Knight's End: A Reverse Harem Fantasy (Tangled Crowns Book 3), page 13
That did make her grow pale. One did not chastise a queen in public and live.
Even my eyes grew wide at Declan’s declaration.
Diamoni was quick with her retort. “Your wife’s reign has been a disaster. Isla and Raj have both sent me word about their disastrous visits. And she’s lost the one thing that restrained the monster of the seas. Your wife’s ignorance has put us all at risk.”
“Her ignorance or your arrogance?” Declan stepped in front of me.
Diamoni’s knights took a step down from the stairs. Sailors, with the power to create wind, though it cost them their breath. Still, when they combined their efforts and alternated, they were able to push entire ships quickly through the sea. A fierce wind blasted us, whipping my hair straight back, nearly unseating my tiara. Declan reached back a hand to keep me upright as my skirts billowed and twisted around my legs.
The courtiers—who’d remained silent since our arrival—quietly took a few steps back, retreating behind pillars. This was more than they’d bargained for when they’d come to the palace today.
I hoped that our arrival, Diamoni’s arrogant display, and the impending attack would sway public opinion in our favor.
I stepped forward until I was side by side with Declan. I held up a hand and waited until Diamoni called off her shite husbands with a flick of her wrist.
“Despite your lack of hospitality, and utter arrogance, we came with important news for you. Isla isn’t only after us. She wished for an entire fleet of gargoyles from Raj. She wants Sedara.”
Diamoni’s stillness was her only reaction. I had surprised her. My arrival had surprised her, which Connor and I had expected. We hoped it was enough to make her question the quality of her informants, hoped it was enough to make her believe my claims.
We hadn’t anticipated her hostile welcome though, so I was uncertain what her next move would be. She surprised me by standing, descending from her dais, and coming to greet me with her hand outstretched. “I may have spoken in haste.”
“We all do upon occasion, no need to apologize,” I inclined my head to hide my smile.
Oooh, she hates that you said that, Blue told me.
I know. It’s why I said it.
Diamoni flicked her gaze from me to Declan, shifting gears and her tone. “My son,” her lips lifted slightly, as if that were as close as she could get to a smile.
His hand clenched around mine, fingers squeezing tight.
I called out to Blue. Tell Dec not to read her emotions. The woman was a living snake.
But … from the look on Declan’s face, it was too late.
Chapter Thirteen
Queen Diamoni descended with open arms and gave my knight an awkward hug. Then she took Declan’s arm, and urged her entourage to follow her. Her husbands trailed after her, leaving us awkwardly behind.
Once again, she broke royal protocol by not inviting one of her husbands to be my escort. She was snubbing me at every turn. That made everything we were about to do all the more justified in my mind. The bitch had evil coming to her.
She took us to what she called her receiving parlor, a small round room furnished in wood. But at least the echoing crystal was covered by tapestries. They muffled sound, which meant she expected some degree of privacy for the remainder of our conversation. I almost smiled to think that she’d get no privacy inside her own head.
Blue, what’s she thinking?
I don't know that you want to know, Blue's tone was dark. I looked over at him and though he kept his face controlled, like any experienced prince, his fingers were clenched into fists. I slid my arm through the crook of his elbow and pretended to be the doting bride. I smiled at him and batted my eyelashes.
Tell me.
She's wondering how she can weasel Declan away from us and lock him up so she can use him.
Blue's eyes flickered to mine in surprise. She wants him? She sent him away.
She wants his power. I suppose your father would've been the same, I raised an eyebrow.
Blue's face was calm as he accepted a cup of tea from a maid, but internally he gave a harsh bitter laugh. At least Declan is useful to his mother. My father wouldn't have minded if all of my brothers killed me.
Yes, royal parents have a tendency to be greedy-gut shites. How's Declan holding up?
He's trying to close off his power, but he’s having a bit of a hard time.
Donaloo’s annoying face popped into my head and I thought, If the wizard was here, he'd say some dense thing like hope is the pill that makes you swallow poison again and again.
