Shortlisted
The Queen’s Spy
Louisa Bath
Maya took a deep breath, adjusting the golden ornaments on her braids as she strode down the corridor. The dungeons of her castle were not overly dark and dingy, but they were still far from the most pleasant part of her castle to roam.
Her advisers had all but begged her not to come down here, had urged her to leave it be. Let them handle it all. ‘Best not to get involved in all that dirty business. Such things are beneath you.‘ But she needed to see for herself – to make her own mind up, rather than blindly following whatever the stuffy old men in her cabinet told her.
The guards at the door gave her a nod as she passed, only the faintest flash of surprise crossing their features. She held her chin high, the only sound in the dungeon the clicking of her low heels on the stone before she paused in front of the cell, taking in the woman inside.
At first glance, she was not dressed in the traditional garb of the neighbouring kingdom, the rich teal of her cloak and the orange symbols and patterns stitched into its hem unfamiliar to Maya. Her clothing seemed a patchwork of carefully chosen parts, cobbled together from different places. Maya recognised the intricate hand embroidery on her belt wrap as the work of the skilled craftsmen at the desert markets, the style of stitching on her boots often seen on leatherwork from the mountain clans.
‘So,’ Maya began, still eyeing the woman through the bars of the cell. ‘You are the spy they found at my gates.’
The woman winced, coppery hair shifting to reveal the tips of her delicately pointed ears. ‘I’m really not a spy.’
‘So you’ve said,’ Maya replied with a raised brow. The woman had appeared thoroughly confused about why she had been dragged before the throne, and while it could certainly have been an act, there was enough sincerity in it to pique Maya’s interest – and to want to see what supposed ‘evidence’ her advisers had claimed for herself.
‘May I ask your name?’ Maya asked, leaning against the bars. ‘Or is that not something you can answer?’ Her gaze roved over the delicate antlers protruding from her hairline and the ivory feathers of the wings draped behind her where she sat.
‘Oh,’ the woman blinked. ‘It’s Akira. I’m… not that sort of fae.’
Interesting. ‘You’re Unseelie.’
Unseelie fae were often not bound by the strict laws and customs of their Seelie counterparts. Iron would not burn them, and they could lie as well as any mortal. Over the years, they had earned a reputation as the ‘wicked’, ‘dark’ fae, but Maya knew, at least, that their malevolence was far exaggerated. In reality, their nature was that of any other human: unpredictable. Ungoverned by easy-to-remember ‘rules’ that could save you should you manage to cross them.
‘I am,’ the prisoner – Akira – admitted easily. No deception, no attempt to deny what she was and all the assumptions that often were made with it.
Maya’s eyes narrowed. She traced a finger down the bars, the metal cold under her touch. ‘You were found at my city gates in a caravan of travellers. The driver claims he picked you up outside the walls of Darolf.’
‘He did, yes,’ Akira nodded earnestly, once again not bothering to deny.
‘You are aware,’ Maya asked carefully, ‘that my kingdom does not allow Darolf’s mages to enter our walls? That Darolf has long been testing the treaty between our countries, sending spies – armed with magic – to seek out weaknesses to exploit?’
Akira hesitated. ‘I was aware your kingdom is wary of foreign mages, yes.’
Maya straightened, staring down her prisoner with an emotionless tilt of her head. ‘Then why did you come?’
Akira rose, and Maya carefully masked her awe as those pale wings shifted behind her, feathers flaring and settling in a way that showed off the subtle tawny patterns across them.
‘I am not a spy,’ Akira said clearly, meeting Maya’s eyes. ‘I’m a traveller. I have visited many places along this peninsula and beyond, Darolf being just one of them. I have no intentions of harming you or your people.’
Maya held her stare for a long moment, chin held high. Considering.
