It’s a fucking pleasure—andsuch an honor—to watch my queen come into her own.
No longer the scared, hesitant, inexperienced queen, Shara commanded the casual round breakfast nook table with the aura of the most feared and formidable Triune queen to ever walk this earth. Calm and confident despite her justified anger, she still kept an open, curious mind and invited everyone to offer their opinions.
Shara had heard and valued her Blood’s concerns before going to Mykonos—and then walked with fucking grace and honor to take care of the trapped queen and former Blood. Not just freeing them—but ensuring they received retribution for what they’d suffered.
“But what crime could they charge you with?” Gina protested. “Any Triune-level queen is going to have to take other houses. Some by force. It’s the way to play the game and Marne knows that.”
“So did Keisha, though. She accused me of stealing Skye blood—which I technically had done. I’m sure Marne will think of something archaic but legal to charge me with, even if it’s bogus. Byrnes has probably scoured the archives, looking for any silly legal charge to throw at us. No offense, Kevin. Ultimately, I think she will try to remove me from Triskeles, though she’d love to have me executed out right. However, I don’t think Marne wants to be bound to the table, especially not with Rosalind, and most definitely not with me.”
“That’s the crux of the problem, my queen,” I said, stepping closer. “The Triunes are unbalanced. She doesn’t have any real power alone—and neither do you. It’s a race to see who can call a quorum and bring the other queen to judgment. Though Idon’t think she’s thought it through, or she’d realize a quorum traps her as well.”
“Or she’s in so deep she has no other choice,” the general said, drawing a nod and grunt from my lips.
“Do you know who the other Triskeles queens may be?” Leonie asked.
Shara’s eyes gleamed like deep, secret wells beneath a full moon. “I suspect, yes. But neither queen is ready to take that step yet. Unlike Marne, I refuse to rush any queen to make such a commitment, and I certainly won’t attempt to imprint my will on the Mother’s Triune. I’d like to keep Skolos’ secrets as long as possible as well. I don’t want her to know I could complete their table again.”
“Triskeles can’t reach a quorum. Yet.” Gina stared off into space, drumming her fingers lightly on the table. “Let’s say the queen of Rome successfully convinces Rosalind to take a seat at the Triune. Now they have a quorum. What can they charge House Isador with?”
Shara blew out a sigh. “Or are they simply going to order our execution and then pardon themselves?”
“They can’t pardon themselves,” Kevin said. “Triune Articles Section 2.1.1. Only a unanimous vote of a full Triune table may pardon a queen from any convicted crime. If all three Triune queens agree, a crime may be forgiven in the Eyes of the Mother.”
“A quorum could compel you,” Gina continued. “But to what end? Other than stepping down from Triskeles?”
Shara looked up at me. “You’ve seen Triune queens maneuver around the law for centuries.”
I nodded but couldn’t help a long sigh. “Very true, my queen, but I served Desideria. She didn’t care about the law, only about gathering power. She had the might of the law on her side.”
Her head tipped slightly. “Triune queens are above the law?”
“To an extent, yes. The Mother has called them to the table,so only the Mother can hold a Triune queen accountable, unless a quorum agrees to pass judgment. Desideria knew full well her Triune would never work together long enough to hold a quorum.”
“Not with the Dauphine and the queen of Rome.” Shara blew out an equally annoyed huff. “So it’s got to be something small and ridiculous.”
“The only thing that’s changed recently…” Gina’s voice trailed away and then she slapped the table. “The temporary consiliari agreements. That’s the only move we’ve made in the past week that exposes us in any way.”
“How so?” Shara asked. “I know you too well to think we didn’t follow protocols.”
“I did, absolutely, which means I notified the Triune we had offered new consiliari contracts, and what did we discuss, Kevin?”
The young man practically quivered in his chair like an eager puppy. “The complexities of offering a contract to Julie who was still technically engaged by another house.”
“Me?” The new woman’s mouth gaped open in horror. “I’m causing a problem already?”
Gina patted her hand. “Only because we couldn’t get House Shalott to sign off on your transition to House Isador, because Shalott no longer exists. But we have contingencies in place for that little hiccup, don’t we Kevin.”
Generally my impression of humans was as jaded and negative as any Aima could be. I’ve seen countless humans betray their house for simple greed. With access to untold wealth of basically immortal vampire queens, humans couldn’t grasp the concept of blood oaths. The kind that wrote themselves into your bones and demanded you fulfill those words in any way possible.
But my queen had chosen her humans well. At least Ginaand Kevin. I reserved judgment about the others sitting at her table.
Kevin patted an innocuous thin black folder on the table beside him. “I have copies in triplicate as well as printed pages of the Triune Articles if we need it.”
Gina’s lips curved in a fierce smile of pride at our queen. “The best part is we aren’t required to file these papers to the Triune in advance.”
Shara held her hand out to me.HerExecutioner. “Then I look forward to seeing the look on the queen of Rome’s face when presented with our evidence.”
I lifted her hand to my mouth and kissed her knuckles. “Right before I take her head.”
