Page 34 of A Touch of Iron
She beamed angelically. “Why, thank you! It’s been a very interesting trip. I would love to sit down and chat if you’re up for it?” she offered.
Ansel quickly shot to his feet and barreled toward us, inserting himself into the stilted conversation. “I’m sure she’s tired right now, Your Majesty—”
The Queen barely offered him a glance. “I’m sure she’s not.” She gave me a knowing look. Did she know I threw the match?
I waved off his concern. “It’s fine, Ansel.” I turned back to her. “It would be an honor to speak with you, Your Majesty.”
She clapped again. “Delightful!”
Infuriated because he was no longer the center of attention, the King rolled his eyes and stomped away toward where Kazimir was waiting for him. As soon as his robe disappeared through the door behind his throne, the room erupted into cheers …for me.
The Unseelie revelers chanted my name as I stood there awkwardly, waiting for someone to direct me out or tell me what the hell to do. Instead, the King’s guards began roughly escorting the Unseelie from the throne room. Before he was prodded outside, Jon paused and patted me on the back, offering a hearty congratulations for a job well done.
Once the throne room had emptied, I stood like a gawky teenager with the Seelie Queen, Ansel, and Alec. The Queen returned to her throne and sat down gingerly, crossing one graceful leg over the other. She eyed Alec and shooed him away. Clearly this was Seelie business and Unseelies weren’t welcome.
Alec tensed, a refusal on the tip of his tongue, but I grabbed his arm. He glanced at me. “It’s okay, Alec … Ansel is here.” Just saying the words made me nauseous. I didn’t trust Ansel as far as I could throw him, but my mom was right about one thing – he cared about me. Regardless of the bad decisions he’d made.
Hesitantly, departed from the throne room and left the three of us alone. I turned back around to face the Queen. “He’s gone. Speak freely.” I didn’t want to be here longer than I needed to be.
The Queen laughed, which threw me off my game. She flung her head back and laughed hysterically, the musical peals ringing off the crystal chandeliers like tinkling glass. “You really are something!” She looked at Ansel, who looked nervous. “You see her?” She pointed in my direction. “Ordering me? That’s a first!”
Ansel stepped forward to address her. “That was not her intention, Your Majesty.”
“Yes it was,” I cut in. “I said what I said.”
Ansel whirled around and gave me the glare of death, but I’d be damned if I was going to kiss anyone’s ass – Queen or not.
She waved him off. “It’s fine, Ansel. Let her speak freely.”
“I’d like to know what you want from me,” I said, getting straight to the point. “You obviously wanted to meet with me privately for a reason.”
She leaned on the throne’s armrest and watched me carefully. “You’re very straightforward. I like that. But I suggest you keep your decorum around me. My moods are mercurial, and I change my mind very easily.”
“Okay.” When I only shrugged, I saw fury flicker in her gaze.
She tapped one long, delicate finger against her pointed chin. “What do I want with you? Hmm … that’s a loaded question. Let me ask you a question, young halfling … are you happy here in the Unseelie Court?”
Well, that was a complicated question. I wasn’t necessarily unhappy, but I wasn’t stoked to be there, either. This was the only option I had at the time. Ansel hadn’t been willing to take me to the Seelie Court, and Alec was.
“Does it matter?”
“It certainly does!” she said excitedly as she leaned forward. “What if I could promise your safety within the Seelie Court?”
I shook my head as I let out a breath. “I’m not safe anywhere, whether in the Unseelie or Seelie Court. Each side wants to use me for their own gain, no matter how it’s done.”
“You mustknowwhat the Unseelie King plans to do with you. I mean, I heard he even involved your own mother!” she tsked. “Dirty, dirty pool.”
“At least I know the Unseelie King. I don’t know you,” I said plainly.
She rolled her eyes. “Ansel can vouch for me.” She waved toward him as if I’d believe anything he said. How mistaken she was.
“It doesn’t matter if Ansel praises you like Mother Teresa,” I said, exasperated. “I don’t believe anything the fae say. You twist your words against unsuspecting fools. I may be ignorant to fae ways, but I’m no fool.”
Her jaw tightened and I knew she was losing patience with me. “I can give you something the Unseelie can’t …Freedom.”
My eyes widened, but I did it mainly for her benefit. At the end of the day, no one could guarantee my freedom. They only wanted to use me as their puppet or plaything. Now that everyone knew who and what I was, my days of being carefree were over. It almost didn’t matter which Court I was chained to.
One thing was for certain: if I joined Jon’s rebellion, I might stand a chance. I weighed my options and ardently thought about my next steps.
