Page 43 of Fate of the Sun King

“Necessity and time have done their work of eroding those class distinctions,” Nadir says. “Ironically, these settlements are actually the most progressive on the continent in their own way.”

“Can I give them their freedoms? When I’m… you know.” I wave in the direction of the Heart Castle I know is in the distance, tempering my words lest anyone overhear.

Nadir’s mouth lifts at the corner. “You can do whatever you want.”

“Would I receive opposition from the other rulers?”

“Yes. You would. No one likes disrupting the status quo. But you’d have allies in Alluvion and The Woodlands.”

“Would I?”

“Yes,” he says, and I like the sound of that.

“I would fight the others about it.”

“I know you would.”

He gives me a meaningful look, and I press my lips together and nod. Good. Yes. That’s what I want. I won’t treat the low fae as slaves nor confine them to a corner of the city where I never have to interact with them. They’ll be free to live their lives and follow their destinies just like everyone else. If it pisses anyone off, then so be it. We’ll open our doors and welcome everyone, whatever it takes.

Nadir is watching me with a guarded expression.

“What?” I ask.

“Just wondering what you’re thinking about,” he says.

I give him a rueful smile that I’m sure he can’t interpret. For once, I wasn’t thinking about him, but I can’t tell him that.

“Just picturing what it could all be like.”

I can tell from the look on his face that he understands what I mean. His goals lie in a similar direction. I like that we have that in common.

We arrive at a rickety and nondescript building that squats on the street. Nadir opens the door and gestures me inside and up a flight of stairs. We proceed down a narrow hall, and he knocks on a door. There’s a scuffle on the other side before it swings open.

A very tall High Fae male answers and peers at us wordlessly. He’s dressed all in black, with straight dark hair that reaches his chin. His most notable feature is the patch covering his left eye.

After a second, he breaks into what feels like a reluctant half smile and embraces Nadir.

“Good to see you,” he says warmly, and I assume this must be Etienne. A moment later, his gaze falls on me, his serious expression falling back in place.

“And this must be…” He stops talking, peers out of the doorway, and ushers us inside.

Once the door is closed, he turns to us and studies me again, like he’s trying to decide if I’m really here.

“Allow me to introduce you to Lor,” Nadir says.

Etienne blinks with his good eye, and I note the edges of a scar around the patch, immediately feeling an affinity towards him thanks to the similar scar on my own face. He’s lean and muscled and absolutely fearsome, like an animal on the very edge of breaking loose.

“Hi,” I say, giving him a little wave and feeling increasingly self-conscious about how he’s staring at me. “Is everything okay?”

Then he does the last thing in the world I expect. He takes two steps forward until he’s right before me and then drops to his knee. “Your Majesty,” he says, his voice gruff and full of passion. “I am at your service.”

I’m not sure how to react. I stare down at him and then at Nadir, who’s watching both of us with wry amusement.

“Um, thank you?” I say, patting him awkwardly on the shoulder. “That’s very… nice?”

Etienne looks up with reverence on his face. What is going on?

“Etienne is a citizen of Heart, Lor,” Nadir finally explains. “He’s been waiting for you for a long time.”