Chapter 12 #2
“Queen Isabelle looked exactly the same as I remembered. So did her knight. They sounded the same as far as I could remember, but it’d honestly been decades since I’d seen them last. She remembered Mama and specifically mentioned how much she’d enjoyed staying with us in the past. I didn’t feel any kinship for her, but I honestly didn’t expect to since the original sibling bond was Mama’s.
Any House Valois blood I’d inherited from my bond with her would’ve been minimal anyway. ”
Leonie swallowed hard, her hands tightening in her skirt.
“I entertained them. All evening. Addie was famous at least here in New Orleans for her cooking, and she put out an entire spread with our best wine.
I put them into the same guest room Mama always gave them.
Then I retired for the night. At approximately three in the morning, I heard screams and rushed downstairs to find a strange queen sitting at the head of the table.
Sipping more of our wine, while her Blood murdered his way through my family.
“At first, I had no idea it was the same elderly queen and knight. She looked completely different—but even now, I can’t tell you exactly what she looked like.
Her face rippled, her skin constantly shifting beneath the surface of what looked to be a long veil or shroud.
Of course an unknown queen—even of the Dauphine’s strength—wouldn’t have just waltzed into my circle without someone bringing her inside, so I thought we’d been betrayed by Isabelle.
“I called my power immediately, and she laughed in my face. She squashed me like an annoying little gnat. At the first blow, I fell senseless. Unable to move. Unable to speak. It felt like a mountain had fallen on me, crushing me beneath its weight.
“My Blood…” She paused, her jaw flexing. “The Dauphine’s knight injured them enough to prove they had no choice but to surrender. They did so, hoping to save me, but you know how that ended for us. Her knight put me on top of the table where I’d served them dinner and she began her work.”
Uneasy, I turned to Guillaume. “I didn’t know her gift extended to her Blood. We only found trophies for queens in the cabinet.”
“My guess is she simply masked her Blood’s appearance with her gift, but they didn’t have the identical voice or hand like she did.
Most of the time, there’s no reason for Blood to even speak in the presence of queens.
Unless you had a long conversation with Barrau and knew his speech mannerisms and accent, it would be an easy illusion to pull off. ”
I arched a brow at him. “My Blood speak among queens all the time.”
His lips twitched and he gave me a short bow. “As I’ve said often and at great length in the past, you are quite unlike most queens, Your Majesty.”
Daire entered carrying a tea tray and set it on the low table in front of us.
More specifically, in front of me. Even in Leonie’s house. It was a subtle reminder that I was the strongest queen in this room. But after she’d lost so much…
I fought the impulse to glance over at her and note her reaction or even apologize. None of this was my fault—but it wasn’t hers, either.
“May I pour for you, my queen?” Daire asked.
When I nodded, he dropped to his knees on my other side—away from Sekh—and quickly made my cup the way Winston did at home.
I took the saucer in my left hand and balanced it on my knee but didn’t sip until Leonie and Gwen each held theirs.
He asked each queen how she preferred her tea.
First Gwen, my established sibling and queen of New York City, and then Leonie.
I fought the urge to sigh. It reminded me of sitting beside Marne Ceresa’s koi pond, feeling like a fat fly tangled up in her web.
:It’s your right,: Rik murmured softly in our bond. :You are Triskeles. This house exists only because of you.:
:I know. I just don’t like playing such games. It’s demeaning.:
Daire handed Leonie her cup and she sniffled, her hands trembling. Tears spilled from her eyes, and I felt even worse.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Then she gave me a wide, shining smile that sent me mentally reeling.
“When you’re trapped and helpless for so long, you think about the craziest things.
I would’ve given anything to escape. My other hand.
An entire leg carved up like a Sunday ham.
The Dauphine could’ve used a crudité fork and plucked my eyes like she was sampling olives from an appetizer tray. As long as she freed me.
“But I knew the truth. No one was coming to save me. Even if the Dauphine died, who would even know where all her prisoners were? Who’d care?
Who’d risk their own necks to free them?
Let alone use their own power to heal them.
Why would they? When they could simply take the empty house and any residual power as their own at no cost to them?
“But you came, Shara Isador. You healed me. You fed me. And now you allow me the simple pleasure of sipping a cup of tea from Mama’s best china once more with fresh cream your Blood fetched just so I could have a moment of normalcy again.”
My throat tightened and I gave her an equally teary smile. “What use is all this power if we can’t do some good with it? Besides, everything is easier to bear if we can share a nice drink or meal with friends and family.”
Daire took my cup and saucer for me, so I could continue feeding on Sekh and not spill tea everywhere. He carefully lifted the cup to my mouth.
I savored a sip of tea and then gave him a wobbly smile. “It’s perfect.”
He flashed a quick, pleased smile and gave me another sip. “Our queen would burn the world down to save someone she loves.”
Leonie’s eyes shone brighter. “Then I hope to earn our queen’s love too.”
Sekh let out a grudging sigh in the bond. :Well done, warcat.:
And for the first time since the general had joined us, my warcat was able to purr in his presence.