“If you don’t like me staring, you should put on some clothes.”
“Take a good look.” Arc points at his half-erect cock. “This one will be waiting for you underneath my kilt all day.”
Just when my cheeks had returned to a normal colour… Oh well. I really need to stop blushing this much.
I turn away from them and climb out of bed, walking towards my massive wardrobe. It’s full of dresses, but I also managed to get the seamstress to make me some shirts and trousers. I know they all like wearing dresses here, but that’s not really my style.
Today though, I should wear something impressive. Something that shows power and status.
In the end, I decide on a dark blue dress made from a shiny, heavy fabric that’s clinging tightly to my body. Golden thread decorate the neckline and sleeves, the only adornment on the otherwise simple dress. Still, I think the absence of any frills and unnecessary decorations shows I take our visitor seriously, while the gold and the quality of the fabric are proof of my status.
I add a brooch with my mother’s coat of arms. Only members of the Royal family are allowed to wear that – which basically means my mum and me. She gave me an entire set of that jewellery, including a heavy necklace, but for today, the brooch will be enough.
Ready and dressed, I run my fingers through my hair. I’m still not used to missing half of it.
“I think I need a hairdresser,” I sigh. “I can’t go to meet Flora like this, and I don’t want to continue wearing scarves. People are going to ask questions about that soon.”
“You could shave off the other side,” Crispin suggests. “And then braid the remaining hair. It will make you look like a badass warrior.”
“Or shave it all off. It might set a trend,” Frost adds. “If it helps, I can shave mine too.”
I glare at him. “Don’t you dare. Keep your hair the way it is now. The only one allowed to get a haircut is Storm.”
“Why me?” the Guardian in question asks. “Don’t you like my hair?”
“I do, but it would be fun if you had the same haircut as your brother. You could play tricks on people… you know, like twins are supposed to do. But you’d have to get rid of that scowl first.”
“I don’t scowl.”
“Yes, you do. Now get dressed. Arc, you’re the only one ready, would you mind finding me a hairdresser somewhere? There must be someone in this Palace.”
“I could get ya some scissors…”
“Hairdresser. Now.”
I’m wearing a wig. A freaking wig. In the end, that seemed like the best option. I wasn’t quite brave enough for the warrior Princess option.
The wig almost looks like my real hair, but I can’t help running my hand through it self-consciously.
“Don’t worry, it looks good,” Frost reassures me as we walk towards the throne room.
He’s assigned to me today – Storm is working with Gwain, Crispin is looking after my mother and Arc is helping Tamara with spy stuff. Storm tried to insist on two Guardians being with me at all times, but he realised that everybody is too busy for that.
“Have you ever met Flora?” I ask him, mentally going through what I read on her yesterday evening before going to bed.
“Only once, but I don’t really remember it. She didn’t seem very interesting at the time. There was gossip about her hooking up with Fav, but I’ve never really cared for all of that.”
“Hooking up? That’s a strange way of describing the relationships of Gods.”
“They’re not as godly as people think,” he explains. “They all have their faults and weaknesses. It’s easiest to see Gods as just another species, like Guardians and humans. They might have a bit more power, but that doesn’t make them any more intelligent.”
“I don’t think most Gods would agree with that statement.” Tamara is waiting for us in front of the large doors leading to the throne room. She’s grinning widely at Frost’s statement, as if she agrees entirely with him. I suppose she has a lot of dealings with Gods, whether they’re aware of it or not. She has spies in all of their Realms who likely tell her of the unsavoury things those Gods are up to.
“Darling, you look lovely,” she tells me, looking up and down my dress. “The brooch is a nice touch. Shall I get you the diadem as well?”
I shake my head, worried that the diadem might make the wig slide off my head. Unlikely, but I don’t quite trust that hairy thing yet.
“Flora is waiting for you inside. I’ve taken the liberty to make everyone else leave, except for a few guards, of course. Is there anything else you need from me?”
“How’s my mother?”
I didn’t have time to check on her before coming here. It makes me feel bad, but I know that she would prefer me to focus on my Royal duties rather than sit by her bedside.
“Doing well. Crispin just arrived when I left, so she’s in good hands. Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. See you at the Council meeting.”
She smiles and hurries off down the corridor, leaving Frost and me alone.
I take a deep breath.
“Let’s do this.”
Flora is waiting by the throne, her back to the door, but she turns when she hears us enter. Frost stays close to the entrance, watching me just like the rest of the guards who are scattered around the room. Seems like I need to do this on my own.
The Goddess of Spring gives me a deep courtesy, waiting in that position until I get close to her. I admire her courtesy skills; mine are still severely lacking. I almost fell over once or twice, but luckily, they don’t expect a Princess to do a lot of those anyway.
“Please stand,” I tell her and she looks up at me, showing me her face for the first time.
She’s beautiful, no, stunning. Her porcelain skin highlights her golden eyes and rosy cheeks, framed by shiny blonde curls. Her hair is held back with a mayflower wreath, the white petals almost the same colour as her flawless skin.
