Page 74 of The Light Falls
Solandis coolly studies her friend, then motions to the guards to escort her to the interrogation room. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. I promise, you will have my full attention.”
Estrella strides out with her head held high and several guards by her side.
Camon looks on in disbelief. “I don’t understand.” He turns on me. “You said the weapons weren’t coming in until the next day.”
Solandis steps in his face. “Queen Merindah knew nothing about the time or location of the delivery. She was waiting for me to pass along the information.” She lifts one shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “You gave me the task of ordering the weapons. When Fallon offered to deliver them early, I decided to personally meet him and make sure they were exactly what I ordered. To my surprise, there were three extra crates of ammunition. You don’t happen to know anything about the addition to my order, do you?”
Surprise filters across his face. “I assure you, I didn’t.”
The guards come through the portal one at a time. Tiernan arrives, then Rivan. I turn my head away, not wanting anyone to see the relief in my eyes.
Faris walks over to me and asks for a private moment.
Irritated, I step to the side with him.
“Queen Meri. Your assistant said the first available appointment is in three weeks. That will be too late. I must speak to you in the next few days. It’s about the Fire Fae Rebellion treaty,” he implores me.
“Is this about the land?” I ask, to his utter surprise.
“Yes. My father wrote that piece,” he reveals, which shocks me because it favors the Fire Fae’s request. “Unfortunately, he wrote it before he was killed by the Fire Fae. I intend to bring up the treaty at the next council meeting and ask them to vote against it. I’ve already spoken to most of them and have their full support. The only person who can stop it is you. If you do, you will find most of them withdrawing their vote of confidence in you. I felt it was fair to let you know.”
Staring up at the Fae lord, I laugh. “I didn’t realize I had anyone’s ‘vote of confidence’ except Solandis’, so I will do what I feel is best for the people, including the Fire Fae.” He opens his mouth to argue with me, but I hold up a hand. “Please leave. I have something more urgent to take care of right now.”
After he leaves, I turn to Solandis and take her hand in mine. “Ready?”
She shakes her head. “No, but a princess never runs away.”
We follow Kaius to the lower level, where Estrella is sitting in a room with heavy gold cuffs on her wrists.
“Are those necessary?”
“They nullify her magic,” Solandis murmurs, her eyes glued to her friend. She enters the room and takes a seat across the table from Estrella.
I take a position against the wall where I can see everything.
Solandis leans in close to Estrella and whispers, “Tell me why you would betray a kingdom you believe in so greatly? Why would you betray me… your oldest friend and biggest supporter?”
Estrella flinches as if Solandis hurled those questions at her. “You don’t remember coming to my house as a child, do you? No? It’s because we didn’t have one. We lived in the palace with the rest of the court whose homes were destroyed, and their land lost for one reason or another. Land lost in a war as a concession to the enemy, land lost to The Wilds, land lost for some atrocity committed by a Fae ancestor hundreds of years before you were born, and the list goes on and on.”
She gives a derisive laugh. “We were aristocratic Fae. Lords and ladies of the Light Fae Kingdom.” She scoffs. “It’s noble and wonderful for those who have a home and land. For the rest of us, we existed at the mercy of the royals and their court.
“I’m not looking for your sympathy. The reason I’m telling you is because I want you to understand why my father made the choices he made, the reason I killed him, and the extent I will go to keep my land,” she says fervently.
“You killed your father?” Solandis whispers in shock. “You loved him more than anyone.”
She eyes Solandis with a knowing glint. “By the time I’m done telling this story, you’ll be glad I killed him.” The words echo loudly in the small room. “As you know, Nyssa split her half of the Fire Fae land. She divided it between my father and Lorn’s father, Lord Basilus.”
Solandis nods, wary now that she brought up Nyssa’s name and gone so far back in time. “I do.”
Estrella’s mouth turns down. “She awarded them the land because they betrayed your father, King Arles.” When Solandis stands in outrage, Estrella reaches out and grips her hand. “I’ve had to carry this secret for thousands of years because I was terrified Nyssa would find out I knew and end me. You can damn well sit down and listen to what I have to say.”
Solandis slowly sits.
“I’ll explain how I found out,” Estrella states, nodding to herself. “Faris’ father, Lord Dane, came to see my father one morning. When I asked to join them, my father refused. Curious, I couldn’t help but eavesdrop. Apparently, my father, Lord Dane, Lord Basilus, and King Arles had been in discussions with the Fire Fae prior to the rebellion to negotiate the release of the land to them.”
She stops and looks at Solandis. “Did you know your father wanted to give the Fire Fae the land?”
“It was their land,” Solandis replies with a firm nod. “They had lived on it for thousands and thousands of years. My father felt that it was time for us to move to a more enlightened state. Land would be given to the individual races from the monarchy in exchange for their continued allegiance to the Light Fae Kingdom. Essentially, it would be similar to city states governed by an individual people who would still fight and financially support the kingdom.”
