Page 22 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
“No. Another name for the Fire Realm is the Ring of Fire, which is a chain of more than seven hundred volcanoes that encircle the Pacific Ocean. The fire queens determine when those volcanoes erupt. They can also start forest fires. They have literal firepower, and their greed and desire for more land caused the eruption of Mount Pátu three years ago.”
Justice’s jaw drops. “Peoplecaused so much ‘natural’ destruction?”
“Acres and acres of forest destroyed. They’re a real threat to our lands—our animals and people.”
“Did they cause the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in the ’80s?”
“They did. Back then, to stop it from happening again, a princess of Icedonia married a princess of the Fire Realm. But now that time has passed, those two realms seem to have joined forces against the Northwest Forest. The fire queens have been threatening to take more of our land through volcanic eruption. If the land is covered in lava, they can annex it as part of their realm. Just like Icedonia can cover land in ice and claim it. We sometimes have to cross each other’s territories to get to other parts of our realms—there are spaces between volcanoes that are our territory or the territory of Icedonia. But those realms are working together to take more land from us.”
“Do you believe tensions are escalating?” he asks.
“We know they are. Mount Pátu is getting ready to erupt again. Firecat sightings have increased. Our scouts have seen new volcanic activity. And we’re still recovering from the recent devastation.”
“I still don’t understand why you think a wedding will stop a volcano from erupting again.”
I chuckle humorlessly. “It’s not that simple, but I suppose that’s one way of putting it. More like an alliance between forestand fire can ensure peace because the Fire Realm would not want to hurt a new member of their royal family—which would happen if they allowed the volcanoes to erupt and forest fires to rage. There’s some deadline that is coming up—I don’t know all the details—but everyone is getting impatient.”
Justice pauses to think about that. “How does marrying your brother benefit the Fire Realm? I mean, no offense, but they get a new son-in-law, and that’s it? They stop erupting volcanoes?”
I shake my head. “As part of the marriage transaction, in exchange for the princess’s dowry, they will receive some of our land. It’s a negotiated treaty. We hope it’s enough to appease them.”
“Your realm has concluded that having your brother get married ensures the Fire Realm will keep its word?”
“Precisely.” I pause. “And the groom was originally supposed to be me. But now it’s switched to Mats.”
“Wait, what?”
“My parents arranged my marriage to the princess, but then my brother volunteered to take my place. Apparently the middle brother still provides a prestigious enough political alliance for the Fire Realm.”
Justice raises both eyebrows. “I don’t understand marrying a practical stranger who your parents chose for you.”
“She’s not a stranger, not really. I mean, we’ve met. She’s closer friends with my brother than with me, certainly. And maybe he truly is attracted to her. I’m not sure. For us, though …” I sigh. “Marriage isn’t for love. It’s to make sure that my people are safe. If I had to be the one to marry her, I would.”
“Wouldn’t that be a huge sacrifice?”
“My life is about sacrifice. Duty.” I grimace. “Now you really have me talking about deep stuff right away.”
He smiles. “We’re barely friends, and I feel like I know you better than some people I’ve known for years.”
My throat goes thick. “Yeah.” I swallow hard. “If I don’t find Mats, then either the wedding will have to be called off or I’ll have to step in. My youngest brother is too young—he’s sixteen.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“Me, too.” Justice is silent for a moment, then bursts out with, “Arranged marriages, that’s some fucked-up old-school shit.” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “Sorry for being judgmental.”
“It’s fine. A lot of these realms are run by old-fashioned rules.”
He thinks for another little while, then says, “The whole situation feels so mercenary. As if you and Mats are interchangeable. You’re not individuals, you’re just … game tokens or something. One goes missing, so you slot in another.”
“I realize it sounds bad if you look at it from the perspective that two people marry because they love each other. But if there is an alliance between the Fire Realm and our lands, then if they hurt us, it will be like hurting one of their own. That will give our people safety.”
Justice nods. As we walk, we continue discussing all kinds of things. Justice tells me about inspiration for his art; I tell him about reforestation we are implementing to house more subjects. This is the sort of conversation I enjoy: about what people really think and love.Not just who they banged, Roy.
My faithful security have been pretty inconspicuous this entire time, one walking ahead of us and one trailing behind, but when we get to an outlook, they draw closer and survey the view with us.
We’ve been hiking along the edge of the Northwest Forest and are almost back to the outskirts of Princedelphia. The hotel is coming into sight, and we can see the ocean past the houses of the city.