You didn't rhyme.
I shrugged as I took my teacup. I stared down at the golden-edged white china. Tell Connor to be ready to heal us if this tea is poisoned.
You're joking.
Sadly, I'm not.
I thought other courts were better than my father’s.
Some are worse.
Yours isn’t.
The stupid wizard’s one-eyed face showed up again. I wondered if he was scrying me or something. He giggled as he danced a jig in my head. The answer to any question depends on who you ask. Ask only the one most suited for your task.
Go away! I shouted at him. Then I realized something. Something similar had happened to me before. When Quinn had sent me images, and I hadn’t known he could talk. I narrowed my eyes as I stared up at Blue. Did Quinn give him a bead?
No. Blue responded.
Then how am I …? Quinn had a habit of sending me annoying, inappropriate thoughts. Is Quinn sending these? I demanded.
Blue’s eyes widened and he quickly took a sip of tea, turning from me to engage in small talk with one of Sedara’s legitimate princes.
Dammit, Quinn! I thought-yelled as I tried to keep a pleasant smile on my face.
His chuckles sounded in my head. That nigmenog!
I’m gonna— I didn’t get any further in my threat before the crown princess arrived and greeted me. Unlike her mother, Princess Amabel curtseyed and smiled at me. Her curly black hair was shorn short, and a subtle tiara perched on her head. She wore a pale-yellow gown embroidered with soft green vines. I couldn’t help but think Dini would like it.
I smiled blandly back at Amabel, biting my tongue. I had to resist the urge to ask if the shadows Ryan had seen were sunken ships.
But then she had to ask, “And how is everything in Evaness?”
My court-face faltered. “Do you mean how does my capital look after the djinn attack? Or my forest after Isla ran two giants through it? Or did you mean the northern province Raj has seen fit to invade?”
Connor grabbed my arm and steered me away from the shocked princess. I’d broken protocol just as much as her mother had. “Excuse us, Her Majesty is a bit tired from her trip.” Connor deposited me in a chair and shoved a tiny slice of cake at me. “Eat some cake and let me do the talking.”
I pretended to take a sip of my tea and set my cake plate on my lap as I watched Declan’s ass of a mother usher him over to a settee and perched next to him, turning her back to us and putting her arm around him, giving all the appearances of an intimate, loving mother-son conversation. No one in the room was fooled.
Part of me was sickened by her ploy—by the fact that all of Connor’s predictions about her were right—the other part of me was happy that Declan could read her emotions and wouldn’t mistake her gestures for real.
The crown princess had drifted over to the cake table, as far away from me as she could get.
Next to me, Connor turned on his charm. He engaged two of Sedara’s princes in conversation. "Must say, I was impressed by those new ships you all sent over the last fall. Cut through the water like champions."
Both men smiled, eager to move from our tension filled conversations into more normal territory. "Yes, we’ve been perfecting that design for years."
"You all have a dangerous job. The sea is not a friendly place," Connor commented.
"Especially now," one of the princes muttered.
"True. That's why we came by air. I heard that sea witch is a bit of a beast."
"That's an understatement. Mayi cracks boats like twigs," the one with more grey in his beard muttered.
We have a name, Blue thought excitedly.
Yes, I responded. Mayi. Our monster had a name. But did she have a weakness?
I took another sip of my tea, trying not to hide my awe at how quickly Connor had moved the conversation in a direction that was useful for us.
"She's that powerful?" Connor asked, running a hand through his curls as if he couldn't quite fathom that. "I thought she could merely control the undertows."
I hadn't ever noticed before, but Connor often played ignorant, allowing the other party to be the expert and fill in all the details he needed. Realizing that just made him twice as attractive to me. I had to fight to keep my gaze on my teacup. I didn't want to interfere with his conversation in any manner. Especially not when I’d nearly lost my temper five minutes ago and ruined our shot at information all together.
