Soul Blaze (22 page)

“Veston is a very powerful house, long line of traders,
family in Melacore and currently residing in Gowar,” his
words were for my ears only. “It would be wise to take
their daughter as one of your ladies.”

I nodded minutely, and then motioned for Nillia to rise.

“Are you a mage, Nillia?” I asked, having been told to
ask this question by Lord Hugh before the session had
begun.

In answer, she lifted her hand. Lime-green flurries
drifted to the ground in pretty spirals. I nodded sagely and
she curtsied again before the next daughter came forward.

She had long dark hair and a complexion similar to
Rain’s; a beautiful mocha that signified the Tsalski Islands
were her birthplace. She, too, dipped a curtsey.

“Lady Arianta of house Landis,” she said. She had a
pleasant voice that made me warm to her immediately.
She waited expectantly for Lord Hugh to fill me in.

“Landis is a house that originated in the Tsalski Empire.
Her family came to Lotheria when they realised that
Arianta was a mage.”

“The Empire doesn’t have an Academy?” I asked
incredulously.
“None that they deemed good enough for their
daughter.”

Arianta cast a small bird made of glowing sparks, in
beautiful peach hue. Everyone present watched the
creation soar around the room, until Morri, who’d arrived
a few minutes before the girls had, took offense to the
sparks and dive-bombed it. After it promptly exploded like
a small firework, Morri drifted down to my shoulder and
stood proudly, like he’d done us all a great service. But
before Morri had destroyed it, I’d seen the complexity of
her conjuring. I was impressed; she was skilled. I filed this
away for my consideration.

“Since arriving in Lotheria, her family have set
themselves up very well. They still have connections to
families in the Empire, but they’ve also made new ones to
families here.”

I glanced up at him.
“And is the house of Lyon one of those houses?” I asked
quietly.

“They have been friends for a long time,” Lord Hugh
admitted. “For while, we were entertaining the thought of
matching her up with Petre. But after viewing his
relationship with your classmate, we decided against it.”

“You’d recommend Arianta for my ladies?”
“Very highly.”

They continued coming forward until the sun was
setting. I’d seen Larni scratching down names and I was
eternally grateful to her. Whilst she had refused my offer
to become one of the ladies herself, she’d remained by my
side anyway.

I was about to rise and adjourn when the double doors
to the hall opened again. I could see someone silhouetted
by the outside light, and as she started forward, her long
black dress swishing around her legs as she walked, she
began to come into view.

Short black hair framed a delicate pixie face, which was
currently fixed to ‘un-interested’. I sat back down as she
approached.

“I apologise for my late arrival, Your Majesty,” she
called up to me, though she didn’t look sorry at all. “My
name is Nemoidia, from Orthandrell.”

It was the first time any of the potential ladies-inwaiting had introduced themselves from a state instead of
a house. The fact that it was also Phoenix’s home state
made me pause. I glanced up at Lord Hugh, but he shook
his head minutely. He had no idea who she was.

“Forgive me for asking, my lady, but which house do
you represent?” I asked haltingly.

“None. I am from the Shayde Mountains like your
King,” she clasped her hands together, her dark eyes fixed
on mine. I knew that her magic would be similar to the
hue of Jett’s. “In fact, I knew him growing up.”

That was it. I suddenly recognised the challenge in her
voice. She knew Phoenix, had grown up with him, and
from the way she was acting towards me, it wasn’t hard to
draw a conclusion.

She loved him.

Something hot and white began to burn in my stomach.
I’d seen girls at my old high school in Ar Cena fight over
boys before, but that all seemed so trivial now. This
woman in front of me loved the King. My king.

I’d dealt with his and Eleanora’s relationship (barely)
back at the Academy, but now that we were together, I
hadn’t expected to have to face it again.

I wasn’t sure why Nemoidia had come to court. She
didn’t represent a noble house and therefore wasn’t a
candidate for my ladies. My advisor had no idea who she
was and that pretty much ruled her out in my eyes.

“I thank you for coming all of this way,” I said, more
coldly than I’d meant to. “If you’ll join the others for
dinner, I have other matters to attend to.”

