Page 141 of Silver & Smoke
Torj was the first to speak. ‘He’s got a point. And years from now, when the kingdom has regained its footing and been built up again, you’ll be glad for defensive structures.’
Thea dipped her head in agreement. ‘You might not have the numbers to man the posts now. But one day you will, and when that day comes, everything will be in place.’
Wren sighed again. ‘Alright, Darian. Build your watchtowers.’
‘They’reyourwatchtowers, Majesty,’ the nobleman replied with a wry smile.
‘Anything else?’ she asked, eager to bring the discussion to a close.
‘We’re making good progress with the granaries and warehouses being built,’ Kipp answered, pushing Wren’s empty plate aside and smoothing a map flat before her. ‘Here and here,’ he pointed. ‘When the rubble has been completely cleared, we’re prioritizing the rebuild of the forge and tanners. Land has been offered to skilled workers from neighbouring kingdoms should they wish to offer their services.’
‘Clever,’ Wren replied. ‘And?’
‘Well...’ Kipp looked sheepish for a moment. ‘You might recall that we made a deal...’
‘I do indeed, Kristopher,’ she said, raising a brow.
‘Then, with your permission, I ask that I am able to collect that debt now.’
Much to everyone else’s surprise, Wren burst out laughing. And Kipp grinned.
‘Are we finally going to find out what your deal was about?’ Torj demanded.
‘In part, I suppose,’ Wren replied. ‘Kipp assisted me with something, and in exchange, I promised to give him land to build a tavern in Delmira.’
Thea’s brows shot up. ‘You mean you won’t be trying to take over the Flying Stag?’
‘Please.’ Kipp waved her off. ‘One day I’ll inherit the Fox, so I have no need for one of its sister taverns...’
‘So what, then?’ Cal asked.
‘I’ll be building my own from the ground up. It’s always been a dream of mine.’
Cal scoffed. ‘Since when?’
‘Since Wren asked me for a favour, and I decided I wanted to build a tavern from the ground up,’ Kipp replied. ‘It’s going to be called Professor’s Corner.’
For a moment, Cal blinked at him, before he burst out laughing. ‘Figures.’
‘If there’s nothing else,’ Wren started, hiding her own smile. ‘There’s one more item I want to add to today’s agenda... The reopening of Drevenor Academy.’
The tent went quiet, but Wren surveyed her companions with calm resolve. Fate had steered her away from her lifelong dream of becoming a Master Alchemist, the title she’d once coveted above all else. Yet while her own path had changed course, that didn’t mean others couldn’t continue where she’d left off – their success would be part of her legacy too, a different kind of mastery than the one she’d imagined.
‘Wren...’ Thea said gently. ‘Don’t you think you’ve got enoughon your plate without adding the rebuild of an alchemy institution in another kingdom?’
Wren laughed. ‘You’d think so. However, I’ve spoken with the High Chancellor and the other masters... I offered Delmira as a place to restart. More specifically, the cottage where I used to live. It would be small, nothing so grand as what it was, but... it’s a chance to give back, and Delmira seems like the right place, in terms of its soil.’
‘You’re sure about this?’ Thea asked, frowning.
‘It won’t be what it was,’ Wren assured her. ‘No loyalty tests or deadly gauntlets. Dessa will make sure of that – she’s going to continue her training with the masters so that she can become one of them. We want to create a place for alchemists, a home – in the same way that warriors have always had a place at Thezmarr.’
‘To the new Drevenor, then,’ Kipp declared, raising his flask.
‘To the new Drevenor,’ Wren and the others echoed back.
Quiet moments were few and far between in the following days, but somehow Wren found herself wandering the outer streets of Delmira with her sister. Though the buildings were mere shells of what they had once been, without the chaos of battle it was easy to imagine what they might become. Residences, shops, a city hall, perhaps even a school... Beside Wren, Thea was silently surveying the sights as well, a small smile on her lips, as though she too were picturing a future full of hope.
Thea wore a simple linen shirt and leathers, her sword strapped to her back. Wren still wasn’t used to seeing her without the dagger that had graced her belt for so long. Its Naarvian steel had been repurposed for the crown now resting atop her own head.
