AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Queen Iris drummed her nails on the arm of her throne. "Katrina, you know we adore you. But we must handle this carefully. Of course there is something afoot. You've known that from the start. I know you have. We wouldn't put someone in a steward position if we doubted her intelligence." She arched a red brow at me as she said that, and I rolled my eyes at her wry look.
"We knew there would be issues with the expansion of Larkwood," she continued. "And this lets us weed out some of those issues. It will make your life easier in the end, never fear. But we also suspect that this interference has to do with more than just some silly internal issue within the borders of Elfhaven." She shrugged one elegant shoulder.
King Bane spoke up, his expression bittersweet. "You were so young when your stepmother came to us and registered her request to make you her heir. You were like a daughter to us by then. We promised Lady Rose that we would do our best to protect you from certain things, were you ever to take her place, though we never anticipated that time would come so soon." He gave me a steely look. "And so, we've endeavored to keep you out of things that aren't directly related to the running of Larkwood territory." Then the awful, terrifying, softie sighed and glanced at his mate before adding, "I fear we've treated you like a child, rather than the capable adult you have become. It is easy to do, when one reaches a certain number of years. Everyone is a child to us, it seems."
Queen Iris nodded reluctantly. "We've always intended to explain our suspicions about this nonsense with the tournament. But we've been watching, waiting, gathering information. And in the meantime, we all get to enjoy the game." Her perfect red lips curved up into a grin that was no less dangerous than the smile the king gave me a moment before.
I huffed. "I hate games like this," I informed her. "And you well know it." I ran my hand through my hair and shook my head. "I understand your motives, but King Bane is right, you can't keep treating me like a child or someone in need of coddling. My twenty-three years might seem insignificant to the eons that you've been alive," I said, purposefully overexaggerating their age. "But whatever game is afoot with this tournament, I need to know. My duty is to protect my people and do what is best for the territory you have entrusted to me. And those men out there?" I said, pointing vehemently toward the direction of the competitor's encampment at the far side of the city, "All of them. Every single competitor. They are part of that. They are competing to become part of the territory that I oversee. Anything that affects them is my business. My responsibility."
Queen Iris gave me a fond, patient look. As if she was proud of me, but at the same time had been waiting for me to catch up. "Are you so sure you wish to take responsibility for them all?" She asked with an arched brow. "You've always said how content you were with how things are in Larkwood. With your peace and quiet, and your relative anonymity. If this plot reaches as far as we suspect, it will mean attending to matters outside your comfortable haven."
Her words made me angry. But I saw that anger for what it was—pure defensiveness. She was right. I was content with the way things had been all my life. With the quiet routine I had established in the five years since I became steward of Larkwood. And while I was proud of that part of me, while I had seen that as humility and common sense on my part, what she was implying was right. It was…selfish. I couldn't be steward of one of Elfhaven's territories and expect to never interact with the rest of Elfhaven at all. I couldn't be a royally appointed employee and wash my hands of everything to do with the court and its politics. It simply didn't work that way.
"I'm sorry," I said, knowing the words were inadequate, but unable to find anything else to say. "I will do better from now on," I said firmly, lifting my chin. "Please tell me what is going on. Why would someone go to such lengths to interfere in this tournament? Especially when they have no way of knowing who the Prize even is?"
King Wolfsbane nodded once in agreement. "We are still gathering information from everyone involved. And as we speak, our investigators are tracking the people who attacked you in the woods. Once we hear from them, we will tell you all that we know, lady steward."
I bowed my head. "Thank you."
"Speaking of details," Queen Iris said, redirecting the entire conversation with a sly look. "I feel that you've left some important details out of your own report about what happened on the night of the wild moon, Kat darling."
I straightened my spine and crossed my legs, making a show of resettling my skirts just so. "I have no idea what you could mean, your majesty," I said primly.
She chuckled. "Mmm. And I'm sure there is nothing you would know of that might cause the leader of Raven team to withdraw his team from the tournament?"
I whipped my head up to look at her, my eyes meeting her sharp, teasing gaze. "They withdrew?"
My heart froze in my chest. If Raven team had withdrawn, then it was likely that I would be required to bond with another team. Probably Bear or Lion. There was no way the queen would allow me to call the whole thing off. Not now. Not with the entire kingdom waiting with bated breath for the results.
Queen Iris just shrugged one elegant shoulder and gave me a bored expression. "They tried. I declined their request, of course."
I couldn't stop the sigh of relief that rounded my shoulders.
"You have favorites," the queen observed. "Tsk-tsk, Katrina. You'll ruin the game."
I shook my head, then met the queen's unswerving gaze. "I've tried to remain unbiased. But I admit, I had planned to ask you to help me ensure that Raven team wins this tournament."
The king scoffed. "You'd ask us to play favorites as well? To intervene in a fair competition?"
A fair competition? With all this sabotage and interference? But still, I knew what he meant. I sighed. "Of course not. You're right. That would be unfair to you. I'm sure someone would figure out there was favoritism, and that would cause all sorts of irritating complaints." And it would invalidate the entire purpose of the tournament. It was meant to be unbiased so no one could claim favoritism, so no political scheming could interfere with the stewardship of Larkwood.
The king smirked at me. I had a feeling he was teasing me, that he could see the irony in the situation, given all that had occurred. But I was too afraid to push my luck by calling him on it.
Queen Iris straightened and gave me a haughty look, all business once more. "I will tell you what I told the leader of Raven team when he voiced his request. We need them in this tournament. There is more at play here than simply choosing a set of mates for some spoiled noble." She shrugged. "I also highly suspect there will be violence at the ball, when the winners are announced and this whole thing comes to a head. Whoever is interfering with this tournament has bigger reasons, and they may become dangerous when cornered. We need Raven team to act as though all is normal, to avoid changes, so our little villains don't suspect anything. And we need them to stand among the others and be prepared to defend them if a fight breaks out."
I frowned at her. That was a weak excuse. No one would question a team resigning after what they had all just been through. And the royal guards were more than capable of suppressing any violence that may occur. She was aware of my favoritism. She had probably suspected it for some time now, ever since the fire at the orphanage. She had refused Bach's request to withdraw because she wanted them to stay in the running simply because she knew it would make me happy.
Either that, or she also had a favorite team. Which she would never admit.
She sniffed disdainfully. "Besides," she said, examining the long, sharp nails of one elegant hand. "It would make me look bad if competitors left my game before it was over. Disgraceful."
Now that might be closer to the truth, knowing her. I shook my head and stood. "Thank you, your majesties." I bowed to both royals, then turned to leave.
Ama was waiting for me in the hallway. She grabbed me the moment I left the room, linking her arm through mine, and accompanying me toward my suite. "Well? Tell me all about it," Ama demanded as we ascended the sweeping staircase to the level containing the guest quarters.
At first, I thought she meant the interference with the tournament. The attacks. Whatever scheme the royals thought was playing out. But of course not. This was Ama. She knew I needed a distraction from all of that.
"Did you fuck all of them?" she demanded. "Or just the big one? They're all so pretty. For your sake, I hope they win." She shook her head. "Although, last I knew, they weren't in the lead. But the other men in the tournament seem equally virile. Maybe you should sample the rest of them before the ball, just to compare. For the sake of fairness, you know."
