“But I have an heir already. And I’m only regent. Why should I be expected to marry anyone?”
She frowned. “Well, it might bring stability, or at least the appearance of it. And a partner from the right family might gain allies you wouldn’t otherwise have. Alliances made through marriage and blood are more powerful than those formed through words. Nobody is going to force you to marry, not again, but it would be in your best interest to marry and marry wisely. You have your heir, but you need alliances of your own now, too.”
“Who do they expect me to marry?”
She waved a hand. “They all have different expectations depending on their loyalties. If life gets any rougher here, you may need to consider it as a possibility. You can always have him sent away when things settle down.”
“And take him out for special occasions?” I folded my arms. “I was already married to a madman. I’m not going there again. And certainly not for the sake of appearances.”
“As I said, it’s your choice.” She gave me a knowing smile. “And I, too, know the problems of a bad marriage.”
“At least Glic isn’t here.”
“But he’s likely in my ancestral home. The land may be useless, but it’s a point of pride. He took my dignity. I don’t wish for even my blackened land to give him shelter.”
“You sent people to look for him, didn’t you?”
“They haven’t returned.” She sighed. “When things settle, I’ll confront him once and for all.”
Rafe led in the next person with an issue for me to deal with, but for the rest of the day, I couldn’t stop thinking about marriage alliances and Setanta’s stories. What kind of path was I taking?
Chapter Seven
I rose earlier than usual because of shouting outside my window. I got up to look outside without disturbing the others. In the pale light of dawn breaking, the world outside appeared eerier than usual as though a tint overlaid the land.
When I had first arrived in the Darkside more than two years ago, I had been surprised to see how green it was, how beautiful the untainted parts of the realm could be. Looking out this very same window back then would have given me a spectacular view of a land with so much potential. Now, the landscape was marred by patches of blight. The only bright spark was the Brighid’s flower in the gardens, but even that cut a lonely figure amid the despair.
A shiver ran over me as I caught sight of the source of the noise. A group of fae were fighting in the yard, shoving then kicking something I couldn’t see.
“Stop that!” I shouted.
The group moved apart at my cry, and I saw a soldier on the ground, bloody and beaten.
“Orlaith, wake up,” I urged. “Get Donncha. A soldier is hurt in the yard. Oh, it’s all right. He’s arrived.”
Orlaith joined me at the window. “They’re angry. They suspect us all of being traitors.”
“Traitors to whom?” I asked.
“To you, to Sadler, to the little princess.”
“But the soldiers haven’t made a move against me.”
She shrugged. “Those idiots out there just wanted to fight. They say they’re free fae. They should be able to defend themselves.”
“A group against one? Not bloody likely.” My blood boiled with a sudden rush of anger. Orlaith backed away in surprise.
I took a deep breath to calm down. “Sorry. Just a reaction. Could you go and make sure that soldier is okay?”
Donncha’s men were taking control of the situation, I could see that, but I still felt helpless. And then one of the attackers looked up at me and held my gaze as though he didn’t care that I had seen him. His sneer was unsettling, and I had to force myself to remain in the one spot until Donncha dragged him out of view. I let out a breath I had been holding and sagged against the windowsill.
I had to deal with all sorts of fae with different issues. There were old feuds and bad blood, but some fae suffered a kind of bloodlust. I had seen it in Brendan, but it was different here in the Darkside, darker somehow. There had to be a way to cool them down; I just hadn’t figured it out yet. And my rushes to anger weren’t helping either. Was I influencing the fae and bringing them to violence? Perhaps that was why my soldiers had quickly won what should have been a tough battle in the woods.
Some of the Darksiders had been growing more sullen and mouthy since I'd arrived. Pleasing one group only ever offended another. I had given them freedom, but many of them appeared to suddenly resent me for it. What did they want me to be—another Sadler? Sometimes it felt that way.
I had tried to be kind and fair every day at court, but people constantly wanted more. The more I gave, the more they wanted from me. They were free to voice their opinions, and I was no longer the vulnerable human in their care while a harsh master set the rules. I was the one with the figurative whip, and they plainly resented me for it.
“Do you think I need to look more… queenly?” I asked Rumble after I had gotten ready a little later. “Maybe I look too human?”
There was amusement in Rumble’s tone. “It’s best you’re comfortable.”
“Yeah, but do you think people would respect me more if I wore a stupid gown? That’s what I’m asking.”
“Actions speak louder than… clothing.”
I lifted Scarlet to kiss her pudgy cheek. “Hear that, Scarlet? Listen to Rumble when you grow up. He knows his stuff.”
“Mocked by a queen,” he said, his voice so low that only I could hear him. “My life’s purpose, achieved.”
I could only grin.
Our procession moved down the stairs and toward the dining hall for breakfast. The attack in the woods had nixed any rides for a while. I supposed it was better I spent more time with the fae anyway.
Rafe had organised the breakfasts in a way that made sure every group of fae got a chance to sit with us. The rotation had been a good idea, but some of the fae looked miserable at the idea of being in the same room as their queen, never mind the same table.
