Page 88 of Boundless

“Ah, she can say more than her name!” said Jasewine, then grabbed her fork and touched it to the side of her glass.

“Jasewine,” Rune said, but she waved him off.

“I’m only joking. The mood in this room is depressing. Cheer up, everyone! You’ve got a reading and you know where you’re going—smile a little.”

Nobody smiled, but I did want to. Because she was right—if there is a place like Raja described in the Unseelie Court, that was where we were going. That was where the heir would be.

“Raja, I need all the information on the people who rule the Unseelie Court before we ask them to arrange a visit,” Rune said, and my heart jumped.

“Are you sure that is a good idea? It hasn’t been two full weeks since you’ve been crowned. You need to stayhere,sit on your throne,” Raja said.

“Or you can just give me the crown to keep safe while you’re away.” Jasewine winked at him, which pissed Raja off.

“The people are restless,” she said, throwing Jasewine a look before she turned to Rune again. “They’ve been plotting and scheming against you. They need to see youhereif they’re going to be kept in their place.”

“Why?” I said, because that didn’t sound right to me. “Why would they be plotting and scheming against Rune?”

“Because he’s a bastard,” Jasewine said.

I looked at Rune, who’d closed his eyes and was breathing deeply. “So what? Doesn’t the throne decide who its the ruler will be?”

“It does,” said Raja. “But they’ve been spreading these conspiracy theories about how Rune tricked the throne when he killed Helem. I’ve heard stories. Some people actually believe them.”

“They’re idiots. They all know how thrones work. They’re just a bunch of idiots,” Jasewine said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at me. “Tell me, what are those pants you have on? Is that how everyone dresses in Nerith? Not going to lie, they look like something made for the poor.”

Oh, hell…“I?—”

“Idiots they might be, but if there are enough of them, they can pose a threat to the king,” Raja said before I could answer, her voice echoing in the tall ceiling of the eating hall. “They must be stopped at once, all these ridiculous ideas squashed while they are still new.”

“And they will be,” Rune said. “As soon as we settle this.”

“This isn’t a—” she started, but Rune had heard enough.

He stood up, pushed his chair back, and told her, “The fate of the realm depends on us finding the Unseelie heir and returning them to their throne. People who plot and scheme will make no difference if we can’t do that, will they, Raja? It won’t matterwho sits on the thrones because there will be no more thrones if the werewolves lose control of the gates.” He turned to Maera. “Please correct me if I’m wrong, Maera.”

“You’re not,” she said without hesitation. “The ley lines are not stable. Without the gates to keep them in check, there is no telling what they can do to Verenthia, and in a very short amount of time.”

Raja opened her mouth. Looked at both of them. Closed it.

“I never thought I’d see the day. Aunt Raja, speechless.” Jasewine clapped. “What a wonderful occasion. Cheers.” She raised her glass of wine, then drank.

“Maera, you and your friends will be escorted to your chambers to rest. I will call for you once we have word from the Unseelie Court. Please, consider yourselves at home,” Rune said, and the way he spoke just now was different. So different from the man he used to be when we first met.

I liked it. I liked the sound of him, the way he moved. The way he was so very respectful toward Maera. But at the same time, it scared me.

Because he was here now, and he was indeed king, and all the ways I’d once imagined us ending up together and happy and free were now rendered impossible. No matter what choice I made from here on out—impossible.

Then he reached out his hand to me. “If you’re done with your food, we can go rest, too.”

Fuck, yeah, I was done with my food. I couldn’t even speak the words, though. I just took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. Easiest thing in the world to do to follow his lead.

“You’ll be okay, right?” I asked Maera, and the man and woman sitting on her other side. She’d sent two of them back home, and only two had remained, had changed back to human once we entered the palace. A soldier had brought them clothes, too, black cloaks to cover them completely, and leather shoes aswell. They hadn’t once spoken to me, but they did look at me now. At me, and then Rune. Curious. Suspicious.

“We will. Go rest. We all need it,” said Maera with a small smile. It wasn’t forced, but it wasn’t entirely genuine, either.

“If you’ll follow me, Alpha,” Raja said when Rune took me around the table.

“Maera is just fine,” she said, and Raja didn’t smile. As she waited for them to leave the table, she looked at me as Rune led me toward the doors. I could almost see the order she wanted to give me, written in her eyes—don’t let him leave.As if she thought it was a choice.