Page 67 of The Nightmare Queen

Her puffy, purple eyes are exhausted. “I think that’s enough show and tell,princeling.”

Eveera

Rorin stays behind in the bathroom. I wasn’t afraid of him seeing my scars, but I didn’t feel like answering any questions either. He can figure it out himself.

When I walked into the sitting room I was surprised to find that Axel was draped across a lounge chair with a drink in hand. He looks up and eyes me up and down. “You look terrible, E.” Usually that sentence would have some levity to it, but today his voice has none.

He gingerly offers me his drink that I gulp down in one go, wanting to avoid the taste. “You’re so sweet.” I quip. “You should go—” I wave my hand around, “—go change or see if Armond needs you. He probably does.”

His deep brown eyes flit towards the bedroom door. “What, you’re not worn out yet?” He says that one as a joke but unfortunately the mood hanging over it causes it to fall flat. “Evie…what are you playing at here? You spend a few days with the guy—”

I groan, interrupting him. “I already got this speech from Ezra. I don’t need it from youtoo.”

His arms cross over his broad chest as he looks over at me. “So just like that you’re all done fucking Ezra and now you're crawling into bed with the heir of Vellar?” I open my mouth to correct him. “If you’re going to say that you’re not actually sleeping with him then fine. That’s not the point. The point is you’recomfortableeven pretending that you are.”I am not comfortable with it.I want to argue but his face has a look on it that prevents me from doing so. “I mean, Evie…you’re putting everyone in a tough spot here. You’re puttingmein a tough spot here.” His stands up, his hands brushing up and down my biceps. He pulls me into a familiar hug placing my head right under his chin. “I love you. But I don’t get it. You hate everything he is. Or you’re supposed to at least.”

I let out a long breath trying to process those words. “Yes.” These are the moments when I hatehimmost. I hate how well he knows me, how well he reads me. He switches out his chin for resting his cheek on the top of my hair.

“You don’t have to. Get it, I mean. You just have to trust me. If you can’t do that then…” His body tenses against mine and he pushes me out away from him making me a witness to the hurt on his face.

“Don’t threaten me, E. We’ve moved beyond that. You don’t think that we know how powerful you are? That you don’t really need us? You spent nearly the first half of your life training to be THE weapon,of coursewe know. But you’re not just our queen, you’re our family, dammit. We aren’t about to leave you here. I don’t care what fucking deals you make withhim.” His finger jabs towards the doors behind me. “We made our oaths to you and we will uphold them.” He’s practically shaking with frustration.

“I thought you made them to the crown?” It’s mean and I know I shouldn’t have said it. Not to him at least, but I couldn’t help it.

Hurt turns to anger as his grip loosens on my arms. “Not me. I made them toyou.” I give him a nod and he’s gone from the room without another word and I’m left with all of what he said hanging above me.

I knew I couldn’t avoid these dinners for very long. However, the longer I sit here the better the idea of stabbing myself between the eyes with the fork in my hand sounds as each of the different lords drone on. I thought I’d already made a shocking impression on the court’s nobility until the other night when I walked in wearing the hand print necklace their prince left on me. I must be losing my luster though because tonight I barely got any reaction at all.

Millicent has a place at the end of the table sitting next to a few of the other ladies, she gives me a once over and when our eyes lock she shares an expression I’ve become familiar with, one my men wear often. There is concern and a look of protectiveness in her eyes - I can only assume it’s not for me but rather because of my proximity to the prince.

“Can you please make her stop?” Lord Birk’s obnoxious voice pierces my ears, drawing my attention to him, his knobby hand is pointing at my fork and plate. “The noise is positively grating, your Excellency.” The endearment draws a laugh from Orem who's standing behind me.

“Something funny, boy?” He sneers.

“A-hem, excuse my soldier. I am sure his slip of laughter simply came from your use of the word ‘excellency’ when referring to your king.”

The lord cocks his head, his beady little eyes narrowing at me – scrutinizing, “you and your men find it humorous that I believe my sovereign to be of excellence?”

I drag my fork against the plate again staring at him for added discomfort. “Merely a difference of opinion is all.” My response has him slamming his hand down on the table and jabbing that knobby finger at me a second time. Before I can react, Rorin pushes me back.

“Lift that finger at her a third time and I’ll slice it clean off. Give her the respect she is owed, Lord.” Birk’s face turns into a rather unattractive shade of red. I can feel Rorin’s magic pulsing under his skin begging to be let out until I place my hand on his forearm, nudging him back into me. I expect him to tense up when I do it, but he plays his part well moving his arm protectively across the front of my waist and hooking my body into his.

A throat clears from the other end of the table where we see Mareese’s face scrunched in annoyance. “If you wouldn’t mind, could we save the rather grotesque threats for somewhere a little less civilized than my table?”

Lord Birk’s face flushes a bright, a litany of kiss-ups leaving his mouth and heading straight for the asses on both the king and queen. Rorin and I sit back in our seats, his arm sliding from my waist but keeping a protective hand draped across my lap.

I wasn’t surprised when at the end of the dinner - we were asked to stay afterward. The palace guards usher us into the council room and while everyone takes their seats, Rorin and I stay standing. His hand resting gingerly next to my side. “Have a seat son, no one’s going to hurt the girl.”

Rorin bares his teeth. “Queen.”

The king waves his hand. “Yes, of course.Queen.”The way he says it makes my stomach turn. As if my title is a stain on the realm. “There is a plethora of details to discuss until the Valen Celebration in eight days.” He looks openly between the two of us, “the most important of whichseems to be your infatuation with the young,queen.” His lip curling up again when he says it.

“I’d rather talk about the war we’re currently fighting.”

“Hm.” The king taps his finger against his chin in contemplation. “You received the directives updating you on the status of Piram and Bair, I presume.”

I nudge him through the seal. “Don’t let him bait you.”

He ignores me. “I did. And you have nothing to say about what was in them?”

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