by E. A. Copen
Another teenaged girl with freckles and fiery red hair stood beside Remy in a dress of deep emerald green. That had to be Jessica. Wow, Nate’s little girl had grown up too. He was going to freak when he saw her.
Off to the right stood an aged king and queen with glowing crowns. A teenage boy, probably sixteen or seventeen, stood in front of them in a white feathered cape. The royalty of the Court of Light.
Wood creaked in the back row as we passed. I turned my head and stared into the eyes of an eight-foot-tall sentient tree. Athdar. He drew his bushy eyebrows together and nodded solemnly.
Roshan stood at the end of the row in the front, his intense glare fixed on me. I tried to get a reaction out of him by meeting my eyes, but he just kept staring. Guess I wouldn’t know if he was with me or not until the last second. Not that it changed the plan anyway. I wasn’t going to just stand there and let Titania shout “off with his head.”
The troll jailor kicked the back of my knee, forcing me to kneel just before we got to the dais.
Someone handed William a scroll. He unrolled it and read, “For crimes against the Summer Court, I present the Pale Horseman and former Summer Knight, Lazarus Kerrigan.”
“You’re missing a few titles there, buddy,” I spat. “I’m king of the Court of Miracles, father to the Summer Princess, and—”
William backhanded me so hard he knocked me to the floor. I lay there, blinking away dancing stars.
Titania folded her hands. “Neither the Summer Court nor the Court of Light recognizes your Court of Miracles, Horseman, and the princess is insulted enough to share your blood, don’t you think?”
I sat up and spat blood onto the floor. “Yeah, let’s talk about that.”
Her smile was venomous. “Let’s not. The punishment for your crimes is death.”
“What crimes?” spat Foxglove.
Remy lifted her chin. “Treason.”
I pushed myself up on shaky legs. “I’m not beholden to your court. I’ve made no oaths and owe you no loyalty, so tell me how I could’ve committed treason?”
“You struck me.” My daughter’s brown eyes glowed with hatred. “Then attempted to kidnap me using Sir Foxglove as bait. Not to mention, you brought the Winter Knight into Summer and then attacked the Summer Knight before somehow seducing Foxglove to work for you.”
I shook my head. “I never struck you,” I said gently. “That was my fetch, a creature Titania constructed to—”
“Enough!” Titania’s voice boomed through the throne room. “Your sentence has been passed. The punishment for treason is death!” She gestured to William, who put his hand on his sword and stepped forward.
Remy stepped down off the dais and turned to face Titania. “Do you deny his accusation, grandmother?”
All eyes went to Titania. Her jaw shook with the effort of trying to speak a lie. She couldn’t, no matter how badly she wanted to. “We can talk about this after.”
“We’ll talk about it now,” Remy said. “You’re about to behead my father and the man I…” She stopped and looked over her shoulder at Foxglove. “The man who protected me for years. My closest confidante and the man who gave me life. Is life not something this court holds sacred?”
A murmur of agreement went up from the crowd at my back. I had to hand it to Remy. She knew how to give a speech. Go, kid.
Her heels clicked as she stepped up to the bottom stair, looking up at her grandmother. “If life is sacred, then we must not throw it away until all other avenues have been explored. Don’t you agree?”
Titania gritted her teeth. “There were extenuating circumstances, Remy. This is not the time and place for—”
“Do I mean so little to you, grandmother, that you would deny me the truth on my wedding day?”
Titania shifted her weight. “There is a fetch, but it changes nothing. He still attempted to kidnap you. This man is a murderer!”
“It’s true,” a man I’d never seen before shouted from the crowd.
“He conspired with the Winter Knight!” shouted someone else.
“He murdered Princess Odette!”
The chains around my wrists clinked as I turned to address the crowd.
“Lazarus, don’t,” Foxglove growled under his breath. “Stick to the plan.”
I ignored him. It was one thing to call me a killer. At least that was true, even if not in the sense that she meant it. It was an entirely different thing to insinuate that I had murdered the woman I once loved the same day I was defending their ungrateful asses from Shadow.