Her ivory dress is almost translucent, wrapping around her body like a toga, exposing a lot of her exquisite figure. She must be freezing though, this really isn’t the kind of clothing to wear in the Winter Realm.
She reminds me of a white orchid, delicate but with an inner strength. Very fitting, given her name.
“Your Highness,” she says in a soft voice, almost a whisper. “Thank you for seeing me.”
That’s when she looks straight into my eyes and I recognise something very familiar. Grief. Bottomless sadness.
I decide to forego the formalities and lead her to one of the alcoves on the right side of the room, rather than up to the throne.
Two stone benches are opposing each other, separated by a small table that the nobles like to use to play chess or some other games. Flora seems a little surprised by the breach of protocol, but she slides onto one of the benches with more elegance than I will ever possess.
I take my seat opposite her, not quite sure how to begin. I’m like a fish out of water who’s been stuffed into a dress and told to behave regal.
“I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
That’s the easy bit out of the way. Deciding to forego any pleasantries and small talk, I jump straight in.
“Your messenger said that your husband was murdered? With the poison of a black dragon?”
Her eyes widen slightly, but she stays poised.
“Yes, Your Highness. We found him in the morning, a raven feather on his chest. There was blood on his lips and the healer later found traces of the poison on his tongue. He says it was in something Fav ate…”
She pauses but then blurts out, “I think it was meant for me. I was late for dinner so he began to eat on his own, and I got myself a snack from the kitchens before going to bed. Maybe he took something from my plate.”
She breaks off and swallows hard.
“Is it more likely that the Morrigan wanted to kill you rather than your husband?” I ask gently. She cringes at the mention of the Morrig
an but regains her composure quickly.
“I was given information,” she says slowly. “One of my spies found something by accident… she told me, but she was killed at the same time as my husband. I’m the only one who knows what she found.”
That’s making things a lot more interesting.
“Your husband never knew?”
“No, he didn’t get involved much in business affairs.” She sniffs. “There was no reason for anyone to kill him.”
“What’s the information, if it’s worth killing for?”
“I want protection for me and my family. My soldiers will fight in your war, but the ordinary people of my Realm need to be protected. My home is much closer to the Summer Realm, so it’s likely that Angus will want to take revenge on me once he finds out that I’ve been to see you.”
“Why would Angus want revenge? Surely you’re not the only one thinking about leaving his side?”
“It’s not that.” She pauses, then looks me straight into the eyes, a hint of steel showing in hers. “My spy saw him meet with the Morrigan. And I can tell you where.”
Chapter Eleven
“We don’t have the manpower to protect another Realm!” Magnus shouts over the noise. “Nor do we have the resources.”
“She might be able to give us vital information about where we can find the Morrigan,” Storm counters, not even bothering to raise his voice. “If we know where she’s hiding, we have the advantage. We can attack her before she has gathered all her forces.”
“Who says that Angus met the Morrigan in her hiding place? They could have chosen a random spot in neutral territory! Flora might be bluffing to get our help.”
The treasurer’s face has turned red. As much as I don’t like the man, I have to at least address his doubts.
“Gwain, is what Magnus says true?” I turn to the Master of Arms on my left. “Do we not have enough soldiers to protect her Realm?”
“If she didn’t have an army of her own, then it would be a problem. She has a large number of soldiers herself, though. Nowhere near the size of our own or Angus’s force, but still quite impressive for a Realm her size. I don’t believe that she’s trying to get that kind of protection. What she wants is that you publicly announce her as your ally. That means that if someone was to attack her, you’d defend her – hopefully a good deterrent for anyone to mess with her.”
I nod. “That makes sense. How will Angus react if I ally with Flora?”
Storm snickers. “He won’t be happy.”
“He’ll regret that the first assassination attempt didn’t work,” Tamara says, her lips twitching. “I’m sure he was aware of the attempt on Flora’s life, if it was indeed aimed at her and not at her husband. He’ll likely try again, even once she’s divulged her secret to us. He needs to show both his allies and his enemies that anyone who betrays him will have to suffer the consequences.”
“Does that mean we should keep Flora here, for her protection?”
Gwain nods. “Yes, that would be advisable. Times have shown that the Palace is no longer as impenetrable as we would like, but it’s still the safest place for the Spring Goddess. I can send some of my officers into her Realm to help with the defences.”
“And who’s going to pay for that?” Magnus fumes, still standing while everyone else is seated around the large table.
“You,” I tell him, hiding a smile. “The Royal coffers should be there to help the defence of the Realm, direct and indirect. What’s the problem? Are we running out of money?”
He wrings his hands, obviously annoyed that I’m not taking him seriously.
“No, Princess, we have enough resources.”
“Then what’s the big problem? I’m having trouble understand, Treasurer.”
“We should focus on our own first!” he bursts out. “Let Flora look after herself, we have enough to do protecting our own Realm.”
The room falls deadly silent.
“Get out,” I say in a quiet, measured voice. Inside I’m seething, but I’m not letting him know that. Who does he think he is? “This is not the way I’m going to rule. I’m not going to put on blinkers and ignore what’s happening outside of this Realm. If someone comes to us for help, we will assist as best as we can. Only if we all stand together will we be able to win against our enemies.”
