“Gareth intends to sail the fleet to destroy the shores of Iseldis, and I doubt he means to stop there.”
“My cyphers have heard no tale of this fleet?”
“It is on the eastern shore of the island, hidden from the main port which Gareth tightly controls.”
“Who will be manning this fleet?”
“His own soldiers. He has been amassing an army there for several decades.”
“What of your own people?” King Frederich asked, leaning forward. Sol could see that his forehead was pale, but his cheeks burned red beneath his beard. “They have been forced to build this fleet, and they will be offered the chance to remain on their island home while Gareth sails out to conquer the world?”
Sol bit back the tip of his tongue. He’d hoped to avoid this fact, but King Frederich was too shrewd. “My brothers and sisters will be sent to the front of the attack, to fuel the magic and take the worst of the initial damage.” Sol’s voice was hoarse. He had not spoken so many words all at once in a very long time.
The king leaned back, stabilizing himself with his hands pressing on the chest below him. “And you cannot sway them by turning on these taskers? Would it not be easier to end this fight before it began? Surely there are enough of them to turn the tide.”
Sol scoffed through his nose, pressing a finger into his forehead, which had begun to ache. “Do not humiliate me, king. I am not here begging to be rescued by the distant descendant of the Quotidian who stole this kingdom from my ancestors.”
“It is not my intention to humiliate,” the king responded, his voice deflated. “But I must know what I am facing if I were to lend you my aid.”
The king’s words still stung with condescension, but Sol pushed the man’s ignorance aside.
The princess at Sol’s made a sniffing sound which sounded suspiciously like the scoff Sol had recently made.
He glanced at her quickly. Her brow furrowed in confusion, but she did not seem to notice his gaze as she frowned at her father.
“They hold our families hostage,” Sol responded. “They take our fathers and uncles and even mothers and sisters as well. They send them to work in the eastern port and demand certain requirements from either side of the family under threat of death.”
Sol found himself glancing toward the princess from the corner of his eye.
Her eyes blinked rapidly, and she shook her head, as if disbelieving what she’d heard.
She was not his problem. He returned his attention to her father.
“All that withstanding. My people would sacrifice everything to turn on those who have harmed us. But even if those forced into fighting miraculously turned the tide on the trained Quotidian soldiers, sailors, and mages, which will accompany the fleet, Gareth has devised a tool which keeps the magical power in his own hands.” Sol inhaled.
Before he could continue speaking to the deathly silent room, the door once again squeaked open.
An older woman entered the room. Her dark hair and eyes were so similar to the princess at his side, Sol immediately assumed she must be the queen. She wore a small smile on her face and it contrasted greatly with the shocked expressions of everyone else in the room.
“Aden’s returned,” she said immediately.
Behind her, a tall man with similar features pushed his way into the room, a boyish grin on his face.
“A day early!” The princess jumped up, running forward and throwing herself into her brother’s arms. She was not the first to do so, however, as the eldest prince was already embracing him. Within moments, the other brothers joined in the jovial welcome.
Sol stood. He had no desire to witness or participate in the family’s apparent reunion. He could skirt around the family and let them have this moment in privacy.
The king opposite him stood at the same time. “Stay,” he commanded, lifting a hand. “Please.” He dropped the hand to his side. “This discussion cannot wait.”
Sol nodded and leaned back against the chest, arms crossed.
While the occupants of the room focused on their returning family member, Sol was the only one who noticed a small woman enter the doorway behind him. She stood back from the crowd of hugs, glancing through the rest of the room. She took in Aizel, still standing by Sol, and the seamstress woman, who had remained behind the large table covered in woven fabric and threads. Finally, her eyes also moved to Sol.
Sol looked away first. He was in no position to welcome the stranger to this family.
Extricating herself from the center of her enthusiastic brothers, Meena approached the stranger. Apparently, Sol was not the only person in the room to notice her presence.
“Thank you,” the princess said, her eyes blinking rapidly as she threw her arms over the woman’s shoulders. “Thank you for a way to reverse the curse. It must have taken courage to dare to mess with the magic, but there is no way we can ever repay you!”
