Lord Zaphir sighed and looked at Amri. For a brief moment she thought she saw sympathy in his eyes, then he asked. “How much has he had so far?”
Amri tried to remember and frowned as she counted the empty glasses in her mind. “Six or maybe seven glasses I think.”
“An hal’viir.” Lord Zaphir cursed in a strange tongue. “Razmir don’t do this tonight.”
King-Regent Razmir shook his head drunkenly. “What does it matter…”
“Fine, stay here and pout then.” Lord Zaphir turned to leave and King-Regent Razmir grabbed his arm before he managed to even take a step.
“Don’t tell me what to do.” The King-Regent hissed, then roughly took Amri by the arm again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go visit with the Queen.”
Chapter Thirty Nine
Amri
As she was pulled across the ballroom again, Amri felt her heart race at the prospect of meeting Queen Zarrennia. Even from a distance the Queen was terrifying to behold. Despite being charmed the first time Amri saw her, she still had felt terror shock through her.
The King-Regent grumbled inaudibly as they moved, it was clear that he had as much desire to stand before the Queen as Amri did. Their pace slowed as they neared the Queen and her retinue. Her Inner Circle had formed a protective circle of conversations around the Queen, while it appeared natural in its formation, Amri was certain that it was not. Anyone who wanted to speak with her, first needed to pass through her Inner Circle in a display of power that apparently not even the King-Regent could bypass. The Queen stood imperiously and observed the room around her with a cold gaze and a glass of white wine. Beside her was a massive red skinned Na’tyr who looked like a proper rival to Commander Karn, his eyes also scanned the room likely in search of potential threats.
Amri wondered where the rest of King-Regent Razmir’s retinue was, and why only Lord Zaphir remained by his side. She wanted to ask Browen or Ezra the next time she saw them, if such social barriers, as that which the Queen had constructed, were common. If so, was it then strange that King-Regent had left himself so open as he wondered about the ballroom. Then again, few people seemed interested in engaging with the Mad King.
King-Regent Razmir did not seem surprised by the wall of conversation and approached without hesitation. The three of them seamlessly joined a conversation that was being had between two Na’tyr and a Human. The only one that Amri recognized was Browen’s father, even with the mask she could see the resemblance to her friend now that she was up close. For all the times she had been inside of his home, this was the first time she had ever seen him. An anger burned within her as she looked upon him, Lord Serrelli served the Queen and had let so many die and suffer in her name. If anyone had the power to do good, it would have been him. And yet here he was dressed in expensive fineries and drinking wine without a care.
“... Esper is still my home, regardless of the rumors.” Lord Serrelli had been saying when he and the others all paused to bow. “Your Majesty. Thank you, for again inviting us to your annual Masquerade.”
“Yes, my Liege, you seem to have thoroughly outdone yourself this year.” A slender red skinned Na’tyr commented politely as he stood from his own bow.
King-Regent Razmir smirked. “But of course.”
“Lord Serrelli, Lord Forrens, Commander Althis.” Lord Zaphir nodded his head to each of them and gave a strained smile. “Hosting this Masquerade is the least we can do in honour of our Queen’s accomplishments.”
“Indeed.” The red skinned Na’tyr, who had been called Lord Forrens, nodded in agreement.
“I’ve been meaning to ask, Lord Serrelli…” King-Regent Razmir began with a wicked glint in his eye. “... Does treachery run in your family or did you raise your son to be a traitor?”
Both Lord Serrelli and Lord Forrens stiffened at the comment.
“Or have you been as thoroughly wounded by his actions as the crown has?” King-Regent Razmir continued with a smirk.
“I would never have thought my son Browen capable of such disloyalty, and yet here we are.” Lord Serrelli gave a hateful frown. “It pains me to know that he has decided to stand against our Queen. As such, I have decided that I no longer have a son. Should he be found I would like to execute him myself in the Queen’s name.”
