Ari now had her very own room in Stone Tower in New Hamilton. She had floor-to-ceiling class windows that looked out onto the cliffs and across the sea. She watched lions and their riders fly across the horizon as the suns set in the Lothern sky, lighting the ashy clouds up in brilliant hues of pink and gold.
Since arriving in New Hamilton, Ari had started a correspondence with Pythos Savvas, who was kept in a New Hamilton prison without any information about the length of his sentence. He wrote to Ari and to his husband every day, but a pile of letters was delivered to Ari once a week. She was tasked with sending the letters on to Raphael City, where Savvas's husband was waiting for news.
The prisoner wrote little about the moments of his daily life - he had briefly touched on the inadequate food and uncomfortable cell - before delving into longer and grander visions of the world. He wanted a Vastien revolution, led by the people to claim back the power that had been taken from them for so long. He wanted true, uncorrupt democracy for Vastier and for Lombardia. And although he never wrote it in the letters, possibly because it would be used as evidence against him, he wanted the King Matthias Stone to be overthrown.
Ari put down the letters she'd been holding and stared out across the darkening sky. She felt frozen by inaction, here in New Hamilton. She was so close to the king, and yet she would never get a word with him. She was just a girl, given a room in a tower because she was a companion to a prince, but otherwise completely powerless.
There had been a time where Ari had accepted just how powerless she was in life. Her whole family had died, and her only hope out of poverty was education. She had thought she could play by the rules. Now, she wanted to throw away the whole rulebook. She had been propelled by the death of her sister, and by Pythos Savvas, into action. And yet now she was frozen with inaction again. She was one person against the powers that be. What could she do?
The knock on her door startled her, and she quickly hid the letters under her bed before she answered. She didn't want anyone else reading Pythos's letters, although she suspected someone must have, before they were allowed to leave the prison. She didn't want curious servants to read the man's spiralling words.
A servant was at the door, to inform her of a change in plans for the evening meal.
"The prince will take his dinner on the roof, and has invited you to join him," the servant informed her.
"Right," Ari said. "Thank you."
The servant was a Vastien boy, not much older than Ari. A few days ago, Ari had asked him whether his family was safe after the invasion.
"My family is long dead," he had told her, in the Starg language rather than Vastien. "The Fire War got to them before the Lombardian invasion could."
"At least our families never saw Vastier overtaken by Lombardian rule," Ari had said quietly.
But the boy had been surprised by this. "I look forward to the day when our islands are as prosperous as Lombardia," he said. "The king will drive out the corruption of the warlords. He will provide prosperity."
Now, the boy avoided more conversation with her.
Ari dressed for dinner. She wore the dagger that Katja had given her at her hip. Her hair was slightly longer now, enough that her curls had returned. She dampened and combed her hair the way her grandmother had taught her to do a long time ago, and then continued to read Pythos's letters while her hair dried.
Viski the wolf watched her with interest, while Warrah the dragon kept his eyes on the horizon. He was as anxious with inaction as Ari was. She could see the way he coiled and uncoiled his long, scaly tail. He wanted to be out, doing something, but he was here in a tower with a winter starrling.
When it was time for dinner, Ari and the two kinnbeasts climbed grand spiralling staircases to reach the rooftop of Stone Tower. Lanterns charged with light magic hung from the great metal spokes that pierced into the sky, lighting the path to the dining table, which was laid with gold and decorated with more lanterns.
Viski and Warrah both went to the edge of the rail, where the wind whipped at Viski's coat, so they could look over the dark ocean and the first stars that were appearing in the sky.
Ari sat at her place at the table, and a servant poured her water and wine. She wished, momentarily, that she'd brought a book with her, but then she saw the doors open and Tom storm through them. The wind picked up, and there was a current of electricity in the air, like a thunderstorm was about to arrive, although the skies were clear.
He no longer wore his charging uniform. Instead, he dressed in starched white shirts and fitted trousers, like Raphael had when he was alive. But where Raphael had always been light, golden and brilliant, Tom was now dark as thunder clouds.
Ari stood as he approached. He barely acknowledged her, and ordered a servant to pour him wine. Ari sat slowly, wondering if she should greet him, or leave him in his own thoughts.
Behind him, Kobuk the black wolf was bristling with anger too. The wolf ignored his starrling and instead went straight to sit with Viski and Warrah. Ari was surprised by this. Kobuk was usually always found as close to Tom as possible. The two were more bonded as a pair than any starrling and kinnling Ari had seen.
For a moment, Ari thought they looked like lovers after a quarrel. Was it possible for a kinnling to be angry at his starrling?
Moments later, when King Matthias Stone appeared, Ari realised it was.
"My heir will ride a kinnfalcon, not a wolf," the king said. He walked with a staff, and he slammed it on the ground to make his point. Thunder crackled overhead.
"I am bonded to a wolf," Tom said, without looking at his father.
