic races in Baylore than anyone else in the palace.
A guard greeted me when I approached the Ruunan wing with my own five guards flanking me. “Your Majesty. What is your business here?”
Innocent Queen: A Court Intrigue Fantasy (The Forbidden Queen Series Book 2) Page 4
