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Lord Merick looked up to watch as his son entered the room, moved past me, and reached the three of them standing on the other side, away from the soldiers that stood with us. I could not see his face, but judging by the look on Lord Merick’s, I guessed Lord Lugh had some issue with how his father was handling his new position.
“Let her hear of it,” Lord Merick dismissed his son’s sarcastic words with a wave of his hand. “I am not afraid of the Seelie Queen, and I am not planning on letting her rule over us with the threat of monsters. I did not take the crown to cow before a woman! Duncan has done enough of that. It corrupted our realm.”
He turned to King Duncan.
“Letting Seelie into our lands...” he spat the words. “Keeping us from killing the monsters on the spot... Hiding your heirs from your own lords... You’ve failed miserably. I almost wish I had a better opponent.”
“You will see that ruling the realm is not as easy as it seems,” King Duncan replied. He didn’t sound angry, just filled with a cold and righteous assuredness. “You cannot kill everyone who opposes you.”
“Oh, but I can,” the man replied as his lips widened with a mean grin. “I will kill every last Seelie living like vermin on our lands. I’ll kill all the monsters.”
“Please reconsider my advice about imprisoning the dissident Unseelie lords as well, my king,” Lady Queill tried her luck again. “We have to take their threat seriously if you—“
“Stop it, woman!” Lord Merick snapped at her. “I—“
“You should listen to Lady Queill, father,” Lord Lugh said as he calmly walked across the room to the coffee table near the hearth. “She was the one who told us of Lady Orla’s suspicions.” Lugh met my gaze, and a snicker appeared on his lips. “She told us about the Seelie girl, digging into the maid’s death. We wouldn’t even know about it if it weren't for Lady Queill. Our plans might have been ruined by this silly Seelie girl.”
Lugh’s gaze lazily darted my way.
Xira twitched. I knew what she was thinking.
The first time we'd visited Orla with our suspicions about Liltra's murder, Lady Queill had been there. She acted as though she was helping when she got us through the guards, but it would not be difficult for her to stay and listen to our conversation in Orla's room.
We were the reason why this coup had happened today. Our digging had caused Lord Lugh to act quickly; now, King Duncan was dethroned. Lady Queill had been there all along, but she had hidden well.
“I won’t give the reigns of the realm to a woman because she eavesdropped on a conversation,” Lord Merick spat the words.
“It wasn’t just that, and you know it, father,” Lord Lugh continued. There was a mug filled with wine on top of the table. He reached for it and did not say anything else as he poured a glass for himself. “The Seelie girl was too close to the truth. If it were to come out, we would all be doomed.
Lord Lugh filled his cup and started to lift it to his lips.
“My lord,” Lady Queill spoke quickly. “It is customary for kings and queens to keep a poisoned mug of wine in their rooms. It is assumed the late King Brighton managed to save himself from a tricky situation using that method. I cannot reach into the king’s mind to confirm it, but I’m sure—“
“The former king!” Lord Merick spat his words.
“Let’s not dwell on such simple mistakes, father,” Lord Lugh said, placing the cup filled with wine back on the coffee table without taking a sip. “It would be wiser to note that Lady Queill knows many things that could be very useful to us. You should keep her as an advisor.”
“I do not need advice from a woman nor a child,” Lord Merick snapped again.
There was a moment of silence as Lord Lugh and Lady Queill exchanged glances.
“Execute the king,” Lord Merick said next, looking at one of the guards standing with us. “Then take those girls and torture them until you find out where their friends are. Find out where they went and what they are looking to accomplish. I don’t trust that Seelie Queen. Make sure we know the full truth.”
“My king,” Lady Queill took a step forward. I thought she was pushing it, but even as fear of being tortured overwhelmed my mind, I was curious to find out what made Lady Queill speak despite Lord Merick’s evident wish she remain silent. “We should keep the former king to lure his children back into the castle. If they are out of our reach, they might become a nuisance. Lords and ladies of the realm might unite behind...”
Lord Merick’s brows raised.
“Are you telling me what to do, woman?” He asked coldly.
“My king,” Lady Queill cast her gaze down. “I only wish to see your crown secured.”
“So it is not secure?” Lord Merick asked angrily as he paced across the room and came closer to us. “Is that why my soldiers wait for your confirmation before following my orders?”
“My lord?” Lady Queill’s voice was shaking.
“King!” He shouted. “I am your king!”
“You are not the king if you need to shout it out,” King Duncan’s voice fell to the room like a flash of cold lightning.
