by Tara Grayce
“My father is incredibly patriotic. He would never betray Escarland.” Mark rested a hand on his father’s arm, pushing him back from the table. “I assure you that we will investigate this issue thoroughly.”
“I expect a report on my desk before the end of the week. Preferably earlier.” Averett’s gaze didn’t waver.
Essie restrained herself from cheering. Her brother had never looked quite as kingly as he did just then. Hopefully, Jalissa and Farrendel could see how seriously Averett was taking this situation with the traitor.
As Charles and Mark Hadley were escorted from the room, Jalissa glanced between Essie’s brothers, some of the hardness leaving her face.
“Do you have any more questions? I’m afraid I can’t give you all the answers this moment, but I am taking this seriously. I want to find this traitor just as much as you do. Escarlish weapons in the hands of a kingdom with whom we do not have a treaty is concerning.” Averett grimaced, some of the stiffness leaving his shoulders. “Believe me, that is not something I want any more than your kingdom does. We will find the traitor or traitors as soon as possible.”
“With elves staying here at the castle, anyone who has a grudge against them may see this as an opportunity to attack.” Edmund leaned his elbows on the table. “It may flush them into the open.”
“We are here on a diplomatic meeting. We will not be turned into bait.” If she hadn’t been so regal, Jalissa would’ve crossed her arms. As it was, she glared at Edmund.
“As Edmund pointed out, it’s a situation that will arise inevitably from your presence. We might as well nip it now rather than wait for the next time Essie and Prince Farrendel visit. Unless you are suggesting they never visit?” Averett crossed his arms.
Jalissa stiffened, her eyes flicking toward Farrendel. As if she was worried about protecting him.
Farrendel didn’t need protecting. Though, he would be hesitant to use his magic here. Both because he wouldn’t want to give away how powerful he was and because it wouldn’t be good politically if Farrendel was forced to kill Escarlish citizens.
Still, Essie probably should calm things down. That was her role, after all.
“You will be well-protected while you are here, contrary to what my brothers may be planning.” Essie gave each of her brothers a stern glare and patted Farrendel’s arm. “I want you to feel at home here while you are visiting.”
Farrendel tipped his head in a slight nod. As all through the interviews, he’d been quiet. What was wrong with him? Was it just the number of people? He didn’t enjoy being around people the way Essie did. Perhaps he needed more alone time? Was the stone bothering him even worse than it had before?
Tomorrow she’d have to show him the gardens and the best way to get to them from her room. The gardens and grounds at Winstead Palace were extensive, taking up several city blocks and surrounded by a well-guarded wall. He should be safe to wander the grounds as he wished.
Edmund gestured toward the gun sitting on the table between them. “I wonder at the traitors’ motives. What do they hope to gain by causing a rift in our new alliance with Tarenhiel? Do they want war between Tarenhiel and Escarland? Or do they simply want us to stay out of Tarenhiel’s war with Kostaria?”
“Or perhaps they saw an opportunity to make a profit and don’t have any wider political motives?” Julien shook his head. “It’s hard to know without more evidence. This could be simply a few workers stealing weapons from the factory and pawning them off on trolls willing to pay for them.”
“Will we join the war on Tarenhiel’s side?” Essie tried to keep her tone casual. Six months ago, she wouldn’t have cared if the elves were at war with the trolls again. It would have been just a news item in the paper that she would’ve read, filed away under world events it was probably good to be aware of, and moved on.
But, now, she cared about Tarenhiel. She didn’t want to bring Escarland into another war. But Tarenhiel also held a place in her heart. And she saw more clearly now how, if the elves fell to the trolls, Escarland would be next.
Averett met her gaze, something in his expression almost sad. “Our alliance was to secure peace between our peoples. Nothing more. Taking our people to war against the trolls is something I will need to consider carefully.”
Essie nodded. This wasn’t a decision Averett could make lightly. Nor was it one he could make without Parliament’s approval. And convincing them to go to war for the elves—a former enemy—would be difficult.
