“Asar are dressed in the dark colours, Zatic in the metals,” Kas answered, inclining his head towards Austin. His eyes were bright and sharp. “Thatis the queen of Asar, and that the king of the Zatic Empire, who our Prince Hal was not aware had arrived in his city.”
Hal regarded the groups with a look of total surprise.
They approached, the king of Zatic and the queen of Asar finding themselves side by side before the high table. A man from the queen’s group fixed Tristan with a severe, disapproving look. Another cast a grin at Tristan and dropped him a wink.
Austin studied the man who had winked. “That’s Nicias?” He was unarmed, but his hand drifted to his side where a weapon should have hung, the same way Liam’s always did.
“Yes,” Tristan murmured.
Austin looked next at the man with the disapproving stare. He was the tallest among both groups, but scrawny and gangly. Austin got the impression that annoyed or not, severity was simply what his face did. “And that’s your father.” Chancellor Desor.
“Yes.”
Hal stood. “Queen Perialla, King Micythus,” he greeted them without bowing, but with a note of respect. “Welcome to Justerra. Please, sit.” Without preamble, he gestured to his table and then, in what Austin thought was an oddly curious move, simply sat again and offered no further instruction. It seemed that even within his own court, Hal wouldn’t involve himself in any foreign powers’ scraps.
Queen Perialla moved first. Nicias quickly went with her, pulling out the chair directly opposite Austin for her to slide into, and though Tristan’s father reached for the spot next to her, Nicias took it. The two men exchanged a look. Tristan’s fatherlost and retreated to the next seat over. While that was going on, King Micythus sat next to Queen Perialla, opposite Kas.
“Prince Hal, Prince Tristan,” Queen Perialla greeted them. “It is good to see you well. Thank you for hosting us.”
King Micythus followed with his own greeting, similarly polite and stifling.
“I was expecting to host a prince and princess tonight, not a king and queen,” Hal remarked.
Looks of distress flashed across both groups, even across the king’s and queen’s faces.
This time, it was King Micythus who spoke first. “My daughter has been killed,” he said, earning startled looks from the queen’s group—and one furious one from Desor. “Our northern border is beset by ghouls. Some have grown tremendously powerful. One attacked her carriage.” He grimaced. “She died.”
“I am sorry to hear that,” Hal said.
“My son is dead,” Queen Perialla said. “He was commanding our northern defences. A ghoul tore through his camp and killed him.”
Queen Perialla and King Micythus exchanged an almost sympathetic look.
Kas leaned close to Austin. “They each had only one child, and both have lost their partners. Their kingdoms are without heirs.”
“I’m here to personally request aid,” Queen Perialla said to Tristan. “Before the ghouls grow even stronger and overwhelm us.”
King Micythus cut in. “I would like to request aid, given that my situation is more dire.”
Nicias’s brows rose. “More dire? You have a formidable army and all the power of the Solas family protecting your lands.”
The woman on the far side of the King leaned forward, fixing a harsh look on Nicias. “Andyouhave an ocean full of merfolk surrounding your kingdom, killing the ghouls for fun. One more will make no difference to you.”
The table dissolved into argument.
Austin turned to Tristan, somewhat confused. “Ghouls are aquatic?”
Tristan mirrored Austin’s confusion. “In their initial stages of life,” he explained, looking puzzled himself. “You killed one when we first met?”
“That little worm? That was a ghoul?”
Tristan nodded.
“They’re…rather easily killed, no?”
Understanding filled Tristan’s eyes. “For you, yes. But not for men. They feed on living creatures and grow strong from their life force. Once they begin to take on the shape of men, they are very powerful.”
“They also eat your memory,” Nicias interjected. “So they can grow strong without anyone even knowing they exist. We have to attack them in groups, and the only thing that works against them is enchanted blades. Of which the Zatic Empire has many, and we have very few. If they grow strong enough, they can even match merfolk.”
