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I picked up the king’s glass, praying I stayed steady. It was my first interaction with him. I dared to sneak a peek at him as I set down the cup, and he bowed his head and flashed me the kindest smile I’d been on the receiving end of here so far.
I couldn’t help but smile back as I stepped backward and away from the table, since the others had refilled all the other glasses. Including the queen’s, thankfully.
“So we’re in the dark on both the spells and the spies,” the queen said as her nostrils flared.
Noah nodded, confirming what everyone around the table already knew. “We’ll continue to work, but for now there are no leads and no information. Captain Coltrain’s return will help aid in the investigation now, and the council will hear as soon as we have anything that might be useful.”
“Very good.” This time it was the king who responded, looking at his son and giving his wife a sideways glance. She seemed to take the hint from the king and moved on.
“The council should also know,” the queen added, “the Seelie have brought troops into two border towns north of the castle near the mountain passes. We have dispatched troops to those communities to offer protection and meet them.”
She leaned forward onto the table and bowed her head. “But as all of you are aware, war has officially been declared and we must prepare for the inevitable.”
The murmurs among the council members and hollow stares told me they understood what that meant all too well. A grave silence settled momentarily in the room as the weight of the queen’s words, and what the Unseelie lands had in their future, hung over everyone’s heads.
“Young prince,” a gentleman rose from the far side of the table. “How ready are our guards?”
Noah was still at first, but then rose as well. “Training has not ceased for anyone, and they have all been kept up to physical standards. Our mental shields leave much to be desired, if I’m speaking frankly.” Noah pushed away from his chair and moved to stand behind both his parents. “We begin immediately adding in some blocking to our physical training. We have taken for granted the lack of magical abilities since the last war and we will not be caught off guard again. If the Seelies’ abilities can be honed in that area, so can ours.” Noah nodded to the king and queen and then looked back at the council.
“Wise,” a woman offered, bowing her head in acknowledgement of the plan.
“Is there anything else at this time?” the queen asked after a pause.
Another council member rose as she brushed her long blonde hair over her shoulder. She seemed younger than the rest of those gathered at the table, but her gaze held a fierceness some of the others lacked. “I will offer myself to aid in preparing the nobles if we’re ready. I advise, humbly, that the time for secrecy has passed. People need to prepare themselves.”
“Your sage wisdom is always appreciated, Miranda. And you are right. We will begin making the court aware that Seelie has made a move in war. I’d like to refrain from large public announcements until we have a better understanding of what their goals are. If it’s to scare us, I don’t want to formalize a response of war.”
“Your Majesty.” Miranda bowed.
“Thank you all, you are dismissed,” the king said, stepping away from the table and touching his hand to his chest toward the members of his council.
I admired the respect that went both ways in the room. I hadn’t seen any chiding or snide plotting yet as I would have thought would be present at meetings like this. Though with war brewing, perhaps tempers and political power plays were resting for the time being.
The council members left the chamber in small groups, a few people stopping by the king and queen before leaving altogether. The staff cleaned up glassware and minded the fire that had been burning in the far corner of the grand room.
There weren’t nearly as many staff at this meeting. So there wasn’t much to keep me from overhearing the resumed difficult arguing that picked back up between Noah and his mother.
“Please do tell me how you found this girl to be trustworthy for the first meeting. Especially given what we discovered about her placement here.” The queen had already risen and walked toward the double doors leading out of the grand room we’d been in.
I turned my head back and forth, looking to see how far back I could walk to keep a far enough pace behind them to make this conversation less awkward.
“Well, it’s no thanks to you that her allegiance was so horrifically tested,” Noah chided the queen.
My stomach churned. I didn’t want trouble. I didn’t want anything except to go back to my room quietly, and without catching the queen’s gaze again.
I turned back and forth once more, desperate for some sort of relief.
The king was only a few paces behind me, smiling and watching me as I moved in my uncomfortable dance. I stopped the minute my gaze met his, but instead of staring at me like I was crazy, he waved his hand, beckoning me toward him.
I swallowed. Hard.
“As someone who is talked about constantly like I’m not three feet away, please join me. If anyone understands this moment it’s me,” he said as I slowed and waited for him to catch up to me.
I shut my eyes and couldn’t help a smile that spread across my face. His voice was so kind, gentle, yet being the king of the Unseelie had to mean he had a fierce warrior side. The fact that he could push that down and be so compassionate toward a stranger like me again made me think of how much I wanted to help the Unseelie.
He held out his arm, and I continued forward walking in step with him, while Noah and the queen went at it down the hallway.
“I’m sorry for all of this,” I said.
