Page 29 of Waves
Sahar gave a small nod as she stared out at the glowing stars that were slowly descending beneath us, back toward the depths. I watched with her for a moment with a dizzy head, feeling like the universe itself was ebbing away from me, leaving me alone in the vast dark abyss of the sky.
“How can I be their queen if they look at me and all they see is an enemy?” The phrase was quiet, but the question was not. The question was a large booming drum inside my head.
“Yes, and how can you beat this enemy within the people? Fight them and you’re a tyrant. Do nothing and you’re a weakling…”
“Exactly!”
I sighed as we made our way around a crowd of locals, greeting them and making small talk. As soon as we were able to wrest ourselves free of that tangle, our conversation continued as if it had never been interrupted. How to tackle the problem that seemed nearly impossible.
Sahar reached over and squeezed my hand. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
I chewed on my lower lip, digesting her words before giving a dismissive sigh. “In theory, that’s true. But who is the enemy here? Every landed monarch? Should I wage war on them solely to gain people’s trust? Provoke a war to secure my ownposition?” I might willingly change the lives of two men, but I'd make sure they lived in comfort and ease. Starting a war would bring death and famine and suffering with each shift of the tides.
Evil though I was, I hoped that I wasn’t quite that evil.
My adviser’s brow furrowed, and my own lips pursed in distaste as I added, “That’s not the ruler I want to be.” A bitter laugh clogged my throat. “Bloss might have been right. As much as I hate to say it, I was naive thinking that I could bear the weight of this crown.”
“Don’t.” Sahar chided.
“People are dying for my arrogance right now. I have to at least consider the fact that perhaps I’m not?—”
“People are dying because of the hatred of others who decide violence is the right course of action.”
“Violence is the only course of action they know,” I contend. “My mother didn’t leave many avenues open.”
Sahar sighed. “She didn’t. But…give me a few days to think about this. I’ll come up with something.”
“The next tournament event is scheduled for the day after tomorrow,” I countered as we swam further from the crowd, toward a ledge cut into a floating iceberg. Perching upon the frozen ledge, cold seeping into our bones, we watched the crowd, distant splashes of color, dancing and drinking and finding their joy.
“Don’t forget, Majesty,” Sahar reminded me. “The tournament is already underway. If you secede from the throne, you take all those men down with you.”
The pressure bearing down on me doubled, grew so intense that I thought my skull might crack. Something. I had to do something. Even if it was minuscule in the scheme of things.
“Excuse me,” I told my adviser, standing and fluttering my wings behind me.
It was time to swallow my pride.
Swimming down a few feet, it was easy to spot Ugo and Paavo hovering—just far enough to avoid eavesdropping but close enough to protect me. They’d painted their faces skeletal for the evening but hadn’t otherwise altered their uniforms so that they were ready if need be. I turned to Paavo. “Do you think you can send a messenger to my sister? The Queen of Evaness?”
His eyebrows shot up, but he merely nodded.
“I would like to propose we begin trading. Whale oil for grain.”
Ugo leaned closer. “Does this need to happen now?”
“Yes. We need trade established as soon as possible.” I forced my tone to stay flat and even, not to crack. It was probably a pathetic move, a pawn’s tiny diagonal attack in this chess game.
But it was the move I'd been able to come up with. Of course, Bloss would probably come barreling down here with her elder sister advice on everything from laws to breathing. But at least I wouldn’t be so alone.
Paavo gave me a nod and, without leaving his post, turned his head and let out a long whistle that immediately had two lower-ranking guards darting forward. Neither one seemed quite sober—one had a terrible case of hiccups—and I decided that turning away and letting them avoid embarrassment was the best course of action.
Of course, as soon as I did turn, I nearly smashed into a purple-haired siren. Unlike everyone around us, she wore a simple everyday skirt and a small bundle on a stick was slung over her shoulder.
Ugo was immediately in her face, pushing her by the shoulders, barking orders. “Back away from the queen!”
“Queen?” Her maw gaped like a whale’s before she gave a hasty bow. “Sorry, I didn’t realize. I… I’m just passing through.” A little tremble went through her body as Ugo’s spear was perilously close to her throat.
“Ugo, it’s alright.” I held up a hand because the girl clearly didn’t seem like a threat. “It’s nice to meet you. You can call me Avia.”
