Court of Flame Page 3

  Rolling my eyes, I moved on to another message, this one from Ruth. I hoped it wasn't another messy situation like the last one. It wasn't at all. But I didn't know if that was a good thing.

  Hello Adara,

  I hope this message finds you well.

  I'm contacting you because I thought I should let you know there are some odd stirrings going on in the flock. A strange excitement seems to be taking over the segment that leans more towards being against Sven. They're just meeting and talking among themselves, as far as I know.

  But there has definitely been more activity than normal, which is what caught my attention.

  I still haven't been able to get an answer about why they seem so energized, but seeing as Sven was clear he didn't want to squash differing opinions, I haven't pushed the matter.

  But I still thought you should know. Any unexplained changes always have me feeling uneasy nowadays.

  -Ruth

  Hmm. That was odd. I shot her a message back, making a note of it while I moved on to the next. I barreled through a few more routine issues before I hit another message that was eerily similar to Ruth's.

  Hello Adara,

  I thought it would be prudent to inform you of an increased level of activity among a certain group in our flock. I wouldn't think anything of it except this set of people isn't exactly pro-Sven. Anyway...

  I read through the message, feeling my stomach tighten. One was troubling. Two was more so. Then I found a third one after clicking through a few more messages. All right, three was a pattern. I sent back requests for more information and reached out to my network of informants to see if there were more instances of this kind of change. There was no law against protesting, or gathering in groups, even if the reason was to complain about the Crown.

  Sven was very clear on that. He didn't want to be like Emberich, stifle all opposition against him until it grew in the dark, a tumor that could eventually kill. That didn't mean we needed to be stupid about this.

  I opened a new file, put everything I'd learned so far in there, and waited to see if I needed to do more than keep an eye on it. I hoped it was nothing. But I didn't make plans based on hope alone.

  Not when it was this important.

  Chapter Four

  The information pouring in from the feelers I'd sent out was not reassuring. I decided I had to call a meeting. Everyone needed to be aware of this.

  "Something is going on. Roughly a third of the flocks are reporting some unusual activity among those who believe Sven isn't fit—"

  "Who is reporting?" Blaise asked, frowning as he interrupted me. "I've heard a stray rumor here and there, but nothing to write home about."

  "My informants, people whom I've developed relationships with over the years," I managed to get out without sounding too impatient. It was a valid question, one I was sure the others might have been thinking as well. "We need to keep an eye on this. One or two flocks, fine, we don't live in a static state. But we're looking at a very solid percentage of the total flocks here, and the changes reported are similar. Roughly a third of our flocks, including ones that are headed by Chieftains that are supporters."

  "That is troubling," Arie agreed, her pretty face reflecting her worry. She shook her head as she leaned forward, resting her forearm against the table. "But we cannot be seen going after political dissenters. It isn't the type of leadership we want to show. If I am not mistaken, they have not yet committed any kind of treasonous or threatening act against the King. Am I right?"

  "Yes," I said. "But acts begin with words," I added, not wanting her, or any of the others, to simply dismiss warning signs.

  "I understand that concern," Arie said slowly. "But I do think it is best at this juncture to be permissive. Better to have this out in the open."

  She was speaking from experience, I was sure. When Sven and his group had conspired against Emberich, they'd done so in secret, careful not to let on their end goal. Emberich had not been one to allow even a hint of dissent against him.

  "We'll keep an eye on it," Sven announced, speaking up after hearing our differing opinions on what was going on. "Arie is right. We can't do anything about it, but we can keep our ears to the ground. And I think we should."

  He looked over at me. I nodded, leaning back in my seat as the regular meeting continued on to other things.

  That was all we could do, but I had wanted to inform everyone about the situation because it was all I could do at the moment. And I wanted to know if they had other information, or had heard anything different. We didn't speak to the same people, after all. Though many of our jobs overlapped from time to time, we generally worked in different arenas. Apart from what they might have heard, I'd also just wanted their opinions. A fresh eye on things could see something I didn't.

  Although we'd dealt with the issue as best we could for now, I still listened to the rest of the topics with half an ear, only interjecting when it was something I had some experience with. I was preoccupied, my brain worrying at the problem that I couldn't help but feel was going to burgeon into something more. Sven's advisers were all experienced and intelligent. They had a good handle on most of the other issues. My input wasn't strictly necessary.

  I came back to the present as everyone started to disband, the sounds of chairs scraping back and more casual chatter pulling me back to the room around me.

  Sven squeezed my shoulder. "We'll keep an eye on it," he reassured me, helping me out of my seat. And proving how well he knew me at this point. "No point in worrying about something we can't do anything about now, right? There's so many other balls in the air that we have to juggle too.”

  I sighed, letting him draw me to my feet. "You're right," I agreed. "It's just difficult to shake it off."

