Chapter 42
SHARA
Flopping down into my chair, I winced at the formal place settings. “Sorry you went to so much trouble, Winston.”
“Not at all, Your Majesty,” he replied as he and Regina cleared the unused plates. “It’s always fun to drag the special pieces out. I don’t know if you realized it, but this set came from the London house.”
The London house? “So my mother and aunt would’ve used them?”
“I believe so, yes, though that was before my time.”
I traced my finger around the edge of the blue and white plate. I hadn’t really looked at it at all. Ornately decorated possessions weren’t really to my taste.
But now that I looked at the design printed in blue ink, I recognized the Isador house in London.
I hadn’t been to visit it yet, but I’d seen a painting of it in the Park Avenue house.
I picked up the heavy, obviously very old and well-made plate and turned it over.
Beneath the “Spode” mark, the House Isador ankh inside of a triangle was impressed into the china.
“It’s gorgeous,” I whispered, gently setting it back down. “Almost too pretty to eat on.”
“Nonsense, Your Majesty. This china is meant to be used. It’s more durable than it looks.” My dapper butler winked at me as he passed. “Though if you’d like to move to the smaller table, it’s no trouble at all.”
“No, I’d like to go ahead and eat here. Let’s find a reason to use this china more often.”
“Absolutely, Your Majesty.”
Gina and Gwen had returned to their seats too.
It took a few minutes to refresh everyone’s drinks and bring hot dishes back from the kitchen.
Crusty bread, another pasta dish with small partially opened shells and other seafood, and planks of some kind of grilled white fish with slices of lemon on top.
Lancelot and Rik stayed at our chairs as before, Sekh and Guillaume at either door, each with one of Gwen’s Blood.
I didn’t see Merlinus immediately, only the knights.
“Sorry for the sudden request to head this way,” I said to Gwen. “When Karmen dropped in so unexpectedly, I was a little worried about a possible attack. Or I feared she might need healing before Mala could reach us.”
“Not at all, my queen. We’re always ready to come to you at a moment’s notice.”
We waited a moment as Winston and Regina finished delivering dishes.
The younger human cast a longing look back over her shoulder, but Gina shook her head.
Without complaint, Regina left us to talk.
Maybe once she proved herself she could take part in our war talks, but I sure didn’t want her too deeply into House Isador business until I trusted her.
Picking up on the vibe, Gwen dropped her voice. “I can put up an anti-listening spell if you’d like, my queen.”
A little disgruntled that I didn’t know we could do such things, I nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ve been calling her Ms. Curiosity in my head.”
Gwen picked up the pendant she wore around her neck and lightly punctured her thumb. I watched her thicken the air around the room, creating an invisible barrier. “There. No sound should pass through as long as the shield’s up.”
“Does it keep people out too? Or just mute the sound?”
She lifted her hand up to Lancelot and he licked the pad of her thumb. “Only sound. It’s possible to make a physical shield as well but it takes more effort.”
I nodded. “Makes sense. I’ve done a shield to protect the nest before but didn’t think about using something for privacy.”
“Frank hasn’t found anything in her background check,” Gina said.
“As far as we can tell, she’s exactly what she appears to be.
He confirmed a maternal great-grandmother named Marion Barclay lived in, get this, Queensferry, Scotland, who passed property to her granddaughter, Janet March, who still lives there. ”
“That’s great. I trust your judgement on how much work to give her and how long of a trial she needs before we offer anything more permanent.”
I glanced over at Gwen. “We also offered temporary employment to Julie Summers.” From the furrowing of Gwen’s brow, the name didn’t ring a bell.
“She served as consiliarius for House Shalott. If you have any concerns about her presence, we will happily send her packing with a politely worded recommendation for another house.”
Gwen’s forehead smoothed out, though I noted she reached back up and laid her fingers over Lancelot’s on her shoulder. “I have no concerns, my queen. According to Merlinus, we won’t be seeing any more of her on the mortal plane for quite some time.”
“We also have an assistant to send to Kevin,” Gina added. “If he’s up to training another person.”
“I’m sure he’ll be delighted for additional help, as long as the person is open to working with a younger boss. He hasn’t had any issues inside of House Isador, but evidently he’s received backlash in the past because of his youth.”
