Page 107 of The Sorrow of Shadows

“What kind of fun are we having?” Aurelius asks as he rounds the corner.

“Will you two be quiet?” Elijah whisper-yells, leveling a glare at us. He leans into the Queen’s door again, trying to hear the conversation.

Suddenly, he jerks back and ushers me and Aurelius down the hall and around the corner. Just as we are out of sight, the queen’s door slams shut, and the muttered curses of Lord Seamus can be heard moving in the opposite direction from our hiding place.

After a few more seconds, Elijah turns to Aurelius and me. I wave my hand to say, ‘Go on, tell us.’

“The Queen summoned me to her chambers, but when I got here, it was obvious someone was already there.”

“She summoned us as well.”

“I overheard a conversation between her and Lord Seamus. It seemed...tense.”

“What was said?” Aurelius inquires.

“I didn’t catch all of it, but it might be easier to show you.” He beckons us closer, lifting a hand to each of our temples to replay the memory into each of our minds.

“Your Majesty, you cannot expect the council to continue supporting your rule when you refuse to set a date for your wedding to Lord Aurelius,” the slimy voice of Lord Seamus sneered. He sounded angry.

I wasn’t purposely eavesdropping, but it would be rude to interrupt such a juicy conversation. Eager to hear the Queen’s response, I maintained my position outside her chamber doors. The queen had summoned me to her chambers but didn’t provide a reason. I didn’t anticipate walking in on such a tense conversation.

“I expect you to remember your place, Lord Seamus. I demand for you and the rest of the council to respect your queen and the timeline in which she remarries.” The Queen’s voice was muffled, but clear enough I could hear the venom in her tone.

“Admit this engagement to Lord Aurelius is a sham; a lie meant to appease the council but lacking intention to follow through.” Lord Seamus's words were bold, bolder than I’ve ever heard anyone except Breyla use with her.

I felt the queen’s icy powers drift through the door at the same time as Lord Seamus's pain-filled hiss could be heard.

My brow furrows as the memory finishes, and I look to Aurelius.

“Did any of that make sense to you?” I ask, my voice wavering.

He shakes his head, a frustrated look on his face. “It’snothing she’s brought up to me.” His jaw clenches, and a look of hurt briefly flickers in his eyes before he casts them downward.

“Well, since she called us all here, maybe we’re about to find out what that was about,” I muse, but I’m not entirely sure.

“Well, let’s find out,” Elijah suggests as he moves back down the hall to my mother’s chambers.

His knuckles wrap on the queen’s door a second before it flies open, like she was waiting for us. The queen’s normally bright-blue eyes are dull, dark circles framing her blonde lashes.

“Come in,” she says sternly, ushering us in.

Once we’re inside, she uses her magic to lock the door and immediately throws up a silencing shield.

“So, what’s this meeting all about?” I start.

“I wanted to discuss what you and Aurelius discovered on your journey to recover Julian’s body,” Queen Genevieve explains. I just don’t think it’s a conversation the whole council needs to be a part of.”

“Because you don’t trust them?” I guess.

“Not all of them,” she admits.

“Lord Seamus?” I push.

“I haven’t trusted Lord Seamus in years, but he’s become even harder to trust since your father’s death.”

“Do you think he had anything to do with Raynor’s death?” Aurelius asks.

“Why would you ask that? There was nothing to suggest foul play with his death; just an unfortunate, much-too-early passing.” Her voice is hard as she answers. This is a sore topic for her.

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