Page 93 of Fae Champion

As we stood, Ivar and Braque hurried to their queen, the smooth soles of their shoes click-clacking on the polished hardwood floor.

“You left the arena without my approval,” she announced.

I straightened my shoulders. “I didn’t realize I needed your permission to do so. The Gladius Probatio was over.”

The crystalline sky-blue of her eyes stormed and clouded over, and she leaned forward on her throne. “The festivities were to celebrate the end of the Gladius Probatio and its … winners.” Her lips rolled before settling into their usual curves. “The celebration was for you.”

“No,” I said, ignoring how Rush instantly stiffened beside me. “The celebration was for you,Your Majesty,” I added with a cold smile.

Braque wheezed as he sucked in his affront. I didn’t even bother looking at him—or at Ivar, whoseanger was attempting to sear a hole through my forehead.

The queen, however, stilled entirely. The severed ear, eye, and mouth that had trailed us into the room flattened themselves against the farthest wall as if she could still make their owners suffer after all they’d already been through.

“Everything I do is for my subjects,” she said, her tone too calm. “For this kingdom.”

“Of course it is,” Ivar said with enough offense for both of them. “That’s not in question, my queen.”

“Actually,” I said, “everyone here knows what’s really going on, so how about we save all the back and forth and posturing for when there’s an audience, huh?”

Braque’s round, pronounced cheeks colored, and his breathing sped up.

But I met only the queen’s waiting stare.

“El…” Rush warned.

What was the point of caution?

“Everyone here already knows you did your best to kill me today. You took over my body and Rush’s and came very close to having him end me. You had Lennox stab me in the back when no one was looking, and you ordered Russet and Selwin to chop my head off when it wasn’t necessary.” When was beheading ever necessary, actually? “Luckily, they didn’t succeed.”

The queen smiled like a viper preparing to strike. “Luckily.”

“We all know you hate me, and that there’s no wayyou called me here to award me some trophy for tying the Gladius Probatio when you almost let Azariah die just to keep me from winning too.”

Rush grunted something that was close to a whimper, but I continued: “You have the kind of power that could do away with me all too easily. And we all also know that I have power too. Something is going on with me and I’m guessing that you haven’t killed me yet because you want to figure out what as much as I do.”

That was the only move left to me. Anywhere within Embermere I was at her mercy—unless my burgeoning power could protect me, since no guard, however determined, could defend me from her. Whatever magic I might have, it was my only hope.

When the queen finally spoke, her tone as frigid as the river that snaked along the boundary of Nightguard, though I really tried not to, I shivered.

“Do you see how she talks to me, Rush?”

“Such horrid disrespect,” Braque hissed.

“Putrid,” Ivar added, though I wasn’t sure what exactly he meant by that.

Carefully not looking at me, Rush, with a wheedling smile, said, “Your Highness, I’m sure the lady Elowyn is just overcome by the stress of?—”

“Quiet.”

Rush instantly silenced.

The queen scanned me so intently that I eventually tilted up my chin in useless bravado against her scrutiny.

She harrumphed and faced Rush. “Elowyn makesit clear at every opportunity that she’s a danger to me and my reign. I’m not just a person, I’m a symbol of this great kingdom and its might. If others aren’t convinced of my strength and ultimate rule, then Embermere’s in danger. So long as the mirror world has existed, my ancestors have labored to ensure we’re safe, that no one dares make a move against us. Now that job is mine and mine alone.”

I hesitated before deciding I had nothing left to lose: “Excuse me, ah,Your Majesty?” Should I still use her title when I’d effectively given her a bigeff you? I had the sinking feeling that since I’d first stepped foot in Embermere, nothing I’d done or said had mattered. The woman had settled my fate probably before even meeting me.

“Isn’t this place a portal world?” I continued. “How could anybody invade when they can’t even get here?”

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