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Vidar grinned, liking that she wasn’t sensitive about the subject. “Right you are, Your Highness. Is there a reason why you’ve chosen to keep your family size trim?”

She laughed. “For a god who spends so much time alone, you have a masterful way with words.”

“Demigod,” he corrected.

“Yes, Sir Demigod.” If you’re finished, let’s sit by the brazier. The two left the remains of lunch behind except for the full glass of wine Ilmr carried with her. Once again settled and facing each other, Ilmr said,“I’ve not heard the call of motherhood. Observing others over time has only served to reinforce my choice. The other queens spend so much of their resources, including time, trying to sort out problems caused by their children. They’re in constant disputes with each other and members of noble families that threaten the peace and stability of their realms. Not to mention schemes to try and snatch queenship from their mothers. It seems to me that life is hard enough without the self-imposed burden of ungrateful offspring.”

The intricacy of that analysis impressed Vidar. He’d fallen in love with Ilmr the first time he’d seen her. But romantic love can often exist without either respect or admiration. Happily, both those qualities were steadily growing in Vidar’s estimation of the queen as their afternoon played out.

“Certainly an astute observation, Your Highness. It seems you are freed up to focus your energies elsewhere.”

The queen’s mind instantly went to the enjoyment of her favorite pursuits: riding in the wilds, keeping company with only her wolves, and doing needlework while listening to her ladies-in-waiting gossip. She did enjoy the court sessions at Tregeagle, but those were brief and only eight times in a year. Most of her time was spent hearing complaints and requests by members of her court. Everyone wanted something. No one ever thought to say, “And how are you this fine day, Your Highness?”

Coming back to the moment at hand, she said, “I wish that were true, Vidar. But sadly, too little of my time can be called my own. Being queen comes with obligations that are always going for insurmountable.”

He chuckled, enjoying the unique way she expressed thoughts. “Of course, Your Highness, but you’ve carried that with grace for a very long time. Seeing life through the eyes of distress is relatively recent if I’m understanding correctly?”

“You are.”

“So, if we were to find a way to reorder the perceived order of queens, your more typical point of view would be restored.”

“I suppose so. Yes. Are you suggesting that’s possible?”

Ilmr had no reason to believe it was possible to rise in rank. Yet the notion seemed to instantly inflate her spirit. What she felt in response to Vidar’s question could only be called excitement.

CHAPTER THREEConception

As you may have guessed upon reflection in quieter moments, the architects of creation were (and continue to be) imperfect. Much was planned, and the result was order, logic, and beauty. Sadly, because even the creators are subject to mistakes, that was not the whole story. There were unexpected and unfortunate outcomes and consequences.

The laws that govern balance caused the automatic introduction of counterparts. Order, logic, and beauty were balanced by chaos, disruption, hypocrisy, and ugliness. All creatures are subject to universal law, which prioritizes equilibrium above all. Self-sacrifice is countered by covetousness. Charity is countered by avarice and theft. And so on and so on. Utopia is a lie.

According to the law of probability, magic kind are as vulnerable to habits that feed an unhealthy culture as any other sentient species. One might argue more so.

Take fae, for instance. They’re a contentious lot by nature. Though superior to humans in many ways, they, in their very long lives, failed to develop a guide for behavior that promotes peace and nurtures civilization.

In contrast, since the Hammurabi Code laid the foundation for law, humans have been struggling tocontrol undesirable impulses by aspiring to a standard of conduct that is strict but attainable. Admittedly, humanity often falls short of collective aspirations such as honor, fidelity, and altruism, but the majority grasps the concepts and goes so far as to accept them as “values”. Restrictions imposed on base instincts have allowed humanity to flourish in population, arts, and technologies that make life more agreeable in spite of setbacks caused by war, pestilence, and tyranny.

I discovered early in my term as magistrate that fae are capable of better things. For example, I was privileged to witness the awakening of conscience in the person of a spoiled Italian princess who made a conversion from sadist to legal activist against injustices.

The origin of sephalia is recorded in the first magistrate’s journal. The following is a synopsis of his notes:

Seeing that the fae were headed for extinction as a result of their own behavior, at long last the Powers That Be decided to intervene. Though displeased with the fae’s flawed choices, they weren’t ready to give up. The idea was that an introduction of rules and accountability might reorganize both thought patterns and behavior.

For a millennium, the Powers argued over what was to be done. All the while, the numbers of fae dwindled. While magical creatures are hard to kill, by human standards, it can be done. Usually.

Eventually, the Powers agreed on a three-prong solution.

First, for convenience’s sake, the world would be divided into sections and supervised by the auspices of a bureau of oversight. Each territory would be granted an executive officer. Someone who gave every appearance of being fae, but was a ringer for the Powers. That person would staff the agency as they came across worthy individuals whose understanding of right and wrong had been awakened.

Second, each year there would be eight courts in which grievances might be addressed in an orderly and impartial manner. The debate over how this might be accomplished lasted for centuries, but eventually the panel of Powers arrived at consensus. The only thing that made sense was a thing that, on first pass, made no sense: conscripting an extraordinarily smart and righteoushumanmagistrate to preside. This radical idea came to fruition in recognition of the one way in which some humans are superior to fae: collective acceptance of the principle that the Golden Rule is essential to peace and happiness.

Third and last, it didn’t require infinite wisdom for the Powers to anticipate that magic kind would resist the appointment of a human to decide disputes. They knew the proposal was fraught with problems. After arguments that dragged on, as was their way, the Powers decided the court must be equipped with a special staff.

The plan required a court clerk who was not inherently racist toward humans and egalitariantowards all magic kind; someone who would put love of the law above other concerns. Someone capable of guiding without imposing. Someone who claimed allegiance to no clan and was, therefore, above charges of partiality. Rare but not impossible because there was such a solicitor did exist in the person of Lochlan Jois.

In what might’ve been a first for the Powers, Lochlan was confirmed without debate. His appointment was decided by unanimous vote and accompanied by smiles all around. History would be challenged to recall the last time a vote resulted in either. First, the Powers liked to argue until they were sure they couldn’t find a better proposition. Second, the eternal burden of being one of the Powers That Be meant a lot of duty without respite, such as sleep, and with little joy.

When approached to play a significant role in the plan to bring magic kind to order and prevent the decimation of a proud and colorful, if unruly people, Lochlan gladly accepted the post. He’d made many friends over his long life, but being the last of his kind, sadly, he had no kin. By the time I was made magistrate, at the end of a long line of other magistrates, he’d settled into the familial community of Hallow Hill and come to treasure relationships with neighbors. When fate had brought Ivy into his sphere of experience, he treasured her even more. With a few exceptions, he’d spent long centuries living alone most of the time. Not to forget that he’d count his fraighounds as family.

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