"Undertows," one of the men scoffed. "No! She can control any sea water—causes horrid waves. I've seen her create a thirty-foot swell once. Seen her make a whirlpool, too."
"That's awful. Can't we stop her?"
The men laughed and shook their heads.
“It’s why we did. Until she got back the girl."
"You have to steal something that the sea sprite loves most."
Connor leaned back on his heels and tilted his head as if he was digesting this new bit of information. “But why?”
The prince shrugged and started to walk toward the cake table. “Not sure. My grandmother was a wizard’s paramour once. And that’s what he told her.”
I’d thought the princes had simply succumbed to Connor’s natural charm, and that I’d been ignored, but once the first had wandered off to the cake table, the second man sat down beside me. Connor gave me a warning glance. I widened my eyes slightly and he read my look.
“Prince Dane, how have your sugar fields done this year?” Connor asked the Queen’s husband. Just as my knights were not named kings, Sedara had long called the Queen’s husbands mere princes.
I smiled politely, like I was interested, but really, I was just sarding relieved Connor had given me a name so I didn’t embarrass myself.
"Quite a few storms we've had lately,” Dane replied vaguely.
I nodded. "It's a pity that we can't have fair weather when we want it."
Blue’s voice shot through my head. Quinn says this prince sometimes feeds him information. But he’s very—Quinn said Donalooish—is that a word? So, watch out.
Dane tapped the side of his teacup thoughtfully as he gazed at me. "True. True. We’d all like our way all the time.” He chuckled. “Life and weather don’t seem to cooperate like that. But storms lead to new growth, often allow young shoots to unfurl their leaves."
I couldn't help but think he wasn’t speaking about the weather. I felt sure of it when he glanced over at his daughter. But damn him for being like Donaloo! My smile was thin as I said, “I have a friend you might get along with. He likes metaphor, too. Drives me mad with it, actually.”
The prince smiled over the edge of his cup. “Sounds like a clever fellow. The unfortunate thing about driving people mad is that eventually the madness takes over.” His eyes flickered to the window and he stared at the wall.
Was he against it? Was he for it? Was the prince criticizing his wife for building it or was he saying that Raj and Isla had gone insane?
I’m about to throw my tea in his face, I warned.
Blue came hurrying over. He bent in front of me with a warning look as he said politely, “Let me take your plate—”
WHAM!
A teeth-rattling, chandelier shaking clap of thunder smacked my ears.
All eyes turned to look outside, where a group of soldiers on gargoyles, wearing Raslen blue garb gathered from a mountain near the sea, fluttered at the top of Sedara’s wall.
WHAM!
We watched a second gargoyle slam into the wall.
Diamoni shrieked, “Call out the elves! Repair the wall!”
One of her husbands hurried to do her bidding. But Dane stayed seated beside me.
Was it in protest or in shock? I wasn’t sure.
Again and again and again, the stone bodies clanged against the crystal. My ears rang but the gargoyles didn’t let up. They slammed one after another in a vertical line up and down the wall.
Warnings sirens went up throughout the capital—soldiers blowing through long conch shells.
People spilled out onto the narrow sidewalks like ants. The city had been dead when we’d arrived. Now it swarmed with panic as citizens realized they were being attacked.
I watched horror crease Princess Amabel’s face, and anger color Queen Diamoni’s.
My thoughts echoed Quinn’s whispers inside my head.
Good. We need them invested.
We needed Sedara in this fight. Needed their trained soldiers. Their ships. Their magic. And all the anger they could give.
A crack formed in the wall before Sedara’s elven slaves could climb up to repair it.
Princess Amabel appeared at my shoulder. “If they’re attacking us, you should leave.”
Queen Diamoni whipped around, eyes flashing. “How do we know you didn’t lead them? Invite them? Tempt them?”
“What incentive would I have to do that?” I asked. I was proud of how calm and emotionless the words came out. “I came here with the belief that we were allies.”
The crack spread and widened.
