“Now, let the mahouk and me sit and speak,” Jaska said, his smile one that if I had not been holding the twins, I would have loved to slap off his face. There would be time later. This man, the leader of this band of insurgents, would surely end up in the dungeons under the castle. Perhaps he knew that to be the case.Whether he did or not, Aelir would surely imprison him at the very least, and rightfully so. If one upset rebel could get away with stealing a member of the royal family with no punishment, we would all be in great peril. Laws were there for the good of the people.
I knelt down, placing tiny feet in rough leather shoes on the ground. “I must stand guard over the ambassador. Can you sit by us?”
“You always stand near Papa and Guard Tezen is with us.” I nodded at the princess, who dropped to a sit by my foot. Her brother curled up beside her, big blue eyes on me as I took my stance behind Teryn. “Where is Guard Tezen?”
“She is home. We’ll see her soon,” I whispered down to the princess. Two children of mixed blood came over, carrying old toys, and tempted the twins from my side. I watched intently as they settled down near a fire, wooden blocks in hand, gold heads together speaking to each other as only twins did, as an old woman handed them some bread to chew on. Seeing that they were safe yet still close enough to reach, I folded my arms over my breast as wine was poured. A glass was offered to me. I refused it.
“Now, let us speak of what requests the Court of Gray Ice has that they wish to enter into debate with King Aelir and Vahasi Khorsiri,” Teryn announced to all. The people in the cave looked happy enough, so they settled into routines such as sewing, cooking, and tending to children and the elderly. I had no idea how long this discourse would take, so I made sure not to lock my knees while keeping my sights on the twins and the man who had called me dear. There was much to sort out, both at that table and in my heart, but the table took precedence. For now.
The talk went on and on throughout the night and into the following day.
There were many points made on both sides, some good, some poor, and some that were dismissed as outlandish. Jaska was a smart man with a solid knowledge of what was at stake. My stomach growled loudly at the time of the midday meal. The talks were put on hold for food, refreshments, and sleep. It was cool in this cave, but the routines of those who dwelled in the heat of the Black Sands were observed. Seeing that Teryn was safe and the children napping with a group of other little ones, I set off to relieve myself.
I asked an older man, pale-skinned like me but missing the pointed tips of his ears, where the privy was. He gave me a dank look but led me to the grotto with the box in the center. Plodding to the wooden box, I could hear the sounds of the sea as I neared. Once I stood beside it, I saw a hole cut neatly in the top. Ah. Leaning forward, I looked down through the box into the sea far, far below. I’d used worse places. Military forces quickly learned to shit in the woods, sand, or mountain peaks. Many times with wild beasts watching. This was no different from the latrines at the castle, perhaps just fresher-smelling. The fish down below were not pleased of that, I was sure.
Returning after using the box, I washed my hands in a small bowl of murky water and made my way to the now awake royal twins. Teryn sat with Jaska, both still discussing opening up more formal talks with Aelir, the queen, and the vahasi about the new shipping lanes, ports, dues, and a variety of things I was not familiar with. They sat on the ground, on mats, sipping fish stew just as we all were, the ambassador unwilling to eat at the table as was his right due to his prestigious title.
The twins ate well, enjoying the sweet tarts that Jaska’s woman had fried up over a low fire. I ate only enough to quiet my gut. The elderly and the youngsters should be filled first. I was happy with a small bowl and a hard roll.
Jaska left Teryn to join his woman and son. I moved from the small fire to sit with the ambassador in the corner. He looked weary, yet his golden eyes glowed with pleasure.
“Sit, dear, sit.” He patted the mat. I dropped down beside him, still in full coil root armor, and stared at his face. “I must look a fright.”
“You look handsome as always,” I confessed as I let my shoulders rest on the smooth rock wall. The tension in my lower back eased slightly. “I must admit that I have missed things being discussed when the twins wished for me to be with them. I find it difficult to deny them a few minutes of my time. I am the only familiar face they see.”
