Chapter 12 #3
“You’re suggesting we exile her,” I snarled, taking a step toward him, my words laced with nails.
“Sylvi has given her entire life to this realm. Her blood is in these stones; her father’s bones buried in our soil.
And now you want to erase her from it all?
If someone must be punished, then let it be me. ”
“Sit down, Jokullson,” my mother snapped.
“You will obey the rule of this council and my order of command, or I will take you up on your offer.” Her gaze burned through me, but it wasn’t her threat that quelled the magic coiling through me.
It was the flicker in Sylvi’s eyes, full of rising panic, her lips parted as if she couldn’t breathe.
That look shattered me.
Without another word, I took my seat beside my mother. Sylvi followed, her fingers trembling despite her effort to conceal it. She didn’t look at me, but I felt the heat of her anxiety in every breath she took.
My mother stood tall at the head of the table, the fabric of her indigo gown rippling like the sea beneath moonlight.
“My son is right about one thing,” she said.
“Fixating on the captain’s un-natural speedy recovery is the wrong approach.
We all know common fae do not wield magic, and to imply otherwise would feed the wildfire already licking the edges of our realm. ”
I opened my mouth, but she cut me off with a look that silenced even my heartbeat.
“Lord Kaelven’s suggestion, while perhaps delivered in poor taste, is not without merit. The captain must be kept from the public eye.”
“Mother—”
“Silence. I am not finished,” she snarled.
“Fortunately, testimony was given earlier by a credible source, one who verified the captain was following my orders to seek out the mole when the attack occurred. She was dressed as a civilian and carried no outward sign of her rank. Yet she was recognized and assaulted. Her assailants claimed it was to send me a message.”
Her expression darkened, lips curling. “Well, message received. Lord Kaelven will draft my address to the city. We will not entertain rumors or this unrest. We will make it clear that the crown will not tolerate an attack on its officers. Anyone seen or heard showing support for the deceased will meet their same end. The captain’s absence will be explained.
The public need not see her again until this storm has passed. ”
Turning her full attention on Sylvi, she said, “I don’t know what possessed you to enter the Warrens alone.
You acted recklessly. Carelessly. You endangered not just your life, but this kingdom’s future.
You are fortunate my son arrived when he did, but now he faces scrutiny.
Right before the Unseelie Court arrives.
Have you any idea what you’ve jeopardized?
The betrothal to their Unseelie Princess is our kingdom’s salvation.
Should the Unseelie King take offense, he could rescind his offer, and we could lose this war before it even commences. ”
“Your Majesty, I—”
“I did not give you permission to speak,” the queen snapped. “Your best intentions do not absolve your failure. I cannot entrust the safety of this realm to someone whose judgment is so fatally flawed.”
Her words must have hit Sylvi like a gut punch because I felt my own breath falter.
“However,” she said, softer now, though no less angered, “I owe a great debt to your father. And though it would be more convenient to let the public believe you died, I will not exile you. Instead, you are hereby stripped of your title, effective immediately.”
Sylvi’s chest caved, her shoulders sagging, barely perceptible to anyone else but me. I saw the defeat hit her body like a squall and hated myself for not being able to shield her from it.
She made no sound, but a tear slipped down her cheek. She caught it before it fell fully, wiping it away with a quick movement of her hand. Her jaw clenched, her spine going rigid. I knew what this cost her. I slid my hand beneath the table and rested it on her thigh.
“You will remain in the guard, but your command falls to Varik for now,” the queen finished.
“The Unseelie king is due in a week. Reports of unrest in the city outskirts have reached us. To ensure his safety, a royal envoy will be sent to greet him at his encampment and escort him here.” She turned her gaze to me. “You will lead it.”
I didn’t have the will to protest.
“And…you will take her with you as your attendant,” she added, speaking as if Sylvi wasn’t sitting next to me.
“She will remain hidden until this ordeal has passed. Rumors will circulate that she is recovering from grievous wounds. When you return, she may resume her duties on the guard, and this entire matter will be nothing more than smoke in the wind.”
“Her duties as captain, you mean.”
My mother simply said, “Just see to it that she’s kept hidden from public eye, Jack. Only the soldiers accompanying you will know her identity, and they will all be sworn to secrecy.”
I stood, refusing to accept her deflection. “Mother, Sylvi didn’t do anything wrong. You can’t permanently strip of her title. She—”
“You are dismissed,” she spat coldly, not even meeting my gaze as she retreated to her personal chamber inside the War Room.