2

Queen Cheralin looked over the papers displayed before her on the table.

Only when the papers were approved and piled high did she look up at the Council.

“I appreciate any and all updates you have given.” The queen turned her attention to Velda. “I suspect we remain on track for a prosperous harvesting season, Velda?”

Velda stiffened as she spoke. “Yes, Your Majesty.” Her high-pitched voice scratched in Sayr’s ears. “I believe the City Center will be set by the end of next month.”

“Excellent,” Queen Cheralin said. She focused back on the pile of papers before her. “We can begin to prepare for the Harvest celebration as well. I will send my ladies to begin planning the events and invitations.”

It took a good amount of Sayr’s restraint to not roll her eyes at Marenda while the Council took turns giving their opinions on this year’s color scheme for the Harvest Ball, what caterers should be employed for food, the important families that should be invited, and any other insignificant detail that Sayr stopped listening to.

The Harvest Ball was Visaran’s biggest celebration of the year. Most villages outside the City Center celebrated the Harvest Festival with a feast, dancing, and the company of friends and family. In the palace, the royal family hosted the Harvest Ball for the most important families in the country, including any and all Court members.

The ball celebrated the end of the country’s harvesting season, the busiest season of the year. It also wasn’t supposed to take place for another four months. Sayr saw little reason to be discussing the color of tablecloths when she had more pressing matters to discuss with Her Majesty.

“Well then.” Queen Cheralin smiled at Velda before turning her attention to Sayr. “If there is nothing else, I believe now is a suitable time to address why we are all here this morning. Sayr Rieve, I call on you to speak.”

Her Majesty lifted a hand in Sayr’s direction and Sayr rose from her seat to address the Council.

“Hello, Council.” Her voice shook slightly, and she took a moment to ease her nerves before continuing. “I asked Her Majesty to assemble this meeting because I’ve recently had another vision.”

The Council immediately deflated, a few members eyed her in disbelief and boredom. She lifted her chin and stared them down, unwilling to back down. She’d felt a lot of frustration towards the Council over the past two years. Few of them had any faith in her gifts and even fewer accepted her as a true Council member.

The queen had ordered that she bring all of her visions to the Council, and many times her visions held so little detail or were so brief that she had little to no information to offer the Council. In turn, many of them believed her gifts did not exist at all, and that she was simply a non-Elemental posing as a Seer to gain the queen’s favor. She’d had a handful of visions that proved her gifts were both real and useful to the wellbeing of the kingdom, but still the Council refused to take her seriously.

She tried to swallow her growing anger and continued, “This vision isn’t like any other that I’ve had before. Recently, I’ve been having the same vision over again for the past couple weeks.”

She took a quick breath to begin retelling what she had seen when Baldric raised a hand to stop her. “If you’ve been having repeating visions,” he spat out the last word, “then why are we just now hearing about this?”

Sayr turned to look him in the eye. Her thoughts ignited with vicious words that she wanted to spew at him but swallowed them down. Her position in Court was fragile enough. She wouldn’t let him get to her, not if she wanted to keep her position in the Queen’s Court, and her life here.

“I can’t call on my visions,” she spat back at him, “whenever I want. Many times, they come to me before I can call on them. I don’t have full control over what I see or how often I see it.”

Baldric barely glanced at her, and Sayr’s irritation turned her cheeks red. “You say this has been happening for weeks, and yet you have just now decided to tell us? If you can take this long to address it, I do not see how it can be of much importance to us.”

Rage burned up Sayr’s throat, her patience dangerously thin. None of them understood how much convincing it took to request a meeting with the Council or that she’d had the vision twice during the time it took for them all to come together.

“If you’d let me finish,” she spoke through gritted teeth, “then maybe you can decide that for yourselves.”

“Yes, please tell us more,” Victoria spoke up. “Where exactly do you see this vision taking place?”

Sayr hesitated a moment and braced herself for the reaction she was about to receive. “I’m actually not sure exactly where it takes place, but I know it’s not—”

Baldric barked out a laugh, cutting Sayr off, and turned his attention towards the queen. “Your Majesty, the girl is having daydreams, not visions that can be of any use to us.”

