by Tara Grayce
Perhaps he merely hadn’t expected Essie and Farrendel to wake in time.
Farrendel stared back at the guard. “They will wish to see us.”
It was a command. The female guard gave a small nod, then stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
The minutes seemed to drag as they stood there, facing the door in complete silence while the other guard stared off into space as if they weren’t there.
Finally, the female guard returned and opened the door for them. “The Council will see you.”
Farrendel stalked inside, and Essie did her best to glide like an elf princess at his side. Inside the room, thrones filled the dais where she and Farrendel had stood during their wedding. King Weylind sat in the largest, center throne, wearing a spiked, gold crown. Queen Rheva was on his right with Leyleira to her right while Prince Ryfon was seated on King Weylind’s left with Princess Brina and Melantha next to him. There was an empty throne next to Melantha and next to Leyleira. Empty places for Jalissa and for Farrendel, probably. None for Essie.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jalissa slipping past them and gliding along the edge of the room. Probably headed to claim her place.
But Farrendel remained by Essie, and she got the sense that he would stay there with her as long as it took for them to add another throne at his side.
On either side of the room, tiers of benches had been set up, filled with both male and female elves, all dressed in finery. Unlike the Parliament in Escarland where the lords and delegates rarely used the seats because they were so busy shouting and shaking their fists at each other, the elves sat in neat, orderly places along the benches, the hush over the room complete.
On a table in the center of the room lay one of the lever action carbines the trolls had used in the attack, its stock still a spattered with blood.
The female guard stepped forward and announced them in elvish, and Essie had to suppress a smile at hearing the guard use her new title.
The elves in the stands stirred but remained hushed. Across the large room, King Weylind’s face was made of stone for how hard and expressionless it was.
Was he convinced that her brother had something to do with this? Was he angry at Farrendel for standing at her side even now?
Yet how could King Weylind question that Farrendel loved her and she loved him in return after the whole heart-bond thing that had kept Farrendel alive?
King Weylind’s dark, cold eyes rested on her. “Elspeth of Escarland, please identify the gun on that table.”
She refused to flinch at his hard tone. He hadn’t even named her as Farrendel’s wife, much less given her the title Shynafir.
Underneath her hand, she felt Farrendel stiffen. She squeezed his forearm and gave him a slight shake of her head. They had agreed that Farrendel would only step in when it was absolutely necessary. He was at her side to show his support, but this was her brother she had to defend.
After a heartbeat of glaring at his brother, Farrendel led Essie forward and halted in front of the table that held the gun. Essie let go of Farrendel’s arm so she could turn the gun over as she inspected it. She made sure it stayed in contact with the table. She didn’t want the elves to get jumpy thinking she was trying to use the weapon against them.
Both the gun’s stock and the barrel had the stamped mark of one of the largest gun manufacturers in Escarland. A figure of an eagle clutching a sword in its talons had been carved into both sides of the stock. She studied the figure closely, but it was too perfect, too precise, to be anything but the real thing.
Not only was this one of the new types of guns manufactured only in Escarland, but it was a gun purchased by Escarland’s army and marked by the king’s symbol.
An icy feeling settled into her stomach. Could her brother have—
No. She refused to even think it. No wonder King Weylind and the elves on the Council were so convinced Averett must have knowingly traded guns to the trolls. The evidence looked convincing.
Essie swallowed and faced King Weylind. “It’s an Escarlish army carbine. But—”
“Explain to me how Escarlish army weapons came to be in the hands of trolls intent on assassinating me and my family.” King Weylind’s voice slashed into the room.
It took everything in Essie not to flinch. She drew in a deep breath, looking at the other members of Farrendel’s family. Jalissa had taken the chair next to Melantha, and her eyes were slightly wide, as if even she was questioning her new friendship with Essie. Melantha was glaring, as usual. Queen Rheva and Prince Ryfon were just as expressionless as King Weylind. Princess Brina glanced between her father and Essie as if she too were confused by her father’s harsh tone.
Leyleira met Essie’s gaze, her eyes soft, and she tipped her chin up. As if reminding Essie to hold her head high and proud before the assembled elves. She must not flinch away, no matter how harsh King Weylind’s words sounded.
Farrendel’s presence was warm and solid next to her, a faint crackle humming around him as if he was just barely keeping himself in check.
Essie met King Weylind’s gaze and refused to look away no matter how hard and dark his eyes were. “Daresheni,” she began, using the elf honorific, “My brother King Averett of Escarland, had nothing to do with trading these weapons to the trolls.”
“Then is your brother such a weak king that something as momentous as this could occur behind his back?”
She bit back her first instinctual reply. King Weylind was trying to get a rise out of her. “As you have also experienced recent trouble with a traitor who must have given the location of Lethorel to the trolls, my brother is not the only one with forces in his kingdom working behind his back. I can assure you, once my brother is alerted to this issue, he will take swift action to correct it.”
One of the male elves on the benches to the right stood. Unlike King Weylind, he spoke in elvish, as if he didn’t care if Essie understood his question clearly or not. Thankfully, Essie knew enough elvish by now to figure out the gist of his question was “Why should we believe your assurance?”
