Heart Of The Goblin King (The Realm Trilogy Book 1) Read online

  “Oh.” Jharak seemed mollified, if grumpy. “Very well. What is it, Brennan?”

  He told his father of being ambushed, and of the words of the sorcerer. He mentioned being tossed into the Human Realm, but not of bringing Iris back. She was back in her own place now, and was now nothing more than a slight mishap in the scheme of what was important. What his mother chose to tell Jharak when she returned was up to her and not his concern.

  “So,” He finished. “In speaking with Drake, it occurred to us that perhaps some of the allies or family of the former Goblin King might have a grudge they wish to exercise. What do you think?”

  “Why now?” His father asked.

  Brennan shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s one of the many things I don’t know, Father. I am guessing in the dark at this moment. Do you think this is a consideration I need to leave be?”

  Jharak stroked his chin, thinking. “No, it’s a reasonable guess, Brennan. There is no other foe who would rise against you in this manner.”

  Brennan laughed, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “I doubt that, Father. There are plenty who not only don’t care for me, but don’t like that we are aligning with the Dragon Realm, and who have no regard for my goblins. They wouldn’t see their deaths as of great import.” He couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice.

  “What are you doing with the fallen ones?”

  “I have had them identified and their clans notified. I will speak to those at and near the castle tomorrow, when the heads of the clan come to collect their relations. All honor will be paid.”

  Jharak nodded. “That is wise, Brennan. I don’t have many answers for you, but I will go and confer with the historian to see who is still alive who might carry on such hatred. Go and see your fiancée.” He winked out from the glass of the mirror, which meant he’d put the mirror down.

  Brennan sighed. He put the family mirror into a pouch at his belt. Somehow, he knew he’d need it sooner rather than later. Better to keep it with him.

  He went to the large mirror on his wall, one with no magical ability. Sadly, as he could wish that it would go and see Ailla for him.

  He straightened his coat and made sure that he looked like a king.

  With another sigh, he left the room for the queen’s quarters.

  He couldn’t decide why he felt so nervous and unwilling to meet with her. He’d done nothing wrong, nothing for which he owed her any apologies. Why did he feel guilty?

  The queen’s quarters were not far from his own. He took a steadying breath and opened the door.

  Ailla stood near the window, framed by the afternoon sun.

  She stood nearly as tall as he himself. Her hair, dark like his also, had an auburn tint that glowed in both sun and candlelight. Her lips were full and red, and her face was smooth and serene. When she walked, he could barely see the movement of her feet beneath her gowns.

  She didn’t turn when he entered. He kept moving towards her.

  “Ailla? Is something amiss? I am sorry, I didn’t expect you, or I’d have not kept you waiting.”

  At his speech, she did turn, and he saw that the red of her lips mirrored the red in her gown. She looked like a living flame.

  The thought didn’t stir him. Not as it ought to.

  Ailla held out a hand. “I came because word of your distress reached me.”

  “Already? I have not yet made public the attack or the numbers of the dead.”

  Her brows rose slightly. “I do not know of an attack!”

  “Then what distress do you speak of?”

  “I have been told that you had a human here, and it proved difficult to return her to her realm. Is she still here?”

  Brennan frowned and silently cursed the goblins’ tendency to gossip. “I did. Drake and I happened upon her directly after we’d been attacked. I needed to ensure that she had nothing to do with the ambush. Once the Court Mage determined she had nothing to do with it, she was returned home.” Once again, he felt no need to let anyone know that his own mother had gone with Iris.

  Ailla stepped closer, curling her fingers into his. “I am curious to hear how a human female came to be here. Is she still here? I would love to see her, see what one looks like. I haven’t even seen a human child in ages,” She smiled at him.

  Of course. Humans were a curiosity in Fae. It made sense. But something in Ailla’s manner didn’t feel right to him. Why did she care about this? He still couldn’t fathom how she’d heard of Iris being her so quickly.