“The man was creating a database for vampires when he was barely eighteen.” Chuckling, Gina shook her head. “Though I guess anyone who would have a problem working with him wouldn’t like serving our queen anyway. He’s the same age as you, my queen. Which is to say, barely legal.”
“Oh geez. Way to make me feel like a snot-nosed kid. I feel positively ancient compared to Regina, and she’s only a year younger.”
Gina’s lips quirked. “You’ve seen a thing or two in your very young life.”
No shit. I heaved out a sigh and changed the subject. “Do we want to talk about Basilia now, or would you rather talk about your item, Gwen?”
“Mine, if now’s a good time?”
“Of course.”
Hesitating a moment, she picked up her glass and took a fortifying drink of wine. A little concerned, I waited for her to speak, my mind hopping from one thought to the next. Did she not trust me? Or did she fear telling me something?
“The timing may not be the best,” she finally began, lifting her gaze to mine.
I couldn’t read the guarded expression in her eyes. I could’ve tapped her bond and listened to her thoughts…
But we didn’t work that way. I respected her privacy, and she respected mine.
“I know it’s a very busy time sorting through everything the Dauphine left behind. Kevin is swamped and while a new person is great, it’ll take him some time to get them up to speed.”
I nodded. “As Sir Guillaume continues to remind me, the Dauphine had centuries to make her plots and hide her trail as much as possible. We have all the time in the world to sort her shit.”
“Neither was Rome built in a day,” G added. “Despite what the queen of Rome would like us to believe.”
Gwen took another drink of her wine. “Wise words, sir knight.”
The silence stretched out except for the quiet clinking of silverware.
The fish was delicious, sweet tender flakes that practically melted in my mouth.
I wasn’t immediately sure how to eat the shelled seafood in the pasta—until I noticed a smaller fork.
Perfect to lift out the little bit of meat inside.
Not bad, I decided, but I liked the dish from yesterday even better.
Lancelot leaned down closer to Gwen, his lips brushing her temple. Staring down at her untouched food, she clung to his hand on her shoulder. Until she finally blurted, “I would like to leave New York. Your Majesty. Please.”
“Okay.”
Her head snapped up, her mouth sagging open. “Okay? Just like that?”
I flickered a quick look over at Gina, just to be sure I wasn’t missing something crucial, but she looked just as perplexed as me.
“I guess I always assumed your stay in the tower would be temporary. I appreciate all the help you’ve given to me, especially with the other siblings.
But I fully anticipated that one day you would want to establish House Camelot on your own turf, wherever that is.
England, I assume? Though I don’t really know that much about Arthurian legends.
If you’re in England, that gives me another reason to go see the house in London. ”
A sound escaped Gwen’s mouth. Part gasp. Part choke. Her eyes shimmered with tears.
“Goddess, Gwen, what’s wrong? How can I help?”
She twisted in her chair, reaching up to wrap her arm around Lancelot’s neck. Bending down, he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing soothing circles on her back.
“Forgive us, Your Majesty,” he said. “After serving Houses Shalott and Skye for centuries, our queen isn’t used to having the freedom to do as she wishes.”
“It makes perfect sense for me to hold the tower for you.” Her words were muffled against Lancelot’s throat, but I was pretty sure she was crying.
“It’s a position of honor and responsibility.
I know that. It’s silly to leave such a prominent nest, especially when you need all the help you can get after taking the Dauphine down.
But I haven’t been able to Call any more of my Blood who may still be alive.
I’m hoping if I reclaim Camelot that news will spread and they’ll come home. ”
“It’s not silly at all. You should have your own home, a place of safety that suits you perfectly. A nest that you build for you and your house.”
Laughing but also wiping tears from her cheeks, she finally lifted her head from her alpha and beamed at me. “Do you really mean it?”
“Of course. I’m sorry you felt like you had to stay on for so long. I should have made it clear to you that you could leave whenever you wanted. Rookie mistake, I guess. Mayte already had her own nest when she swore to me.”
“You don’t know what it’s like at most houses,” Gwen said softly, shaking her head.
