FIVE
Kill him. A voice I didn’t recognize as my own tinkered in my head. I furrowed my brows and shook it away. I had been thinking about Vahaga when it happened. Was I going insane?
I returned from trying to find Morgana, who had once again evaded me. I wished I could find her. If anyone had answers as to what was happening to me, it was her.
Hurrying back to my room, my mind whirled. The council meeting was about to happen, the first one of my reign, and I’d never felt more nervous. It was official business. No more listening through doors or behind curtains like I used to. I was in charge this time. The votes made in that room would change lives.
I changed into a gown of deep emerald green. The velvet was soft against my skin, feeling like a warm embrace in the form of clothing. I wondered about Cedric. He’d been weirdly avoidant since I’d seen Amara. He was acting different, but what I could expect from him being at my court? It was unfounded territory for him—new customs, people, and magic—and Magaelor was not kind to outsiders.
My train trailed behind me as I made my way toward the council room. Oil lamps flickered dimly as afternoon darkened to evening. Thoughts of Blaise coming to court and the threat of Kiros loomed like a storm cloud over my head. I only hoped not aggravating Kiros would mean he’d leave Magaelor alone… for now.
I shook my head. I had to focus. I was about to enter the snake pit. My thoughts scattered and my mind sharpened. I gave myself a quick pep talk under my breath before raising my head.
“Your Majesty,” one guard said, and the three bowed at their waists.
The doors were opened, and I was announced. The lords stood, their chairs screeching back. I saw they’d begun without me. Vahaga stood last, making it painfully obvious he didn’t want to.
“Lord Abor.” I said, acknowledging his pointed stare.
His midnight-blue eyes locked onto mine, calculating and wonder in his wide gaze. His blond wavy hair was pulled away from his face. He was the richest, owning the biggest pockets of land in Magaelor. “Your Majesty, I speak for us all when I say what a pleasure it is to have you join us today.” His voice was as crisp and clear as a Niferum lake on a winter’s eve. His words aired confidence and conviction. I understood why the others looked up to him.
“Thank you.” I turned my attention to the second wealthiest but most influential of the four: Louis Caverly, next in line to the throne if I didn’t produce an heir. “Your Majesty,” he said, lowering his viper-like eyes toward me. Louis was known to be a gambling man who enjoyed his liquor a little too much. “It is a pity to hear about Edgar. You killed him, no?”
“King Blaise killed him,” I replied, though he already would know. “Under my orders. Edgar was a traitor. Do you disagree, Louis?”
“Your father wanted him on the throne, but yes, as you were discovered alive, and he knew that, he would be branded a traitor. I suppose.”
He’d do well at the dark fae court, I mused. His cunning, his ability to use words like weapons, and his lust for sensual things… A part of me wished I could send him there, away from me and my court, but he’d never agree; he hated the fae, even if he bore a striking resemblance to their ways.
“How are your daughters?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d always wanted a son but never produced an heir. “Still no son?”
“No,” he answered swiftly, his tone clipped.
“Hmm.” I turned my attention to Lord Gregoir Mercer and Lord Edur Grey. Edur was the youngest of them all, and the most handsome. He had a strong jawline, big blue eyes, and tousled, light-brown hair.
Gregoir was approaching his sixtieth year, yet he managed to maintain a youthful appearance. He had chestnut skin, and his wide brown eyes regarded me.
“Lords.” I smiled, remembering how kind they’d both been to me before André died and I was forced to leave. Edur had inherited the lordship at the tender age of fourteen.
“Majesty.” Gregoir gestured around us.
“Yes.” I rested my hand against my stomach. “Let us sit.”
Vahaga was the first to talk. His voice sounded smooth and dry as he approached the subject I’d already said no to. “I would first like to discuss King Kiros’s attack on our kingdom.”
My eyebrows pinched and forehead wrinkled. “Attack? When?”