Unseelie could lie, could deceive and scheme, like any other. She could not simply take her word for a fae’s truth, and she was under no illusions as to how dangerous fae mages could be. But at the same time…
‘I may be new to this throne,’ she began finally, watching Akira’s reactions carefully. ‘But that does not make me naive to the politics and scheming of it all.’ She took a deep breath. ‘My council is adamant you are not to be trusted. But they would not – or perhaps could not explain to me why. Why I should simply take their word for it. Why I should not concern myself with investigating a possible threat to my subjects.’
‘So, you came to talk to me yourself?’ There was no malice or smugness in her tone, only curiosity. A prisoner unfazed by her position, only intrigued by the Queen who would deign to speak to her.
‘I came because I fear my advisers may have ulterior motives for keeping you here. I fear there may be underhanded schemes in play, and I wish to find out for myself just what games are going on in my kingdom.’
Akira nodded thoughtfully, crossing her arms, the actions so painfully human, Maya almost did a double take. ‘Does that mean you’re letting me out?’
‘I wouldn’t go that far,’ Maya drawled, withdrawing from the bars. ‘I’ve seen no proof yet that you are as you say you are, and I can take no such risks with the safety of my people.’
‘Of course.’
‘But I thank you for being so forthcoming,’ she continued, turning to leave. ‘I have much to think about.’
Maya held back the urge to sigh as her council bickered around her. They had been at it for days now, debating the threat of the neighbouring kingdoms, going around in circles to no avail.
She was well and truly sick of it, but had let the discussions continue nonetheless, keen to hear what sorts of arguments each of her council would put forward – and the unspoken words that lay beneath them.
‘-We cannot afford to ignore this threat-’
‘-What threat?! You’ve yet to convince me that-’
‘-In times of war, we must act quickly-’
‘-War? What do you know of-’
Maya gave in and rubbed at her brow, trying to stave off the oncoming headache. This back-and-forth was growing old.
‘Please, listen to what you are saying,’ another voice cut in calmly. Her father’s former Hand, a steady, reliable voice amid the chaos of the raging debate. ‘Our kingdom has been at peace with Darolf for decades before Queen Maya came to power. The question we should be asking is ‘what changed?’
‘What changed?’ another councilman spat. ‘What changed is that they’re spitting in the face of our peace deals, they’re sending in spies to search for vulnerabilities in our Majesty’s new rule. Your Majesty, need I remind you that not a single messenger you sent has returned?’
‘Enough,’ Maya cut in finally, holding up a hand. The room fell silent. ‘I do not need to be reminded of our situation. What exactly is it you intend to do about it?’
A glib-looking man slunk forward – another higher-up from her father’s court, Euris. She waved a hand for him to speak.
‘Your Majesty, it may be pertinent, in the face of these attacks and uncertainty, to enact some… emergency powers.’ Maya raised an eyebrow, and Euris cleared his throat. ‘I would be happy to take on the burden of overseeing some additional patrols and searches, weeding out anyone within our walls who may aid and abet Darolf’s spies.’
Maya narrowed her eyes as another puzzle piece slotted into place. ‘A burden indeed,’ she replied coolly. ‘And I suppose this task would require certain compensation?’
Euris foundered a little at her tone, at the suspicion in her gaze. ‘Well, of course, Your Majesty, one would expect the noble apprehension of enemy agents to earn a reward.’
‘I see.’ An incentive to catch spies – or perhaps to find them where none existed before. Maya scanned her council again, marking the faces that seemed in agreement with his proposal. ‘I will consider your proposals.’
There was a bruise blooming starkly on Akira’s cheek when Maya next went to visit.
‘Who did this to you?’ Maya said in way of greeting, schooling her expression to hide the flash of anger that ran through her.
The fae woman started. ‘It, uh, was a councilman, I think. He came to question me yesterday.’
‘What did he want?’
Akira’s wings shifted to wrap around her, as if to shield her. ‘He wanted me to confess. He didn’t like ‘no’ as an answer.’
Maya stared, fuming, with yet another piece of evidence against her council laid at her feet. She traced the runes carved into the iron cell bars – strong enough to contain even Unseelie magic within.
