Chapter 58 #2
“Only if you name what it is and she can decide whether to do it or not.” Kaeleron spoke before I could and I glanced at him. He lowered his gaze to me, his stern look remaining. “It is not wise to agree to a favour or a debt without knowing what it is.”
“It is not like I was going to ask for her heart or her firstborn,” Arianell huffed and stepped aside as she folded her arms across her chest.
“It sounds suspiciously like that is exactly what you were going to ask for,” Kael countered.
I ignored them as they began bickering and went to the dungeon, my eyes adjusting rapidly to the gloom.
As soon as I reached the slippery stone floor, Meiryn muttered, “Is that Lorien’s head?”
I lifted it and pursed my lips at it. “Yes. I thought the castle was lacking a little… something.”
Her eyebrows rose high on her forehead and she pursed her lips too.
“It would look nice hanging above the gate.” Her lips broke into a smile. “Goddess, it is good to see you. I thought we were both done for.”
A guard came down the steps towards us.
Or was hauled down them anyway.
Kaeleron thrust the male at me. “Hand her the key.”
The poor male did as ordered, fumbling with it as he unhooked it from his belt and held it out to me in a hand that was shaking as violently as the rest of him. As soon as I had it, Kael cast him aside and he scrabbled up the steps on all fours, racing away from him.
“You’re as charming as ever,” Meiryn said.
Kaeleron hiked his shoulders.
“It gets the job done.” I slotted the key into the lock, twisted it and opened the door for her, and then turned to him. “Are you sure you can’t take this now?”
I held the head out to him.
He grinned at it. “No, my love. The victory goes to you and so does the spoils. You must carry it with pride.”
“That look in your eyes says this is less about pride and more about how much you like the look of me while I’m holding the head of my enemy.” I glowered at him.
His grin became feline as he closed the gap between us. “I never said it was not. You do look rather… delicious… in all that tight leather. Formidable with all that blood on you. Powerful with your little trophy. I find I quite like it. My vicious little queen.”
I slapped his hard chest, but lingered, stroking my palm over it, and murmured, “You can strip it all off later, and then bathe me.”
“With my tongue?” he purred and when I pulled a face, he added, “After we share a bath or two of course.”
“That does sound rather appealing,” I admitted.
“I’m leaving, before you two… make this dungeon smell more like sex.” Meiryn walked away from us, muttering as she ascended the steps. “Don’t think I do not know what you two did in here before I helped you escape.”
My cheeks threatened to heat. Kaeleron just chuckled and placed his hand against the small of my back, ushering me towards the courtyard. I followed Meiryn up the stairs and slowed as the courtyard came into view.
It was full to bursting.
My pulse jacked up.
“You can do this, little wolf,” Kaeleron murmured for my ears only as he nudged me forwards.
I swallowed my nerves and stepped out into the courtyard, all eyes falling on me as silence descended, and the tension in the air cranked up.
I made my way through the crowd with Meiryn in front of me and Kaeleron behind me, moving towards the boulder at the head of the long rectangular pond.
When we reached it, Kaeleron glowered at it, and I gently brushed my knuckles across his, stealing his focus away from it.
I smiled at him, showing him that I was fine now.
I had survived what had happened, and it had only made me stronger.
And I’d had my vengeance.
And it had tasted delicious.
I nimbly hopped up onto that boulder, gaining enough elevation that I could see everyone packed into the courtyard and on the other side of the gate, and held my grim trophy aloft.
“Lorien is dead. Slain by my hand,” I repeated for my new audience, and then continued, “I didn’t kill him because he opposed me.
I didn’t kill him because I’m a traitor or anything he told you.
I killed him because he threatened everything I love.
I killed him to save you all from his tyranny.
It is time this court had a kinder, and gentler ruler. ”
Whispers ran through the crowd and I shut them out, aware that not everyone here was on my side. Not yet.
“I killed Sylvan, steward of the Summer Court, for the same reason. During my time here, while trying to learn more about this court and its people, I uncovered a dreadful truth about Sylvan. He murdered Sylas’s queen and heir in an attempt to unseat my father.
” I paused as the crowd roared with hollered comments and shocked remarks, many of them questioning me.
I held my other hand up, lowering the one that gripped Lorien’s head, and the crowd hushed.
“Sylvan was in league with the unseelie high king and sought to alter the laws of this court so he could rule. He orchestrated the deaths of the queen and heir, and falsely pointed blame at the Shadow Court, manipulating Sylas into attacking it for his own benefit and that of the unseelie high king. Just as he manipulated every heir he brought to this court, pitting us against each other so he could claim the throne for himself.”
Many of them shook their heads, and the gathered descended into debating what I had said, no doubt arguing about whether I was speaking the truth.
Meiryn grabbed hold of me and almost yanked me off the huge boulder as she hauled herself up onto it beside me.
“Calm yourselves,” she yelled and they fell silent again, all eyes locking on to her.
“Saphira speaks the truth. I have seen the records kept by Sylvan, and by Sylas. We worked together as heirs of this court to discover the truth about what had happened for the sake of this court and to end the tensions between it and the Shadow Court.”
Many of the crowd looked at Kaeleron.
He regally dipped his head. “It is true that our courts have long had bad blood between them, and that Saphira came to this court not only to guide it towards better days but to uncover the truth for me. The truth she has offered you this day. I have letters taken from Elduin, my high king, that prove he allied with Sylvan and they worked together to turn our courts against one another. I am happy to submit this evidence to those in power for them to review, together with the records and journals in Saphira’s possession. ”
He lifted his hand to me.
My lips curved slightly as I released Lorien’s head and placed mine into it.
Kaeleron smiled up at me, his silver gaze tender and soft, warming me.
The crowd went very quiet now.
I turned to them. “I am heir presumptive, and in light of recent events I would be queen… but rulership of this court is not for me. It is a beautiful court, but it is not my home. My home is with my mate.”
They really did stare now.
Kaeleron bent his head and pressed a kiss to my knuckles before lifting his head to look at me again.
“That is why I am abdicating to become queen of the Shadow Court, and Meiryn will take my place as heir and queen of the Summer Court. I will always have this court’s best interests at heart, and I will always be of this court, and that is why I am hoping we can form an alliance between the Summer Court and the Shadow Court.
” I looked to Meiryn, right into her wide blue eyes.
She blinked herself out of it and nodded. “Of course. We shall begin negotiations as soon as we are queens.”
A few people spat vitriol in our direction.
Kaeleron raised his hand and they swiftly fell silent, but not because he used his shadows on them. Just because he had that sort of effect on people.
And the talons of his gauntlets were rather sharp and threatening.
“There was a time, long ago, when seelie and unseelie courts were not so divided. The fae were one, working together through trade and other means. Let us lead our courts into a time of peace and prosperity together, and show all of Lucia how powerful a united fae can be.” His words stirred something inside me, a sensation that had come and gone many times over the last few weeks.
That the goddess had never wanted her children to be divided. She had made them from one piece of her heart and grieved whenever they fought. She had wanted them to be as one.
United.
“As soon as the court is ready, I will ascend the throne and be crowned queen,” Meiryn said, “and this court shall open negotiations with the Shadow Court, and its king and queen.”