Page 4 of Stolen Crown (The Emerald Realm 4)

The crackling fire and blaring sunshine made the hot beverage a little less appealing, but I was too parched from my walk to care about the temperature. I picked up the toasty mug and blew off the steam before raising it to my lips. The tea leaves had already been steeped a few times by now, so it was mostly just steamed water with a touch of herbal flavor. I didn’t mind the weak taste, however, so I took another sip.

“I had a good haul today,” I explained, crinkling the freckles on my nose with my grin. “It’s hardly any trouble. Besides, Mother and I have more than enough, and I know it’s nearing the end of the dry season. Gardens are a lot harder to maintain after so many droughts.” I softened my expression on the couple as Mr. Clemmens sighed.

“You’re not wrong,” he lamented, sinking into his own chair. “Even with a fair amount of watering, there aren’t enough nutrients in the soil to produce a decent crop.” Mr. Clemmens leaned back in his chair, like I’d seen him do a hundred times. Each time I watched him tilt onto only the back legs, I thought he might fall, yet he never did.

Mrs. Clemmens chuckled softly as she caught sight of me eyeing her husband’s well-practiced balance. “It may be a rough season now, but the rains will come soon enough. We’ll whip that garden back into shape in no time, and then we’ll be the ones feeding you.” She gave me a side smile and I laughed.

“I look forward to it. Until then, I’ll have no trouble gathering what we need from the military shipments. They’ve had a massive increase in deliveries lately, so there have been no shortages of opportunities for me to do what I do best.” I sipped my tea once more, imagining the spoils I might bring home on my next trip.

Maybe I’ll find some proper spices? Or even some fresh meat!

As I fantasized about the meals I could bring to the table, I noticed a sudden quiet pass between the couple. I looked up from my cup and noticed that Mrs. Clemmens was giving her husband a rather thoughtful stare.

“Is everything alright?”

They both seemed to jump for a moment at my inquiry, as if they hadn’t realized they’d disengaged from the room. I gave them a curious look, and Mrs. Clemmens let out a deep exhale.

“Nixie, dear…” she began, her expression looking a little more worrisome, “you’ve heard about the recent events going on outside of Sybettal, haven’t you?”

I nodded. “Well, of course. I know the king of Drancos was slain by Ashbourne’s prince, and that Isalla has sided with Drancos instead of Ashbourne. It’s been the only thing anyone talks about lately. Ashbourne has had it coming for a long time. I’m not missing out on a single detail involving their downfall.” I snorted. Our not-so-quiet neighboring kingdom was the cause of Sybettal’s destruction and the death of my birth parents. I had no issue watching them crumble and fall by the hand of the other kingdoms they’d wronged.

“If they fall…” Mr. Clemmens whispered ominously.

“Clyde, don’t think like that.” His wife shushed him. “We have to think optimistically.”

“Well, it’s hard to be optimistic when our people lose either way,” he said solemnly.

I looked up to Mrs. Clemmens for a retort, but she remained quiet.

When our people lose either way…? What was that supposed to mean?

“Am I missing something here?” I asked frankly, looking between the two for answers.

Mrs. Clemmens placed a cup of tea in front of her husband, then joined us at the table. “You see, Nixie, I don’t think those extra supply wagons you’ve been finding are coincidental,” she said softly, sipping her tea between her words. “Recruitment postings have begun to spread across our kingdom. It would seem the Ashbourne military is offering a light pay sum and daily meals to anyone willing to join their forces.”

I nearly choked on my tea. “What!?” I sputtered the hot liquid across the table. “Who in their right mind would want to join Ashbourne’s military!? Their kingdom is the reason we have it so rough in the first place! They can’t possibly expect Sybettal citizens to actually consider joining them. It’s absurd!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Mr. Clemmens added in a gruff tone. “But it would seem they’ve already received a few hundred new recruits. Just the other day, Mr. Ryker told me he and his son were going to sign up.”

My jaw dropped, unsure how to process what I was hearing. These people had suffered for decades at the hands of Ashbourne. For years, our kingdom has been cut off from trade and treated as a dumping ground. Why would any self-respecting man even consider fighting for the crown that destroyed their home? My cheeks grew hot from the anger flooding through my veins.

Mrs. Clemmens must have noticed the steam preparing to spit from my ears, because she touched a soothing hand atop mine. “Settle down, Nixie,” she murmured. “People are just doing what they can to support their families. The soil has only gotten worse over the years, and people are running out of resources. Most of the recruits likely don’t even want to be there, but there aren’t many other choices for folks with families.”

I balled my hand into a fist underneath her touch, redirecting some of my anger. “I understand that, but it’s just so unfair! Ashbourne is the one who made our people desperate, and now they’re taking advantage of that despondency. If war breaks out, then our people are going to be the ones endangered, not Ashbourne’s.”

“I understand your frustration, dear,” she acknowledged kindly. “Unfortunately there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“Well, not nothing…” Mr. Clemmens alluded quietly.

“Clyde, don’t you start!” Mrs. Clemmens shushed.

I furrowed my brows in sudden interest. “Start what? Do you know of a way to thwart the Ashbournians?”

Mr. Clemmens glared at his wife from over his mug, as if asking a silent permission to answer my question. I watched with rapt attention as his wife rubbed her forehead in irritation before gesturing at him to continue.

“Well, since you asked…” He flashed a giddy smile. “There have been rumors floatin’ around of a rebel group that think they can get rid of Ashbourne’s influence for good.”

A surge of excitement spurred through me at the old man’s words.A rebel group? I wonder how many people have joined? Would it be enough to at least scare away the Ashbourne military from using our land as training grounds?Adrenaline swirled through me as I considered the likelihood of Mother allowing me to join such a band.

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