Page 86 of The Princess of Nothing
“King Blaise seems to be doing a lot of things King Azrael did not,” he replied. “I’ve read the writings brought into Magaelor, and newspapers. I believe we are in a new age, and the young ones are getting things done differently. For a faerie, he is ambitious.”
My lips cracked when I smiled. “When I am queen, I will get things done too.”
“You are queen,” he reminded me.
I nodded. “Officially.”
“Your cousin,” he spat, growing more and more agitated. “He has lost half of our country’s wealth, not to mention allowed Berovians into the kingdom. Giving them titles and positions at court. I watch them practicing their magic on the grounds where our ancestors are buried.” His mouth twisted in disgust “He has no integrity. We need our true ruler back, and I have come to fight for your place on your throne, as I would have done for your father. You are his heir now that he is dead.”
“Yes, I was shocked to hear of his death. Do they know how it happened?” I asked.
“We believe it is foul play, but there is no way of knowing. He had a ring on, the Ring of Immortalem. Whoever has it is responsible.”
I was half grateful I no longer held onto it but a little surprised they knew about it. Of course, Ashur would have told them before he cozied up to Edgar.
“Good. I mean, not good.” I shook my head. “You will, of course, be the commander of this army.”
He stood and bowed at his waist. “An honor, Your Majesty. Although I do not condone working with the fae, I understand it is a means to an end.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. He, like my father and many others, still looked down on them. Even I couldn’t break an age-old view, although I would try, delicately. “My friend,” I said, treading carefully. “Cedric, he’s a light fae.”
Adius’s face whitened. “A Berovian?”
I guessed Berovians out-worsened fae. “Yes, but he’s not like the others. He saved me from Xenos, broke me out of the castle, and brought me home.”
His conflicted eyes looked from me to the decayed mantle. “He will get special dispensation for saving the queen of Magaelor.”
“He’s a good man,” I said. “A prince too.”
“Unusual, but I heard the light fae royal family don’t really have any power. They’re just given a castle and crown to appease them. Xenos is the true king.” Orange glowed on his face, sharpening his jaw and nose.
I cast my eyes down to my hands and stared at the fur on my coat. It danced from the draft sneaking through the sides of the windows. “I will kill Xenos,” I promised.
“I was told of your capture, although they have spun a different angle, pretending you were to marry the king’s son, Prince Kiros.”
I laughed nervously. “I had to pretend to accept the proposal so I could escape, but trust me when I tell you, I’d have died before I made him king of Magaelor.”
“We will make them pay, Your Majesty. For now, I am in your service, devoted to returning you home. I have men. More will come. The people want you. Even Florence hates your cousin. He’s taken a liking to her.”
Her blonde waves and bright eyes popped into my mind. My ex-sister-in-law, for a short time. “I’m not surprised. Men seem to fall at her feet. I’ll never understand why.”
Adius’s cheeks flushed red. “Yes, well, he will be removed from the castle, then executed once we get you back, and we won’t have to worry about him again.”
The thought of killing him churned my stomach. Deaths hovered around me, reminding me of all I’d done. Sometimes when I couldn’t sleep at night, I could hear my father taking his last breath as he’d done on the night I pulled the ring from his finger. It was a truth no one could ever know, for if they did, my head would be the one on the chopping block, not Edgar’s. “I should go and find Morgana,” I explained and stood. “She said by noon tomorrow the blizzard will have died down enough for us to get back to Redwinter. There are towns and villages there, with food, drink, and shelter, which Blaise has allowed us to use to train and build our army.”
He leaned on his staff, pressing it on the ground under his legs. “I hadn’t gotten a chance to ask, but I know there will be plenty of time for answers once we settle. How you ended up in Berovia when everyone thought you lost to the cold here in Niferum... The details of the story are a bit hazy.”
A lump formed in my throat. “Oh, yeah, it’s a long one. I’ll catch you up once we’re back in Redwinter.” My heart pounded. “Good night, Adius.”
“Majesty.” He looked back at the fire.
I hurried out the door and closed it behind me. The bitter wind hit my cheeks, pinching them, and pulled at my hair. I could hardly see a thing. A couple of Adius’s men—or should I have said my men—held my arms, escorting me back to the building where Morgana waited for me. I had to have her help me; we needed to concoct a perfect story of how I got to Berovia. Like Adius had said, there would be time for answers later. Answers I didn’t have.
