Page 36 of Palaces and other Prisons
“That I am to translate for you.” At what point would management decide to start learning the language? When that happened, they would have no need for him to be here, and they’d probably want him to return to the platform or start doing manual labor on the farms with other people…
His chest tightened at the thought of being ordered away. Ul would not be happy with that, but how could Dawson disobey his boss?
Ul stood, and silence fell, and even the music stopped. Dawson rested his elbows on the table and leaned in so he could keep his voice low. He gave a translation that was mostly vibes and guesses and much abridged.
“He’s welcoming everybody to the palace, especially those who have traveled from the furthest district, and acknowledging that it has been a troubling couple of months.” He watched Ul as he talked. He was dressed in very fine clothes tonight, and a silver and pearl Crown glittered on his head. There were jewels around his forearm and his neck, and there was no mistaking who he was. Even without the bling, he would recognize Ul.
“Oh, he is reminding everyone that while the island is largely unaffected, the rest of the world is troubled and that it will besome time before traders can leave the shores to establish new relationships.”
“They know this isn’t their world? Did you tell them?” Brett asked.
“I didn’t need to because they could taste it in the water.” He didn’t mention that some of them felt magic was off because, like him, they’d struggle to understand the use of magic anyway. How did magic make water flow through the pipe and out of the now useless taps? And what did it matter if he had told Ul they were now in a different world? Wouldn’t it be obvious when a boat arrived to collect the platform workers? “He’s talking about the platform now and how we have been stranded here and how it is their job to make strangers welcome the same way they did hundreds of years ago when the Norsemen arrived.”
Ul glanced at him and smiled. For a heartbeat, Dawson thought the king was going to say something about him. But he didn’t, not specifically.
“He’s thanking us for teaching them the language of this world, and for helping with repairs.” He didn’t quite understand the next bit. It was something about endings and beginnings. “Everyone is invited to throw wishes on the fire… Oh, that is where everybody writes down either something they are hoping for or something they want to leave behind and then throws it on the fire.” He didn’t add that some people threw small carved representations.
Ul had explained the protocol of the evening to him. For which he was glad, because this was a formal event and fucking up a ceremony was not a good look. “The king and his family will lead the procession out to the bonfire, the councilors will follow next, then us as honored guests, and finally everyone else.”
Servants came around with charcoal sticks and slips of paper for the tables, and Ul invited everyone to take a few moments to craft their Samhain wishes.
Even though Dawson had known this moment was coming, he still hadn’t decided what to write. He guessed that the other four humans at his table were wishing to go home. That wasn’t his desire.
Was he too afraid to admit what he really wanted?
Or was he worried that people would laugh because how could someone like him be with a king?
Was it even possible?
It would mean giving up everything back home and the life he had known. He had moved so many times and started over so many times that the idea wasn’t as terrifying as it probably should be. Not only that, but eventually, when the world got over the shock of the collapse, perhaps there would be a need for someone like him on the island. Although there were better-qualified people, and maybe they would come eventually, but for the moment, he was the human advisor to the king.
Until the boat came.
He couldn’t hope that the boat never arrived because so many people did want to go home. But he could hope for a reason to stay.
CHAPTER 24
Despite the distance between the palace and his cousin, Ul was unsurprised that the rumor that he’d found a compatible mate had spread that far. Someone in the palace would be keeping his cousin informed about everything. His cousin also had councilors who were close allies, if not friends, though not many.
It had made for a tense reunion with his cousin, who demanded to know what action Ul had taken regarding the compatible human. His cousin had not appreciated being told it was none of his business. Ul was still the king, and he intended to remain king. His cousin was far too eager to get his almost adult child on the throne.
Ul didn’t remind his cousin that he was still wildly unpopular, due to his actions following the death of Ul’s husband. His cousin had come close to committing treason, and no one tolerated that. They would, however, accept Ul’s nephew as their next king when he was old enough. But from the hope attached to the rumor, it seemed everyone was praying that he laid some eggs and had a successful hatching.
He was sure that if staff had access to the royal egg cave, they’d be checking for eggs every day. It had been so long sinceanyone had paid so much attention to his sex life, and he’d forgotten how uncomfortable it was to be under such scrutiny.
With his cousin and nephew here, it was apparent he needed to say something sooner rather than later. Given that he hadn’t made a decision, and he didn’t want to rush Dawson, it made things rather awkward. Were people waiting for him to announce the nephew as his official heir, or were they waiting for him to announce that Dawson was fucking him and they were hopeful for a clutch of eggs in the near future?
He wasn’t ready to do either.
This year, he didn’t know what to wish for. The water was too cloudy, and the waves were too noisy for him to be able to hear what his heart wanted. Perhaps that is what he should wish for. Clarity.
He’d sat there for long enough, so that is what he wrote. Then he folded up the slip of paper and stood.
Some people would have known what they were asking for months ago. Others like him were thinking, possibly tossing up several different options. Usually, the magic of Samhain was palpable; tonight, there was nothing.
Were they casting their wishes for no reason? Or would casting them create enough magic for the gods to listen?
He slowly made his way through the hall to the exit, followed by two guards, his cousin and nephew, and an uncle and aunt from the human side of the family. This was the first time since his husband’s death, that there had been no one from his city-state over the sea to remember him.
