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‘We’ve been waiting a long time for someone to be gifted it,’ the queen said.‘It is said that only Oberon’s true heir will possess creation magic.’

‘But I’m not his heir,’ I said, confusion furrowing my brows.This was all too much to take in.Were they saying I was related to Oberon?Wouldn’t that mean I was related to Tarian?That was a can of worms I was not interested in opening.

‘It doesn’t mean you’re related to him,’ Marietta said as if she’d guessed my train of thought.‘It means you’ve been chosen by fate to take his place.It means that you have chief claim to both the Seelie and Unseelie thrones, and the power to reunite the kingdoms he split so long ago.’

‘To what?’I asked, my voice raising an octave as panic set in.‘You mean as a ruler?’

‘Yes, that’s exactly what we mean,’ the queen said cheerily.

‘You can’t be serious,’ I said, my anxiety rising with every passing second.‘I can’t rule a kingdom.’

‘You must have been expecting that is what you would eventually do at Tarian’s side.What’s the difference?’

‘The difference is that Tarian would have been king.You’re asking me to put my hand up to rule an entire realm of beings, to rule a realm I didn’t grow up in and know very little about!’

I needed a paper bag.I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs.I was going to pass out.

‘No.I can’t do that.Who would accept that, anyway?’I continued around my panting breaths.‘There has to be another way.Marietta could rule the Seelie, and—’

Marietta took my hand in hers and the contact calmed some of the turmoil in my head, forcing me to close my mouth before I rambled anymore.

‘As much as I don’t like to admit it, I agree with her,’ Cassian said.‘She might have Oberon’s power, but she’s a stranger here.And even if she wasn’t, how would you get her on the throne?’

‘She has the right of challenge,’ Marietta said.‘That’s why Solas wants her so badly.He intends to use their marriage to take that right for his own and defeat Moriana.’

‘How the hell was he planning to do that?Moriana would eat his beating heart while he bled to death on her floor,’ Cassian said with a snort.I didn’t doubt that, either.Solas might have power and he could definitely be scary, but Moriana was next level.

‘I doubt he planned to fight fair,’ Marietta said.‘But getting Imogen on the throne poses no new problems to us than putting me or Tarian on it.’

‘Except that Tarian at least has control of his magic and an understanding of the opponent,’ Cassian countered.

‘And me?I have no magic at all.’

‘Enough bickering, children,’ the queen said, rubbing her temples.‘The fact is, Imogen is heir to both crowns if she chooses it, and by doing so, she could unite this land in a way that hasn’t been seen by most living fae today.It is the best way to bring about peace not only between the courts but to our people.’

‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’I asked, almost afraid to break into the conversation.‘EvenifI wanted to—and I don’t—why would anyone follow me?’Raised by humans in another realm, bonded to the Unseelie prince, unaware of the culture, the customs, the traditions, no idea what the problems of this place were or how the hell to fix them.What did someone like me know about any of this?It was a ridiculous idea, one that didn’t even warrant considering.

Before the conversation could go any further, the door burst open.‘Sorry to interrupt, Your Majesty,’ a fae said, his height so slight that if it weren’t for the depth of his voice, I’d have mistaken him for a child.‘We have a… problem.’

‘What is it?’the queen asked.

‘Prince Tarian is at the surface.’

Tarian was here?My heart leapt and for a moment everything else was forgotten, giving way to a wave of relief.Until the queen spoke again.

‘He found us much faster than we thought he would,’ she said, frowning.

‘Time to make a choice, princess,’ Cassian said, his voice firm as he stared me down with hard eyes.I was sure he would lock me up and throw away the key if he thought it was warranted.‘Are you with us or are you against us?’

As much as I wanted to push him because he was an arse, there was something more important at stake.These people didn’t deserve what was happening to them, the slavery, the abuse, being forced to hide underground to protect themselves and their children.I may not want to rule the realm, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t sympathetic to their plight.‘I will help you as much as I can manage,’ I said.‘Right now, that means you need to let me speak to Tarian before he finds a way to get in here on his own.’

‘Fine, but you’re not going out there alone,’ Cassian said.Clearly he didn’t trust easily, and I couldn’t really blame him for that, I supposed.Technically, I was High Fae, not one of them.Rather than argue with him, I let him lead the way.

I only hoped I could make Tarian understand.

Chapter 26

Tarian