“I saved you. All of you,” I shouted. “When the armies of Shadow were on your doorstep, ready to rape, murder, and maim all of you, I charged out to meet them! Not her, me! I should have let you all die. I should have let Kellas and the Shadow army murder every one of you!”
The crowd rumbled on the edge of transforming into an angry mob. Shouts rose above the grumbling, calling for my execution while the ladies of the court gasped and feigned surprise.
“Order!” Titania demanded, stomping her foot. “I command this court to come to order! Watch your tongue, Horseman, or I’ll have it pulled out of your head!”
I turned back to her, sneering. “Go ahead. That way, no one can hear me remind them of how you cowered in your tower in Summer’s hour of need. It was your betrothed who nearly brought this kingdom to its knees, your consort who murdered Odette, not me.” I stepped forward, expecting William to block me, but he remained where he was. “And when I took my daughter back to Earth with me, you made no move to stop me. You sent no support, no protection, no help. I cared for her alone, Titania. I dressed her, woke with her at three in the morning, changed her diapers, sang her to sleep, and fought to keep her safe. And while I was fighting for my life, trying to get back to her, you took her away from me. Do you deny it?”
Titania was silent.
Remy looked from me to her. “Grandmother?”
The Summer Queen lifted her chin proudly. “You are not on trial for any of those things,” she shouted above the roar of the crowd. “Do you deny trying to kidnap Remy? Conspiring against me? Bringing the Winter Knight across the border? Corrupting Sir Foxglove and attacking my knight?”
I shook my head. “You’re not listening. A judge with closed ears is just an executioner in disguise, and since you want to kill me so badly, I’ll give you that chance. I demand a trial by combat!”
The shouting silenced. The Summer Knight removed his hand from his sword and looked expectantly at Titania.
She threw her head back and laughed. “That right is afforded only to nobility, and since no court in attendance recognizes your pathetic attempt at declaring yourself king of this Court of Miracles—”
The doors to the throne room suddenly burst open and Noelle charged in, still wearing the ball gown she’d picked out for the masquerade, except it was covered in blood. She walked with two bloodstained blades bared, one in each fist. Soldiers marched in at her side, a dozen strong, armed with swords and spears and wearing sparkling ice blue armor.
Titania’s knights drew their weapons.
“What is the meaning of this?” demanded the Summer Queen.
Noelle stopped halfway to the throne. “I recognize the Court of Miracles.”
“You are not a part of these proceedings!” Titania stammered.
“Unfortunately for you, they don’t agree.” She nodded to her armed escort. “And since I just became their queen, they aren’t going to back down unless I order them to, which I have no intention of doing.”
Noelle matched Titania’s glare with one of her own. The room was suddenly so quiet, you could’ve heard the ice water flowing through Noelle’s veins. Titania was practically steaming.
I smiled and turned back to address the Summer Queen. “So, how about it, Titania? Do I get my trial? Or do my Winter allies get free target practice?”
“Very well, Horseman. You may name your champion.”
Champion? Foxglove hadn’t said anything ab
out a champion. I glanced at William. Titania would almost certainly name her knight as her champion. He was the Summer Knight for a reason. To get a title like that, you had to be the best swordsman in the kingdom.
I looked at Noelle. She was good too. Had to be if she’d served as the Winter Knight, but I had a feeling naming a Faerie queen wouldn’t go in my favor. She’d come to my rescue once already, and I didn’t want to owe her. Which left me with one option.
Foxglove had lost weight since getting tossed into prison with me. His face had grown thin. He’d be weak, tired, and sore. But he’d be motivated too. If we won this, I’d be able to negotiate his release. Not only that, but the woman he loved would be watching. If he was the warrior I thought he was, he’d want to prove himself to her, even if he knew she’d never have him.
