Flauvis mutters a curse-like growl, while Minuette lets out a low whistle.
“When are the Renounced sending the new pretender king?” Aelfon asks.
My attention snags on the wordRenounced, having heard it twice now, but I’m more concerned with hearing the answer.
“I was supposed to escort him tomorrow evening. Instead, I’ll be escorting Evelyn, solidifying my stance against the Renounced and with the Alpha Alliance.”
“Wait,” I say. “Renounced? Alpha Alliance?”
Nyxia lets out an irritated sigh. “We can’t very well continue calling our enemiesthe council, can we? Not when we’ve deemed the Council of Eleven Courts disbanded.”
“And we can’t keep calling ourselves the rebels when we aren’t in the wrong,” Aelfon grumbles.
“The former fae council is now the Renounced, as far as we’re concerned,” Nyxia explains, “and we are the Alpha Alliance.”
“Not that that’s a much truer name,” mutters Flauvis. “How many of you were appointed by the council as opposed to proving yourself the alpha blessed by the All of All?”
“That’s not what matters right now,” Aspen says, raising his voice. “What matters is that Irridae Palace contains dangerous weapons. We need to get to the palace first and make sure those weapons don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
“Exactly,” Estel says in her soothing voice. “Queen Evelyn, it’s time to claim your new palace.”
6
My new palace.
Even though I’ve known I’ll have to eventually claim Irridae Palace as my own to demonstrate the seriousness of my stake as queen, I’ve dreaded the thought. I can’t imagine how something that once belonged to Ustrin could be considered my home. Not to mention, I’ve never set foot in the Fire Court. Never felt its desert heat.
But Queen Estel is right. The Alpha Alliance is right. If Irridae harbors iron weapons that could harm the fae I’m sworn to protect, I must do whatever it takes to keep the palace out of enemy hands. I’ll get there first if it’s the last thing I do.
As the meeting comes to a close, the fae royals begin to file out the door of the throne room. I’m about to follow suit when I notice Aspen hasn’t budged from his place at the table. His body is tensed, eyes fixed on the obsidian surface before him. I groan internally. So this is where it will happen. This is where we’ll have that dreaded talk he promised.
I cross my arms and lean my back against the table, watching the rest of the fae exit. The last is Nyxia, although she lingers by the door for a moment. Beneath the threshold, she glances at me over her shoulder. “A little owl told me the most delicious piece of news,” she croons. “It seems a certain brothel in Grenneith burned down earlier this week. A brothel that has since been revealed to have housed fae merchandise.” She looks me up and down, a knowing glint in her eye. “Well done, little foxy.”
Aspen tenses even further, and I can already hear the growl building in the back of his throat. As Nyxia closes the door behind her, I whirl toward him. He does the same toward me.
Before he can open his mouth to speak, I say, “Aspen, I have something very important to discuss with you.”
“As do I,” he says through his teeth.
I ignore his venom, doing my best to feign a nonplussed air. “This is important. Timely, considering what’s about to happen tomorrow.”
Some of the fire seems to go out of him, which was my very intention. He furrows his brow. “What is it?”
“As I’m going to claim Irridae Palace, it’s time I get serious about appointing my household staff. Primarily, I’ll need an ambassador.”
“I am sure Foxglove will be happy to serve you until—”
“No, Foxglove is your ambassador, and he’s already done so much for me. I’d like to officially appoint someone to the position.”
“And you’d like my advice on whom you should appoint?” Aspen almost looks pleased, which makes my heart sink.
“No,” I say slowly. “I have someone in mind, but I need your…”
I hesitate. What exactly is it I need from him? Permission? His blessing? Honestly, this whole tangent was meant mainly as a distraction, despite the truth of the matter. I square my shoulders. “I want to make Lorelei my ambassador.”
For a moment, he appears dumbstruck. “Lorelei?”
“Yes. And since she’s employed by the Autumn Court, I figured I’d run it by you first.”
