Right. Ailan wasn’t Morkara. Noah was.
Mareleau noticed at the same time, her cheeks flushing at the attention her son was receiving. Finally, the figures rose and returned to their seats. Cora and Mareleau did the same.
Ailan sat between Mareleau and Fanon, while Etrix stood at the center of the room. Cora recalled from her first time in El’Ara that Etrix was Head of Tribunal. “Now that we’ve had our brief recess, we can discuss the last of our topics.”
“We should address the criminal offense first,” one of the Elvyn seated on the second tier said. A red butterfly cast his cold expression, his pursed lips, his angled ears beneath short dark hair, in a crimson glow.
Cora bristled, knowing she was the so-called criminal in question.
“No,” Ailan said, “I already have our first topic prepared. I want a binding vow stated before Queen Mareleau, mother of our Morkara, that you welcome, accept, and protect her, same as her son whom you’ve already sworn to honor.”
A rumble of disagreement spread throughout the room. As more voices added their dissent, Etrix’s translation enchantment lost its effectiveness. Too many Elvyn spoke out, and thanks to the butterflies’ orange and red hues, Cora didn’t need to understand what they were saying to glean the gist of it. They didn’t want Mareleau here.
Fury burned in Mareleau’s eyes, matched by the red butterfly overhead. Cora reached across her armrest to lay a comforting hand on her friend’s shoulder. She hoped it conveyed her wordless promise—that if worst came to worst, she’d worldwalk her and Noah out of there at once.
Mareleau gave Cora a knowing nod, and her butterfly cooled to orange.
Etrix raised a hand, and the arguing ceased. When he spoke, his words were clear, his translation weaving back in place. “We are not here to discuss all humans or witches. Just the two human queens in question. Only one is up for discussion now.”
“Mareleau is the blood of my blood,” Ailan said. “Should I die before Noah comes of age, themorawill recognize her as regent, and there is nothing you can do about that. She must be allowed to stay here with him, even if only for the sake of the flow and control ofmora.”
“Allowed,” Mareleau muttered through her teeth, quiet enough so only Cora could hear. “As if they can keep him from me. As if he belongs tothemand not me.”
Cora wasn’t sure if the rage she felt was Mareleau’s or her own. She was angry on her friend’s behalf. On Noah’s. Mareleau had only agreed to come to El’Ara for her son’s protection, and to keep the dragons from seeking her in the human world. She hadn’t even begun to discuss whether she and Noah would live here. Ailan had promised her time to save such choices for later, that they’d figure out the future together after they’d defeated Darius.
Ailan continued. “She brought her son here to honor his position as Morkara of El’Ara. In return, you must honor her as Edel Morkara’Elle.”
The last few words remained untranslated, but they were vaguely familiar. Ailan had once said they meant something like a queen mother.
“You’ve already accepted themora’schoice to deem Noah your Morkara,” Ailan said. “You’ve accepted him despite his human blood.”
“If we accept her,” said the same dark-haired Elvyn from the second tier, “are we to simply accept all other humans in the future? What if she bears other children? What of the Morkara’s children? Are we to accept a diminishing bloodline, accept that our people may one day cease to be should the humans proliferate faster?”
A few Elvyn voiced their agreement, but Etrix spoke. “I’ve already stated that we are not discussing all humans. Nor are we discussing the distant future. Your fears are valid, and they will be addressed in due time, but today we discuss only the most pressing topics. Do you vow to honor, protect, and accept our Morkara’s human mother, Mareleau, as Edel Morkara’Elle?”
Another murmur of dissent hummed around the room, but the voices ceased when Etrix bent his knee.
“Then I shall be the first,” he said. His butterfly adopted a violet glow. “Edel Morkara’Elle Mareleau, I state my binding vow that I honor, protect, and accept you as the mother of my Morkara and a citizen of El’Ara.”
Garot quickly followed suit, kneeling beside his chair like everyone had done for Noah earlier. Ailan followed next, then—to Cora’s surprise—Fanon. After that, the other Elvyn bent their knees in turn until every head was bowed. Beneath the violet hue of their ever-fluttering butterflies, they stated their vows.
When they rose and returned to their seats, the colors shifted mostly back to shades of orange, though some had cooled to green or blue.
Mareleau released a slow exhale. Her relief was so palpable, it made it past Cora’s wards. Cora offered her a reassuring smile, but it left her face at Etrix’s next words.
“We will now discuss the other human queen, Aveline Caelan.”
Cora’s heart kicked up, and her butterfly flashed red before she forced her breaths to even out, her emotions to calm. Everything had turned out well for Mareleau. Perhaps it would go well for her too.
Of course it was easy for Mareleau, sniped some dark part of her mind.Everything is easy for Mareleau. You’re just her decoy, remember?
Resentment speared her chest. It was so sudden, so violent, she nearly gasped out loud. What the hell was that about? Those hadn’t been her thoughts. She could never think that about Mareleau! Yet…they’d come from inside her, not outside. No, that was impossible.
“She was condemned by our former steward,” said one of the Elvyn, tone brimming with disgust. Cora was grateful for the distraction. The resentment faded from her heart as she found a new target for bitter feelings. “Fanon sentenced her to death—”
“A sentence that was supported neither by me nor the rest of the tribunal, mind you,” Etrix said. “Furthermore, Queen Aveline has been pardoned by our regent. She is a close ally of our regent, our Morkara, and our Edel Morkara’Elle. Her guilt or innocence in breaking our laws is not up for debate. We are here to establish new rules to accommodate the alliance our regent would like to propose to the humans.”
“She’s a worldwalker,” the same Elvyn said. “She entered our world with her magic and left the same way. She should be punished before we can even consider allying with her.”