He didn’t look at me. Instead, at Lord Abor. “Our young queen was taken by Xenos, kidnapped and dragged to their kingdom to be forced into a marriage. There must be retribution.”
I pressed my lips into a hard line. He’d approached the subject with talks of vengeance. It would make it harder for me to diffuse them.
Vahaga placed his bony hands on the table, and his jeweled rings sparkled from his pale fingers. He cleared his throat. “We are in an advantageous position, which shall not last for long. King Kiros is under threat from his own people and the firedrake warders. News of dragons being held captive swept their large nation. He is struggling to negotiate his court, according to sources. It would have been near impossible for us to station anyone at their court before, when Xenos ruled, but under Kiros’s pressures and distractions, we have been able to place a spy.”
“Why was I not informed?” I asked, panic seizing me. A spy was bad news, especially if whispers of my being in Berovia before being captured was discovered by them.
“You are being informed now. Majesty.” He added my title as an afterthought. “The spy was sent only this morning.”
I ground my teeth. “While noble of you to want to defend my honor, Vahaga, as I said yesterday, I do believe it to be a mistake to attack now. We are low on men. We lost large numbers in the battle, on both sides, and our soldiers are yet to be paid. Our resources are dwindling. We must take care of our own first before sending them back into battle.”
Lord Abor nodded, and I smiled.
I leaned over the table. The edge dug into my stomach. “Kiros has yet to declare war against us, unlike Xenos who always sent threats our way. We cannot afford to go to war with them. Their numbers are much vaster than ours. They have far more coin, and they’re organized. Their only weakness is their lack of ships.”
Vahaga’s lips pinched. “We may not get an opportunity like this again. They are weakened now.”
“He may not want to go to war with us at all,” I stated. “We would only aggravate him into an attack.”
Lord Edur nodded. “I agree with Winter.” His eyes widened. “I mean, Her Majesty.”
“I vote we go to war,” Gregoir stated, interjecting. “We must show strength and honor. You were captured. It cannot go unpunished.”
Abor gripped the edge of the table. Vahaga’s eyes regarded him. “Then we must take it to a vote.”
The dryness in the air irritated my nose. I sneezed, then excused myself. “I apologize.”
Abor waved his hand. “A vote then.”
Louis wrapped his fingers around his silver goblet, looking at me as he smiled. “I vote to attack.”
“As do I.” Gregoir raised his hand.
Edur looked at me, sadness in his eyes. “I vote against an attack.”
Vahaga raised his arm. “I vote for the attack.” He looked at Abor. “How about you Lord Abor?”
Threat laced his tone. He exhaled slowly. “I vote to attack.”
I clenched my jaw. I could tell he didn’t agree with the others about this. He was a smart man. Traditional? Yes. Misogynic? Yes. But he wasn’t about to allow more civil unrest, yet something kept him in line. Vahaga’s influence was vast. I had to find a way to untangle it.
“The matter is settled.” Lord Abor tilted his chin upward, then smiled. “We shall send our forces. Gregoir, you command men in your holdings in Redwinter Province?”
“Yes. I shall send them.”
I shook my head, wanting to ask why they’d not been sent to aid me in the battle, but I knew better. “It is a mistake,” I said once more, hoping to deter them. “He will come for us.”
“There has already been a vote,�
� Vahaga said, interrupting. “The matter is settled.”
If Kiros told them the truth, my story might be questioned. Of course, his word against mine would never hold in a court nor bring it to trial, but it could spark rumors, and rumors were dangerous things. “Is there any other news I should be aware of?” I shot Vahaga a look. “Anything that may have slipped your mind to tell your queen?”
He sneered. “Your Majesty, we wish to keep you informed on all information of importance.”
“Well, then… I should be going.”
Edur turned his gaze to mine. “Forgive me, but I do believe we have forgotten to tell you that your mother is on her way from Inferis.” He half smiled, a knowing look on his face. He was on my side. At least I could count on one of my lords.
