by Amanda Fleet
“Not so hurt he wasn’t about to marry Lady Morgan.” I arched a brow.
“That’s political. He doesn’t love her.”
I pulled a hand free to rub my brow. “It doesn’t matter. I love someone else.”
She smiled sadly. “I know. Give it time. I know you and Faran will be happy again.”
I needed to change the subject. “So, you married Signar?”
She rubbed the ring on her finger, rueful. “Yes. Penna has married too. He married Lord Balwen’s niece, Nonna.”
I didn’t know who she was. “Are you happy with Signar?”
She looked up, her hazel eyes clouding. “He’s a good match.”
I raised my brows. “That’s not what I asked.”
She averted her gaze. “We don’t have the passion that you and Faran have, but maybe that’s a good thing.”
“Does he hit you? Give you a hiding ever?”
She smiled. “No. Don’t worry. He’s a good man. And husbands might be responsible for discipline, but they rarely exercise the right.”
I wanted to ask her more about The Realm and how it all worked but before I could, there was a peremptory rap on the door and Lilja scrambled up to answer it.
“Faran.” She bowed and stood back, allowing him in.
“Lilja.” He smiled at her as he came in. “I’m glad you managed to meet up with Aeron.” He leaned around her to look at me. “Are you ready to go? The curfew bell is due.”
My face creased. “Curfew bell?”
He sighed, rolling his eyes. “We’re on full alert. Remember?”
I got up, smoothing a hand over my tunic, my insides beginning to knot at the thought of going to his rooms with him.
Lilja turned and wrapped her arms around me, whispering in my ear, “I’ll try to find you tomorrow. Faran’s a good man. Trust him?”
She pulled back. I eyed Faran nervously, and he cocked his head.
“Yeah, I’m coming,” I muttered before turning to Lilja. “See you tomorrow.”
As soon as we were in the hallway outside Lilja’s rooms, Faran offered me his arm. I didn’t take it.
“You found your way to Lilja’s then?” he said, dropping his arm to his side.
“Kind of. How was the meeting with your father?”
“Not out here. I’ll tell you in our rooms.” He turned left at the next junction, ploughing into me and almost tripping me as I hadn’t anticipated the change in direction. He snorted, amused. “You can find your way to Lilja’s, but not back?”
I didn’t reply.
We walked back to his rooms in silence. I wished I had my map, so I could make a note of the route. I tracked the runes as we walked. Faran’s room was in RGM 01, the residential area closest to the Great Hall. That figured. As he pushed the door open, I checked out the animal carvings. Cats, bears and dragons along with the ravens and runes. How had I not seen that before?
“Are there no locks on the doors?” I asked, as he closed it behind us.
“No.” He touched several of the light-globes around the room, making them glow. “The outer room is public, and no one would enter the private areas without an invitation.”
Oh.
I perched on the sofa, watching him. He took his jacket off and slung it over the arm of the tub chair, then sank down next to me, making the over-stuffed sofa creak with his weight. His black top hugged his muscles.
“You were going to tell me how things went with your father,” I said, sitting back and increasing the distance between us. “What did the Scouts report?”
His face darkened. “I suspect they don’t give the full picture of what’s happening Outside. They say all is well – no one’s dying – though Aegyir probably hasn’t reformed yet.”
“And what do you think?”
He shrugged. “I can only go on what the Scouts say. But something doesn’t feel right.” He rolled his shoulder as if it was stiff. “There’s a Council meeting tomorrow to discuss it and vote on whether a party of Guardians should go Outside. You’ll be called to give testimony.”
Great.
“I guess I am the only Guardian around here who has the first idea about Outside.”
Faran leaned on his knees. “I don’t know which way the votes will go, but I suspect there won’t be a majority in favour of you being in any group that goes Outside. Lord Father believes you’d lead the group into a trap.”
I guess that was a fair comment, given that the Aeron he knew had betrayed him once already. “Do you think that?”
He canted his head. “Honestly? I don’t know.” He picked up the book I’d been drawing in earlier – the one with sketches of the people in the Council – and flipped it open. “Did you draw these?”
“Yes. I’m trying to remember who everyone is.”
“That would be an advantage. The Aeron I knew had no skill in drawing.”
“Did she ever try?”
“Huh. No. Maybe she did have this skill.” A smile lifted one corner of his mouth.
“If I sketch someone, can you tell me who they are?”
He nodded, and I held out my hand for the book. I turned to a new page and did quick sketches of the three men who’d hassled me.
He peered over my shoulder as I drew. “When did you meet them?”
“This evening, on the way to Lilja’s. Who are they?”
“This is Valgan.” He pointed to the sketch of the dishevelled one. “And this is Cerewen, Lord Balwen’s son.”
That was the man who’d put a dagger to my chest.
“The other is Lord Elwen.”
The man I’d recognised from the Council meeting.
Faran scrutinised me. “What happened?”
“Nothing much. I was trying to draw a map of the city, but they tore it out of the book.” I labelled the faces, before I forgot the names. “Who else should I worry about?” My eyes snagged on the dagger in his belt. Everyone carried one. Except me.
“Father. Lord Balwen and his supporters. Orian.”