Diamoni turned to Declan and grabbed his arm. “Repair it. Use your power and repair it.”
Declan’s eyes flickered to mine. I held his gaze.
I tried to tell him I loved him with my eyes, tried to project my love across the room. I wasn’t certain if he was still blocking his ability to taste emotions.
But then a small smile crossed his face and he stepped out of Diamoni’s hold.
“I can’t,” he shrugged, looking her right in the face.
And I was proud of him, because I knew how hard that must have been for him to say.
Diamoni gestured and another of her husbands walked closer. Again, Dane stayed in his seat.
The queen took her husband’s arm. I noticed the move put his hand close to his scabbard, within quick reach of his knife.
Blue! I warned. They might hurt him!
Connor and Blue immediately stepped up behind the queen and cleared their throats.
Her husband turned.
That’s right you pig rutter, can’t kill all three of us, can you? Blue taunted mentally.
Diamoni appeared unphased by my husbands as she murmured, “Declan, this is your country, think of your sister—”
“I can’t,” Declan repeated, “because I don’t have that power anymore. I was killed and brought back without that power.”
Diamoni’s eyes flickered to her husbands. “That’s not possible.”
Beside me, Dane tilted his head. “Isn’t it? I had heard the mad wizard is in Evaness.”
Diamoni scoffed. “That fool—”
“That fool is loyal and good-hearted,” I interjected. “He’s gone out of his way to save more of my people than you ever have.”
“Call our castle mage!” Diamoni commanded. “Have him tested.” She jerked her head toward Declan, who took a step away from her.
But two guards detached themselves from the wall and approached.
I stood. “He’s no longer your citizen. You have no authority over him. Declan, come on, love. We’re leaving.”
“He’s standing on my soil. That means his life is mine if I want it.”
Her soldiers drew their swords.
Amabel stiffened but made no move to counter her mother. Neither did Dane.
I had no such qualms. She’d threatened my knight.
I shot peace at both her soldiers, aiming for their necks and faces. The room lit with green light as my wrists tore open. The soldiers’ eyes dulled, and their swords sagged.
Diamoni screamed at her husbands.
A blast of wind threw me into the wall. Connor and Blue ended up pinned against the tapestries as well. The force of the wind held my torso in place. I couldn’t escape it, though I tried. I was pinned.
The door opened and Diamoni’s mage walked in. He didn’t bat an eye at us, though Amabel had the decency to look a bit flushed, Dane a bit regretful even as he pinned us on his queen’s orders.
Diamoni gestured for the mage to join her and Declan. They whispered quietly.
That’s when the gargoyles stopped.
The pause turned every head in the room, including mine. The attack of air ceased and my knights and I were released. Every eye went toward the window.
The gargoyles flew up out of sight into the clouds. The attack had stopped. But why?
Quinn’s yell sounded in my head. Dove, Ryan says get out of there. Now!
A rumbling started in the distance. An ominous sound like thunder, unending thunder.
What is it? I asked Quinn. But he didn’t respond.
Connor and I exchanged a glance. His face remained calm, but his sea-colored eyes shot a warning at me. He gave me one of our childhood hand-signals. The one for escape.
I marched over and grabbed Declan’s hand. Queen Diamoni turned to tell me to stop, but that’s when the screaming started.
Tsunami!
Quinn’s yell roared in my head, just as I saw the wild white foam smash into the wall. The cracks made by the gargoyles crackled and spread. A trickle of water burst through in one spot.
I grabbed my knights and ignored Diamoni—who started shouting orders.
Her husbands poured out onto the balcony of the room. Wind raced toward the wall and over it, shoving back the crest of the tsunami.
We left them to the fight. We ran through the palace, Declan leading us through the halls, whipping past pastel-colored nobles who were whispering frantically to one another. We ran through the courtyard, which was rapidly emptying of soldiers marching toward the wall.
We got outside the castle walls.
“Pony!” I yelled, as Sedarian merchants streamed past us, fleeing the city with their wagons.
