Falling Kingdoms - Prologue + 3 chapters

Chapter 3

LIMEROS

Someone asked Magnus a question, but he hadn't been paying any attention. After a while, everyone at a banquet like this began to resemble a swarm of buzzing fruit flies. Annoying, but impossible to squash quickly and easily.

      He pasted what he hoped was a pleasant expression on his face and turned to his left to face one of the more vocal of the insects. He took another bite of kaana and swallowed it without chewing in an attempt to evade the taste. He barely glanced at the salted beef next to it on his pewter plate. He was quickly losing his appetite.

     "Apologies, my lady," he said. "I didn't quite hear that."

     "Your sister, Lucia," Lady Sophia said, dabbing at the corner of her mouth with an embroidered jacquard napkin. "She's grown into a lovely young woman, hasn't she?"

      Magnus blinked. Small talk was so taxing. "She has indeed."

      "Tell me again, what age has she turned today?"

      "Sixteen."

      "Lovely girl. And so polite."

      "She was raised well."

      "Of course. Is she betrothed to anyone yet?"

      "Not yet."

     "Mmm. My son, Bernardo, is very accomplished, quite handsome, and what he lacks in height he more than makes up for in intelligence. I think they would make a fine match."

      "This, my lady, is something I would suggest you speak to my father about."

      Why had he been seated directly next to this woman? She was ancient and smelled of dust and also, for some bizarre reason, seaweed. Perhaps she had emerged from the Silver Sea and traveled up over the rocky cliffs to get to the frosty granite Limeros castle at the top rather than across the ice-covered land like everyone else.

      Her husband, Lord Lenardo, leaned forward in his high-backed seat. "Enough about matchmaking, wife. I'm curious to know what the prince's thoughts are on the problems in Paelsia."

      "Problems?" Magnus responded.

      "The recent unrest caused by the murder of a poor wine seller's son at market a week ago in full sight of everyone."

      Magnus slid his index finger casually around the edge of his goblet. "A murder of a poor wine seller's son. Pardon my seeming disinterest, but that doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary. The Paelsians are a savage race, quick to violence. I've heard they'll happily eat their meat raw if their fires take too long to build."

      Lord Lenardo gave him a crooked grin. "Indeed. But this is unusual since it was at the hands of a visiting royal from Auranos."

      This was more interesting. Marginally. "Is that so? Who?"

      "I don't know, but there are rumors that Princess Cleiona herself was involved in the altercation."

      "Ah. I've found rumors have much in common with feathers. It's rare that either holds much weight."

      Unless, of course, those rumors proved true.

      Magnus was well aware of the youngest princess of Auranos. She was a great beauty the same age as his sister-he'd met her once when they were both small children. He felt no interest in going to Auranos again. Besides, his father severely disliked the Auranian king and as far as he knew, the feeling was mutual.