Page 95 of Return of the Vengeful Quee

The crowd of nobles, though still in a state of shock, were well trained in royal etiquette. Most of them grabbed their glasses, raised them, and mumbled, “To King Alaric and his family!” before taking a sip. Charis sipped as well and watched Ferris, whose face was a rather unbecoming shade of pink, take a hurried swallow so that he wouldn’t stand out.

Lord Everly rose from his seat. “I really think—”

Charis raised her glass again, fury a brilliant fire coursing through her. “And to the loyal Calerans who embraced me as their queen and never lost faith that I would free our kingdom from tyranny.”

Queen Bai’elsha stirred in her chair, her goblet untouched—did Rakuuna even drink wine? It didn’t matter. Charis had something entirely different planned for her.

The nobles once again raised their glasses, but the murmur of “To loyal Calerans” was far less enthusiastic than their response to the first toast.

Fine by Charis. Every person who’d given the Everlys any shred of confidence in their coup had Nalani’s blood on their hands. Her words weren’t meant to make them comfortable.

Barely waiting for those around her to finish swallowing, she lifted her goblet again and said in a voice that shook with rage, “And to the Everlys, who took it upon themselves to speak for me to King Alaric and work with Queen Bai’elsha of Te’ash without my knowledge.”

This time, her words caused a ripple of consternation, starting with Lady Everly, who choked on the sip of wine she’d just tried to swallow. People glanced nervously at each other and then hesitantly said, “To the Everlys.”

It wasn’t lost on any of them that Charis had separated the Everlys from her mention of loyal Calerans. Or that she’d said they had spoken for her without her permission. The line was drawn, and those who decided to support the Everlys now did so in obvious defiance of their true queen.

“I am an heir. I spoke for you because you left us.” Ferris held his glass in a crushing grip.

“And finally.” Charis lifted her goblet once more. The pale pink liquid was almost half-gone. “Finally, a toast to the Rakuuna, who could have simply asked us to help them negotiate a shipment of jewels from Montevallo but instead decided to sink our ships, invade our lands, kill our royal family, and hold us captive until tonight. Strange how a queen so desperate for the jewel she needs to make medicine for her people would turn down multiple offers of that help months ago, but who am I to criticize how little another queen values her people?”

The consternation in the room slid toward pandemonium. Nobles took hasty sips from their goblets, though most of them couldn’t force their mouths to form the words that would bring honor to the Rakuuna. Queen Bai’elsha had risen to her feet in a lithe, fluid motion that reminded Charis just how fast the creatures could move.

She was playing a cat and mouse game with death, winner take all.

“That’s enough.” Ferris slapped his half-full goblet onto the table and grabbed her arm.

“I agree.” Charis set her own glass down and turned on him. “You’ve gone far enough. No more charades, Ferris. Show us who you really are.”

Ferris pushed on her arm, trying to get her to sit down, but Charis was fueled by rage and desperation, and she wasn’t going down until she no longer had the strength to stand.

Apparently realizing the futility of his actions, Ferris changed course. Turning to the room, he shook his head and said in a tone bleeding with regret, “I’m afraid Father and I cannot let this wedding go forward without revealing some rather distressing information we’ve come across.”

King Alaric leaned forward, dark eyes boring into Charis. She lifted her chin, and the corner of his mouth curved upward in a knowing smirk she’d seen on his son a hundred times.

He knew she was up to something, and he was watching it play out because the outcome didn’t matter to him as long as a Caleran heir was ready to marry one of his children and assume the throne.

Lord Everly cleared his throat, tugged his dress coat into place, and spoke with the same gravity with which he’d used to open Mother’s royal council meetings. “I regret that we must speak out in such a public setting, but Charis’s actions leave us little choice.”

Charis bared her teeth in a vicious smile. “Let’s discuss your actions, shall we? Let’s tell everyone here the truth.”

Ferris leaned close and whispered, “Stop this, or I will order the Rakuuna to kill your precious Tal.”

Charis met his eyes and said in a voice dripping with contempt, “You don’t give orders, Ferris. Your father does. You have no power here, and we both know it. Now, be quiet; the adults are talking.”

Ferris would break. He had to. Otherwise, the only weapons she had to fight against the Everlys’ accusations were words, and that wouldn’t be enough to overcome the fact that unarmed Calerans had just been killed in her name.

Lord Everly’s voice shook with fervor. “It is my solemn duty to inform both King Alaric and the esteemed nobles of this court that evidence has come to light that Charis Willowthorn allied herself with Lady Channing and the Rakuuna months ago in a treasonous plot to kill her own parents and take over this kingdom by force.”

It was one thing to know what the Everlys would say about her to make their case. It was another to hear herself accused of coldly arranging the deaths of the people she’d loved most in the world. The air in her lungs seemed made of fire, and her throat closed.

Tal fought off Zale’s restraining hands, climbed to his feet, and spoke in a voice that barely contained his fury. “Show your proof.”

“Excuse me?” Lord Everly faltered, staring from Tal to King Alaric, who was watching the confrontation with avid interest.

“Did I whisper?” Tal bit his words into sharp little pieces. “You accused Charis of murdering her parents. Show us your proof.”

Lady Everly reached into her rather substantial handbag and produced a sheaf of papers bearing Lady Channing’s green seal. “All the proof is here in her correspondence with Lady Channing.” She stood, waving the papers toward the crowd so they could see for themselves.

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