Page 5 of Dead Crown
“King Revin and Queen Lareda were cowards. They feared for their lands and their little boy, Kalen, but they weren’t truly willing to fight to the death. Not like our soldiers who would let every drop of their blood soak into the snow if it meant saving our Kingdom.”
Lumi reached one end, gave the beans a little more air, spun once, continued juggling, and flicked a bean into the dirt behind him.
Almost as one creature, the courtiers leaned forward a little as they waited for more. Silk glistened in the light that illuminated the Hall and came from nowhere, and the fire of the candles lent a warm ambiance. The silver plates, once full, held the remnants of the extravagant meal they'd devoured. The glasses had been refilled with expensive, imported wine for them to drink while they listened to the tale that marked the beginning of the end.
Not that they would acknowledge it.
Lumi continued juggling the remaining beans. “They hired swordsmen of great skill who fought for money and were willing to wear expensive glamors from a secret maker in Glasswood. When King Reesing was slain, no doubt by someone with far more skill than King Revin, the war was lost to us, and Iceland was pinned in, but you see…”
Lumi caught the beans, crouched, and peered up at the high, vaulted ceiling painted with snowflakes in tones of blue, white, and silver. The beans fluttered against his palms as they sought freedom, and his black tail twitched against the pointed tails of his dark blue coat.
“The Goddess Elira is always watching, and she sees all. When it comes to treacherous Kings and Queens who won’t face death head-on, she’ll look for a way to bring them down so that her good children can continue. They caught the yellowing and passed before the war was fully and truly over.”
A murmur ran through the room, and the King’s expression lightened. Everyone likes a few lies mixed into their truth if it’s entertaining.
“While East Forest was right to protect themselves as any man should, they were afraid to truly go against their enemy.They paid the price, and Elira further watched over us by ensuring that the Cleel bloodline has the Elira Tree.”
Lumi jumped up, juggled the beans, and eyed the Hall before tossing them behind him and spreading his hands. The strain increased as the other three hit the soil, and he struggled not to let his hands shake. His tail swished and brushed the dirt.
“As we all know, only the rightful ruler of Iceland can have the tree."
He let his control snap, and behind him, the beans burst in the soil. Vines snaked up the bark and covered every inch of the dull tree. The green increased and twisted as the vines thickened and fought for space. Up and up they went to creep along the branches and give them the appearance of health.
Along the sides, magnolias exploded into life. The rich scent filled the air as the courtiers clapped and cheered while the King looked pleased.
All it took were sweet words, a few trick beans tossed around, and they were lost. It was too easy. The hardest part was keeping the energy of those silly beans tethered to him so they didn’t start growing until he was ready to release them.
No one wanted to see the truth: Iceland was decaying. It was easy to pretend otherwise in the Castle when there was always enough food, the wine flowed, and every desire could be satisfied. The Ice Court would be the last to truly suffer.
To speak the truth meant a faster death. The rich pretended it was fine because there was no solution now, and the truth was too cold and hard to face. If they left, they'd be nothing.
Lumi pretended just like them.
Talk broke out as the King called for dessert, and the servants hurried to obey. Lumi plucked a magnolia to sniff and ignored the faint taint of the herb he’d taken earlier that still lingered in his throat. The bitterness promised both refuge and rage in his future when he still had an empty belly and a handful of lies.
For now, he’d continue to do what he did best and pretend his freedom was forever.
He hopped down and barely made it ten steps across the Hall before a man snatched his arm and pulled him into his lap. “Did you pluck that for me?”
“No.” Lumi raised an eyebrow and twitched his ears. Other courtiers at the table snorted and chuckled. One said they should get right to the main entertainment of the night. “You know the Crown Prince should always get the first plucking.”
The man scowled at the sneaky rejection, pushed him off, and patted his bottom. “He doesn’t need your flower, and he's probably plucked you a hundred times. You're cute, but I’d be more interested in you if you were a virgin and not a whore.”
“The whore is always better than the virgin. It’s less work and more pleasure when the whore already knows every way to please you.” Lumi let his tongue flick out to touch the edges of a creamy petal before he turned away.
Whore, court entertainer, storyteller, trickster, pleasure slave, cum midden, and stress dump. One had even referred to him as simply “the holes” as if he had no other features and wasn't a fairy being. Lumi had heard it all, and that included bitch, useless, and stupid, but there was freedom in being the Ice Court’s pleasure slave and entertainer, and it had nothing to do with the excellent pay. There was always someone to give him what he wanted while he pretended.
Except for the icy cat fairy who sat beside his Father. As usual, he didn’t appear impressed.
Lumi sashayed around the High Table and held the magnolia to cover the lower half of his face. “Guess who, Your Majesty?”
Prince Jaki’s tufted white ears pulled back as he smiled and showed his fangs. “Father, there’s a beggar at our table.”
King Elswere snorted and twitched one of his folded-down ears as he slammed back what was left in his glass. He'd alreadygotten through half of his cream pie. Lumi gave the nearby servant a look, and she hurried forward to refill his glass.
He chugged the rest of his wine as Lumi draped his slim figure in Jaki’s lap. “I got this flower for you, and I thought it was so pretty at first. Now it looks dull compared to you.” He frowned and tucked it in one of the buttonholes of the Prince’s silver coat. Elira, how he wanted to free Jaki’s white hair from its leather tie and run his hands through it. “Oh well. I suppose looking so good is a curse too.”
Prince Jaki didn’t reply as King Elswere belched and pushed away his dessert plate. "I don't need you tonight, Lumi. You can stay and play with the rest. I’m tired, and I’ll be going to bed early.”