  "Hmm. Come on. It's about time for a food break anyway. You'll feel better with a full belly."

  That was usually true. So I let him distract me with some burgers. Truly delicious ones, though it was the company that really helped get me out of my own head.

  "See you tonight," Sven murmured, giving me a firm kiss after walking me back to my office. "I asked the Head Chef to make some chocolate cake," he added, wagging his eyebrows.

  "Be still my heart," I murmured, covering my chest with my hand. "I believe I have indeed found the perfect man."

  He chuckled, squeezing my hand, and leaning in to whisper something very work-inappropriate in my ear. I could feel the blush heating my cheeks and tried not to think about the fact that we weren't alone. Reelin, Amna, Igna, and the latest guard he'd roped into palace duty made themselves scarce. They were pretty good at it, though I never forgot they were there. With one last squeeze goodbye, Sven left with a look that held a promise I was really looking forward to. I headed back in to work in a much better mood than when I'd left.

  The first message I saw only helped buoy my mood even more. It was from Siro.

  Hi Adara!

  Oh, man, you're not going to believe what they're making us do for our art projects this year...

  I settled in to read the long, rambling message, almost able to hear her expressive voice in my head. I was about due for another visit. I'd ask Sven when he could clear his schedule because I knew he'd want to come too. He really liked Siro, but I knew part of the reason was he wanted to know the people I cared about too. It was really sweet. And Siro got a real kick out of being seen hanging out with the Phoenix King himself.

  Smiling to myself, I sent her a message back, giving her a suggestion for her project and updating her about my activities too. It felt so good to have her back in my life. But then I had to move on to work again.

  Clearing my head, I settled back into the routine of it. I would never tell Blaise this, but it was kind of nice having him working with me as another Internal Liaison to the Crown. He took care of most of the things that were cut and dried, that had a clear 'yes' or 'no' answer. I took care of the messier situations that involved people and their feelings, like negotiations and disputes. I
t wasn't that we'd consciously divided it that way—it was more that people contacted me specifically for certain issues more times than not.

  Blaise sometimes complained about not being fully in the loop, but I could also see a hint of relief in him when he didn't have to directly deal with issues like the teenagers' families. I didn't blame him. We were just suited to this division of tasks better. At least this way I could devote more time and energy to those kinds of problems.

  I got through a couple more things with that thought brewing, before I came across another message from Ruth, a very unexpected one.

  I opened it quickly.

  Adara,

  Ray is no longer our Chieftain. The segment of the flock I wrote to you about earlier has managed to wrest control away from him. They weren't a majority, but they made a convincing enough case to make enough of the flock turn against him. I feel much of the reason they succeeded was because he wasn't all that popular to begin with, but the fact remains that now Lawrence is the Chieftain—someone who has never been a big supporter of Sven, and someone who was part of the group that had recently become more active.

  I know this news would reach you within the three days required after leadership change, but I thought it was important to let you know immediately.

  I worry about the flock's future.

  -Ruth

  Shit. I read it again.

  The last thing we needed was another Chieftain who wasn't open to any new ideas, who had a baked-in bias against Sven before he even suggested anything. Sven was a leader who was advocating for change, for a new beginning. People didn't like change. Resistance was inevitable.

  Was this more than what could be expected? Or just a natural counterbalance to Sven?

  Even though Ruth was right that Ray hadn't been the most popular leader, neither had he been a bad one. Questionable at times, but not bad, not when it came to his people. He wouldn't have lasted as Chieftain for as long as he had otherwise.

  Perhaps it really was just a case of people finally being given an alternative they liked better. I turned that thought around in my head, feeling the cracks in that theory. Maybe if there hadn't been similar movement in other flocks... I was going to have to bring this up with Sven. It wasn't an emergency, so I waited until I saw him.

  "Ray's been deposed by Lawrence," I informed him as we sat down to dinner.

  Maybe not the most elegant introduction to the topic, but I needed to tell him straight away. I knew I couldn't concentrate on anything else until I did.

  "What?" Sven frowned. "I haven't gotten an official change of leadership announcement."

  "It's coming," I told him, picking up my fork, twisting it in my hands. "I was told by Ruth." Sven knew Ruth and respected her. Her information was always accurate, her tone always measured.

  "Lawrence," Sven muttered, shaking his head.

  "I know," I agreed. "Not great."

  Ray hadn't been the best, but he'd been someone we could work with. He'd always wanted to stay on Sven's good side, wanted to avoid confrontation with the Crown when he could. Lawrence was the type to grandstand if it suited him. Not the most helpful quality in a Chieftain.

  Sven sighed as he started in on the food.

  "We'll have to work with it," he said after a moment. He didn't sound enthusiastic, but I didn't expect him to. "I don't want to get involved with any flock's internal politics. Not my place."

