All the magic crashed back to rest.
“I’m here to win the Calix. That’s the test, right? We battle to the death?”
Vera scoffed and produced a mug of tea from somewhere in her shawl, easing herself down into her net-mending spot. Her nightgown fluttered around her.
“I’m an old mermaid. Our last scuffle took it out of me.”
I bristled. Did she think she would automatically win? Old Magic never flagged, never lessened, and it always came with some deep introspective Bakah-bullshit-like lesson.
“Besides, it’s not me you have to impress. It's the Calix. We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well over the centuries and he’s particular now.”
I took off my helm, now suffocating me. “You need me to search my heart, find my true courage or whatever?”
“See, that’s why you’ll never wield him,” the mermaid said.
I looked to Maggie for a little help and she just smiled and did that weird gesture again, which I took to mean, ‘You got this’. I stomped over to the old woman. If all I had to do was take it from her, I wasn’t above fighting her for it again now that it was in her hands. Probably. Sweat slicked my palms. No matter what my people thought of me, I was their true leader and I was worthy to wield the Godd object left in our care.Nevermind we lost it. It was ours.
As Ireached for it, the vines clung fiercely to the mermaid but I was just as stubborn until my hand passed right through it.
“I don’t understand,” I said, ready to rip out my precious hair.
“It doesn’t bring blessings and fertility to just anyone. Like I said before, it needs to know you’re worthy.”
“I am the King. Of course I’m worthy. Hand it to me.”
Maggie scoffed.
“Not helping,” I snarled at her.
“Take a second to act like a King instead of demanding like a brat.” Maggie snapped back.
Vera appraised her. “See. She does have her head on straight.”
“A brat is someone who doesn't have the power to back up their claims. I most certainly do.”
I called forth a pack of shadow-hounds to run wild through the yard. Only to find them all milling around Maggie, wagging their feathered tails, until she laughed and scratched behind their ears. My hands found my hips and I scuffed the scrubby grass until my jaw unclenched. This was nothing like my plan for regaining my crown.
“Nice parlor trick,” Vera said. “Are you going to summon some black bunnies next?”
I drew my night terror, ready to end this.
Maggie spread her arms, standing between the mermaid and my wrath.
“Take a beat, Nightmare.” She pushed the tip of my sword down. “In Elf-land-”
“Allfenheim,” I said.
“In Allfenheim,” she repeated, holding her hands out. “What would you do to show your own people you were worthy, Noth?”
I stuck my blade in the ground, leaning on it. “I’m there to ensure the Harrowlands’ problems are only relatively burdensome. I am worthy because I know what’s best for them and fix true problems for them. But we don’t have time for me to organize a town bake sale for this ramshackle dot on the map. I’m on a bit of a schedule to get my territory back from the asshat who usurped my throne.”
“The Elves named a new King already?” Maggie asked.
“A usurper,” I reiterated.
Her pause was longer than usual for her. “You sure you don’t want him to have it? They did try to kill you.”
I shrugged. That was just part of being on the throne.
