Crush the King (Crown of Shards #3)(33)
He looked to be in his mid-thirties, with hazel eyes and black hair that gleamed with an oily sheen. A neat, trimmed mustache lined his upper lip, and his teeth were very square and blindingly white against his tan skin. He was wearing a short white jacket over a white tunic and sandy brown leggings and boots. Gold thread scrolled down his jacket sleeves, and the gold buttons on the front glimmered as though they had just been polished. The buttons were all stamped with a familiar symbol—a woman with coins for her eyes and mouth.
Standing next to him was a woman who looked to be in her late twenties, just like me. She too was wearing a short white jacket and tunic over brown leggings and boots, although her clothes were adorned with far less gold thread. She was quite lovely, with bright hazel eyes, tan skin, and golden hair that was pulled into a fat braid that trailed over her shoulder. An exquisite choker made of tiny gold coins ringed her neck, each separate piece stamped with the coined-woman crest.
Several guards dressed in sandy brown tunics, leggings, and boots flanked the man and the woman. That same coined-woman crest glittered in gold thread in the center of the guards’ tunics, and each one had a sword with a gold hilt holstered to their brown leather belts.
“And here’s the welcoming committee,” Auster muttered, dropping his hand to his own sword.
The man in the white jacket bowed to me. “Queen Everleigh. Welcome to Fortuna. I am Driscol DiLucri, and this is my sister, Seraphine.” He gestured at the woman.
I’d heard of Driscol, the current head of the DiLucri family and thus the Mint. Technically, no kingdom owned Fortuna, and the island was supposed to be a neutral site, not only for sailors and merchants, but for the Regalia as well. However, given all the gold and goods that flowed from the ships, through the Mint’s doors, and back out again, the island more or less belonged to the DiLucris, who had long ago established their own guards, laws, and taxes.
The DiLucris might be a sort of royal family, but they did one thing differently than the Blairs, Ripleys, and all the others—the strongest, smartest, and cleverest person of each generation led them, instead of the firstborn. It was an unusual arrangement, but one that seemed to work well for the DiLucris, given their continued prosperity. Still, I’d heard rumors that the leadership battles were particularly ruthless—and that the bones of more than one DiLucri littered the bottom of the harbor.
“I am the head of the Regalia committee,” Driscol continued.
Since the Regalia was always held on their island, the DiLucris were in charge of most of the preparations, although the kings and queens still had a say in how things were done. Despite the DiLucris’ supposed neutrality, everyone knew that certain Regalia favors and advantages could be had—for the right price.
“Hello, Driscol, Seraphine. Thank you for such a warm welcome,” I replied, following the standard protocol script.
Seraphine curtsied, while Driscol bowed and smiled, but there was no warmth in his expression, only white teeth. I could also clearly smell his hot, peppery anger. No doubt by now he had heard what I’d done to his geldjagers, whose bodies would slowly rot on the scaffolding outside Seven Spire until I returned from the Regalia.
“Most of the other royals have already arrived. If you will follow us, my guards will escort you to the arena for the opening ceremonies.” Driscol smiled at me again, then strode away, with Seraphine and his guards following along behind him.
Paloma, Sullivan, and Captain Auster sidled a little closer, forming a protective semicircle around me. Auster was still clutching his sword, while Paloma’s hand drifted down to the mace on her belt. Sullivan flexed his fingers, ready to reach for his lightning, should the need arise.
I glanced over my shoulder. Xenia was clutching her cane, while Serilda, Cho, and the Bellonan guards had their hands on their swords. Everyone was ready for trouble.
I headed after Driscol, and the others fell in step around and behind me.
Driscol, Seraphine, and their guards crossed the plazas and waited for us to catch up at the boulevard. We crossed that as a group and wound our way up the stone steps.
As we climbed, Driscol played the part of the pleasant host, pointing out fountains, buildings, and other interesting landmarks, and giving us an abbreviated history lesson about the island and its people. Seraphine remained silent, a bland, bored expression on her face.
Driscol stopped at one of the landings and gestured over at an enormous building perched at the end of the boulevard several hundred feet away. “And that, of course, is the Fortuna Mint.”
I had been concentrating on the people moving across the plazas, along the boulevard, and up and down the steps, keeping an eye out for potential assassins, so I hadn’t paid much attention to the surrounding buildings. But now that Driscol had pointed it out, I realized just how large the Mint was and how it completely dominated this part of the island.
The three-story structure was fashioned out of gleaming white marble that made it look like a huge square opal that had been set into the surrounding tan stone. Small bits of metal had been inlaid into the wide, fluted columns that supported the building, adding to its glowing luster. I squinted into the sun. No, not just metal—gold coins. Thousands and thousands of coins curled up and around the columns like gold ribbons before spreading out across and completely covering the wide, flat band of stone that topped the structure like a crown on a king’s head.
“And then we have Lady Fortuna herself, our famous coined lady and our ancestor who first founded the Mint.” Pride rippled through Driscol’s voice as he gestured toward the building again.