“Her Majesty Samira, King Ashbal’s mother, was a princess of a neighboring kingdom, though that nation had fallen by the time she joined the harem.”
The underground chamber of the royal palace, where Faraz had led Noah, was lined with an assortment of wine bottles and barrels.
The sturdy stone walls held the underground chill so that the air was cool even in the middle of the day. It was the perfect place for the king’s stand-in to retreat under the pretense of “ill health” that prevented him from attending court, ensuring that their clandestine meeting would go undisturbed.
“The late king took hold of the Golden Falcon and, in just a thousand nights, turned this land into a mighty kingdom. But a rise to power that quick does not come without a fight. There were nations that stood against him, and others who burned with envy.”
Seated on the other side of the table, Faraz uncorked a bottle of wine as he spoke. Noah listened in silence, finding no need to voice his agreement.
This kingdom, despite being surrounded by harsh desert, boasted an abundance of gold as well as an ample supply of water and cultivated plants created through the labor of hired magicians.
“We came out on top in the wars waged by the neighboring nations. Samira was one of the last survivors of the fallen royal family. The late king took her as his queen.”
“Why go so far as to marry a princess who likely bore him nothing but hatred?”
“Well, even with all his wealth, the late king was still a bandit who had climbed his way to the throne. He needed an heir of noble blood to solidify his rule. Marrying Princess Samira did the trick. All at once, it gave both his line a bit of legitimacy and her a safe place to stay in the harem.”
Noah found the notion of placing importance on bloodline rather absurd, but there was some logic to it. After all, magical ability was often inherited, and ensuring a lineage strong in magic was crucial for governance and military power.
“Samira despised this kingdom,” Faraz continued. “And who could blame her? We were the enemy that had destroyed her homeland, the killers of her family.”
Noah listened quietly.
“She hated the Golden Falcon most of all. It was the very thing that had brought about her nation’s downfall.” Faraz paused and then moved to pour wine into two goblets.
“If you intend to drink, you may do so alone, Lord Faraz,” Noah remarked.
“Ohhh? Didn’t you just turn sixteen recently? Don’t tell me you can’t handle it, lad!”
“I wouldn’t know. I have never tasted alcohol.”
“This chamber was built by the late king himself as a secret spot where he and his trusted men could drink in secrecy. It’s a safe place to drink. It’s good to test your limits, you know?”
“This is not a safe place to drink, so I will refrain.”
Noah’s firm refusal caused Faraz to purse his lips in a mock pout, much like a child denied a treat.
Instead of humoring him, Noah fixed him with an expectant stare, which gave an unspoken demand that he continue his explanation. Faraz relented, pouring the wine into only his goblet.
“Samira was the princess of an enemy nation, so plenty of folks resented her very presence in the harem.”
The deep-red liquid shimmered in the golden goblet. Even without magical analysis, Noah suspected the cup was made of real gold.
“Still, she carried herself with dignity on the journey to wed the king. She wore a golden topaz necklace—the only heirloom left from her fallen house. In these parts, gold symbolizes the sun, and the sun is synonymous with the king. His consorts, on the other hand, are the moon.”
That much was evident. The imagery of the sun adorned the garments and titles bestowed upon the king, a mark of his divine authority.
“There were those who romanticized it, saying that by wearing gold, the new queen was demonstrating her devotion to her husband, aligning herself with his symbol. But on the very night she arrived, misfortune struck.” Faraz drained his goblet in one swift motion. “There was a lunar eclipse.”
“A lunar eclipse?”
A celestial event where the full moon wanes and vanishes, only to gradually return over the course of a few hours.
Noah had never witnessed one himself, as none had occurred in his lifetime. But he had read of them and heard Claudia speak of them before.
“The king is the sun. His consort, the moon. And on the night she arrived, the moon disappeared. Around here, a lunar eclipse is considered an omen of death. Some even reckon it foretells a king’s downfall.”
“Then, the queen, who had been meant to serve as a symbol of noble lineage, instead...”
“Instead, she became a harbinger of misfortune,” Faraz confirmed. “She was shunned in the harem, feared by the people and though the late king sought to ease her burden, she despised him.”
Even from these fragments of her story, it was clear that Samira’s life as queen had been far from happy.
“Forced to marry the man who destroyed her homeland, branded a cursed bride from the very night she arrived... When I heard she had fled the harem, I wasn’t the least bit surprised.”
“I understand now why His Majesty’s mother harbored such hatred toward this kingdom and the late king. But I suspect that’s not the true purpose of this conversation.”
At Noah’s prompting, Faraz smirked and poured himself another drink. “I suspect that King Ashbal’s real goal is getting revenge for his late mother.”
Noah frowned. “I had taken you for a loyal vassal of King Ashbal, a man bound to this kingdom by your past service to the late king.”
“And you’d be right. My loyalty to the late king hasn’t wavered one bit. That’s exactly why I must act. If the actions of our current king threaten this kingdom’s peace and prosperity, then it falls to me to stop it, even if it means taking the life of the son of my benefactor.”
This man... He truly is prepared to go that far.
“To tell you the truth, lad, I’ve had my doubts about His Majesty’s words for a good while now.” Faraz stared at his newly filled goblet before he turned his eyes to Noah. “I’ve been wondering... Was the Golden Falcon really stolen?”