I turned toward Abor and Vahaga. “My mother?” I asked, anger lacing my words. “Why in Magaelor would she be coming here?”
Lord Abor answered. “With Edgar dead, you must show a united front. Your father and you had a strained relationship. Those at court know this.” He paused. “Word travels. He publicly sent you and your mother away after your brother’s death. The people of Magaelor care about family unity, and your house is in disarray.”
I knew what they were getting at, but the answer was no. “You will send her back.”
“She is the queen mother.”
“She could be the actual queen, and I still wouldn’t bring her here.” I balled my fists, which were hidden by the polished tabletop. I looked at the array of parchment in the middle of the table, and a map of the kingdom and Berovia’s. “I can manage my image.”
Louis scoffed but masked it with a cough.
Vahaga’s lips curled upward when he looked in Louis’s direction. “With a light fae at our castle, so close to Her Majesty, and your eldest friend, Morgana, barely seen by your side, we must, unfortunately, disagree.”
I exhaled deeply, feeling rage boil inside my chest. “She will not come here.”
Louis leaned back in his chair. “We have appointed the late Lady Amber’s daughter, Marissa, to assist you once your mother arrives,” he said, ignoring my statement completely. “She is around your age, a year older I believe, and knows the proper etiquette, has powerful connections, and was a lady for the Lady Florence when she was a princess. She’s experienced and is committed to be in your service.”
I ground my teeth. I didn’t get a say in anything. I despised them all, except Edur. “My mother will not be welcome here.”
“She is almost here.”
“Why bother bringing it up if my word counts for nothing?” My tone was sharp, my words shooting at them like invisible arrows. I quickly remembered it was Edur who’d said it, not them. They’d had no plans to confer with me over what was, to them, an unimportant decision. “You will ensure when my mother steps foot on Magaelorean soil that she be placed back on the ship and taken back to Inferis.”
Lord Abor shifted in his chair, blowing out a long, tense breath. The others looked at him, then back at me. “It would be unwise to do so.”
The darkness inside me pushed as the want to hurt them coursed through me. I reined the anger in as much as I could and quickly stood before I did something I would regret. “I need a moment to confer,” I said and hurried to the double doors.
“Who’s she conferring with?” someone asked as I left the room. Once outside, I dismissed the guards.
I pressed my back against the wall and exhaled slowly. Running my fingers along the cold, smooth stone, I closed my eyes. I needed to remain calm, but every emotion felt heightened. Whatever was inside me was influencing my reactions. I couldn’t let it, not when so many were relying on me.
I remembered what Morgana had told me in that cold tower room on Inferis when I was sixteen. “You will lose yourself in a river of your rage.”
After several minutes of being in the quiet, I breathed in a few deep breaths and felt the panic settle. I didn’t want to see my mother, but I couldn’t keep fighting them on everything. Lose the battle, win the war. I needed to save my commands for more important matters, but the thought of seeing that woman again made me want to scream. She was the one who’d taught me to not let my emotions rule me, yet the thought of her presence alone made me so mad, so un-queenly.
Walking back inside, I found them whispering among themselves. They stopped when they saw me. Blue light filtered through the window and onto the table, illuminating the dust in the air.
I cleared my throat. “I have decided my mother may come. However, she will return to Inferis once my image problem has settled. As for Lady…”
“Marissa,” Abor said.
“Yes.” I nodded in his direction. “She may accompany me, but seeing as I, too, had the same etiquette lessons as a child and grew up in this castle, I will not be needing her input on how to act.”
Lord Abor rested his hands on his lap. “Very well. Your mother arrives tomorrow. We will do a formal greeting at the front courtyard.”
“Yes,” Vahaga said. “The more eyes on them seeing each other, the better.”
I gritted my teeth. “Onto other matters. I wish to hold a memorial for our fallen soldiers.”
“We can do that in time. It will be attended to after your coronation, which is our main priority.”
