“I like that you didn’t grow up that way, that you can see what few others can. Weareall the same, propriety be damned.”
How common was his belief among those who ruled? Isuspected I was going to discover few others held the same view. “Does anyone drain power from another?”
“You speak of Ivenrail.”
“We stopped that trick as fast as we could.” With this man’s help. He’d made the difference at the end, and I needed to remember on whose side he’d fought.
“The answer is no,” he said in a steely tone. “We do not drain anyone.” The sharpness in his eyes faded. “I’d say ten percent of my court make up the ruling class, the lesser fae perhaps forty, and the powerless, the rest.”
“What roles do everyone play?” I asked.
“The ruling class rule.”
“Yes, they make demands and others fill them.” Sarcasm twisted my voice.
“They’re paid. The lesser work alongside the powerless.”
“Making sure the lords and ladies have food on their tables and someone to clean up behind them.”
“Paid, as I said.”
“In coin or . . .”
“Is there any other way?”
“You said the ruling class can wield the most power. Why not do these tasks for themselves?”
“Because using magic can be tiring. We use it when we need it, but most find it easier to do things with our hands or pay others to do it for us.”
“How do you know who’s lesser and who’s powerless?” Back home, I couldn’t tell. But I hadn’t grown up knowing those who were now called lesser actually had power since it was suppressed by a spell. We had our ruling class; however,and they were almost all wicked. Being full “high” fae, I must be wicked myself, though I’d grown up thinking I had no power.
“I see it.”
“I don’t. Why not?”
“That’s a good question,” he said. “Your people aren’t much different from mine. You have your ruling class, your Nullens who are actually lesser fae. And the powerless who were manipulated by the now dead king.”
“We restored the balance.” Tempest did, mostly, but I played a small role myself.
“I hope you can help me do the same with my own court.” He scanned the area. “I protect what’s mine, and that means this land and these people, no matter their class, and you.” The tension on his face smoothed. “Aricor used magic to mine the stone where he could or arranged for others to help him extract and hone it.”
Arranged was a diplomatic way of putting it.
“The huge slabs were moved to that area,” his hand swept toward his home, “and the castle was built. It took ten years to complete. By then, Aricor had died, but his young son took the throne and finished the project.”
“How old was his son?”
His gaze flicked away from mine. “Eleven.”
“That’s young to be crowned king.”
“Like me, he had his mother standing behind him, and she was one of the good ones. So was mine, for that matter.”
“Was?What does that mean?”
He gestured to the gangway and took my hand. “Come. Ourcarriage has arrived. It’s time to leave the ship. I like to move among my people whenever I can, to be seen.”
A dark, open carriage stood near the gate, hitched to a beast unlike anything I’d seen before. Most of my life, I’d traveled by dragon, but dragons wouldn’t hop along the street while the king waved to his people.
