Her Reputation (The Empire: Book 1)

  *

  “Excuse me,” Wren addressed Herald Siajan.

  Though they hadn’t spoken, the man looked at him with recognition, obviously remembering at least his face from the meals he’d sat down the table from him.

  “Yes?” he asked politely, turning to face Wren.

  “Forgive my forwardness,” Wren began, “but I have heard that your Alchemist is a most powerful magician.”

  The man simply nodded, waiting for him to continue.

  “Would he be able to make a potion that would turn a – a horse into a human again?” Wren stumbled over the words. He belatedly realized that revealing Ketharly’s secret to this stranger would not be a good idea. She had gone to great lengths to keep her existence secret and Wren had no idea how the empire regarded unicorns.

  Herald Siajan looked surprised. The corners of his mouth turned downward in thought. “I have heard of such potions that would turn a creature from one form to another, but I do not believe that the mind would be affected. An animal would still have an animal mind…you say ‘again’?”

  “She was a woman once,” Wren offered, “but was transformed into a horse by a spell that can no longer be reversed. I need to find a way to turn her back because I,” he paused, but pressed on, wanting to make it clear to the man why he had such an urgent need, “because I love her.”

  The man smiled. “Ah, love. There is nothing is the world more powerful. Yes, I believe the Alchemist could help you. But his help does not come without a cost, and you would first have to request permission from Her Royal Eminence to even speak with him. While any citizen of the empire may pose such a request, you are not a citizen. As we have never before come across such a situation, I am unsure how it might be handled by Her Eminence.”

  “Thank you,” Wren nodded his understanding. “Thank you very much. I appreciate your time speaking with me.”

  He hurried off, excited now, to find Rhys. He’d heard that his friend was going along with Phoenix on the mission and hoped that he could convince him to put in a good word to the Queen that Wren’s addition to the party would be beneficial.

  He found Rhys lurking in the hallway outside the royal chambers and Wren cornered him. “You’ve got to get me on that boat,” he told the younger boy, who was eyeing him warily.

  “Excuse me?” Rhys asked, trying to push past him. “Like what, stow you away in my bags?”

  Wren gave him a withering look. “Convince the Queen that I should go along.” Wren stood his ground, trying to hold Rhys’s stony gaze. His facial expressions were almost as intimidating as his mother’s and Wren soon looked away. “I need to go to the empire and speak with the Alchemist.”

  “Why?” Rhys drew out the word suspiciously.

  “He’s the only one who can help a friend,” Wren said. “Look, will you help me or not?”

  “Why don’t you just go ask Phoenix? They’re a lot more likely to listen to her than to me. I’m still not entirely sure why I got put on this mission.”

  “Because they know that you are where they get most of their information about the city from, you dolt. How would I come up with the stuff you feed me when I spend all my time in libraries?”

  Rhys was silent, his lips tight.

  “I’m not sure that Phoenix would actually want me on the trip,” Wren admitted, dropping his wandering gaze.

  Rhys relaxed. Then he sighed. “Fine, I’ll do what I can.”

  “Thank you!” Wren exclaimed, moving to hug the boy. Rhys raised an eyebrow at him menacingly, and he backed off. He stuck out his hand instead. Rhys stared at this for a moment before finally reaching out and firmly shaking it twice.

  “Don’t thank me,” he warned. “I haven’t done anything yet.”