  She led him towards a bench near the window with the gentlest of pressure on their clasped hands.

  He put a smile on his face. “Of course. I am glad you wish to sit, as it is a tale of some length.”

  “Indeed? I am greatly interested.” Ailla sat close to him, and leaned in. Now Brennan heard the quiet steel behind her words. What might have been brushed off as general curiosity had moved into something else. Ailla had some other reason for being here. Iris’ presence was a mere diversion. Was Ailla on some mission from her father?

  Brennan didn’t like the varying emotions that flooded him as he considered his betrothed. His feeling of something being not quite right increased. This all felt planned. Even her concern for him.

  He started at the beginning, keeping his voice steady, almost bored. When he told her of his goblins, however, he couldn’t keep the emotion from the telling. He stopped speaking, looking away from her.

  “Your devotion to the goblins is admirable,” she said. He felt it was the first unplanned thing she’d said since he came in.

  “No more than you and your family are devoted to the dragons. They are not fae, but they deserve no less.”

  “Of course not.” The calm mask fell back into place. “It speaks well of you, however, Brennan. I am sorry, please continue.”

  He went on, making light of the situation with Iris, and finished with, “Taranath has seen her home. She did not fare well in her time here, and I wished to have no further deaths on my door.”

  He didn’t tell her that Iris was part fae. There seemed to be a lot of things he wasn’t telling those around him.

  She patted his hand with the one not holding his. “Very understandable. Who do you think the attacker is?”

  For the first time since he’d entered the queen’s quarters, Brennan relaxed.

  “I don’t know. I wish that I had some idea. Have you in your kingdom heard any word of unhappiness with my rule, or heard of some grudge or other reason for anger among the goblins?”

  She shook her head. “The realm is looking forward to our wedding and the increasing ties between our two kingdoms.”

  “I need to find him. I cannot have this instigator running free causing death among my people. I will not have a return to the time before my rule.”

  He snuck a glance at her as he said it. He wanted to see if she reacted.

  Nothing.

  Damn these dragon women. They were skilled at hiding their secrets. If she even had any secrets. He didn’t want to think too hard about what had him doubting his future mate. Ailla had done nothing to incur this sort of suspicion from him. Only a sense of unease that had not stopped since he’d joined her.

  “I will, of course, speak with my father. He may have some ideas as to why this is happening now. Did the attacker seem to be an elder?”

  Fae didn’t age much, but those who were older had an aura about them that alluded to their age and experience.

  Brennan shook his head. “No, but I will admit that I wasn’t paying attention to detail during our encounter.”

  “That is understandable. I don’t know that anyone would have.”

  “You would have,” he admitted ruefully. For all his ambivalence about Ailla, he didn’t discount that she was a spectacular woman. She would, as his father reminded him, be a strong partner.

  She smiled, and again he had the sense that the real, unrehearsed Ailla sat with him momentarily.

  “I thank you for the compliment, Brennan. I’d
like to think so, but one can never tell. If my people were lying dead before me, I cannot say that my attention to detail would be all that competent.”

  “I am sorry that this has made you travel,” he said. He hoped he didn’t sound as false as he felt. In fact his mind hummed with possibilities. Ailla, while concerned for his safety, showed more interest in Iris than anything else. If there were some reason…it would be better to know before they married. She shrugged. He wondered why he hadn’t seen the more relaxed Ailla before now.

  “I don’t mind. We will be wed soon. Your concerns are mine.”

  Brennan wasn’t sure he believed that. Not with the Dragon King as a parent. No need to debate that now.

  “I am not sure where my mother is. Otherwise, you could both make progress in the planning.”

  Ailla stood, an air of briskness about her. “I leave that to my mother as well. I will return home and confer with my father. If he should have any answers about who might have attacked you, I will contact you.”

  He stood with her. “Let me escort you to the portal, Ailla.”

  She smiled up at him. “That would be nice, Brennan. I am,” she said suddenly, “Sorry that I missed my chance to see a human girl. What was she like?”

