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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
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I looked at him, trying to understand this level of animosity, and failing. "I bargained with Queen Niceven before the damage was too great."
"What did you have to offer Niceven?"
The tiny queen rose above the crowd where her miniature throne sat on a shelf, like a doll house, with her court surrounding her. "Blood, Prince Cel. Not the blood of a lowly lord, but the blood of a princess."
"We all carry the coin of the Unseelie Court in our veins, Cousin," I said.
Siobhan stepped in to try and save him, guarded him with her words as she would guard him with her sword. "What if it is the goblin that makes her with child?" Siobhan asked that.
The queen turned to her. "Then it is the goblin that will be king."
There was a shocked ripple through the court. Murmurs, curses, exclamations of horror. "We will never serve a goblin king," Conri said. Others echoed him.
"To refuse the chosen of the queen is treason," Andais said. "Deliver yourself to the Hallway of Mortality, Conri. I think you are overdue for a lesson in what disobedience will gain you."
He stood there staring at her, then his eyes flicked to Cel, and that was a mistake.
Andais stomped her foot. "I am queen here! Do not look to my son. Go to Ezekial's tender care, Conri. Go now or face worse."
Conri gave a low bow and kept the bow all the way out of the room, through the still-open doors. It was the only thing he could do. To have argued further could have earned him a beheading.
Sholto's voice came loud in the tense silence. "Ask Conri who ordered him to place the lust spell in the Black Coach."
Andais turned to Sholto like a storm about to break on the shore. Sitting next to her I could feel her magic gathering, prickling along my skin. It raised goose bumps on Galen's bare back.
"I will punish Conri, do not fear," she said.
"But not Conri's master," Sholto said.
The court held its collective breath, because Sholto was finally saying what everyone knew to be true. For years Cel had ordered things done; his toadies had suffered when caught, but never him.
"That is my business," Andais said, but there was the faintest hint of panic in her voice.
"Who was it told me that Your Majesty wished the sluagh to travel to the western lands and kill Princess Meredith?" Sholto asked.
"Don't," the queen said, but her voice was soft, like a dreamer trying to convince herself that a nightmare is not real.
"Don't what, Your Majesty?" Sholto asked.
Doyle spoke next.
I looked at him, trying to understand this level of animosity, and failing. "I bargained with Queen Niceven before the damage was too great."
"What did you have to offer Niceven?"
The tiny queen rose above the crowd where her miniature throne sat on a shelf, like a doll house, with her court surrounding her. "Blood, Prince Cel. Not the blood of a lowly lord, but the blood of a princess."
"We all carry the coin of the Unseelie Court in our veins, Cousin," I said.
Siobhan stepped in to try and save him, guarded him with her words as she would guard him with her sword. "What if it is the goblin that makes her with child?" Siobhan asked that.
The queen turned to her. "Then it is the goblin that will be king."
There was a shocked ripple through the court. Murmurs, curses, exclamations of horror. "We will never serve a goblin king," Conri said. Others echoed him.
"To refuse the chosen of the queen is treason," Andais said. "Deliver yourself to the Hallway of Mortality, Conri. I think you are overdue for a lesson in what disobedience will gain you."
He stood there staring at her, then his eyes flicked to Cel, and that was a mistake.
Andais stomped her foot. "I am queen here! Do not look to my son. Go to Ezekial's tender care, Conri. Go now or face worse."
Conri gave a low bow and kept the bow all the way out of the room, through the still-open doors. It was the only thing he could do. To have argued further could have earned him a beheading.
Sholto's voice came loud in the tense silence. "Ask Conri who ordered him to place the lust spell in the Black Coach."
Andais turned to Sholto like a storm about to break on the shore. Sitting next to her I could feel her magic gathering, prickling along my skin. It raised goose bumps on Galen's bare back.
"I will punish Conri, do not fear," she said.
"But not Conri's master," Sholto said.
The court held its collective breath, because Sholto was finally saying what everyone knew to be true. For years Cel had ordered things done; his toadies had suffered when caught, but never him.
"That is my business," Andais said, but there was the faintest hint of panic in her voice.
"Who was it told me that Your Majesty wished the sluagh to travel to the western lands and kill Princess Meredith?" Sholto asked.
"Don't," the queen said, but her voice was soft, like a dreamer trying to convince herself that a nightmare is not real.
"Don't what, Your Majesty?" Sholto asked.
Doyle spoke next.