He shoots me a hateful glance, then slams closed the door behind him.
I sigh deeply. “Tamara, do we have someone else who could take our beloved treasurer’s role?”
I know I have them all shocked. They didn’t expect me to send away one of the Council members, and they certainly didn’t expect me to want to replace him. Well, look again, boys. Once my mother is back on her feet, she can always reinstate him, but for now, he’s to stay out of my sight. I’ve never liked him, and I won’t be able to suffer his racist attitudes.
“His assistant, Leo, is a bright young fellow,” Tamara says slowly. “He doesn’t have Magnus’s experience, but he’s clever and innovative.”
“Have him come to me later,” I order. “Let’s see if we can’t bring some fresh minds into this Council.”
That has them all sit up straight. They’re probably thinking whether I might replace some of them as well. As if I’m planning to do that. Magnus didn’t really leave me a choice. I couldn’t ignore statements like that.
“Shall we proceed? I will talk to Flora later, and maybe Gwain and Storm might want to be present. But first, is there any other business we need to discuss?”
Zephyr lifts his hand, almost shyly. Is he suddenly scared of me?
“Lucifer has sent a message. Your mother gave him the task to find out more about the black dragon poison back when you were almost killed. He said he wasn’t able to enter the Dragon Realm. They’ve barricaded themselves, no one is able to enter or leave.”
“Are they trying to protect themselves from the coming war?” I ask.
“I doubt it,” Gwain says, his fingers playing with his beard as he thinks. “There’s something else going on there. I wish we had the time to figure it out, but for now, I think our priorities need to lie elsewhere.”
“Agreed. It doesn't seem like they will help us, but as long as they don't do anything threatening, let's ignore them."
Zephyr nods and makes a note on one of the many papers he has lying in front of him. I'm still not entirely sure of what exactly his role is in the Council. There are no birds here that he could be keeping, and most messages are sent via mental links or messengers. If a Guardian can fly a lot faster than birds, why use courier pigeons.
He seems to assist others a lot. I've seen him take orders from Tamara and help Algonquin in the library - but that may be just an excuse to spend time with his boyfriend. I don't think everyone is aware that the two of them are a couple, but to me, it's pretty obvious.
If my mother has Zephyr on her Council, there must be a reason for it. He must be helpful somehow, even if it's not obvious at first.
I look around the room. "Anything else we should discuss?"
"I have sent scouts to the Northern Gate," Gwain says, reminding me of our discussion yesterday. "We should hear back from them by tomorrow at the very latest. There's a snowstorm brewing, so their progress is slower than I'd hoped."
"Good, inform me as soon as you hear from them, whether it's good news or bad."
"Several Gods have announced that they're coming to your party tomorrow," Tamara tells me with a gleeful smile. "I've let the Palace staff know to prepare a banquet."
I shudder internally. I thought that now that we were at war, I wouldn't have to go to any more balls and festivities. No such luck. The Gods want to be entertained, and so entertain them we will. Hopefully, it will end up being an effective way of finding out who's supporting us and who isn't.
"Can you prepare a list for me with all who're going to attend?" I ask her, very aware that I will likely not have heard of most of them. Hopefully, I'll have some time tonight to do some research, or get
one of the guys to explain who's important and who I can ignore.
"Of course, consider it done. Thor will be there as well, and he's bringing his daughter too. Not sure why but he wanted me to let you know."
Oh no. He wants me to do some girl to girl chat with her. This couldn't come at any worse time, but he's one of our closest allies and I can't afford to upset him.
"Are we all done here?" I get up and look at them with barely hidden impatience. "I have a Spring Goddess to meet. Gwain, Storm, you're with me."
A Palace guard leads us into one of the gardens. I'm a bit surprised, I'd have thought Flora would have been more comfortable in a room with a fireplace, not out here in the cold. But when I see her sitting amongst the flowers, the snow around them melted and new colour breathed into their petals, I understand why she's here. She's the Goddess of Spring, she's got a connection to nature. I could swear that there are some new flowers among the ones familiar to me. Did she actually make them grow in the few hours she's been our guest?
She seems deep in thought and doesn't even realise that we're here until we're standing right in front of her.
She looks up and I give her a friendly smile.
"Flora, I’d like to introduce you to Gwain, our Master at Arms, and Storm, his second in command. Both, meet Flora, the Goddess of Spring."
"A pleasure," Gwain says smoothly, while Storm gives her a sharp nod.
"We've met. Sorry about Fav."
Even for Storm, that's very brusque, but I'm letting it go for now.
"Shall we go inside?" I suggest, not so much caring about the cold but more about the eyes and ears that could be hiding in the garden. I much prefer a room where I can spell the doors so nobody can listen in.
I lead them into a random sitting room - one of dozens or even hundreds in this Palace - and carefully close the door, adding some magic to make it soundproof.
Once everybody has taken a seat, I get my thoughts in order. This is my first big test at diplomacy and negotiation. I better not mess this up.
Winter Queen: A reverse harem novel (Daughter of Winter Book 3) Page 9