  I hummed my agreement. Even Emberich hadn't made it a habit of interfering there. But I was going to keep an eye on this for him. Ideals and morals aside, it was only prudent to know the possible opposition, know what they might be thinking. Might be planning.

  We moved on to other topics, but it was still at the back of my mind as we went to bed that day. And when I went back to my office the next morning to find two more messages about changes in leadership waiting for me. Both were from informants who'd also warned me about the strange burst of energy the anti-Sven groups had displayed.

  I was bumping this up to an immediate priority. It could not be ignored. Even Arie would have to sit up and take notice now that actual, measurable changes were occurring. I sent Sven a message.

  Three Chieftains have been replaced. Need meeting ASAP.

  It didn't take him long to reply.

  Meeting in twenty.

  Even in just twenty minutes, I'd gotten three more such messages.

  This felt like the beginning of something.

  I didn't know what, but I didn't think we were going to like it.

  "Something big is happening," I started as we all sat down around the large table. "Six Chieftains shoved out of power in two days? That isn't a coincidence. It's a timed and concerted effort." I looked around the table. "They've coordinated things. They're organized. And they're ready to take action."

  "It is certainly attention grabbing," Joash agreed, interlacing his hands over his stomach. He was in his forties, but his thinning blond hair was the only clue to his age.

  "Has the sentiment against us grown that much?" Arie wondered out loud. "It has existed since Sven took the throne, but that was to be expected, and it was a minority."

  "I don't believe so," Blaise ventured, looking over at me.

  "I don't think so either," I agreed. "It seems as if the minority is simply mobilizing now, and they're a strong, united force. A very vocal minority."

  "We need more intel," Mishal observed. "We need to know the tone of the meetings they were having, what their intent is, what kind of goals they've set."

  It was fair to assume they might have something clearly stated if they were this organized.

  "I'm working on it," I said grimly, just as my watch went off with another message. I opened it.

  "Reyan is down," I said, reading the message swiftly, my mouth tightening at what it contained. "She's been replaced with Flick."

  Another dissenter.

  "Shit," Arie muttered into the resulting silence.

  We could all agree on that. But not on what to do about it. The fact of the matter remained, all of this was still tied into local flock politics. There was nothing that had been done so far that we could act on and not seem as though we were overstepping our bounds. Frustration rose as we left another meeting, our hands tied beyond watching and waiting. In the next couple of days, even more Chieftains were pushed out, until we were at about a third of the total flocks headed by people not sympathetic to the current regime. It was like watching a train barreling down at us and not being able to do anything about it.

  "I'm going to see what's happening on the ground," I said in the next emergency meeting. I was getting heartily tired of talking about the problem and not doing anything. I was only getting so much out of my informants at this point. I wasn't sure what that meant, but it wasn't anything good.

  "She's right," Blaise agreed, much to my surprise. I never looked to him for support on anything. He didn't like me all that much, and the feeling was mutual. We were both professional enough to be civil, so we could work together, but that was as far as it went. "This has gone beyond a simple sit-back-and-wait issue at this point."

  "We cannot be seen meddling with any flock's internal politics," Sven said, his face grim. But he didn't dismiss the idea right away, which let me know how worried he was as well.

  "I won't be meddling," I reassured him. "There are things I can see in person that I can't get from informants," I explained. "Like the tone these Chieftains are intending on taking with the Crown. I'll be able to glean something just by how they treat me."

  I wasn't the King, but I was his Consort. Maybe I'd call my position Crown-adjacent. I also wanted to see what the general sentiment among the flocks was.

  "She can check on things where the Phoenix King cannot," Joash agreed. "It's skirting the line maybe, but not going over it. A very important distinction."

  "I'm still getting updates from my informants," I added. "But..."

  "What is it?" Sven prodded.

  I sighed.

&nb
sp; "I don't want to read too much into anything. But some of them are talking to me less. A few have completely cut off contact." I shook my head. "I don't know if the new Chieftains have put different policies into place, if they're checking outgoing messages, or if those people simply decided they no longer wanted to speak to me." I spread my arms out helplessly. "I need to find out which it is. I have a responsibility to do so, even if just in my position as Liaison, apart from my role as Consort."

  "I don't like sending you alone into something like this," Sven muttered in a low voice.

  "I won't be alone," I said gently. "You know Igna will see to that."

  "And you, my King, cannot be seen sticking your nose into this," Blaise added. "It will simply give the new Chieftains a complaint to add to the fire of dissent they're already stoking."

  He was right about that. And all of the advisers agreed for once. It was prudent for me to pay a visit to at least some of these flocks in person. Sven finally had to give in with all of us united on the idea, but he wasn't happy about it. I didn't dawdle now that we'd decided I should go. I went straight to our rooms as soon as we broke the meeting up.