‘Who’s joking?’ Kaidon looked over his shoulder. ‘Want me to search for them?’
That had been Tariq’s first instinct also, but whatever point his mother was trying to make, she would find a way to make it. ‘No.’
He stopped walking when a realisation hit him.
‘What is it?’ Kaidon asked, turning to him.
Tariq shook his head. ‘I know where they are.’ He looked Kaidon in the eye. ‘She’s taken Aisha to the mine.’
Chapter 9
Aisha adjusted her grip on the reins and snuck a glance at Queen Farrah riding alongside her. They had been riding for nearly an hour, the castle shrinking behind them until it disappeared from sight. Four guards trailed closely.
When the queen had sent an invitation for her to join her on a morning ride, Aisha had expected a leisurely walk through the city. But then they’d left the city entirely, the landscape becoming more and more isolated. Cobblestones turned to rocky paths, and the scenery turned to harsh, barren terrain. And still barely more than a few words spoken between them.
‘Your Majesty,’ Aisha said, ‘may I ask where we’re going?’ She kept her tone light despite the growing unease in her chest.
Farrah kept her eyes ahead. ‘You shall see soon enough. Patience is not your strong suit, I see.’
Not when she felt like her life was in danger. The lack of detail had Aisha worried that she was about to have an ‘accident’ resulting in the queen returning to the castle alone. She held her breath every time one of the guards’ horses moved closer to hers.
The path narrowed, winding between sheer rock faces that funnelled the horses into single file. Dust stung Aisha’s eyes as they descended, the air growing chalky and bitter-tasting.
Then she saw it.
An entire hillside had been gutted, torn open. Timber scaffolding clung to the rock, propping up entrances to tunnels. People moved in endless lines, stooped, exhausted, their faces white from the dust. The clang of pickaxes rang out, broken by the occasional shout of an overseer.
Aisha pulled her horse up to take it all in.
‘Welcome to Dareth Mine,’ Farrah said, stopping beside her. She sat tall in the saddle as she surveyed the scene. ‘It is the largest in Gruisea. The backbone of Gruisea’s wealth. Without it, our kingdom would crumble.’
It was the first time Aisha had seen a mine, and it made her stomach turn. An endless grind of human suffering.
‘Let us take a look around,’ Farrah said, nudging her horse into a walk.
Aisha had no choice but to follow.
As they made their way between the wagons, the horses attached to them snorted and shuffled their hooves. The men paused their work briefly to look at them, then continued loading without so much as a polite nod.
Aisha looked from face to face. Some workers were quite slim and short, and she wondered how they managed the weight. Then a slow realisation came over her. Those were not men—they were children. Young children. Some around the same age as Omar, carrying loads far too heavy for their tiny frames.
A small breath escaped Aisha, drawing Farrah’s attention.
‘Peace and prosperity come at a cost,’ the queen said. ‘And it requires a strong stomach.’
Aisha looked around at the weary faces. ‘Some of these boys look too young to be working here.’
‘The youngest are ten,’ Farrah replied.
Aisha blinked in disbelief. ‘Ten years old?’
‘The minimum age for mine work used to be sixteen. However, we were forced to lower it in order to meet demand.’
Questions flooded Aisha’s mind. ‘What would drive a parent to send their child to work in a mine at such a young age? There must be safer ways to earn money.’
There was a beat of silence before Farrah answered her. ‘It is not a decision for parents. It is a decision made by the crown.’
Aisha stared at the queen, her breathing shallow.
