Page 35 of The Shadowed Throne (Midlife Fairy Tale #4)

“ W here is he?” Anyka paced the sitting room. She’d had dinner in her quarters already, and most of the village was dark. Bea and Dren, who’d been well received at breakfast, were having a private dinner in the royal dining room this evening.

“Well?” she said. “Where is he?”

No one, not Hawke, nor Ishmyel, nor Grylan answered her question. Galwyn tipped his head as if pondering an answer.

Only Wyett ventured to speak. “I’m sure Nazyr is doing his best to return, my lady.”

“I hope so. If she’s decided to hold him prisoner, I swear I will call down every dark spell I know to curse that wretched woman and her blighted kingdom.” The very idea thrilled the darkness within her. She pointed at Grylan. “You will do the same, you understand me?”

He hastily nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

If he actually could. As of yet, Grylan had not come up with a spell that would give her the power to take possession of Merediem. Nazyr really was her only hope. And he had yet to return from Summerton.

Hawke glanced at Grylan next to him as if he was utterly useless, which was not an inaccurate assessment.

Shadows edged Anyka’s vision. “Can’t you at least cast some sort of spell that will show you where he is?”

“I’ve never tried that, my lady. I could attempt it. I believe I would need something of Minister Nazyr’s, along with hallowed water, a crystal bowl and the ashes of a?—”

“Oh, shut up. Just say you can’t do it. What good are you?” she snapped, looming over him.

He cringed. “I can try, but such spells are not always?—”

Trog opened the door and came in, stepping to the side. Behind him in the open doorway, a guard bowed.

Anyka stared at them. “What is it?”

The guard stepped forward. “Minister Nazyr has returned. He asked that you be told.”

She sucked in air. “He’s back? And safe?”

“He seems so, your highness. He went to his quarters to bathe and change. He said he was tired.”

She closed her eyes, able to breathe again. “I’m sure he is. Take him word that I would like to see him as soon as possible.”

The guard nodded but stayed where he was as if waiting for more.

“ Now .”

He hurried off.

With a long exhale, she took her chair, leaning back and letting the tension she’d been holding release. Nazyr had returned. He had not been held prisoner by Sparrow, but then, Anyka should have known Sparrow wouldn’t do that.

She was too weak and kind. Too much a devotee of peace to even think of taking a prisoner. Anyka almost laughed. It was going to be so easy to rid the realm of that meddlesome woman. Shame it wouldn’t be more of a challenge, really.

She lifted her glass of pear brandy and took a sip. The sweet liquid made its way down her throat with a delightful burn. It wasn’t as good as the blackberry, but it wasn’t half bad. She was growing rather fond of it, actually.

She gestured at Grylan with the glass. “You can go. I suggest you get back to work on that sword problem and solve it, if you want to retain your position.”

“Yes, my lady.” He practically fell out of his chair, bowed, and rushed away.

“You’re awfully hard on him, aren’t you?” Hawke asked as the door closed behind Grylan.

“He’s a disappointment. How would you have me treat him? As though he were a prize?” Her right eye twitched before the last word left her mouth. Hawke was starting to be a bit of a disappointment, too.

“No, of course not.” Hawke glanced at Ishmyel.

Ishmyel wove his fingers together and placed his hands in his lap. “We should discuss your plan in more detail, your highness. Make sure nothing is left to chance. We all want it to go perfectly and for you to be successful. And safe.”

“Yes.” Even the voices in her head agreed with that. “Hawke, you’re the Minister of Defense. Strategy should be something you’re very familiar with. How would you do this?”

He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. “Well, to do that it would be good to know how many she’s bringing with her. And who they are. That would help a great deal in making sure we have all possibilities covered.”

“I’m sure we can request that information. For security purposes. If she balks at that, we can assume she has something up her sleeve.”

“Indeed,” Hawke said. “For now, let’s assume she’ll have her personal security?—”

“Nightborne,” Anyka snarled. Black tendrils crawled across her vision. “He is a traitor to his people. He must be put down.”

Hawke’s brows lifted. “During this operation, my lady?”

“No, let’s allow him to scurry back to Summerton, shall we? Then find a new way to end him.” She rolled her eyes. “You try me.”

“I only wanted to be clear.”

“Use your brain. Yes, of course during this operation. How many chances do you think we’re going to get?”

“Right.” Hawke swallowed. He ticked the names off on his fingers as he spoke them.

“So Queen Sparrow, Nightborne, most likely her Professor of Magic, and a handful of guards. I guess it’s possible she’ll bring Prince James, but I doubt Nightborne will let both the queen and her heir be together like that. ”

“Because he knows I’d kill the heir, too.”