“Please do not apologize. You should ease their discomfort when they need it. The talks are going well. I think the king will be amenable to many of the things the Gray Ice are asking for. Fair wages for dockworkers, open ports to all vessels, lower docking fees for smaller ships. Cargo is a large concern as are the wages being offered to those who will work on the docks. There also seems to be a general displeasure with how the wealth is distributed across all the lands of Melowynn. Something that I understand and agree with, but—and this is a large but—the noble houses are not going to open their coffers to let the common people race in to empty them. Centuries of the rich growing richer on the backs of the poor will not be eradicated with a treaty about land, facilities, and dock maintenance.”
“Are they asking for such things?” Surely no one thought massive social change would take place with the snap of a finger.
“Not so much asking as making it a talking point to bring before the heads of state. This would entail gathering all the rulers, not just the elven leaders, but the queen of the dwarves, the mispack of the Yeti, and the prizerman of the Tundra who has yet to agree to even interact with the elves on the other side of the Witherhorn.”
“Not a small task,” I offered and got a tired nod of his head.
“Not a small task at all, but one that I have agreed to lay before each head of state for consideration. That is the best I can do right now. The ports are a start.”
“Every great journey begins with a starting place.”
He smiled and then let his head drop onto my shoulder. “Such a wise warrior you are. Wake me when Jaska is ready to return to the table.”
Both negotiators slept until the moon sisters rose and returned to the table. The talks stalled for a short time so we could all stand in the opening of the cave to watch the moon sisters align, the night growing darker for a long stretch of time. The old people prayed to their gods, the children danced for the moon twins to play hide and seek with them, and I watched a bird drop from the starry night to land in front of Teryn. A peach-faced parrot. The ambassador looked at me and then at Jaska.
“Our time is growing short,” Teryn said to Jaska. “This will be from King Aelir, I am certain, demanding a reply before he must flex his military power. Jaska, are you willing to agree to the outline for the ports that we have hammered out? The rest will be a slow slog that will take many seasons to bring about, but I will see that we will begin working on the changes that are so badly needed.”
“I think it is a good place to start. Tell the king I am willing to come back to Celear for my trial.” His woman began to whimper into her hands. He tugged her to his side, kissed thebraids piled atop her head, and turned to his backers. “This is the opening that we wished for, and it will pry open the doors of suppression that have kept us at the feet of the powerful for far too long. My time under the castle will not be spent idly. I will pen letters to the kings, the vahasi, the queens, and the others who rule our lands to remind them that the Court of the Gray Ice, a court made of simple people for simple people, is alive and well across the lands of Melowynn.”
The crowd cheered. His woman wept. His son clung to his leg.
“Captain Pasil,” Princess Alfina asked while tugging at my hand. I looked down at her and her brother. “Does this mean we’re going home to our papas and mamas and kitten?”
I glanced at Teryn. He gave me a slight nod, so I knelt to speak to the twins at their level.
“Yes, Your Highnesses, we are going home.”
THERE WERE SIGNATURES ON ROUGH VELLUM—and goodbyes—to be made.
Vows from both Mahouk Nouradi and Jaska Ashwish stating that negotiations were now taking place between the vahasi and the Court of the Gray Ice. Under such a treaty, those involved with the rebellion were to be given leeway to return to their homes as long as no other transgressions against the ruler of the Black Sands were committed. As Teryn could not speak for King Aelir, the pact stood only on Sandrayan lands for the moment. I suspected, and rightfully so, that our king would not be as generous to the people who conspired to abduct his children. But that was to be worked out once the twins were back in the castle with their parents. Teryn suggested that once the prince and princess were safe and coddled, the king, queen, and the consorts might be less prone to hang the kidnappers in the town square. Something that I could not see Aelir doing since he was not prone to violence. Then again, his beloved children had been taken, so I dared not say he would not toss Jaska and his cronies into the sea with rocks tied to their feet.
“If we are ready to go?” Jaska asked, his eyes filled with unshed tears as he held his son in his arms, his wife stoic at his side, her hands resting on her large belly.