Averett turned to Jalissa. “It is something the elves will wish to consider as well. If we do this, even without a mutual defense treaty, it will set precedent. Are the elves willing to return the gesture and come to our defense should one of our neighboring kingdoms attack us? Are you even willing to have our armies march through Tarenhiel? We are more numerous with more advanced weaponry. While you have powerful magic, it may not be enough to stop us from overrunning you once we are inside your borders.”
Essie clenched her fists under the table. Surely Averett wasn’t suggesting Escarland would stab the elves in the back like that?
Jalissa eyed Averett coolly. “Surely you are not suggesting it is your plan to finish your father’s work and conquer Tarenhiel?”
“No, that isn’t my intention. But it will be something my advisors suggest, even with Essie’s marriage to help dissuade them.” Averett’s gaze remained steady. Far steadier than he had been three months ago when negotiating her marriage to Farrendel. It seemed he had come more prepared for this meeting than he had that one. “If you want Escarland’s help in this war, I will need a good reason to present to my advisors and generals as to why we want Tarenhiel to remain its own, sovereign nation and why it would be foolish for us to invade and restart my father’s war.”
Essie blew out a breath, forcing herself to relax. She could more clearly see the position the elves were in. Escarland hadn’t known how close the elves had come to crumbling fifteen years ago. If not for her father’s death that had halted the war, Escarland might have won. The elves had been caught between Escarland’s armies from the south and the trolls in the north.
They were looking at the same scenario once again. But in those fifteen years, Escarland had gained another generation of people. The guns were more advanced. The army even stronger than it had been only two decades before. Yet, due to their long lives and tendency not to have many children, the elves had regained little of the population they had lost in those wars.
This situation would only continue to grow worse. How could the elves remain standing if the populations of the nations around them continued to outpace them? And their weaponry continued to advance past what the elves’ magic could handle?
Maybe it wouldn’t happen in this particular war. But what about a hundred years from now? Thanks to the heart bond between her and Farrendel, there was a good chance she might live to see that war, as long as both she and Farrendel survived this one. Farrendel would be called on to fight that war too.
It would be a war the elves wouldn’t be able to win. Not unless something changed.
The elves needed a mutual defense alliance with Escarland probably more than they wanted to admit. Now if only Essie could figure out a way to foster a friendship between the two nations instead of this shaky back-and-forth they currently had.
AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL connected Winstead Palace with Ellory Hall where Parliament met. Essie had never thought much of it, until a guard opened the large double doors to the stairs leading down into the tunnel and Farrendel came to such an abrupt halt Edmund bumped into him.
On Farrendel’s other side from Essie, Jalissa’s face went a shade of gray-green. Even Jalissa’s guard had a flicker of emotion.
Essie should’ve realized taking this route was going to be a bad idea. Farrendel was already uneasy surrounded by the stones of Winstead Palace. Stepping into that underground tunnel would feel like someone was smothering him.
His hand, gripped in hers, squeezed tighter. She lea
ned closer. “Are you going to be all right?”
He stared at the tunnel and slowly shook his head.
At the top of the stairs, Averett turned. “Is something wrong?”
“Is there any way we can take the carriage to Parliament?” Essie forced herself to smile, as if nothing was wrong.
Averett shook his head. “One of the groups most vehemently anti-elf has camped out with a group of protestors on the steps of Ellory Hall. The captain of the guard recommended we take the back way in rather than risk our guests.”
“I hadn’t heard the protestors were that violent?” Essie glanced between Averett, Julien, and Edmund. What hadn’t they been telling her? “I heard there was some protest about the closer alliance with the elves, but I didn’t think it was widespread.”
“It isn’t. Wasn’t. Not at first.” Julien crossed his arms and glanced at Edmund, as if asking him to elaborate further since Edmund was probably the one with the most information, outside of Averett.
Edmund glanced around, then must have decided the guards in the vicinity were trustworthy, even if he lowered his voice. “Only a few people are truly angry about the alliance, but lately someone has been stirring them up and turning them violent. We don’t know who the leader is yet but...”
