The war council met in a circular black tent that sat squarely in the middle of all the other tents, a dark spot in a sea of clouds. Long onyx flags with the symbol of the Spades stitched haphazardly across their front panels snapped in the wind, blowing out from the tent pillars. Before the Spades had arrived, the war council’s conversations had taken place over fires, or in regular tents. This tent was new, large, and intimidating. It carried a message: the Spades were not to be trifled with. As Dinah walked toward the tent with Wardley, several Spades bowed before her. It had been a long time since Cards knelt before her, and Dinah felt a rush of pride as their heads tipped to the ground. I will be their Queen, someday. Dinah ducked inside the tent flaps, Wardley behind her. A large circular table made of light wood filled up the room, forcing them to stand pressed against the soft black fabric of the tent. Rising up from the table stood a model of Wonderland Palace. Dinah marveled at its construction—every window, gate, and turret was present, each tiny shutter accounted for. She ran her fingers over the model of the stables, the rose garden, the Black Towers, and the iron walls that surrounded the city in a perfect circle. The hardened tips of her fingers rested on the Great Hall and she looked up in amazement.
“How did you get this?”
“Allow me to answer that, Your Highness.” Starey Belft crept out of the corner, darkness hiding half of his scarred face. Dinah recognized him by his face, which she’d seen at various palace events, but also by his commander’s brooch—it was black like all the Spades’ insignias, but a single white diamond sparkled from the middle, denoting a higher rank. Half of his face had been badly slashed during a battle with the Yurkei, but the other half remained ruggedly handsome. He looked tired and worn, with deep plum circles underneath his eyes. Starey Belft was famous for his fierce loyalty to his troops and his love for loose women. He gave Dinah a wink with his good eye.
“You look well, Princess. You’ve lost your round baby cheeks.”
“And you, sir.”
“Eh, I look like I got slashed in the face with a knife.”
There was a painful silence in the tent until Bah-kan burst out laughing. “AYE! You did!” Starey glowered at him.
Dinah motioned for him to sit. Each member of the council took his seat around the massive wooden castle. “Again, I will ask, how did you come across such a masterpiece?”
Starey Belft cleared his throat. “Ah, I took it, Your Highness. When I knew we were leaving the palace and turning our loyalty to you, I broke into the King’s chambers and took his model, piece by small piece.” He demonstrated by breaking off half of the kitchen, folding it flat, and then putting it back into place.
“It’s a puzzle!” exclaimed Dinah.
“It made it a bit easier to transport. Still, I don’t think my Spades relished carrying it through the Darklands.”
Dinah rested her hands on her lap. She didn’t want to appear too pushy, and yet she could already feel the rising tension in the room as the Spades’ demands went unmentioned. The Spade commander was playing a game with her, waiting to see how long she would go before addressing them. She would play her own game then. “How is it, Starey Belft, that you came to be in this tent today bearing the weight of the palace on your shoulders? It must be an incredible load to bear alone.”
“It is, my Lady.” Starey took a long sip of the ale the Spades had brought with them. After all, who went to war without libations? She stared unflinchingly at him until he shrugged sheepishly. “What do you know about the life of a Spade, my Lady?”
“I know that living the life of a Spade is an honor.”
Starey jumped to his feet, his face flushed with anger and inches from hers. Everyone in the tent held their breath until he seemed to think better of his actions and turned away. When Dinah opened her mouth to speak, Starey Belft turned and spit, spraying the ale from his mouth all over Dinah. She coughed and wiped her eyes, willing the churning rage inside of her to dissipate. He should not have done that. Sir Gorrann stepped in front of her, his sword drawn and trembling as he pointed it at his old commander, a man Dinah knew he deeply respected.
“Yeh forget yerself, Commander! Sir, this is the future Queen of Wonderland and yeh will respect her as such.”