Amri glared up at Browen’s father, furious on her friend’s behalf. While she had never really known her family, she knew that they would never have cut her out like that. She could not fathom the sort of person who would willingly say such things about their own child. Lord Serrelli caught her stare from the corner of his eye and gave her a curious look. For a brief moment she feared that he might have recognized her, despite her mask and the vague description on the wanted boards.
“It’s not just him.” Lord Forrens continued with a shake of his head. “I don’t imagine that anyone expected Princess Ezra to abandon everything and side with the Elves.”
“On that note.” Commander Althis, an orange skinned Na’tyr dressed in the military colours of the King-Regent, reached into his pocket. “I believe this belongs to you.” He handed Lord Serrelli, Browen’s signet ring and Amri was again glad for the mask as her eyes widened with surprise.
“Indeed, it does.” Lord Serrelli mused as he took the ring and turned it over in his palm. “Thank you for returning it to me Commander Althis. Although, I expect that if you had the original owner of this ring in custody, I would have heard about it before now.”
Commander Althis nodded. “It was an anonymous tip we received in Endar a few days ago. But whether it means that they have travelled into Esper or are simply following the river south, I cannot say.”
“Do we have no clues as to their destination?” Lord Serrelli asked with a frown.
“I believe that the Queen has some ideas, but nothing confirmed as of yet.” Lord Zaphir offered. “That and she has commissioned the Order of Blood to discover what they can.”
The Na’tyr all shuddered, and the conversation halted at the mention. Amri wondered what the reputation of such an order could be to make even the King-Regent pause.
“Well as delightful as your company has been, I wish to speak with our Queen before the night goes on much longer.” King-Regent Razmir broke the silence with a bored yawn. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Lords Serrelli, Forrens and Commander Althis all bowed in unison as the King-Regent dragged Amri towards Queen Zarrennia, and Lord Zaphir followed close behind. The two Na’tyr both bowed low as they approached the Queen and she gave them a dark smile. Amri felt a shiver of cold fear ripple through her and hesitated. The King-Regent pulled hard on her arm and forced her to bow next to him. Even with her gaze on the floor Amri could feel the intimidating presence of the Queen leering over her.
“Stand.” The Queen commanded.
The three of them obeyed and the edges of the Queen’s lips curled slightly into a domineering smile. Amri dared a glance at King-Regent Razmir and was alarmed that his usual swagger was diminished in the Queen’s presence, instead he seemed to struggle, and fail, to contain an aged anger.
“We are honored that you have graced us with your presence Queen Zarrennia.” Lord Zaphir began, his expression perfectly neutral. “And we do hope that you enjoy your brief time in Esper.”
She looked him up and down with cold calculation as she responded. “Indeed. I told my officers that we did not have time for such frivolities. Not with the war in the south stalled as it is, and certainly not with such dangerous enemies loose. You are lucky that I was convinced of the value that my presence in Esper would bring. Thankfully it will be brief.” She then shot a look of disdain at King-Regent Razmir. “You’ve fulfilled your duty of being seen with me Razmir, go on and enjoy your little party.”
“Ah, but I do so enjoy your presence, your Majesty.” King-Regent Razmir’s smirk returned with a flash of madness in his eyes. “A
fter all we’ve been through together, we share a bond unlike any other. There are not many who I can speak with who understand the burdens of royalty or our particular experiences.”
The Queen gave a dangerous grin that made the hairs on the back of Amri’s neck stand on end. “Yes, well I killed all of the rest, didn’t I? How lonely you must be, I suppose that explains your peculiar hobby.” She looked down her nose at Amri and clicked her tongue in disgust. Then her gaze turned back towards the King-Regent and she continued with a venomous tone. “But it isn’t the same is it? Where is that plaything of yours?”
The King-Regent’s grip on Amri’s arm became painfully tight at the comment but neither Na’tyr spoke. The Queen continued with a smirk.
“Still locked in your toy chest? What a pity, you were so much more bearable with it around. Don’t get me wrong Zaphir, you do what you can, it’s commendable really. If you ever get bored of babysitting, I am sure that I could find a place for you at my court.”
