“Or the nobility who distrust how the royal family died and who don’t think you’re old enough to make a good king are fabricating these reports in order to spread rumors of instability that doesn’t exist,” Ari said.
He gave her an approving nod. “Right. So our job today is to listen carefully, to take action where we’re sure it’s needed, and to send reliable people to research the reports we can’t verify. And we have to do it all without giving anyone in the Assembly more cause to worry about our leadership.”
She drew back as the last of the crowd found their seats and whispered, “Your leadership. I’m just a reluctantly official princess who’d rather be baking.”
The head of the Assembly stood and called for the room to come to order as Thad leaned close and said, “They need to see you as capable of ruling too. Just in case. We’re in this together, right?”
She nodded, though the slash of panic in her chest was stealing her breath.
Just in case.
Just in case Thad got on Alistair Teague’s bad side.
Just in case he didn’t survive.
The head of the Assembly gave Thad the floor, and he began moving down the items on the list, calling on each representative to explain in detail what his or her city needed from the king. Roads to the south had been nearly washed away by spring storms and needed to be repaired. Merchants from the north were concerned that the prices of merchants in the south—with their easy access to ships and tourists—were fixed low enough to drive the northern merchants out of business. Slums were growing. Jobs were declining. And everyone agreed that the introduction of apodrasi some months ago was to blame for much of the poverty and crime that was spreading across Súndraille.
Ari wondered how long it would be before the king’s decision to pull the city guard from Kosim Thalas’s merchant district made its way onto an Assembly discussion list. It had only been three days since Teague’s demand and already representatives from the capital were murmuring about a spike in violent crime.
The meeting went on for hours. Ari tried to pay attention. She nodded at the appropriate times and jotted notes on blank parchment, but between speakers, her thoughts returned to Thad’s debt to Teague and the danger he posed to her brother.
All she really knew was that Teague was fae, Thad had made a deal with him, Teague had threatened Thad’s life if the king didn’t order the city guard to stand down in Kosim Thalas, and Thad had been scared enough to obey.
And if Thad—responsible, always-serious-about-his-royal-duties Thad—was scared enough to leave parts of Kosim Thalas unprotected, then she was scared too.
She needed a plan. She needed to do something to keep her brother safe, but until she learned the truth of his dealings with Teague, she didn’t have much to go on.
As the Assembly broke for lunch and the representatives moved toward a side room where a buffet had been laid out for them, Ari turned toward Thad, a question already on her lips, only to find that he was already striding away, his head bent toward Ajax’s as they discussed something.
She hoped he was discussing how to keep a creepy fae from coming onto the palace grounds and not just running away from the conversation he needed to have with his sister. This was beginning to feel like that time he’d broken her vintage vase from Loch Talam—a gift from the visiting king who didn’t realize Ari wasn’t usually treated like royalty—and then tried his best to avoid her for over a week before finally confessing to the deed.
Ari turned and surveyed the room as it slowly emptied. If Thad wouldn’t give her information, then she’d just have to find someone who would. Maybe she couldn’t get the details of Thad’s connection to Teague, but she could figure out how to deal with the fae. She scanned the representatives who still lingered until she caught sight of a tall woman with a sturdy build, graying black hair, and dimples in her cheeks. Lady Tassi was one of two representatives from the city of Efesnero, which had the port closest to the fae isle of Llorenyae. If anyone in the crowd knew how to keep a dangerous fae from entering the palace grounds, she would.
“Lady Tassi,” she called as she stood and made her way off the platform.
“Yes, Your Highness?” Lady Tassi’s voice was soft and soothing, and for a bittersweet moment it reminded Ari of her mother’s.
Quickly swallowing against the sudden ache in her throat, Ari approached the noblewoman. “I wondered if you might eat lunch with me today.”
Lady Tassi covered the quick flash of surprise on her face with a formal curtsy. “Of course, Your Highness. Shall I get us both a plate of food? The buffet room is a bit crowded, and I’m afraid some of the Assembly members are more interested in questioning you on recent events than in letting you have the time to eat.”
Ari gave the buffet room a side glance and conceded the point. She’d never work her way through that crowd in time to question Lady Tassi about the fae. “Thank you. I’ll wait for you on the platform. You can use Thad’s chair.”
If Lady Tassi thought it was strange to be offered the king’s seat at the royal table, she gave no indication. Instead, she disappeared into the buffet room and returned within moments bearing two full plates of food.
Ari smiled as Lady Tassi set the plates down and sat. “It looks delicious. Thank you.”
“May I ask why you honored me with this invitation?” The noblewoman raised a bit of braised beef to her lips.
Ari searched her face, but there was no animosity. No calculation. Just curiosity, a trait Ari could appreciate. Lady Tassi had impressed Ari as someone who’d remained above the speculation and unrest regarding Thad’s kingship. She hoped that meant the woman would be willing to speak frankly with Ari. Deciding honesty would be the quickest way to the answers she sought, she said, “I invited you to lunch with me because I have questions about the fae, and I figured since you live close to them, you might have answers.”
Lady Tassi dabbed her lips with a napkin. “We live close enough to have a few dealings with them each year. Is the king interested in developing a trade treaty with the fae courts in Llorenyae?”
“Possibly,” Ari said as she brushed extra sugar off a persimmon cookie. “Our concern is the fae who can do dangerous magic. Not little magic, like the stories of the fae who can grow flowers or change the weather, but powerful fae. The creatures in children’s myths, such as the Wish Granter or the Warrior of the Winter Court.”
“All of them can do magic.” Lady Tassi reached for her glass of cherry cider. “But of course the older ones or those born with special abilities have much more power.”
How much power did Teague have? Could every fae shut a door with the snap of its fingers?