Page 95 of Their War

She snapped her fingers, and her guards rushed forward, disarming my men and binding their hands behind their backs swiftly. Jude, Cyerra, and my father were also taken into custody as she looped her arm into mine, dragging me forward like we were fast friends and whispering secrets to each other, not a care in the world. The familiarity sat heavily on my stomach, making me nauseous. The notion of what would happen now had my blood rushing from my extremities in an effort to protect my vital organs, adrenaline coursing through me.

“Such wonderful taste in men, my dear. I do believe I may keep one or two of them after this is all said and done.” She spoke as if we were choosing fabrics for curtains and not the fact that she was deciding which ones would live or die. I clenched my jaw, biting back the words of defiance that wanted to spill from my lips. They wouldn’t help in this moment, but I wasn’t beaten yet. Somehow, I would make sure we all got out of this.

I sent up a quick prayer to Avalonia as the Queen led us from the room, dragging us forward. “Now, I’ve set up a little gathering outside, a little something for the people to bear witness to Genevieve’s ascension. If you try anything funny, I will end your loved ones in a heartbeat. My men are simply waiting for the signal. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” I growled out, not happy with the place we found ourselves in, but Arryn’s plans flashed through my mind, giving me hope that I’d find an opening to get out of this. My consort was driven to prepare for eventualities that I could never hope to see, and I prayed that he had something up his sleeve to get us out of this.

“I’m sorry.” She jerked my arm harshly. “I’m not sure I heard you correctly. Yes, what?”

I closed my eyes, fighting for patience. “Yes, Your Highness.”

She smiled venomously. “Better.” She paused before a door and waited for a servant to open it. “Now, let the show begin.”

I let her lead me to the wooden stage that had been set up, let her think she had us beat, that she was about to get everything she wanted. I watched as my men and friends were lined up at the back of the stage, a guard on both sides of each of them, weapons held at the ready to strike them down.

She paused on one side, smiling at Genevieve, who was waiting on the other side. “Now, be a dear and wait here until I call on you.” She left me there, free from all guards and threats. After all, the only threat she needed was the one she had on my people. Her confidence and assuredness would be her downfall, and I readied myself to take advantage of any opening I could find.

Walking to the front of the stage, she began speaking. “Thank you, citizens of Avalon, for joining us here on such a joyous occasion. We have many things to celebrate today as you can clearly see. Not only will we get to witness Avalonia’s new Queen take her Oath, but we will also watch as traitors to the kingdom meet their end as is justified.”

A roar from the crowd rose up, and Titania basked in their praise and approval. “Now, let us begin.” Turning to Genevieve, she waved her forward. Genevieve smiled upon the crowd, projecting an air of innocence and awe at the moment. Her consorts followed, taking up places behind her and beside Titania’s men, hands folded behind their backs as they stood at rest.

Titania nodded to the priests, who rushed forward. As they set up, she glanced at me, a look of warning on her face. Once they had finished, the newly selected head priest picked up a bowl like Jude had done for me not so long ago. “Genevieve Willows, do you enter into this ascension of your own free will?”

I tuned them out, searching frantically around the crowd for anything that could help us get out of this. A sea of faces gazed on the spectacle that Titania had created, rapt to know what was going to happen. No one seemed even a little bit perturbed about what was about to happen. None of them had a clue that Titania was trying to steal the crown by anointing Genevieve as a false queen so she could maintain power. I wouldn’t find any assistance from those present. The smart ones would stay clear of the Queen and her need for attention and power.

Not finding what I was looking for, I looked back to my men, hoping for some kind of reassurance or inspiration, only to see a guard wink at me. Tilting my head in confusion, I watched as the image flickered briefly, only to be met with a shit eating grin from the guard. He nodded once in confirmation, and hope coursed through me. Meeting the gaze of my men, I knew they couldn’t sense what I had, and I tried desperately to send that information down the line through our bond. “Be ready,” I thought to them, even though I knew it was futile.

“Always.” Brannoc’s voice sounded in my mind as if he were standing next to me. I jerked my head to look at him, and he nodded. “Yes. I can hear you.”

“How?” I asked him.

“I’ll explain later. We’re running out of time, so whatever you have planned, we’ll be ready.” He maintained eye contact with me, though his face remained passive and stoic, belying the fact that if we didn’t time this right, then this would be the end. For everyone.

Looking back, I found the priest holding up the same milky, white liquid, speaking words over it in a mocking version of Jude. We didn’t have much longer. Soon, I would be asked to relinquish my power and title, securing our deaths in the process.

A commotion broke out in the crowd, people turning to see what was going on as two commoners started fighting. Then, two more turned and started yelling at each other. Soon, a quarter of the crowd had broken out into a fight, tumbling into the onlookers and disrupting the ceremony. Arryn’s people had indeed made it and created a distraction just in the nick of time. Now, I just had to figure out how to capitalize on their gift.

“Enough!” Titania yelled at the citizens. When they didn’t respond or even acknowledge her booming voice, she turned to the guards. “Stop them.”

They rushed forward to do as they were bid, Genevieve pouting as the priest lowered the glass, distracted by the turn of events. Titania stormed over to me. “What are you up to?”

I smiled innocently. “Me? I’m not doing anything,” I said truthfully. Although, I knew that this was an adaptation of our plans from before everything had turned to shit.

She grabbed my arm, her eyes narrowing in anger, “I don’t know what you’re playing at, child, but it won’t be enough to get you all out of this. I have you dead to rights, and you know it.”

“You’re right,” I agreed, a smirk on my face, which only angered her further.

She dragged me forward, stopping short of her previous position. “Fine. I had wanted to do this later, but you give me no choice. If you don’t stop this now, I’ll just have to kill your men one by one until you do.”

Turning back, she motioned a hulking fae forward. He wore the guard’s armor, but it was black, as if swallowing the light instead of casting it back. His helm blocked his face from view, but the block and ax he held clued me in quickly to what he was doing. For the first time since the commotion, I wanted to panic. Pushing down the instinct, I held myself still. He placed the block on the floor of the stage, front and center, before stepping back, his ax now held with both hands.

The guards holding Baer jerked him forward until he was standing before the block. They tried to force him to his knees, but when they were unsuccessful, they kicked his knees, causing them to buckle against his will. Using the momentum from his fall, they forced him forward until his chin was now resting on the block.

He turned his head and looked at me, love shining back at me. No anger, no animosity for dragging him into this, nothing but acceptance and sorrow that this was where it ended.

No. I couldn’t let this happen. I jerked my arm from Titania as the man raised his ax, letting my anger consume me. The power welled inside me as I spiraled more and more of it to release all at once. This bitch wasn’t going to win this battle. She wouldn’t get to take my men from me. I was done going along with everything, and now it was time I finally did what I was best at. Fighting back.

Chapter Fifty Six: Lennox

---