"You are an air starrling and you shall ride a falcon, or you shall give up your titles."
"And what shall you do?" Tom asked. "Sire another air starrling?"
"You shall do as I say. I am your king."
"And I'm your only option," Tom snapped.
Tom had always been a pinnacle of politeness. He was one of the only people who had been genuinely kind to Ari, even when she was a ward and he was a celebrated kinncharging champion. But now, he was talking back to the king with violent rage. It was unlike anything Ari had seen from him.
King Matthias was practically trembling. His face had grown red. But instead of saying anything else, he sat down in his seat at the head of the grand table. He took up his wine glass as soon as he was given one and downed the glass in one.
"It's a fine bird," the king said. "You are a sad excuse for an heir. You should be overjoyed to receive such a fine bird from your generous king."
Tom let the king's words hang in the air, momentarily, before he said quietly, "the finest bird it may be, but it shall never compare to my wolf."
"Tomas."
His name was said with a deepness that seemed to smooth out the charge of electricity in the air, almost stilling the very wind. Ari turned around to see who had spoken. A woman had appeared on wolfback on the rooftop, seemingly from thin air. The servants seemed just as startled as Ari felt that the woman had appeared.
Viski rushed to the woman's side, and she placed her one hand on the wolf's brow, and Viski leant into it. It seemed that the late Queen Lisbet's kinnwolf knew this woman well.
She dismounted from her own wolf smoothly, despite only having one arm, and bowed deeply to both the king and Tom.
The woman was tall and slender, with dark hair and golden brown skin, lined with wrinkles under her eyes that suggested she had spent a lot of her life in strong sunlight.
She was Frida Wilder, the famous winter kinncharging champion. Tom's mother.
Tom's demeanour seemed to change in a moment. The storm behind his eyes cleared, and he stood up to pull out a chair for his mother.
"Welcome, Frida." Matthias Stone's voice had an air of smugness to it, but Frida either didn't notice or didn't let it bother her. She didn't meet the king's eye, but thanked the king gracefully as a servant poured wine for her.
"You are a man of two magics now, Tomas," his mother said, as she held up her glass. "It is not unwise to have two kinnlings."
"It is unheard of," Tom said, but without the same angry tone as he had shown to the king.
"You are the crown prince of Lombardia. You are one of the few remaining air starrlings. Your existence is a miracle. Why not embrace it? You are different."
"I never asked for this," Tom said. There was fury in his voice, and he directed it at both of his parents.
The king gave a humourless laugh. "You ungrateful swine."
"Please, your majesty," Frida pleaded. "Forgive the child. He is adjusting. If it pleases you, I can take him home and train his manners. Clearly he has learned none at the school."
"He's not going anywhere. He's staying where I can keep an eye on him, to ensure he doesn't get mixed up with the wrong sort of people once again," the king said, and at this he directed his gaze to Ari.
Ari froze under the king's gaze. She was sure that he had forgotten her. Tom had told her that the king no longer blamed her for Raphael's death, since they had proved that Warrah had been trained to attack air starrlings by Tai.
"Ariane is my chosen representative of Vastien people, who are now my people," Tom said. "I would trust her with my life."
Ari felt herself flush at this, but the king laughed.
"You're a stupid boy," the king said. "A stupid boy, indeed. But you're right, as you said. You're my only option. Not the heir I deserve, but the heir I've been dealt. The bastard son of some backwater whore, snapping at the bit like some disobedient dog. You'll come in line soon, I'll see to that. Firstly, you'll ride the falcon I give you. Frida, you'll take the black wolf back with you to Wooloowoochee when you leave."
"What?" Frida said, at the same time as Tom stood up.
"Don't you dare," Tom said.
The king laughed. "I shall dare, indeed. Frida, take the wolf now, in fact. I see no reason for you to join us for dinner. My son and I have more important things to talk about."
"I invited her for dinner."
"And I revoke it," the king said. He turned to the servants, who were just now bringing out plates for the first course. "Don't serve her," he said. "She's just leaving."
Frida stood up, and as she did the three wolves on the rooftop - her own wolf, and Viski and Kobuk - stood up with her. They were a fearsome sight, staring down the king as they did. But the king stared back, and Frida turned away from the table.
"You cannot take Kobuk!" Tom said, and there was a pleading note in his voice now as he spoke to his mother.
"Tom, it's only temporarily," she said gently. "You know he'll be safe with me."
Kobuk shoved forward to be by Tom's side. Tom threw his arms around the black wolf and held onto him fiercely. There were tears in his eyes, but then he buried his face in his wolf's black pelt.
"This is for the best, Tom," Frida said. "I'll take care of Kobuk. I promise you that."
Ari felt overwhelmed by Tom's emotion, and she looked away, trying to give him space. Instead, she looked at the table, and saw that the king was staring at her.
