“You should care,” she countered. “Where do we put them? What do they eat? Have you even bothered to think about the practicalities?”
“We have more than enough. We can share.”
Neither Zethus nor Pelias seemed to like Xander’s response, and none of the council members spoke.
“Tonight is proof that we have enemies intent on destroying us,” he continued. “A choice must be made. You either follow someone who doesn’t know what’s happening in her own city or you elect me as king and let me protect Ilion—”
“He is the worst choice,” Erisa interjected.
“I am everything the council wants!” he roared back. “My father’s trueborn son, married and stable, willing and able to lead this fight.”
This seemed to be the opening Erisa had been waiting for. “You want this council to believe that your marriage is a happy one? That you and your bride love each other?”
My breath caught. What did she know?
“They hate one another,” Erisa said. “Letting Alexandros become king could very well bring us to the brink of war with Locris because of how he treats his wife.”
I wanted to say that was ridiculous, because even if we did despise one another, Locris did not have the means to launch any kind of fight on my behalf.
“That is not what I have witnessed,” Stolos said.
“Nor I,” said Themis as she nodded at me.
“The entire city just watched them kiss.” Heliodora sounded slightly confused. I walked over to Xander and put my hand in his. His long, warm fingers wrapped tightly around mine.
Our relationship seemed to be something that actually interested Zethus. He said, “The guards have spoken about the noises they’ve heard coming out of their bedroom.”
Xander had told me once that his guards weren’t gossips, and I had to guess that he had told them to spread that information.
For this very moment.
“We have all seen them together,” Pelias said. “The matron reported that she saw the blood on their wedding sheets.” It didn’t seem to bring him any joy to contradict Erisa.
“Those bloodstains could have come from anything! A false marriage cannot produce the heir that Ilion needs!” Erisa seemed to sense that she was losing ground.
And I was ready to push her over the edge to make sure Xander was named king.
I put a hand over my womb and smiled serenely. “This marriage is true and I am pregnant.”
My husband tensed slightly next to me, and I saw a mixture of expressions on the council members’ faces—from Erisa’s hatred to Themis’s excitement.
“Congrat—”
“No!” Erisa cut Themis off. “That isn’t possible!”
Did she have proof? Or was this merely a guess? The desperate flails of a drowning woman?
“I can prove it,” Io said. “The healers have a potion that indicates whether a woman is pregnant. I can bring it here and prove that Princess Thalia is indeed carrying the heir of Ilion.”
“Go,” Stolos said, and she turned to run out of the room. Suri got Ahyana to help her with the terawolf, and I supposed they meant to carry it back to their room for the scroll.
Zalira stayed right behind me, her hands near her waist so that she could quickly grab her sword if need be.
Xander leaned down to brush his lips across my left ear in what probably looked like a caress. “What are you doing?”
“What I promised,” I whispered back. “Getting you the throne of Ilion.”
The room stayed silent as we waited for Io. I had no idea what she had planned but I trusted her. Thankfully, she didn’t take long to return, and she brought Parthenia with her. Suri and Ahyana were a step behind.