“Thank you, your Majesty. But my place is beside ma Ra’tyr.” Lord Zaphir answered with a polite bow of his head.
The Queen shook her head with feigned disappointment.
His arm still tight around Amri’s, the King-Regent glared at the Queen, determined to regain the upper hand. “You are not without your scars, your Majesty.” He taunted. “Where mine are on my heart, yours are on your back.”
The shadows around her thickened and she gave the King-Regent a death glare that made Amri recoil with a fearful gasp. “How dare you!” She hissed. “It is disloyal to speak of such things, and not even you are exempt from the punishment Razmir. Continue and I will kill you where you stand and have you replaced.”
Lord Zaphir positioned himself between them and put a hand on King-Regent Razmir’s shoulder. “Well, we have other guests to attend to. Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, your Majesty.”
“Do not approach me again this evening.” She glared at both of them.
Lord Zaphir bowed and pushed King-Regent Razmir away from the Queen. As they retreated, Queen Zarrennia collected herself again and the shadows around her faded.
Determined to get the last word in Queen Zarrennia called to King-Regent Razmir’s fleeing form. “Oh and Razmir, you know that plaything of yours never really loved you, right? Honestly, I doubt that anyone could.”
Amri cried out as she lost the feeling in her fingers for how hard King-Regent Razmir’s grip on her arm had become. The King-Regent had paused, and his face twisted into a pained scowl while his lips twitched searching for a response.
“Let it go Razmir.” Lord Zaphir whispered insistently as he continued to push them away from the Queen’s sphere of influence.
Reluctantly King-Regent Razmir allowed himself to be directed away. Behind, Amri could hear the wicked laughter of the Queen and winced. Lord Zaphir didn’t stop pushing them forward until there was a significant wall of people between them and the Queen. It was then that Amri’s arm was finally freed and she rubbed her numb hand with a frown.
“Bha’fen!” King-Regent Razmir spat as he reached for a passing tray of wine glasses and took two. “She knows nothing!”
“Razmir, calm down. People are staring.” Lord Zaphir sighed.
The King-Regent spun to face Lord Zaphir, his face was twisted into a hateful scowl. “Don’t speak to me sel’rey. And you.” He looked towards Amri. “Get out of my sight.”
Amri nodded and hurried away as fast as her uncomfortable shoes would allow her. She hardly understood the subtext of what had just transpired, but the dangerousness of it had not been lost on her. She easily lost sight of the King-Regent as she delved deeper into the crowd and it took a moment for her heart to stop racing.
She forced herself to breathe a sigh of relief. She had survived her encounter with the Queen and was apparently free to explore the ballroom. Her aching feet gave her a goal and Amri began to search for somewhere to sit down.
The sea of people would normally have been easy for her to navigate, but her dress and shoes made everything more of a challenge. Without the King-Regent’s influence parting the crowd, Amri was forced to instead push her way past the many conversing Na’tyr and nobles.
Finally, she made her way to the edge of the ballroom floor. She stood before the beautiful glass doors that led to the outside balcony. Desperate to get away from everything she slipped outside into the warm summer air.
Amri moved to the balcony with a sigh and leaned heavily on it, in an attempt to give her feet a moment to recover. She could see the city of Frellan below. It almost looked like a collection of stars against the dark of night. It reminded her a lot of Verta, but now it also reminded her of the responsibilities of her bloodline. It was a burden that she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about yet. Regardless of her newly discovered lineage however, those people needed help and she would do everything that she could to help them.
The door behind her opened, and Amri turned just as a well-dressed individual, wearing an elaborate black metal mask, joined her on the balcony. He sighed heavily, then gasped as he noticed Amri. They blinked at each other for a moment in surprise then he turned to wordlessly return to the busy ballroom. It took Amri a moment to recognize him from his brief moment on the stairwell. But even without that, his stance, his appearance, everything about him reminded Amri of Ezra.
