Lovely Dark Things

FIVE (ISELEN POV)

I feel like I've gone back in time to the old days, to the first years I lived in Baalberith, working hard to keep the dark elves happy, building walls, roads, new ships, designing strong towers, temples and palaces while I try to survive helped by my assassin.

Ruby believes that I got back the Queen's favour, the Lady of the Dark Elves enjoys reading my books, but I don't know if they're really useful or she only uses them as an excuse to annoy the hell out of Helien and Sryne. These two powerful elves hate me the way they used to do before the war against the chaos demons and tension builds up around me. They think I've been hiding information from them, that the Queen is learning new magical tricks thanks to me and they're dying to know what's in those books. Some spies were caught trying to sneak into My Lady's private rooms to take a look at those pages and the High Priestess sent Shurien to search our rooms with a stupid excuse; luckily, I caught her before she could take anything from my desk. Ruby's mother is trying to sit on the fence, obeying her boss and maintaining a good relationship with us at the same time.

Unfortunately, I can't count on the Black Guard to watch my back as I used to. The Captain protected my life because my success added to the prestige of the family, even if Ruby wants to get his job, but he's too focused on the fight to get the new position as the Lord of the Slaver's Gate now. Actually, the Captain doesn't want to be the next drachau but the court is a hotbed of intrigues and it's easier for him to get rid of some annoying enemies in the turmoil. After a few decades of relative calm, dark elves are back to their old ways and murder, torture, disappearances and machinations are part of the daily routine again.

All this slows down the progress of my work and I can't wander around the fortress relatively safely anymore, as I used to do lately. Ruby comes with me everywhere, watching me like a hawk, checking every movement I make, every conversation, every new project, watching the craftsmen, nobles, guards and whoever gets close to me, while my mind is buzzing with ideas and I smile, hug her, kiss her... and lie to her. Like I did in the old days...

I pretend to be busy designing a big sawmill with machines that will work thanks to the power of water, like a traditional watermill, and we'll get planks to build ships even faster, but my mind is focused on finding a good excuse to get closer to the King, have a conversation with him alone and raise the issue that I know both of us are worried about... The one that Ruby banned me from talking about.

Eldire... The goody-goody princess. She's always standing next to the Queen, watching us quietly, smiling, never getting into trouble. She hasn't chosen a lover, doesn't support a particular group in the court, is always respectful when she talks to the High Priestess and the Head of the Brides of the God of War, with the Captain, court officials and heads of the most powerful clans. It's been weeks since her presentation is society and most elves ignore her; they aren't interested in her because, due to her cautious behaviour, she's useless in their power games. They aren't even suspicious, Eldire is another member of the Queen's entourage, a wallflower that only wears fancy dresses and jewels, she always agrees with her mother and behaves shyly around her brother.

Although the King tries to avoid her whenever he can, that's pretty obvious, at least for me. The Lord of the Dark Elves has retreated to his chambers, using the excuse that he doesn't want to interfere in the competition, he wants to watch the fight to become the next Lord of the City of Executioners from the distance and doesn't attend court ceremonies anymore. But I believe he's avoiding his mother, the Queen is determined to force her son to admit she was right, that they took her baby away from her and Eldire is her lost daughter. For now, the King has remained silent, letting My Lady do whatever she wants but he's never admitted publicly and out loud that she could be his sister. Unfortunately, this also means that I haven't had the chance of talking to him discreetly.