“You must rescind the forfeit before something terrible happens,” I add. “You and all of your followers will suffer the wrath of the royal family.”
Two spots of colour appear high on Mother’s cheeks. She is as furious as I have ever seen her.
“Leave me!” she snaps haughtily.
My feet begin to move, instinctively obeying, but I override them. She is a mage and I am only a vessel, but this is the fey court and there are too few vessels here tohave that ingrained hierarchy. She is still my mother, yes, but she is also only a duchess. I am a prince consort.
“Mother, you must listen to me!”
I am disobeying her. Defying her. Disrespecting her status and her authority. Embarrassing her in front of her inner circle. A mere lowly vessel who is daring to talk back to her.
Rage ignites in her eyes. She takes one step closer to me. Her hand lifts, and she slaps me across the face. Hard. Hard enough to whip my head to the side. Just like she has done a thousand times.
My ears are ringing. Loki is growling. There are no other sounds. The entire party has fallen silent.
I turn my head back around to face her, and I smile. Shock drains all colour from her face. Then two fey guards seize her. One grabbing each arm. She bristles and tries to pull herself free.
“What is the meaning of this!” she demands.
Selwyn appears by my side. “Striking a member of the royal family is a crime punishable by death,” he intones calmly.
Mother pales even more. She stops struggling against the guards, and sags in their grip. “He is just a vessel,” she whispers weakly.
The room is so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
“I am his mother. I can discipline him.”
Selwyn’s eyes glow. “He is my consort.”
A cacophony of exclamations and whispers rises up from the watching audience. It is enough to make me dizzy.
Then abruptly, the silence returns. The crowd has parted to reveal the Crown Prince looking stern and regal,and looking right at Mother. Jamie is on his arm, and the Prince Consort’s expression is positively gleeful.
“Prince Consort Laurie Wyf Selwynogi is a member of the royal family. Violence against him, is violence against the crown.”
The crowd murmurs.
“Prince Consort Laurie may choose the punishment,” the Crown Prince declares.
Excited, eager gasps fill the air. More drama and spectacle. The past few days have been a feast for the court.
Slowly, an expectant silence grows. A thousand pairs of eyes fix on me. Waiting.
I take a breath, and fill the silence. “I think I shall be lenient and choose a forfeit.”
I have the court’s rapt attention. Everyone is hanging on my every word. It is making me feel powerful.
“You are no longer ambassador,” I decree. “You are hereby banished from court.”
The watching crowd goes wild. A swarm of noise and motion. Delighted gasps. Jubilant whispers. Excited cries.
Selwyn grins at me. He moves his hand in a careless gesture, and a golden portal opens beneath Mother’s feet. She yells, and the guards release her. She drops like a stone. Her scream cuts off as the portal winks out of existence.
I stare at the ornate carpet. It worked. I did it. My mother is gone.
I knew she would never agree to rescind the forfeit. I knew there was nothing I could really do. Revenge never solved a thing, but it feels so damn good.
Viscount Bellany chuckles. He lifts his glass and salutes me. I shudder, even though he is no worse than Mother.Having him as the ambassador is a price I am willing to pay.
