Six of Ruin (Heirs of Irenwell #1)

Seagulls sang in the distance, flying over the brick-covered city, sitting on the docks, gawking at the passengers. People were tanned and tall, and they threw dirty looks our way as we walked through the crowded streets.

Danilo had explained that Firiyans didn’t like us all that much.

Some were of different races, blue-skinned people from the east and green-skinned people, or florans, from the Isles of Shira, with feathers for hair and sparkling eyes of all sorts of colours. Some were taller than regular humans, with grey skin, long, bony limbs and hollow eyes. Others were short and pink-skinned and covered with jewellery. Street performers lingered on each corner, doing all kinds of tricks, from fortune telling to flame throwing. The smell of fish and the sound of exotic music overwhelmed me.

This place never slept, or so I’ve heard.

Firiy, or the Bordering City, was a separate city-state on the Bordering Peninsula. They answered neither to Irenwell or Bastia, but to themselves. It was a merchant city, with access to both sea and the mountains. People from all over the world came here to trade and buy and sell all kinds of goods.

I gawked at the intricate architecture, huge windows and doors, pillars decorated with tiny stony flowers and animals of all kinds, and the narrow streets which somehow fit so many buildings.

In comparison, Irenwell was underpopulated. More people lived in Firiy than in the capital of Irenwell. More people lived in Firiy than in the entire north.

Danilo and I, as well as the entire hoard of men he took with him for some reason, made our way through the narrow streets, finding ourselves in the middle of a square. A gilded statue of a thin, proud man awaited.

I came closer, “Who’s that?”

“Ferdo the First.” Danilo said. “An explorer and the founder of the city. Allegedly, he sailed west across the Southern Ocean and found peoples who lived in peace. He adopted their ways and founded Firiy.”

I nodded, “In 653 Human Era. A hundred and three years ago.”

Danilo looked at me, “You know the year?”

“Oh, I know all the years.” I chuckled and knocked on my head. “Very good memory. But the books seem to leave this statue out. I’ve never seen it.”

“Irrelevant for Irenwell history, it seems.” Danilo said. “After the war, the relationship between our Kingdoms and Firiy have been strained.”

“656 HE.” I said. “My great-great-grandfather fought there.”

“I know.” Danilo smiled. “Let’s get ourselves those herbal potions.”

We seemed to be moving towards the oldest part of the city and its political core. We passed next to the amphitheatre, a huge, round arena roars came from. It was situated in the middle of the city core, circled with all kinds of buildings.

I pointed at the white stone building which entrance was surrounded by guards. Empty red flags waved from the roof, “What’s that?”

“House of the Wise Men.” Danilo said. “Firiyans don’t have a king.”

“Ha.” I mumbled and walked past. “How do they rule, then?”

“Wise Men are elected by the folk.” Danilo explained. “And the five of them govern the city.”

“So, if a Wise Man has a son, his son will not rule in his stead once he dies?”

Danilo shook his head, “In Firiy, you have to earn the spot. You do not simply get it because you have royal blood.”

What an interesting place. And to think these strange customs were adopted from the far west, across the Southern Ocean. The farthest we went were the Isles of Shira. My parents were on their way there when they shipwrecked. The Southern Ocean tended to be hostile like that.

Danilo moved swiftly through the crowd, disappearing in one of the narrowest streets. I tried to catch up, but the little shops on each side grabbed my attention. Gems from the eastern world, herbs from beyond the Empty Desert, delicacies from all around the world. I wondered whether some of it was false, whether some people just found rocks and sold them as trinkets from the unknown world.

Danilo stopped in front of a store with tiny wooden door and a sign that said, We are resting and shall be open again later. I chuckled, but Danilo pushed the door open, ducked down and passed through, not minding the sign.