He looked up at her. “Who do you wish to bring?”

“You, my uncle, my councilor, and Nazyr.”

“Not Trog?”

“Trog goes everywhere I do. Yes, he will come.”

“Any guards?”

She paused. “I suppose I ought to, for the sake of appearances. Two, then.”

“So eight of us. We really should inform her. She might turn back if she sees she is outnumbered.”

“All right, that’s fine. It won’t matter how many she brings.”

He frowned. “Surely you don’t want me to tell her that.”

“No.” She shook her head. “We will expect her to bring the same number that we do. That seems reasonable to me. Or do you disagree?”

“No, I think it’s as it should be.”

“Wonderful.” She had no idea if he noted her sarcasm or not, nor did she care. “I question if I shouldn’t bring Beatryce.”

“Really?” Ishmyel asked.

“Yes. It would be good for her to see what her mother is capable of. It might also help prepare her for her own time as queen. She’s about to be married. It’s high time she sank her teeth into her royal duties. I’ve allowed her to coast for far too long.”

Ishmyel nodded. “I abide by your decision.”

“Thank you,” Anyka said. As if any argument from him would change her mind. The more she thought about it, the more bringing Beatryce appealed.

Then the smirk on Ishmyel’s mouth caught her attention. “What is it?”

He blinked, the smirk disappearing. “I was just thinking that Queen Sparrow is going to have no idea what’s coming.”

“No, she won’t. Which I find oddly … sad.”

“Sad?” He made a face. “How so?”

“Because she will be dead before she has a chance to absorb how deftly I have bested her. She’ll never get to see me on the Radiant throne.

Never hear the news of her son’s death or her aunt’s imprisonment.

I hope that one of her dying thoughts is the realization that my parents have finally been avenged.

But the truth is, most likely every bit of pain and sorrow she deserves will be lost. That makes me sad. ”

But just saying all of that out loud had filled Anyka with a warm, dark bubble of happiness. Sparrow’s end was in sight.

Again, she heard the door to her quarters open. She glanced over to see Nazyr entering. He was in simple robes, and he did, indeed, look tired.

He bowed. “My lady.”

“Sit, please. Do you want something? A brandy?”

He took a seat, shaking his head. “It is kind of you to offer, but as soon as you no longer have need of me, I am going to bed.”

“Tea, then? Something soothing?”

“That would be most welcome.”

She glanced at Wyett, who nodded and went to get tea for Nazyr.

The old sorcerer continued. “I am pleased to say the mission was successful. You were right.”

Anyka gasped. “That is the most wonderful news.” She pressed her hands together, barely able to contain her excitement. “What did she say? Did you have a hard time getting an audience? Were you harmed in any way?”

He lifted his arm and pulled back his sleeve. Bruises darkened his wrist. “I was manhandled a bit, but the guards had no idea who I was, only that I was a Grym on a warhorse come from Malveaux.”

She shook her head at how he’d been treated. “They will pay for hurting you. Soon.”

“As for what I said, I simply told them who I was and that I wished to pass on a message from Queen Anyka to Queen Sparrow. It took some time. They held me quite a while before I was taken to her.”

Wyett brought Nazyr his tea, then went to sit. “We’re very pleased you made it back, Minister Marwood.”

“Thank you. It is good to be back. I look forward to sleeping in my own bed.”

“I’m sure you do,” Anyka said. “And I don’t want to keep you too long, but there are things we need to discuss.”

“I’m listening,” Nazyr said.

“Grylan is struggling to come up with a spell that will allow me to take possession of Merediem. I’ll be wearing Mourning Hawke to the meeting with her as proof of how serious I am, and I plan to let her know that so she’ll wear Merediem.

” Anyka rarely wore her royal sword, preferring her collection of daggers for protection, but if it meant forcing Sparrow to bring Merediem, it was worth doing.

Nazyr’s brows lifted, and he blinked. “That will not be an easy spell, but I will see how I can aid him tomorrow. What else might I do for you?”

“I want to bring Beatryce to the meeting. She’ll need some kind of protection.”

He nodded. “I will prepare an amulet for her.”

“Wonderful.” Was it her imagination, or was there a new spark in his eyes? The woods had been just what he’d needed. “Go to bed. We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Thank you, your majesty. I look forward to it.” He stood, bowed, then left.

She gestured to Wyett. “Fetch Chyles. Let’s put together another letter for Sparrow now that she’s agreed. I want to do everything in my power to be sure she brings Merediem and her son.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Anyka smiled. “The more I can accomplish at this meeting, the better.”