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He paused, glancing to Magnus, almost like he was asking if he was doing a good job.
Magnus nodded very slightly, which seemed to prompt Sai to go on.
“I know that trade between our kingdoms will be one of the most pressing issues we discuss,” he said. “Trade in terms of goods and materials, but also food. We all know what happened over the past winter when each of us kept to ourselves. It is my hope that we can form some sort of plan that will prevent another dying winter.”
“No more people than usual died in the north during this last winter,” Jorgen said with a shrug, leaning back in his chair. “As far as I know, few people died in either the Wolf River Kingdom or Good Port as well.”
I winced slightly on Sai’s behalf. Jorgen had basically started everything off by pointing out that the Kostya Kingdom was in the weakest position of the four kingdoms. The thing was, he wasn’t wrong. But stating as much, even indirectly, put King Sai, the host, in a bad spot.
“It is true,” Sai said, clearly struggling to keep a smile on his face. “Though as I understand it, every entity on the frontier has its strengths and its weaknesses. The north, for example, is a less hospitable climate for growing things. My understanding is that you were all able to survive the winter, but by the skin of your teeth, and without much variety to your diet.”
“The Wolf River Kingdom has been blessed with an abundance of food, and with a culture that values the lives and health of all our brothers on the frontier,” Magnus said. “We would be more than amenable to the idea of reinstating faires, which I understand is a point you would like raised at these meetings.”
Jorgen looked slightly surprised, as if he didn’t realize Magnus knew what was on his agenda. He glanced to Sebald and his surprise disappeared, though. “It is something I have been considering, yes,” he said.
“Good Port has not traditionally had a presence at these faires,” Olympus said, making me proud by the way he spoke up. “We have always traded directly with cities along both the Kostya River and the Wolf River.”
That statement surprised some of Sai’s councilors. I figured they hadn’t been aware of how much the wolves to the south had interacted with people they considered civilized, like Good Port.
“Lefric has told me about these faires,” Olympus went on, “and I think all of us could benefit from Good Port taking part. If they are reinstated.”
“So reinstatement of faires is something we should most definitely discuss,” Sai said with a nod, gesturing to one of his councilors to write that down. “As I understand it, Magnus would also like to talk about possibly relocating some of the orphans from the Dying Winter here in the city to wolves in his kingdom who would like children.”
That surprised Jorgen immensely. Some of Sai’s councilors too, but the one keeping the list wrote it down.
“A kingdom without children won’t last,” Magnus said, glancing Jorgen’s way, as if he were explaining his logic. “And two men cannot conceive a child, no matter how hard they try.” He glanced to Peter with a wicked smirk. “Believe me, I would know.”
Peter shifted in his seat, turning red, and attempting to glare at Magnus, but also to beam with pride. That left him with a very strange expression. “We do have a healer in the Wolf River Kingdom who is working on a method that would allow wolves to impregnant willing women,” he said, turning his attention to the others at the table, “but that requires women living in our settlements. Which is why we would like to discuss arrangements that might allow people from any of the kingdoms present today to travel freely or even live in each other’s realms.”
My brow shot up in surprise at that. It was the first I’d heard of the plan. Magnus wasn’t surprised, though. He reached out and grasped Peter’s hand as it sat on the arm of his chair, then winked when Peter glanced to him.
I suddenly wondered if allowing Peter to bring the issue up at the meeting was some sort of appeasement for the blow he’d taken earlier over the whole pupdom issue. I knew Peter. He wanted so badly to be seen as important and powerful, but I also knew he didn’t always feel that way. By allowing him to take the lead on this topic, Magnus was probably giving him a gift. It was sweet, actually, and it made me grin fondly at Olympus.
Sai didn’t look particularly happy about Peter’s suggestion, but he nodded and said, “Then freedom of movement among the kingdoms is something we should discuss as well.”
“As long as we’re discussing the movement of people,” Jorgen said, leaning casually in his chair and sending Hati a quick look. “Perhaps we should discuss the spies from the Old Realm that are known to have infiltrated the frontier and who are reporting back to King Julius with every move we make.”
I felt as though he’d reached across the table and slapped me. I was pretty certain every man at the table felt the same way. Almost everyone looked floored by the suggestion. Magnus didn’t look surprised, but I somehow guessed that he probably was, he was just good at hiding it.
Curiously, one of Sai’s councilors squirmed a little as well. I wasn’t sure if anyone else noticed it.
“There are no spies from the Old Realm,” another of Sai’s councilors said. “What would be the point? We appealed to the Old Realm over and over in the last year, but our pleas went unanswered. Why would the Old Realm send spies when we have invited them outright and been rejected?”
“You weren’t rejected entirely, though,” Magnus said in a quiet voice, glancing to Sai.
Sai met his eyes, and for a moment I felt like the two of them were having a conversation without the rest of us.
Magnus knew something. Jorgen knew something too.
Sai might have known something, but if he did, he didn’t look particularly certain of it. He peeked at the councilor who had squirmed, cleared his throat, and said, “My friend and former commander, Hadrian, was not sent by the Old Realm. He came to assist me through this difficult time when I wrote to him directly and requested his help.”
Well, shit. Sai was stupid enough to invite a spy from the Old Realm into his kingdom, into his palace, and into the most important meeting that had taken place on the frontier in decades.
Everyone who wasn’t part of the Kostya delegation seemed to know it as well. The reaction was subtle, but it was definitely there. Jorgen and Hati tensed and exchanged a look. Magnus held his breath for a moment. From where I was sitting, I could see him tighten his hands over Peter’s and Neil’s, which he held on either side of him.
I widened my legs so that I could bump Olympus’s thigh with my knee. I wasn’t sure what he thought from the slightly baffled look he wore, but when he nodded his head almost imperceptibly, I knew he’d caught it too.
The meetings hadn’t even started, and already they were over. Sai had invited a spy to the table, so no one was going to discuss anything of any importance or reveal any honest information about the strengths or weaknesses of their realms. At least, not at the official meetings. What happened after we all packed up for the day and went back to our cottages and camps was another story altogether. I had a feeling the Sons weren’t going to be the only ones holding a meeting tonight.