“Wait, Arze?” She asked tentatively, not entirely sure what she wanted to say yet, but the promise that she had made so long ago echoed in her mind.
He paused and faced Amri with that exact same imperious look that Ezra had sometimes. “Prince Arze.”
Even his voice sounded like Ezra’s, only slightly deeper, it was like speaking to the male version of her. Amri gave him a friendly smile. “Do you have a moment?”
He rolled his stunning green eyes and let the door close again behind him. “You’re the King-Regent’s latest pet, right?”
Amri frowned. “I’m no one’s pet.”
Prince Arze’s lip twitched into a slight smirk at the comment. “If only saying something with such conviction made it the truth.”
He moved to join her at the balcony, and as he got closer Amri could not help but see a deep pain in his eyes. She promised Ezra that she would help reunite them and dared not let the opportunity that presented itself pass without trying. And yet she did not know where to begin or if saying anything to Prince Arze would immediately expose her to the Queen. His true allegiances were still a mystery to her, regardless of Ezra’s conviction.
The silence lingered a little too long as Amri considered her options and Arze mercifully broke it. “They didn’t announce your name.”
Amri hesitated, she wanted to tell him who she really was, that Ezra was somewhere in the city working on a plan to help her escape. But something made her hesitate, something about the cold in his green eyes.
“Lady Kirra.” She curtseyed as she had been instructed, it made her want to gag. Then she boldly asked. “I wanted to talk to you about your sister.”
His whole body became tense at the mention, and he gave Amri a venous glare. “What about my sister?” He asked coldly.
Amri was taken aback by the reaction and didn’t know how to respond. She was spared having to come up with the words however, when the doors opened again. The pair turned to see the newcomer and Amri felt as if her heart had stopped when she recognized Commander Illian, even with his thin black mask. His entire left side was marked by horrible burns which looked even more brutal up close. He scowled in Prince Arze’s direction.
“So, this is where you’re hiding your majesty.”
“I needed fresh air.” Prince Arze spoke in a tremulous voice.
Commander Illian walked up to Prince Arze with a twisted smile. As he approached, Prince Arze pushed himself as close to the banister as he physically could, desperate to keep some space between himse
lf and the Commander. Amri looked between them in confusion. As glad as she was that Commander Illian had not paid any attention to her, she felt deeply concerned for just how scared Prince Arze seemed to be of him.
“You’re expected to make an appearance, your majesty, we talked about this.” Commander Illian rested a hand on Prince Arze’s shoulder and he winced as if he had been hit. The Commander seemed delighted by the reaction and turned to Amri. “Would you be a dear and leave the balcony to us?”
Amri wanted nothing more than to be as far away from Commander Illian as she could, but the look of terror in Arze’s eyes made her hesitate. She feared what fate he would have to endure if she left and wondered what had happened to bring the young Prince to this point.
Commander Illian stepped towards Amri at her hesitation and glared at her. “I am afraid that I must insist.”
Amri turned for the door, terrified that he would recognize her. She gave Prince Arze a final concerned glance before she turned and disappeared into the ballroom beyond. She felt sick at the intense interaction and needed more than ever to speak with Ezra. While she still had no idea if she could trust Arze, she felt an urgent need to help the Prince escape whatever torment he had been made to suffer.
She walked along the edge of the ballroom slightly shaken when a voice made her pause. “Excuse me but, may I have this dance?”
She turned and was faced with a handsome looking noble dressed in an elegant suit of gold and black with a mask to match. His fine black hair had been neatly combed to the side and his deep blue eyes were intense as they looked her over.
“Lady Kirra I presume?” He asked as he held out his hand to her.
“I’m not interested in dancing.” She frowned at him, the evening had been a whirlwind of emotions already and she was thoroughly done with all of it.
He smiled kindly. “But dancing is the best way to get to know someone, and we have a mutual friend who insisted that I get to know you.”
Sunken Wind Page 39
