Page 77 of A War of Three Kings

He turns away from the king, dismissing him, and continues to speak with Edmund in hushed tones. It tells me everything I need to know about the balance of power here.

Prince Niall rushes over and grips his brother’s arm, trying to lead him away. “How about we get the negotiations started? Come and sit on your throne, brother.”

Finan flicks his arm aggressively, tossing Niall’s hand off him. He deposits himself in the largest seat with a high back, a sullen expression on his face. Again, he leaves Keira with me, a dangerous monster in his eyes.

Everyone else takes their seats, but I opt to stand behind Keira’s chair, my hands twitching with my readiness to draw up my power.

We all wait for the king to start the proceedings, but he sits there, one leg hanging over the arm of his throne, inspecting his cuticles with a brooding expression.

Lord Desmond lets out a long breath. “I shall begin this, then. We have an army marching to meet you any day now, with the combined might of all the lords of Strathia. If they reach Fort Blackrock and you have not surrendered, King Finan’s force will obliterate you. We will remove every single lord and countess from their seat of power in the North and gift your lands to nobility who are loyal to the crown. I promise you, there will be slaughter as we sift through which of your people deserve blame for these events.”

Everyone in the room reacts, muttering beneath their breaths or raising their chins and straightening their backs, but no one interrupts him.

“The Mothers of Magic will beencouragedto select a new High Priestess, and the headquarters will be moved from the Appleshield Protectorate to the Sanctuary of Magic in Sunbright City, where the royal family can have a greaterwatchover them.”

Keira stiffens. I want to rage and scream at the lord, to shake him for the audacity of such threats. I bunch my fists instead, clenching and unclenching them.

“The people of Strathia won’t tolerate you having such a heavy hand within the temple! There would be open rebellion,” the High Priestess snarls, and for once I appreciate the venom of the old spider.

“Oh, won’t they?” Lord Desmond’s deadpan expression doesn’t change. “Then why have they already backed your king? As far as they are concerned, both the priestesses and theprotectorate have failed in their duties by allowing fae to walk these lands. By letting them live.”

He flicks his head in my direction, but I don’t react. I keep my simmering glare upon him. It would be so easy for me to drag the life force out of him with the reverse use of my healing magic.

Both Naomi and Caitlin lean in toward Edmund, and they exchange a few words. The slightest wisp of magic tells me they have erected a sound shield, but most of the humans don’t notice it.

“What are your terms?” Edmund finally says, his fingers tapping with agitation against the arm of his chair.

“It’s not much, really, despite the treason of the North.” Lord Desmond smiles. It’s a horrifying sight, all teeth and the promise of death.

Lord Adalwolf pales and Lord Tomas sways in his seat, looking like he might pass out, but Countess Lynna smiles viciously right back at him.

“The king demands that the North disband their armies,” Lord Desmond continues. “That the seat of the Lord Protector is passed on to a more trustworthy noble…my son, Lord Frederick, in fact. I will oversee these transitions with a token force. The fae trespassers must be executed immediately and the Lady Keira released from their grasp. Then, all will be forgiven.”

Rage boils in my blood. Those demands would devastate Keira’s family. Lord Desmond intends to sow division between Appleshield and their allies. To show the lesser nobles of the North that it isn’t too late for them to back down.

The king leaps out of his throne, crown askew, and stalks the few paces to Lord Desmond. “And Keira returns to the palace with me, to become my wife!” he yells, pointing a finger at the man.

“We have discussed this,” Lord Desmond says in a low, clipped tone. “You cannot force a woman to marry you.”

“Force?” The king tosses his head. “Force her to marry me?” he repeats, tone incredulous. He throws out an arm toward Keira, but doesn’t look at her. “She loves me. She has always wanted to marry me. The fae stole her from my palace.”

Lord Desmond’s stony gaze falls on Keira. “What does the Lady Keira have to say?”

Keira doesn’t stutter or waver in the slightest. “I left the palace on my own accord, without the involvement of any fae. I choose to become a Mother of Magic. I donotconsent to marry the king.”

I could combust with pure rage at these monsters trying to take away her basic human rights. I would start by making the air in Lord Desmond’s lungs expand until they burst. Turn the air in his blood into solid shards and rip his body to shreds from the inside. I would delight in his murder for enabling the mad king and seeking to profit from it.

And Finan himself?

I would enjoy making him scream and regret the day he was born.

Edmund sits forward in his seat, the image of barely contained fury. “These are the facts,my king. Lord Desmond.” Edmund holds up a hand and starts counting off his fingers. “A woman and her father have the right to decline a proposal of marriage without the threat of an army marching upon them. Any priestess can devote herself to the temple without interferenceor anarmy marching on her. And we know that not only are your forces at least a week away, but half of the noble houses of Strathia have not aligned with you. That is a lot of potential enemies at your back, should you antagonize them, and they turn to our side. It would be a shame if your line of retreat to the palace were cut off.”

Lord Desmond has the audacity to laugh. “Do not expect help from the midlanders or Southerners, Edmund.”

“Why not? Are the common people not in full riot over the outrages to the temple?”

“Do not DARE talk around me like I am not your king!” Finan explodes, lips curling and eyes wild, throwing dark looks between Edmund and Desmond. “I should have my guards set on the both of you!”

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