‘Guard,’ she called, making a split-second decision. Her advisers would call her foolish for even thinking of it, for risking her safety in such a way. ‘Unlock this cell and send for a room to be made up in my wing of the palace.’
The guard fumbled his keys in surprise whilst Akira simply gaped at her. ‘You’re letting me out?’
‘You’ve given me no reason to distrust your word,’ Maya said carefully as the cell door clanked open. ‘Unlike my councilmen. But I still cannot, in good conscience, let you roam my kingdom freely while I investigate. For now, you will stay within my palace, monitored by my guards, until I am satisfied it is safe for you to leave.’
Akira stared at her for a moment longer before bowing her head in respect and moving to leave. When she reached Maya, though, she paused, seemingly in thought.
‘What if I was a spy, though?’ she asked, raising a conspiratorial eyebrow.
Maya raised one in return. ‘Is that a confession?’
‘An offer. I meant it when I said I mean no harm to you or your people, and I’m no spy for Darolf. But for the time being, I could be for you.’
It was Maya’s turn to stare. She knew, she knew that she was already being incredibly foolish. But to have another pair of eyes about, someone her council was less likely to watch their tongues around …
‘What is the cost?’ Maya asked warily, all too familiar with the tricky ways of the fae.
‘My freedom,’ Akira answered easily. ‘When you are satisfied that your kingdom is secure, that I am no threat, and your council has your trust – I am free to leave, no strings attached.’
A blink was the only sign of Maya’s surprise she allowed to show through. A generous deal – no more than what she had already planned. ‘Deal,’ she replied, and surprisingly did not feel as though she had just sold her soul.
Maya straightened at the knock at the door, waving away the handmaiden pinning her crown in place.
‘You look stunning,’ Akira smiled as she entered, her guard waiting outside. ‘Well, one must look good when firing half her council,’ Maya huffed fondly. Indeed, she was dressed in full regalia for the occasion, draped in shimmering fabrics and hair braided around her most formal crown.
Akira nodded. ‘So, today’s the day?’
They had spent months gathering evidence, dredging up all the dirty secrets her advisers hoped to keep hidden under her nose. To Maya’s surprise, Akira had quickly grown on her, and she had unexpectedly found herself seeking her out for company more often than intel. The guard that was assigned to the spy was by now only a formality, keeping up the appearance that Akira was ‘under investigation’ in front of her council.
In reality, the woman had become somewhat of a trusted confidant. Gosh, if her advisers only knew …
Akira winced, waving a letter. ‘A last bit of evidence to spoil your mood.’
‘How bad is it?’
‘Bad,’ she sighed, handing it to her. ‘Worse than anything we’ve found so far. It’s about those missing messengers to Darolf.’
Maya flipped open the envelope, fishing out the note inside. ‘What about them?’
‘They never arrived.’
Maya froze, her eyes snapping back to meet Akira’s. ‘What?’
‘They were intercepted before ever reaching Darolf. By mercenaries. The files in that envelope track the payments back to – ’
‘Euris,’ Maya breathed, scanning through the papers. ‘What’s this last payment here? It’s much larger than the others.’
Akira’s wings shifted uneasily. ‘I don’t know, but as far as I could find, the job hasn’t happened yet.’
Dread curled in Maya’s stomach. ‘Who knows that you procured these records?’ she urged.
Akira hesitated, clearly not picking up on Maya’s frightening train of thought. ‘The messenger guild archivists, and probably the guards assigned to follow me. Why?’
The letter crumpled in Maya’s hands before she could stop herself. ‘These sorts of figures; they’re usually for a hit.’
Realisation dawned on Akira’s face. ‘If the guards… the council would also know that you know.’
As if on cue, the clanging bells of the palace alarms began to ring, and – queenly decorum be damned – Maya swore.