"The dragon that killed my true heir," the king said quietly, staring at her. "You keep it as your own kinnling."
"No, your majesty," Ari said. "I'm a winter starrling. The Queen Katja gave me Viski as my kinnling. The dragon follows me because he has nowhere to go. He is as much an orphan as I am."
"You make a mockery of me," the king said. "The dragon has no place in New Hamilton. Send it back to where it came from."
"It came from here," Ari said.
"It's a Vastien beast, and it should go back to its islands," the king said. "Send it away."
"Dragons have lived on the coasts of Lombardia as long as falcons have," Ari said.
"Send it away!" the king roared.
Ari jumped up and ran to Warrah. If she had known the king would be coming to dinner, she would never have brought Warrah with her. She could have left him in her room.
Now, she touched her hand to the dragon's scales. "It's high time you stopped following me around, don't you think?" she asked.
The dragon glared at her.
"I know," Ari said. "One day, I promise you and I shall be reunited with Pythos Savvas and Olatuja and their dragons, and everyone we love dearly, in a city named Zantiala, not Raphael City. I promise you that. But for now, I want you to be free."
The dragon let out a sigh. Ari suddenly remembered treating the dragon's wounds after the midwinter championships. She had hated the dragon, and yet she had felt compelled to care for him, because he had no one else. He had made the long journey with her to Vastier and then to Kakaio, to find the fire princess. He had been there for her during some of the hardest moments in her life.
"I will find you again, Warrah," Ari promised.
Ari felt a hand on her shoulder, and she turned to Frida.
"Ariane," Frida said. "If the dragon is important to you, he may also come with me to Wooloowoochee. You're welcome to visit him wherever you want."
Ari glanced up at Warrah. Would he want to go out to the plains? Or would he prefer to fly to Vastier where he might even find a starrling to call his own?
"I thought you hated dragons," Ari told Frida. "After your battle with Pythos Savvas."
Frida Wilder had lost her arm in the kinncharging battle with Pythos Savvas that had killed her first wolf and ended her kinncharging career. It had been the biggest upset in the championship history.
"I've always had a soft spot for dragons, actually," Frida told her. "Perhaps, if you visit me in Wooloowoochee, I'll show you why."
Tom was standing by his mother now. "You'll train with him? He's got more energy than any wolf I've met."
"Am I a wolf trainer, or not?" Frida asked him. "Do you not think I know how to work with your beast?"
"Of course you know," Tom said.
Frida put her arm around her son. "I will treat him as well as you do, I promise you that. He will miss you, but he will be happy with me. When you've had some time apart, you can visit him. And one day, I promise, you'll be reunited. The king will soften, once he sees you with a falcon. He needs an heir, Tom. That's all he needs. Just be that for him. Then you can be anything else."
Frida pulled herself onto the back of her own wolf. "Warrah, will you join me?"
The dragon glanced back at Ari, and Ari nodded at him. "You are your own free dragon, Warrah. Do what you wish."
Tom stepped beside Ari, and the two of them watched as Frida Wilder crouched low on her wolf as the wolf launched himself into the sky. Kobuk followed, and then after a beat of his wings, Warrah launched himself into the night sky.
"Good riddance," the king said.
Ari turned to see that he was already eating, without any regard for the emotional turmoil that his son was going through.
Tom sat down again, and Ari did too.
"It was a mistake sending Raphael to that school," the king said. "You won't be going back to Hilverton. Instead you'll remain in Stone Tower. I'll handpick your tutors, boy. I won't have you under the influence of your mother or that Doctor Hart any longer."
"My mother and Doctor Hart are the best women I know," Tom said.
"And that's what's rotting your brain."
"Tom, don't," Ari said, putting her hand on Tom's arm. She could feel him bristling, almost ready to throw her hand away. She was surprised to feel just how violently angry Tom was, under the surface. She had thought him so gentle, so calm, despite being a kinncharging champion. But now she was seeing a different side of him, and she wasn't sure she liked it.
Would the future king of Lombardia and Vastier be able to control his rage?
... to be continued
author's note:
hi, I haven't updated for a while! the lack of comments has been kind of discouraging, to be honest.
I joined wattpad to connect with readers and receive feedback on my writing, and it's been amazing, but right now I update and get no comments or interaction from readers, so I kind of feel like it's pointless lol.
I know some people are reading (obviously, you're reading this) but it seems a bit silly for me to update for a few silent readers.
I just have to wonder why I'm doing all this work? why am I still here on wattpad after all these years, when I can't even find that community that once made the site so great?
so I'm going to change to monthly updates, just because that's the bare minimum I need to do to be a Wattpad Creator.
obviously you know that if you do really love this book and want to keep reading, you can find it on Patreon.
as for Wattpad, I will be eventually removing the Starrlings series in order to pursue traditional publishing. this is the best thing for me in my writing journey, so thanks for your understanding.
elle xx