“A… river?”

“More like a very long lake.”

“The Fey… He… What?!” The King was on his feet pacing at the ridiculous news that a Fey being had created an enormously inconvenient body of water along the border of the North and South Kingdom.

Aidan O’Malley sank slowly into the throne once he rounded the final bend in his circuit of frantic walking, and rubbed his eyes that already had dark shadows hanging beneath his normally bright gaze. Learning his son had been held against his will and drugged to near death had lead to him experiencing guilt wracked insomnia that he was unable to escape from.

“This somewhat changes our plans.” Sean O’Farrell stood in front of the King his expression dower. He had found the body of water as he had been out hunting with Lord Kelly, and had doubled back as quickly as his poor stallion would allow. Passing by Tork and the crowned Prince without a word, leaving Lord MacDermott to handle the political discussions in his stead.

He had arrived perhaps an hour ago, and was already plotting his departure, but knew he had to debrief the King about everything…

“There is another matter my liege.” Sean started slowly, he was already aware the King was already at his wits end waiting for the safe return of his son.

The King slowly blinked, and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. He didn’t look like he could handle sitting upright let alone more bad news.

“I have discovered that Lady Beatha has been taken by the Minkies, most likely due to their affront of her impersonating one of their own.” The King let out a groan and sunk back into his throne. His servicer stepped forward holding a steaming beverage.

“Is she in danger?” The King sipped from the mug, and slowly stood.

“It is hard to say with certainty, but I also discovered… she was the one to kill 2 out of the 3 Beast Awares that were part of holding your son. She and her Servicer have been training under Tork during their time together. To some moderate degree of success.”

What little color had still been in the King’s face drained.

“Sean, if it weren’t for the Thief of Souls, I’d say let her have her freedom but… we cannot afford it, can we?”

Sean looked at the floor, and then awkwardly back to the King.

“I believe we need to start doing damage control. We need to hire ferrymen from Rockfell, and the Southern Kingdom needs to provide their own services as well. We can try to negotiate with the Southern King to not use this as an excuse to tax our trades higher. Lord MacDermott and I will continue campaigning, and I recommend hiring Tork to retrieve Lady Beatha. He should be able to catch up with the Minkies relatively quickly.

“It should be tomorrow you said that they would arrive?” The note of worry in the King’s voice made something in Sean go cold.

“Given that they had to proceed quite slowly due to the Prince’s condition I imagine it could even be the day after. He will be home soon.”

The King nodded, and scratched the back of his head as he thought over all of the most pressing matters.

“We need to speak with the Fey as well. They have never interfered so drastically in our world. I want to know what made them shove a bloody lake on the border of the Kingdoms.” Aidan O’Malley’s eyes stared at the ground as he spoke, clearly trying to force his mind to work through the tired haze that had settled over him.

“That might prove difficult, but I can ask one of the diplomats whom are due to arrive over the summer about this occurrence. I doubt this was meant as a threat-, other than being annoying, it hasn’t harmed anyone.”

“Yet.” The King added weightily as he slowly began to walk towards the doors to the throne room.

“Off you go Sean. I need to try and locate our records of the Thief of Souls… you still have the diary I presume?”

“Yes sire. It is in my keep, and hidden.”

After you finish your campaign over the next month, please retrieve it for me. We will be busy preparing so it is no matter that you continue as scheduled with the houses.”

Sean answered with a brisk bow, and watched as the King slowly walked towards the doors.

As loyal and firm his belief in the King was, Sean lamented that the man should be tormented by his emotions so much.

His love for his son was deep, as had been the love of his wife, and Sean remembered grimly the King’s poor attitude in the year following the Queen’s death.

It was far from the ideal time for the King’s mind to be muddled, and Sean began to feel his anxiety rise in his throat as he glanced down at his arm. The black and green patches were now on his forearm, and he knew that if he were to win another war, he had better do so quickly.

“Agnes Beatha… You better get back quickly. You have no idea what is at stake.”

***

From the other side of the fire, the Minkies Queen watched her tentative prisoners before turning back to other members of her personal tribe. Everyone else had banded together to ensure that none of their own were responsible for the happenings in Rockfell, and now that they knew the truth, were disbanding to their own tribes and continuing their journeys. One tribe had left early that morning, one other prepared to leave before the high sun.

“Is she really that Lady?” The Queen turned to look at her Seer with his deep blue eyes, and small smile. He had found the whole thing incredibly amusing.

“Yes. Everything is as it should be.”

“She’s young.” The Queen sighed wearily. She hated politics, but if the Seers said she had no choice but to play a part, she knew better than to argue with them.

This particular Seer was her tribe’s, his name was Keyan, and he had become her mate only a year after her assuming the ruling position of the Minkies.

“So were you when you first came to power.” He reminded her as he handed her a chunk of the hare meat he had been eating.

“She’s a different kind of young.”

The Queen ate her food in peace as the other 2 members of her tribe shared knowing looks amongst themselves.

“Nola, Jed. Speak.” The Queen hadn’t looked up from her food, and yet had known that her other tribe members had been sharing thoughts she wished to know.

“My Queen… Will the Beatha’s plan to spread rumors work?”

“It will not go according to her plan, that is certain.” The Queen wiped her mouth with the back of her hand as she spoke. “No one cares that it was a Minkies woman who murdered 2 Beast Awares. They only find it strange that one would be talking with others.” She finally raised her gray eyes to them, and watched them visibly swallow.

“No. We are allowing her to carry out her farce for a greater purpose.”

“The Thief of Souls?” Nola’s dark blue eyes widened nervously.

“He soon will grow in power once more. If he reaches the height of power akin to before, he will once again threaten our tribes with enslavement.” Despite her words casting a chill over her 3 witnesses, the Queen appeared to be at ease.

“You think she will dissuade another war?” Nola asked hopefully.

“I think she will end a war. We know she will face the Servicers. We know she will assume power, and she will not hold that power with the same intent as The Thief of Souls. Meaning, that she must overthrow him at some point.” The Queen placed down her food, and gave them her undivided attention.

“We only mean to act as the unnoticed players of this land. We guard the true magic of humans from extinction, and from enslavement. We are not the sword that commands an army, or stabs those that oppose us. We are the wind that blows an arrow off course.” They all grew solemn at the reminder of the elders lessons.

“In the meantime, I think Len is planning on mating with her.” At Keynan’s words, the Queen begrudgingly turned in her seat to stare at Lennox. He was one of her warriors that was peering at Lady Beatha’s bottom as she bent over one of his wounded comrades and was wrapping the wound under the careful instruction of the Servicer.

“It is no concern of ours.” The Queen shrugged, but as she turned back to her food to take another bit of meat heard the unmistakable ring of a slap on someone’s face, followed by a great commotion.

With a deep sigh, the Queen stared at Keyan who was grinning at her with his blue eyes twinkling.

“She’s going to be a problem, isn’t she?” The Queen didn’t wait for the answer as she sighed, and stood back up and headed towards the ring of warriors that had circled around Aggie and her Servicer.