Page 109 of Once the Skies Fade

“I assure you,your queenis shirking nothing. The tournament was historically used for kings to choose their brides, so I do not see how our using it to choose a king is any different. And unlike the historicgames, we are testing character, strength, courage…not bust size. Or dick size. Though, if you would like us to hold more closely to historic tradition, I’m sure the males here wouldn’t mind whipping their goods out so we can measure.”

All the males froze in their seats, some with their glasses half-raised to their mouths. I half-expected Matthias to stand up and start to undo his belt. In fact, he was probably aboutto when Warren finally responded with a quiet, “That won’t be necessary.”

Isa relaxed back into her seat, just as Warren had, inspecting the wine in her glass as she continued. “I do agree, though, that perhaps it would behoove us in our selection of a new king to have them present—and perhaps even participate—in one of the citizens’ assemblies.”

I wanted to smack her with the back of my hand and promptly ask her what the fuck she was thinking, but it would not look good for me to refuse to meet with my subjects. Plus, if she was suggesting this, there was a good reason.

Slowly, I nodded at my friend and lied, “You’re right. How soon can we have that arranged? Is there room in the tournament schedule?”

“I think so. We could delay trial three until next week, and schedule a forum with the citizens for later this week. Give them enough time to travel.”

At the other end of the table, Ursula leaned forward. “Couldn’t this be an official trial in itself? Letting the males aid Her Majesty in hearing grievances and handling disputes? It could help us all to see how well they work together—how they will potentially rule together.”

A hand lighted upon my left knee and gave a gentle, reassuring stroke, and I peered sidelong at Matthias. He wasn’t looking at me, but somehow I knew his easy smile and slight dip of his chin was meant for me—his silent way of letting me know I wasn’t in this alone.

Through the next two courses, the Assembly made small talk with the contestants sitting among them. I heard none of it, though, as my mind was a jumble of worried thoughts over what would happen when I was to meet with my subjects again. While no more humans had been discovered since the tournament began, it was always a possibility. I had specifically not askedabout the status of moving the humans out of the kingdom, as it was the last topic I wanted to discuss in mixed company, but I should have known one of the Assembly advisors would mention it for that very reason.

Ursula waited until all the plates had been cleared away before finally broaching the subject.

“Does anyone know where we stand on getting the humans out of the kingdom? I believe all have been evacuated from my province. How about you, Opal?” she asked the young advisor to her right, who nearly choked on her wine.

“Oh, yes, no, well…” she stammered. “For the most part we have helped them relocate to Wrenwick.”

I tensed at the mention of the kingdom responsible for Brennan’s death. I’d hired Minerva to appropriately punish them, but I knew none of the specifics of the curse she’d offered. I should have asked more questions, but knowing the mage, she would have refused to answer them anyway—not without requiring even more payment from me, that was. So that left me sitting here pondering how she might have cursed them and if they were suffering as I had.

Hopefully worse.

“Your Majesty?” Ursula’s crisp tone pierced through my thoughts, and I blinked, looking up at eleven pairs of eyes all staring at me.

“Yes?” I asked as casually as I could, but Isa cleared her throat beside me and flicked her eyes down to the table, where my clasped hands were now obscured by my creeping shadows.

Shit.

I couldn’t let them see my panic, though. I needed to demonstrate I was in control, despite my careless lack thereof that I’d just displayed, letting my shadows emerge as they had. Calling my power back into my veins, I opened my palms for all to witness them disappear, but I said nothing.

Warren smiled—though it appeared more like a friendly sneer, if there was such a thing. “It’s nice to see you’ve gotten yourself under control now.”

Slowly, I slipped my hands into my lap, maintaining my hold on my shadows despite the rage his words lit within me. The fucking prick had the nerve to deride me in front of guests. While I didn’t want to be forced to marry any of them, I sure as fuck didn’t want to be insulted in their presence either. But I couldn’t make a scene, couldn’t let my anger get the better of me.

Nodding, I donned a polite smile. “Thank you, Warren. I’ve been working on being more intentional with how I use my shadows.”

Matthias coughed behind his hand, and my smile broadened as I tried not to laugh at just how intentional I’d been with him the other night.

“Though, I won’t hesitate to use them when necessary,” I added.

The table went silent, as if everyone was contemplating when my shadows might be necessary. The servers returned with small plates of macarons, and I tried to ignore the way Matthias’s eyes lit up—just a bit—at the sight of my favorite dessert.

“When would such power be necessary?” This question came from Korben, who was leaning back in his seat, staring at his dessert as if I might have poisoned it.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I said, shrugging. Keeping one hand in my lap, I picked up a macaron with the other and turned it this way and that. As I did, I called my shadows out beneath the table, directing them to drift toward Matthias. “They come in quite handy when I can’t sleep.”

Matthias gulped down his macaron just as my shadows crept up his thigh, slipping beneath his waistband, and finding him already anticipating what was to come. Slowly, I guided myshadows along his rigid form, and smiled when I noticed him shift in his seat, giving my shadows better access.

“They also work surprisingly well to move items, to subdue attackers, or to punish criminals.”

Putting another macaron in his mouth, Matthias leaned forward, letting his eyes drift closed as if he were simply savoring the decadent sweet and not getting secretly stroked and teased. I noticed Isa eyeing me with a warning glare, and I turned to her with a wide, innocent stare.

Warren’s sharp gaze hit me. “Or attack your own staff?”

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