Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Silvanus threw himself on three great cushions, one of which was up against a tree, and then gestured to five more, all together, which was evidently where Cassius and I were to sit.
Together.
I knew better than to spurn the hospitality of a Zee.
We had might and magic and Cassius’s command of the night sky.
But Zees had very long memories.
Therefore, I sunk to the cushions, reached, grasped Cassius’s hand, and tugged.
He resisted, but after another, harder tug, he dropped down beside me.
Silvanus took us in and then swung his bottle toward us.
“You will make beautiful children,” he decreed.
I clenched my teeth and lifted my chalice to him.
Cassius did not do this, but he did drink with Silvanus and me.
The wine was exceptional.
“This is marvelous, Silvanus,” I told him.
“Of course it is,” he replied. “We took it off an Airenzian merchant on his way to the Thicket,” he explained unabashedly.
“Bloody hell,” Cassius muttered.
I smiled at Silvanus and took another sip.
“The prophecy,” Cassius prompted.
I heard the striking of a flint, looked to my left and saw the fire was ready to spark.
Something it did, with a male Zee bending to it and blowing, dried leaves catching kindling on fire as a female Zee fed more leaves to keep the flames burning to catch the branches at the top.
“Quakes emanating from below earth, where the Beast dwells. It was not hard to put it together, Airenzian prince,” Silvanus said, drawing my attention again. “And now, the mermaids and mermales have been driven away. There will be no one to stop him, if the prophesied fail.”
I felt my heart skip a beat.
“The mermaids and mermales?” I asked.
“Indeed,” he said on a sharp nod of his head before putting the bottle to his lips and tipping it back. He drank deeply and returned his attention to me. “They rallied all the beasts in the sea, forced him into one of their underwater caves, and created a great marine avalanche over the mouth, imprisoning him. Until, it would seem, now.”
“You know this, or is it lore?” Cassius asked.
“A year ago, my friend, you asked this question,” Silvanus said to him, “I would say lore. The quakes?” He shook his head. “He is surfacing. We heard of the Savage King wedding the Silent One, our True King to be wed to the Sage Bloom, the two of you. We knew.”
“And the mermaids and mermales?” I pushed.
“Gone forever,” Silvanus declared. “Some say they dwell in the seas around The Mystics. Some say they occupy the islands between The Mystics and the Northlands and Southlands to that west.”
He shrugged, took another drink, I took another sip, and he continued.
“Some say they adapted. Over the centuries, they created magic where they formed legs spontaneously as they swam closer to the shores and could pass as legged beings, thus they walk amongst us. I do not know. I like to think the last. That in our ignorance and maltreatment of them, we did not drive them from their homes.” He threw an arm out expansively. “But we Zees know of ignorance and maltreatment, so their escape? Well, that is one part of the lore I tend to believe.”
“I do too,” I mumbled, lifting my chalice and casting my glance up to Cassius.
He was gazing at Silvanus dubiously.
“Which part do you not believe, great prince?” Silvanus’s question was directed at Cassius, showing it was not only my thoughts he could read, though Cass wasn’t hiding his. “That the merfolk walk amongst us or that the Zees know ignorance and maltreatment?”
“We are drinking stolen wine,” Cassius remarked.
“That we are,” Silvanus replied, tipping the bottle his way.
“You are feared by many,” Cassius went on.
“This is true,” Silvanus replied quietly. “You do not know, and in truth, my friend, I hope you never do. It is a lesson learned with great difficulty. If you are forced to live in fear of those around you who do not understand you, do not like what they don’t understand and act on it, you have but two choices. Buckle under the tyranny of their actions or find a way to make them fear you. Your warrior knows, do you not, princess?” he asked me.
“Perhaps we should avoid politics,” I murmured into my goblet.
“She is beautiful, powerful, mighty and wise,” Silvanus said to Cassius and I smiled at him. “You are very lucky.”
Cassius grunted.
I turned my head and frowned at him.
Cassius’s gaze dropped to my frown and he scowled at it.
I looked away and took a sip of wine.
“Please tell me you do not force the Airenzian wedding on this creature,” Silvanus cut in. “I see her beauty blooming in pink. Perhaps blue. Maybe lavender. Not the dreaded Airenzian wedding black.”
“I was going to wear my tunic,” I told him.
His lids drooped.
My belly swooped.
“And you should, for you wear it well,” he hummed to me.