When Safir had mentioned a meeting,I’d figured twenty people in a small boardroom, not an auditorium full of people with me as one of the primary figures on stage.
I wasnotready for this.
“You’ll be fine. You can do this,” Rook whispered to me. I must have been yelling my insecurities into his mind. “You’re a princess, a queen, therealqueen, leadership is in your blood.”
That was all nice and good, but I sure as hell didn’t feel comfortable leading all these people — most likely — to their deaths.
I hoped some of the others on stage with me would handle most of this meeting. My grandmother, Olinara, was here, in an outfit which was mildly more conservative than usual, a short, tight, black pencil skirt to mid-thigh and a white blouse with only a couple buttons undone. I was in black slacks, which were somehow a perfect fit on me — thank you Zora — and a matching black blouse.
Lhorine was here, looking serene and serious, and next to her was Svokol, the dwarf, wearing a somber expression.With Svokol was a woman who’d been introduced as Elnori, a dryad. With my limited knowledge of this world, I’d only just managed to recall that dryads were people of the forest and trees, linked to earth. The surprise member on the stage was Bayn, the titan, looming over all of us. God, he was big.
As we’d made our way from my new residence — which was huge and swanky as hell — to the auditorium, I’d been filled in on the deal the others had made with Bayn and how he’d helped to fight against Saldrea’s forces in the end. Still, I got the feeling no one really trusted him. And looking at him now, I could see why. He wasn’t the sort of man who exuded kindness and friendship. Even if he did have a baby-face — bald with full cheeks — his size and resting murder face screameddanger.
Safir and Zora were also up on stage with us, but standing behind some of the others, even if they’d been the ones who’d mostly organized this assembly.
Vyns and Myel were still not awake, so they’d not come. Tala, along with a contingent of guards Svokol trusted, were watching over them as they recovered.
The raked seating of the auditorium was filled with students and teachers and staff, including a group of shifters and another group of dragons. No one looked happy. Though, to be fair, I could only see the first few rows, the lights otherwise blinded me.
It reminded me of a school play when I’d been seven, where I’d stepped out into the light, taken one look at the gym full of people and frozen, unable to say the one line I’d had. I’d never wanted to be on stage since then.
As the ranking member of our group — the highest in status — Lhorine began the meeting, stepping forward to the narrow podium.
“I am El Siandalla Lhorine.” The words echoed outthrough the sound system and the crowd hushed their murmurings. “As most of you are aware, this woman—” she motioned toward me, “—defeated the false princess Saldrea earlier today. What you probably do not know, is that Sa Brown Izzy, as she has been known for most of her time here, is actually El Anadendyra Isolde, the lost princess.” A rather significant murmur burbled through the crowd at that and suddenlya lotmore attention was on me.
Great.
Hey there, world. I’m your new princess or queen or whatever… Nice to meet you?
Lhorine continued after the hubbub had died down. “Isolde… or Izzy, was born in the human realm to El Anadendyra Ysania, the banished princess, and her consort Sa Eofine Keomar. She is the rightful heir to the throne, hence the power and ability she displayed when fighting Saldrea, overcoming andbreakingthe binding collar she’d been wearing.”
Sure, make me sound like some superhero. I really didn’t feel like I could live up to this hype.
“She’s a half-breed!” someone called from the audience. Others murmured agreement.
Yeah…thiswas the problem. Valnea had no direct claim to the throne. I did, but I wasn’t pure elf, which mattered in this world, even if it shouldn’t.
Lhorine turned hard. Voice booming through the speaker as she said, “Who would you rather have on the throne, a half-breed true royal, who’s perhaps the strongest elf in generations, or Valnea, a power-hungry and vicious woman who — we have solid proof now — was party to the assassination of the royal family a hundred years ago?”
The silence which hung over the auditorium was complete. Lhorine had shut everyone up… until someone muttered what might have been a private, “shit,” but was heard by everyone.
I guessed most people had been suspicious of Valnea, but having her treachery confirmed was something else entirely.
“And in case any of youhaven’theard, Valnea is marshalling all of her forces to come here and deal with — what she sees as — the rebellion we’ve started by taking her daughter captive.”
“Could we release Saldrea?” someone in the audience called out.
Lhorine shook her head. “The false princess is our one bargaining chip. If we send her to her mother, Valnea will simply wipe Veilblood off the map. With Saldrea here, Valnea must at least be somewhat tactical in her approach.”
From the loud and furious reaction, that hadn’t been what people had wanted to hear. Lhorine had to tap the mic to get everyone’s attention once more.
“Now,” she said, trying to get things back on track. “For some of you, this isn’t your fight, and you’re free to leave campus before things get… messy. But before you do, I urge you to listen to the words of Izzy, our true princess, as she has a rather radical view on this world and howhergovernment would be run.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
I had to speak?
I’d hoped I’d get away with being the sexy-as-fuck figurehead.
