Chapter 51
“You’re certain of this?” I asked Gorrick, whose eyes had glazed over from the pressure of my magic.
“Yes.” The captain’s voice was slow and measured, his expression slack.
I rubbed my jaw. “Very well. You will forget this encounter the second you leave my room. ” My voice was layered with fae magic, which was getting easier and easier to do. I had been so afraid of it before, but now, none of that mattered. I would use whatever weapons I had at my disposal, and with my reluctance no longer hindering my powers, they rushed forward with unstoppable fervor.
“Yes,” Gorrick repeated, then turned and left my chambers. When the door shut behind him, I braced my arms against the window, glaring in the distance. The information Gorrick had given me hadn’t necessarily changed anything; but it was unsettling nonetheless.
And it only made me more aware of the many ways I had failed my people. I’d failed to keep them safe from the dangers of the unseelie… and the dangers of my mother.
I still had much to do. After my interrogation with Gorrick, I went to the stables, where the witch Priscilla awaited me. I found her standing next to the stall of a white stallion, dressed in her signature crimson cloak. She turned at my approach, her dark brows pulled together in concern.
“I told you never to summon me,” she hissed, glancing around the stable. But we were completely alone.
“I know.” I lifted my palms placatingly. Priscilla and I had a strict agreement. She was willing to teach me runic magic, but only on her own terms, and only when she was available. This was the first time I had ever reached out to her on my own. “I’m sorry. But it’s urgent. Do you know how to contact the witches Ruby, Sapphire, and Jade?”
Priscilla’s face paled. “How do you know them?”
“It’s a long story. Can you reach them?”
She shook her head. “Those three operate under their own rules. They always have. They are separate from the rest of us.”
I swore under my breath. “Can you gather as many witches as you can? The kingdom is in danger.”
Priscilla’s dark eyes flared wide as I filled her in on the situation as best I could, leaving out particular details about Aurelia’s identity.
“If we don’t do something, my mother will allow the Dream Mage to take over the entire realm,” I finished. “Will you help me?”
Priscilla’s expression turned wary. “What is it you need from us?”
“I’ll need your support when I challenge my mother.”
Priscilla stilled, her lips growing thin. “The royal family has never been civil toward witches. It will be difficult to persuade them to support you.”
“I’m prepared to swear right now that I will change that once I take the throne,” I said in a firm voice. “It’s something I should have done long ago.”
Priscilla took a step back, her mouth falling open. “My lord, that is quite a bold promise.”
“I know. But I need the witches’ allegiance, and time is of the essence. Please deliver this message to them.”
Priscilla scrutinized my solemn expression before nodding once. “Very well. I agree. And, at the very least, I swear that you will have my allegiance, my lord.” She pressed her fist to her heart and inclined her head.
I offered her a small smile. It was all I could manage, given the circumstances. Without preamble, I murmured, “I, Prince Fennick Mardion of the Midnight Court, swear to you, Priscilla of the witch clans, that I will grant all witches in my kingdom freedom, respect, and a voice in my court as soon as I take the throne.” I closed my fingers into tight fists, biting back a groan as the heat of my vow seared through me.
I looked at Priscilla expectantly. Her eyes were shining. “You have no idea how long we have waited for this, my lord.”
“I’m just sorry it’s taken so long.” My voice was heavy, and the words didn’t seem nearly enough.
“I suspect many of the witches will come to your aid, if not all,” Priscilla said. “I cannot say for sure, but I will do my best to convince them.”
“Thank you, Priscilla.”
She nodded and gave me an encouraging smile before I turned and left the stable.
I hadn’t tried to visit Aurelia yet. I knew Mother was waiting for me to do it, to try to sneak into that prison cell and free the woman I loved.
My chest ached, cinching tighter and tighter with every passing minute. My mind was constantly on Aurelia and how she fared. I knew she must despise me. But that didn’t matter. If, after this was all over, she wanted to part from me forever, I would let her.
But I had to free her first. I owed her that much. Then, she could live her life as she pleased.
“Why have you summoned us, Your Highness?” demanded Lord Northall, his bushy gray beard twitching with displeasure.
I had quietly summoned the nobles of our court, and we stood in the council room. The twelve nobles were seated at a long, rectangular table with me at the head—in Mother’s place.
