«Border lords,»Dax supplied before Rain even asked the question.«Barrial was the one who stood up with Teleos yesterday. He holds the land along the Elden border from Carthage to Kreppes. Morvel controls everything from the Estemere seaport to Norwal.»
Dorian was offering nearly a sixth of the Elden border.
Rain eyed Dorian with new appreciation. The king had been very busy—and much more effective in dealing with his nobles than Rain had been. “Indeed. Such consideration is a great honor to the Baristani family and the Fey.”
“Excellent. My queen and I hope you and your Feyreisa will honor us with your presence at Prince Dorian and Lady Nadela’s betrothal ball.” The ball would initiate a week of city-wide celebrations leading up to the betrothal ceremony itself.
“We will be there, and we thank you for the honor of the invitation.” Rain bowed.
“Your attendance will bring us joy.” Dorian smiled and laid his hand over his wife’s. Her face was a frozen mask.
«Lillis and little Fey’cha are but children.»Stalking at Rain’s right-hand side as he and Ellysetta walked away from the throne, Kieran did not even attempt to disguise his displeasure.«Fey do not sell children, not even to protect Eld border land.»
“I don’t like the idea of betrothing Lillis and Lorelle to anyone,” Ellie whispered at the same time. “They should have a chance to grow up and find someone they can love.”
Rain wove a quick net of Air and Spirit about their small groupto ensure privacy before he responded. “It is the offer of alliance that is important, not the manner of bonding.”
“Then why would the king mention marriage?” Ellie asked, frowning at Rain.
“He was telling us Lords Morvel and Barrial are willing to garrison Fey warriors in their holdings,” Dax said. “Ellysetta, they know the Fey would not leave your family members anywhere in Celieria without a substantial number of warriors to protect them.”
Rain wondered how the king had achieved such a coup. As he’d spent the past few days discovering, reason alone didn’t seem much of an inducement to the nobles.
“And,” Marissya added, “by publicly inviting you to the Prince’s ball and mentioning the possibility of a betrothal between your sisters and two of the Great Houses, the king has also made it clear that you and your family are to be accepted by the other nobles.”
“That’s all well and good, but I don’t want Mama or Papa thinking high-ranking political marriages are in the girls’ best interest. Lillis and Lorelle aren’t chattel to be bartered and sold.”
“Las, shei’tani,”Rain said. “I will speak to Morvel and Barrial and make it clear that no formal offers of marriage are to be extended to your parents.” He dispelled the privacy weaves and turned to the prime minister. “You may begin the introductions, Lord Corrias.”
During the next two bells of introductions and polite mingling, Lord Corrias introduced Ellie and Rain to what seemed like hundreds of Celierian nobles and whispered a steady stream of information into Rain’s ear as they went, identifying each individual’s estate holdings, and what each one stood to gain or lose if the Eld borders were opened for trade. Ellie’s head was swimming with the bombardment of information, but Rain seemed to take it in and process it with enviable efficiency.
She stood at Rain’s side, trying her best to be “grave and gracious.” It was a good thing Master Fellows had told her not tosmile, as that would have proven difficult. The Tairen’s Eye crown and bracelets, while physically light, discomfited her. A low, constant hum of power radiated from the crystals, resonating in her skin and setting her nerves on edge.
Despite the king’s announcement, many of the approaching nobles made a point of eyeing the sparkling crystals before forcing themselves to bow before the woodcarver’s daughter. Some pretended to be more welcoming. They smiled with too-bright smiles, complimented her hair and dress, and murmured concern about yesterday’s attack, but she knew their hard, glittering eyes were sizing her up and searching for any little fault in her appearance or behavior that would put Rain to shame. She refused to give it to them. Holding her head high, she greeted each with solemn reserve. Rain, to his credit, kept his temper in check—and was even on occasion rather charming. The nobles who’d come hoping to gawk at a wild tairen and his peasant bride found themselves meeting a Fey king and his reserved queen instead.
After the first dozen or so introductions, Rain began sending little private communications to her on weaves of Spirit, things like«You didn’t like Lord Braegis at all, did you, shei’tani? Can you tell me why?»or«You seemed to like Lady Clovis. Perhaps we should arrange for you and Marissya to meet her for tea.»His Spirit voice was calm, reassuring, and even occasionally wicked:«Lady Zillina had best not lean over tonight or those breasts might just leap for freedom.»The intimacy of the conversation—private words shared only between the two of them—made the ballroom seem less crowded and the nobles a bit less terrifying. Occasionally Rain would reach over to stroke the hand she kept on his wrist, lift the corner of his mouth in the faintest of smiles, and whisper in her mind,«You’re doing fine, shei’tani. You bring pride to this Fey.»
One of the few genuinely friendly faces in the crowd was a Fey-eyed border lord named Teleos from the west, whom Rain greeted with a warmth he’d not shown any other Celierian. Even withoutLord Corrias’s whispered summation, Ellie knew who Lord Devron Teleos was. His family’s ancestral estates lay at the foot of the southernmost Feyl mountains, guarding the Garreval, gateway to the Fading Lands. On that land, fifty miles north of the Garreval, the battle of Eadmond’s Field had been waged, and Sariel had died.
“Lady Ellysetta.” Teleos bowed to her. “The gods have shone their grace on the Tairen Soul indeed. You make me envy him his good fortune.”
Ellysetta blushed at the generous compliment. Just as she’d sensed the false welcome in the other lords, she sensed the truth in Teleos. Like the Fey, he looked at her and saw beauty. How amazing. “You are too kind, Lord Teleos,” she replied, “but in truth, I received the greater grace. What girl has not dreamed of Rain Tairen Soul and Fey devotion?”
“And all this time, I believed the thought of me would send them fleeing in fear,” Rain quipped with a faint smile. In a more serious tone, he told Teleos, “My thanks for your courage in Council yesterday. It is good to know that common sense still prevails in some parts of Celieria.”
“I should have spoken sooner.” Teleos’s green eyes held genuine regret. “Had I known what was done to Ser vel Jelani, I would have, but I never suspected such animus.”
“Dax tells me you are the descendant of an old friend of mine, Shanis Teleos,” Rain said.
“My great-grandfather’s great-grandfather,” the border lord confirmed.
“He was there that day at Eadmond’s Field. I am glad to know he survived it. He was a great warrior, and a true friend.”
“According to the family history I learned as a boy, he saw an opportunity to flank the Merellians and took a force of his best men to circle round from the north. He wasn’t on the field when you... when the Rage took you.”
Rain nodded somberly; then a ghost of a smile lightened hiseyes. “He always could read a battlefield... and had the gods’ own luck. We werechadinstogether in our youth at the Warrior’s Academy in Dharsa. Then I found my wings, and he went south to Tehlas, to continue his training under the tutelage of his uncle and namesake, Shannisorran v’En Celay.”
That was a name Ellie had read in numerous tomes of Fey history and poetry. Shannisorran v’En Celay, Lord Death, one of the greatest, deadliest Fey warriors ever to have walked the earth, as infamous in battle as Rain was for the scorching of the world and Gaelen vel Serranis for sparking the Mage Wars.
