Page 13 of MidKnight
Isla patted my hand. “She was a very astute queen.”
“Astute. Yes.” Not kind, it would have been a lie for Isla to say my mother was kind or compassionate. I wondered for a second, if the same dull, lifeless comment might be made about me one day.
“She always worked hard for Evaness,” I added lamely.
“Yes. Queens must work to shape the world they want. It’s a never-ending battle,” Isla inclined her head.
I smiled up at her, “I like that.” I’d always thought of Isla as a shark, a predator. But never as a warrior. She was fighting for her kingdom. I had to admire that, even if it made her a bit of a thorn in my side.
“How’s your daughter?” I asked.
“She’s well. Keeping up the castle as I travel.” We both knew that was a euphemism. Isla’s daughter was soft. I might be struggling through this first meeting, but Corinna would never have made it. She was delicate. The crown would be difficult for her to take up.
After a short pause, the queen asked, “Would you like to meet my companions? I’ve brought a new ambassador to Evaness as Graham is getting on in years.”
Connor didn’t react that she could see, but his finger trailed over the back of my arm, signaling me with one of our old codes. Isla hadn’t announced this. Her former ambassador was a mild-mannered man, just the opposite of the Sedarian ambassador, Meeker. I kept my face neutral as I inwardly groaned. I did not need another pot-stirrer here.
Isla led me toward the neat lines of companions she’d brought. They were as orderly and disciplined as soldiers. I scanned their smiles, disappointed I didn’t see a single real one on any face, until a younger woman came forward at Isla’s request.
The girl was a fairy, with black wings that trailed the ground and fluttered slightly as she walked toward me. Her hair was navy blue and matched the tiny tufts of hair on her pointed ears. Her eyes were lavender, wide and smirking, as she looked at me. She wore a long grey court gown and a black ring. I recognized her instantly.
“Ember!” I had to work to keep my ‘court face.’ I wanted to squeal. Mother had taken me to visit Rasle a number of times when I was younger. Ember had been my partner in crime when I visited.
Ember’s mother was a fairy and a minor noble in Rasle. Her family were traders. They had several ships and ran a caravan between our two countries.
We were the same age and had met when we’d been forced into tapestry weaving together. It had started as a horrid experience for me because I’d had no eye for it. She had gotten us out of it with her magic. Ember had been wonderfully persuasive. She didn’t have Connor’s ability to see emotions, but her parents were both fairies, so I suppose enchanting humans wasn’t terribly hard for her. In any case, she’d facilitated our escapes to the gardens where we’d sung and skipped and made flower crowns. She’d been my hero.
Ember bowed and took my hand.
“Are you the new ambassador?” I asked, quite hopeful.
She grinned. “No, my father is. My husbands and I will take over the caravan. It’s time Father settled a bit.”
She didn’t say more, but I wondered what had happened to her family. She didn’t mention her mother or her other fathers. I couldn’t address it in public, so I simply said what I felt, “I’m delighted to have your family represent Rasle. I’m certain this will be the start of a wonderful relationship for our countries.”
Ember smiled and brought her father, Donovon, forward so I could shake his hand. He smiled shyly at me and kept his greying wings politely closed behind his back. He’d always been a quiet man, the one who stayed home and kept the books, if I remembered correctly.
“I look forward to working with you, Your Majesty.”
I shook his hand.
Thankfully, Connor swept in before I had to say much else. “Well, now that formalities are out of the way, who’s ready to gorge on roast pig?” He offered an arm to Queen Isla, complimenting the train she’d worn as he escorted her toward the dining hall.
I followed behind, allowing Ember and her father to walk beside me. Declan served as my escort, since Ryan stepped aside to speak with some soldiers and Quinn blended back into the shadows.
“We heard about your sister when we landed,” Ember said, peering over at me. A sad smile crossed her face. “Any news?”
I took a deep breath and schooled my features.
Declan jumped in before I had to answer and said, “Interesting. Which servants spoke about that? I’ll have to have a chat with them.”
Ember’s face reddened. “I didn’t mean to get anyone in trouble.”
Declan handed me off to Ember’s father and took the fairy’s arm. “Well, you know it doesn’t do to have servants with loose lips. You and I can go for a stroll and you can point them out to me.” He deftly steered Ember out of the room.
Ember’s father led me to the head of the table, where Jorad had already pulled out my chair. As he helped me into my seat, Donovon said, “I’m sorry about your sister.”
I smiled fakely up at him as I settled into my seat. I wished everyone would stop talking about it.
