Heir of Golden Storms

“Why is he attacking from the Court of Mountains?” Sir Fafner asks, pointing at the map on the table. “The Court of Ashes and the Court of Day also connects to the Court of Storms and they are bigger. He could have a bigger army if they go out from there.”

We are all standing in the war room. Sir Fafner pulled out a map of Faerim that covers the whole table and placed figures of castles and people on it. To represent Thalia and I, they are using the old figures of Queen Willow and Thalia’s father, King Haze.

“He does not own the Court of Ashes or the Court of Day,” I say. “He will not attack through the coast because the Court of Depths will not let him and even if they do, we can attack them from the mountains. It is an inconvenience to them.” I take the figure of King Haze. He does not resemble me in any aspect. I can see his blonde hair, blue eyes, and whiter skin.

“Oh, I totally forgot,” Elvia says. She checks a bag that she has and pulls two figures, one that looks like Thalia and the other like me with my horns and wings. “I made these when you two became king and queen. I added the horns and wings later.”

I take them. I give to Thalia the figure of King Haze and Queen Willow. She takes them, looks at them, and puts them in front of her. I put Thalia’s and my figure in front of the castle figure that represents the Storm Castle.

“The question is why are they sending the Court of Swarm to attack us?” Glade asks. He has taken Oren’s old space. He is now the new strategist.

“We can all fly,” Hesperia says. A chair has been placed between Elvia and Glade, where she sits. “Since the Storm Castle is located on mountains, they are planning an aerial attack.”

“That will explain also why they are attacking from the Court of Mountains,” Sephira says. She takes a red knight figure, that is supposed to represent enemy knights and starts moving it from the Court of Mountains to the Court of Storms. “They will be already high enough to fly towards us.”

“They will not attack the towns below, right?” Thalia asks.

“There is no plan about doing that,” Hesperia agrees. “The High King does not want to harm citizens, because if he steals your throne, he would like to have citizens to rule over.”

“Then we need to concentrate our forces near the Court of Mountains,” Thalia says. “How many knights do we have available, Sir Fafner?”

“Two hundred, maybe we can stretch it to two-fifty,” he answers. “It could be three hundred, but we do not have enough armor or swords.”

“How many swords and armor do you have available, Elvia?” Thalia asks.

“Around thirty,” she says.

“Can you build twenty more by tomorrow night?” Thalia asks.

“I could with the help of my apprentices, but we do not have the necessary materials,” Elvia says.

“We will give you the money to buy the materials from merchants,” Thalia says.

“We cannot afford it, my queen,” Master Nidd says, leaning on the chair. “We do not have that kind of money.”

“We will sell my princess crown to cover the costs,” Thalia says. She takes her queen crown off and starts tying her hair up in a messy bun. She puts her crown back on. “I do not need to have another crown that is only good for memories.”

“All right,” Elvia says, but I feel that Master Nidd does not like the idea. He is a traditional person and selling a crown that was made when Thalia was born is not traditional.

“How are we going to place the knights?” I ask.

“Ideally, we have to form different lines of defense in order to stop the attacking waves,” Glade says. “The first one should be here.” He points at the map on the side of the Court of Storms closest to the Court of Mountains. “How many knights should we put here, Sir Fafner?”

“Well, it has to be the strongest line,” Sir Fafner says. He takes the figure that represent him with his beefy hands. He puts it where Glade was pointing. “I will be here, leading the forces with half of my strongest knights. The other half will be near the castle protecting the king. Unfortunately, that will leave enough knights to create a weak line of defense between both lines.”

“Then eliminate the line that defends the castle,” I say. Thalia rises an eyebrow at me.

“We cannot allow that,” Master Nidd says.

“I agree with Master Nidd,” Glade says.

“No, no, hear me out,” I say. I move with the back of my hand every knight that is surrounding the castle. “We can create a wall that surrounds the castle completely. That way, we do not need to waste knights to surround the castle.”

“How do you plan on creating a wall?” Glade asks.