He shook his head. Foxglove wanted me to name my magic. I could see why. It would give me an edge over William, but only if I could get close. I didn’t know my way around a sword well enough to win that fight. Besides, if I killed the Summer Knight, it’d be one more mark against me. Two knights duking it out with swords was supposed to be more honorable. Wasn’t that what was really on trial? My honor?
I cleared my throat. “I name my knight, Sir Foxglove, as my champion.”
His shoulders deflated with a sigh.
Titania smirked. “Very well. I choose my knight. Clear the hall and arm them. Let the battle begin.”
Chapter Thirty
Titania’s people removed all the décor from the throne room in record time. Some of the curious onlookers left, but most stayed to see how it would go down. Nothing more entertaining to a mob than the chance for blood.
Noelle was given a seat of honor off to the left side of the room and commanded her guards to surround her. Titania’s servants poured her wine and offered her food, but she touched none of it, preferring to sit and brood in the smaller of two thrones in the room.
Foxglove was given a space to prepare nearby, just out of earshot of the new Winter Queen, while I was chained to a heavy boulder Athdar brought in from outside. I looked at him but didn’t say anything. Titania was watching, and if she saw us speaking to each other, the jig would be up.
Declan pushed in a big wooden cart with a bunch of weapons strapped to it. Attached diagonally to the back was the iron staff I had asked him to retrieve. I hoped I wouldn’t have to use it, but if my fetch decided to make an appearance, I wouldn’t hesitate.
Our jailor struck off Foxglove’s chains and stormed away growling.
Foxglove rubbed his scratched-up wrists. “You should not have named me, Lazarus. Why didn’t you just stick to the plan?”
“I knew Titania would name William and that I’m not a match for him. Not even with my magic. I’d be dead, you’d be dead, and my fetch would still be running around making a wreck of my reputation.” I gestured to the other side of the room, where William was busy adjusting his armor. “You can take him. You’re at least as good as he is. I’ve seen you fight.”
Foxglove grabbed a flimsy-looking vambrace and strapped it to his forearm. “William is my friend. A mentor. He taught me everything I know about the sword, Lazarus. Even if I can beat him, I don’t want to.”
The image of Hades staring up at me, eyes wide while I held his soul flashed through my mind. I closed my eyes and shook my head, clearing the image. “Well, if you don’t win this, you and me are both dead.”
“It’s ‘you and I.’”
“What?”
Foxglove finished strapping on a chest plate with lots of dents. “Never mind. You do realize that even if I win, we might not get out of this alive? Not now that both queens are here. They might erupt into a fight and shatter the very fragile peace between them. This whole kingdom could be at war by the end of this, and we’ll be caught in the middle.”
“Then we’ll just have to make sure Titania and Noelle behave themselves.” I glanced between them. With the looks they were giving each other, that wouldn’t be easy.
“It’s not them I’m worried about.” Foxglove went to the weapons rack and picked up a spearhead, examining it. “Your fetch is still around. If you win and he doesn’t get his way, he might decide to cause more trouble. Starting a war to stop you sounds exactly like something he’d do.”
Foxglove was right, but I couldn’t focus on that. My first priority had to be getting free and back to Earth. I hadn’t missed that Noelle hadn’t changed her dress. Maybe there was still time. Time did flow differently in Faerie, after all.
Foxglove stopped examining his sword and lowered it. Prince Roshan had stepped away from the line of spectators and was coming our way. That idiot. What did he think he was doing? He’d ruin everything.
“Prince Roshan,” said Foxglove stepping between Roshan and me. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I only came to wish you luck,” said Roshan, “and to give you this.” He held out his hand.
Foxglove took whatever it was, cradling it in his palm for a moment before giving Roshan a questioning glance.
“I apologize for my behavior at the prison,” Roshan continued. “I understand the power rejection holds over you all too well. You don’t have to throw your life away for her.”
Foxglove closed a fist around Roshan’s gift and squeezed. “It would be my honor to die defending truth and justice. We fought alongside each other during the Shadow invasion, didn’t we, Prince Roshan?”
