Page 47 of Of Skulls Of Shackles

The bringing blobs were crispier than last night.

I said, “King Bring’s ailment will meet a resolution, dear pawns. You need not worry so. ’Tis not the job of pawns, nor princes, to fret.”

Toil’s slime cracked and crunched as he nodded.

They were not in good health. “Did you take care to hydrate as I ordered?”

“Yes, my queen,” Hex rasped.

Their uniquities were fading. “You will do so again,” I demanded, feeling the urge to stomp somewhat. “You may be assured that matters with King Bring have my attention.”

Sigil’s bottom blob jiggled as if he might cry, and the sight made me wish to sniff away tears of my own. I detested seeing them like this.

“Seeing pawns?” I asked next.

Will Be bowed. “My queen, our king is calmer than ever. He occupies us with management of his sixth. His humans are in some disarray.”

“What have you seen?” I asked—not an easy question for pawns. Odds were that they could not answer. They were not witnesses after all.

Has Been screwed up his face. “They gather in larger groups. There is more glass on the streets. Crops ruined. Paint splashed on buildings.”

He sagged after.

“Well done, Has Been. Thank you for these grand details.”

A bright pink splashed across his chalky cheeks. “My queen, you flatter me.”

The other pawns glared at him. Unguis and Loup included.

I had to speak further on human affairs with Princess Raise. She had assumed that the humans of King See were engaging in peacekeeping efforts—therefore behaving in line with See’s purpose of supporting me. Has Been’s report challenged that assumption and suggested that no sixth was impervious to the unrest. “Anything of King Raise?”

“He tires of mediation, my queen,” said Deliver.

Make that two of us.

“Does he meet with other kings?”

“Always, but he met with King Change yesterday. There have been no meetings with King Take in the last week, and that is uncommon.”

So a possible alliance with Change, but a severing of one with King Take? Take had demanded retribution for his princess’s crotch nuzzling of me. He was a certain ally in this time. Many strange happenings were afoot, and many of them were linked.

Tonight was not as burdensome as I had expected. I felt emboldened to ask, “Werebeast pawns, what of King Change?”

Unguis and Loup looked to Huckery, who regarded me in his calculating way.

“King Change seeks to tear down your queendom,” he said. “As you know.”

“He wishes to place me in a cage in his kingdom,” I corrected.

Huckery tilted his furry head. “You are not meant to be caged.”

“Nor any monster. But I blind a seeing king. And so I am invaluable to a king who does not wish to be thwarted in ruin.”

A growl built in his chest. “There must be a way for a king to ruin without harming a queen.”

And did he worry about me so? A cheering thought because I often wondered if Huckery detested me more than he delighted in me.

Sign grunted, then Seal groaned. Deliver yelped. Mother gobbled back stones in time for three staircases to erupt through the ground. The pawns leaped aboard and promptly disappeared.

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