“Guards!” I shout. Two knights come in. “Fetch me North, at once.” They nod and close the door. “I will need the help of North, Thalia and you,” I tell Glade. “You could create a wall of trees and North of ice. Due to the attack being aerial, you could close us inside it like a dome.”

“I doubt that North and I can create a wall of trees and ice without any help,” Glade says.

“That is where Thalia comes in,” I say. “She can make a rainstorm to help the trees grow and a hailstorm to help lower the temperature for North.” No one, except for Thalia, knows that the crown gave me the magic to create storms. I do not know how every other court will act if they find out that the crowns are magical. They could try to steal everyone’s crowns and start a war to gain every type of magic.

“You called, my king?” North says as she enters the room. She curtsies.

“Yes, grab a chair,” I say. They are not any chair in the room but one of the knights at the door searches quickly for one. He puts it next to Sephira, and North sits. “How good is your ice magic?”

“Not good,” she says. “I barely use it.”

“I could teach her,” Sephira says. “She will not be ready in two days but at least she can grow pillars to support the wall.”

“You do that,” I say. Then I look at everyone. “Is that all?”

“I believe so,” Sir Fafner says. “I will remain here with the strategist to analyze where our forces will be located.”

“Perfect,” I say as I stand up. “Hesperia will remain with you two to tell you the weaknesses of the Court of Swarm.” I also do not want to talk to her. I do not know how to let her know that I do not want anything with her.

I leave, looking for something to entertain myself. Thalia has a lover. Hesperia is in love with me. I have a sprite within my court, first time that it happens in the history of the courts. There is a war coming. And all that comes to my mind in order not to think about everything else are Master Nidd’s words when he found me at the library.

If the king wants to expand his knowledge, I suggest reading about religion.

I do not understand why he wants me to read about religion. Hardly anyone knows about religion today. The only things that everyone know is that there are thirteen cathedrals, one on each court. No one visits them; they are all abandoned. Religion has died in this land.

I head to the library. Master Nidd told me to read about religion for a reason, not just for the thirst of knowledge. There must be something in those books that he wants me to learn.

I open the research book when I am at the library and write “Religion”. The book starts to shake. There are too many books for the research book to bring. I need to be more specific. The more specific I am, the more my chances are of finding what I want. I write on the book “Religion of the Court of Storms”.

At first, I do not think that anything happens. Maybe there are not any book about it. I wet the feather in the ink and when I am about to write, a book comes flying. I put the feather back in the ink pot and catch the book in mid-air.

The book is not as thick as most books I have picked in this library. I open it to see the title. Religion of the Court of Storms. I shrug as I walk to the nearest sofa and sit down to read. The whole book is around one person, a saint. The saint’s name is Saint Saar Storm. I stop reading. I have read that name somewhere.

I leave the book opened on the sofa and move back to the research book. I write down “The Court’s Founders”, the same title that I wrote a few days ago. The fourteen books that flew the last time, land on the table this time too. I search for the book that contains the general information on each founder, called “Founders of the Courts”. I skip pages until I find the founder of the Court of Storms. Saar Storm is the founder and first king of the Court of Storms.

I lay the book on the table and almost run to the sofa to grab the other book. I return to lay it beside the other book. The first Storm King erected the cathedral at the Court of Storms after the war as a devotion to his saint. On the religion book, it is stated that the king was not the one to build the cathedral, it was the saint’s followers. Beside the differences, there is one thing that I can conclude. Saint Saar and King Saar are the same person.

If King Saar was a saint, it explains how he could enchant the crown to possess his magic. It can also explain why he was strong enough to spread his magic to some citizens of the Court of Storms. This could also mean that every other first king and queen were saints too. It also could justify the Great Faerie War. The purpose was not only for land, but also of religion.

That does not explain the qualities of the other courts. The first king of Miracles did not gift his magic to his followers because the only faeries that can create miracles are the royal family. The Court of Swarm is underneath the Court of Spirits. What was the saint of the Court of Swarm thinking when it wanted to rule underground?

