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“Proceed,” he ordered.
I cursed foully with no one to hear it. Magic. My plan did not take magic into account.
Two men stepped forward. Thick, scaly bumpy skin covered their faces, hands, and elongated jaws. They looked about with strange, slitted eyes, flashing teeth too long for their mouths.
“State the issue that brings you before our lord and king,” Aeris ordered.
Both men snapped their hands up, pointing at the other. It was only then I noticed their arms were shorter than they should be—as if they were shrinking back into their bodies. I couldn’t begin to guess what kind of animal was taking over them.
“Lorcan, my lord. We have shared the waters of the Lumenfell River for three generations,” Lorcan said. Beyond his odd reptilian skin, I noted his trim beard, broad shoulders, and quivering jowls. “His bask has taken over the northern marsh, and are refusing our bask entry. They killed two of our own who tried!
“Most of the prey have taken to the trees,” he said. “We have only the fish in the northern marsh to eat. They’re driving us to starvation.”
Alisdair turned on the other man. “Is this true, Arin? What have you to say for yourself?”
Arin flashed Lorcan a contemptuous sneer. “He paints himself as the innocent when, in truth, his bask ceased all trading of goods, which is why we needed the northern marsh in the first place. It isuswho are starving! He only comes to you now with his bleating because the prey took to the mountains two months early, and their food stores are low.”
“I see.” Alisdair’s expression was unreadable. I couldn’t guess what was going on behind those unfathomable pools. “Have you made every effort to solve this dispute among yourselves?”
Growls and snaps were their reply. Compromise and diplomacy had clearly broken down between these two.
“Very well. What say you, my queen?”
It wasn’t until I noticed everyone staring at me did the words penetrate. “What? Me?” I said, shocked to find I could. “What say me?”
He nodded, clearly irritated. “What is your suggestion for them?”
I blinked at him. We settled on the fact that he was indeed speaking to me, but for the life of me I didn’t know why. Women in Lyrica weren’t asked their opinions on any topic—least of all the runnings of the kingdom and the needs of our people. He truly wanted to know what I thought best?
“Uhh, okay,” I said, sitting up straight. “First, I—” I twisted around to Bradach. “Bradach, what is—?”
“You will address your questions to me,” my husband stated. Had I imagined it, or had something other than flat disinterest entered his tone?
“Very well.” I faced him. “What is a bask?”
“A bask is a group of crocodiles,” he replied, surprising me again.
I couldn’t remember the last time a man answered a question I asked without mocking, scoffing, or calling me stupid. It had been that long.
“They are crocodile faeriken.”
I nodded slow, taking that in. I didn’t know much about crocodiles. One didn’t encounter them in a big city like Lyrica, but Mama did a few times, when she went to battle with Papa. She compared them to big, angry lizards.
That explains why their limbs don’t match the size of their bodies. As the curse takes hold, it must be getting harder for them to hunt. Certainly too hard to chase a flying rabbit up a tree.
I kept my voice low. “But why would they be starving? They don’t have to hunt. Our carriage passed through a bustling market only yesterday.”
“We are cut off from the other kingdoms,” he replied, matching my tone. “We must survive on what we grow and hunt here in this land of winter. Our people must be self-sufficient.”
I wondered if I’d ever get used to him referring to them asourpeople.
I don’t plan on staying long enough to need to.
“When they have a surplus of food, they bring it to the market to trade,” Alisdair said, continuing the longest civil conversation we had since we met. “But no one could hunt enough to feed forty basks.”
“Forty?” I squeaked.
He inclined his head.
