Page 131 of Threaded

But, by the Goddess, only these three men could make discussions about piratesboring.

Maybe politics just wasn’t for her.

About to offer her opinion on the pirate situation—why not just use Onita’s far superior naval power and sink the Kizar ships to the bottom of the Mirrored Sea—Mariah held her tongue when Hareth decided to change the course of the conversation.

“It would be an entirely moot issue, of course, if the wards around the city were at full strength. Then, we could strike at the few key pirate vessels we have identified as fleet leaders without fear of retribution from the other pirate lords,” he paused, pushing his wired spectacles on his face farther up the bridge of his nose. “The Solstice may be coming soon, thankfully, but we’ve never truly been able to generate enough to fully charge the pillars. Without the extraallume, we simply will never be able to power the wards without risking the light and warmth of our citizens.”

“I may be able to offer a solution on that front, Lord Hareth.” The sound of Mariah’s voice startled even her. The faces of the three Royals swung in her direction, as if they were finally acknowledging her presence there at the table. She held Hareth’s gaze, however, and refused to look at the other two.

It wasn’t how Mariah had intended to show her hand, but … she supposed she had no other choice now.

“This Solstice will be unlike those of the past. I’ve been researching with the Ladies of my court, and we intend to make some … modifications to the ritual. If our plans render the results we expect, then I anticipate the pillars being as close to full as they’ve been in centuries—in a millennium, even. That extraallumeshould be enough to power not only every source of light and warmth in Onita, but to fully power the wards around Verith. Finally.”

The room fell into an aggressive silence, the stares of the three Royals boring into her like three little termites into a piece of wood. Hareth’s gaze was one of surprise, fascination, and a little bit of fear. Shawth was as gleeful and guarded as ever.

She still refused to meet Laurent’s stare.

Naturally, it was Shawth who broke the still, tense quiet.

“Would you care to elaborate on these modifications, Your Highness?”

Mariah forced herself to take a deep breath. Another one. Forced her mind to slow and contemplate how best to answer him rather than giving into her instincts and running him over like a charging horse.

Your Highness.

That was how one addressed a queen apparent. Not a queen. And she knew it was no mistake.

“When I sit in this chair, in Ryenne’s stead, you shall address me as ‘Your Majesty,’ Lord Shawth.” Her voice was so icy her words nearly froze in her throat. She tried to hold her composure, but magic and power thrummed through her veins, exuberant at the opportunity to yank out this particular thorn in her side. “And, no, I don’t care to elaborate. As queen, the Solstice is my sole jurisdiction, no matter how much you may strive to control every aspect of what occurs in this kingdom.”

Her blood hummed in her veins as she held Shawth’s stare, her head held high. His expression was still one of twisted excitement, not an inkling of fear written on his face.

She would be lying to herself if she said wasn’t worried by it.

“I know what you plan.” The voice was soft, but familiar, and instantly froze the world around her. Mariah slowly turned her head to finally meet the golden stare of Lord Laurent.

“You do, Lord Laurent?” She poured every bit of bravado into those words, her voice dripping with veiled contempt.

His answering expression was filled with metallic disdain. “Yes, indeed, I do. And truthfully, it does not surprise me. All of us should have known that given the opportunity, aslutsuch as yourself would pounce on the opportunity to defile our most sacred ritual for some form of personal pleasure.” The coldness in his voice, his face, his entire demeanor was one of pure wickedness.

And this time, Andrian was not there.

Not that she believed he would dare move against his father on her behalf. Instead, Sebastian and Matheo stood at her back, and she felt the brothers take a single step closer, a soft growl emanating from Matheo’s throat. The ground beneath her rolled and shook, but somehow, she kept her grip on her chair firm, her knuckles white under her skin.

“You forget yourself, My Lord,” she began, her anger pulling the threads of her magic from her veins. It filtered off her skin, haloing her in their glow.

Mariah wondered if she would ever make it through one of these meetings without putting on some sort of glowing display.

She doubted it.

“I don’t know, exactly, what it is I did to earn your disdain, but let me say this. I don’t care how powerful or how rich you are or how many daughters of your house have sat where I now sit. I’m the bearer of Qhohena’s magic. However I decide to rule shall not be faced with criticism from anyone,especiallyyou. The time of weak men leading Onita is over. If you cannot treat me with the respect your queen demands, I will have your tongue removed from your mouth, and then I will have you removed from my city.”

“‘Your city,’” Laurent sneered. “Do you think your fierce words or your little light show scare me? You’re nothing more than a petulant child who’s been given power without the proper training to carry it. Run the kingdom into ruin if you want; see if I care. When you fall, we will be here to pick up the pieces, but you will be left broken in the streets. And I cannotwaitto see it.”

Mariah bared her teeth at him in a snarl, just as she felt the threads of magic flowing off her shoulders wind themselves into ropes of light, twisting and knotting in the air.

For a moment, she remembered what they’d felt like in the library with the Leuxrithian priestess. How they’d turned corporeal, able to touch and hold andsqueeze…

Not now. With Ryenne indisposed, she was now a queen. She’d made promises shewouldsee through.

---