Page 70 of A Monarch's Fall

Did that really just happen?

Vladimir Obscurum believes the hands of power are changing in his favour.

Was this information for Grandmother or Selene? Both, I decided. But what possessed him to tell me such an incriminating idea?

I wasn’t unaware of how I am perceived. In part, it was by design. I didn’t want to be confined by my status as heir to my House. I didn’t want a stuffy future concerned with trade, alliances, and kingdom rankings. I didn’t want to be treated as such either; there was nothing more boring. I wanted power to live as I pleased. I didn’t need a husband to command me; I needed a servant husband for me to command.

Yet I couldn’t help but be a little miffed that it seemed I wasn’t simply perceived to be carefree and uninterested in the politics of the Houses, but rather that I was also clearly viewed as mentally incapacitated.

Vlad had to view me as entirely cognitively docile, incapable of harbouring a single dangerously intelligent thought or knowing what to do with one if I had it.

It was the only explanation as to why he would be so comfortable revealing such a ludicrous notion to me. I laughed aloud and gathered the attention of a Borealis servant as they passed, pulling a cart of towels and linen. I listened to their thoughts as Grandmother had requested.

“Obnoxious noble. So many of them this time. Why are there so many of them?”

More than House Coactus and Obscurum were clearly arriving early to the Royal Conference. It was likely that this would be the most highly attended in history.

Perhaps I was wrong to be offended. Vlad was not exactly known for his intelligence. His extramarital escapades, which I was certain were kept from his wife only because of her standing — no one wanted to upset a Borealis noble — were hardly a secret. I had learned so, unfortunately, after our own tryst. If Amelia Borealis wished to enact revenge against all those who had slept with her husband, the list would contain a substantial number of eligible noble women. It was essentially an open secret to everyone outside of Borealis.

Was I a bad friend for not questioning Selene about whether she was aware of the fool that Vlad made of her relative? It had never come up in conversation. I wouldn’t purposefully lie if she were to ask me. Not unless she seemed likely to take a personal grievance against me.

It didn’t do anyone any good to ponder too long on what-ifs.

Life was for the here and now.

And Selene needed me. It was so difficult to find a true friend outside of your House and coven, especially among the noble elite. Everyone was out for themselves. Perhaps that was what made Selene and me different. Selene was not concerned with her title and standing because they had always been ensured since birth, which allowed for an easy friendship to form, as neither of us required or wanted anything from the other beyond friendship.

Perhaps not sharing her cousin’s husband’s infidelity did not technically make me a bad friend, but not sharing information which could affect her House and potentially Percy would.

Poor Percy. I hoped that she was okay. I worried greatly about how Selene was handling the absence of her soul match. I had felt the grief of losing a soul match; it was one of the gifts I was required to experience when I came into my magic. A memory that was to be shared so that we knew how important such a bond was. The last Coactus witch to have and subsequently lose a soul match had been my great-great-grandmother and her husband, who had both passed long before my birth. My great-great-grandmother had gone first before her husband followed, after a period of being driven mad with grief; he chose to follow her, unable to stay and live with the loss.

I decided that I had to inform Selene of Vladimir and his suggestions regarding the standing of Obscurum.

It wasn’t difficult to find my way around; the servants were more than helpful with directions, even offering to escort medirectly to the Royal Wing. Selene had a whole floor to herself. Rylan stood guard outside the entrance along with another of his men.

“Lady Coactus,” he greeted.

“Captain,” I replied. “Is she home?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered and seemed to hesitate.

“Speak freely. We are best of friends, and I am here to offer her my support. How is she?” I asked.

“You are aware that Percy was taken from House Ardens during the attack?” he asked.

“Isn’t the whole kingdom?” I answered.

He nodded in understanding.

“I’m afraid that the Princess is not coping well. She was injured during the attack, and now it seems that her emotional state is out of balance. She is oscillating between calm control to dangerous anger,” he told me.

“I think that was the case before she even left Sanguis Academy,” I replied with a confident smile. “I can handle anything Selene throws my way,” I insisted.

“If you require any assistance, I am right here,” he said as he held open the door to her floor.

I nodded in understanding as I passed.

“Which room is Selene’s?” I asked as he shut the door without answering.