Though it was mostly the same party goers that had attended my engagement ceremony, there was a vastly different feel to it.
Apparently my triumph at the race had caught them all off guard, as did Chase’s arrest of Lady Chrysanthe.
A few of the lower noble houses had started wearing clothing with the Night Court crest—which Indigo told me was a compliment and a sign they believed in me. I didn’t believe her until she said a pixie had made a pin of my personal seal—yeah, the ruffled looking pigeon-raccoon-griffin thing—and apparently it had sold out among the common fae in the two days since the derby.
As if sensing my thoughts, a live pigeon-raccoon-griffin landed on the top of one of the pillars. It bobbed its head and stretched out its neck before regurgitating on a flag.
Yeah, it’s fine.
I planted my elbows on the arms of my chair and pressed my fingertips together as Lady Chrysanthe—surrounded by guards—blearily stopped a few feet away from Rigel and Skye.
“We have witnesses that have placed Lady Chrysanthe at the scene of two attempts against Queen Leila’s life, as well as witnesses—and evidence—that she designed the creature that attacked Queen Leila during the race,” Chase said.
“These charges are false!” Lady Demetria shouted. “My granddaughter loves this Court and only wishes to aid it!”
The crowd murmured, and from my higher position I heard some of the whispers.
“—she always was jealous of the queen.”
“Fancied herself the next ruler, I am certain.”
“She should have done better hiding her acts.”
“Shameful.”
“Disgraceful.”
I studied Lady Chrysanthe as Kevin and Steve—who sat near my feet—growled at her.
Her beautiful blond hair was limp, her eyes were red, and she listlessly stared at the stairs of my platform, though she shivered when Muffin—skulking somewhere behind my throne—hissed.
Huh. I would have expected she’d go down screaming and spitting.
“Moreover, she threatened Queen Leila’s companion in public,” Chase said. “As such, she has been brought before Queen Leila for judgment.”
“Lady Chrysanthe,” Skye said. “Do you have anything to say in regards to these charges?”
Lady Chrysanthe opened and closed her mouth twice before she managed to speak. “I did not kill Queen Leila.”
“No,” Chase agreed. “You only attempted; you didn’t succeed.”
Lady Chrysanthe frowned, and a bit of her fire returned. “I never—” She was unable to speak, proving she’d been about to speak a lie.
I knew she plotted against me. She never hid that. But…I agree with Chase.
My director of security had presented me with his initial findings in the early hours of the morning—apparently the guards had scared Lord Myron into confessing, and he’d spilled the beans that Lady Chrysanthe had mentioned a plan to spike my food and had—in his sight—lingered around the base of the giraffe statue, and then given the bespelled golf ball to the fae who had hit the statue.
But Chase felt we didn’t have quite enough evidence to convict her, and some of the details didn’t match up. I had suggested we hold a public hearing to see if we could uncover the rest of the story through some bits of trickery. Chase had reluctantly agreed.
Let’s see if we can get this to pan out.
“Do you have any questions regarding the cases, Queen Leila?” Skye asked.
The Court was quiet as it waited for me to speak.
“Yes.” I squeezed the edges of the arm rests. “I have a clarification I’d like from Lord Myron.”
Lord Myron stepped out of the crowd and bowed deeply to me. “My heart moves that I might help you, Queen Leila.”