I close the book as I realize something. The crown gave me and Thalia the magic of Saint Saar. Any other crown can probably do that. Ailsa is the queen of the Court of Mountains because her husband, Haldol, is the king. Does she posseses mountain magic? Can she rise mountains, control minerals and stones? If she did, she would have told the High King.

I look in the pile of books for the founder of the Court of Mountains. When I do, I open it. The founder’s name is Montel Mountain. I would have laugh at the name if I was not concentrated. Montel became the first king of mountains. I stop reading. Maybe, my hypothesis of the kings’ and queens’ crowns possessing the saints’ magic is wrong.

No. It is not completely wrong. I looked at it the wrong way. I read that the first king, or queen, of each court, who now turns out to be saints, enchanted their crowns to hold their magic. I thought that they would have enchanted their spouses crown, but it never mentioned that. Maybe the queens’ crowns are not enchanted and that is why Ailsa does not have mountain magic.

I remember reading that the founder of the Court of Spring was a woman named Shaylee Spring. If the crown and throne is always passed to the eldest son, then anyone that marries the Spring King, which would be most likely from another court, will have the crown of Queen Shaylee and thus magic of Saint Shaylee. If that is true, then everyone would have known that the crowns are enchanted.

I search on the pile of books for the book titled “Saar Storm, Founder of the Court of Storms”. I set it aside with the religion book and place the “Founders of the Courts” on top of the pile. I move to the research book and write “Court of Spring’s Royal Family”. The pile of books floats away, leaving the two books that I set aside. A lonely book floats towards the table. I open it and start reading.

Shaylee Spring had one son and one daughter. The throne passed to the son. Queen Shaylee’s husband did not have a crown and her crown was passed to her son instead. Queen Shaylee’s crown became the crown of every Spring King. After that, the queen’s crown was created.

If every queen’s crown was created after the first kings and queens, then that means that they are not enchanted to have the magic of the saints. Ailsa does not have mountain magic. Thalia’s storm magic is not as strong as my storm magic. Only the kings are the strongest of every court. I close the book.

“Return,” I whisper, disappointed. Thalia’s was born with storm magic. Her magic is supposed to be stronger. It feels as if I have stolen another thing from her.

The book flies back. I grab the two books that I set aside: Saar Storm, Founder of the Court of Storms, and Religion of the Court of Storms. These two books will keep me busy. I leave the library. “Do you know where Master Nidd is?” I ask the first knight I find at the hallway.

“Last time I saw him, he was heading to the terrace of the south wing,” the knight answers. “He wanted to check the new tree that grew there.”

“Of course,” I say. Master Nidd is a curious person. He will check out the tree that grew magically overnight. He might figure out that it has something to do with Glade.

I walk through the hallways, gazing at the views as I pass them by. When I get to the terrace, I see that most of the tree’s roots have appeared above ground and have spread across the terrace. Even some of the chairs have fallen and some of the small tables are tilted sideways. Master Nidd stands in front of the tree, gazing at the branches above.

“This is no ordinary tree,” he says, without looking at me. “This is the work of a forest sprite. It must be the work of the strategist.” Then he moves his sight towards me. “Did you know that having a sprite tree is potentially dangerous?”

I nod. “This tree is connected to the sprite that grew it,” I say. “He could use it to transport from any other tree to this one.”

“And other sprites could use it,” Master Nidd says.

“No,” I say as I pick up a chair to put it back on its legs. “Sephira said that only the forest sprite who grew it is the only one who can use it.”

“She is partially right,” Master Nidd says. He extends his hand and picks an apple from the tree. I did not know that it was an apple tree. He scans it as he says, “There are forest’s sprites strong enough to control every tree, regardless of who owns it.”

All I can think about is the Forest King. He must be the strongest, maybe eldest, forest sprite for him to be chosen as the king. If he can use this tree, he could come at any moment to the Court of Storms without being invited.

“Did my king wanted to ask something?” he asks. I have noticed how Master Nidd interacts with me. He mentions something, plants doubt in me, and switches to another subject.

“I did,” I say, shaking the books for him to see. “What is the origin of the Great Faerie War?”

