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When he finished, he threw the assassin forward and she fell at her knees before the queen and king. “Which brings me to this woman. A woman who was hired by the duchess to kill me. So that she could then kill the king and queen and take the Unseelie throne for herself and for her family.”
“Noah.” Vanessa jerked around in the guards’ grasp. “Whatever she said to you was a lie. You know I’d never betray you. I love you.”
Noah walked up to her and tsked. “Your lies are over. Even if we didn’t have the assasin’s word, I have a letter written in your own hand bragging about the ‘accident’ you’d planned for my mother and father and how well your father taught you.”
“You!” Vanessa screamed and broke free of the guards. She rushed toward me, but I was ready. I’d been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
As she marched up to me, I took a swing, punching her square in the nose.
She screamed as the guards regrasped her hands. I raised my shoulders when I met Noah’s gaze. “She was coming after me.”
He rolled his eyes before turning back to his mother. “Vanessa just wanted an engagement. To take that and claim the throne once I was out of the way, and once she eliminated both of you. By law, it would have fallen to her.”
The queen was sitting very still, but I saw how hard she swallowed, or forced herself to swallow. She looked down at the assassin. “Is it true?”
The assassin confirmed Noah’s story, and the queen slammed her scepter on the ground, creating a thunderous echo that reverberated off the walls and surrounded us.
“Duchess Vanessa Elspeth, you are hereby banished from this castle, banished from this court, and you and your family will be stripped of their titles.”
“No!” she cried out, trying to reach out toward the queen, but the guards held fast. “You understand me, you know you’d do anything for your family as well,” she said.
The queen hissed. “That’s enough, viper. You are no longer welcome here. Take her away, make sure she leaves within the hour.” The guards marched forward on the queen’s command.
Vanessa roared, breaking free and surprising the men who held her as she rushed the queen. “Your reign will fall. If I didn’t succeed the Seelie surely will. And your pathetic son will fail this Kingdom in his succession.”
I didn’t hesitate. Not for a moment. One punch to the nose wasn’t enough. This time, I lunged forward, grabbing her and pinning her to the ground. She struggled against me, and when she brought a hand up to slap me, I hit her again. This time in the jaw.
She looked at me with fire in her eyes even though she was stunned into pausing her fight. As the guards grabbed her around the arms more firmly, I leaned down over top of her before moving altogether.
“That’s for every staff member here that you made feel inferior. And for Noah, you bitch.”
As Vanessa was dragged from the room, she continued her ranting and raving. Lunatic threats, condemnation of the court, everything she could think to spew. Luckily, the faces of the fae present were marred with sheer disgust versus any signs of their agreeing with Vanessa.
The queen walked down the steps and stopped before me. I curtsied and didn’t look up until I felt her soft glove underneath my chin.
“Coraline Fray, you have not only found a spy in the castle, but you’ve gone and kept an entire army from advancing, and unveiled an assassination attempt. Perhaps you need a promotion?”
I stared at the queen, searching for some sort of anger or sarcasm, but was surprised to find that she looked at me genuinely, at least for now.
“I’m happy as the prince’s feeder. And I’m proud to be able to help the royal family. It’s all I want to do. Your kindness and goodwill are more than enough praise or promotion, Your Majesty.”
And I meant it.
Peace with the queen, her pride, and the knowledge that I’d done my job was all I needed.
And the prince of the Unseelie wouldn’t be a bad thing to hold onto either.
If he could stay out of trouble for more than a few months at a time, that is.