She didn’t move, and I could see her working out what
conclusion I’d come to.
“May I see the King?” she asked, instead of following
the other women from the hall.
I paused but didn’t turn back to her.
“I’ll send him down,” ice was warmer than my tone at
that point. “It was nice to meet you, Nemoidia.”

I saw her smile slightly out of the corner of my eye, and
I resisted the urge to say anymore. Instead, I swept from
the throne room with Lord Hugh hot on my heels. As
soon as the heavy door had cut us off from the room, I tore
off my uncomfortable shoes and threw them down the
corridor. Hugh watched them sail and land with a soft
thump
. Morrigan chirped angrily.

“Is this what I’m going to have to deal with when my
daughter begins to grow up?” Hugh asked.
“Probably,” I sighed, leaning against the door. “She’s
baiting me, Lord Hugh. Could you tell?”

“As a man, I am oblivious to these things,” he
responded sagely, picking up my shoes and gathering them
in the crook of his arm. “But I do believe she was baiting
you. Rather unwisely, I must add.”

He offered me the arm that was free of my shoes and I
took it. We made our way down the corridor in silence.
“Who would you recommend?” I asked eventually,
remembering the purpose of the day.
He listed off a few names, including Nillia and Arianta.

“I wouldn’t suggest Nemoidia,” he said eventually. “She
doesn’t have any ties that would prove useful for us. I
would discuss it with the King however; as she is his
friend, he might like to have her around.”

I grumbled at that but knew he was right.

I found Phoenix in the study that accompanied our
chambers, in the midst of writing a lengthy letter. When
he spied me hovering in the doorway, he put down his
quill and smiled at me. Morrigan promptly took the
opportunity to bail out of a nearby window. He knew
what was coming.

“Do you continue getting more and more beautiful
every day?” he asked, holding his arms out to me.

I grinned, some of the tension in my body melting
away as I approached him. I slid onto his knee and he put
his arms around me. Suddenly I felt like a teenage girl
alone with her boyfriend.

“How did picking your ladies in waiting go?” he asked,
tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. As innocent as
the movement was, it set my heart racing.

“Interestingly,” I settled on eventually. “I met an old
friend of yours.”
The fingers that had been tidying my hair paused.
“Who was it?” he asked, his tone bland.

“Someone called Nemoidia,” I was watching him out
the corner of my eye for a reaction, but he didn’t give one.
“She asked for you.”

“She would,” he sounded disinterested. “She was my
friend when we were growing up, but she changed when
we got older.”

I considered telling him that she’d fallen in love with
him, but decided against it. Nemoidia would enlighten
him soon enough, no doubt. As for now, any misgivings
about him reciprocating her feelings had vanished.

“I’ll go down and see her in a minute,” Phoenix was
saying. “What do you have planned now?”
“I’m supposed to be drawing up a list of potential
candidates for my ladies, why-”
He cut me off by kissing me.
“Can you take some time off?” he murmured against my
lips.
“I probably shouldn’t, they’re waiting for my answer-”
He kissed me again, sliding his hands around my waist.

“I can take some time off,” I heard myself answer, and
we both grinned as he lifted me onto the desk, sweeping
away everything that had been atop it.

Duty could wait.
~Chapter Twenty-One~
“You can’t! You simply cannot!”

I raised an eyebrow delicately, aware that all eyes were
on me. I made eye contact with the short, tubby man who
was vilifying me.

“I’d love to hear the reasoning behind your opposition
to this proposal, Lord Meric,” I said amiably, lacing my
fingers together.

Lord Meric huffed and puffed before spluttering and
bringing some papers together. I watched him, making
sure my face gave away none of my misgivings. I had been
expecting opposition to my laws but nothing of this
calibre. I couldn’t let them see that I was nervous.

“The non-magi have been slaves for generations, to
grant them wages would ruin noble families,” Lord Meric
raged from across the council table. “What you are
proposing will ruin the economy and lower the status of
many of our lords and ladies.”