“We did.”
Foxglove turned, picked up a leather helmet, and affixed it on his head. “Then I look forward to serving with you again in the future should the opportunity arise.”
Roshan nodded, then glanced at me. “Horseman,” he said in the form of both a greeting and farewell before retreating.
“What did he give you?” I asked once Roshan was out of earshot.
“A note.” He tucked a small slip of paper into his armor. “Titania removed Sir William’s blade and had it sharpened just before. I believe more than an oil and a grindstone have been applied to the edge.”
I surged forward. “He’s fighting you with poison on his sword? Foxglove, you have to call foul.”
He shook his head. “Sir William doesn’t know. If he did, he wouldn’t go ahead with the fight. The man is nothing if not honorable. If I call him out, I’ll destroy his honor. I won’t do that to him.”
“If you don’t, then even one little nick, and you’re a dead man!”
“I won’t do it, Lazarus. I can’t. Not to him.”
“Foxglove…” I laced my tone with warning.
He tugged on a pair of leather gloves and ignored me. “I’ll just have to avoid being cut is all,” he said and grabbed both sword and shield before striding out to the center of the room.
I shifted as far forward as the chains would allow, the taste of bile in my throat. Foxglove was good, but he wasn’t that good, not with all that subpar armor and the dull blade they’d given him. William was dressed in plate and wielded a poisoned sword. This trial by combat was a farce.
While the two met in the middle of the room and listened to one of Titania’s guards read the rules, I scanned the front. Titania caught my attention and smirked. My eyes trailed up to the balcony of the throne room where a line of crossbowmen waited, their weapons drawn and pointed at me.
No matter how this went down, she wanted to make sure I didn’t leave Summer alive.
The guard stepped away, leaving Foxglove and William in the center, facing each other. A tense silence filled the room. I didn’t dare breathe.
Titania stood and raised her arm. “Fight!” she shouted and lowered it.
They circled, muscles coiled beneath armor, swords tense and ready to strike if presented the slightest opening. William’s posture shifted forward slightly, prompting Foxglove to step back. The Summer Knight thrust his sword toward Foxglove in a lunge. Foxglove deflected it with a precise upward strike, but William stepped into it, pushing his shield forward. It cracked against Foxglove’s arm and push
ed it aside and exposing Foxglove’s middle, but he couldn’t capitalize on it since Foxglove had pinned William’s sword arm with his own shield. A second of struggle passed, then two, before Foxglove kicked William. William stumbled several steps before he found his footing. He looked at Foxglove, stunned.
“Fight me in earnest,” Foxglove demanded, “or die where you stand.”
William shifted his grip on the sword. “As you wish.”
Metal clashed, sword against sword as the two knights went at each other. Every time William slashed, I forced myself to watch and only remembered to breathe between each clang of the blades against each other or their shields.
William was the first to miscalculate. He backed Foxglove against a pillar and made a wide swing that would’ve sliced open Foxglove’s throat. Instead, Foxglove dropped to the floor, and he caught only air. Foxglove lashed out with his shield, sweeping it across the floor and taking William’s feet from under him. The Summer Knight crashed to the ground. He reached for his shield, desperate to pull it on top of his body before Foxglove could get him, but Foxglove kicked it away and stood over William, his blade resting against the Summer Knight’s throat.
Titania shot back to her feet.
I strained against the chain that held me.
“Yield,” Foxglove commanded through clenched teeth.
“Do not!” Titania shouted. “I command you not to yield! Finish this!”
William’s face twisted. His grip tightened on his sword, and he lifted it from the ground. Foxglove tried to move, but he wasn’t fast enough. The blade sliced the back of his leg and brought him to his knees with a grunt. William rolled away and collected his shield from the ground.
“Get up,” I whispered. It wouldn’t do any good. If William’s sword was coated in poison like he suspected, Foxglove was fucked. There’d be no saving him. He had every right to lay there and die without taking any more cuts for me.