“It seems the wisdom of this council has prevailed after all,” Cethin went on. “I met someone at the Esbat Festival. Someone I’ve connected with in ways I never could have imagined. As if the Fates themselves answered your prayers.”
He gave a knowing smile at the advisors, the males chuckling to themselves while the females smiled even wider at the idea of fate bringing her into all of this. Cethin was good at spinning a tale, that was for sure. With the practiced ease of someone in leadership, he’d convinced everyone at this table that their meeting had been not only destined, but that they’d had a part in it somehow.
“It is my greatest honor to introduce you to Kailia, the future queen of Avonleya,” Cethin said, giving her fingers a soft squeeze. She forced herself not to look down at where he still held her hand while everyone in the room clapped, starting to chatter and ask questions at once.
Keep your chin up, she thought to herself.
Wait, should she do that? Or was the queen supposed to be demure and silent?
She didn’t know. Cethin hadn’t given her any direction other than to say they needed to be convincing and to follow his lead.
Glancing over at him, she saw he was smiling, and he nodded at her encouragingly. He leaned in close once more, his breath fanning across her temple as he murmured low into her ear, “Breathe, tiny fiend. Breathe and smile.”
Was she not smiling?
“They will ask where you are from,” he continued in a whisper. “Tell them Shadowfen.”
“Why?”
“Because it doesn’t have a ruling lord or lady to question you.”
She nodded. That made sense.
He lifted his other hand as if he were going to touch her, but then stopped. Instead, he raised it higher, quieting the conversation instantly. “It goes without saying I will require the queen’s crown.”
“And when exactly is this union to take place?” asked a female from down the table. “How soon shall we be calling her Majesty?”
Cethin smiled wider, releasing Kailia’s hand and settling back in his chair. “I understand the urgency, Lady Mariel. You all have made it more than clear. The union can take place as soon as arrangements can feasibly be made. However, this is all very fast. I want to give Kailia a chance to adjust. So for the immediate future, she will be the queen in title only. Until she is ready to take on the full duties and responsibility of the position.”
“That doesn’t solve the immediate issue at hand then, does it?” a male said, steepling his fingers together in front of him, elbows planted on the table.
“How so, Lord Harlin?” Cethin asked, and something in Kailia went on high alert at his tone. His temple was resting on his fist while his other hand was resting on the arm of his chair, finger tapping.
“How so?” the Lord repeated, and gods, did Kailia appreciate Cethin saying their names. Whether or not it was on purpose, it was useful to put names to the faces of the people she was going to be answering to.
“If she is solely going to be a queen in title, how does that help if something happens to you?” Lord Harlin continued. “And seeing as you said you just met at Esbat, we wouldn’t know if there’s a babe in her belly even if she’s been in your bed every?—”
But he didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence. Not as his mouth gaped open like a fish, his features contorting in pain. A palm slammed to the table while his other hand clawed at his chest, and Kailia didn’t understand what was happening. She was still, watching the male who was clearly in agony, and she slid her gaze to Cethin.
He still sat casually, finger still steepled along his temple, but his other hand was raised, closed in a fist. His features were sharp and dark, and she could swear his silver eyes were glowing faintly as he stared at the Lord. Was…hedoing something to the Lord? His dark magic was nowhere to be seen, so that didn’t seem likely. Unsure if she should be doing anything and not wanting to appear as if she weren’t aware of…whatever this was, she kept her features expressionless as she slid her stare around the table. The others seated around her were tense, some with eyes wide while others had their heads bowed in submission.
Then she found the males standing along the wall. The Commander looked upset, and he was entirely focused on Cethin, but Razik was staring directly at her. He looked bored, though, with his arms crossed and shoulder leaning casuallyagainst the wall. When her gaze locked with his, his brow arched, and she had no idea what he wanted or what that meant.
The seconds that passed felt like minutes with the tension that filled the air, and she truly didn’t know if she should do anything or say something. Gods, this was never going to work. Why, in all the realms, had she thought this was a wise idea?
It wasn’t until she saw Cethin’s arm move in her periphery that Lord Harlin slumped in his chair, chest heaving as he dragged in breath after breath.
“Should anyone ever speak so disrespectfully of the future queen again, they shall taste death. Is that clear?” Cethin asked, the words so calm they were eerie, danger dripping from each syllable.
Surely that hadn’t all been because of her? That was absurd. They’d only known each other for a handful of days. He was using her to placate these very people. Why would he hurt them because of her? That didn’t seem like something that would be helpful in this situation.
“I think your point has been made,” the Commander said dryly.
“One would assume,” Cethin all but growled, “but I’m beginning to question the intelligence of the people at this table for thinking they can be so cavalier about my future wife in my presence. Anything to say to that, Lord Harlin?”
By the gods, the male could still scarcely breathe, but he lifted his head, eyes watering and full of pain as he met the king’s gaze. “My…apologies, your…Majesty,” he choked out.
“It is not I who is owed the apology,” Cethin snarled.