“It’s probably the same traitor who gave guns to the trolls and wants to start the war between Tarenhiel and Escarland again,” Essie finished for him, squeezing Farrendel’s hand.
“War is profitable for some people, especially those who don’t have to fight in the war themselves.” Averett grimaced and rubbed at the spot where his crown rested on his forehead. “We suspect the traitor is a member of Parliament or has high connections in Parliament.”
Making it difficult even for Edmund’s spies to ferret them out. It would take a cartload of irrefutable evidence before anyone could do anything to stop the traitor.
“Then we had better head to Parliament before they start the meeting without us.” Which they might. Parliament and the monarchy had a rather tense back-and-forth. For generations, Parliament had been working to undermine the throne’s power in Escarland, while the kings and queens had fought back to retain as much power as possible. It was frustrating, at times, but it worked as a checks and balance system on both Parliament’s power and the king’s power.
Beside her, Farrendel had steadied, but his breathing was almost too deliberate and measured.
Essie lowered her voice, speaking in elvish, “Are you all right or do I have to insist we take a carriage?”
Farrendel squeezed his eyes shut for a moment before straightening his shoulders. “It will not help our cause if I am forced to defend us from an attack by your people. I will be fine.”
He wouldn’t be, and by the look on Jalissa’s face, she wouldn’t be either.
With her hand still firmly gripped in Farrendel’s, Essie led the way down the stairs behind Averett and two of the guards. Farrendel, Jalissa, and Jalissa’s elven guard huddled close on Essie’s heels, staying as far from the stone walls as possible.
At the bottom of the stairs, a small train consisting of only one train car and two engines, one facing forward and the other backwards, waited on a thin set of rails. No steam puffed from the stacks, nor were there any coal cars attached to the engines.
Averett waved at it. “This is one of the few trains in Escarland powered by magical devices. The fumes of a traditional train would have been too much in this tunnel.”
Farrendel had his mouth pressed together in a tight line and remained stiff as a statue. Jalissa managed a tiny nod.
As soon as they boarded the train, Farrendel turned sideways on the bench, pulled his knees up, and rested his head on his arms, breathing tight and strained. Essie squeezed into the space between him and the wall and rubbed his back.
Jalissa and her guard claimed the bench in front of Essie and Farrendel while Edmund sat behind them. Edmund leaned forward and said in elvish, “If you’re going to throw up, you might want to do it out the window before we get to Parliament.”
“Not going to,” Farrendel bit out, though he didn’t raise his head.
Averett sank onto the bench across the aisle from them. “Is everything all right?”
Essie rubbed Farrendel’s back, feeling his slight trembling through her fingers. No, everything wasn’t all right. But she couldn’t explain to her brothers exactly what was going on. “Elves...don’t like to be underground.”
That was mostly true. She wanted to explain more why this might remind Farrendel of the torture he’d suffered at the hands of the trolls, but now wasn’t the time or place.
Averett studied both Farrendel and Jalissa but didn’t say anything as Julien and the guards claimed seats and the train started moving.
“I probably should warn you.” Averett sat forward in his seat to better peer at Essie past Farrendel’s hunched form. “Parliament wasn’t too happy with your marriage alliance with the elves. It seems some of the old timers think I ‘wasted’ Escarland’s one princess on the elves rather than bargain you away to some other, more important kingdom, to their eyes, anyway.”
That made Farrendel stiffen and raise his head.
Jalissa raised her eyebrows. “Tarenhiel is not important to Escarland? Then what, I ask, are we doing here?” Her tone had a bite to it.
“Trade is all important to Parliament. They don’t yet see the trade benefits of a stronger alliance with Tarenhiel, and they all too quickly forget how close we came to war before we signed this treaty.” Averett rested his elbows on his knees, his head still held high to keep his crown perfectly balanced. “I am willing to consider the benefits to not just a peace treaty, but a closer alliance. But if you wish to convince Parliament, then you must prove to them today that Tarenhiel is still standing strong and an alliance will be beneficial to both Tarenhiel and Escarland.”
