Page 20 of Of Brides Of Queens

“A queen will not be claimed,” he repeated in a mild voice. “Is this why you sent such a message via my princes before the tribunal?”

I winced. “I did not guess that was the intention while in my attack of petulance, but yes, hindsight whispers that a refusal to be claimed was the cause of my verbal slap.”

He recited, “You might tell him that if twelve hundred years of seeing the past, present, and future have not informed his purpose, then a queen of a mere week shall not either.”

My words were petulant indeed, but I was not in the habit of tossing See’s vice in his face, and he usually did not toss it inmine. “Did the words injure you, sir? I am sorry for it. Queenship comes with some adjustment.”

“They injured me. They made the first scratch, so to speak.”

He did speak in riddles sometimes. “If they made the first scratch, what made the second?”

King See walked to the window that granted a view of his gothic palace in the distance. “That is where the parts of me grew twisted and began to spin, so the answer you seek is not one I know.”

I was a queen and unwise in immortality, nor so powerful as this king. “I do not follow, sir, but I believe you allude to the difference in the feeling between us.”

There was another change in the air, and I could not fathom why rain did not fall, so heavy was the sky and our surroundings.

King See did not face me, gripping the copper window framing instead. “There is no precedent for how a king will be with a queen. There is no surety of how she moves in purpose—a purpose that apparently had naught to do with kings, or so she declares after my touch inspires rage in her and no urge to accept me before kings. And this after delivering a verbal slap the night before. The matter was simple. I had known that you must be the missing part. You would tip the balance to ruin or saving. I had waited for the missing part, unsure which form it might take, and I had suspended the direction of my purpose while waiting. And then you were a queen, and the way forward was still very clear. I had only to align with you in purpose. Your message obliterated those thoughts and sureties that I had held for centuries, maiden. A first scratch indeed. Or an obliteration more certainly. I always knew the direction ofme,if not my purpose, and now I know only ambition and nothing more.”

I had been very careless with my words. “I am filled with sorrow for the confusion I unlocked. You are you, King See. You might be as sure of yourself as two nights ago. But I would neverhave you decide on purpose pending a declaration of mine. That is what I refused to give you to become your princess. That is not what I want from you as my… as my… as mine.”

His answering laughter was harsh, and quiet fell as the laughter rung away. The nature of the quiet was hopeless and lost, and I could feel only one way out. “Tell me, what is your ambition?”

He turned then. “I shall speak it in the hopes that you might find understanding in who I feel in danger of becoming.”

“You will figure this out,” I answered. “You are used to seeing almost everything and feeling very little confusion and uncertainty, but this spin will not extend indefinitely. All spins must end.”

King See did not answer, and I got a sinking sense that he wished to warn me again. But what of? This king had only ever helped me in monsterdom.

“Listen to my ambition,” he hissed. “It is this. That you will never look at another king as you look at me. That other kings will believe absolutely in your preference for me. I will have you in complete utterness, and I will stop at naught to ensure it. This is my ambition and all I can feel in this spin where I have lost my way.”

I swallowed, more at his tone than his words. “I do not look at other kings as you. They know I prefer you.”

“And yet you did not accept my claim before kings. You were driven to rage instead that informed you that a queen will not be claimed.” A menace layered his voice. “They will not have any part of what we will share, Perantiqua.”

Purrantiquaaah.

A gasp fell from my lips, unbidden.

“They will not draw a gasp from your lips as I,” he said darkly. Another step.

I took another step myself. This was not a version of King See that I had met. We, all of us, were creatures of vice that was not always suppressed, but here was See dressing himself in it to stalk around. “Sir, you are maddened.”

“I am what you say.”

“This discussion will not lead us to a long and meaningful relationship until you know more of your madness.”

He tilted his head. “You said that I might fury how I liked. And what did I reply, maiden?”

I exhaled, my body coiled against his menace. “I shall do so because I cannot do otherwise.”

And in that, I could understand him because I was a servant of my own fury more often than not. And yet I was a queen, and I saw that battles I had submitted to in the past could no longer be submitted to. “Sir, know that I prefer you above all kings. Also know that I am a queen, and that I choose whom I prefer. If I decide to gasp for another king, then I will.”

“I would prefer you to never do so,” See said mildly.

His words were calm and relieved me. “I do not prefer to do so, either, as I have said. There is no need to be in a fury or to relent to madness.”

“You mistake me, maiden. I would prefer you not to, but I will not leave that to chance. I have warned you of my ambition.”

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