Croi stiffens at the mention of the school. Irial talked about a school too. Was it the same one? She wonders if Tinder knows Irial but decides against asking her. To her he is an enemy.

“I know this was said before, but help me understand—what happened to the Forever King?”

“Do you want the long version or the short one?”

“How long is the long version?”

“Give or take five hours.”

Croi stares at the pixie, who grins unrepentantly. “The shortest version.”

Tinder clears her throat. “According to songs and legends, the Forever King ruled Talamh for centuries. His reign wasn’t always peaceful, but whenever wars were fought, Talamh was guaranteed a victory. These victories weren’t due to him alone; his advisor, Lugid, deserved just as much credit, for his strategies led to triumphs without excessive bloodshed. The stories claim that the two were closer than monarch and subject; though they shared no blood, they loved each other like brothers.

“No one thought that Lugid would betray the Forever King. He killed not just the Forever King but also the king’s consort, sons, and their families. The water in Talamh Caisleán ran red for days afterward. The Forever King’s younger daughter, Mabh, was present in Talamh at that time; she was accompanying the Tine King for the Saol ceremony. She got separated from the king during the melee after the ceremony was completed and was attacked by Lugid’s allies. She was heavily injured and faded after giving birth to Ceara. Monca, Ceara’s brownie mother, brought Ceara to Aodh along with the news of what had happened to Mabh.” Tinder lapses into silence, leaving Croi to ponder upon her words.

“Why did Lugid betray the Forever King?” she finally asks the pixie.

“Eh?” Tinder looks startled by the question. “Obviously because he coveted the throne.”

“Would killing the king automatically make him the next monarch?” Croi purses her lips.

“No, the person wanting to be the monarch would need to hold the HeartStone first. Only if their magick is strong enough to hold the HeartStone would they be able to put on the Talamh crown,” Tinder explains patiently.

“So where is this Lugid now?”

“Ah? He died. You know that already,” Tinder says hesitantly, perhaps realizing the logic is a bit skewed.

“You mentioned that he was the Forever King’s strategist, so presumably he knew the risk that came with fighting and killing in the Caisleán. Being proficient at nefarious scheming, I don’t believe he couldn’t have thought of other ways to lead a coup than to attack the Forever King in the Caisleán where he is the strongest.”

“What are you trying to say?” Tinder asks, her wings whirring.

Croi scrunches up her face. “I’m saying that if Lugid was aware of the consequences of his action and still went ahead and spilled blood in the Caisleán, that means the Forever King did something to incur his hatred. So, the question I want answered is, what did the Forever King do?”