Without waiting, I opened the door.
She was sitting at the window seat, flipping through an old book.Rules of Royal Reignshown in gold filigree at the spine.
Before she could speak, I opened my mouth. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I was blinded by my grief and the betrayal by Liam.”
Her mouth, which had been open to speak, snapped shut. She breathed in and then out. “After everything we went through with them, you just… left them to die yesterday. You questioned my loyalty to you!” Her voice shook.
My throat pinched with emotion as I stepped closer. “I should never have done that. I’m so sorry, but Elle, what would you do if I died, and then next month Trissa admitted it was her who killed me?”
Her nostrils flared. “I’d take off her head,” she agreed.
I nodded. “So, I acted… before I knew the truth…”
Elle set the book down and faced me. “The truth?”
I sat on the edge of Elle’s bed. “Liam left me a piece of hair to do a memory spell. He killed my mom… sort of. But it was self-defense.”
I quickly recounted the whole memory as Elle sat there, lips turned into a frown. “I’m sorry, Lil. It’s awful, but I knew Liam was someone we could trust.”
Yeah. Me too.
Deep down, I should have known… but still, hedidkill my mother, and I wasn’t sure how to get that out of my head. Maybe I needed to stop making my mother perfect. She was amazing, and I loved her. But what she did, threatening to let Cain die and trying to shoot Liam… it wasn’t right.
My mother was wrong.
“I’m sorry too.”
I stood, and we embraced before I pulled away quickly. “Now, help me. I just summoned Indra here to question her about Mara’s cuffs and the memory stuff.”
Elle’s eyes widened. “An official summons?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t send it in writing, but I sent Trissa to get her… armed with her sword.”
Elle’s eyebrows hit her hairline. “Okay, if she lies to you in front of witnesses, it’s treason. Are you ready to kill her?”
My throat went dry. “Over lying?” I gulped.
Elle tapped the book in her hands. “Lying to the Queen is punishable by death.”
Whoa.
That was a little harsh… but now I wondered if I should question her about the sleeping potion too.Thatwas punishable by death in my book.
“How will I know she’s lying?” Maybe there was a spell or something.
Elle shrugged. “You won’t unless you catch her.”
I relaxed a little. “Okay, so we’ll take an… official statement today, and if she’s found later to be lying…”
Elle dragged her finger across her throat. “Off with her head.”
Well, that was dramatic… but accurate. I needed to remember that it was her who changed my mother’s memories, and mine, to hide my true lineage. I was going to get everything on record and do things by the book. That way, when the Queen woke, she would know what had transpired.
“Will you assist me? Give me counsel and take notes of her answers?” I asked Elle.
She bowed deeply, mockingly in a playful way. “As you wish my liege.”
She was enjoying this royalty thing way too much.
