My eyebrows rise, but I wait.
“There was a wraith attack on the Crystal Court as well,” the High Queen says, her eyes narrowed. “It began in unison with the rebel attack.”
Several things whip through my mind as this new information settles. The wraith attack had nothing to do with the shadow rebels, I am confident of that. But perception is reality, and that’s exactly what my enemies are banking on.
Control of the escaped wraiths from the Schorchedlands, we’ve learned, was gifted to the Night Terror’s new ally. Drake. It’s not a leap to suggest he sent the wraiths to increase the rebel attack and further vilify Caelynn’s Court—to make them seem more dangerous than they are.
The Shadow Court is nearly in ruin since its fall from grace a few hundred years ago. They’re weak and poor. A battle against them would be a catastrophe, but Drake could easily convince the fae realm at large that the Shadow Court is deserving of punishment if they are not only attacking one of the High Courts but also have a large amount of power on their side. No fae is a fan of wraiths.
I know everything that is precious to you. And I will take it away from you bit by bit.I blink back the panic rising in my chest. I pull in a long breath and force myself to think logically. Drake controlling the wraiths is an issue but not one I can tackle here and now. It’s unlikely Drake pushed therebelsto attack. His monstrous allies likely tipped him off and he only used the situation to his advantage. Which means the rebel attack was legitimate, and that is the issue we must focus on now.
“What did the rebels attack? What were they after?” I ask, forcing my chin up.
“They were making a point, surely,” one of the Frost advisors chimes in. “A message that they are not friends of the High Courts.”
“They’ve sent messages in the past. Threats. Marching soldiers,” one of the advisors adds.
“Those were protests, not attacks,” another advisor says. “This is a serious escalation.”
The group murmurs in agreement.
“If this was only motivated by anger—a message, as you say—do you really think they’d choose the Crystal Court to attack?” I ask, pivoting to the dark-skinned male. “The court whose princess has openly allied with Caelynn, their hero.”
He purses his lips.
“Kari was injured in the wraith attack,” the High Queen says softly.
My blood runs cold, and then my attention whips to her. “Is she alright?” I finally manage.
The High Queen dips her head in a small nod.
I pull in a breath and hold it for a few moments. The High Queen and the rest of the ruling courts do not like that I openly defend Caelynn. They think I’m biased. So, I withhold all of the things I long to say—to scream at these fae about how wonderful Caelynn is and how those evil monsters will continually try to vilify her and her people.
In reality, we do not know what the rebels were after. I know very little of the rebels in general, and Caelynn likely doesn’t either considering she hasn’t been to any inhabited part of her court in a decade.
I, however, have heard many rumors of unrest within the Shadow Court in that time. The Shadow fae are enraged at their standing within the court system and their general treatment. And from what I’ve heard from Caelynn about life in that region, I can’t blame them.
“I’d like to look deeper into why and how the Shadow Court rebels attacked rather than simply label them terrorists,” I tell the group.
The High Queen’s nostrils flare, her fiery auburn eyes flickering. “They attacked a monument, destroying statues and stealing the gemstones that decorated their eyes.”
“Magic-filled stones?” I ask quietly.
The queen nods.
“They are building up power?” the Frost Court Queen asks. “That is concerning.”
“Or simply trying to survive,” I add. “Are we up to date on the poverty levels in those lands? They are considered poor and weak, but do we know the full extent of it?”
The Frost Queen blinks.
The High Queen lifts her chin. “There is poverty in every court, the Shadow Court especially, but—”
I hold up a hand. “I don’t mean to say that it excuses their actions. But I don’t think our first assumption should be that they are building power to attack. A starving father will easily resort to theft to feed his family. The Shadow Court has a mere fraction of the magic that the other ruling courts have by this point, and a few old gemstones will do little to even the playing field. From what I understand, they don’t even have enough to fuel their own palace, let alone the ability to access heat in the winters, clean water, or the ability to feed their crops. I don’t think we should be worrying about their power to attack but rather what put them in the state of desperation to begin with.”
“But if they have wraiths on their side, that certainly makes them a dangerous enemy.”
I hold back a sigh. “We should certainly begin an investigation about the wraiths. There is an increase in wraith activity in general, so we should begin tracking that. We may learn a lot.” There, impartial with the vague possibility of uncovering where the true control of the wraiths lies. “However, I don’t believe for a second that the Shadow Court has control over more than a few wraiths. I believe the wraiths are a secondary issue. We must deal with the Shadow Court delicately. Punishing them could exacerbate the issue.”
