Amidst the Insidious Courts by Marie Mistry

Author:Marie Mistry [Mistry, Marie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781915066251
Published: 2023-11-06T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Rhoswyn

I collapse onto the bed with an angry groan.

The new room we’ve taken over in Madoc’s home is just as nice, if not nicer than, the one we stayed in for my fever. The wide-open windows look out over the palace, and from this distance, I can pretend the gold swirling in the water isn’t a bunch of deadly fae-eating eels. The huge bed I’ve chosen to vent my frustration onto is so soft and comfortable, I’m convinced it’s been magicked into existence. The pale pastel sheets are all in shades of blue, which, combined with the soft cream colour of the stone, should be calming.

It’s not.

My clothes are still damp with the rain that started on our return, and the boat ride back to the East District was fraught with tension. I know my males were holding back until we were safely away from the palace with walls for ears.

“Don’t even start,” I mutter into the sheets.

They don’t need to tell me I screwed that up.

So much for diplomacy or being clever with my words or anything remotely queenly. I wasn’t going into that meeting to insult her, but she started it…

Okay, that’s not an excuse, but still. Suggesting I whore out my Guard? That I should take other lovers? Then, on top of that, her accusation that I might be working for the Fomorians? I scowl into the pillow, even as I debate moving closer to the fire to dry myself. Honestly, I just want to strip off this ridiculous dress and get comfortable.

“That was a mess,” I mutter into the silk. “A goddess-damned fucking—”

“Careful,” Lore chides. “Use too many naughty words, and the huntsman might use it as an excuse to put you over his knee.”

Ignoring his words, and the answering flush of heat that runs through my body, I push up so I’m lying with my weight resting on one arm and brush my hair out of my face with the other.

“I screwed that up, didn’t I?” Sighing, I finally meet Jaro’s eyes as he opens his mouth to confirm it. “Don’t answer that.”

Titania, Mab, and Maeve pop into existence beside me, sitting on the covers with me as my Guard, Prae, and Kitarni crowd around us.

“You did well,” Maeve says. “So, you don’t have the seelie patience for sweet words and diplomacy. Big deal. You showed her you weren’t a pushover. You can learn diplomacy when you’re not in the middle of a war. It’s a damn sight harder to learn to hold your own against powerful people who want to intimidate you.”

“We don’t often agree, but in this… she’s right.” Titania pats my back gently, though I can’t feel the touch. “You couldn’t see us, but we were there, and we were proud.”

“Next time,” Mab mutters. “Hold your temper if you can. If it comes to a fight and you’re angry, you’ve already lost.”

I don’t point out that—given Aiyana’s age—I’ve probably lost the second we come to physical blows. Maeve’s lessons in dodging and basic self-defence won’t do anything against a fae queen several hundred years into her prime.

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