“The land was ruled by one king, the High King of Miracles,” Nidd says. “He was not known as the High King of Miracles in that time, since there was not any court. Many citizens did not favor his methods of ruling and thus, twelve groups emerged to fight against the High King, each one lead by one person who possessed a new and different magic.”

“But what about religious?” I ask.

“Ah, I see that the king has taken my suggestion,” he says as he cleans the apple on his garments. “Many believed that the reason for the Great Faerie War was spiritual beliefs instead. The High King was believed to be the only saint. Saint Mirakel could grant miracles; who would not believe that he was a saint? Eventually, more persons emerged, each one with their own magic, and they were believed also to be saints. Saint Saar could control the weather and Saint Whit could create ice out of thin air.” He takes a bite from his apple.

“Each of the new saints gained followers,” Master Nidd continues after he swallows. “My king can already prognosticate what happened to Saint Mirakel. He lost followers, because now he was not the only one with magic, there were other twelve. This led to a war, each saint having their followers and their beliefs, until eventually the land was divided in twelve parts and the sea was made the Court of Depths.”

“Where do these saints came from?” I ask.

“There is not an exact answer,” Master Nidd says. “There are theories. One of them states that the saints were sent by gods. Other believes that the saints came from the other side of the Forbidden Forest. It is still not known.” He takes a step away from the tree. “Anything more that my king would like to know?”

I shake my head. I do not know why religion died in Faerim, or why were the cathedrals abandoned. Maybe people grew afraid of the saints. Maybe when they watched the saints die, thought that they were faeries like them. Maybe when the saints spread their magic, people believed that they were as powerful as them. Or maybe they did not want the royal family to be sacred.

Still, I leave without wanting to ask any more questions to Master Nidd. He seems religious, and he could be trying to pull me into his religion. I also cannot show him how much sense it makes that the war was for a religious cause and how I received the magic of storms.

***

I stay in front of the mirror at the bathroom. Slowly, I trace my hand in front of me from up to down, fingers pointing at me, and feel the enchantment dissolving. Black eyes stare at me with a small hint of life. I stretch my wings, feeling their freedom. I take a big breath, wait some seconds, before letting go. Without thinking twice, I step out of the room.

Thalia is where I left her when I went to the bathroom: on the bed. She is sitting with a book on her lap, a lighted lamp standing at her nightstand. She looks up, and I make myself look away from her. I lay on the bed, my back facing Thalia, and move the sheets on top of me. It only takes a matter of seconds to hear her blow and the lamplight to die. I hear her moving, getting into a more comfortable position.

“Rowan?” she asks when she stops moving.

“Mmm?” I answer.

“Why are giving me your back?”

“Because I want to.”

“Is that the only reason?” she asks. She is going to manipulate me; I can feel it.

“No,” I say, wanting to end the conversation.

“Then why is it?” she asks. I feel her hand brush my arm down, searching for my hand in the dark. I jerk my arm away from her. “Rowan, why are you not facing me?”

“Do you remember how the sprites at the Slumbering Forest saw me when we brough North?” I ask. I can only hear her breathing, but I continue. “They were terrified of me.”

“I told you that I am not scared of you,” Thalia says.

“I know, but with you I feel different,” I say. “I am the one scared. I feel terrified that you see me like this. I feel exposed, ashamed of what you might see and think.”

“Honestly, I always knew that there was something wrong with you,” she says. That does not help at all. “You were just a prince who hides who he was with arrogance and cruelty. But now, I see you. I see your true self physically and emotionally. I see a king instead of a prince, and I prefer this king over the prince.” I smile. “So, turn around.”

I turn around to face her. I can make the silhouette of her in the dark, but her eyes shine like moonlight in a cloudless sky. She grabs my left hand and turns, giving me her back and leaving my arm on top of her.

“Hug me,” she says. “Let’s fall asleep like this.”

She slides towards me as I move towards her. I slide my arm under her and hug her. Each of our bodies are touching, our heat exchanging. I close my eyes. My wings surround us, hugging us. She passes a finger through the inside of my wing, caressing it until I fall asleep.