“Who do you serve?” Ursa asked quickly. “Merlin or Elista?”
“Merlin?” Skyfire scoffed. “Never. She’s a wimp who’s inherited her power. She’ll be out after the next Council. I serve Elista. Who do you serve?”
“I serve Elista,” Ursa said, then to me. “She’s telling the truth.”
Skyfire looked back and forth between us, flame-red hair bouncing around as she did so. “Of course, I’m telling the truth.” To Ursa she countered, “What is the meaning of this? Bringing a traitor into my House?”
“I do apologize that she was hidden, but I think you can understand why. She couldn’t walk in here on her own, now could she? She and The King of Vauphan have something they’d like to say to you.
“The King of… what? Where?” She looked at Fin in his armor. “Are you—?”
“No, my Lady,” Drake said cutting her off. “The small one. I can see it now.”
Still holding my arm Skyfire turned to Alvere. “You’re the King of Vauphan?” I could tell she was off balance now.
“Yes, Lady Skyfire. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She glared at him for a long moment. “What is going on here?” she said, her temper — which was notoriously short — clearly rising. I felt her hand leave my wrist, but at the same time she became a blur, moving around the room so fast I couldn’t follow her and even before my arm had fallen an inch, she had it again, then it was wrenched back behind me and I was moved — so fast I couldn’t see a thing — to the other side of the room, now bound and in Drake’s hands as he pulled a dagger, putting it to my throat.
“There!” Skyfire said with a huff. “Now I feel better. Someone better explain things quickly or you’ll all end up like Legs here.” She sat behind her desk and leaned back in her chair, clearly in control.
Wow. Even in my current, very precarious, position I admired her power and authority. She owned this room right now, even though she was outnumbered. She had an easy confidence as she stared down Ursa — a powerful Noble, in both position and physique — and the King of Vauphan. A part of me — the part not freaking out about being captured and having a knife at my throat, nor the part that was still a little sick from being moved so quickly — was giddy at being so close to this amazing woman!
You really admire her, don’t you?Auwei asked.
I have all my life. If there was one person I wanted to be… it was her.
I’m sorry you didn’t meet under better circumstances.
Yeah… me to.
Ursa recovered quickly. “May I sit?” she asked, motioning to a chair.
“Whatever,” Skyfire shrugged. “Just get talking!”
Ursa took a chair. Alvere took another, Dove and Fin stayed close behind the other two. I could see the concern in Dove’s eyes, but some part of me hoped this would all work out, and I gave her a reassuring wink. I wasn’t worried… yet. Ursa had said Skyfire was telling the truth about not serving Merlin, which meant we had a chance.
“I know we don’t know each other well,” Ursa began. “But I’d like to think we know each other well enough to trust each other?”
“I did, until you brought a traitor into my study.”
“And who said she was a traitor? Merlin?”
“Yes, as well as half the nation. Why do you keep mentioning Merlin?”
“I’ll get to that. First, why I’m here. To introduce you to the King of Vauphan. He wishes to discuss terms of peace. He is hoping to be at the Council of Nobles as he is proposing that Vauphan and Elista be joined in marriage, either through him or his children. That way there is no need for war. What do you think of this?”
“Sure, peace is good. As long as I don’t have to marry him. He’s a little scrawny, and he’s not my type.”
“Do you wish to be the next queen?” Ursa asked.
“Not really your business, but no. I’ll take it, if I’m the only choice, but I’d rather not. I like my life as it is.”
“Would you support Merlin as queen?”
“There’s another scrawny one.” She sniffed. “I’d like to think we have other options than her. She hasn’t done much to impress me.” All of this was sounding positive. Skyfire definitely wasn’t on Merlin’s side. Now we just had to get her to our side. “Why all the talk of who’s going to be queen?”
“That would be very important to me,” Alvere said.
