Faerie Wars | The Purple Emperor
Ruler of the Realm

Faerie Wars

Holly Blue, daughter of the Purple Emperor, is worried about Pyrgus who has been sent to another world using a transporter. Before he left, Pyrgus had mentioned to Blue that someone was after him and she now fears for his safety. She decides to listen in to a conversation between her father and Tithonius the Gatekeeper to try to find out what has happened ....

There were two men in the book-lined chamber, Holly Blue's father himself and Gatekeeper Tithonus. Both were informally dressed and held brandy balloons, but the expressions on their faces showed this was no casual meeting.

‘ — did lose his temper. Both of us did,’ her father was saying. ‘But at least he listened. I think I may have you to thank for that.’

Tithonus shrugged. ‘He’s safe now. It’s all that matters.’

‘Indeed,’ the Emperor nodded. ‘But unfortunately that doesn’t solve our problems.’

‘No, sire, but it does simplify them a little,’ Tithonus said smoothly. He set down his glass and turned to look directly at Blue.

The illusion was so real she felt she should duck behind a screen and hide. But she knew she didn’t need to. However much it felt like she was here, her physical body was still in her bedroom. Only her consciousness was visiting and that was quite invisible.

‘Any further intelligence on the troop movements?’ her father asked.

Blue was instantly alert. Troop movements? She hadn’t heard anything about troop movements. Who was moving troops? Her father? She’d have known. She was sure she’d have known. Besides, he wouldn’t have used the word intelligence if he was talking about his own soldiers. Intelligence meant information collected by the Imperial Espionage Service. Information on somebody else’s troop movements.

Even without her body, she felt a chill. There was something going on between her father and Black Hairstreak, negotiations that were supposed to heal the ancient rift between Faeries of the Light and Faeries of the Night. They’d been under way for months so far as she could gather. Until now she’d assumed it was the usual horse-trading, each side jostling for the best position possible, after which things would settle down for a few years. But troop movements meant something far more serious. Troop movements meant war. Or at least the threat of war. No wonder her father looked worried.

Tithonus said, ‘Lord Hairstreak continues to insist it’s just manoeuvres, nothing to do with the current negotiations. But the build-up’s very large for a routine exercise and reinforcements are still coming in.’

‘Sabre-rattling?’ the Emperor asked. ‘His way of wringing a few more concessions out of the negotiations?’

‘Possibly,’ Tithonus said. ‘I have, however, taken the precaution of placing our own forces on alert.’

‘You really think he would risk an all-out attack?’

Tithonus frowned. ‘I find it hard to believe. But whatever he has in mind may be part of some larger scheme. Don’t forget he was planning to murder Pyrgus.’

Murder? Blue blinked phantom eyes. She hadn’t known that! Why would he want to kill her brother? It would gain him a lot less than simply taking Pyrgus prisoner. That way he could use him to bargain.

‘I still don’t understand what it would have gained him,’ her father said, echoing her own thought.

‘Neither do I,’ said Tithonus, ‘but there’s no doubt it’s what he was planning.’
‘Perhaps — ’ The Emperor stopped, interrupted by a sharp knocking on his door. He glanced at Tithonus.

Tithonus said nothing, but opened the door a crack then murmured something to someone outside. Blue moved to eavesdrop on the exchange, but before she reached the door, Tithonus stepped back and a chapel priest entered. He moved forward nervously and knelt before the Emperor. ‘Majesty, grave news.’ Blue wasn’t absolutely certain, but she thought this was the same priest she’d seen running in the corridor.

Her father waited, face impassive.

‘Majesty, I—’

‘Come on, man,’ said the Emperor mildly. ‘Spit it out!’

The priest could not meet his eye. He swallowed loudly, hesitated, then said all of a rush, ‘Majesty, Crown Prince Pyrgus has not reached his destination.’

© Herbie Brennan