‘Aki,’ Maya hissed, the nickname falling easily from her tongue. ‘You need to go. You’ve done so much to help me, I cannot let them silence you for it.’
‘Your Majesty,’ Akira stared her down in return, striding to the wall to yank a sword from its display. ‘Our deal is not yet through.’
Maya could only gape, warm gratitude and awe filling her chest as her spy handed her the blade. This deal, this simple offer to the woman in her dungeons – she had never expected what it would blossom into, the accidental bond she would form over these last months. There had never been any reason for Akira to go this far, to commit this fully to the kingdom that had imprisoned her. And yet …
‘You have tunnels out of here, I assume?’
‘We can’t trust the guards,’ Maya breathed, shock and realisation quickly drowning out the warmth. ‘Any number could be on Euris’ payroll.’ Which meant any one of them could be after Aki … or her.
Akira nodded, slipping the door lock in place and scrawling some strange rune over the wood for good measure. The spell glowed briefly, mere seconds before pounding started on the other side.
‘That won’t hold forever,’ she said, backing away. ‘So if you have another way out …’
Maya’s thoughts were spinning, her grip on the sword shaking, but she managed to head for her bookshelf – and the hidden door behind it. ‘Follow me.’ Some guards aided them. Others turned. The tunnels only took them so far before they became overrun, and they’d been forced to brave the open corridors.
Through it all, Akira stayed by her side, armed with nothing but a stolen bow-staff and her magic. Mercenaries clad in unconvincing imitations of Darolf armour herded them through the halls, given open access by the paid-off guards.
Far more than corruption; this was treason of the highest order, happening before her eyes.
A hiss of pain from Akira dragged her back to the present. Her pale wings were spread wide, shielding Maya behind them, that feeble bow-staff trembling in her steely grip. They had barricaded themselves inside a tower – their last bastion against their pursuers, as the sounds of battle continued in the hallways beyond. Akira’s protective words were the only thing between them and whoever was outside the door, and even now, she continued tracing messy runes into the ground with her feet.
‘Aki, stop,’ Maya croaked, gripping her arm. ‘You’ve done so much. You’re exhausted, you’re bleeding, just … stop.’
The sword in her hand felt like a dead weight, useless and unused, while this woman had stood by her, had taken blows for her, had earned Maya’s trust more than ten times over. There had to be some way she could repay her.
‘Your freedom,’ Maya breathed finally, meeting Akira’s wide, weary eyes. ‘I free you from our deal. You’ve proven your innocence, shown me who in my council I can trust. You have well and truly earned the right to leave.’ Her gaze drifted meaningfully to the open window, high enough for Aki to climb through and catch the wind beneath her wings. To escape this place. ‘You can go wherever you choose.’
Akira’s eyes followed hers, and she blinked before turning back to Maya with a soft smile. ‘And what if I choose to stay here?’
Maya’s breath caught in her throat as she scanned Akira’s face for any sign of insincerity, just as she had been doing for months, and once again found none.
‘Then there will always be a room in my palace should you want it,’ she breathed in reply.
Warmth bloomed in her chest at Akira’s answering grin, and it took her a moment to realise that the sounds of fighting outside the door had ceased. Aki noticed too, her eyebrows raising, and they both jolted at the sound of a gentle knock on the door.
‘Your Majesty?’ a timid voice sounded – one Maya recognised as one of the loyal guards who had fought for her earlier. ‘Your guards have rallied. It’s all clear.’
Maya and Akira shared a long, weighty look before Akira scrawled one more spell on the floor. The runes flashed green in an instant, and she nodded in satisfaction.
‘He’s telling the truth,’ she nodded, offering Maya her hand. ‘So, what do you say? Ready to arrest your council?’
Maya hefted the sword in one hand, gripped her spy’s in the other, and grinned.
Louisa Bath loves writing fantasy stories, exploring mystical adventures, folklore and faeries. In her spare time, she enjoys experimenting with longer works, posting them online chapter-by-chapter.
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