Page 135 of The Royal Gauntlet

“Citizens of Solarem,” Xavier begins. A hush falls over the crowd, but not before a few angry words are shared. If Xavier notices, he doesn’t say anything. “There’s been too much uncertainty for the last several months and we are here to relieve you of any worry.”

I don’t know how much he plans to tell them, and I don’t know how they will react, but I only hope it will help. A hand on the small of my back makes me stiffen, and when Galen steps up beside me, I want to glower. It should be my husband beside me, not my tormenter.

“Just smile,” he orders me.

With as wide a step as I can manage, I step away from him, not caring what it looks like to the people below. If he thinks he can touch me again, I will break his arm, and then get the God Kill blade from Xavier and castrate his baby brother. On second thought, I should do that anyway.

“Many of you experienced unknown terror at the hands of the Queen of the Gods,” Xavier hesitates, still unable to call her by her name, but he pushes through. “Posey. It was revealed when the veil between our world and the mortals fell that Posey was more than just a Goddess. She was one of the Fates herself.”

Murmurs break out in the crowd, and Xavier pauses, waiting for them to die down. Cat slips her hand into his and squeezes. For just a moment, he glances at where they touch before he looks at her, continuing on.

“I was as shocked as many of you that her betrayal ran so deep. To achieve her means, she cast the true Goddess of Motherhood and Fertility aside, dooming her to be caught in an endless cycle of death. Catalina,” he gestures her forward and she dutifully steps into the light, “was meant to be the Queen of the Gods. Posey’s machinations included manipulating Galen to overthrow Essos, sending the souls of the Underworld back to the mortal realms, and many more plots that we are just beginning to understand.

“Yesterday, unbeknownst to you all, a battle was waged in the home of the King and Queen of the Underworld, which resulted in Posey’s defeat and death. There were tragic losses on both sides, more details of which will be forthcoming, but we wanted to be clear on the state of your leadership. Queen Daphne will be leading the Underworld alone, without the aid of King Essos. She will have the full support of the Council and Galen to do what needs to be done.”

My head snaps in Xavier’s direction.

What the fuck? Is he serious about making it sound like Essos is dead? Is he assuming his brother will never recover? And what is he thinking alluding to Galen’s supporting me in this? I don’t think it was a mistake or misstatement to make it sound like Galen will be assisting me in running the Underworld. Absolutely fucking not.

“We are coming to you in hopes of providing full transparency to the people of Solarem. We will continue to strive to do better by you. With Catalina by my side as Queen, I am confident that you will be pleased with the changes that we make. Catalina and I will endeavor to be available to you as we try to right the wrongs that have been done to you. We appreciate your patience during this time of transition. In the coming weeks, we will make another announcement regarding open hours of complaint for Catalina and me to hear you.”

Xavier does not wait for applause. He just turns and leads us off the stage, and a surge of frustration and anger rides me as his words echo and sink in my mind.

Once we’re out of sight of the public I turn to him. “What in the Underworld was that, Xavier? Why did you make it sound like Essos won’t–” No, I can’t even say the words. “Why did you make it sound likeGalenwas going to help with the Underworld?”

“I need you to realize that you will still need to do your duty even if Essos never wakes up. He was in a position to do nothing after your death because you had already established much of the Underworlds processes. You do not have that luxury because of how thoroughly the system was fucked during the Trials. The sooner you accept that my brother may never open his eyes again, the sooner the Underworld will be able to move on. You have your work cut out for you. If you need to use Galen–who until you drove a blade into his chest–was the heir apparent to the crown, in order to get things done, then I expect you to do so.”

Luxury. He thinks it a luxury for me to be by my husband’s side as I wait to see if he will ever wake up. Xavier must be out of his mind if he think’s I’ll ask Galen foranything.I’m not thinking, driven only by my rage, when I shove him, hard. It’s a testament to how unexpected the act must have been because he stumbles back a step, eyes wide before they harden. I see the monster king that lurks under his skin, the one he keeps tucked away with a mask of laziness. Pushing him made me feel so good that I move to do it again. Xavier easily catches my wrists and walks me backward until my back connects with something firm, and he still presses forward, invading my space.

“Do not think to strike me again. I told Galen to stand beside you and touch you because we need to show the people that their government still works and that we are concerned for them. If there is friction among the ruling class, it will only create more instability, and I won’t have that.” Xavier doesn’t squeeze my wrists; he just holds them, glaring at me.

“Xavier,” Cat warns him only once.

He releases me then grabs me around the waist, before weightlessness takes hold of us.

When my feet are on firm ground I push away from Xavier, itching to hit him again. He releases me, striding out of my bedroom door before I can yell at him for grabbing me like that.

Callie looks up from her book. “What was that all about?”

“You don’t want to know.”

* * *

Taylor Jadeand his mother are the first people I see when I go to the Underworld. It’s bittersweet, coming to the place I’m supposed to rule with Essos without him. Instead, I have Xavier and Rafferty with me.

It’s been three weeks without my husband and after two, I decided I had to put my crown on and do what Xavier said: I needed to lead. Which is why I’m here now, feeling a million months pregnant, accepting a hug from an effusive fourteen-year-old.

“Thank you, your ladyship,” he whispers.

“I think it should be ‘Your Majesty,’ Tay,” his mom corrects, but I wink at her with a smile.

“Of course,” I whisper back to him, tears pricking my eyes. At least someone could get a happily ever after. “If I said you didn’t have to remember the zombies, would you be okay with that?” I ask.

Taylor seems to think on it, biting his lower lip while his mom rests her hand on his shoulder. I still harbor some anger toward this woman, but I think the zombie apocalypse brought out the worst in people. It’s why I’ve already started a new department whose job is to review those sent to the Deep based on their actions during that period of time on Earth.

“I think zombies are cool, but I know it’s upsetting to a lot of people, so I would be okay with it.”

It’s hard to hold on to hate for a woman who raised such an empathetic child and who did something she thought was right even if it was so, so wrong.

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