We passed by a group of workers. I smiled at them, but as we walked on, one of them groused loudly about needing more food.
After the morning’s fight outside, my hackles immediately rose. I whirled around to face him. He cringed a little, but the others shoved him forward.
“What did you say?” I asked pleasantly enough, giving him a chance to shut the hell up.
“I said, we need more food.” He pouted. “We deserve more meals.”
I stared at him, exasperated. “Excuse me? You get more food than anyone.”
“I’ve seen your plate,” he sneered. “Save the best for your favourites, always.”
I tried to force my sudden rise of anger back under the surface. “You were starving before I got here.”
“Weren’t worked this much, neither.”
“If you don’t like it, leave,” I retorted, handing Scarlet to Rat, who whimpered at my touch. “Try and live off the land if you think you’re better off elsewhere. We’re getting as much food as we can from the human realm.”
“We’d get more if you’d take it like you should.”
I took a few steps closer to him, fighting back the urge to touch my dagger’s hilt. “You mean steal it? Not going to happen. Humans are not to be interfered with like that.”
“You came here and told us we were free fae.”
“If you live in this court, you accept our rules,” I said sweetly. “That means humans are off-limits, and you have to work for your keep. And maybe try to keep the pathetic complaints to a minimum.”
“Told us we were free,” he muttered under his breath. “What freedom is this?”
“The kind I’m offering,” I said in a dangerously low tone. “Take it or leave it.”
“Ceremony hasn’t happened yet,” he said as I turned away.
This time, I really did grab my dagger, but Rumble was there first, his large hand wrapping around the faery’s neck. The other workers backed away in a hurry, knocking each other over to get away fr
om Rumble. Rumble squeezed, and the faery made a retching sound.
“Be careful of the words you speak,” Rumble said calmly. “They can’t be taken back.”
The stench of urine filled the air as the faery’s bladder emptied.
“Let him go,” I said scornfully.
Rumble let go immediately, and the faery fled. The workers gazed at me, some in awe, some with anger glittering in their eyes. The black veins in my arm itched. And as I walked away from the big-mouthed faery, I wondered if I had been foolish to give them any kind of freedom at all. I strode onward, moving quickly to keep at a distance from Scarlet when I was in such a dark mood.
“You need to calm down,” Rumble said under his breath, easily keeping in step with me.
“What now?”
“You’re influencing everyone with your anger. You must be calm, or this will end badly.”
“Don’t you start telling me what to do, Rumble.”
“Of course.”
“I didn’t mean that,” I said, frustrated. “I just don’t know how to calm it down. Taking over hasn’t exactly been without its stresses.”
“Then find a way to expend your emotions.” He glanced at me for the first time. “Weak-minded fae will be influenced by even the briefest moment of anger from you, and when they swear fealty to their official regent at the ceremony, your influence will grow even stronger.”
“I’m not magical.”
“You have a power of your own. And you will live by the rules of this world, not the human one. The power of a court can make all the difference. If you don’t control your temper before the ceremony, we’re all in danger from you.”
“I… I’ll try,” I said. But I needed to figure out how.
***
There had been murmurs of disapproval around the court, but the incident with the worker put an end to the most obvious complaints for a while. I tried my best to stay calm, spending even more time with Scarlet than before, but the black veins kept throbbing as if a bomb were about to go off. It had taken Rumble's observation to make me realise that the bomb might be me.
Líle and Grim returned a couple of days before the ceremony. I had been holding court as usual when they arrived, their faces glum. That was the last thing I needed. Everyone in court was stressed about the preparations for the ceremony, and the entire castle had been turned upside down in the process. I didn’t even recognise the gardens. Thistle had arranged a delivery of plants and flowers from the human realm. Instead of planting them in the earth, we kept them in the pots. They brought splashes of colour where there had been none, but even though the flowers hadn’t been planted, they were still dying—just more slowly than everything in the ground.
“Come back after lunch,” I told the noble sitting before me. “We’ll finish this then.”
She nodded and left, much to my relief. I had half expected an argument.
“Well?” I said when Grim and Líle sat down.
Realtín perched on Grim’s shoulder. Although I had mentioned lunch, which was usually enough to send everyone scrambling to the dining hall, half the court remained to hear what was going on. I had vowed to be open with them, and this was the outcome.
Grim and Líle exchanged glances. “It’s not good news,” Líle said.
“When is it ever?” I slumped in my seat. “What happened?”
“We examined the landslide, and it appears to have been caused by degeneration of the earth,” Grim said. “The soil itself is wet with a black substance, and the layers beneath have weakened over time. There was no preventing it. And more areas will follow with the same outcome sooner or later. But that’s not all.”
I clutched the arms of my chair, bracing myself.
“A sinkhole appeared less than twenty miles away,” Líle said, looking worried. “We investigated the area, trying to find the cause, but it was too dangerous to remain for long. It’s spreading. Given enough time, it will eventually swallow the castle.”
