A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

The castle’s length goes back just as far with random spiral or sweeping staircases that lead up to other floors. Except not really other floors, but doorways that lead into the sloping ceiling to who knows where. It feels almost a little Alice in Wonderland-ish. The flooring is surprisingly not crystal, but a white marble with silver-gray veins running through it.

There are a few fae walking around—the women are pretty and the men cute—but by no means so dramatically beautiful as some of the other fae I’ve already encountered. They are dressed in what I would consider dull attire. Plain gray or brown dresses for the women and loose pants and tunics for the men. I’m guessing servants, and I assume this is representative of the lower class of Light Fae. Despite the dull colors of their clothing, they actually pop out against all the white and silver of the interior of the castle. Perhaps that was the reason for being monotone in her design of her home. She certainly likes colors to shock and awe.

“The queen is very busy today,” Rebsha drawls as he starts walking down the long hall past various staircases until he comes to a room on the right with a—go figure—crystal door. He opens it, then motions us inside. “Wait in here, and I will see if she will entertain you. Would you like any refreshments?”

This question, of course, was asked to Carrick and I was ignored. Carrick declines though, and I wonder if it’s because he doesn’t trust I won’t be poisoned, or he just wants to hasten things along. Regardless, I’m all for making this quick and getting out of this place.

The door shuts behind Rebsha, and I take a moment to look around.

Holy shit… I think we’re in a throne room. The area is long, rectangular, and devoid of any furniture except for four chairs at one end of the room. While crystal isn’t the prevalent material, the walls are white wooden paneling, and the flooring is the same marble as in the large hall. There’s a raised, three-level dais made of bleached wood polished to a high gloss. On the top level sits a feminine gold-and-silver chair with the seat and back cushions done in white silk. On the next level, to the right of the top chair, sits another in the same colors and material, but in a more masculine style, meaning it was slightly larger with thicker armrests and legs. On the level lowest to the floor, to the left of the top chair, sit two chairs side by side, exact replicas of the first two chairs but not quite as big.

Clearly, that’s where the royal family sits when they attend an audience.

There’s not much else to the room, but it’s overly large, so I imagine it might be a gathering place for announcements and such.

Turning back to Carrick, I ask, “Was that fae—Rebsha—a general in the queen’s military or something?”

“There’s no military,” Carrick replies. “Hasn’t been a need for a while, but if you’re asking because of what he’s wearing, you’ll find there are no fashion trends here at all. It’s all about being different and garnering attention.”

“Weird,” I murmur, walking past Carrick to the far wall where there’s a window framed in silver. When I look out, I realize we’re on the right-hand side of the keep. Nothing but rolling hills and the teal river winding lazily to the horizon. I glance over my shoulder to Carrick. “Where does everyone live? I don’t see any other houses or businesses. Surely all these fae we’ve seen don’t live here in the castle, right?”

Carrick strides toward me, giving a slight shake of his head. “Queen Nimeyah didn’t want anything built within her eyesight.”

“It must take visitors forever to get here,” I ponder out loud.

“Not the nobility or gentry that can bend distance,” Carrick replies. “It would take them but a flash of a second to travel from their home to here on business. The lower class that come here to work usually travel via horse, although there are some servants that reside on the grounds in dormitories at the back of the property.”

I glance up to the ceiling, which is about twelve feet above us, and start walking the length of the room toward the dais. There’s a huge clear crystal chandelier above. “And how are things powered here? I didn’t see any electrical poles or wires outside.”

Carrick leans up against the windowsill, pushing his hands down into his pockets. “Magic, which is how most stone-created realms have modern amenities. As for Faere, the royals, nobles, and gentry can easily accomplish it, but the lower class live pretty primitively.”

“And does this queen have the strength of magic to provide power to the lower classes?” I query, wondering why a ruler would allow such a disparity if the ability to provide it was there.