Essie continued to face King Weylind as she spoke. It was important to convince the Council, but in the end, they were little more than advisors with some pull in the government. King Weylind was the real authority here. “I can give you several reasons for why I know my brother did not give these weapons to the trolls. First, my brother loves me. He would never aid an ambush that would endanger me. As the witnesses to the ambush on the royal family can attest, I was in just as much danger as everyone else there.”
A female elf stood this time. “We have only your word that he loves you. He may not have known the trolls planned to use the weapons to ambush the royal family. It is well known that your father died fighting us. Your brother has little reason to love Tarenhiel.”
“The people of Escarland may have little love for the elves thanks to the war years ago, but they also have no love for the trolls. King Averett understands that, if Tarenhiel should fall to the trolls, it would be only a matter of time before the trolls turned to Escarland.” Essie pointed at the gun on the table. “Besides, this gun represents the latest in Escarland’s technology. A kingdom does not arm a potential enemy with the weapons that enemy could use to destroy them. Perhaps someone could argue for giving the trolls outdated, muzzle-loading guns. But brand-new weapons? No, that is the work of a small group of traitors unsanctioned by Escarland’s king and government.”
“If I should believe you, where does that leave me?” King Weylind’s gaze didn’t soften, but at least his tone wasn’t quite as harsh. “Your brother promised that marrying my brother to you would eliminate issues like this. Those promises have failed.”
“No, they haven’t. This is exactly the situation for which a marriage alliance is designed.” Essie reached out, and she could feel Farrendel link his two fingers with hers in the elven way of holding hands. “Before, when an issue like this would arise, you had no ally to speak for you before Escarland�
��s court. But I am your ally. I am a princess of both Tarenhiel and Escarland. I can speak for you before my brother, and he will listen to me.”
Essie glanced around the room. The elves’ expressions seemed to be softening. Maybe. “In the end, a war between our two peoples benefits neither of us. The only one who benefits is the trolls who will have their enemies and their enemies’ potential ally weakened. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that the trolls began raiding Tarenhiel again shortly after my marriage to Farrendel. The trolls would have much to fear if my marriage led to a stronger alliance between our kingdoms.”
King Weylind’s gaze sharpened, though not with anger. “Could your brother be persuaded to fight alongside Tarenhiel against the trolls?”
“With a compelling enough reason, he might. As I stated, Escarland has no love for the trolls.” It would be a hard sell. Averett might be for it, but Parliament would balk at helping the elves with a war that didn’t pose an immediate threat to Escarland. But if it could be proved that the trolls had something to do with getting their hands on Escarland’s army guns and thus meddled in Escarland’s affairs, Parliament and Averett might be convinced to act before it was too late.
The hush in the room hurt Essie’s ears. She wasn’t sure if the humming she heard was Farrendel’s magic or her own ears making up a sound because the room was too quiet.
One of the older male elves on the back row of one of the benches stood up. The lines of silver in his dark brown hair were stark against the youthfulness of most in the room. Surprisingly, he spoke in Escarlish. “As has been stated, the evidence for Escarlish involvement in this attack is circumstantial. I counsel that we do not take any rash actions and wait to see if this marriage alliance will indeed work as promised. We should spend our resources on strengthening our own borders and discovering how the trolls were able to plan such an ambush before we start a war that may not be warranted with Escarland.”
His speech had some of the elves around the room nodding. Was it a sign the favor was turning?
There was more discussion, and most of it was in elvish using longer words Essie had yet to learn. But the air of anger and hardness seemed to be fading from the room.
“Very well.” King Weylind spoke in elvish, but Essie could interpret the first couple of words anyway. Whatever else he said, she only picked out bits and pieces.
His words had the Council calmly filing from their benches and exiting the room.
Once they were gone, King Weylind stood and strode down from the dais. He halted before Farrendel and gripped his shoulders. “You are well?”
The question had an intensity to it, and Essie remembered the stricken look on King Weylind’s face when he’d seen Farrendel’s wounds after the battle. Whatever King Weylind thought about her, she couldn’t fault his brotherly care for Farrendel.
“Yes.” Farrendel gripped King Weylind’s upper arms in return before releasing him. “Thanks to Essie.”
King Weylind turned to Essie and lightly rested his hands on her upper arms. The elvish version of a hug. “You have my thanks, isciena.”
Sister. Farrendel had explained one of the times he was teaching Essie elvish that they didn’t have a word for sister-in-law. The marriage bond was considered so complete that a sister-in-law was just as much a sister as a biological one.
But this was the first time King Weylind had claimed her as such. For much of the time since she’d married Farrendel, his family had struggled to know how to treat her. If they saw her as Farrendel’s wife truly, then she was their sister and should be treated as fully one of the family.
It had been rough, but she couldn’t blame them for their hesitation. Her brothers were probably going to act similarly if she and Farrendel ever had a chance to visit her family.