Marenda slammed a hand on the table. Her voice seethed as she spoke. “You dare disrespect Her Majesty, who chose to put Sayr on this Council? You know nothing about her gift, and because of that you ignore all of this? Shut your mouth and let her speak, then let the Council decide what to do next.”

Baldric looked at Marenda, aghast. His face turned red with embarrassment and anger. “Why, you little—”

Queen Cheralin shot up from her seat. The Council became silent as they all turned their attention towards her. She shifted her gaze to Baldric before speaking loud enough for every member to know she was addressing them all.

 “Sayr’s gifts may be unknown, but these visions are useful in understanding what lies ahead for my kingdom.” The queen’s gaze flitted over each member of the Council.

“I do not think I need to remind any of you which of her visions have come true, and the urgency that these visions should be dealt with. If she is having this vision repeatedly, as she says she is, then I suspect these coming events are more urgent than we know. Now, I suggest we all give her enough patience to tell us what this vision is, without interruption.”

The queen’s voice was sharp as she finished. Each Council member nodded in agreement, mumbling apologies. None bothered to apologize to Sayr. She gave the queen a small nod of thanks before continuing and described her vision to the Council in as much detail as she could muster. Once she had finished, she bowed her head and sat back down.

The Council discussed back and forth about when and where her vision was most likely to occur based on the information she gave and what they could do to spin the upcoming events in their favor.

“Northow is the only city in Visaran that is remotely close to large expanses of forests, these events must be taking place there,” Danil said.

“The vision does not seem to be happening anywhere near civilization,” Victoria noted and pinched the bridge of her nose. “We cannot look solely at locations near Visarian cities or towns.”

“We’ve already passed the driest season of the year,” Larse spoke up. “These events may not even take place until next summer!”

The Council decided that each member be assigned a piece of the country’s map to locate any possible threat of wild or man-made fire that could burn their crops or trees to ash. Evidently, nothing useful came out of the meeting.

Ridiculous, Sayr thought. There was no doubt in her mind that the Council had been so lenient about finding a solution because the vision only consisted of her and a complete stranger.

“There is one last topic that I must discuss with you all before we disband.” Her Majesty massaged her temple with two manicured fingers. “I delayed this meeting until I was certain of what is to come. I have requested that my personal guard be present to this meeting for this specific topic.”

Everyone turned their attention to Marenda who sneered right back at them, clearly still unhappy with them all.

“I have spoken with the Western King,” Her Majesty announced. “King Mylan of Creobe has requested an audience here in Visaran. The king entered Visarian territory eight days ago and he and his Court will arrive here in two days.”

Everyone’s heads snapped from Marenda back to the queen. Velda gasped loudly and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. Others began murmuring questions and words of disbelief to one another. Sayr couldn’t completely hide her own shock. She couldn’t remember the last time anyone from Visaran had visited the Western Kingdom, or anyone from Creobe had entered their own territory.

The two kingdoms had coexisted peacefully enough for centuries as far as Sayr knew, although the citizens from both countries were forbidden from traveling back and forth to either kingdom. She’d heard stories of the royal families meeting within each other’s borders but never expected to witness the royals’ meeting, especially within the Eastern Palace where she would no doubt get a glimpse of the Western Court, herself.

“I understand this turn of events may not be welcomed by everyone in my Court; however, I believe it would be best not to anger King Mylan by denying his request. Therefore, my decision to meet with the Western King is non-negotiable.”

Her Majesty turned her attention back to Marenda. “I have asked you here to inform you of this news, and to warn you not to tell another being outside of these walls. I also have a private order for you. I am giving the order to double your shifts as my personal guard while the Western Court is here, and to select an additional Royal Guard for both the crown prince and princess. We must ensure safety more than ever while the Western Court is within my palace.”

