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Breaking the seal, he unrol ed it and cleared his throat.
"I, Trenyth Vesalya, ambassador for the Queen of Elqaneve--Her Highness Asteria--have been dutiful y entrusted by the Crown to deliver an official notice from Queen Tanaquar, friend and al y of the Elfin Throne."
We remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
"Her Majesty, Queen Tanaquar, sends a royal decree to Camil e Sepharial te Maria, also known as Camil e D'Artigo, daughter of Ambassador Sephreh ob Tanu. She shal hold fast to the terms of this decree."
He paused.
I sat up straight. This was targeted directly at Camil e, not at al of us, but that didn't make me feel any better. In fact, it made me feel worse. We handled things better as a team. We were unbreakable together, or at least pretty damned intimidating.
Camil e, pale and looking terribly vulnerable, forced herself to lean forward. "Please, continue. Just . . . get it over with. Whatever it is."
Trenyth did something I'd never seen him do before. He reached out and took her hand in his, then lifted it to his lips and softly pressed a kiss against her skin. "Very wel , my lady."
As she slowly withdrew her hand, he unrol ed the scrol again.
"Camil e te Maria, be it known that if you go forward with your intentions to pledge yourself to the Court of Aeval, the Queen of Darkness, you shal be ostracized from Y'Elestrial, considered pariah unless you recant your change in al egiance. You are to continue in your position of OIA agent inasmuch as the task at hand relates to the spirit seals only.
"Unless this ban is lifted, you may never again set foot within the city limits of Y'Elestrial, nor within the home of Sephreh ob Tanu. You wil report to Delilah and Menol y D'Artigo, and they wil report to the OIA headquarters. You wil fol ow al orders precisely. You may not contact any member of the Court and Crown on your own, including Sephreh ob Tanu. Nor wil the Court and Crown contact you except through an emissary. As a punishment for turning your back on your al egiance, you no longer exist in the Court's eyes."
He put down the parchment and looked at Camil e. "And I've one other message, my dear. Again . . . I am so, so sorry. Your father asked me to give you this." He handed her an envelope.
Shaking, she took it. After a moment, she ripped it open and pul ed out the single sheet of paper and scanned it.
"Oh!" With a little cry, she dropped it, her hand flying to press against her lips. She was trying not to cry, trying to be strong, but the tears slowly spil ed over.
I picked up the paper and read aloud:
"Camil e. I'm sorry to have to do this, but duty has always come first with me, and I thought you fol owed in my foot-steps. Apparently I was wrong. If you align yourself with Aeval, you are no longer my daughter. I wil disown you. Choose wisely. Your future within the family depends on your actions. You have already proven your lack of loyalty to the Court and Crown by even contemplating such a move. Stay wel . I wil always love you, but I cannot be your father if you persist in this."
Crumpling the page, I knelt by her side, and she threw herself into my arms, sobbing, as I patted her back.
"Motherfucking peons!" Menol y pounded the table. "I knew better than to trust his conciliatory tone. So you're good enough to find the spirit seals but not good enough to set foot in town? Fuck the bitch and her Court. Tanaquar's likely little better than Lethesanar, and that was to be expected. But after al Camil e has done for this family, for Father, to see him treat her like this. I disown him!"
Trenyth stared at us for a moment, then stood and slowly disengaged Camil e from my arms. He turned her to face him, holding her firmly by the shoulders, chucking her chin when she tried to evade his gaze.
"Look at me, Camil e. Look me in the eye. I reassure you that Queen Asteria makes no such judgment. You are wel -respected in Elqaneve, and you are always welcome in our city. You are welcome in the Queen's chambers. And . . . you are welcome in my home."
"Thank you." She spoke so quietly I could barely hear her.
In a rush, he continued, "I feel like you girls have become my foster daughters. I've never had children, never been married. I'm truly wed to my duty to serve the Crown. But I've watched the three of you bravely face what would cow greater men. I've watched you push through fear and worry to complete your duties as best as you can. I honor that. So I'm offering you my guest rooms, if you ever need a place to stay in Otherworld. And my hospitality and gratitude for what you are doing to save both of these worlds."
And in that moment, the wisdom in his eyes fel away to show compassion, concern, and love. I truly believed he meant everything he said.
Apparently, so did Menol y. "You're al right, Trenyth." She kicked the cupboard, but I could tel her heart wasn't in it. She didn't leave a gaping hole in the wood. "We should al just quit. Tel them to fuck themselves. I knew Father wouldn't fol ow through with his supposedly new tolerant attitude. And if he lied about tolerating Tril ian, then he's lying when he says he accepts me now. If he disowns one of us, he disowns al of us."
Camil e dashed aside the tears. She was stil shaking, and I knew her heart was broken, but she forced herself to straighten her shoulders. "Wil you take a message to Ambassador Sephreh ob Tanu for me, and to the Queen of Y'Elestrial?"
Trenyth nodded. "Of course. Do you wish to write it down?"
Trenyth nodded. "Of course. Do you wish to write it down?"
"No, you can just tel them to their faces. I trust your memory. Tel Queen Tanaquar I wil fulfil my duties as asked. I wil report to my sisters. And tel Her Majesty she needn't bother to pay me if I'm such a disappointment. I'l fight against the demons for free if I have to; I care that much about this war."
"And to your father?"
I held my breath, waiting. Menol y's gaze was glued on her.