“I see.” Jalissa sat straighter, her head held higher despite her pallor. “You wish for my kingdom to become like yours, consumed by trade and greed. Our way of life would become nothing but something to be bartered.”
“The world is changing. Better your kingdom figures out a way to adapt, thrive, and preserve your way of life rather than have it forcibly stolen from you.” Averett straightened, but his gaze never left Jalissa’s face. In that moment, he wasn’t the sometimes-uncertain older brother Essie saw often, but the king he’d had to learn how to be when the crown landed on his head at age twelve. “I believe Tarenhiel has much to offer and can be a worthy ally to Escarland. I would not have pushed for this alliance nor agreed to my sister’s marriage if I hadn’t believed that.”
Jalissa gave a nod.
Farrendel gestured between him and Essie. “Your Parliament thinks our marriage was a waste.”
Of course that was the part he was still stuck on. Essie squeezed his shoulder. “Were they still pushing for a marriage alliance with Mongalia?”
“Yes. As if I would ever marry my little sister off to a widower over twice her age, even if he happens to be the crown prince likely to become king any day. I’d rather you be happy than a queen.” Averett grimaced and eyed Farrendel, as if he still wasn’t sure that particular marriage alliance was any better.
“And they wonder why I jumped at the chance to form a marriage alliance that actually sounded appealing to me.” Essie leaned forward to kiss Farrendel, but since he was hunched over, all she could reach was his ear. She planted a kiss on the tip of his ear anyway. “It turned out even better than I hoped.”
Farrendel rubbed his ear against his shoulder, as if completely embarrassed she would toss out all sense of elven propriety by kissing him, even his ear, in front of her brothers. At least his embarrassment brought some color back to his pale face.
Julien made a gagging sound. Edmund jabbed a thumb at the window next to him. “If you’re going to turn all lovey-dovey, I’m throwing myself out of this train.”
The comment broke the last lingering tension from a moment ago. Even Farrende
l’s mouth twitched in a hint of a smile. Perhaps some lighthearted banter would help distract him, though at this point they weren’t far from the stop at Ellory Hall.
Essie met Averett’s gaze over Farrendel’s shoulder and mouthed, “Keep talking.”
Averett held her gaze just long enough to be an acknowledgement. A smirk crossed his face, and he leaned back on his bench, resting an arm across its back. “What Parliament doesn’t realize is that while I would never bargain away my only sister against her will, I would be more than happy to marry off a few brothers. I have plenty of those to spare.”
Julien puffed out his chest, striking a pose. “We are rather handsome specimens. I’m sure you’ll be able to bargain us for quite the trade deal. I hear Mongalia’s crown prince has a daughter about the right age.”
“Oh, come now, Julien. If Avie’s going to go about this whole marriage alliance thing the right way, he would have to marry you off to Mongalia’s crown prince’s unmarried, forty-year-old sister. I hear uncomfortably large age gaps are the way it’s supposed to be done.” Edmund sprawled in his bench, his face too carefully straight and stoic.
“Leaving the younger princess for you, I suppose.” Julien wagged a finger at him. “Tricky as always.”
“Well, Mongalia isn’t our only option.” Averett turned to Jalissa. “You elves wouldn’t want to take another of my siblings off my hands, would you? Kind of a marry one, get another one free deal?”
Jalissa glanced from Averett to Farrendel and then strangely enough toward Edmund, as if she wasn’t sure how to go about answering this banter. Finally, she faced Averett with her perfectly composed expression. “I believe even free would be too expensive for the chaos it would cause.”
Edmund grinned, and Julien plastered on a wide-eyed, horrified look. “Essie, just how much chaos did you manage to cause in Tarenhiel?”
Essie shrugged. “Not that much, I don’t think.”
Farrendel glanced at her. “You fell asleep on my shoulder. In public.”
