Page 30 of The Kingdom Cursed By Iron

Jorna rocks back on her heels again. “That is still to be seen. I shall consult the texts further, but until then, we must be wary.”

“Enjoying the show?” Ruskin’s quiet voice comes from behind us, and I turn to see him leaning against one of the pillars that line the courtyard. He has his Unseelie features on again. Evidently, he feels less relaxed than he did before the banquet, despite his casual body language.

“Your subjects certainly seem to be,” I note, nodding towards the gathered fae. Jorna is down from the steps now, mingling with the crowd. I see more than one face twisted with worry.

“Why did you let her prattle on like that?” Halima demands of Ruskin. She looks positively angry, and I find it disconcerting on her typically stoic features.

Ruskin waves his hand dismissively. “Silencing her would just give her credibility—make her into a martyr. Better to let her get it out of her system. Prophecies come and go and often shake out quite differently to the way the ephors think it will. Don’t you remember the line they came up with during I Great Divide?”

Halima scowls. “Of course I do.”

“I don’t,” I pipe up, my curiosity getting the better of me.

“They thought the Unseelie Court would win the war, because they found some old scroll describing how the ‘regal moon’ would ‘win its prize.’” Destan explains.

“And?” I ask, none the wiser.

“The moon is associated with the Unseelie Court, so they thought the prize was victory over Seelie. Then Her Majesty married Prince Lucan and ended the war. After that all the ephors would talk about was how they knew he was the regal moon all along.”

“But the prophecy was right, they just interpreted it wrong,” I say, unease dawning on me.

“Precisely. In the end, no one can say for sure what a prophecy truly means until it’s already come to pass. But until then, many fae—foolishly or not—put a lot of stock in the words of an ephor.” Halima’s tone is dripping with disapproval.

“What they need now is practical leadership,” Ruskin says. “Not a collection of vague theories.” He closes his eyes, inhaling. “You feel that?”

Destan and Halima nod. I cross my arms and clear my throat, out of the loop again.

Ruskin explains for me.

“The iron in the orchard is polluting the area. This courtyard was clear of its effect an hour ago, but now anyone in it will be starting to feel nauseous.”

“You think its effect is spreading?”

“I hope it’s just natural radiation from so much iron so close, but even so, no one should linger here for too long.”

Ruskin beckons over a High Fae lady with threads of gold woven into her hair.

“Lady Naniva, you live in the Ambrosia Quarter, correct?”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“It will need to be evacuated. And this courtyard too. I’m concerned about the spread of iron sickness. Will you spread the word? It will be only temporary, until we can ensure the area is safe.”

Her eyes widen with concern. “Of course, my Lord. I didn’t think—are we really in such danger?”

“Not if you follow my instructions,” Ruskin says coolly, flashing his teeth at her.

She hurries away and Halima dismisses herself, still looking unhappy. Destan glances down at his clothes and tuts. I guess he’s noticed the creased state of his attire.

“If I’m not needed…?” he asks Ruskin. His friend nods and Destan peels away.

Without another word to me, Ruskin turns towards the courtyard exit, making me trip after him. I really hate when he does that—taking advantage of his long legs and my relatively short ones. In this instance, it gives me the distinct impression that he’s trying to avoid the conversation that we both know is meant to be coming next.

But I don’t ask about going home—not yet. The scene in the courtyard has left me with too many thoughts.

“How can you be certain that the prophecy isn’t something we need to worry about? The iron attack could be some curse of Cebba’s, but what if what Jorna is saying is true? What if it really is the magic of the realm trying to push back on something that’s not right? Like an imbalance? I’ve seen the body do the same thing in Mom’s patients.”

“I’m not worried because that prophecy is just as likely to have been about me and you and the curse that you broke rather than whatever happened in the orchard.”

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