A picture hanging on the wall snagged my notice, and I slowed—the scene so vivid it seemed to come alive. A warrior clad in gold plate fought a massive…hogfor lack of a better word. Dead men littered the ground, their bodies forming gruesome piles. The golden warrior braced a spear against the earth, staring down the beast, nearly three times his height.
“Ah, the Great Hunt,” Fyrn murmured, stopping with me to admire it.
“I’ve never heard of it,” I breathed, drawn into the vibrant colors.
The white sun behind the beast cast a halo of light off the warrior’s glowing armor. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the golden sheen wasn’t just a reflection—it glowed, as if alive.
“Mammoths are rare these days, but when they wander into our borders, the king is summoned to deal with them,” she explained.
I couldn’t help but stifle a scoff. Kallias was called upon to handle a pest? She was quick to notice my shock.
“It’s a rite of his title,” she explained, her tone almost teasing, “his obligation to protect his people, and all that.”
I shot her a look, caught off by her informal language, and she winked.
“There’s far more exciting things than slaying a mammoth during a Great Hunt.” Mischief sparked in her eyes again, that familiar glint that reminded me so much of Scythe. “Come, come!” She tugged on my arm, restless to move forward.
I hurried to match her pace, eager not to be left behind. I didn’t want to curb her infectious energy. She was proving to be an ally here, and I needed all the friends I could get in this strange new kingdom.
Spinning down another hall, Fyrn pushed open a door and tugged me inside, slamming it shut on the guard’s faces—or rather their helms.
Glee took years off her face as she snatched my hand and pulled me deeper into the room. It was a small library—or perhaps more of a study. Shelves stretched from floor to ceiling, each one crammed with books of every size. A massive desk sat in the center, sunlight pouring in from the window behind it, dust motes floating in the air like drifting leaves in an unseen breeze.
Fyrn dragged me further into the room, then waved toward a large painting that dominated one of the walls. It took me a moment to understand what I was looking at, and when it hit me, my cheeks burned with sudden heat.
“See?” A giggle escaped her lips as she noticed my blush. “Much more exciting!”
“I daresay. Is he wearing the mantle?” I asked, doing my best to keep my voice steady despite the flush that spread across my face. I wondered how long the couple had been in that position on the canopy bed for the artist to capture such an intimate moment.
“The Great Hunt is a test of Elohios. The celebration after is blessed by Veridis. After the death, it’s required that life be celebrated.” Fyrn’s tone dripped with mischievous delight as she took too much pleasure in my discomfort. “One day, it may fall upon you to complete this task.” She spoke as if informing me of an inevitable future duty.
“The queen is to wash the blood from the king’s body.” She paused dramatically, and I raised an eyebrow, urging her to continue. “All of it. Everywhere.”
“And the likelihood that mammoths have been eradicated?” I squeaked, the very thought of such a task making my stomach churn.
“Unlikely.” Fyrn grinned wide, her teeth flashing. She took my hand, and together we gazed at the painting. “It’s so romantic.”
A small sound of acknowledgment was all I could muster.
The king was smeared with blood, and a cloth dangled uselessly from the queen’s fingers as she lay beneath him, her back arched, caught in a moment of passion. The furs wrapped around his hips alluded to some sense of modesty.
Paltry as it was.
“The late Queen Eldeiade demanded it be removed from the halls,” Fyrn said.
I could imagine why—a matter of decency.
“She never completed the rite, leaving King Kallias to perform it alone.”
A faint sorrow lingered in her voice, and I caught the sadness in her eyes as they flickered across the painting.
“It’s an important tradition,” she continued, then pinned her eyes on me. “I won’t speak ill of the dead, but it didn’t endear her to the people. King Kallias never had the love of his queen. He only had Radaan. Tallon will have more with you. He will learn to love you if you just give him a chance.”
How many chances did he need?
Chapter Six
Nienna