“We can still make preparations.”
“We will once we take a look at the financial side,” Vahaga said calmly. “The fragile peace with Niferum must also be discussed.”
I shot him a scathing look. “Fragile? We have peace. They aided us. It’s done.”
They all looked at me, all but Edur, with knowing on their expression, telling me it was, in fact, not done at all.
“I have spoken with ambassador Daric.” Vahaga looked down his nose at me.
“I know,” I said, interjecting. “I heard you needed to talk with him before he had an audience with me.” I didn’t care if I sounded petty. I wanted him to know I was as aware of what was happening at court as he was.
“Yes.” He sneered. “I have explained we will only have space for King Blaise and three of his guards. No one else may come.”
“No.” I stood. “I have already given word for as many of them to come as they like.” I put my index finger up before any of them could interrupt me. “They fought with me in the battle.” I didn’t mention how the lords had failed to come to my aid when I needed them, but the look in my eyes said it all. “I will not budge on this, as much as you try it. I have been amenable with other matters.”
Lord Abor chewed the inside of his lip. Edur stood too. “I’d be delighted to have the dark fae at court. It would be a welcome change.”
I liked Edur more and more by the second. “Thanks, Lord Edur. When you have time, I would love to discuss some land with you. My father left me land in the east. I know you have some there. Perhaps you’d like to extend your holdings?”
“Fine.” Lord Abor stood, scraping his chair back against the stone floor. “King Blaise can bring whomever he wishes.”
Vahaga cleared his throat. “Lord Abor, may I remind you—”
“On one condition,” Lord Abor said and Vahaga’s frown turned into a smirk.
“What would that be?” I asked wearily.
“Your light fae friend must be sent away.”
I suppressed my amusement. Cedric would need to be leaving anyway after the coronation. They didn’t know it, which leaned in my favor. “Once the coronation is over, I will have him go back to Berovia.”
They looked at each other, then nodded. “It seems we are in agreement about one thing today.”
SIX
“Don’t bother,” I told Cedric, who tried picking up my staff. “It won’t work for you.”
“Fascinating.”
I grabbed it. Magic pulsed through the ground, vining up my ash-wood staff and into the bone handle. It tingled my fingertips and prickled my arms. “Want to see something intriguing?”
His eyes gleamed. “Always.”
We stood in the center of the courtyard. I pointed it in the air, muttering words through barely parted lips. Closing my eyes, I let magic flow through me. When I opened them again, rose petals were falling all around us.
“Nice.” He smiled, his genuine one where the corners of his eyes creased. “Why rose petals though? Feeling romantic?”
I rolled my eyes. “They remind me of death. We have them at our funerals.”
His eyes widened. “Always so morbid,” he said, half joking. “You should try putting as much energy into living as you do thinking about death.”
“I don’t think about death that much. Besides, it helps me appreciate life more. Being immortal, it’s harder to appreciate things will come to an end.”
“We don’t have the ability to end things though, do we?”
I arched an eyebrow. “Well, no.” I thought about how Blaise had the Dagger, meaning they could choose when to die, but we had the Sword of Impervius.
He sat on a stone bench. “I wish we could. There are many of us who grow weary of living. Growing old throughout centuries, eventually we become tired of life.”
“I hadn’t put much thought to the light fae not being able to die, if I’m honest.”
“Sometimes, death is a mercy. There are faeries who have been sunk, as punishment, to the bottom of the ocean. At least centuries ago… when the solises siphoned faeries.” He rolled up his sleeves, his face reddening. “They chained them with stones and sent them to the depths, never to be retrieved.”
“Do you think they’re still conscious down there?”
His tone sharpened. “Yes.”
My heart pounded. To be trapped drowning over and over was a fate worse than death. “Why has no one been tempted to steal the Dagger then? If you’re all so eager for a way to end things?” It was what I would do if I were in their position.
He shrugged.
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