Marenda discussed soldiers with Queen Cheralin and eventually gave two names for who would personally guard the prince and princess; Ajax, a recruit who had joined about eight months ago but climbed the ranks quickly, and Marcel, a soldier who had been in the Queen’s Army for a little over a year before being initiated into the Royal Guard.

Queen Cheralin looked at Sayr again. “I am giving you an order as well. Your gifts are rare, if not completely unique to you and you only, and you are one of my stealthiest and most skilled soldiers. I have no doubt that part of the Western King’s intentions in coming here is to see my Court in its entirety for himself. He will likely deploy members of his own Court to inquire about my people. I want you to do the same for me. Watch the Western Court as much as you can without raising suspicion. Find out who in King Mylan’s Court are most valuable to him and what their positions are, and report back to me.”

Sayr picked at her nail while she thought. She’d heard stories of the cruel king in the west since she’d arrived in the palace eight years ago. “Do we have any idea how big his Court is? How many people may be traveling here with him?”

Queen Cheralin nodded. “I approved only the king’s inner Court, though he only listed five other names coming with him. The king has six royal carriages carrying him and his Court, footmen, guards, and a few servants.”

“Still, six royal carriages seem like a lot for such a small group,” Sayr noted. “It’s certainly something to keep an eye on.”

A new thought stirred in Sayr’s mind. “I will watch these people, and report everything back to you, but what if they get too close and start asking about my abilities? I can’t exactly show off any Elemental abilities to keep them from getting suspicious.”

“The king and I have an agreement that none of our people will use any sort of abilities on the other’s Court,” Cheralin answered. “Anyone who does so will be severely punished, especially if Mylan disregards our agreement while in my palace. I will not have him come into these walls and create havoc among my people.”

Sayr nodded. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

The queen stood from her seat at the head of the table. The rest of the Council stood quickly after and lifted a hand to their chests just above their hearts.

“There is strength in duty,” the queen recited the kingdom’s proverb.

“There is strength in duty,” the Council repeated.

Her Majesty’s guards followed her out of the room and the rest of the Council made to leave as well.

Sayr pondered everything the queen had said while the rest of the Council parted ways. Her Majesty said the king would likely try and gather intel on their Court, just as Sayr would do for her queen. She needed to gather information before they arrived, which guest wing they would be staying in, what their daily routines would be, and if anyone knew what sort of Elementals would make up the Western Court.

Sayr turned back towards the exit. There was one person she knew who may be able to offer some of that information to her.

She quickly made her way down the twisting halls towards the outskirts of the palace. The farther she got from the center of the palace, the more the halls transformed from white quartzite to thick glass. Each hallway was lined with floor-to-ceiling windows and domed by impenetrable glass, reflecting the bright sky above.

If her predictions were correct, as they usually were, the person she was looking for would be heading towards the royal gardens. She made her way through the halls until she could just make out a figure walking through the halls adjacent from her, their figure distorted through the many glass panes separating them. Sayr smiled and slunk past a corner, down the hall, and rounded another corner to the hall where a man was walking, his back towards her.

Sayr’s footsteps were silent as she snuck up on the man. She was within arm’s reach of him before he sensed her presence, and she swiped the dagger from its hilt at his hip just as he turned in her direction.

“Hey!” the man cried out and turned toward her. Sayr dipped under the man’s arm and stepped around him. He turned again and looked at her in surprise.

“I’ve always envied this dagger,” Sayr sighed in admiration. She weighed the dagger perfectly on one finger, examining the long, slender blade and thick hilt.

“I’ll never understand how you manage to do that.” Everett frowned at Sayr. “I’m going to have to start watching my back constantly or have a guard walk with me to keep you from snagging my weapons.”

He swiped at the dagger and Sayr let him take it back. Everett began walking again and Sayr kept pace next to him. “I came looking for you,” she told him.

“May I ask why?” he teased.

Sayr looked around the open halls. This was not the place to talk so openly, where their voices could easily echo through multiple halls.

 “Are you heading to the royal gardens?” she asked. “Mind if I tag along? We can talk there.”

Everett’s frown dissolved and a wide smile took its place.