  Brennan heard the tension in her tone. Why did Iris bother her so? He stumbled over what to say as they walked out of the queen’s quarters and towards the throne room.

  On the way, Drake appeared from a side hallway.

  Saved by my brother, Brennan thought. He didn’t think he could speak calmly about Iris, and he certainly didn’t want to speak of her to one as perceptive as Ailla.

  “Bren, I thin—oh.” Drake’s voice changed. “My lady Ailla. I am sorry. I didn’t realize you were here.” He bowed respectfully to her.

  Ailla nodded, and Brennan noticed something in her that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

  “I needed to confer with my intended. Now I must return home.”

  “Not home for long, though?” Why did Drake seem overly cheerful? And polite? What was that about?

  Ailla gave Drake what Brennan could only describe as a sharp look.

  “The Dragon Realm will always be my home of my youth. The Goblin Realm will be home for the rest of my life.”

  “That is good to hear, my lady. Brennan, I would speak with you once the Lady Ailla has departed. My lady,” he bowed to Ailla and went the opposite direction.

  “Drake seems born to annoy all those around me,” Brennan said, hoping to lighten a shift in the mood he didn’t understand.

  “He is lucky to have you,” Ailla replied. Whatever had caused her flare of temper had passed.

  “No, I am fortunate to have him. He is true and loyal.” Even when I don’t want it, thinking about their conversation on the castle parapet.

  Ailla tucked her arm through his as they walked into the throne room.

  He led her to the portal and passed his hand across it to activate it.

  As she took her arm from his, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

  She clasped his hand in both of hers.

  “I am glad that you were able to send the human female home so easily. That she didn’t create much trouble.”

  He looked down at her, puzzled at her words. What did Iris have to do with anything they’d been discussing? Why did Ailla keep bringing her up?

  Everything. She has everything to do with everything, his traitorous mind whispered. Stop it, he told himself. Admitting it, even just to himself felt…wrong while he stood here with Ailla. Worse, what if she could see his thoughts? Every fae had different skills. If she could tell what his thoughts were… “She was…” He stopped. He didn’t know what he’d been about to say, but it wouldn’t have been good in the context of standing and talking with his betrothed. He cleared his throat.

  “How could I have done otherwise? Drake was not correct in his fears, but he was right to be cautious.” He hoped that his voice didn’t sound strangled. He couldn’t stop the snarl of his thoughts at what he’d just admitted to himself.

  “Then I am glad you have one another,” her voice dropped to a near-whisper. “Take care of…”

  “Yes?” He smiled at her, wanting to assuage whatever it was that concerned her. Reassure himself that he’d given nothing away.

  “Yourself.” She let go of his hands, settled her gown, gave him one last sharp look, and stepped through the portal without a backwards glance.

  Brennan stood for a few moments after she left. What had all that been about? Nothing she did made any sense. He’d seen more emotion from her in the short time she’d been here today than he had for as long as he’d known her. He couldn’t contain his fear that he’d exposed his thoughts and what that would mean for the future. Why did she focus on Iris? What did she know? What did she suspect?

  His musing broke into scattered thoughts as Drake came into the throne room.

  “So what did she want?”

  “She came here because someone, no doubt some of my talkative staff, spread the word that we had a human here, and that the human took some work to return to her realm.” He walked towards the large window opposite the portal, not wanting Drake to see his face. He couldn’t hide from Drake. Not when his thoughts were in such turmoil.

  Drake cocked his head. “Why would she be concerned about Iris?”

  Brennan glared at him briefly before facing the window again. “I don’t know. You haven’t been talking to her as you have to me, have you?”

  “Of course not! I save my insolence and truth for your ears alone, your lordship., ” Drake mocked.

  “Well, that’s good. I’d hate to subject anyone else to your tendency to rattle on.”

  “That doesn’t mean I don’t rattle the truth, Bren.” The teasing note had disappeared.