The warmth in King Weylind’s gaze was a stark contrast to the iciness of a few moments ago. The hardness had been an act for the Council, no doubt. It had forced Essie to prove without a doubt that Escarland wasn’t to blame for this. If King Weylind had acted supportive of her, it would’ve looked like he was being swayed simply because of the family relationship.
King Weylind glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the family, who were standing as if waiting for some signal. “Let us take this discussion to the dining room.”
Farrendel held out his arm, and Essie rested her hand on his forearm again. As the others filed past them on the way to the dining room, he leaned closer. “You did well.”
His words warmed her deep inside her chest. Somehow, she had been convincing enough to talk the elves down from the brink of war. “Thanks for standing with me. It helped to know you were beside me.”
That was his place now. Beside her. As it was her place beside him. Together they linked their two peoples. Hopefully that would be enough to stop one war from breaking out and maybe end another.
After the short walk from the hall to the dining room, Essie and Farrendel claimed their usual seats while King Weylind asked the servant to bring in some cold meats and cheeses. Essie’s stomach rumbled, loud enough Farrendel glanced at her. When was the last time either of them ate? Sometime in the morning at Lethorel. Before the battle. Before passing out for hours on end. It was amazing either of them were functioning at the moment.
Once the food arrived, there was a quiet moment as everyone began nibbling—or in Essie’s case, wolfing—down the venison sausage and mild cheese.
King Weylind studied Essie, and she quickly swallowed a bite. He seemed about to say something, and she didn’t want to answer when her mouth was full.
“It seems I will need to send a diplomat to your brother’s court sooner than I had expected. Elspetha, I believe it would be best if you were a part of the diplomatic party.” King Weylind’s gaze didn’t waver from her, as if searching for some reaction.
She grinned. She would see her family again, hug Mother, tell her brothers about life in Estyra, and do her best to convince all of them that she was blissfully happy. “Yes, that would be best. Averett will listen to me, even if he will be wary for some trick on your part.”
Farrendel’s hand found hers beneath the table and clasped her fingers. He glanced from her to King Weylind, something in his expression torn and resigned at the same time. “I would like to go with Essie. But after that attack, I know I am needed here.”
Essie squeezed his fingers in return. Selfishly, she wanted him with her. Her family would have a chance to get to know him. Not to mention, they would have an easier time believing she was happy if they could see her and Farrendel together.
But he was Laesornysh. After that ambush so deep in Tarenhiel, the elves would need their deadliest warrior at the border protecting them.
King Weylind’s gaze was calculating as he focused on Essie and Farrendel. “The trolls will take a few weeks to plan a new attack since their ambush failed, and they will assume you have been sent to the border. I believe our case will be better presented before Escarland’s king if both you and Elspetha are there together. Jalissa, I would like you to go as well as the official ambassador.”
Essie cleared her throat. “I believe the official reason for our trip should be establishing trade between our kingdoms, along with a personal visit to my family. My brother can know the full truth, of course, but I don’t think it would be wise for everyone in Escarland to realize just how precarious our situation with the trolls is.”
For a moment, both Farrendel and King Weylind just looked at her. Farrendel’s mouth curved with the hint of a smile.
That’s when it hit her what she’d said. Our situation with the trolls. Like she was claiming the elves as her people and Estyra as her home.
Well, she had. They were her people. This was her home. And she wasn’t about to let it get overrun with empire-building trolls.
Darkness had long since descended by the time Essie and Farrendel strolled home through the treetops of Ellonahshinel. Far below, the lights of Estyra glittered, pinpricks in the darkness.
&n
bsp; Home. Essie breathed deeply of the fresh scent of sky and tree, her footsteps sure and steady along the winding branches. As they approached the main room nestled in the treetops, something deep inside her relaxed, her chest filled with warmth.
This was home. Oddly, something in her ached at leaving it again so soon, even to see her family.
Two days. That’s how long it would take to send messages across the border and arrange her visit. And that’s assuming Averett put things in motion quickly on his end. He might hesitate once he learned she was bringing a contingent of elves along with her.
As they stepped inside the main room, Essie started for the doors on the far side but halted. Farrendel had stopped just inside the door, giving her that uncertain look that made her heart go all melty and gentle.
She returned to his side and wrapped her arms around him. It felt so right being close to him like this. “What’s wrong?”
“You will be going home.” Farrendel remained still, not reaching for her in return.
“I am home. Right here. Right now. Yes, I’m going to be visiting my mother and brothers. Winstead Palace will always be one place I call home. But this place is also my home now.” Essie paused, trying to picture Farrendel in Winstead Palace with all its stone walls and floors barely softened with tapestries, woodwork, and rugs. “Honestly, I don’t think you’re going to like Winstead Palace that much. And my brothers are probably going to be hard on you. Sorry about that in advance. But you’ll win them over eventually, or as much as any man I married could win them over. I’ll always be their little sister and they will always be protective. I have a feeling you understand that.”
Farrendel huffed a breath that might have been an elf version of a laugh. His hands lightly rested on her waist. “You have convinced my family. I will do my best to convince yours.”
“I know.” Essie stepped closer to him, threading her fingers into the silken strands of his hair. How she loved elven conditioner.