I blinked. “Orian’s been nice to me so far.”
Faran grunted. “Yes, he’ll be charming and solicitous, but he’s only ever working to help himself. If he’s nice to you, it’ll be because he wants something. Be careful around him. Watch what you say. Don’t trust him.”
I digested that for a moment. Who could I trust? “Will you help me with who everyone is and what the politics are?” I indicated the other sketches. There was no point telling me the names of my enemies. I needed to know their faces.
Faran turned back to the first page and my drawing of the impatient man with the white streak in his hair. “This is a good likeness of Lord Sondan. What do you remember of the politics here? Or what has Orian told you?”
“Nothing and nothing.”
“Oh. There were factions developing in The Realm, even before you were banished, but positions are now more entrenched. More extreme.” He fetched us both cups of water from the bathroom and settled back next to me. “My house – Hadwen – has provided four of the last five First Lords. Some of the other families – particularly Lord Balwen’s – feel that The Realm is due a change.”
“How are the positions decided? Obviously not by birth alone.” I closed the sketchbook and put it back on the low table.
“Elections. Lord Father’s secure – he’ll hold the position of First Lord until he dies. I’m less secure. The position of Elected Successor is for a five-year term. I may be voted out at the next election.” He eyed me over the top of his cup.
“Because of me?”
He nodded. “My support and defence of you is proof of my lack of judgement and my unsuitability to continue as Elected Successor.” He sounded as if he was quoting someone.
I took a sip of water. “Who are your supporters?” Were they my supporters, too?
“Lord Sondan – my best friend. His brother Cenan. Mallan. Only Lord Sondan is on the Council – the others are too junior. I’ll point them out to you. They normally
eat at first bell.”
“And your enemies?”
He huffed. “You’ve now met most of them. Orian. Lord Balwen.” He took the book from the table and pointed to the picture I’d done of the middle-aged man with the bulbous nose from the Council. “Lord Elwen, Cerewen, Valgan, who you’ve met tonight. Not many have Council seats, only Lord Balwen and Lord Elwen. Another thing they resent. Lord Balwen’s supporters generally come to the second meal bell.” He leaned back, his shoulders hunched, and rubbed a hand through his hair. “Why were you drawing maps?”
“I don’t like being anywhere and not knowing the layout,” I said.
“Sensible.”
“Yeah, except I lost them. Cerewen ripped them out of the book.”
“I can help you draw some more if you want.” He arched a brow at me.
“Maybe not tonight, but thank you.” I drew my knees up and wrapped my arms around my legs. I needed to find out about the man I was married to, since I had no options except to stay in The Realm as his wife. “Can we talk about me and you?”
He eyed me carefully, rubbing his jaw. “Yes. If you want.”
I thought of Mya’s question when she saw the bruising all over my body and Lilja’s belief that Faran had never hit me before. “Do you hit me a lot?”
Faran’s eyes widened. “No! Yes, when we’re training, but never outside of the training rooms.”
“Apart from this morning.”
He closed his eyes, briefly. “Forgive me. I swear to you, I’ve never hit you in anger before and I’ll never do it again.”
I ran my fingernail down the seam of my woollen trousers. “Yeah, that’s what Finn’s father always said. At least he usually had a drink inside him that he could blame.”
His brow creased. “Who?”
Ah.
Well, he had to find out sometime. I swallowed. “Finn? The man I was with Outside. His father beat his mother. Swore blind he’d never do it again. Until he did, of course.”
Faran held my gaze. “Is this the same man that you said you were with two years ago? You said you weren’t married to anyone Outside.”
“Yes, it’s the same man. We weren’t married. Though I think he was going to ask me.” My heart cracked.
Faran frowned. “He must wonder where you are.”
I turned away, blinking back tears. “No, he won’t. Aegyir killed him. I buried him this morning.”
“Oh, Aeron. I’m so sorry.” He went to put his arm around me but I moved back, shrugging him off.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Not tonight… Orian said that our marriage was arranged. Did you love me? Before I was banished.”
His shoulders bunched as he leaned on his knees. “Yes. Very much.”
“But you’ve also got Lady Morgan as a mistress?”
His head shot up. “No. I don’t have any mistresses. Don’t believe everything Orian tells you.”
“I heard it was an arranged marriage, and that you loved Lady Morgan.”
He traced a fingertip across his brow. “Orian told you that? Stop listening to him. He’s no supporter of mine. Yes, our marriage was political, but we were also very much in love.”
Maybe my dreams had been accurate. “How long have we been together?”
He smiled. “Since we started training together. I was sixteen. You were fourteen.”
“And when did we marry?”
“Four years ago. Just after you turned eighteen.”
“Do we have children?”
He spluttered. “Not yet!”
“Just checking.” I hadn’t seen anything that suggested we did, but it was good to know for sure.
He drew in a long breath. “You really don’t remember anything about us?”
I shook my head. “No. You seem familiar from dreams I’ve had. But specific memories? No.”
“This must be difficult for you.”
“Understatement.” I uncurled enough to grab another drink of water, then tucked my feet up again, my shins making a barrier between us. “How did you know Aegyir was killing people last time?”
