The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,71

in his hand by its arm and then raised it to the air, shaking it roughly. It clinked and rattled a little, but when he returned it to his palm, it was every bit as calm as before. "At least you didn't breathe real life into it, although I think it's safe to say, Your Highness, this is work no mage could manage."

I glanced at Aric, and he nodded to me, clearing his throat and drawing their attention. "I?? could. Not as Bryony did, with a whim, but with a great deal of intention and magic moving from her to me directly."

For some reason, unknown to me, this made Kenneth stare at me in absolute horror, before wailing and taking off to the door from which he'd appeared. It slammed shut behind him, and Simon sighed, looking to Nathan.

"I see. I see," Nathan said. "Very dangerous, I should think."

Simon hummed and shrugged. "With a dangerous intention. Not everyone has one, Nathan. And in the right situation, dangerous can be a positive."

"What would be created without intention, though?" Nathan continued.

"I could show you."

The men both turned to me again, and I had a feeling they'd forgotten me in the brief conversation.

"While I was at the Winter Palace, much of the magic did its own work until Aric taught me how to contain and control it."

"She transformed the palace and the grounds. Brought an abandoned orchard back to life," Cresswell said, taking my hand in his.

"The Winter Palace??he north!" Simon barked, staring at Aric, who nodded.

"You could send Kenneth to get a soil sample. Everywhere north of Indiva is fairly rich with a healthy stock of magic."

Simon wheeled around to Nathan again. "I told you! I told you those kinds of harvests don't come by chance."

"We have a theory about the harvests," I said.

Simon threw a grin in my direction. "Oh, Your Highness. I love a good theory."

I'd refreshed dried flowers to fresh and gilded their glass vases. Cleared the foggy windows with a careful sprinkle of power and soaked a cryptic project of Simon's, which Aric had referred to as 'mostly safe,' with a good supply of magic. I'd cluttered the mage's office with magic and only gone back to the conduit to take a more careful supply once more.

"The conduit was fashioned by one of Kimmery's best mages, Ambald Ymfrey," Nathan said slowly, rolling a glittering marble around the surface of his work table. It held a scene of the palace tucked delicately inside that I'd made upon his request.

"That name sounds more Dunsany than Kimmerian, doesn't it?" I asked.

"She's very clever," Simon said to Aric, and he grinned back as I shot him a glare.

"There were rumors he was foreign," Nathan said, nodding. "Very ambitious man, very experimental. Great favorite of the queen and council's."

I sat up sharply. "The council?"

"Indeed. They had just started managing appointments of mages on the queen's behalf," Nathan said. "And they took a great interest in Ambald's work with the conduit."

"I'll just bet they did," Aric muttered, leaning forward at my side. "You have his notes?"

"Of course," Nathan said stiffly.

"Head Mage Hawes, in all your theory and research, haven't you ever wondered if the magic, the source, is meant to be rich in Kimmery?" I asked, my hands clasped in my lap as I leaned forward to catch Nathan's eye. "We've found texts and records that show that the queens of Kimmery took great care to visit the north, to participate in the harvest festivals, just as I did. The north has only suffered so greatly since that tradition ended. Since the council has taken such responsibilities!"

"Even the samples of the past fifty years here in the south have changed, Nathan," Simon said, and I was glad he was taking care to speak more gently. It seemed like the two men had a companionably antagonistic relationship usually, but at least Nathan was willing to listen.

"Mages aren't learning nearly the work they were when I was younger," Nathan murmured.

"And it's the council appointing the teachers at the royal academy," Simon said, guiding the other man.

"In every breath of magic, and every intentional act, I have never seen Bryony's power do harm," Aric said.

I flashed him a look, thinking of the crown of blades I'd fashioned. But Aric was right, the magic had only done what I'd needed to protect myself. I'd been the one to commit the violence, and I was wholly conscious during the act.

"The conduit has generations of queen's magic in its facets.