My insides coiled tightly with nerves. If this didn’t work…
I cleared my throat, shoving aside my unease. Next to me stood Brannon, a servant from the kitchens. Several nobles cast him wary looks, but the servant stood next to me, silent and serene, his expression almost bored.
I gestured to the servant and said, “I’ve invited Brannon here with us today because his fae magic can counteract another person’s powers. Lord Halsburg, could you please demonstrate your abilities for us? ”
Lord Halsburg, a broad-shouldered blond man with vibrant green eyes, nodded, and rose to his feet. He flexed his fingers, and long, leafy vines sprang forth, slithering across the table like snakes.
“Brannon, if you wouldn’t mind?” I asked.
Brannon nodded, then closed his eyes. The air thrummed with power, and in an instant, Lord Halsburg’s vines receded, sliding off the table and vanishing. Lord Halsburg continued to stretch his hand and fingers, trying to summon his powers, but nothing happened.
Every noble stared at me with wide, fearful eyes.
I swallowed hard. “Brannon is here to guarantee to all of you that I will not use my magic against you. I will not take away your choice.”
Twelve pairs of eyes watched me solemnly in response.
I resisted the urge to twist my fingers together, instead focusing on my determination. In my heart, I knew this had to be done.
But that didn’t make this any easier.
After a deep breath, I said, “I have brought you here to discuss deposing Queen Sonara from the throne.”
Gasps and frantic whispers met my words, the nobles muttering to one another in shock and alarm.
I waited another moment before continuing, “She seeks to overtake the Court of Twilight as well as the Summer Court. She plans to drag us through unnecessary wars, submitting our people to the horrors of battle, not to mention heavy taxes to fund her army. I am here to tell you we do not need to go to war. And I refuse to stand by and let her do this to our kingdom.”
More hushed comments drifted down the table, and, once again, I waited, my insides jittering in anticipation.
At long last, Lord Northall said, “Our people have been suffering, Your Highness. You cannot deny that something needs to be done about it.”
“We have done something about it,” I argued. “The Summer Princess and her dragon are currently in our custody. That dragon could supply us with enough Nightfire to keep our people safe for the foreseeable future.” I didn’t point out that I planned to release the Summer Princess as soon as the crown was mine. They didn’t need to know that just yet .
“And what of your… complicated involvement with the princess?” asked Lady Flora, her tall, bony fingers steepled together atop the table. Her beady eyes appraised me with keen awareness.
“That is between me and the Summer Princess,” I said stiffly. “I had hoped to strike an amicable alliance with her, but my mother ruined that with her deception. My top priority is preventing war. If my mother is deposed, it’s possible I can still salvage an alliance with Summer. But if not, their dragons are sure to tear us apart.”
“But we could win,” argued Lord Northall.
“At what cost?” I said, my voice rising. “Do you want to sacrifice thousands of lives? For nothing? We have Dragonfire. There is no need to invade the Summer Court.”
“We have Dragonfire now ,” said Lord Vincent, his large and beefy frame extending past his chair. “But what about the future? How can we guarantee enough Nightfire to protect our people after the dragon dies?”
I pushed away the horrifying thought of Mal’s death and instead focused on a logical answer. “One step at a time. First, we must keep the unseelie tribes at bay, holding off further attacks. From there, I am confident that it won’t take long for our commerce to return to normal, for our revenue to rise once more. That includes our stores of stardust. If we can increase the production of stardust, we can make the Dragonfire last longer. In addition, if I can salvage relations with the Summer Princess, then perhaps we can utilize her other dragons and keep the Dragonfire burning.”
Lord Northall snorted. “I highly doubt she’ll do anything for you, after we’ve imprisoned her and captured her dragon.”
My lips grew thin, and I had to fight to keep my hands from shaking. “A valid point. But I know Aurelia well. She doesn’t want our kingdom to suffer. If we can stop treating her like an enemy and start treating her like an ally, I have every belief that she will honor the original terms of our arrangement.”
My chest tightened from my words. I did, in fact, believe that Aurelia would still help us after she was free. In a perfect world, she would forgive me and rule by my side as Queen of the Midnight Court.
But I knew that could never be.
“You must forgive us, Your Highness,” said Lady Windsor, a slim, blond figure with a robust voice that was surprising, given her stature. “You have never taken court matters seriously before now. It is… difficult to believe you are in earnest.”
Several other nobles murmured their agreement.