  “I appreciate your concern for my—”

  The portal behind them flashed with sudden light, indicating that someone allowed to use it had opened it.

  He stood back and then jumped forward to catch Nerida as she tumbled through.

  “Damn the Human Realm!” She steadied herself against Brennan as she regained her balance. “Nothing can be easy with it.”

  “Mother, how goes things?” For once, Brennan appreciated his mother’s tendency to focus on her own concerns. Anything to shift his thoughts from his own.

  She swatted his arm. “Not well, and I don’t need any of your talk.”

  “I merely asked what I thought was a general question, as I was not sure what to ask,” Brennan protested.

  Nerida stood and brushed off her skirts. “I need your help, Brennan. I didn’t wish to ask you, but I feel I have no other choice. I need your skill. The skill of the Goblin King.”

  “Mother, are you serious?” Drake looked from her to Brennan.

  Did she need help with Iris? What could she need his help for? What in the Human Realm had stumped her? He found his initial irritation diminish a bit at the thought of what might have happened. “What is it you need help with? Did you not return Iris to her home?” He ignored the specific request that Nerida had made.

  To his surprise, Nerida leaned against him again, and he could feel sadness rolling off her.

  “I did. We did. Taranath and I found her home and saw her mother. The mother is as sick as Iris said she is. Then we contacted Imara, and Imara used a portal to come at my request.”

  “And?” While he couldn’t deny his feelings, no one else needed to know. The more they continued to talk of Iris, the longer it would take to lock her away in his memories.

  “Oh, Brennan!”

  Brennan drew back from the pain in Nerida’s words.

  “Mother? What is it?” Drake led her to one of the benches in the throne room and made her sit.

  “I made a complete muddle of it all! Of the entire thing! I told Iris that I wasn’t sure we could heal her mother. Iris wanted us to bring the woman back here, to use the fae magic to heal her, and Taranath told her no. I told her that w
e’d promised nothing. Then Iris yelled at me, screamed at me, and called me names, and told me I was an awful person for using her mother to get what I wanted. We could have healed her, I believe. But…” She stopped, lost in thought.

  “Mother, is what Iris said true?” Drake asked gently.

  “Well, yes, but not entirely. I was more than happy to see if we could help one of our own, even if she is not fully fae. It wasn’t that I intended to break a promise! Iris got in the way!”

  “Where is the mage?” Brennan interjected.

  “He is still there, with Imara and Claire—Iris’s mother—and her father. Our being there did help, everyone could see that. Unfortunately, Iris had a reaction, which was odd and ought to be looked into,” She frowned, obviously thinking about it again. Then the sadness returned to her face. “Because of Iris’ interference, we were unable to heal Claire. Taranath is trying to ascertain if he can do anything more.”

  “You found the grandmother? It was the fae woman you thought it was?”

  “Yes, yes, it is Imara. Interestingly, she behaved just as her parents did when her daughter chose on her own. That’s neither here nor there. I need you to return with me, Brennan. I would not ask it if you were not my son, but I need the aid of the Goblin King.” She put weight on the last two words.

  “Mother, why do you care so much about this?” Brennan hadn’t seen his mother get disturbed like this in a long time. To ask him to use the full force of his magic as the king of his realm! She’d never made such a request of him.

  “Because of the way that Iris looked at me when she shouted at me. Full of hurt, and anger, and…” Nerida’s voice trailed into silence.

  “And?” Drake prompted.

  “She is right. I promised to see if we could help her mother, and I did actually promise, but my main concern was to find her grandmother. I didn’t mind helping the woman if we could, but Iris saw straight through me, and she called me…”

  Brennan felt his ire rising. No one had the right to call his mother anything. Other than himself. She was a dreadful meddler.

  “What?” Drake again.

  “A selfish cow,” Nerida whispered.

  Drake and Brennan looked at one another over her bowed head, and both of them burst out laughing.