“How did it happen?”
“Deterioration under the surface perhaps.” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “It’s hard to say exactly. But it’s this blight that’s—”
“It’s an omen,” somebody shouted from the crowd of people lining the great hall. “The realm is protesting a human queen!”
The faery was shushed by those around him. I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my temples. It wasn’t the first time I had heard those words, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be the last. While many of the Darksiders were happy to work hard, some seemed intent on driving me crazy.
“You can’t keep letting them get away with that,” Vix warned from my side.
“I can’t be Sadler.”
“No, but you have to be a queen.”
I looked at her, but she was staring straight ahead. She was right. Half the court was out of control, and the ceremony hadn’t even begun yet. With news of the realm literally falling apart around us, I had no idea where to even begin. I was out of my league and probably out of my mind to even think I could manage to lead the Chaos Court in anything.
Donncha surreptitiously led the loud faery away without me needing to say a word. In the meantime, a woman ran up to the table. “I want to go home. I’m sick of this court, and I want to go home.”
“You’re all free men and women,” I said. “I’m not forcing you to stay here.”
“Reynard burned my home down to the ground. I’ve nothing left. I want to rebuild.”
“As soon as—”
“You’re building this castle back up, and for what? You’ll either die, or another will take the throne right from under you. You’re just a human. What can you do to stop anyone? I won’t stay here to be murdered in the next battle or be swallowed up by the ground. I need supplies to go home, and you’re going to give them to me.”
“You have a place to stay here. You’re not homeless,” I said, my anger rising at her tone. “We’re restoring the castle so people like you have a place to stay. I don’t have to do that. Sadler had you all starving to death in tents, remember? When we’re back on our feet, we can work on those who lost their homes, but right now, the spreading of the blight is the only problem we need to worry about.”
“A blight you caused,” she snapped. “Nobody talked about the realm destroying itself when Sadler was in charge.”
“That’s because he didn’t care enough to check!”
“So you say. This court is poison, and you’re the cause of it. We were better off with Sadler.”
I rose to my feet. “Better off starving and terrified of being noticed?” My voice had risen, too. “I’m done. Court is over for the day.”
“What about me?” the woman spluttered.
I brushed past her, only hesitating to say, “You have your answer. If I were you, I’d be more concerned about pitching in to help this realm than wasting time whining about things we can’t change.”
When I reached the door, I heard her mutter, “Oh, things can change.”
I whirled around to face her again. “Did you have something else to say to me?”
She looked at me but held her tongue. Sullen, she shook her head.
I left the room, my blood boiling all over again. In the hallway, I leaned against the wall and tried to control my breathing. When the door opened, I expected to see Rumble, but it was Vix instead.
“You should have ordered her death,” Vix said.
“For speaking her mind?” I sighed wearily. “Go watch over Scarlet.”
“Rumble’s with her. I needed to speak to you. You must act, Cara. They’ll keep pushing until you push back.”
“But I don’t want to be like Sadler. I don’t want them to fear me. I don’t want to hurt them.”
“Then lead them,” she said impatiently. “But do it soon, or you might not make it to the ceremony.”
“They need me if they want Scarlet.”
“They have Scarlet,” she explained as though talking to a child. “She?
??s here. If you die, here she’ll remain.”
“Líle or Brendan would—”
“Do nothing,” Vix hissed. “Líle would die if she tried, and you betrayed Brendan. Why would he help you now? And if you die, who’s to stop the next ruler from declaring war on the Green Court? Who’s to say it won’t be the Silver King? Or worse, a second Reynard? This isn’t a game! You’re playing with our lives. Those of us who align ourselves with you will die if you go down. You’ll drag us all with you. And Scarlet will be friendless, only influenced by those who murdered her mother. Is that what you want?”
“What the fuck, Vix? You brought me here, encouraged me. If you didn’t think I was good enough to do this, then why the hell did you help me get here?”
“Because I thought you had the balls to get things done!” she shouted. She held up her hands. “See? You should have me whipped for that!”
“Whipped? You’re an actual crazy person. I can’t go around whipping people for raising their voices.”
“Then you need to be prepared to defend yourself because sooner or later, somebody’s going to think you’re weak and come to take your life. And I don’t mean foolish attempts in the woods while you’re surrounded by soldiers. I mean an assassin who picks us off one by one until you have no protection. What are you going to do then, Cara, when we’re all dead around you, and you’re the only one left standing? What are you going to do when they use that moment to kill you?”
“I’m never going to let it get that far.”
“How? With kind words and sympathetic glances? You’re supposed to be the queen. Stop trying to be our friend!”
I stared into her soulless black eyes, and my anger fell away. “But you are my friend, Vix. I trust you.”
“And when I’m the one holding the dagger against your throat?”
“You won’t. You wouldn’t do that.”
She made a sound of frustration. “You can’t trust anyone anymore. Why can’t you see that?”
“I have ideas. I want to be able to protect myself properly, and I want more people like Bekind.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”