Page 56 of Their Queen

Standing under the spray of the water, I slicked my hair back, letting the heat relax my muscles. I pushed all thoughts of Callum and my father from my mind as I focused on what I needed to do next. If I didn’t sell this, then we’d fail before we even got a chance to get started. It was all hinging on my ability to convince Titania of my naivety.

That part wasn’t very difficult. After having bested me time and time again, she had reason to feel superior to me, but I didn’t give up. Ever. All I had to do was win once, defeat her once, to end her rule. And as long as I drew breath, I would fight her at every turn.

Soaping up my skin, I watched the bubbles run down the drain, letting my emotions and fear disappear with them. If I was going to lead people into battle, they needed to see a confident leader. If I showed my doubts, showed my concern or fear, they wouldn’t fight for me. I needed them to believe in this, to follow me without question.

I prayed to Avalonia that she would continue to guide us. This plan was so far out of character for me, but it felt right. A surety in my gut told me that this was the right course of action, and I just needed to have faith enough to follow through with it. Arryn had been right all along.

Turning off the water, I wrung my hair out and dried myself off with a towel, rubbing vigorously at my skin, skipping the use of magic for once. Needing the mundane ritual to give my brain time to work through the ramifications of this decision. I was tired and exhausted, but I could sleep after all the preparations had been made. For now, I needed to act. My people were counting on me to put aside my own wants and desires to ensure their safety. This was what it meant to be Queen. To sacrifice my own life for them.

Exiting the bathroom, I found Juniper standing at the vanity, smiling at me. “Your men filled me in on your plan, and I must say, it’s rather ingenious.”

I laughed, not quite sure what to say to that. It sounded great, but a lot had to fall into place perfectly if we were going to pull this off. There was still so much that could go wrong. “Now, I just need you to put some of that armor in place so I can face her.”

“Come, I’ve got just the thing.” She said as I went to sit on the stool, still in my towel. I used my air magic to finish drying my hair, saving her some time. Once that had been completed, she got to work, her deft fingers flying through my hair. She braided two short braids into each side of my hair before pulling it back into an artful updo. I looked fierce and ready to conquer any foe, like a Viking warrior back on Earth. And that was just with my hair. I closed my eyes as she painted my face, lining my eyes and coloring my cheeks. The makeup, bare and minimal, but done to highlight my new fae features.

My pointed ears were now on display telling everyone who saw me that I was no longer the human Queen. I was now one of them. My eyes were just a little larger, more almond-shaped and tilted upward. The honey color had more flecks of gold and light in them. I was still me, for the most part. However, there was just more. My skin glowed softly, my power seeping through my pores even at rest.

My body was still curvier than most of the other fae, and although my muscles were leaner and longer, they remained bulky and clearly defined. All of my training gave me more meat on my bones, and I was happy for that. I had grown to love all the curves I had fought for as a human, and I would have hated losing them with my glamor.

Standing once Juniper had finished with my makeup, I turned to find the outfit she had laid out for me. “Now, this is to be worn under your armor. I figured for your initial conversation, you’d want to go without all that fanfare.”

“You know me so well,” I told her, giving her a hug before turning back to slip into the leather outfit. The worn tan hide was thick enough to provide some protection in battle but supple enough that I could move easily in it. I slipped on the loose black blouse, then the leather corset that stopped just below my boobs. Slots were stitched along the sides to hold at least six knives. I could also see sections that would allow for pauldrons and greaves. For now, I left those off. It wouldn’t help my image to appear too prepared for my confrontation with Titania.

Smiling, I turned to find Juniper with the same pleased look on her face. “Perfect.”

“Now, when you’re ready to go into battle, I’ve had the blacksmiths work some metal armor to go over the top of the leather. I know you like to be able to move, so we’ve tooled it to allow for optimal freedom. It’s light and strong, and we’ve also worked some chainmail to be worn over the leather,” she explained.

“I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure I’ll look like a badass,” I told her, happy that we were about to go into battle, hopefully to end the war before it could really get started. It was the best option and would save thousands of lives if it worked.

“You’ll look like a Warrior Queen, which is what you are,” she corrected me, bowing before me.

“Thank you, Juniper,” I professed again. Avalonia had blessed me with her presence. She’d been there for me every step of my journey, and I prayed that I wouldn’t let her down. That I wouldn’t let any of them down.

Satisfied with my appearance, I exited my bedroom and headed for the throne room. If the guys had done as I asked, I’d be on my throne when I finally spoke with Titania. They’d have set the crystal up to display my image of power, but hopefully, it would anger her. When people responded with their emotions instead of logic, they made mistakes, and I needed her to be emotional.

When I asked if we could broadcast to Titania through the crystal, my grandfather had informed me that the crystals had been enchanted to only allow Titania to make the connection. Which is why I sent Brannoc off to relay the message that I wanted to speak with her. He wasn’t going in his smoke form, instead traveling as a bird. That one took less power, apparently.

After writing the message on paper, we gave it to him to transport. He’d drop it where she could find it and then get out of there. I had faith that he could do this. Based on the calculations, we had another thirty minutes or so before she initiated contact with me. I wanted to be ready for her when she did.

Entering the throne room, I found my men all present and waiting for me. They stopped midsentence and turned to me, their eyes heating at my appearance, and my confidence soared. When Titania called, they were to stand behind the crystal, out of viewing range, allowing me and her to speak alone.

“You ready for this, Killer?” Baer asked, giving me a kiss on my cheek, careful not to smudge my makeup.

“As I’ll ever be,” I told him. The others greeted me in turn, and my heart panged at the absence of my grumpy puppy. I prayed that Titania didn’t undo all the work I had done to get him to open up, that he’d stay strong and confident that we’d get him out of there.

I knew my father would be wrecked by this development. His suffering had been mostly mental, and I feared that she would break him beyond the point that we could ever get him back. It had been foolish to let him go on this mission so soon. Looking back, it was clear that he hadn’t been ready, even if he had believed himself to be.

Shaking those thoughts from my head, I approached the throne. Sitting, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, exhaling all my fears and doubts. I turned off the emotional side of me, determined not to react to whatever she tried to pull. There was no doubt in my mind that she would use Callum and my father against me during this conversation, and I needed to be prepared for that. No matter what, I couldn’t let her see just how terrified I was to have them there with her. It would undermine everything I was going for.

Sending a small prayer up to Avalonia for strength and guidance, I leaned back and waited for the call to come in. Right on time, the crystal began to glow, and then her visage came into view, her mask in place. However, I could see the cracks in it now, the frantic desperation that was present despite how fervently she tried to cover it up. I smiled.

“You wanted to speak with me?” she demanded.

“I did,” I admitted, still reclining in my throne as if I hadn’t a care in the world. I waited for her eyes to narrow in irritation before continuing. “It’s come to my attention that you have some things that belong to me.”

“Ah, yes,” she said smugly, her mouth lifting on one side. “Your Autumn Consort. Oh, and wasn’t I just surprised to discover that my biggest enemy was none other than your father. It all makes sense now. Why you’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side since your arrival.”

I laughed in turn, playing my part. “Indeed I am. I’m sure that rankled to discover that not only had I rescued my grandfather, but also my father, whom everyone had thought dead.”

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