Page 12 of The Light Falls
“Thank you, Garren,” I say, my voice strained with tension.
Deep blue eyes flick to me in surprise, but the emotion is quickly wiped from his face. Am I not supposed to address them? I’ll have to ask one of them later.
Light wood beams cross the high arched ceiling, mimicking the floor beneath my feet. Fae line the white wooden pews on each side of the room. Solandis enters first and steps into the last pew. When I walk in, they stand and pay their respects. Per Solandis’ instructions, I walk to the front of the room and take a seat in the gold chair. Solandis, along with the rest of the council, follows my cue and sits.
Council meetings begin with roll call. The list of names goes by too fast to catch more than a few of them, but a voice answers “present” for each one. Wonderful. Looks like everyone’s here for our first day together.
Next, the minutes from the last meeting are read aloud. While the official-looking Fae in uniform drones on and on, I look around the room. Most of the Fae, backs ramrod straight as if there is a stick shoved up their backsides, barely acknowledge my existence.
That’s okay. It gives me a chance to study them while I try to remember their names. Hmph. I didn’t realize it last night, but there are only two women on the entire council. Solandis and a woman with red hair whom I’ve never met. I wonder why? Are the seats passed down from one lord to the next until there are no more lords in the family? I was always under the impression that the light Fae were matriarchal. Another question to ask Solandis.
Angry brown eyes glare at me from the second row, and my magic surges. I remember him. Rivan’s nemesis, Lord Faris. I return his stare with an angry one of my own. There’s so much I could do to the little weasel. His eyes drop from mine, and I smile.
A broad grin with bright perfect teeth catches my full attention. It’s him. Lord Lorn. I didn’t realize he was on the council.Mmm.Or what a nice smile he has. His eyes dart to Lord Faris, then return to me. He winks in approval. The corners of my mouth turn up. At least there is one friendly, exceedingly handsome face in here.
Dressed in a sharp grey suit with a dark purple shirt that matches his eyes, he looks every inch a Fae Lord. But instead of the reserved demeanor that seems to be the hallmark of the rest of them, he exudes a sexy warmth. Approachable. And it only makes him more enticing.
Silence reigns, and I hurriedly look around. A gentleman in the top row is getting up. Lord Camon. Today the surly Fae is dressed in a crisp navy suit with a green tie. For the High Fae of Spring, he is certainly a somber man.
Once on the floor, he addresses the council. “We have several items on the agenda today. Lord Keir, what is the status of our trade with the Elves?”
An extremely tall gentleman wearing a brown suit stands. “There is no update. King Elwen is completely mad and refuses to let anyone into the light Elven lands. Prince Fallon has stepped down. All trade is halted.”
Camon looks resigned. “Keep trying. Hopefully, the situation resolves itself soon.”
I lean forward. “What do the Elves provide for us?”
A pained expression crosses Camon’s face, but he nods at Keir to answer.
“Mainly metals like gold, silver, and copper that fuel our new solar panels, electrical grid, and other technical inventions. It’s how we’ve been able to power the city of Meira. Using electricity instead of magic allows us to store more magic in our reserves. Metals appear to be the most stable in these applications, although we are experimenting with new nano technology. To a lesser degree, we also import weapons from them. Elves are masters at crafting the finest of swords, arrows, and other items,” Keir explains in a rather snide voice.
“Is there a reason we can’t get the supplies from the dark Elves?” I ask the question, knowing their prejudice likely holds them back.
Solandis said the light Fae like to follow rules and process and abhor the wild lawlessness of the dark Fae. Dark Elves are likely worse. Personally, I don’t get it. We didn’t have light and dark in the Underworld, only a million shades of grey.
The collective inhale from both Camon and Keir answers my question.
“It’s out of the question,” Camon states stiffly. He turns back to Keir and waves a hand for him to sit.
Irritated with them both, I smile broadly. “Have you used all your resources?”
Exasperated, Camon swivels sharply to face me. “Of course, Your Majesty. I’m happy to walk you through all our initiatives in more detail after the council meeting. For now, let’s move on with the agenda.”
Ignoring Camon, I turn to Solandis. “Has anyone reached out to you regarding this matter?”
Laughter shines in Solandis’ eyes, but she’s careful not to let it slip into her voice. “No, I don’t believe I’ve received a request from Lord Keir, but I’m happy to reach out to Prince Fallon to ask for his assistance in this matter.”
Camon frowns and swivels to face his fellow council member. “Keir, we discussed this weeks ago. Our supplies are dangerously low. Work with Princess Solandis to get this resolved quickly. Understood?”
Keir compresses his lips together, but a sharp dip of his chin signals his reluctant agreement. Looks like I’m not the only one the council doesn’t like.
Lord Camon flashes me an impatient look. “Do I have your permission to move on, Your Majesty?”
Over the next hour, Camon leads several discussions on relevant government topics, such as the expansion of the nearby city, new housing development requests, the installment of a new water system, and the budget. It’s incredibly boring, but I listen intently, trying to understand what the people need and how we’re going to provide it to them. It’s also extremely complex and over my head. Honestly, I’m glad there’s a council to deal with most of these items.
Lord Camon hesitates for a second, but then pushes forward. “The last item on the agenda is the topic of local representation for Lesser Fae. This is the first step in giving them their rights, and it will help establish trust between us. If we allow them to have more of a voice in their cities and the laws that are passed, we will achieve our initiatives faster and more economically. Creating a relationship with a local leader will only benefit us. Not only does it give us a single point person for negotiations and trade, but it also gives the Lesser Fae some confidence that their voices are being heard. We discussed this in length the last time I brought up this agenda item. I’m calling for a vote.”
Council members give their aye or nay. A majority of them vote against the proposal. Solandis votes in favor of it. Lord Camon calls the outcome before the vote even gets to me. Since I haven’t read the proposal, I don’t mind. This time.
