Page 123 of Blood of the Fairest

Whatever they were gossiping about before we walked in, they're all stunned to silence now.

Merrick looks like he's on the verge of tears as he watches his niece take her place. He sits in the chamberlain's spot directly beside my chair.

I sit at the head of the table, leaving my veil on for now as I look around the table at the Privy Council.

"Let's start this meeting with an immediate vote. All in favor of sustaining my friend Lady Bellavyr and the rest of the Bellavyr family from Aurefeld as nobles within our fair kingdom, raise your hand."

All hands go up.

That's what I thought. Eat your hearts out, bitches.

Merrick opens a large leather-bound book and dips a quill into ink.

"It is unanimous. I shall record here that the Bellavyrs are officially titled in Isenmere henceforth."

As the quill scratches against the paper, one of the two noblewomen at the table glances over at Anika.

"That is an exquisite gown, Lady Bellavyr. Truly, I have never seen its equal."

"Thank you, Lady Silber."

"Is that wispfloss?" someone else asks.

"It is."

They all murmur and whisper, eyeing my workmanship in an admiring, gobsmacked way that makes me want to break into the Snoopy dance. It helps that Anika is poised perfection and ten times calmer under scrutiny than most people could ever be.

"Where did you get it?" a nobleman chimes in, with others nodding eagerly that they wish to know.

"Her Majesty gifted it to me as an apology for not honoring my family's title sooner," Anika replies smoothly, exactly as I asked her to.

A nobleman with a thick mustache on the right side of the table looks sharply at me. Eyeing my new mirrorflax gown, he sniffs.

"My queen, it has been some time since you have attended one of these meetings. Your presence is an honor, I'm sure—but wherever did you acquire such finery?"

"That is Sir Kranz," Merrick whispers low near my ear so only I will hear. "He is a well-respected former knight and a businessman, but I'm afraid he was one of Schultz's biggest supporters."

Good to know.

"I've hired the best cloth-spinner in the world," I announce to the Privy Council, assuming a tone I could picture the evil queen using. "She's promised me and my closest friends—starting with Lady Bellavyr here—first choice in her gorgeous fabrics. Isn't it high time to please our patron faerie, Ayna, by dressing in clothes beautiful enough to make the other kingdoms cry themselves to sleep?"

Several of them nod, including a very pleased-looking Merrick.

"Lady Bellavyr deserved a warm greeting to court. As queen, I just wanted to make sure my present would outshine everyone else's," I smirk. I look pointedly around the table, adding, "Since it is tradition for noble houses to shower voted-in nobility with gifts and compliments, I expect each of you to give the newest members of court a very warm welcome."

Many Privy Council members nod idly, still fawning over Anika's dress and whispering to each other.

A few of them look irked at the idea of following that old tradition. Merrick told me it usually gets ignored, since it's seldom anyone is voted in as nobility, anyway.

Sir Kranz mumbles, "I, for one, think your very expensive-looking gift ought to be welcome enough for the family of a tavern maid."

Excuse him?

I pull back my veil to stare the nobleman down. While Anika was getting dressed, I took the time to stain my lips red with one of the queen's jars of cosmetics and even added a subtle touch of charcoal around my eyes.

I look fantastic right now—but my temper is shot to hell because thirst is still clawing its way down my throat.

I keep my tone chilling. "I'd love to know where you got the fucking audacity to call Lady Bellavyr a maid when you just witnessed her regain her title not five minutes ago."