I clicked my tongue at him and made a sad face. “Oh, I’m so sorry no one’s ever been moved to do anything ‘inappropriate’ with you. It’s probably because you’re such a prick. But, see, when two people are wildly attracted to each other, they’ll often find anywhere is a good place to fuck.”
That touched a nerve. I could see it in the way his nostrils flared and he clenched his jaw. Was this jealousy? Or was it something to do with?—
“Members of this court will maintain the traditions of the past by only fraternizing with fae of appropriate rank and breeding.” Mannix looked me up and down and sneered. “Humans are inferior in every aspect.”
“You piece of shit!” I wanted to punch him and tugged at my hands, trying to free them. “Hydris chose me and he’s become a better person for knowing me. What have you done to help him? Nothing!”
“I run his court,” he said like this conversation was boring him. He turned back to his battle plans. “You’re forbidden from interacting with the prince in the future.”
“Oh, fuck that. Hydris is the only one who can tell me?—”
I was cut off by someone coming up behind me and shoving a gag in my mouth. It was cloth with a knot tied in the center of it that jammed my mouth open as they tied the gag behind my head. My anger spiked into rage as fear sizzled inside me now. Bound and silenced, all I could do was thrash until the guards held me still.
“My lord,” a blonde woman said as she approached, “if I may?—”
“You may not.”
“Mannix,” she said with exasperation, “certainly you can see that no harm is being done by the prince taking a lover. Many of us have before him. Rank has never mattered to?—”
“Lady Naunet,” Mannix snapped, “your services are no longer needed by this court. You have until noon to remove yourself from the palace.”
Gasps echoed around the room. I remembered Hydris saying Naunet was one of the people who’d tried to help him lead. Now Mannix was getting rid of her. It was clearly a shock to her based on her expression and how she seemed frozen where she stood.
“My lord,” a blond man said, “you cannot dismiss Lady Naunet. She oversees the food distribution and child welfare services. Her knowledge and skill is?—”
“Easily replaced,” Mannix said, his tone really starting to grate on my nerves. “Lady Anezka, you’re a female. Take over those services.”
A brunette with a thin nose and square jaw gasped. “How dare you? My gender has nothing to do with?—”
“Then we will discontinue both. Lord Ottokar, send the children to the barrier with Winter to dig a trench to remove the water.”
“No!” The blond man, Ottokar, stepped forward. “You cannot do this, Mannix. You know as well as any of us that the water will kill them.” He pointed at me. “Just like Mister Flint said.”
“You are also dismissed,” Mannix said without even glancing at Ottokar. “And you can take your horse handler with you.”
He meant Sarosh. Mannix was burning the court to the ground, one prejudice at a time.
“Enough!”
I flinched right along with the guards holding me at the volume of that yell. But then I realized I hadn’t flinched—Hydris had me immobilized with his water powers. And everyone else,too? A moment later, and he must’ve released us because I was able to relax again. Or be as relaxed as I could now that the confrontation we’d been practicing for was actually happening.
Hydris walked around until he was standing in front of me. His eyes were huge, there was color on his cheeks, and the flowers on top of his head trembled just enough to notice.
“Re-release him,” he said to the guards holding me.
They looked over his head to Mannix.
“Don’t look at him! I-I say what you do.”
“Your Highness,” Mannix said as the guards started freeing me, “these are matters that don’t require your input. Why not take a walk through the gardens until I’m finished?”
I bit down on the gag, desperately wanting to tell that fucker off for talking to Hydris like that. But then I didn’t have to. My god, Hydris was doing it.
“You’re the one who…who is dismissed, M-Mannix.” Hydris gulped but held his head higher, doing that thing where he looked down his nose at someone taller than him. “You’ve overstepped for the last time, and I have no choice but to remove you from service.”
With my hands finally unbound, I tore the gag off my head and moved to stand behind Hydris as Mannix smiled. The show of teeth sent a shiver down my spine, so I desperately hoped Hydris could stay strong in the face of it.
“I’m dismissed?” Mannix asked. “You’re dismissing the one person who has held this court together despite your extensive list of shortcomings? I’ve carried you through wars and this damned curse that happened becauseyou are so incredibly weak!”
