Page 22 of Curse of Thorns
Finally, we reach what appears to be the entrance to the castle. There are a set of doors thirty feet high, rustic wood, and steel braced. Opposite the doors is a grand staircase, which means we’re already inside the castle. We went a back way?
We pass a pair of lanky fae whispering in the corridor and keep moving without a word to them. Down a smaller hall and through a wooden door, we enter a sitting room with a roaring fire and stained glass windows. There are two sets of bookshelves on one side of the room, and the rest are decorated with old portraits of fae I couldn’t name. The floor is grey stone, but there is a large red area rug that’s thick and warm.
“Swanky digs, Tyadin,” Caelynn says, examining a case full of trinkets.
“What?” Ty asks.
“Nice place,” she amends with a chuckle.
“Oh, thanks. It’s a pretty big change for me. I just moved here after the trials. I spent most of my life in the mountains with my father. My mother grew up here, though.” His mother is full fae, his father's full dwarf. He likely lived a very different life even just months ago than he is now.
“How did you get chosen as champion? I don’t think you ever told us,” Caelynn asks, as she plops down on one of the dark fur couches.
“The council held a trial of our own, just a simple dueling tournament. The winner was our representative in the trials. It didn’t matter that my father was a dwarf or that I don’t look even remotely fae because the only prerequisite to entering was being a citizen of the Crumbling Court. I think the queen was pleased a dwarfish fae won because it’s a good representation of who we are as a court. My competition was low, though. Even with an open tournament, there were only seven entrants. I think many fae were afraid of having to compete with the ruling courts. There was a lot of pressure for us to prove ourselves.”
“They were proud of you, I’m guessing.” Caelynn smiles.
“Very. Even though I basically dropped out of the trials. I could have completed that orb challenge, I just... didn’t think it was worth it anymore.”
I swallow and look down at my feet.
“But I made it pretty far. Made allies. They were more than happy with my performance. Honestly, if I’d failed in the second trial, I think they would have been happy. The shadow-vyrn story is legendary around here.”
Caelynn laughs.
“I’d say you should be prepared to sign a few autographs during your stay here, but the whole court is a bit distracted at the moment.”
“Why, what’s going on?”
“Uh, well, it’s dwarfish stuff, actually. Nearly half of this court has some amount of dwarfish blood, so the rightful heir to the dwarfish throne showing up out of nowhere—well, it’s pretty big news.” Tyadin’s eyes glisten, the amber color shinning more than usual. And I know immediately this news means a lot to him.
“A dwarfish king? One of the lost heirs?” Caelynn asks.
Tyadin told us the whole story of the dwarfish people’s fall a century ago. It’s not a story fae among the ruling courts know very well. Bits and pieces, sure, but Tyadin gave us a perspective only a dwarf could give.
Basically, the king was killed by an ancient beast, and his two sons were taken by conflicting factions, both claiming they had the rightful heir to the throne. This resulted in a civil war, followed by a goblin invasion, and well, that was the end of the dwarfish kingdom. They’re scattered across the realm now, having no real place to call home.
Tyadin nods and runs his fingers through his long black hair. “It’s well documented that one of the heirs died. So, if he is really the other... he’s indisputably the true dwarf king now.”
Tyadin is quiet for a while, looking at his boots.
“So, what does that mean, exactly?” I ask. Wondering, mostly, what this means for my friend. I know he is very proud of his dwarfish heritage, so will he go following after this king? Assuming I believed his story, that’s what I would do in Ty’s shoes. “Is this heir going to rally the dwarves to follow him?”
“He says he wants to reclaim his throne in the old mountains. He’s putting together a group of dwarves willing to fight with him. I don’t think he’ll get many followers but...”
Caelynn’s eyes narrow.
“But you’re going,” I say definitively, the expression on his face and the shy yet proud stance illustrate his feelings on the matter fairly well.
He nods. “It’s probably a fool’s errand. The chances that a small group of dwarf warriors could chase out the goblins, defeat whatever fell creature still lurks in those mountains, and rebuild the kingdom...”
“You’ll probably die trying,” I agree.
“Thanks.” He rolls his eyes and throws a pillow at my head. I catch it easily and then lean over the back of the couch.
“But if it was me,” I continue, “I’d rather die fighting for my dreams than live with regret and wonderwhat if.”
Tyadin smiles. “Thanks.” He takes a seat across from Caelynn, who, I notice, is staring at me. I meet her gaze, wondering what she’s thinking, but she immediately blinks and turns away.
