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“So they say,” the secretary agreed. “But the news that the queen refuses to see her husband is a strange development.”

Ayla shrugged. “Either way, it would be a surprise if anyone but Princess Mariana ascends. It’s what the people expect.”

“Indeed.”

Ayla glanced toward the nearby steps where Rhett, Iona, and Calindra were finally approaching. “Beyond that, I’m not sure I can be of much help. Apologies, Your Highness.”

She scampered off, eager to join her ‘cousin,’ her heart hammering even faster than before. I frowned. For all that the queen had gone to great lengths to block Ayla’s magic, Ayla still didn’t wish her mother ill, and the news had clearly shaken her.

Rhett claimed an empty table, and as Ayla sat beside him, he leaned closer, whispering in her ear. I stepped closer so I could hear. “Calindra’s furious. Since she no longer has legal authority over Iona, like when we were teens, she can’t control Iona’s choices. But she can make it very difficult for Iona to leave Mer.”

“What does Iona want?” Ayla asked.

Rhett watched Iona, now gliding into a seat toward the front at a table she shared with her mother. “To be honest, there hasn’t been time to ask, but if you’re looking for dramatic distractions, it looks like you’ll have it.”

I didn’t doubt it. Everyone was now glancing between Rhett and Iona, the whispers already stirring.

Clearing her throat, Calindra stood, patting Iona’s shoulder as she addressed the room. “If we’re all here, let’s begin,” shecontinued, setting an agenda for the day. “Soon we should be celebrating our new agreement, one that sets a clear precedent of how the Isles will trade with Valterra.”

Pens began to scratch, royalty yawned, and I settled into one of the few remaining shadows of the bright room.

First order of business, the Starlit King’s secretary recapped why trade had changed and how the shades had fallen. Only…

Theirversion of events was quite different frommine.

Ayla impressed me, her expression remaining interested and curious, as if she hadn’t actually been there for the events in question. As for myself, I was fortunate to hide in the shadows where I could fume in peace.

The way the secretary told the story, once Eleanor had been denied public permission by the Starlit King to claim her throne, he had apologized in private, giving her resources to complete the task in secret. Allegedly, the deception was to ensure Inarus’s spies didn’t suspect her arrival.

Lies.

“They were successful, but their success depended upon means we didn’t account for,” the secretary continued.

My skin crawled, wondering what level of deception they were weaving next. None of it explained why the Starlit King would go through such lengths to create a false narrative.

The secretary cleared his throat. “We have learned that through their fight, Zayne, the Shadow Prince, fell to the dark persuasion of his former teacher. He destroyed Inarus through necromantic means.”

Ah.

There it was.

Abruptly, whispers broke out throughout the room, some crying out with disgust. Despite the fury raging in my chest, I cautioned my shadows to remain close.

Perhaps in this case, the truth was far worse than a lie.

A merchant stood to shout. “You mean the shades can return at any time?”

“Fortunately, Prince Zayne would have to rebuild the army, and since the isle is largely uninhabited, any attempts to do so would take time.”

“No wonder the Shadow Prince showed such a poor aptitude for conventional shadow magic,” a member of the Dawn Court mused.

The secretary nodded. “His powers were dulled within the Starlit Court. Another reason our king was merciful to host the exiled siblings.”

Another asked, “Is he still working with his sister, the Shadow Queen?”

“We don’t know.”

The questions continued, and I watched, increasingly frustrated by how easily the Starlit King pulled the strings.