Koldis the Green (DRAGONWALL SERIES 4)

CHAPTER 30: A QUEEN IN THE FOREST

Esterpine

Claire watched the days fly by after her trip to Ashvale, and then the weeks. She thought she'd been busy before, but now her minutes slipped away like water through open fingers. It didn't help that Taylynn had insisted she meet and spend time with all of Esterpine's noble families, of which there were eight.

Eight!

Socializing, sharing lunches, drinking tea. Most importantly, making friends. She wasn't stupid, she understood why this was important to the Sprite princess. Claire was gaining allies, supporters, people who would rally to her side if she ever needed them. After all, Dragonwall was technically at war. And she needed people who would support the rightful heir. She didn't tell any of them she never planned to rule in Esterpine—that she didn't plan to stick around for much longer.

Fortunately, it wasn't all tedious. She used this to her advantage, learning a great deal more about Esterpine's way of life, its governing body, and politics. Take the noble families, for example. Every thousand years, a vote was held to elect new council members. These acted as advisors to the queen. Sometimes the same members served for thousands of years, voted in repeatedly either by popularity or performance. Other times, they were voted out and replaced.

The noble families were those belonging to members of the council; they weren't noble simply because of long reaching lineages. This was a different way of thinking compared to what she was used to—compared to the way the Drengr Monarchy did things. Only the royal family bloodline—her bloodline—was truly fixed. And from the subtle undercurrents she sensed, there were several families unhappy with one specific unchanged facet of Sprite politics: Queen Jade.

But that was for them to work out.

Claire's lessons with Pelwyn remained her sole priority. She was advancing, getting better at mastering each individual element. Several days with Taylynn had boosted her abilities with earth. She was growing stronger at manipulating fire. Water felt more natural. Even air seemed eager to aid.

A sense of peace had settled within her, within both parts of her: the Sprite part and the Drengr part. She embraced it. But no matter how much she trained, one thing remained. She needed Isabella's quarterstaff.

"Your markings have multiplied," Pelwyn said one afternoon. It had been a little over a month since her return from Ashvale. "You'll need to take another trip into the forest, otherwise Lord Marquin will grow suspicious."

They sat in Pelwyn's garden pruning more flower bushes. It was an activity they did more and more frequently, especially after lessons. It helped her wind down.

"Lord Marquin is already suspicious," she said. "He wasn't prepared for the number of markings I returned from Ashvale with. But"—she shrugged—"he explained it away by my bloodline. Isabella's long lost heir and all that."

Pelwyn snorted. "As if blood has anything to do with it. You know how magic works and Aolis should too. Any bloodline can be strengthened to unparalleled levels."

She lifted a shoulder. "I'm not going to argue with him. But, you're right. I suppose I should send myself on another of these quests into the forest."

As she returned to Esterpine that evening, she thought over the short note she'd received from Talon a few days prior. It had said almost nothing, other than she'd have a surprise arriving in a few days, with plenty of time before the Spring Solstice. It had certainly done a number for her nerves. She'd spent the past two days trying to work out what he might send her. Honestly, he could send her even the smallest thing and she'd be happy.

She'd gone over a number of possibilities. Jewelry was perhaps the most likely. It seemed a romantic gift, after all. She wished he'd said something of their preparations for reclaiming Fort Squall. She knew he was focused on it. But even mentioning those details in a letter was risky.