Page 63 of Her Dark Reflection

‘Don’t let them shut you out just because you aren’t their perfect version of a princess. You have to fight to make them take you as you are, and ifyoubelieve your fits make you unworthy of your birthright, then you’ve already lost the battle.’

She blinked up at me, her wide eyes painfully guileless. ‘But… I don’t know about any birthright. Father always told me that my duty is to marry and support the next king. No one wants me making decisions. The council don’t want me involved in decisions. I… I don’t think I’m any good at that sort of thing.’

I dropped her hand and stood. ‘If you don’t stop eating up the lines you’re fed without question then you’ll spend the rest of your life trapped in a drawing room practising embroidery while some man rules your kingdom and your life.’ In a few strides I’d crossed the room, but I paused on the threshold, my hand resting against the door frame as I looked back at little Snow White, so pale and delicate, every bit the fragile flower the nickname referred to. She had so much within her grasp, a world of power and influence just waiting for her to reach out and take it, and she was too afraid to even try.

‘I’ll have the details of the meeting delivered to you once I’ve confirmed them, just in case you decide you do care a whit about Brimordia and want to try and keep it out of your slimy cousin’s hands.’ With that, I left the infirmary, fuming at the princess’s cowardice.

It didn’t matter. I could win the vote without her.

I was looking forward to a nice, hot soak in a tub and a few hours of peace as I approached my suite. My shoulders were stiff and my head was quietly throbbing, partly from the day’s tensions and partly, I suspected, from the wine I’d had to drink the night before. So the sight of Senafae sitting in my receiving room was more unwelcome than I would have liked to admit.

She stood as I entered, her hands balled in her skirts, her brows tilted in that particular way I had come to recognise in the dozens of petitioners that begged my ear every day. I almost groaned. She was here to ask me a favour.

‘It’s good to see you,’ I said as I slid the gloves from my hands and handed them to Leela. I asked her to bring us some tea. She bobbed a curtsey and shot Senafae a sour look as she withdrew. ‘How are you?’

‘I should be asking you that. After all, you did just become a widow.’ The words came out too fast.

I gestured for her to sit, and we both perched on settees as we waited for Leela to bring the tea.

‘I will never understand why you insist on placing all your seating so far away from the fireplace,’ Senafae said with a small smile, perhaps trying to tease. ‘Though maybe it’s a fine way to arrange a sitting room and you’ll start a new trend,’ she added quickly, after I shot a dark look at the fireplace.

‘It has been a long day, and I predict tomorrow will be even longer,’ I said after a moment of silence. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to spend time with you, but—’

‘I’m worried about you,’ she blurted out, cutting me off.

I smiled. ‘There’s no need. I’m in a better place now than I’ve ever been before. I’m at the top of the heap, Sen. A queen. A queenwithout a king.’

‘That’s what worries me.’ She leaned forward in her chair. ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’

I waved a hand. ‘The council is going to try and shunt me off to the side, but I have a plan.’

‘Maybe you should let them.’

The words just about whacked the breath out of me. I stared at Senafae in utter disbelief, until she seemed to realise she had said the wrong thing. ‘I just think,’ she clarified, ‘that this is a long way from being the king’s favourite knock.’

I didn’t speak, couldn’t. I just continued to stare at her as though seeing her for the first time while my temperature slowly rose, flushing the back of my neck and creeping out towards my face.

Silence will often provoke people to speak when they should keep their traitorous mouths shut. Words began tumbling out of her. ‘Frankly, it was mad enough when he decided to marry you. The whole country was a few wrong moves away from civil war, and all you seemed concerned about wasdecorating. And now you want to reign as regent? I just don’t think it’s a good idea. What do you know about ruling a country?’

She tempted me to speak with another short silence, before leaning even closer and placing a hand on my knee. ‘Wouldn’t it be better to leave ruling to those who know how? Give the princess permission to marry before she becomes of age. Marry her to Prince Tallius as has always been the plan, and then someone who knows what they’re doing can take the throne. You’ll still be rich, and a dowager queen, and you won’t have to worry about all this political nonsense you’ve been involving yourself in.’ She sat back and offered me a sympathetic smile.

‘Get out.’

She frowned. ‘There’s no need to be rude. I’m just speaking the truth.’

‘Get out.’ My voice was louder this time.

‘Rhiandra—’

‘And when did you have time to formulate such well-formed opinions when you’ve been so absorbed in your own mistakes? You have the nerve to givemeadvice? To warn me off doing the very thing I’ve been workingso longfor? Todenymy abilities, myrights,after everything I’ve done to get here?’ I boiled over. My eyes burned. I shot to my feet, flung my arms about, began to scream the words. ‘Get out! Get out! Get out before I have you thrown out!’

Senafae scrambled out of the chair and backed towards the door, her hands held up as though to fend me off. Leela came barrelling into the room and looked from me to Senafae. She placed the tea tray on a side table.

‘I think it’s time to go, miss,’ she said firmly, ushering the woman I had once thought my friend and ally towards the door as I stood with my chest heaving, a finger still jabbed in the direction of the exit.

‘If you spent one moment looking beyond your own self-interest, you’d know I’m right,’ Senafae shot around my handmaid.

Leela managed to steer her out of the room, leaving me alone with my fury.

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