“If Keisha had managed to get House Zaniyah to swear fealty to her, she’d have forced Mayte to join her in New York City.
I’ve even heard of entire nests being closed and shuttered indefinitely.
Human caretakers who’ve served the house for centuries dismissed with nowhere else to go, losing family homes and jobs without warning.
And of course, some queens even lose their Blood to the stronger queen. ”
It was my turn for my throat to tighten and my eyes shimmer. “Which is why I don’t need your assistance tomorrow with Basilia.”
“Ah.” Gwen’s eyes sharpened. “You think Basilia is stronger than you?”
“No one is stronger than our queen,” Guillaume said, stepping closer to the table. “Now.”
“When I healed Leonie, her strength expanded exponentially.”
“I admit I did wonder.” Gwen nodded slowly.
“You gave her a tremendous amount of blood, my queen. More than most queens could’ve spared without being incapacitated themselves.
When I swore fealty to you, I couldn’t have held so much of your blood.
It’s far too powerful.” Her head tipped to the side, her eyes sparking with interest. “I watched your blood flow into her, and there were great chasms carved throughout her magical system. Your blood smoothed those chasms out, but they had to be filled and leveled first.”
Pausing, I gathered my own courage to voice and explain my decision out loud to my sibling for the first time. On one hand, I still felt like a selfish asshole. But on the other…
I’d cut a bitch who even thought about laying a single finger on my knight.
Guillaume laughed. Head back, chuckling out loud, free and long and deep. A sound that smoothed all the jagged edges in me too.
Smiling with less self-recrimination, I offered him my hand, and of course, he came straight to my side and dropped to his knees beside my chair.
“We don’t know how long Basilia was imprisoned, or how deep her chasms may be.
I refuse to incapacitate myself for a queen who has no existing ties to me.
Unless I absolutely know for sure I love her and am willing to risk everything to save her, I won’t give her a chance to overtake my House or strip me of my Blood. ”
Gwen nodded. “Not that you’re asking my opinion, but I agree wholeheartedly, my queen.
I’ll show you where to look inside Basilia if you want to check the severity of the injuries to her magical system.
I honestly was surprised you even attempted to heal Leonie.
Most queens would’ve simply killed her, absorbed what was left of her house and power, and moved on. It’s far too risky otherwise.”
Leonie’s image flickered through my mind. The way her skin gleamed like polished ebony. The smell of her blood. The taste of her skin. “I have no regrets.”
Gwen’s lips quirked knowingly. “So I see. You’re blushing, my queen. Where is she, by the way?”
My cheeks burned hotter, making Gwen smirk even more. “Leonie went home to Africa to Call her Blood.”
“Would she be interested in taking over the tower?”
“I don’t think so. She has deep ties to her home in New Orleans. Once she has Blood of her own, I believe she’ll return to her family home.”
“I’ve compiled a list of the remaining queens in the tower and ranked them by trustworthiness and how much the other sibs respect them. And of course Kevin has done an incredible job, though I don’t know that a consiliarius will be enough to keep the other queens in line.”
I sighed. “We don’t have to decide anything right now. Whoever you left in charge can step up on a temporary basis when you leave. Once I take care of Basilia, we may need to spend a few days in New York City to remind everyone why Isador is on the tower instead of Skye.”
“Would you rather stay at the tower or the Park Avenue House?” Gina asked.
“With Magnum, definitely.”
“I’ll let her know,” Gina replied. “When will you be ready to leave the city, Your Majesty?”
“As soon as possible,” Gwen admitted. “I’ve honestly been ready for nearly a month, but I hadn’t gotten the courage to ask.”
I rolled my eyes. “You make me sound like an ogre.”
“Indeed.” Gwen laughed, her eyes sparkling with excitement at finally moving to her own home. “I mean, silly me, worrying about offending the Triskeles queen who’s on her way to kill another Triune queen.”
Well. When you put it like that…
I picked up my wine glass. “A toast to purging the old blood.”
Dark wings swept through my mind with the distant beat of war drums. The knights thumped the table with their fists, rattling the cutlery, pounding like the steady gallop of warhorses. “Hear, hear! Long live House Isador!”
Guillaume kissed my knuckles. “Long live the queen.”