“Apparently, you don’t know him at all.”
Anyana cocked her unicorn head. “Are you wearing Princess Renata’s official state dress?”
Before she could answer, the steward announced the arrival of a royal centaur procession.
When the palace doors opened, Keryna expected to see Lorens, the spoiled illegitimate brother of the centaur queen.
It wasn’t him.
Instead, the queen and her imperial guard spilled through the doors and took up post all around the room, surrounding them. Meara’s equine half was a resplendent bay with stocking. She wore a dark blue jacket that was embroidered with heavy gold threads and encrusted with jewels. Her black hair was intricately braided with even more jewels and coiled around a golden crown that rested perfectly atop her head.
Never had she seen a more beautiful or regal creature.
Awed by the graceful queen, Keryna stepped back with a gasp so that she could curtsey.
Kronnel moved forward to cut the queen off. “What’s going on here?”
Meara raked him with an impressive sneer that said she equated him with something that marred the bottom of her favorite pair of shoes. “Stand aside, unicorn. I want to talk to who’s in charge.”
“That would be me.” Keryna forced herself to rise and step forward.
“She’s not in charge,” Kronnel said. “I’m the one in command whenever King Deciel isn’t present.”
Keryna pulled out the document she’d forged from the pocket of her gown. She held it out to the centaur queen. “As you can see, King Deciel put me in charge until his return.”
The queen blinked slowly but made no move to touch the paper. Rather, she quirked one brow in what had to be the mostimperious gesture Keryna had ever beheld. She would definitely practice that in front of a mirror later.
Meara narrowed her gaze on Keryna. “Then I can assume that you’re the one who knows where he went? And how to contact him?”
“Of course.”
She smiled coldly. It actually sent a shiver up Keryna’s spine. The queen turned her head to speak to the male centaur behind her. “Seize that wretch.”
Keryna started to run, but the centaurs circled her immediately and took her by the arms so that she couldn’t escape them.
Worse, one of them placed a collar around her neck that prevented her from using magick or switching to her unicorn form. A third came forward and snatched the piece of paper from her hand.
Without a word, he offered it to the queen.
“Now see here...” Kronnel tried to intervene.
More soldiers surrounded him and Anyana and angled spears with glowing tips at the two of them.
“There’s nothing to see.” Taking the document from her man, Meara gestured for the others to back Kronnel and Anyana away from Keryna. “The king has left his throne. And apparently,someonehas the princess’s horn.” Meara approached Keryna slowly. “Since you seem to be in charge, how about you tell me whatyouknow, hmmm?”
Real fear turned her throat dry. She was no longer in charge of anything, and she knew it. This had definitely not been her plan. She’d never dreamed that Meara would dare invade Dash’s lands while he was gone.
What was she supposed to do now?
Admit nothing. Act stupid.“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I think you’re lying.” She cupped Keryna’s chin in her icy, well-manicured hand, then she squeezed Keryna’s cheek tightly until her nails dug into Keryna’s flesh. “I can see it in your beady, little, conniving eyes. You have a great hunger like my brother used to have for things that aren’t yours.” She released her. “Adsel?”
A handsome, blond centaur stepped forward wearing the uniform of her guard. “My queen?”
“Letter?”
He handed her a piece of paper.
