Page 122 of Of Brides Of Queens

There was a flicker before his face firmed, but the flicker informed me that he had worked hard to deny any ruin in this. “Saving is in the summation, Perantiqua. Killing her did not save, but killing her to join with you will. Finally the scales will tip in my favor.”

I tilted my head. “But you seem very sure of your success. If I say no, then you are left weaker than other kings with the power of a princess to boost you. The scales would tip against you.”

I could no longer hear the Changes’ footsteps. They were at least five blocks away. My, but I was grateful for the hellebore behind my ear, or I would have rushed after them already.

“Do you think I would let that happen?” he said, and his tone was dark. I had rarely heard him use it.

“I do not.”

“Good, and I do not feel weaker for her passing. There has never been a king with a dead princess, so perhaps we were mistaken on that front.”

I corrected him, “Murdered princess. There has never been a king who murdered his princess.”

His crimson forehead wrinkled with a frown. “I had hoped you might rejoice at her death. She has stood between us.”

“I could not rejoice over the murder or death of any monster. Raise was correct in her assessment. What you have done is a vile act.”

His black, long coat parted as he clasped his hands. King Bring walked closer. “Other monsters believe that you committed this act. You grow outnumbered, young queen. Take and Change have joined against you, and Raise will soon return to the alliance with them.”

“You do not believe in ruin, King Bring, but you hint at allying with other kings to ruin me.”

“I think of the summation, you recall.”

That was a quaint way of alluding to his denial.“You have framed me for the murder of your princess. You threaten to join with other kings against me. To what end? What is your proposition?”

“My proposition is a proposal on union,” replied the king. “Agree to be my princess and save alongside me. Agree this night, and things will go easy. Disagree this night, and I will gather a tribunal of kings against you to decide the matter. In the meantime, I will batter my fifth against you night and day.”

Sixth.

This conversation was taking too long. I had to follow the Changes. “So I agree tonight, tomorrow, or after a tribunal. But if I do not agree to princessdom now, then you will attack my queendom.”

He faced me. “Attack is a strong word, Perantiqua. I would have your answer.”

“Yes,” I said, glancing out of the West window. How far away were they now? “I?—”

The glass panel beneath his feet opened very suddenly, and with a shout of surprise, King Bring disappeared from sight.

I covered my mouth. “Mother.”

My queendom shook, and I had to join them—my mother and Cassandra—in shocked laughter. I had rather felt like doing that too.

In all seriousness, I had a bouquet to retrieve. I ripped the hellebore from behind my ear and tossed it to thyme.

“Thank you,” I whispered, then erupted into a blurring blink as madness claimed me.

How freeing to travel this way, with speed and to my full ability.

Picket’s wave was barely noticed with my monstrous leap off the balustrade and over my wall of bars. I bounded and blinked and blurred out of my queendom, heading west. I could not sense them at all, and perhaps I should slow to better ensure my safety against King Change.

Yet I could not do that because the greater danger was that the princess would reach the beastly kingdom first.

Such savagery filled me. Such thirst.Such obsession.

I had three bridal gifts, and the fourth was closer with each blinking blur. I would rip it from her. I would clutch the bouquet to my chest.

I would cherish the flowers always, along with the power they granted me. I would water them with my tears, if need be.

My monstrous hearing was very excellent, and I had become attuned to the voice of Princess Raise. She was ahead and speaking to another.

---