I followed right after him to the dark shop. The walls were covered with crimson tapestry with a floral pattern, but barely seen behind the heaps of goods scattered all around. Exotic fabrics in all colours, gems and stones, jars full of suspicious herbs and potions, some finery, including hats, crowns, dresses and robes, and even some things I didn’t want to believe were actually true. Like the jars that read ‘cat’s tongue,’ ‘lizard’s skin,’ and ‘soul of a ghost.’

Behind the counter full of jewellery stood a short man, almost two heads shorter than me. His nose was huge and his eyes were coloured brick-red. Despite his grey hair and beard, his skin was impossibly smooth, which made it hard to determine his age.

He cast a furious glance our way, “Ah, the rumours are true, Bastians do not know how to read. I’m on a break, come back later.”

Danilo came closer while I lingered behind, “I sent a letter setting an appointment for today.”

“Northmen and their Goshawks, birds even dumber than Irenwell pigeons.” The short man rolled his eyes a couple of times to prove a point. In the middle of a roll, he noticed me, “Oh, hello, Princess Irina of Irenwell.”

I waved, not really knowing what else to do. He didn’t make any effort to bow or anything like that.

“Ha, it would be a good joke.” The man let out a laugh. “A Bastian and the Irenwell Princess walk into a herbal shop. The dwarf bows to none.”

A dwarf? I looked at Danilo, searching for an explanation.

He simply shook his head lightly and spoke to the man again, “We need some herbs.”

“Hmm, very well, you’ve already ruined my break.” The man called us forth with a wave. I made a step forward, but his palm quickly opened towards me. “No, no. I will serve a Bastian, but I will not have Irenwell folk in my shop. You may leave.”

My mouth fell open and my eyes flew to Danilo. Confusion coursed through me. What was that supposed to mean?

“I am the Princess of Irenwell.” I walked ahead, but Danilo stopped me.

The dwarf chuckled, “Oh, darling, I would not care even if you were the Goddess of Irenwell. Don’t like it? Sue me.”

My lips pursed, a couple of disdainful remarks reaching my tongue, particularly regarding his height. But I was still a lady, so I pushed it down.

“Irina,” Danilo turned to me, “Wait outside.”

“But-”

“We need these herbs.” Danilo eyed me and nodded towards the door.

My hands dropped by my sides, “Fine.” I lifted the hem of my dress and made my way back to the sunny streets of Firiy.

What a rude man. To talk to a princess like that.

I stomped angrily back and forth in front of the shop when I noticed a dark-skinned woman standing behind a fortune telling stand. She invited me over with a nod.

Fortune telling was mostly a scam, that much I’ve gathered, but Danilo was busy buying herbs in a shop I couldn’t be in and there was nothing better to do. Why not squander some Irenwell silver?

I approached the table and sat across the woman. She was tall and lean, her ears were pierced in a couple of places, long gems hanging on them, pulling them down, spreading the skin. Her eyes were deep and dark, a bit eerie looking. And she was bald.

“Hello, dear.” Her hands immediately touched the cards in front of her, which were pitch black, apparently on both sides. “Would you like to know your destiny?”

I shrugged, “I’ve nothing better to do.”

The woman smiled knowingly, “Very well.”

She shuffled the black cards, her eyes closed. There weren’t a lot of them, perhaps ten or fifteen cards. After a couple of seconds, she opened her eyes and revealed three of them, coloured differently now. I supressed my flinch as I took in the newly found shapes and colours on the previously black cards.

The first card depicted two green leaves in the middle, surrounded by blackness, “Two of Deceit.”

I lifted my gaze, “Those are leaves.”

“They are katydids, insects that hide from prey by masquerading as leaves.” The woman touched the card. “Things are not what they seem.”

“So vague.” I mumbled, knowing how these things operated, but the queasy feeling remained.

The woman touched the second card which depicted three silver tears, surrounded by blackness, as well, “Three of Pain.” Another chuckle left her lips, almost like she enjoyed predicting trouble for people, “A few hearts might break on the way.”

