Page 90 of Brutal Fae King
From the top of my castle, I can see the castle town. Before, I would look down here and despair at the horror I’ve turned Eyston into. There would be constant small fights breaking out down below, Naga and dwarves specifically duking it out for territory within the city. But now, there finally seems to be co-operation down there, different civilians and races finally working together to rebuild what has been destroyed by the battle with Dralis’s army.
Maybe the grand war made the civilians reconsider if they even wanted the territory to begin with—that seems to be the case in Murbyn Bridge; after Dralis’s army marched through them, the other races seemed to have eased up on their pursuit of Eyston, which is good since we have withdrawn our armies from there and wouldn’t be able to defend it if we needed to.
Maybe it might be because of the humans being returned—they’re now finally starting to reach the castle town in droves, and it’s been a more peaceful transition than I could have ever imagined.
They’re all down there right now, sticking to their own communities, rebuilding buildings. Many of my guards are out there, too, handing out resources, and it’s the first time I’ve seen tranquil interactions between them.
Maybe it’s simply having a common enemy that brings the people together. Not the kind of peace I’d strive for, but for now, I relish the quiet out there…
A gentle knock on the door breaks the quiet. I sigh lightly before answering:
“Enter.”
My lord-in-waiting comes in and bows his head.
“Ah, Bruamin,” I say warmly. “Good morn.”
“Good morn, Sire,” he replies, smiling. “You seem in good tempers.”
“Yes, I’d say so,” I say. “Eyston seems quiet this morning. The civilians seem to be calm for… perhaps the first time since my rule.”
“Yes, they’re thankful for the resources being given out, and morale is high after Eyston’s victory,” Bruamin says. “The word of the new queen is spreading too, and they seem excited to have a new monarch.”
I smile bitterly.
“Probably because they despise me so much; any new ruler would be better in their eyes,” I mutter.
“Well, they seem to think these resources being given out are the queen’s doing, which has warmed them to her,” Bruamin says. “Politically speaking, I would encourage this impression. Better for them to think the“Cruel King”has been tamed by the new queen than for them to be antagonistic toward their king for the rest of your rule. We all know what happens to rulers who the civilians grow to hate.”
I give another dry laugh.
“Who’s to say she didn’t anyway?” I mutter to myself.
“Sorry, Sire?”
“Worry not.” I turn fully to face him. “What was it you came to see me about, Bruamin?”
“Ah, yes,” he says, then lowers his voice with a smile. “She’s here.”
I can’t stop the smile spreading across my face.
“Oh,excellent!” I begin walking out. “Fetch the queen at once. Don’t tell her precisely way, just tell her I need to see her urgently.”
“At once, Sire.”
I walk down the hallway, and it’s a fight to not break into flying as I go. I’m quite curious to see exactly what she looks like.
Once I get to the foyer of the castle, I see her. She doesn’t look as much like Ebelor as I was imagining—I suppose I was imagining Ebelor as a child, complete with her long brown hair and flinty green eyes, but they look completely different. She has dirty blonde hair, ice-blue eyes, and a completely different bone structure. She looks nothing like Ebelor, but that’s not surprising—I’m just wondering if anyone’s ever thought to mention it to the sisters.
Either way, Maribelle stands in the greeting hall, one arm around her chest and a hand to her mouth, nibbling the tips of her fingers. Her blue eyes are large and watery as they stare unblinkingly. The guards speak softly to her, and they can occasionally get her to look up at them and give a tight smile—perhaps a nod. But that’s about it.
She looks even more like a startled kitten when I approach them, but I smile at them.
“Dronfil,” I say. “I’ll take it from here.”
He bows his head: “Yes, Sire.” Then, he looks to Maribelle. “Things will be fine. I promise.”
They then turn and walk off, clanking as they go. The little girl looks up at me like I’m about to eat her.