He leaned back on the sofa. “We knew that something was happening Outside – the Scouts reported seeing increased numbers of burials and not because of the war that was being fought.”
The Great War, presumably, if Aeron had been banished about a hundred years ago.
“Lord Father thought that it was Outside’s problem. About ten years earlier – Realm years – several Guides had gone rogue and killed people, then tried to storm The Realm, but the Guardians had held them off. You and I were still children then. All the corrupted Guides were dispersed Outside.”
I frowned. “What do you mean? I thought only Guardians could see Guides.”
“While they’re still Guides, yes. But once they’ve stolen a person’s spirit, they’re visible to everyone. People Outside stabbed them, beheaded them, burned them… All that happened was the Guide turned into smoke, but it could reform. Corrupt Guides – demons – have to be trapped by Guardians, on Realm soil.”
“Why?”
“Because they originate from The Realm.” He sighed. “It’s a long history, Aeron. I’ll get you a book from the library on it. Anyway, things were quiet for a long time, and then Aegyir started killing again. Father thought that Outside could deal with it. You thought that the Guardians should deal with it so that Outside didn’t suffer.” He smiled thinly. “You and I fought a lot over that.”
“Let me guess? You sided with your father?”
“Mm. Anyway, you went Outside, told Aegyir that he could have The Realm. Promised him you’d be by his side once everyone was dead. Invited him in. He brought other demons with him and they slaughtered people here. We trapped all of them in vessels. The Scouts took Aegyir Outside and buried his vessel deep underground. He wasn’t supposed to be able to escape.” He rested his head on the back of the sofa, shadows pooling under his eyes. “Do you know how he did?”
“By accident, I think.” Now wasn’t the time to explain fracking to him. “Where are the other rogue Guides that you trapped? Were they taken Outside too?”
“No. They’re locked up in The Realm.”
I rested my cheek against the high back of the sofa, the leather cool against my skin. “Where?”
“The vault.” He clocked my expression. “Don’t worry. They’re secure. They can’t escape.”
“But you thought Aegyir might?” Panic rippled in my chest.
He rubbed his brow. “The vault is small. There wasn’t enough room for all fourteen vessels. Aegyir was deemed the most dangerous and so was taken Outside. Aeron, you helped destroy most of them. Don’t you remember all this?”
I fixed him with a baleful stare. “Obviously not, or I wouldn’t be asking!”
He paused. “What happened Outside after Aegyir and the other Guides killed so many people? How did Outside recover from so large a loss of life?”
“You say it’s about a hundred years ago Outside, just after a war?” I thought back to the pictures of the enormous rooms full of flu victims and the shadowy forms of the Guides I’d seen. “Spanish flu. Different from other outbreaks of flu because the young and fit were more likely to die. But obviously it wasn’t actually flu.” I pushed a lock of hair back from my brow, trying to tuck it behind my ear, but it was just too short and fell forward again. “Anyway, millions of people died and there’d been a high death toll in the war too. A large drop in the population always results in big social changes. The distribution of power shifts as a result of a lack of labour.” This was very much a potted and simplistic version, but I wasn’t sure that Faran would manage all the nuances, given his lack of knowledge of Outside. “People who had been less powerful now had something of value – their labour – and so those in power had to pay more or share more power.”
He straightened, his interest piqued. “Has Outside recovered? Has the power shifted back?”
“Not really. I guess there’s a new equilibrium.” I hesitated.
“Faran, were you surprised by what Aeron did? Was it uncharacteristic of her? Or was she pretty untrustworthy in general?”
He turned to face me. “It was uncharacteristic. You’ve been ambitious as long as I’ve known you, and you and I could fight furiously over things, but I could always trust you. You always said you loved me. That’s why it hurt so much. The best reason I could come up with was that when you went Outside, Aegyir managed to corrupt you.”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I wish I could tell you why she did it, but I can’t. If she loved you and it was out of character, maybe she was trying to trick Aegyir into being in The Realm before he was too strong. Maybe she double-crossed him but misjudged it badly.”
His eyes darkened. “If so, it was very badly misjudged.”
My mouth turned dry, and I took another gulp of water. “How much do you hate me?”
He stared at me, taking a long time to answer. “Not as much as I did. Your return is… difficult for me.”
“Because you were about to marry Lady Morgan?”
He shrugged one shoulder. “Partly. Mostly because my head tells me to hate you, but my heart is trying to persuade me to love you.”
“Which one’s winning?”
“Neither.”
I needed to ask something, but I was terrified of what the answer might be. “Are you expecting me to share your bed tonight?”
He swallowed, casting his gaze down to his hands. “There is only one bed.”
“I know. Can’t I sleep somewhere else? Some other rooms?”
He shook his head, still not looking at me, then cleared his throat. “No. We’re married, so we have married quarters. And you don’t have any family to go to.” He tilted his head to one side, a pained expression settling on his features. “Aeron, this is difficult for me too. I can sleep out here until we work things out.”
I cast around. None of the furniture was big enough to allow him to stretch out, and anyway, I wanted to be in a room I could leave.
“I’ll sleep out here,” I said firmly.
He sighed. “You look tired. You should take the bed and get some sleep.”