A few of the other nobles were nodding along with
him. I could feel my temper beginning to rise as Lord
Meric looked smug and pleased with himself, but instead
fought it down and asked quietly:

“And how many non-magi slaves do you have yourself,
Lord Meric?”
“I fail to see what that-”
“How many?” I pressed, my tone making it very clear
that he should answer.
He visibly ground his teeth together and replied.
“A dozen.”
“And will this new law denounce your status of
nobility?”
I saw a small spark of apricot coloured magic ignite in
his hand before he quelled it.
“Yes.”

“Then I’m afraid I cannot accept any of your objections
to the law,” I said easily, sitting back in my hard wooden
chair. “You have a personal agenda that is interfering with
your judgement,” I made eye contact with Griffin, who
was standing near the door in his standard issue black
chainmail. “I’ll have to ask you to leave the meeting now,
Lord Meric. As well as anyone else who has personal
investments with this law.”

A few of the lords and ladies rose and left the room.
Lord Meric looked to his side, where Griffin was standing.

“Fine,” he snapped. “Pass your little law. The savages
won’t listen to you anyway, and you’ll have an uprising of
angry nobles on your hands. Maybe then you’ll learn who
your friends are.” He dropped a small coin purse on the
table, lifted his chin arrogantly, and left the room.

The room remained silent once he’d left. A third of the
council had left, but those who remained were a
combination of lords, town mayors and the few non-magi
who’d risen to status. I could see Lord Hugh watching me
carefully, wondering what I’d do.

I stood and held my hand out towards the purse,
incinerating the contents with a jet of green fire. The
cloth vanished immediately, and the coins fused together
in a lump of gold. Scorch marks marked the wood grain of
the table, but no one had flinched. I sat back down
heavily.

“I’ll not be bribed,” I informed the rest of the council.
“Let that be a lesson to you.”

They nodded, recognising their dismissal. The council
filtered from the chamber, and once they were gone, I
sighed, resting my head on my hand.

“That was awful, wasn’t it?” I asked Griffin, who
remained. He laughed.
“You did fine, Your Majesty. Though I think you made
a few enemies today.”
“If I hadn't, I wouldn’t be doing my job properly.”
He grinned a crooked side grin.
“Very true, Your Majesty. Shall we adjourn?”

I was to address the city guard for the first time as their
monarch. What they didn’t know was that I’d also be
adding one to their ranks.

Eleanora had been in contact with me a few days after
the coronation. Morri had brought me a few letters from
her, and whilst she had refused the appointment as
Captain, she did express her interest in becoming one of
the guards. She would be the first non-magi to join their
ranks.

Phoenix was holding court for the first time in a
thousand years, and had been kept busy by the people
who had flocked to the palace to see their new King and to
tell him their troubles. I had agreed to take the council
meeting, though I feared that Phoenix could’ve done a
better job.

Griffin knew I was adding a non-magi to his ranks, and
whilst he appeared to be fine with it, I watched him
closely as we approached the training yard. I feared
turning him into an enemy. I had been lucky that he
hadn't taken offence to having lightning blasted at him. In
fact, he seemed to find the whole thing funny.

It was a beautiful, bright day in Castor, though clouds
had begun to roll in from the sea. I frowned; we’d been
having many storms lately. A sea breeze caressed my bare
neck, and I inwardly thanked the palace seamstresses yet
again for my new dress, a green gown embroidered with
cream designs, over a crisp white undershirt. The whole
thing left my shoulders bare, and therefore kept me nice
and cool in weather such as this.

The city guard had spared what guards they could, and
they lined up before me in their black chainmail. I felt a
flutter of nervousness begin in my chest, but before it
could take hold, I began to speak to them.

“I thank you for taking the time to meet with me
today,” I began, my voice carrying loudly. “I understand
that we all got off on the, uh, wrong foot.”

Some guards chuckled, but others, like the one that had
been harassing Seff, simply glared. I ignored him and
moved on.

“I’d like to announce to you all first hand that there are
going to be changes. No longer is the city guard going to
be restricted to mages or nobility. Non-magi now have the
authority to apply, provided they can prove their abilities
to keep up with their mage counterparts,” there was
murmuring in the ranks now, but Morrigan had fluttered
to my shoulder and peeped once in my ear as though
telling me a secret. I knew what he meant; Eleanora had
arrived. “I’m granting Griffin the authority to remove
those from ranks that he feels do not deserve to be there.