Hive Queen by Sinclair Grayson

Author:Sinclair, Grayson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Starlit Publishing
Published: 2020-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

***

Gold Hightown hadn’t changed much since I’d last been there. While Lowtown festered in destitution, Hightown thrived in opulence.

The air was even sweeter, less polluted with heat and the stale scent of poverty. There were still plenty of stone buildings, just more refined and well-designed, but it was in Hightown where we started seeing wooden houses and manors as well.

It was the only place in Aldrust where the dwarves built their buildings with wood. It wasn’t that expensive to buy, but to have it transported, constructed, and maintained in the cool underground cost some serious coin. Only the wealthiest dwarves had the coin or were vain enough to attempt building a house out of wood.

Most of the buildings were still stone, but it wasn’t just stone, most had marble or wooden accents to their houses, especially around the roof and windows. It was a less expensive method of showing off wealth, but status was status, no matter where.

The streets were smooth and had been freshly replaced—not a single crack or chip in the flagstones.

“It’s gorgeous here, and the air is sweeter. Warmer, too,” Raven said, glancing around.

“We’re closer to the surface, so more fresh air gets let in from the vents that run through the rock to the surface. As we found out last night, Lowtown doesn’t get the luxury of fresh air, so it stagnates and rots on the lower levels.”

The walk to the Iron Cathedral was a long one, and I was already nervous. Why did I agree to this again? Oh, right, I didn’t really have much of a choice. Raven shifted her eyes to mine, and I knew she could tell I was feeling the pressure, and she tried to keep me distracted.

“It’s like night and day,” Raven said as we passed a rather large three-story manor constructed of dark rosewood.

“Nobility is the same no matter what race you are. If someone can have something, then there must always be someone who doesn’t. It’s the way the world works.”

She picked up her step and walked along side of me, nudging me with her elbow. “Waxing philosophical, are we? Still, the wealth of this place is staggering compared to Lowtown.”

“Says the girl working for the richest man in existence.”

She snickered. “Touché.”

As we stepped along the smooth cobblestone streets, I kept my eyes open. Humans were welcome to go mostly wherever we pleased in Aldrust, but there still wasn’t a huge number of us in the city. Raven and I would stand out to any casual observer, and that was the last thing we needed before we cased the Iron Cathedral.

We passed numerous dwarven nobles going about their day. The style of dress had changed slightly, and tailored button-ups with colorful mantling around their shoulders seemed to be in fashion for the dwarven males, while the ladies wore flowing dresses that stopped mid-calf. The dwarven nobles have always had their eyes on the latest trends, but I can’t see how mantling has caught on.

I ignored most of the looks we got as we passed by, none of them hostile, merely curious.

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