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For once, she actually looked shocked.

Her eyes slid over to Jade, just for a second, before she stood from her seat and strutted out of the room.

“Good,” I said again. “Let me remind you all that traitors are not welcome here. Anyone who questions me can leave. Anyone who questions Jade can leave. Understood?”

“With all due respect,” the same man spoke, “your mother was the true queen. As your father’s first wife, she holds certain rights here. If she is still alive and willing to accept the position, the throne is rightfully hers.”

I was prepared for this topic to arise. Historically, it was rare for a woman to sit on the throne. Rewyth, however, held this unique tradition.

But it had been decades since my mother had been seen in Rewyth. Most of the kingdom will have forgotten about her presence here. And most of the kingdom would prefer a male on the throne, anyway.

My argument was strong.

I paused. “My mother is nothing. She is a traitor, she is a selfish witch, and she is no longer a free member of this kingdom.”

“Why?”

Lucien leaned across the table and answered before I could. “Why?” he repeated. “You question your own king? Esther is nothing more than an old woman who wants to cheat her way out of consequences. Believe Malachi when he says she is a traitor.”

The man clenched his jaw and leaned back in his chair. He had heard enough.

“Now about the prophecy,” I started. “Jade’s life is at risk every single day. The prophecy names her as the peacemaker. As you all know, the Paragon is in place to keep the power between witches and fae equal. Well, Jade’s power will change all of that. Whichever side uses her power in the curse-breaking ritual will have access to her power. Will have control of all power. The Paragon is coming for her to use her power for themselves.”

“And why is that so bad? They are fair, King Malachi. The Paragon will know what to do with her.”

I wanted to yell into his face. No, they were not fair. These fae were only fed spoonfuls of information to make themselves believe as much.

“It is bad because they will kill Jade for it. And as Jade is my wife, I’m sure you can see how I’m not letting that happen.”

The man glanced at Jade, then nodded.

Jade’s hand tightened slightly in mine.

Serefin spoke next. “Have we heard back from the scouts? Any movement on the horizons?”

Adonis answered, “I haven’t heard a single thing. It’s silent out there.”

“They’re waiting until we drop our guard,” I added. “They will hit us hard, and it will be soon.”

Another man at the end of the table leaned in and asked, “Do we even have the resources to fight them? If they come for our queen, how will we defend her?”

Our queen.A wave of relief washed over me to hear those words from a court member.

And it was immediately ripped away when the man to his right began laughing.

I recognized him. He was one of the men who held me back while Jade was whipped.

My vision blurred. “Something funny?”

He stopped laughing long enough to answer, “You kill your father, you remove a court member, you hide our true queen, and you deplete the castle’s resources in the name of a human. Yet you callustraitors?”

It took one second for my power to unleash upon him. He fell out of his chair, doubling over on the ground in pain.

Others gasped in surprise. I only narrowed my focus. More pain. More torture.

It only lasted ten seconds or so, but to him, it would feel like hours.

When I pulled my power back, he was nothing more than an empty threat on the ground.