Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
But then our clothing was tugged in a way that could not be ignored (sadly).
Therefore, True let me go but swung an arm around my shoulders, which meant I received the delight of winding mine around his waist, and with an escort of gnomes, he walked us deeper into The Doors.
“It is hard not to be concerned about it, True,” Baldrick said.
Baldrick was a gnome I had met earlier, and he was introduced as the Grand Fell, the leader of the gnomes of The Doors.
He also had white hair, but his face was full of lines, heralding his age. And he had a big belly, something which most of the others, men and women, did not.
They were diminutive, but they were fit.
And I’d noted that age did not factor in hair color. There were a few gnomes with brown hair, but most had hair in shades of gray or white.
We were sitting on a bench made of artfully woven and arched shoots and stems, some of them still having green leaves on them (for the bench grew out of the earth).
We were also surrounded by gnomes who sat perched on stone slabs set in the soil or on tri-legged stools, cushions or rugs they’d brought out, these set on the roots, leaves and turf.
True and I had tankards of ale (practically everyone had tankards of ale in their hands, though True had set his aside on the arm of the bench so he could hold my hand). They were smaller than ones found in the pubs of this land, but they were not that small (gnomes, I’d learned, like their ale).
I had investigated some of what lay behind The Doors (as much as I could, the doors were small, the ceilings were low, but I’d been invited into a few of the homes). It was quaint, interesting, homey and appealing.
But nothing rivaled what lay without.
Now we were settled into one of the only areas that seemed designed for non-gnomes (which meant True’s men were sitting on rugs on the ground with their tankards of ale) and visiting.
“I did not say you shouldn’t be concerned, Baldrick,” True replied peaceably. “I simply told you not to be too alarmed and asked you to lead your people to that same place. All nations are aware, and all are moving to do something about it.”
We were talking about the quakes.
True had not shared that they heralded the return of the Beast, something I knew that all the sovereigns wished to keep quiet for fear of mass panic and what might come of that.
However, unusually, that seemed to be the only thing True wasn’t sharing.
“So the quakes come from magic,” Baldrick deduced.
“We’re assured this is the case by the Great Coven,” True told him.
At mention of that coven, Baldrick noted, “It is rumored Ophelia is unwell.”
True had his arm across the back of the bench, but at its end, it was curved around my shoulder.
I had decided, after that kiss, to rest my hand on his thigh.
It had, at first, been a mistake for what lay under my hand was hard as steel and thus, far too affecting.
But at that point, True had set his tankard aside, curled the fingers of his freed hand around mine and held it there, so I did not pull away.
And at Baldrick’s remark, I twisted mine in order I could curl my fingers around his and give them a squeeze.
“I do not know,” True evaded.
“You’ve just been with her,” Baldrick pointed out.
“You know of Ophelia,” True replied. “If she is, she would not say. And you know of Serena, if you mentioned anything of the like, she’d slit your throat. You also know of Elena, if her mother is ill, she’d be doing something about it.”
“With Elena bound to Airen, if something happens to Ophelia—” Baldrick began.
“Much change is happening across Triton, Baldrick. We’ve made peaceful treaties with Firenze and Mar-el that will open great trade for the people of Wodell. And Gallienus feels it’s time for his son to have more responsibility. Cassius has much different sensibilities than his father, and this means good change will be happening in Airen as well.”
“This is promising news, True. Most especially the alliances forming between Wodell and Firenze,” Baldrick remarked, glancing briefly with an equally brief nod at me before he turned back to True. “But a Nadirii led by Serena would not be welcome to any land.”
“Ophelia is not blind to her daughter’s flaws, Baldrick.”
“She is also not old enough to leave this earth, but if she is ill…” He shook his head. “Even a witch as powerful as Ophelia does not have power over all. And she cannot see all, including the future. Anything can befall anyone at any time. The only hope was that Elena would be heralded the successor, but now she is to be Queen of Airen, of all places.”