Page 101 of Wrath of the Fae Queen
Titania strides out in those ridiculous heels, Torin in armor beside her and an entire halo of senators and nobility behind. I let out a relieved breath—Drake is not among them. Their position puts them on a stage before the entire city, as this immense balcony is located above levels of viewing platforms where the people amass to witness royal ceremonies and announcements.
“Crimes? What crimes have I committed?” her musical voice rings out. “You are no longer king here. You forfeited the right to rule when you lost the election.”
“That is for the courts to decide during your trial,” I throw back. “Let this be a peaceful arrest, Titania. I will place you under siege if I have to. I have blocked your access to food and you cannot escape from the palace. It is over for you.”
“You cannot cage me!” she snarls. “This is a military coup! You are afraid you will lose another election because the people want me as their High Chancellor, so you use violence and force instead!”
“Only a ruler who has something to hide is afraid of a trial,” I reply. “Submit to it, Titania. If you are innocent of atrocities, then it will be over quickly. I do not bring an army here to fight you in a bloody battle to take my throne back, or we would not have stopped before the steps of the palace. This isnota coup. These forces are here to ensure you cooperate.”
“We brought them here to feed the people you starved and to hand out the food you hoarded in your warehouses,” Keira snipes, threading her magic through mine and sending her voice through the plinths. “Did you really think we wouldn’t discover your little ploys?”
Titania’s head whips around to my queen, her black lips curling. “Little mouse, what are you doing out of your cage?”
Keira’s entire body stiffens. “Do I look like a mouse to you?”
Titania throws back her head and laughs. “You are a fool, that’s what you are.Tell me, how did the bargain let you out of my clutches and allow you to march an army to my doorstep when you cannot harm me?”
Keira shrugs. “Like Aldrin said, I am not here to cut you down or hurt you, unfortunately. Not even to unleash these forces upon you in any way other than a siege. Only to call foryou to answer for your crimes. To step down from the throne to which you have no right.”
“You have no idea of the extent I will go to in order to keep this throne!” the High Chancellor screeches. “You do not deserve it.”
“You are outnumbered, Titania, at least twenty to one. A fraud and a terrible ruler. You have no recourse but to submit. Are you truly that afraid of our judges digging into your affairs?” I prod, knowing damned well that she is terrified of her secrets being discovered.
She drags her eyes away from me and stalks toward the edge of the balcony, gripping the railing tightly as she leans over it. “Aldrin, the failure king, is here to violently overthrow your elected ruler! I call on all my people to fight for me now! Rise up alongside your Truth Templars! Grab your swords, kitchen knives and broomsticks and rise up! Attack the exiled king’s forces, who have committed mutiny against the Spring Court. Kill the king and queen who would spill your blood so they can take my throne. Fight for your High Chancellor!”
Well, fuck.
I expected her be insane enough to unleash her troops on us. I banked on her giving me the excuse I needed to attack her. But I wasn’t planning on her calling upon the mob of the citizens. Pulling so many people into danger.
Screaming breaks out within the bowels of the capital. It sounds like the entire City of Vertical Gardens has been possessed by vicious wild beasts. Those roars intensify in volume as voices bounce off the skyscraping buildings, pierced with the shrieks of those caught in the middle, merely wanting to enjoy the festivities.
Far below, great torrents of fae run out of their homes with weapons in hand and stream up the streets. They blacken theboulevards, balconies and staircases with their sheer numbers. All race toward the palace.
These fae are Titania’s personal cult.
They fight not for Spring, but for her.
My heartbeat hammers violently within my ears, almost drowning out the sound of the roaring horde below. There is a crush of bodies as the hostile force of Titania’s cult tries to reach our soldiers, plowing their way through innocent civilians. Fae who were simply enjoying the festivities run in terror. Many are thrown to the ground and trampled beneath boots. Some are pushed over railings and fall from a height as the cult pushes forward and squeezes the masses.
The sight is utterly brutal.
It stabs a knife into my chest and twists it, to witness so much fear, death and pain. Titania is truly a heartless monster to inflict such a thing on her people. To stand there watching it unfold with a smug expression upon her face, like she just won a popularity contest, when it is within her power to stop this.
Her fanatics reach the siege line and slam their bodies against the shields, kitchen knives slashing at the soldiers with feral violence and complete disregard for their own safety. The Spring army merely uses their shields and magic to throw theonslaught of civilians back, sending their bodies arching through the air.
The cult members keep picking themselves up and charging at that barrier, like fae driven by insanity. It would be a slaughter if our warriors fought back against untrained civilians. More so if we unleashed the dragons we ride upon them.
The sheer number of Titania’s fanatic followers is a shock.
The enraged, crazed extent they will go to for her is devastating. They act at her urging without question and do not care for her atrocities, so long as she continues to serve them. It reveals just how rotten the core of this city has become.
Far worse is the force of Truth Templars and Wildrose Guards who charge against our siege line. Neither side pulls back their blows as the large numbers clash. Pools of blood stain the ground as swords and spears are thrust into flesh. As warriors who should be protecting the court and its people hack into each other instead.
It is a horror to witness, armored bodies falling and more slotting into their place to hold their defenses. Arrows fly and earth wields engage the surrounding vines and tree branches as weapons. Hoarse shouts ring out alongside the metallic clang of striking blades.
I have never felt more helpless in my life.
There is little I can do from the skies. Dragon fire would consume friend and foe alike in this mess of bodies. Neither my bow and arrow nor my magic would help to deescalate the battle below.
