Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
“Thank you,” Nylian murmured as he selected a spot on the sofa and pulled me to sit next to him. Heat burned my cheeks while Saida sighed.
“Breathe, Xeran. No one is going to steal him,” she taunted.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” the elf prince muttered, his hand tightening on my knee.
“Won’t you get in trouble for helping us?” I asked, ignoring the grumpy elf.
The princess dismissively waved one hand. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
“How bad are things in the palace?” Nylian demanded, getting to the heart of the matter.
Saida dropped onto the other side of Nylian, her legs stretched out and her shoulders slumped. “Not good. Not good at all. No one has seen any sign of your queen mother since it was announced that Orian died. She’s gone into seclusion in her palace and won’t speak to anyone. My mother and one servant have been permitted to see her and care for her, but she refuses to tell me anything about the queen.”
My heart broke for the woman. Told one son was dead, and the other was exiled for murder. It sounded as though the king hadn’t revealed the truth to her yet. Maybe it was to keep up appearances to catch the actual killer, but it still struck me as unbearably coldhearted.
“The other consorts?” Nylian inquired in a stiff tone.
Saida’s expression went from a frown to a scowl in the blink of an eye. “Consort Valindra and Consort Keya have been staking out new territory within the court, wasting no time bad-mouthing Queen Yaereene. They all know that King Dorwynn has always loved her best and now that both her reputation and power are in retreat, they are hoping to take advantage of it. I think that’s part of the reason my mother is spending so much time with the queen. She wants to stay out of firing range of those two schemers.”
Nylian scooped up her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t doubt your mother. Consort Celaena has always been a respected figure in the court and a fighter. I don’t think it’s about wanting to avoid a fight, but knowing it’s not worth it to get in the mud with them. Besides, Consort Celaena has always been a good friend to my mother. She is probably genuinely worried and hoping to protect her.”
I leaned forward to look around Nylian so I could meet Saida’s gaze. “Do the consorts hold that much sway within the royal court?”
“Before all of this? No. Not really,” she replied with a shake of her head. “They had some supporters and courtiers hanging on them because it was believed they could whisper things in the king’s ear. Even my mother had some, but with Queen Yaereene holding the king’s heart in her tight grip, everyone knew their influence was limited.”
“But without her there to keep the other consorts under control, it’s a totally new scheming cesspool,” Nylian finished. “What about my siblings?”
“About what you’d expect. Our brothers, Jandar and Lorsan, have been fighting almost nonstop. Our king father has threatened to throw them both in the dungeon more than once, but even I knew it was just talk.” She paused and scratched her chin with one neatly manicured nail. “It’s almost like he wants them to kill each other.” Her words hung heavy in the room for a moment as no one seemed to breathe.
And then she sighed and gave a shake, as if shedding the idea. “My mother sent Melarue away for her safety about a week after you were forced to leave. She was afraid things were going to get worse.”
Nylian smirked at his younger sister. “I’m assuming she attempted to send you as well, but you refused.”
Saida chortled. “Sneaked right out of the carriage and hid out here for a week before returning to the castle. She was so pissed, but I told her you needed me here and I was staying.”
“What about Neia?”
“She’s being her usual brooding, standoffish self. I don’t know if she’s plotting something or sticking around because she wants to see it all burn.” This time, Saida leaned forward to look at me and said in an exaggerated whisper, “Our youngest sister is strange.”
I turned my attention to Nylian and grinned. “Is that all of them?”
The elf bumped me with his shoulder, a small half smile lifting a corner of his mouth. “Other than Orian, two younger brothers and three younger sisters are enough. Besides, my father is still relatively young. He could still have more children.”
“Gods, I hope not,” Saida mumbled. Nylian had released her hand, but she grabbed his with both of hers. “I’ve heard a rumor that Jandar has won the support of the Eastern Dragon Army and they are marching on West Vale to force father to name him the crown prince now that you’ve been exiled.”