Page 51 of Queen of Ever

She sighed.‘Almost seems more trouble than it’s worth.’Then she flicked her gaze from our hands to my face, as though she was reading a story in my features.‘I heard some stories about you in the Seelie Court, you know.About you being wild and losing control of your magic all the time.I even heard you collapsed the Unseelie throne room right before I ran.’

I shifted, uncomfortable.‘Let’s just say I didn’t give up your fiorainm calmly.And that I used to lose control a lot.’I searched her gaze, trying to see if there was wariness there, if the stories had scared her.‘But I’m better at keeping a hold of myself now.Safer,’ I added just in case.But her green eyes held mine with warmth, with curiosity, and I couldn’t see even a shadow of fear.

‘And having control is how you do that, right?It’s why you were so angry, wasn’t it?About the mate bond?’

I laced our fingers together, gently squeezing hers, mystified by her and the way she seemed to so easily decipher me, like I was as transparent as glass.‘I don’t like having my choices taken away from me.But I was so busy being angry that I was blinded to how lucky I was.’

She smiled, eyes crinkling, and I kissed her.Wondered at how raw I felt when I looked at her, like all my emotions were exposed to the surface, like she was wearing away decades of stony defences that had crusted over all the loneliness.I realised with a sudden, disorienting epiphany that I was in love with her.That I had been for a while.That I hadn’t told her.That I didn’t know how to say the words.

‘What’s going to happen when the conclave is over?’she asked, unaware that I was wrestling with my courage.

‘I don’t know exactly.We’re going to have to decide soon, though, because we’ll be signing an amendment tomorrow.’

‘You’re what?!’Imogen sat bolt upright, all softness suddenly gone from her face.

‘Signing the amendment,’ I said simply.When she just continued to stare at me, I tried to figure out what the confusing part was.‘The sooner it’s done, the sooner we leave,’ I added, hoping that would help.

‘But what terms did you agree to?’

‘I don’t know, the High Council argued the details.’The look she was giving me could only have been described asincredulous.‘I know the important parts,’ I added defensively.‘We’ve agreed to a temporary amendment that’ll begin when it’s signed and end when the uprising is put down.We’ll have time to find the lesser fae rebels beforehand, then we’ll converge and dismantle them.’

‘Dismantle them?’

‘As we always do when there’s an uprising.’

‘Tarian, these are lives we’re talking about, not furniture.’

‘I didn’t make them attack the Unseelie Palace.I didn’t start the killing.’

She softened a little, frowning as she seemed to remember Arun.‘I’m not saying what they did was right,’ she said.‘But… Ethan is lesser fae.’

‘Ethan isn’t stupid enough to be hanging around with a rebel group.’

She chewed her lip, turning her gaze into the fireplace, quiet for a while.I stroked the backs of my fingers down her arm, not sure how to reassure her, to give her what she needed, to steal the worry from her face.

‘Will they be killed?’she finally asked, not looking at me.

‘That’s how we deal with insurrection.Their fate has never been in question.We’ve just been nailing down the specifics of how to go about it.’

‘Just because that’s how you’ve always done it doesn’t make it right.I’ve seen how High Fae treat lessers.I can see why they want their freedom from your rule.’

I shifted a little, locking my hands behind my head.‘It’s notmyrule.My job here is to occupy a seat and sign whatever’s waved at me.I’m not here to campaign for lesser fae rights.’

She turned back to me, lines of unease drawn along her face.‘Maybe you should be.’

Huffing a sigh, I took her arm, drew her down to me.She resisted for a moment, then softened, allowing herself to be pulled close, wrapped in my arms.‘Alright, maybe I should be.But not now, Imogen.Not while we have to untangle a prophecy and mollify Solas and steal you away from the Seelie Court.’And find a way to overthrow my mother, I added silently, because saying that aloud was too dangerous, in this room in the Seelie quarters of an ancient castle.Who knew who might be listening.‘Right now, extracting us from this pissing contest between the courts is my priority.And I’ll sign whatever I have to if it means getting us out of here.’

She wasn’t convinced.I could almost hear her mind ticking over.And as much as I wanted her to just trust me, the fact that she cared about this faceless group of rebels was compelling, just another facet of the dazzling differences that made her so unlike other High Fae.She was always ready to question me.I liked it as much as I hated it.And I held her tighter for it.

I felt less sure of my decision as I was entering the old throne room the following evening.The room swum with shadow, rendered dark by an exposed night sky choked with cloud.Unnecessarily ominous.I considered whether Eochaid needed to be replaced.He was clearly doing little to actually maintain the old castle.

The throne itself was a looming spectre of a time long past, a twisting sculpture of thorny vines run through with veins of black and gold, sprouting pale flowers that were more magic than plant, all dusted with a glittering frost that would neither wither the blooms, nor melt.Summer and winter, night and day, combined in a symbol of a unity that had only ever been wielded by Oberon himself.None would ever sit on that throne again.But we’d sign our amendment here as though we could summon a little of that dead unity to serve us now.

Despite the decaying setting, the air buzzed with an energy that had nothing to do with the cool, shifting winds reaching through the shattered ceiling to ruffle the gathered courtiers.Everyone was looking forward to leaving.Even Solas appeared satisfied as we approached the foot of the throne, which sat on a raised dais that put its feet in line with our heads.Eochaid was already waiting there, slump shouldered and heaving a heavy sigh every few minutes.

‘You agreed to your terms much faster than usual,’ he said glumly.‘I’d prepared for a much longer stay.’

‘The Unseelie were more… conciliatory than I expected,’ Solas said.I shot a look to the ceiling, already picturing climbing onto Melaie and soaring away.Picturing the look on his face when I took Imogen with me.

---