I puffed, “Seriously? So predictable.”

My remarks did not phase her as she pointed at the last card, “Now, this is quite interesting.” The card showed a pile of rocks amidst blackness. Whoever the artist, he did not do a good job.

“And what does that say?” I asked, adding a bit of mock to my voice.

“Six of Ruin.” The woman said, the grin on her lips widening. “Before your journey ends, everything you’ve ever known will crumble and shatter to its most basic elements.”

I shook my head, “This is all a lie.”

Danilo’s men stepped closer to the stand, their hands looming over their swords protectively. The woman simply eyed them and the lack of concern in her expression made me feel uneasy. I turned towards the men and waved them away.

Her gaze fell to the cards again, “The cards reveal what they want. It is up to you to decide how to interpret it, but they are always right, one way or the other.”

I crossed my hands on my chest, “Because it’s a scam.”

The woman let out a short laugh, “Destiny is tricky. It changes and twists all the time. But I assure you, sweetheart, it is written somewhere.”

I winced, but gave no sign of distress otherwise, “How much do I owe you?”

The woman leaned towards me, a grin too wide forming on her lips, “I will take your kiss and store it into a jar.”

“What?”

“Your Grace?” Danilo’s hasty steps resonated off the stone-covered street. The woman leaned back, her eerie grin turning into a regular smile. “What’s going on here?”

I opened my mouth, “Uh, I just want to pay.”

Danilo stood next to the stand, looking down towards the woman, “Give her a coin and go.”

The woman’s shoulders rose and dropped slowly, “Very well. Irenwell coin will do.”

I dug through the pink satin purse I carried on my hip and dropped a small, silver coin on the table, “Thank you.”

Danilo grabbed my upper arm in a very un-knightly manner and pulled me off the chair. I frowned and shook off his grip.

The dark-skinned woman smiled, “A piece of unsolicited advice, Sir,” she glanced at Danilo, “When you undress this maiden, make sure you’re prepared for the things you find underneath her skin.”

A flush creeped to my cheeks and Danilo coughed out awkwardly, “Irina, it’s time to go.”

He made his way down the street and I followed, but not before I glanced back at the woman who simply sent a kiss my way. I shuddered and hurried after Danilo.

“Do not squander your money in Firiy.” He used his commanding voice. “People know who you are and they will gladly take Irenwell silver out of your purse, not to mention feed you all sorts of lies. Talking to them is a mistake.”

He seemed quite rattled, which I ascribed to him being a bit protective.

“Who was she?”

“A seer from the lands of Gyorg, beyond the Empty Desert.” Danilo answered. “They’re deceptive creatures. You shouldn’t trust them.”

“She wanted my kiss as payment.” I mumbled.

“Who knows what sorts of wicked things she has on her mind.”

The woman’s remarks about my relationship with Danilo worried me slightly. And she called me a maiden. Was it possible that not all of my servants and squires and stable-boys kept their mouth shut regarding our activities?

Nonsense. Why would anyone risk their head simply to tell they spent the night with a princess?

My eyes widened. Ah, fuck. Everybody knew, didn’t they?

Danilo interrupted my thoughts, “Do you need anything, your Grace? We won’t be stopping until we reach Bastia.”

“Why?” I hopped after him. “Shouldn’t we spend the night in Firiy?”

“Unfortunately, we do not have time.” Danilo’s steps were too long for me. “The mage still hasn’t answered the letter, which means we have to get to Bastia sooner and figure out what to do.”

“How necessary is a mage?” I asked.

Danilo arched his eyebrow at me, “We will not survive without a mage.”

“Ha,” I nodded, “So, necessary.”

As we exited the core of the city, I glanced at the mountains looming over the lively place. Despite the sunshine covering the entire peninsula, mountains seemed darker and colder. Snow covered its peaks.

I swallowed the sudden burst of fear and hopped after Danilo, hoping he would make good on his word and truly protect me.