A Dangerous Destiny: The Pure One Book I

Chapter Twenty-Six

So this one's kinda short and sweet. We haven't had Fiona in a few chapters...lets get back to her POV

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Fiona

Fiona said little as she sipped from her cup, a bitter blend of black tea leaves of royal quality. Acidic, so unlike the subtle brews of Manna's herbs. She found the drink as hard to swallow as the false niceties that poured from the King's lips as he sat across from her, speaking words that barely registered in her ears. 

Having spent the better half of an hour in Henry's private dining chamber, drinking the tea offered her and watching the numerous servants bring forth various assorted cakes that remained untouched on the table in front of them, it seemed clear that their discourse today would likely remain as inconsequential as that of their previous meetings; entirely benign, but utterly useless. It was as if the King merely called her to the Capitol to prove that he could.

Fiona had been to the Palace at the behest of King Henry twice since the man taken the crown just over one year ago. She had been more than surprised when the second invitation from the Capitol had arrived for her only months after the new King's official coronation. After the announcement of Fredrick's sudden death Fiona had kept a watchful eye for any impending threat from the new King, She feared Henry might take advantage of his newly won power to make her pay for her lack of deference at their first meeting. And yet, the message of greeting sent by the King was friendly.

Henry had apologized for the unanswered correspondence Fiona had sent at the behest of the Council, and granted the Nita open invitation to renew their discourse should she desire to do so. What was perhaps more surprising was the fact that the Elder Council insisted that she accept his invitation as soon as possible. 

Of course, it had been her inclination to do so either way. Now that Henry was on the throne, Fiona fully recognized the need to make her pledges of loyalty to the crown in person and smooth over any resentment he might have towards her. But the eagerness with which the Council sent her to the Capital, without any of their standard hesitation and caution, made her uneasy. If Avery Trenton supported her visits with the King now, he no doubt had some agenda in doing so. That his intent was not readily apparent was worrisome.

"Nita Amoral?" At the sound of the King's voice, Fiona forced herself to bring her wandering thoughts back to the room.

"Forgive me, Majesty," Fiona replied. "I did not hear your question."

"I had asked if your journey here to Auresir was pleasant?"

Fiona resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Enduring this meaningless tedium for no apparent purpose was unbearable. Instead, she merely nodded her head. "Quite pleasant."

"And Frenwick? Was your visit there enjoyable? I presume that is where you spent the evening."

She nodded again. As the closest Senmin settlement to the Capital not destroyed by Fredrick's religious crusade to erase her people from the area surrounding his royal palace, there were few other places she might have stayed among her own kind.

"I much enjoy Frenwick myself," Henry said, "though I have had limited opportunity to journey there of late. Truly the perfect example of my father's hypocrisy. The man feared Senmin magik, enacted punitive laws against them, yet he fully enjoyed the benefits of the industrious trading colony your people established just outside of his Capitol city."

Fiona did not respond. In the time since Henry had officially gained the crown, he had done nothing to lift any of the restrictions Fredrick had placed on the Senmin during his rule. Could he truly not recognize his own hypocrisy?