Page 107 of Wild Flame

Her eyes widened as they turned to me. “Go?”

I nodded. “Yes, go.” I hadn’t realized Astrid was seeing someone, and it was bad enough what Hilde was saying to thegirl, but I had had enough of her disparaging Zehvi. I stood and faced her. “If you hate it here so much, go back to my mother. And when she leaves, you may return to Halmar with her.”

“I—but . . . I can’t—” For once, the older woman was clearly at a loss for words.

“You have made it abundantly clear that you hate everything about this country and its people, and you disdain its customs. No doubt you should like to return to Halmar. My entire life you have acted as if looking after me was a chore and did it with very little warmth or kindness. Even when I was young, and in desperate need of such. You have acted as my mother’s spy, reporting every little thing back to her and showing absolutely no care or loyalty to me. I’m surprised you would think I should want to keep you on. I have tolerated your behavior thus far only because I had no say in the matter. Now I do. I shall no longer require your services. Astrid will look after me from now on.”

“You mean to just throw me out onto the street?” she demanded. “After all these years? After all I have done for you?”

I clenched my jaw in annoyance. “As I just stated, you will not be out on the street. You will still be employed. Just not by me.”

Her eyes hardened, and her back straightened as she huffed, “Your mother will never allow this.”

“Mymotherno longer has any say in my decisions,” I countered bluntly. “I am Queen of Zehvi and no longer subject to her whims and dictates. I may employ or dismiss whom I will. Now, please leave.”

Astrid’s eyes were round as she watched Hilde toss down the sheet she had been holding and stomp to the door before sweeping from the room without a backward glance. Astrid quickly recovered herself as she strode over and picked up the abandoned sheet and draped it over her arm.

“I will leave you be now, my queen. Would you be requiring anything else before I go?” she asked. It wasn’t until then thatI noticed her shock had given way to satisfaction, and perhaps pride, as she stared at me.

I gave her a brief smile back. “No, nothing, Astrid. Thank you.”

The following day, I had a meeting with the palace steward where we had discussed the quickly approaching wedding. The steward, a thin man with an unwavering professional air named Arjun, had been surprisingly attentive and accommodating as I explained the finer details of a Halmarish ceremony to him. He was fully committed to getting the details just right, and I had no doubt I had my new husband to thank for that. We had also discussed some of the new duties I would be taking on as queen. It had all been a bit overwhelming.

The meeting was held in my newly appointed offices in the palace where most of the affairs of state were conducted. After it was over, I strode down the side of the grand foyer with Selasi and Yesh a few paces behind me, as always. I nodded to a few people who paused to bow as I passed, when my eye caught on a pair of tall open doors to my left. I glimpsed the room beyond and came to a halt. I had never noticed the room before now.

“What’s in there?” I asked my guards, pointing to the room in question.

“The Gallery of Kings, my queen,” Yesh replied. When I still looked at him blankly, he continued. “A display of some of the royal family’s art collection.”

I stared at him. “Am I allowed to go inside?”

I could tell Yesh fought a grin, and Selasi cleared his throat as he replied, “You are the queen, Your Majesty.”

“Right,” I said a little sheepishly before walking over.

The two of them swept the gallery before I entered, and since there was only one entrance, they stayed by the open doors as I stepped inside.

The gallery was long and narrow, with a high vaulted ceiling, tall windows, and a golden swirling design inlaid in the white marble floor. My steps echoed as I entered the heavy quiet of the room. Portraits of past royalty lined the walls, as well as depictions of famous dragons and their riders, and even a few battle scenes. Other works of art filled the space, and my eyes were immediately drawn to a white stone sculpture of Queen Lethara riding her dragon Severion, into battle with her ancient sword clasped in her hand.

I took a few steps closer to inspect the masterpiece, just out of sight of the doors.

That was how my mother found me. One moment, I was enjoying the serenity and beauty before me, and the next, she was sweeping into the room, radiating her familiar icy fury.

“There you are.” She sounded irritated. Her guards chose to wait at the doors with my own, so we had relative privacy. “It’s bad enough that you ignore my summons, but now I have to resort to traipsing all over this palace like a common servant, just to speak to my own daughter.”

I sighed. Being a woman used to having her orders obeyed immediately, I could see how having to attend me rather than the other way around would be galling to her. Though she was right, after dinner that first night, Ihadbeen avoiding her. Not out of pettiness, but rather the fact that I had no desire to be around her. Malik hadn’t questioned me. He seemed content to let me handle my lovely mother as I saw fit. But alas, it seemed I could not avoid her any longer.

Girding myself, I turned to face her. Her hair, so like my own, was braided into a cornet around her head and would have been quite becoming were it not for the pinched scowl she wore.

“I apologize for the inconvenience, Mother. I have been rather busy. What did you need to speak to me about?”

“You dismissed Hilde?” she demanded without preamble.

I should have known that after months of not seeing or speaking to me, that in our first private moments, this is what she would wish to discuss. “Yes, I did,” I said in answer.

“Explain yourself,” she nearly spat.

I gave her a look. “Why? I have no doubt Hilde told you everything.”

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