Page 99 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
“Today we take back this city from tyranny! Today we show the people that we will protect them and we will not bow down to the High Chancellor’s abuses of power. Wewill notcower!” I bellow, using magic to make my voice unnaturally loud. Cheers rise up from all the moving bodies assembling the army. “So form your rows. Place the wagons in the middle and the banners at the front. Prepare to serve your people and fight for them if necessary. We have a performance to put on and a message to send!”
More dragons lift from the ground with their riders, dotting the sky with their number. The fiery forms of Edmund and Caitlin sharing a red-scaled monstrosity are like a beacon in their midst.
On the ground, a large pavilion of interwoven tree branches with thick canopies and gnarled roots has been erected, and from its dark depths, Assassins of Belladonna flow out, transporting in through the shadows. They wear their darkarmor without their signature indigo robes, masking their identity. There are only high fae among them, not a scale or forked tongue to hide, since we work in the daylight.
My foot soldiers snap into their ranks and march toward the entrance of the city. They wear ceremonial uniforms with sashes and the badges of their achievements over their armor. Many wield trumpets and war drums instead of swords, which remain sheathed at their sides.
Then the music starts.Upbeat and festive, with masculine voices singing ballads of the Spring Court’s past triumphs. A rainbow of flowers erupts with explosive growth on either side of the road, their petals blown across it.
I fly overhead as my soldiers enter the city, flooding the main highway with colossal statues of the kings and queens of old lining either side of the road. Dancers race in front of the marching army, completing feats of acrobatics as they keep pace. In flashy, thin silks of vibrant colors, they perform series of flips and use air wields to land upon each other’s shoulders before leaping away. They juggle fire and swords, occupying the air over the road just as much as the ground itself.
The people gather in the streets.
They stare at our parade, frozen and stunned.
They are no longer used to this sort of display by the wealthy. It used to be commonplace, whenever a king or high-ranking commander returned to the city in triumph.
Music curls all around us, but I still hold back, hovering so high in the sky that none could recognize me, heart racing and biding my time. Keira and Bartholomew barrel past us, her hair streaming behind her and a huge smile on her face.
From this height, the other three spears of my army are visible entering the capital in a similar fashion. A calm sits over the palace, like a waiting beast being poked but not yet awoken. Soon, Titania’s soldiers will pour from it, but there is little theycan do against my peaceful display. If they resort to violence, it will only be to my benefit.
The people watch on with icy apprehension until my soldiers unload the food wagons. Packages of grain are tossed out into their waiting arms. Baskets of fruit and vegetables are delivered for the masses to fall upon. The soldiers closely supervise to ensure the starved people take their fair share peacefully. Their laughter and calls mingle with the festive music. Many sing along. More and more dare to come out of their homes to watch the military parade and take whatever prizes they can.
Keira, dear heart, it is time,I send to her, my consciousness running a caressing tendril over hers like gliding my hand across the bare skin of her back.
“It is time,” I repeat out loud to Ezekiel. “Summon the other dragons and their riders.”
I only receive an irritated chuff in reply.
Keira dips down low over Bartholomew’s back as he drops and spirals from the sky and we follow on their tail. My stomach tumbles at the momentum and the wind rushing through my hair, the sensations both terrifying and exhilarating. A sharp cry rises from the crowd as we swoop low over them. They point and cheer, but none run from the dragons. I had hoped my banners streaming from their backs would have that effect. The music, the dancers, the marching and tossing of food—none of it stops.
Keira and I both rise to our full heights on the backs of our dragons, gliding smoothly through the air as more scaled beasts swoop and dart above us. The crowd calls out their recognition of their golden queen. All eyes are on her, because she burns like a torch.
Then they recognize me and my primal form.
I don’t know what I was expecting.To be villainized and booed at?For that fruit to be tossed straight back at me for abandoning them?
But the people roar their glee at the sight of me. Some even cry. There are also stony faces in the crowd, but that is to be expected. Their hatred of me doesn’t stop them accepting the food we hand out.
“I come to you, my people of Spring, with wonderful news fit for a celebration that engulfs the entire city!” Keira announces, her voice magically amplified. “Your queen has brought your salvation. A miracle has occurred. Your rightful king has risen twice from death to save you from tyranny. The gods have given him back to us to fulfill this purpose!”
I try my best to hide the cringe that rolls through me. By the darkest void, I hate this narrative that makes me larger than life, but I have to use every advantage I can grasp in this war.
Keira points at me. “The true king has returned!” she yells. “Against all odds,the true king has returned!”
I raise my sword high in the air, the entire thing illuminating like a beacon as I thrust my raw magic into it.When I speak, I feed my voice into all the nearby plinths built into the city streets designed to amplify royal announcements, so the sound spreads for leagues.
“I am here in the name of justice to arrest the High Chancellor Titania for her crimes against the Spring Court! For the fae she has dragged out of their beds and murdered in the night. For the theft of wealth from the treasury and people alike. For the false food shortage she created to line her pockets while you starved. For kidnapping her queen and commissioning assassins to kill her king.”
The mood of the crowd changes. Many are yelling in solidarity and thrashing at my words, reaching their arms into the air as though they can touch me. Ezekiel keeps us moving down street after street and across vertical platforms. While all in this region can hear my voice, I want them to see me as well.
“The food these good soldiers pass out already belongs to you. Titania stole it from the people. She stored it in warehouses, where it was rotting, so she could profit from a shortage of her fabrication. Your children starved so Titania could become even more rich.” I take in a deep breath. “The High Chancellor will be held accountable for her crimes!”
The people start chanting, their body language so passionate and frantic that for a few heartbeats, I can’t tell if I won them over or if this was a mistake.
Then I make out their words.
“The true king has returned! The true king has returned!” Their combined voices become a deafening roar, louder than even the music.