“I don’t mind at all.” His voice offered the same excitement that showed on his face. “I’d appreciate the company.”

Everett took a small step away and offered her his arm, which she gladly took. She smiled back at him, and they continued through the glass hall together. They walked side by side, turning down another glass hallway. He put his hand against an ornate glass door and pushed.

The warm, late-summer air swept into the hallway and the sound of the ocean waves crashing into the cliffs was music to Sayr’s ears. She bounced down the steps and into the royal gardens.

The gardens were stunning. The colorful flowers were so vibrant that they often gave Sayr headaches if she stared at one spot for too long. The perfectly trimmed bushes that lined the exterior walls of the palace were thick with flowers of every color Sayr could imagine. She inhaled deeply; the almost sickeningly sweet scent of the florals and salty ocean air made her senses spin with delight.

Everett led her down one of the many cobblestone paths into a grassy area surrounded by white and pink hydrangeas. To the right sat a bench carved from pale stone and a beautiful fountain just behind it. The fountain calmly bubbled as the water poured down three levels and into the basin.

Sayr expected Everett to lead her towards the bench, but he veered off the cobblestone path into the grass and sat down. Sayr plopped down across from him and crossed her legs. Her eyes scanned his face as he leaned back, closed his eyes, and lifted his face to the sun.

Everett was paler than Sayr, most likely from being forced to spend most of his hours inside. His blond hair glinted in the sunlight. His broad nose was tipped towards the sky as he soaked in the sun and Sayr couldn’t help herself as her eyes scanned down to his strong jaw, his lips forming a small smile. He had a strong build to him, but Sayr had no doubt that she could take him down in a fight. She let her own smile form at the thought of someone as regal and formal as him lounging in the grass of these gardens.

He brought his face back down and opened his eyes to look at Sayr.

“Now.” He pulled one knee up to his chest. “What purpose do you have for sneaking up on me like that?”

Sayr leaned back and twined her fingers through the soft grass. She surveyed the garden, looking for any extra eyes or ears on them. When she didn’t see anyone else in the gardens, she turned her attention back on Everett.

“I just had a lovely conversation with your mother, actually,” she said.

Everett’s smile faltered a bit. “So, you were coming from the Council meeting?”

Sayr nodded in response.

 “She told me about the Western Court coming to the palace,” Everett added.

“What do you know of the Western Court?” Sayr asked.

As the Crown Prince of Visaran, Everett knew almost as much as his mother when it came to the Western Court, if not more. Everett commanded his own troops within the Queen’s Army and attended political meetings with his mother. He also had a much deeper interest in the kingdom to the west of Visaran and its people, which made him the perfect resource for Sayr.

Everett let out a small breath. “The Western Court is a complex web of people,” he started. “It appears the king has Courts within Courts. I believe he is bringing one of these smaller Courts with him.”

“That must be the Court that’s closest to him, then,” Sayr assumed. “The Court that is most loyal to him or answers only to him, at least.”

“Every Court answers to their throne,” Everett countered.

“Yes, but people within many Courts have other priorities like political gain or status,” Sayr countered. “If the king is bringing his closest Court with him, that Court would likely be filled with people already given the highest positions and therefore will do anything to keep those positions.”

Everett grinned at Sayr. “You’ve been spending far too much time in those Council meetings. They’ve turned you into a political machine.”

Sayr grinned back proudly. “Do you know what kind of Elementals make up this inner Court? And which guest hall they’ll be staying in?”

“My mother is having the guest halls in the North Wing prepared for the Western Court,” Everett answered. He turned his attention away from Sayr and towards the hydrangea bushes. “As far as their elements, I’m not exactly sure what sort of Elementals make up this group.”

He glanced back at Sayr. “But I know they are not like you.”

The two shared a knowing look. Sayr knew they would not be like her. There was no one else like her on the continent, with abilities outside of the natural elements; air, earth, water, and fire. The queen held her and her gifts in high regard, offering her protection in the Eastern Palace from those who would try to kill her for her unnatural gifts, so long as she continued to be useful to the Eastern Crown. Others hated her for her position in the Court, believing she was a non-Elemental.

