by S R Nulton
James shrugged. “You’re trying to get rid of your father and take over the throne. I just don’t know why. Until recently we’ve heard nothing about any issues within your country.”
“Huh. You are an idiot. And you seemed so smart. Well, first impressions and all that.” Then, I cut him off before he could protest. “No, don’t argue. The facts are that you didn’t ask any questions before coming. Not only that, but you didn’t listen to the conversations we’ve had over the past few weeks.You know the ones that occurred while you were avoiding me? Heck, you must have avoided even glancing at the villages and the problems they are facing.”
The pink that crept across his cheekbones betrayed his embarrassment.
I sighed, feeling tired already. “Let me sum it up for you then. My father is an evil man who kidnaps women, forces them to marry him, and then kills them by draining all their magic so that he can extend his life. He also uses that magic to bespell the populace, making them believe he’s benevolent and good while he treats them horribly. But the spell is breaking down and he hasn’t been able to refill his reserve by draining my mother.”
That seemed to stun him enough to shut him up. Finally, I thought as I retrieved my knife from the tree. A quick once over assured me that it hadn’t been damaged by the throw.
“I’m sorry.”
I froze. “What?”
He watched me with eyes unshuttered for the first time. There was no false expression or mask. Instead, he looked earnest, embarrassed, and sharply intelligent. The hints of his personality that I’d seen before were out in full force and it had taken me quiet by surprise. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I should have listened. I suppose I’ve gotten too used to tuning out the courtiers. Everyone is always trying… no, no excuses. I just got tired of trying.”
I turned to face the prince, who actually looked involved in the conversation for once. “Trying what?”
He laughed humorlessly. “Well, trying to tell truth from manipulation. You may have grown up outside of court, but I didn’t. I was just a means to getting what they wanted, which was usually my older brother. Christopher is the future king. My younger siblings are considered the little royals, figureheads that are mostly without power. Me, though? I’m ‘The Spare’. That’s actually what they call me because I’m not the heir, I’m only the backup. I’ll only really matter if something happens to my brother but that means that I have all the training and no purpose. Except for those wanting to get in good with Chris. Then I suddenly matter.”
“So you decided to act like it didn’t matter? Like nothing they did could reach you?”
James shrugged and tried to hide behind his unfeeling expression once again, but I’d already seen the pain in his eyes. He hated what he had to do but didn’t see another way. “What would you do? They wouldn’t leave me alone. They don’t even care if I liked them. They just want to use me. And the most ridiculous part is that not one of them realizes that I don’t want to replace my brother. They think because that’s their goal, it must be mine as well. The number of nobles that tried to set me up as a puppet king is just absurd.
“Plus, much as this may surprise you, I don’t avoid you in particular. I just don’t like being surrounded by people. It’s a little difficult to get time to myself.”
Not much of what he said made sense to me. Well, except for the alone time part. I wasn’t used to crowds, so I often felt anxious at being surrounded by people all the time, whereas he was used to avoiding them because they were always around. It was the politics of the courts that I wasn’t familiar with. Still, I was beginning to understand why he treated me so poorly. To him, I was just another person trying to get rid of the rightful ruler. He’d seen it before, after all.
“Wait, you received the same training? So you know how to rule a country?”
He blinked. “Yes… why?”
“Because,” I grinned. “That means you can tell me what we need to do to fix this country! Come on! We need to go talk to Tutor. He’ll want to listen in.”
~
“Why are we here again?” James asked me as we waited for our host to arrive. He was acting bored again, something I disliked, but was beginning to understand. Three weeks after our heart-to-heart and the relationship between us had improved greatly. Actually, once James stopped acting like a brat and paid attention, we discovered we had a lot in common. Like needing to get away from the crowd of dwarf guards that swarmed around us constantly. We shamelessly used the excuse of needing to work on my lessons in politics to hide out in a spare room and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Not that he wasn’t helping me learn how to navigate politics. He definitely was! In fact, if he wasn’t trying to hide behind his mask of indifference, he would remember that the trip we were on was his idea in the first place. After all, I never would have thought of getting Lettelach’s support.
“Because I need to talk to the neighboring countries? And I still need to talk to Lettelach since you count for Alenia?”
“And Shessat.” I glanced at him, questioningly. He sighed and answered. “It’s a bit complicated. Basically, my sister-in-law’s step aunt is the new queen of Shessat. Well, one of them anyway. I think the other one is from here.”
“She is indeed,” declared Crown Prince River of Lettelach. “Queen Thyme is from a town near our western border. Welcome, Princess Snow White and Prince James.”
I looked at him curiously. He seemed rather stiff for one of the Lake People. They were known for being blunt, like Oak was. Maybe it’s us, I mused. “Hi! How are you?”
James looked at me like I’d lost my mind, but my laid back greeting seemed to relax Prince River.
“Tired and a little hungry. You?”
Now James was looking at him like he’d gone crazy. A chuckle built up in my chest before breaking out.
“Sorry, it’s just that James looks so confused right now. I’m guessing that you’ve never worked with the Lake People before?”
