Page 43 of Mortal Queens

He stilled his hands. “The House of Delvers is becoming more powerful than the other two Houses, a thing that hasn’t happened for centuries. I have a few deals to make tonight as well to ensure it remains that way.”

“You could align with Bastian. I’m certain he would be eager for allies.”

“The boy king?” Talen adjusted his top hat. “I’ll reconsider that in a thousand years when he’s proven himself.”

Phrases like that would never stop jolting me.

“Here they come,” Talen warned. I resumed my relaxed position just as Odette swung open the doors to let the breeze barrel though.

The fae arrived at the same time, their chariots falling from the sky like rain in a downpour of splendor, masks, and smiles. They swarmed the courtyard and headed straight for the throne room. The first to enter stood tall with his hair long and golden to match the mane of the lion at his side.

I blinked.

The lion yawned while staying close to his master, though no leash held him there.

Talen leaned in. “He acquired the beast recently and likes to show it off. Apparently, it does tricks.”

“Fascinating,” I said with a strained tone. One bite and I’d be in the creature’s belly.

To my delight, almost every fae did a double take when they saw my throne, and each lingering look only fueled my pride.

Many came to my feet to lay down baskets of cakes, jewelry, scarves, or fruit. “For you,” they’d say with a short bow. “Our dear High Queen.” I nodded graciously to each, asking their name and promising to love the gift. One wrote a book of poems for me and tucked it into a basket. They brought an equal number of gifts for Gaia, their other beloved queen, but their eyes were only for me.

“They enjoy your art,” Talen said.

My eyes went to the side wall. As predicted, most fae gathered around the one depicting the ambassadors arriving in our world. Scarce fae had seen my home realm before, and they laughed at how small we seemed compared to them. A few wandered to the other mural, but as far as I could tell, none lingered before it.

“What’s the meaning of the bridge?” Talen asked, gathering the latest baskets to place behind the throne.

“Nothing,” I lied. “But if anyone makes a comment about it, I want to know.”

“I’m sure none will speak badly of such beautiful work.”

“Anything,” I emphasized. “I want to know anything. Even the most passing comment.”

Talen studied me before nodding.

I changed the topic. “Odette looks stunning tonight.”

Her cream dress hugged her hips perfectly and split toward the top to become strips of fabric that wove around her neck and arms.

Talen shot me a glance. “Did she say something?”

I gasped. “There’s a story there! I want to know.”

“It’s nothing.” He reddened and straightened his already perfect jacket. “She’s just a friend.”

“I thought friends were worthless,” I said, garnering a short look from him in reply. “Your words.”

His gaze drifted to Odette. “It’s a story best left alone.”

That did nothing but feed my hunger for the tale. His eyes held sorrow, leaving me to guess if it was something she’d done to him or a missed opportunity from years ago. From what I knew of Talen, he was sneaky and clever. Clearly handsome, like all the fae. Even for all his friends-are-useless talk, romance must have found him at some point in his long life.

“I do love interesting stories,” I said casually.

He hushed me. “Here comes your own interesting story, right on time.”

At Talen’s raised hand, a lyre came from the wall to play a tune, beckoning the fae deeper into the throne room where they gathered on both sides of the river before their queens. Outside, Bash’s chariot landed. He and Troi stepped off.