“On what?”
“On whatever Richard wants you to.”
“But what if it’s for something bad?”
“Worse than a public execution?”
Ithinkabout all the babies.Fairies onlyeatchildren at the moment.What if one of the things I signisso babiescanbe eaten too?“Yes?”
“Trust me, it won’t be.”
I’m notsure.Before Icanvoice my doubts, he depositsme onto beautiful hard ground.Falling to my knees, then to my face, I hug it as well as Ican.Iamnever leaving the ground again.
“Think about it while I get your friend,”the fairysays, launching back into the air.“Because I assure you, Fabia will be forced to watch.”
Ten
At times of war, there is no such thing as a dirty trick.
And we’re always at war.-KingRichard
The ambience in theCouncil Roomiscold enough to store a dead body.Tanyapressesher lips tightly together.Petresitsas still as the calm before a storm.Whereasthe other ten women making up the Court glare at me as if their looks reallycankill.
Delight fillsmy bones.
Leaning forward,Tanyapressesboth hands –her long black nails as sharp as any knives–on the table.Carved intothe middle ofthe round piece of woodisRaza’s symbol – aflyingraven,holding a snake in its claws as it tears it apart with its beak.“You did what?”shehisses, her voice as icy as her gaze.
I look straight at her, a smirk twitching at my lips.“I’ve sent Nicholas to propose to a brownie on my behalf.”My wings stretch out lazily behind me.Her mouth thinsinto a slit.
“A brownie cannot be queen,” she sneers.
“In which law is that defined?”
Her jaw ticks.Fury radiatesoff her in a blissful heat that warmsthe iciness of the room.
“It’s not,” Petre cutsin, glaring atTanya.“We all knowbrownies are technically one of us.Just because they’ve lost their wings doesn’t mean they are a different species.”
“As unfortunate as that is,” Bailey mutters.
Petre shootsher a sharp look.The woman lowersher head,her black-mohawk doing little to hide her from the depth of Petre’s stare.“Be that as it may, King Morningstar has every right to take one as queen,”Petre says.
“And I will,” I clarifyjust to pissTanyaoff even more.
She bitesher tongue, her scowl deepening.
Turning my attention to Petre, I slidethe file in front of me across the table.I know the Court was on the verge of discovering it on their own with their little ants anyway, so there’s no point in keeping it hidden.I’ll let them suffer, knowing there’s nothing they can do.
The Dragonstopsit with one delicate hand.Her longpurplenails,enhanced with magic runes to keep them sharp and hard,dig into the first page.Holding my gaze, she asks, “What is this?”
I smile.“That is the law my wife and I will be signing into existence as soon as she becomes queen.Thepositions of the Court will no longer exist.”
Murmurs of outrage bubble up.I talk over the twelve of them, not raising my voice in the slightest.“Neither will the positions of king and queen.There will be new roles, and all politicians willbe voted into place by an educated populace.I have listed a series of requirements that each voter must meet, as well as the rules of engagement between running parties.”
Her lips twisting into a promise of pain, Petre flipsopen the file.I wait patiently as she skimsthrough it, my stomach clenching with nerves I refuse to show.
For six years, Ihavespent every evening drafting this law.I’ve runnumerous scenarios, gathered various opinions and research.I’verevised, revised, and revised again until I had a copythat was ironclad.Thisiswhat ourkingdomneedsto move forward.It might end with me no longer on the throne, but itwillbe progress.
“If you think we will allow this to pass –”