The Eastern Court still held a lingering prejudice against non-Elementals. Non-Elementals happily lived all over the country as farmers, shop owners, and obtained other jobs that were available outside of the palace, but Her Majesty only kept the strongest Elementals in her Court. Every Royal Guard, high official, and aristocrat in her Court was a Fire, Water, Air, or Earth Elemental. Apparently, Sayr’s gift had passed the queen’s test, and she was permitted into the Court as well.

As far as the Court knew, a seventeen-year-old girl with supposedly no ability had been offered the position of a Councilman’s apprentice and a well-ranked soldier within the Queen’s Army. Many of the Court officials envied her even more for the fact that she had gotten the position with no special abilities, or so they thought. The Queen’s Court was supposed to be built from the strongest Elementals, not someone like her. They did not know how much of a lie her position, or her life, truly was.

But Everett was her oldest friend and because of him, she could never refuse his mother. She was fully aware that Her Majesty kept her close only to keep an eye on her, but Everett was different. He was only a year older than her and the first child she had met when she moved into the palace eight years ago. She had visited the palace many times before then, but no one truly believed that she had a gift outside of the elements.

Until she had a vision of King Luzan, Everett’s father, falling ill with fever. She could remember as clear as day coming to the palace with her father to tell the royal family what she had seen. No one had taken her seriously during any of her previous visits, but this time was different. She wasn’t even a decade old yet and His Majesty was in perfect health.

Four months later, the symptoms of fever began to show, and nearly eight months later the king had succumbed to the illness. After the king’s death, the queen became the sole ruler of Visaran and Everett quickly had to prepare for kinghood at such a young age.

Visaran’s rules for the monarchy stated that both king and queen were equal rulers of the country. Once King Luzan married Queen Cheralin, they became equal rulers. When a ruler died, their power fell to their spouse before their children or siblings. Therefore, Queen Cheralin remained the Eastern Queen after her husband’s death, and Everett would not become king until his mother’s death or her descent from the throne.

Everett never blamed Sayr for his father’s death. He never blamed her for the outcomes of her visions. He was not afraid of her visions. When she was around Everett, they could pretend like they were normal friends, not a crown prince and a Seer.

Sayr pushed the darkening thoughts from her mind.

“Of course they are not like me.” She pushed the small kernel of disappointment deep down. “But it would help to know what sort of Elementals they are before they arrive.”

“It would,” Everett admitted. “But both royals agreed that their people will not use any Elemental abilities against one another while the Western Court is here.”

“I don’t like to put all my trust in the words of others,” Sayr challenged. “I’d like to be prepared just in case.”

“Is this another order from my mother?” Everett asked. “To learn about them?”

“And to watch them while they’re here,” Sayr admitted. “Do some investigating for Her Majesty.”

Everett raked a hand through his hair. “I admire your dedication to always do as you’re told, but I hope you’re taking care of yourself, too.”

 “I’ll think about myself when I’m accepted in Court, just as I am.” Sayr’s voice had turned icy.

“You are accepted, Sayr,” Everett countered.

“Not as I am. Not by everyone in this Court.” She sighed and leaned back further into the grass. “I wish I could be like you. It’d make acceptance much easier.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “You wish to be a prince who spends most of his time in war rooms and political meetings? That doesn’t sound like you at all.”

Sayr laughed. “No, it doesn’t, and that’s not what I meant. I wish I could be like you, and Mar, and everyone else. I understand my importance to the Court and to your mother, and I am forever grateful to her for giving me a position in her Court, but sometimes I wish for a normal life as a normal Elemental.”

Everett gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m more than happy to help you with that. After all, I happen to come from a pretty strong family of Water Elementals.”

Everett made a show of flexing his muscles and Sayr let out a small laugh. She watched him stand from their comfortable spot in the grass and make his way towards the fountain.

“You want to feel like a normal Elemental?” he called back to her. “Your days as a Water Elemental start now.”