“Not really,” the Alenian responded. “Chris is usually the one sent. And my tutors just told me to be polite. Why?”
River smiled. “To us, polite means being totally honest. A lot of foreigners seem to be… uncomfortable with that concept.” River seemed to be surprised when James smiled at him, genuinely. I snickered, knowing that he enjoyed that blunt way of speaking. It was one of the reasons he seemed to get along with the dwarves, once he’d gotten used to them. No one was hiding an agenda. My attention was drawn back to River when he began to speak again. “I should have guessed that you would understand, Snow. You’re mother was from here, correct?”
I nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know until a few years ago. Our huntsman explained it to me. Sort of. To be honest, we were faking my death right then, so we were a bit pressed for time.”
“Oak, right? He came here afterward and explained what happened. He was our spy in Fretche for years. Well, one of them anyway. When you had to flee, he came straight here, looking for help. Unfortunately, our hands were tied and you’d already disappeared. But don’t worry. We’ll back you when you try to take the throne.”
James relaxed back in his chair and let me speak.
Probably enjoying the lack of deceit, I thought to myself. Of course, with what he’d told me, it only made sense. Over the last three weeks he’d revealed quite a few of the things he’d been used for by the nobles in his country. They had not been kind to the young prince and it was obvious that being called ‘The Spare’ had significantly damaged the way he saw himself. Instead of being his own person and unique, he had grown up knowing that he was expendable to most of the people around him. Not his family, of course, but still…
Ironically, his position as a spare heir was useful to us, particularly due to his extensive education. I’d been trained in many things, but my mama wasn’t a royal. Or fully human. She didn’t have experience with the other countries or how to lead. James did. With his help, we’d constructed a rather simple plan for setting the countr
y to rights.
Well, after my father was gone. Mama was working on that part, though.
“So you’re okay with us getting rid of my father?” I asked, getting back on topic.
“Absolutely!” River replied, seeming surprised by the question. “Mother and Father wanted to do that years ago but, again, our hands were tied by a rather one-sided treaty. My great uncle wasn’t the most intelligent man and he had control of the royal seal for about a week. It was one of the worst weeks in our history. Anyway, after what your father did to your mother, there is no reason to question our willingness to help.”
I blinked. “I’m not sure I understand. I mean, I know she was from here, but why is it that big a deal?”
“Because we are cousins. Third cousins, I believe, but my mother was best friends with yours. She always claimed they were more like sisters than cousins, but I’m not sure. I wasn’t there.”
That stumped me. “Then Oak is?”
“Another cousin. The Lake People are quite serious about family ties.”
“Ha! Than you haven’t met many dwarves. They’re worse. I’m being guarded by my Mama’s fifth cousin’s brother-in-law’s nephew.”
That made both men smile. Before we could say more, though, we were interrupted by a footman with a note for the prince.
“Thank you, Grass. You may go,” River told the young man before reading the note and sighing.
“What is it?” I asked him.
“Oh, nothing. Just another request for an audience from a Crechellan merchant. He keeps claiming he had first rights to Queen Thyme and his banishment from her town was uncalled for.”
James rolled his eyes. “The men of Crechel are always harping on something.”
“You too?”
“Yes. The problem is their king prefers to be surrounded by corruption. It makes it easier to control them through blackmail. Unfortunately, it also makes them slimy and untrustworthy. And what’s worse is that he loves sending merchants and nobles to our court. They are fashionable enough to appeal to our nobles and their values have begun to infect my kingdom.”
I blinked. “Wow. It didn’t take you long to get used to straight talking in a palace, did it?”
He snorted. “The only people I didn’t talk this way to were other rulers or the ambassadors. Believe me, this is my default. It’s probably the first time I haven’t insulted anyone by being myself. Also, who do you think caused the most problems for me at home? Those attached to Crechel, either as citizens, family members, or those wishing to mimic that awful place. Although, I do have to ask, what does the man think you can do? It sounds like he is demanding the hand of a married woman, and a queen at that.”
River nodded. “Basically. He doesn’t believe us when we tell him who she is. Really, though, it boils down to greed. She didn’t do anything to get him thrown out of her town. The citizens decided that all on their own. There’s now a vigorous vetting process for all foreign merchants who wish to trade there.”
I bit my lip, nervous about asking something but knowing I needed to. “Should I meet with him?” That made both princes turn to stare at me. “Well, I’m supposed to be getting the support of the rest of the nations. Shouldn’t I at least try?”
“No,” James said emphatically. “It’s not necessary. You already know you have Lettelach’s support and Alenia and Shessat are behind you. From what you told me, someone from the Fey Forest was sent to help, so they are covered as well. Crechel is unnecessary.”
“And dangerous,” River added. “You may not realize it, Snow, but your father is rather friendly with Crechel. Much more so than any other nation. They would turn on you without a second thought. You’d be in danger. More danger, anyway.”
“Well, alright,” I responded. “Then let’s go over what we know about Fretche’s needs. Maybe you know something that could help us, River.”
“Absolutely. Why don’t we start with your southern border? I know the most about that area. Let me go get the reports!”
