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“There you are,” the queen whispered.
Lady Queill stood beside her traveling throne. Another woman stood on the queen’s left, her mind magic tendrils attempting to reach into me but jolting away as I pushed her off with ease. Feremir wasn’t here this time, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
“Here I am,” I said. “You’ll let them leave?”
“Of course,” the queen replied, gesturing at the woman I did not recognize.
The woman nodded and left the tent.
“I’ve been searching for you,” the queen said, her voice almost shaking as she met my gaze. “For decades.”
“I wasn’t born then,” I replied.
“I knew you would,” the queen replied.
So this was it. Even though I didn’t want Cari to say it, the queen had just confirmed my biggest fear.
“Because of the prophecy,” I said.
“You knew?” she asked.
I guess I had.
I nodded.
Outside, I felt the presence of the monster folk disappearing. For a moment, I thought the worst had happened and they were all dead, but then the peace of sleep started emanating from them all. The woman who had gone outside to do the queen’s bidding returned to the tent.
“They’re all asleep,” she said.
“Good,” the queen returned to me. “What were we talking about?”
“The prophecy,” I replied.
“Feremir told you about it?” she asked.
“No,” I replied. “He knew?”
“He had the vision a while back,” she said. “Turns out, he was the one who would see it through to the end.”
“You didn’t do anything to him, did you?” I asked her.
“I won’t now,” she replied. “Your brother betrayed me. But now that I have you, it does not matter. I wouldn’t have enjoyed punishing him anyway.”
I did not know what that meant. But it didn’t really matter. Feremir would be safe.
“So it’s done?” I asked. “You believe I’m the one foretold. Now that you have me, there is no reason for all this war and bloodshed. The realms can live in peace.”
Lady Queill’s expression twisted with disgust, but the queen nodded.
“Yes,” she said. “There is no need for any of it. Once you’re gone, everything will be fine.”
“How can I trust you will follow through?” I asked.
I thought she would laugh at me. After all, she already had me within her grasp. It did not matter if I believed her or not.
“See for yourself,” she said.
I felt her opening herself up to me. Curiosity made me look.
