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She had to be a queen.

So she stifled her worry and marched through the halls, keeping her pace as serene and regal as she could manage. Luckily, she reached the antechamber to the throne room at nearly the same time Mehl, Toren, and Ria did. The kings, of course, appeared unperturbed. Only Ria’s brow was wrinkled in concern.

Tes did her best to give a reassuring smile before she spoke. “How would you like for me to proceed?”

“There will be courtiers milling about since court ended not long ago,” Toren said. “Otherwise, I would have you enter with us. But as we are greeting the envoy as sovereigns…”

Tes nodded in understanding. Being married to Ber made her a princess of Llyalia, but she wasn’t a ruler here. “I’ll walk around to the throne room’s entrance. I merely wanted to request that you not announce my presence. If one of them is highly ranked enough to recognize me, then so be it. But I would rather listen without their knowledge.”

“What about the secret tunnels?” Mehl asked. “You listened from there before.”

She gave an unwitting shudder. Even the thought of such passages after bearing witness to Aony’s death made her a little sick to her stomach. She could force herself to go through the tunnels, but she would rather risk being seen than suffering such distress during such an important meeting.

“I would rather be close if I need to step forward,” she said instead. It was also true—and it didn’t bare her fears. “It’s difficult to say what will be needed.”

At Toren’s assent, Tes wasted no time in bidding them farewell. Aside from Mehl’s piercing stare and Ria’s deepening frown, she didn’t want to miss the meeting. It absolutely wasn’t because Mehl and Ria might have guessed that Tes wasapprehensive about the tunnels now. Did it really matter if they knew?

She grimaced. It shouldn’t, but it did. She hated revealing too many vulnerabilities.

As such, Tes drew herself up tall as she neared the public corridors leading to the grand entryway. More courtiers must have lingered than Toren realized, for a crowd already blocked the end of the grand hallway. Tes muttered a curse beneath her breath. It would be a challenge to make it into the throne room before the message was delivered.

The vibrant blare of the herald’s horn reverberated down the hallway as Tes reached the crowd, but she couldn’t see around the corner from her current spot. How many were in the entourage? Did Toren have soldiers watching them closely? She sucked in a breath, pinching her lips closed lest another curse slip free while she stood near the courtiers.

“I knew there’d be trouble whenthat onereturned with a Centoi princess,” the man in front of her grumbled to his companion.

The other man snickered. “Forever causing problems.”

Tes’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. “That one has spent most of his life protecting you from King Ryenil,” she snapped. “Most recently working to prevent the assassination of King Toren.”

Both men’s shoulders snapped back in surprise, their muscles going taut like prey preparing to run. Slowly, they turned, their pallor revealing their fear as they bowed. “Forgive us, Your Highness. We didn’t know you were there.”

“You shouldn’t have uttered such nonsense even if I weren’t,” Tes said. “Or didn’t you realize that you’re disparaging High King Toren’s judgment and pronouncements concerning his brother at the same time you insult my husband’s honor?”

As the men blubbered apologies, Tes’s gaze slipped to the crowd. Quite a few now watched the commotion here, and while she didn’t want the envoys to see her if she could avoid it, she could make use of the current attention. Anything to get through the press of people.

“Let me pass through quietly,” Tes said, “And I’ll forget any unpleasantness here.”

The closest nobles appeared to be friends with one or both of the men, for they scrambled to part for her, allowing her to slip into the Grand Entryway. She only needed to make it to the throne room doors. There, one of the guards would assist her. And so, she worked her way forward with whispered requests and imperious looks. By the time she reached the doors, the whispers had followed ahead of her enough that the guard already expected her.

Tes eased behind an elaborately gowned woman near the back just as the lead envoy spoke again. “It is an honor that you have agreed to hear our request, Your Majesties,” the man said.

Lord Ilduin. Her father had sent Ilduin.

“Then do not squander that honor by delaying,” Toren said sharply.

“Of course, Your Majesty.” She could just make out Ilduin as he bowed. “His Majesty King Ryenil requests your assistance with the return of his daughter, Princess Lora, and her son. In addition, he demands Ber be sent to Centoi to receive punishment for his crimes. I’m afraid your brother attempted to murder our king.”

Toren didn’t so much as twitch. “Prince Ber sought to prevent King Ryenil from assassinating the Llyalian royal family, including Princess Etessa. Neither my brother nor the princess will be going anywhere at this time.”

An ominous silence descended, not even the courtiers daring to whisper. Then Ilduin cleared his throat. “You are mistaken,Your Majesty. Centoi and Llyalia have been allies for millennia. Would you threaten that status now?”

This time, Mehl leaned forward slightly. “Is it threatened?”

“By decree of King Ryenil, if you refuse his request, our alliance will be terminated.”

“I will not grant his request,” Toren replied in a steely tone. “Ever.”

Lord Ilduin straightened. “Then I’m afraid we are allies no longer.”