There was a palpable fear hanging over the room as Virelai slipped inside and took up a place in the back. If she was lucky, no one had noticed her late arrival.

Her father was droning on about something or other, but she tuned it out. Instead, she took the chance to scan the faces in the room. Who had survived the night and who was missing? Soldiers mingled with the crowd of courtiers, but it appeared to Virelai that at least a third of the usual elves were not present.

It was fewer than she would have expected, but then again, the courtiers maintained their position by bending to whoever held the most power. Their loyalty was near worthless when it shifted with the wind.

"They will bow to us, or they will die. The elves will rule both worlds as it was meant to be," Gavaran roared, drawing Virelai’s focus back to him.

The crowd flinched when he slammed a fist against the throne he’d had constructed for this occasion, the first address of his new court.

Gavaran’s eyes passed over the gathered courtiers and spotted her leaning against the wall.

"Ah, Virelai. Come, daughter." He beckoned her forward.

The crowd parted to let her through as she headed for the throne. Virelai held her head high as she brushed past the others. Her mask firmly in place. She was an expert at hiding her true feelings by now. After all, she had learned from the best.

Arriving before her father, she curtsied, holding the pose until he bid her to rise. She hated having to bow before him, but she would do it. If it meant furthering her own plans, she would do just about anything.

"What is that?" Gavaran asked, looking down at her. She glanced down at herself to see what he was staring at.

There was the smallest spot of blood marring her dress. She hadn't touched Eryx when she’d brought Wisteria to the house, but somehow a bit of blood had still managed to work its way onto her skirts.

Careless, she berated herself. She had to be vigilant, especially now with the new secrets she was hiding. If she slipped up, her father would start asking questions about her and that was something none of them could afford.

"It's nothing. I spilled jam at breakfast," Virelai lied. She hoped he would believe it. Thankfully, he didn't comment on the dark smudges under her eyes after a long night of little sleep. She was supposed to have been tucked into bed, fast asleep, while the takeover happened.

"I see," he said. "Do be more careful, daughter. You represent me now. We don't want people thinking you are ... imprudent."

She swallowed nervously. He suspected something.

And why wouldn't he? He was suspicious of everyone else. What was to stop him from suspecting his own daughter?

"Of course, Father," Virelai said, bowing her head. "It won't happen again."

She wondered why he had called her before him. Was it only to berate and embarrass her in front of the others? Was he trying to prove that even she held no power in the new court? No matter, she would have to endure without complaint.

"Good," Gavaran said.

Virelai could feel his eyes boring into her, but she didn’t lift her head.

"The rest of you are dismissed."

She peeked from beneath her lashes as he waved his hand at the group behind her, as though shooing away an annoying insect.

The courtiers scurried from the room. None of them wanted to be singled out as Gavaran’s next target. His reign so far had been short, but brutal. In the hours since he’d taken control of the city, dozens had died and that had been after the fighting had stopped.

Gavaran didn't ask questions, only ordered executions. If he decreed you would die, your head was his. A fresh row of them decorated the outside of the city already. It was a message to anyone who dared disobey him. He would rule by fear and fear alone.

Personally, Virelai thought it was tacky. If she was ruling, she wouldn't use such cruel and gruesome methods to consolidate her power—she wouldn't need to.

Fear was all well and good, but you couldn't hold a kingdom long term on that alone. Even she knew that. Gavaran wouldn't be able to hold his newfound power for long. The thought made her want to smile, but she knew better than to show a hint of happiness in front of her father. He would pounce on it and rip it apart.

"Now then," Gavaran said after the room had emptied of everyone except his personal guards. "I wanted to speak to you about your new role in the next era of my kingdom."

Virelai mentally rolled her eyes. If things went according to her plans, it would be a very short era.

"In case you thought you might be named as my heir, let me inform you that you will not, nor ever will be my heir. No female will again rule this kingdom. They have driven us into the ground, and I will no longer allow that to happen. Even you, my daughter, are not fit to handle the duties of a ruler."

Her gaze snapped up from the floor to meet his eyes. He smiled cruelly at her small show of surprise.

Virelai wanted to protest, but she knew better. Not a dissenting word would slip past her lips. Instead, she merely said, "Of course, Father. I will follow whatever path you have chosen for me."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

For now, she added in her head.

She would bide her time, and then she would strike. She had waited this long. What was a bit longer? Besides, what was her father going to do when the magic chose its new queen? He couldn't mean to kill every female elf, and that is what he would have to do to stop the power from passing. Even he would be no match for someone who held that kind of strength.

"Very good. I knew I could count on you to see reason, Virelai. The first order of business will be to find you a husband." He paused a moment, waiting for her reaction.

She didn't flinch or so much as bat an eyelash. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Virelai met his eyes with a blank stare of her own. Gavaran had groomed her to be his perfect pawn, able to move her wherever he wanted on the game board. What he didn't realize was that he’d also created a fighter, and this pawn had every intention of making herself a queen, one move at a time. This announcement might set her back, but it wouldn't put her out of the game.

Not yet, at least.

Gavaran continued speaking when he realized he wouldn't get a reaction out of her. "I have given this a lot of thought and there are a few ideas I have in mind."

She knew what that meant. He’d already promised her to someone, but didn't want to tell her who it was yet. He wanted to make her squirm and also use her as leverage to hold over whoever he had chosen. Another method of gathering power.

Virelai smiled demurely, casting her eyes down, the picture of an obedient daughter. "Of course, Father. I will happily await your decision," she told him.

