“That left the King of Aireal,” McQuoid continues, “he had the most difficult debate among us. Your father’s request weighed heavily on his answer and the answer he would give on behalf of his people. On one hand, he did not want to have any association with a decision that allowed a human access to magical knowledge, and while Clair and I understood the sentiment given his Kingdom’s history, we did not agree. Because of this hesitancy, he asked Zander to vow all responsibility for the human he would be sending out on his behalf. He asked for him to take complete ownership of any actions that arose from those travels and after. Zander did not hesitate and agreed wholeheartedly…”
Prince McQuoid turns in his seat, his eyes reaching mine, “with that pressure eased, the King of Aireal then considered his other hand,redemption. The Princess and I are under the impression that the human King is ready to move forward, to push his Kingdom past it’s tired history and into a new age of different rules. We know his son certainly is.”
“So he agreed?” I ask.
McQuoid nods, “King Voland of Aireal agreed to King Zander’s request, and we have since been awaiting the day when Zander’s chosen would make their way into our lands to search our libraries.”
I gulp down the rest of my ale, my mind spinning with hundreds of questions.
King Zander held a Kingdoms Council about me? Or was it about any human in Disce and he just decided to ask me to partake in the journey? Why was this book so important to even do such a thing? And why in the Ancients did I stop inquiring with him about the true nature of my travels?
Because he offered an easy life, I remind myself,easy and fun.
I’ve been well provided for and enjoy a good home in Bardot, so why risk that by asking questions?
Regardless, the Council was still held. Two votes to one.
Two votes to one that set me on a journey for the last two years of my life. It’s nice hearing the Prince and Princess talk about humans in their vote, truly not caring or wanting to distinguish between the two races. Their easy choice sent me forward on Zander’s path, while Aireal’s debate did the same. I also understand why King Voland found his vote uneasy. The history of his Kingdom is the sole reason why humans exist in the Old World at all, and the thousands year old rule was created as a direct response to Aireal’s greed. The rule was strictly put in place to forbid humans from re-learning what was taken from them.
But it’s the automatic vote of no from the Leviathans and Clair’s comment about them committing horrible atrocities against humans that now commands all my thoughts...
I know next to nothing about the politics of their Kingdom, and until now, had no real desire to learn anything about them, either. They rarely ever graced Bardot with their delegations or traveled through our lands, something I suspect stopped once they learned Disce wouldn’t be going to war with them after the fateful event that took Desmond’s father. I do know that their own lands rest far beyond our forests with the Bulwark Plains acting as a buffer between us. I also know that their lands are made up of desert and sand, that their climate is hot but they have plenty of waters to sustain themselves.
Their Kingdom has always just been out of sight and out of mind, a place that I knew of but didn’t need to think twice about. And even though Livyatan made up one of theFourKingdoms of the Old World, I’ve never been curious enough to inquire more about them. I just moved peacefully about my life, a life in which the Kingdoms held a meeting about me and dictated my next steps.
Ancients.What a damn simple life I truly have been living, ignorant to the Kingdoms and the events and politics of the Old World.
But that ignorance is aside now, and my mind is racing. My thoughts are no longer simple, especially as I wonder what kind of magical people the Leviathans are and if they really are as evil as I now envision. Committing horrible atrocities against humans? Why have I never heard of this before?
A tug in my abdomen pulls me from my thoughts, the feeling so sudden and strong that I nearly gasp in my chair. I reach for my water and take a steady drink, frowning when a strong feeling of want and need pulls at my stomach and dips between my legs.
I shift at the new yet familiar feel of Keane locating me. It’s different this time around, a heady tug in my abdomen that makes me flush in my seat. It’s not the feeling of curiosity that gripped my chest earlier, nor is it the amusement that rattles my bones. This feeling is one of genuine desire that I can feel all the way down to my core, a need to pull me out of my own head as Keane locates me even though he knows exactly where I am.
He’s done it knowing that I’d feel his summoning.
I let my eyes glance to the Prince over my drink. He’s quick to catch my gaze, his brown eyes giving me a look that says he knows I have questions and that he’ll be there for me later to talk about them.
I take a steadying breath and nod in appreciation, letting him release me from his pull before he resumes his conversation with McQuoid.
“No doubt that was a lot of information to take in,” Clair smiles softly, eyes darting over my face and all the emotions I’m sure graces it.
I nod and nearly down the rest of my water, “it was.”
“But we are excited to host you, Lady Alexis, and curious to see if anything actually comes from your endeavor here. I actually enjoy our library at Red Falls. It’s steep and endless with so much to learn. I haven’t had the pleasure of exploring all of its heights, but one day I’ll make sure that I do.”
“Surprisingly,” I smile back at the sentiment, “even though my travels have taken me to different libraries across Disce, I also enjoy being surrounded by books.”
Just not those of deep and dark magic.
“Kindred reading souls, you and I,” she chuckles.
I smile in agreement, “and now after visiting Pyre for the first time, I wouldn’t mind reading about the history of your Kingdom. I have half a mind to start a new search on my own when I get home.”
“I can leave you with a few of my books,” Clair offers, “just so you already have them and don’t have to go looking. You can give them back the next time we see eachother.”
“Thank you,” I smile, “I would be happy to accept whatever you can give.”
Clair grins and moves her hand over mine.
