“That will take some getting used to.”
“Sit. I have a gift for you.” I guided Cadence to the throne next to mine, identical in grandeur and stature. There was no mistaking my queen for a mere decoration. She would rule beside me in all things.
I nodded toward the guards, and they retreated from the hall, returning a few moments later with three men in tow. Their hands were bound, and their clothes crumpled from the time they’d spent in the dungeon.
The guards forced the trio to their knees before the dais. Their eyes landed on Cadence, and their throats bobbed as they attempted to swallow their fear.
“You remember my wife?” I asked, gesturing toward where she sat on her throne.
She was poised, regal, her expression not giving away any hint of her discomfort. But I knew better. These men had hurt her, cast her aside, leaving her to rot.
Though Cadence wouldn’t admit it, her time in the dungeon still haunted her. She often dreamed of being confined in small, dark spaces where the air didn’t flow, and a sense of hopelessness pervaded every waking moment.
“We were only doing our duty,” one said, and the others nodded in agreement.
“You touched my wife, and the penalty for that is death.” Their faces paled, and their limbs trembled.
“Please,” another begged. “Have mercy. We were following the King’s orders.”
“Did those orders include taunting her? Touching her? Using… what was it?” I glanced toward Cadence, already knowing the answer. “Unpleasant means to force her to comply.”
I rose from my throne, descending the dais. When I reached the trio, I lowered my voice so only they could hear. “What did you think you were going to do, hmm?” Reaching for the one in the middle, I pressed my finger to his forehead, pushing him back until he fell sideways. “What vile atrocities did you contemplate committing against my wife?”
The man to the right began crying. “We didn’t. We wouldn’t.” His cries quickly died when I gripped his neck and tore his throat out. Tossing the chunk of flesh aside, I said, “And he was the lucky one. Your end won’t be so quick.”
The throne room remained silent as I went to work, carving the men apart piece by piece, just as Cadence had promised. When it was over, more than one person had emptied their stomachs, while others watched with macabre curiosity.
“Let this serve as a warning to you all,” I said, running my hands through my hair. “This is the fate that waits for anyone who thinks about harming my queen.”
I marched up the stairs to the dais, settling back into my throne next to Cadence.
Riordan, who stood behind me, leaned in as he said, “You know you’ve got blood and… remnants stuck in your hair, right?”
I shrugged, not bothered in the slightest. I reached for Cadence’s hand, but she recoiled. “Don’t you dare get blood on this dress, Ryker Ashborne,” she warned.
A surprised laugh broke free, but I raised my hands in surrender, which appeared to pacify her.
“Ready for your next surprise, Temptress?”
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “You aren’t serious?”
“Always.” I smirked before signaling to the guards to bring in the rest.
Around a dozen frightened courtiers entered the chamber, their gazes wild with terror.
One man, a minor lord in the house Vor, raised his chin, glaring at me. “What is the meaning of this?”
I clicked my tongue. “Your memory seems to be failing you, Thomas. When you stood by and watched my wife get put on trial for the magic in her veins, you signed your own death warrant, or did you forget?”
A woman scoffed, her hand pressed to her chest as she tried to calm her ragged breathing. “Being Wraith Borne is a crime.”
“Wasa crime.” It was the first law I abolished when I took the throne. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe one act would eliminate the prejudice, but it was a start.
“We can’t be held responsible for following the rules set forth by the King,” she said.
“I don’t make idle threats, Lady Harrington.”
The woman began to hyperventilate, and Cadence took pity on her. “Perhaps you could show a little mercy, my love.”
