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“Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord,” she said excitedly before bowing again and drifting away with a big smile on her face.
I found the small fae woman’s comments about the Emerald Court to be intriguing. I’d heard tales that the Emerald Court was a good home for the lesser fae. But I had never been myself, and the Prince was usually quite selective in whom he invited to his Court.
The next guest in line directed his attention toward me.
“Good evening, my friend. What is your name?” I inquired.
“I do hope to be a friend, my lord. I am here as an emissary under a white flag of peace,” the man announced clearly.
The room grew silent. I shifted in my chair, sitting a little stiffer.
“And who is it that you are here for, emissary?” I asked.
“I am here with a message for you, Lord Davante, from my King, the King of Light and Darkness,theKing of Alancia,” he said.
I glanced down the length of the table and to my left. High Lord Dumont displayed a soldier’s calm. The Prince was similarly even keeled, bordering on aloof. Apparently, they were fine with letting me handle this.
“Your King’s forces have been quiet for some time, emissary.” In fact, there had been no major conflicts with any Alancians since the engagement that had occurred immediately following the Fall Ball. “Do you come with news that your King has decided to end this conflict?” I asked.
“No, my lord. That is not the message I carry today. It is my understanding that my King has not acquired what he came to Valencia for, and he will not leave without it,” he replied.
Probably our King’s head and the throne of the High Court, I thought.
“Very well, emissary. Proceed with your message,” I directed.
“The King of the North speaks directly to you, Lord Davante, and states as follows,” the messenger said and then, perhaps by just a trick of the light, it appeared as though the messenger’s eyes grew lighter.
“I come with a message of equality and an offer for those of like-minds to come together. Lord Davante, you are a warrior, both on the battlefield and off it. What you have done in fighting for equal rights for the lesser fae isadmirable. But it also should have beenunnecessary. Although I congratulate you on your success in giving the lesser fae a home at the Golden Court”—the emissary swept his hand toward the crowd—“I offer you and your people a home where they can livetogetherwith the high fae as true equals. You see, the Diamond Court has never been captured by the prejudices that the High Court has long been beholden to. At the Diamond Court, all stand equal to one another, except the King, of course, to whom all must bend the knee.”
I waited patiently for the emissary to finish his message. “Emissary, you make it seem as though the Diamond Court is a winter wonderland. But isn’t it true that at your court it is those who cannot defend themselves, high fae and lesser fae alike, who are discriminated against?”
“My people are astrongpeople, Lord Davante, as they must be to live in the north and survive the isolationyourKing has forced upon me and my people,” the emissary responded.
“Where is the honor in feeding upon those who are small, weak, or infirm?” I pushed.
“At the Diamond Court, power reigns supreme,” the emissary replied. “Those who are less powerful must use their cunning or other resources to protect themselves. At the Diamond Court, principles like equality and personal freedom to act are not sacrificed to prideful and nebulous concepts like honor. I thought perhaps your people were strong enough to understand the sacrifices necessary to live in a world where they would be provided the sameopportunitiesas everyone else to succeed or fail.” The last words were said with clear disdain. “But perhaps I have misjudged.”
“You may tell your King that the people of the Golden Court will be no one’s victims. But neither will we play the bully to another,” I responded.
The emissary gave me a discerning look.
“You have already told him, warrior,” the emissary replied solemnly with a nod of his head.
“May I assume that yourhonorextends to the privileges of the white flag and that I am free to leave this Court unharmed?”
It could be my overconfidence in how this conversation had gone, but the emissary seemed somehow lesser than he was moments before. His eyes had lost some of their light sparkle, and he seemed to stand a little smaller than he had before.
“You may leave this Court and return to your home in whatever fashion you came. But be warned, emissary, if you are found lingering on this side of the wall, then the terms of the white flag will no longer apply,” I cautioned.
I raised my hand to the nearest server to get their attention. “Please provide this man with food and water for his long journey home.”
“You truly are honorable, my lord,” the emissary said sincerely. “But my journey is not so long that I require such provisions.” The emissary dipped his head in a slight nod to me. He did not acknowledge High Lord Dumont or the Prince during our entire exchange. True to his word, he had delivered a message from the King of Alancia to just me.
And then he disappeared from right where he stood in front of me. Murmurs of shock spread through the hall. The emissary was a traveler, then, just like the Prince. Despite the white flag, it was not lost on me that King Vandros had sent a traveler emissary to my halls as a not-so-subtle reminder of our inability thus far to keep his forces from infiltrating our side of the wall or even my own Court.
31
Alarie
