“And what do you believe?”
“That it’s addictive, especially this new formula. It leaves certain High Fae…not in control of themselves.”
The two black lines on a table between Dominik and Maxian. The twitching that still crawls over my skin.
“How many High Fae know of it?” I ask.
“Just the Council of Keepers. There’s a vote on regulating its distribution in a few months.”
I study him. “You are nervous.”
“I’ve advocated against Ashent from the beginning, but there are many voices at play.”
“How do you imagine it will unfold?”
He eyes me. “Why would you like to know?”
“Lady Kassandra does.”
“The advisors, heads, and heirs of each House typically vote the same. Until recently, House of Illusion and Reign were in favor of broad distribution. House of Death is against, and unfortunately, on this matter, House of Healing is divided between my cousin and me, as we have no Heir of Healing. The heir must be a legitimate successor, not temporarily named for the voting. The king’s vote breaks the tie by counting as one vote if the number of council seats is even, or two votes if the council seats are odd.”
“So the number of seats a House has on the council can change at any time,” I say.
“Yes, to give each House a…chance.”
“At what?”
“Dominance.”
Another reason why marriages and children are so demanded, even if birthing another baby kills the mother.
I begin counting. “Before King Gregor passed—may he wander well—the vote would’ve been seven in favor of Ashent. Three each for Illusion and Reign, and your cousin. Four would’ve voted against it, including House of Death and you.”
“Correct. But much has changed, as you know. The number of seats has shifted, and so have the Houses.”
“What if the Illusion votes swing the other way?”
Eli scoffs. “It would be easier to secure an heir.”
“That could take decades, it seems.”
“Not if the female can prove her pregnancy. Then she can vote on behalf of the future heir.”
I blink. “The fetus gets a vote…but not the female who carries it?”
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“Why?” I ask, failing to keep the fury from my voice. Others have mentioned this before, but I want a male to say it to my face. “Explain it to me. Please.”
Lord Eli does not meet my eye. “Because there is a chance the fetus could be male. The mother is not.”
Disgusting,I think. This is so violent and volatile and depraved. This is a gambling den, but the stakes are thousands of lives and millions of coins.
“And the Hearts have no votes,” I say.
“No, because they tend to switch Houses once married. They could sit on the council, though, if they fell pregnant with the next heir.”
And what if the royal vote were female?I want to ask.If the council numbers are odd, then could the royal vote count as three for that individual? Or will you change the rules once again?
