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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
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“If I could bring hundreds of children to the Unseelie Court, I would not need to rule it.”
“Cel will kill you.”
“I know that.”
“Do you want to rule?” She said it as if it had never occurred to her to ask.
“I have no choice but to rule or die.”
She grabbed me by the shoulders, and Galen tried to hold me from her, a mistake that cost me bruises as she jerked me away from him. “Do you want to rule?”
“If it is a choice between giving the court to Cel or me, I choose me.”
“What if there were a third choice?” she asked.
“I know of no other choice,” I said.
“Don’t you, Meredith? Don’t you know exactly who would rule here if he could?”
I must have looked as puzzled as I felt because she yelled at me, “Barinthus would rule here if I allowed it. He was always after Essus to kill me and take the throne, because that was as close to the throne as his vows could get him.” She pointed to Barinthus, standing near the side of the steps.
“I told you that he and I have done nothing that could make him king to my queen. I will take whatever oath you wish. Who has whispered these lies to you?”
“Are they lies, Meredith, all of them?”
“I don’t know what you have been told, but Barinthus making himself my king is a lie.”
“Then tell me what else is a lie, Meredith. The ring has chosen a couple, but I had to hear it from others, not from your mouth. You have imprisoned my son’s guards without consulting me. You have a suspect in the murders, but you have not told me who. You have fucked my new captain of the guard and divided his loyalties from me. Darkness and others ran into the night, and I don’t know why.” She stalked back to me, grabbed my arm, and screamed in my face, “I am queen here! Not you!”
I spoke quietly, too scared to be angry, too scared to worry about the bruising grip on my arm. “I came to tell you of all this and more, my queen, but you have given me no chance. You would not meet with me in private.”
“And what is it that you are ashamed of, that you need whisper in private?”
“I am ashamed of nothing, but there are traitors among us that do not need to know all our secrets.”
She jerked me up on tiptoe. “We have punished the traitors.”
“May I show you more traitors, my queen? The ones who attacked my men and me.”
“You said it was not another assassination attempt.” She pulled me in against her body.
“I said not on me. They tried to kill Galen.” I was close enough to watch her eyes, and see the flicker.
“If I could bring hundreds of children to the Unseelie Court, I would not need to rule it.”
“Cel will kill you.”
“I know that.”
“Do you want to rule?” She said it as if it had never occurred to her to ask.
“I have no choice but to rule or die.”
She grabbed me by the shoulders, and Galen tried to hold me from her, a mistake that cost me bruises as she jerked me away from him. “Do you want to rule?”
“If it is a choice between giving the court to Cel or me, I choose me.”
“What if there were a third choice?” she asked.
“I know of no other choice,” I said.
“Don’t you, Meredith? Don’t you know exactly who would rule here if he could?”
I must have looked as puzzled as I felt because she yelled at me, “Barinthus would rule here if I allowed it. He was always after Essus to kill me and take the throne, because that was as close to the throne as his vows could get him.” She pointed to Barinthus, standing near the side of the steps.
“I told you that he and I have done nothing that could make him king to my queen. I will take whatever oath you wish. Who has whispered these lies to you?”
“Are they lies, Meredith, all of them?”
“I don’t know what you have been told, but Barinthus making himself my king is a lie.”
“Then tell me what else is a lie, Meredith. The ring has chosen a couple, but I had to hear it from others, not from your mouth. You have imprisoned my son’s guards without consulting me. You have a suspect in the murders, but you have not told me who. You have fucked my new captain of the guard and divided his loyalties from me. Darkness and others ran into the night, and I don’t know why.” She stalked back to me, grabbed my arm, and screamed in my face, “I am queen here! Not you!”
I spoke quietly, too scared to be angry, too scared to worry about the bruising grip on my arm. “I came to tell you of all this and more, my queen, but you have given me no chance. You would not meet with me in private.”
“And what is it that you are ashamed of, that you need whisper in private?”
“I am ashamed of nothing, but there are traitors among us that do not need to know all our secrets.”
She jerked me up on tiptoe. “We have punished the traitors.”
“May I show you more traitors, my queen? The ones who attacked my men and me.”
“You said it was not another assassination attempt.” She pulled me in against her body.
“I said not on me. They tried to kill Galen.” I was close enough to watch her eyes, and see the flicker.