She would, of course, do no such thing.

He grunted and dismissed her with a wave of his hand, no longer interested in her if he couldn't get a rise out of her. Virelai curtsied, keeping her eyes down, and backed out of the room.

Once in the hallway, she let the mask fall away. She could feel the eyes of one of the guards on her, and she turned to stare back at him. He quickly looked away.

She left the guard behind, stalking deeper into the castle. She would need to play the role of obedient daughter for a few days more until her father's spies lost interest in her. Once they were sure she was harmless, he would have them move on to more important targets. Only then would she be free to return to the house in the city, and Eryx had better be on the mend. It seemed she would have need of him sooner than she had thought.

----------------------------------------

The more Virelai thought about it over the next few days, the more it seemed her father's plan to marry her off was a ploy. He meant to distract her—but the question was, from what? Virelai was certain if he truly wanted her married, he would have simply had it done and not bothered to inform her ahead of time. By telling her, he knew she would be contemplating ways to avoid it, and therefore, her focus would not be on him.

Virelai let herself in the front door of the house and stopped short when an iron kettle appeared inches from her nose.

She shoved it aside. "What do you think you’re doing? Put that down."

"Oh. It's you." Wisteria's shoulders slumped, and the kettle slipped from her fingers, hitting the floor with a hollow clang.

"Of course, it's me. Who else would it be?" Virelai snapped in annoyance.

Wisteria's lip wobbled, her fingers tightening around a bloody rag she held in her other hand. "I don't know. I thought—I thought maybe they were coming for us."

Virelai snorted. "Please. The only person you have to worry about coming for you is me. Is Eryx still alive?"

The other girl nodded before turning and drifting back into the bedroom, leaving the kettle laying on the floor where she’d dropped it. Virelai followed, scowling as she stepped over the abandoned pot.

She left her bag of supplies on the table before stepping into the bedroom, where she found Eryx looking slightly cleaner than the last time she’d seen him. Wisteria had managed to get most of the blood off of him, and she’d even changed the linens.

Eryx's eyes were shut, and he was breathing slowly.

“Now that you’re here, do you think you could help me move him?” Wisteria asked. “The linens should be changed regularly, and it would be easier with two of us. It took me forever the first time.”

Virelai’s nose wrinkled in distaste. “If it must be done. Are his wounds healing?” He was certainly covered in enough bandages.

Wisteria shrugged. "I’m not sure, but I sewed them up as best I could."

"You sewed them?"

"It was the only thing I could think to do to close the holes. His body wasn't doing it for him, so I stitched it shut like I was fixing a hole in my dress." Wisteria looked a little green around the edges as she described what she had done.

"And it worked?"

"It stopped the bleeding, and I think the skin is knitting together. It would go faster if I could get him to eat more than a few spoonfuls of broth or better yet, if we had a healer," she said pointedly.

Virelai waved her away. "I told you Neorah is dead."

"But someone else, maybe."

"There is no one else, and if there was, we wouldn't be able to trust them. My father saw to it that anyone known to be loyal to the former prince is now decorating the walls of the city."

"What do you mean decorating? He is making them work?"

Virelai laughed. "Oh no, they aren't working, at least not in this life. Their heads are on stakes, and right now, I'm the only one preventing the two of you from ending up the same way."

Wisteria looked back at Eryx. "Why?" she whispered.

"Why, what?"

"Why save us?"

"I need allies."

"For what? Aren't you a princess now? What could you possibly need allies for—and ones who are supporters of Kaimana at that?"

Virelai snorted. "You don't know my father. I'm not any better off than you are, and I intend to change that. Your precious prince may have abandoned this kingdom, but I haven't."

Eryx's eyelids fluttered, and he mumbled something incoherent.

"What did he say?" Virelai asked, moving closer to the bed.

"I think he said queen," Wisteria answered.

"Well, I'm flattered, but I'm not a queen yet."

"No." Wisteria tore her eyes away from Eryx. "That isn't what he meant. Prince Kaimana didn't abandon us. He is bringing back our queen."

"What are you talking about? We don't have a queen. The magic hasn't chosen anyone yet."

"And you haven't wondered why? How long has it been since the former queen passed?"

It had to be getting close to a year.

"Don't you think the magic would have chosen a successor by now?" Wisteria continued.

"Unless it didn't need to," Virelai said slowly.

"Yes," Eryx rasped. His eyes were open but unfocused.

Virelai leaned forward. "Yes, what?"

He swallowed, seeming to gather his strength before he spoke. "She lives."

"Kaimana's sister? No, it's not possible. The Queen announced her death herself."

"It has to be," Wisteria argued. "Why do you think Kai spent all those months away and brought Seraiah back with him? I heard her say they were looking for her sister."

Virelai shook her head. "Kai wouldn't waste time looking for a human."

"But what if she wasn't human? What if Seraiah's sister and Kai's sister are one and the same?"

"I suppose it's possible," Virelai conceded.

"Kai is going to find her and bring her back. I know it," Wisteria said, "and then she will restore our kingdom."

"He’s going to need more than his sister if he intends to take this city away from my father. He will need an army, and even then, it might be an impossible task."

"He has us," Wisteria said. "You said you wanted to protect this kingdom, didn't you? Here is your chance. Help him."

Virelai was silent. This wasn't exactly what she had in mind, but anything was better than her father—even an unknown queen.

“I’ll see what can be done,” Virelai finally said, “but I make no promises.”