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“Do I? Oh, no.” Kara then made a mocking voice. “Of course I don’t. I’m the silly little queen, chosen at a contest, picked like an animal to breed ironbringers to this family. I’m so little and insignificant and powerless, poor little me.” She pouted.
Naia recalled some of what River had told her, hoping it had been truly River. “You’re behind everything, aren’t you?”
The queen laughed. “Am I? What iseverything?”
So this was true, at least from her point of view. Fair, the woman was babbling, but Naia had to make her give up some information instead of spouting nonsense.
Power. Perhaps the key was power. The queen didn’t want to be seen as useless. Naia had to work with that to her advantage.
“I guess not. You’re just helping your husband, aren’t you?”
Kara laughed again. She seemed to be enjoying the conversation. “My dear harlot princess, my husband is nothing. Nothing. He thinks he’s king, he thinks he owns me, he thinks I’m useless. He’s wrong.”
“But your husband was behind this, wasn’t he?” Naia insisted, hoping she’d incense the woman. “Planning the army of ironbringers?”
She snorted. “Army of ironbringers… It was an excuse. An excuse. When he realized he could bend the magic laws of Aluria, he came up with this idea. It meant he had the sacred duty to impregnate other women. Poor King Harold, made so much sacrifice for his kingdom. But you see, while he was busy, I was busy too. Busy connecting to a greater power. Soon Harold will be dead—and I’ll be greater than him—and immortal.”
That made no sense. “Everyone’s soul is immortal.”
“Exactly. It’s why I choose to have my soul continue to live in this world, instead of going who knows where.”
Was the plan to have Cassius be king? One of his brothers? Why? Naia had to keep prodding, keep trying to find out something useful.
“Cassius will be king, then.” No, he wasn’t going to become anything in this life, but Naia didn’t want to confess that she knew he was dead. In fact, why was this woman here instead of up there, mourning her son?
“Cassius…” Kara snorted. “Just one of the little monsters I made for King Harold. An empty monster now. There’s nothing there. He’s not going to be king, he’s not going to be anything. But he was useful. His life energy fueled the magic of someone much more deserving.”
Naia was disgusted. This woman had sacrificed her own son? And didn’t even feel bad about it? “So you’re serving this someone who’s much more deserving?”
“I serve nobody,” she snarled. “I serve no one. Never again. The great one depends on me, he’s gaining life again thanks to me. Me. I’m the master.”
Naia doubted that it was the case, but didn’t think it wise to tell her. Instead, she said, “I’ll break this ice and defeat you, then.”
“Oh, silly princess. You think you can break this. Let me tell you a secret: only dragon magic can undo this ice.”
Naia chuckled involuntarily. Did she really not know what Naia was? This… this was great.
From behind the ice, Kara smiled. “You think it’s funny.”
“I mean… dragons. Who still believes in dragons?” She tried to look sad. “Am I going to die here?”
Kara sighed. “That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it? Don’t ask. Don’t beg. I can’t do anything about it. I just came to take a look at the princess who caused me so much grief.”
“I did?”
“Nothing too bad, I guess. You should be dead, you know? You and your brother. Alone, in a desolate lake, in another kingdom. Who is stupid enough to do that? I guess you and your brother. Harold had explosive magic, and he thought the fae was working for him. Poor thing, he thought it was his idea. They both thought. The fae was going to create the illusions, and you two were going to be killed—tragically, I must add.”
The fae… illusions…River? But he had said he didn’t know anything about the watersnake. “Why didn’t we die?”
“The Frostlake princess was there. How or why, I do not know. The plan was abandoned. Some explosives still went off, and the fae did his part.”
“He brought a watersnake to the lake?”
“The fae is not a wildbringer, harlot princess. He does not command animals. But he can create impressive illusions.”
True. Had River lied to her? “Was it you who convinced the fae to work for Ironhold?”
“It was the great one. Found him between life and death, a stroke of luck, the perfect vessel. It was easy to bring him to the Iron Citadel, both my stupid husband and the silly fae thinking they were tricking each other. The fae was beingprepared. His body now houses someone much more deserving.”