~
The few days we spent in Lettelach had been wonderful. The people were strong and blunt, but tended to be peaceful and kind. Well, in their own way. The royal family was more than thrilled to help us, which still surprised me. At least, until I met the queen. She was full of stories about my mother when they were little and all the trouble they’d gotten into. It was eye-opening and wonderful, connecting with a past that had been hidden for so long.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay. I still needed to go speak with the Fey representative. Not that that was a bad thing. He was with my Mama, after all.
Traveling with James had gotten much easier as well. He had stopped insulting me. Well, sort of. It was more teasing rather than anything malicious. He was just so reserved! Not in a bad way though. It seemed that his judgmental personality really was just a front. Honestly, without the attitude, he was pleasant to be around. His quiet nature was peaceful and made me feel much more relaxed.
Which allowed me to show him my personality. Generally, I tried to give him the quiet that both of us enjoyed, but I refused to hide who I was from him. He’d dealt with too much of that and it wasn’t fair to either of us if I stayed serious all the time. So, to say he was surprised by me singing a jaunty ditty while we rode between towns would be an understatement. James seemed genuinely confused when I traded jokes with my guards and giggled like a little girl.
“You’re so… bubbly,” he commented as we approached the meeting spot near the Queen’s Castle.
I looked at him in confusion. “And you’re quiet. Neither of us were at our best when we met.”
“Yes, but when you are around the villagers you’re so serious. And the things you told me about how you grew up… how can you be so happy?”
He was asking a real question so I decided to give him real answer. “Because Mama told me that there is more to be happy about that to be unhappy about. Even if everything is going wrong, if I’m being tortured and on the verge of death I can still be happy for the things I’ve seen and done, for the freedoms I’ve experienced and the love I have had. And if I can’t be happy about that, I can at least be happy that others were experiencing those things. That the sun still rose and helped the plants grow. That the streams still flowed and the animals still moved. There is always something to rejoice in, even during your darkest hour.”
James didn’t say anything but that wasn’t so unusual. He was the type to really consider your words before responding. I could only hope that they would help him as much as they helped me.
Mama had explained it to me when I was seven and finally asked why she’d married my father. I knew what a horrible person he was. I’d experienced his discipline. That was when she told me I had to choose to be joyful. Not happy, but joyful. I had to choose if I was going to pay attention to all the evil in the world or concentrate on the good.
“We’re here,” Earyn said, interrupting my thoughts. “When is your mother supposed to arrive?”
“Soon. But where is the ambassador? I thought the Fey was supposed to be hiding here.”
“He would have,” my mama called. “But Bekins has been gone for the past month on a secret mission for the king.”
“Mama!” I leapt off my horse and threw myself into her arms. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, little light. And you? How did things go in Lettelach?”
“Great. Apparently Mother was related to the queen, so they’re on board with everything.”
She blinked. “Well, that is rather unexpected. Helpful, but unexpected. Although, it does explain why she named you what she did. Oh! I should introduce you. Snow White, this is Captain Dallin Craftis of the Fey Forest.”
To say I stared would be… well, entirely accurate. There was terribly handsome man standing a bit too close to my mama. And she was very aware of him, if her blush was anything to go by.
“Captain.” I held out my hand only to be surprised as he lightly kissed it and smiled at me. I was use
d to farmers and the like, people who shook hands not kissed them. James didn’t seem very happy with the gesture, but I might have been imagining it.
“A pleasure, highness.” When I cringed, he laughed and shot Mama a warm look. “Like mother, like daughter. And I must correct something. I do not just represent the Fey Forest, but also Mindep.”
That drew James’ interest. “Really? How did that happen? Oh! Apologies. I’m Prince James of Alenia.”
The captain nodded before addressing the question. “My king is… almost engaged to a merchant’s daughter from Mindep and her family has the ear of the crown because of it. They were more than happy to support the rebellion. Relations between Mindep and Fretche are quite strained. Mostly because of Crechel’s alliance with your father.”
“Almost engaged?”
Craftis shrugged. “Lana claims that they need to get to know each other without a curse in the way. They’ll get married, it just isn’t official yet.”
I nodded. “So the two people sent to help us each represent two separate countries. That’s rather convenient.”
Mama just shook her head. “Well, the Spinner is known for his conniving ways. He’s brilliant but wily. Besides, most countries have a history with one another. We just aren’t aware of them yet.”
She was probably right but it still seemed odd. The connections were relatively new, from what it sounded like. The choice of who to send had to be deliberate. I looked the Fey captain over again.
Yep, still standing too close to Mama. I wonder… no. He wouldn’t have been sent for that! No one would try to arrange a romance during a rebellion, I reasoned. Still, I may have to keep an eye on this.
I tuned back into the conversation and realized that James had been going over our plan with Mama.
“…Then we’ll figure out what can be gotten rid of. There is probably a lot of things in the main palace that can be sold to allow the country a reprieve from taxes, at least for a year. It might take longer to get a good accounting done, but I doubt that you can go longer than that without causing problems when you put the taxes back into effect. If it’s more than a year, the people will start believing that any tax is a bad idea.”