I sighed, closing my eyes briefly. “I know. And I understand your hesitation. It has taken me too long to accept my responsibilities to this kingdom, and for that, I deeply apologize. But I am ready now. The events of the past few days have shown me that I can no longer sit idly by while our court suffers. I am here. I am ready. And, with your help, I can save our people.
“To prove how serious I am, I would like to introduce the allies I have secured us in protecting our borders from the unseelie, at least until we can get a more stable supply of Nightfire.”
A pair of guards obediently opened the council room doors to reveal a crowd of red-robed witches, with Priscilla standing in the front, tall and regal, a satisfied smile on her face.
Shouts sounded among the council. Several nobles jumped to their feet in alarm. Lord Northall bellowed, “What is this?”
“Our Nightfire fete brings people of all classes together,” I said, practically yelling over the commotion. “That is the heart of our kingdom and our people! We are united. My mother has harbored prejudices against the witch clans for too long. We should have sought their help sooner. They possess powerful magic that can help us, if only we grant them the freedoms they rightfully deserve. My first step as king will be to strike an alliance with the witch clans so we can cast protective wards around our kingdom and prevent any further unseelie attacks.
“Furthermore, if you do not give me your support for the throne… you will have them to answer to.” My teeth flashed in a feral smile as I stared down each and every noble at the table. “Under my mother’s rule, they have no freedom. They are cast out as pariahs of society, only to be seen during our fete alongside the lower class citizens. It is in their best interest that I take the throne. So, consider your next words carefully.”
I clasped my hands together on top of the table, drumming my fingers along my knuckles as I plastered a pleasant smile on my face. Inside, my stomach was churning violently, but I maintained my calm demeanor and patiently watched the nobles whisper among each other.
It was a risk. But I had to believe it would pay off. I had to believe the council would choose to do the right thing.
“Is he—” Lord Halsburg began, with a fearful glance at Brannon. “Is he using his magic?”
Brannon closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. “No. I do not sense any magic coming from him.”
Halsburg met my gaze for a long moment, then gave a sure nod, his eyes full of sincerity.
He was on my side.
“This is absurd,” blustered Lord Northall, waving a hand toward me. “He is threatening us! The witches will kill us if we don’t do what they want.”
“And what do you think my mother will do?” I snapped. “She has done far worse. I know for a fact she has threatened the families of our guards in order to coerce them to do her bidding. I also know she arranged to have the braziers drained of stardust during the fete so the unseelie tribes would attack. She cannot be trusted to keep us safe. Not anymore.”
Gorrick had confessed as much, but only after I had used my magic on him. Mother had a tight hold on him, threatening to have him arrested and imprisoned if he did not comply. Gorrick had a wife and children to support, and he couldn’t afford the risk.
Lady Windsor gasped loudly, raising a hand to her mouth. Halsburg paled, and Lady Flora pressed a hand to her chest, her eyes flaring wide. Even Lord Northall’s thick eyebrows lowered in dismay, his beard twitching again.
“She is willing to risk innocent lives to get what she wants,” I said, my words slow and forceful. “But I am not. Give me your support, and I will swear it. Please.”
I held my breath, waiting for someone to speak. Several nobles glanced at each other, communicating wordlessly with widened eyes and significant looks. A few gazed at me with solemn contemplation.
I wanted to shout, to shake the shoulders of each noble. I wanted to unleash my magic and force them all to agree .
But I couldn’t. I needed their trust. And I didn’t want to start my rule on deception. That was my mother’s way. Not mine.
This was it. If my plan failed, all was lost. Mother would march us into war. And Aurelia would rot in our prison cell.
There were no other options.
So, with my hands still clasped together, I sat at the head of the table, my eyes on the council, and I waited.
After what felt like an eternity, the council looked at me with expectant gazes. My pulse roared in my ears.
Halsburg spoke first. “You have my vote.”
“And mine,” said Lady Flora.
“Mine, too,” said Lord Vincent.
One by one, each noble gave me their support. With each vote, something loosened in my chest, and my heart soared with gratitude.
The last one was Lord Northall, who was scowling, his brows still lowered. “I do not like it,” he grumbled. Then, he heaved a sigh. “But I like what the queen has done even less. Begrudgingly, Your Highness, you have my vote.”
I resisted the urge to bark out a laugh at that. Instead I grinned broadly and nodded my thanks to each noble individually.
King of the Midnight Court. A title I had never wanted for myself. Yet today, it made me feel more complete than I’d ever felt in my life.