Page 90 of The Kingdom Cursed By Iron

“It’s the Seelie Court—it’s in trouble.”

“And it seems that Eleanor is the only one who can do anything about it,” Ruskin adds.

Maidar steeples his hands, looking intrigued. “Well, now you have my attention.”

We walk back from Maidar’s home a little more relaxed than when we went. Ruskin’s old tutor was fascinated when we explained the problem and current limits of my power to uproot it. He immediately started pulling out books and scrolls, and told us to come back tomorrow, when his real work with me could begin.

I was relieved when Maidar didn’t think twice about helping either of us. After our challenging welcome at court, I thought he might be reluctant. Whether we passed the trials or not, we’re obviously not exactly popular in this place, and I wouldn’t blame Maidar if he was reluctant to associate with us. But either because of his history with us both, or perhaps simply because, as Lisinder suggested, he doesn’t pay much attention to court politics, it doesn’t seem to matter to him. I wonder about the source of Lisinder’s own suspicion—this Riverwing incident he mentioned has awakened my curiosity once more. How right was the king to hold this against Ruskin? Was what he did so terrible?

Ruskin has accused me once before of not asking for his side of story. On an impulse I bring it up now, wondering if I will get another brush off or, as Ruskin wants me to believe is more likely, a reasonable explanation.

“What was the king talking about, when he mentioned you pardoning those fae, the Riverwings? Was that what really happened?”

Did you really just let murderers walk free? is what I don’t say, but that doesn’t seem to make a difference. It appears Ruskin knows exactly what I’m thinking even when I edit my words.

“If my uncle is ready to let it go, Eleanor, I think you should be too,” he says with a sigh.

I shake my head.

“Your uncle knows what happened—he knows what he’s letting go. I don’t. Doesn’t it matter that I want to know? That I’m asking? You’re always telling me to trust that there’s two sides to everything. So explain it to me. Tell me your version. Or should I go on believing that you just didn’t care enough to give the Unseelie justice?”

“I don’t think it counts as trust if you always need excuses and proof before entertaining the idea that I might not be a monster.”

I consider what it would be like, to just blindly take him at his word, without elaboration.

“I can’t just swallow everything without question,” I say, but my tone isn’t confrontational. I need him to understand this as much as he wants me to understand him. “You know that’s not who I am.”

He’s quiet for a moment, then seems to make a decision, and nods.

“All right. The situation with the Riverwings happened very early in my reign. Ever since I was named Prince Regent, there had been rumblings from factions that were against having a half-Unseelie ruler. The Riverwings were two brothers who’d gotten into a brawl in the borderlands with some Unseelie High Fae. It was an even fight by most accounts, but in this instance, it was the Unseelie who happened to lose. The Riverwings killed them, then fled back to the Seelie Court. The Unseelie families demanded they be punished.”

“So why didn’t you punish them? Everyone’s always going on about how important it is to keep the peace between the courts. Didn’t this threaten that?”

“There is no Seelie law against defending yourself, and there was no proof the Riverwings started the fight. If I’d sided with the Unseelie victims against my people, I risked rebellion. It would’ve been proof to all my naysayers that I was my father’s son in the worst way. They never would have trusted me again, and I wouldn’t have been able to hold on to the throne. Once I was removed from power, I’ve no doubt those factions would’ve installed someone who would have driven us right back into war with the Unseelie.”

We reach the corridor with our chambers. Two separate rooms, side by side, though at the moment the distance between us feels much greater.

“On the other hand, by pardoning them, I knew I would only anger a small part of the Unseelie court. The families of the victims were calling for blood, but most were willing to agree it had been a fair fight—and there’s no Unseelie law against defending yourself either. If I had punished them, would justice really have been served?” He shrugged. “I’m still not certain. If it happened today, I don’t know if I would respond that way again, but my position is much stronger now, and it’s easy to forget the way uncertainty can chain you to the safest course of action.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Is that enough? Or do you have more questions?”

I know this hurts him, my lack of faith, and guilt twists my gut.

“That’s all,” I say. “Thank you.” It feels like an inadequate response, but I can’t think of anything else to say.

After we say goodnight, I’m still haunted by my fears about Ruskin, the ones I can’t seem to keep at bay. I see so much darkness in his past and his present, and yet he’s had to make some impossible decisions in a world where choosing the wrong option could lead to catastrophe.

Eventually, the burden of the day’s events catch up with me, and sleep washes my worries away.

Chapter 28

Maidar claps his hands together to get my attention.

“No, travel deeper. You need to stop thinking of it as cup.”

“I’m trying,” I grunt, focusing on the brass goblet Maidar has hung from some eaves two streets away. We’re on his roof, in the shadow of the mountain, and I’m supposed to be changing the cup into a plate. This is where our training is focused today, after nearly a week of reading, researching, and testing my abilities. If the cup was in my hands, I could do this task in my sleep. But at this distance…

“You’re not really trying,” Maidar says, rapping me on the knuckles. “You’re still seeing it as a whole. Remember what I told you about cells? You need to look at it like that, a collection of tiny bubbles of matter.”

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