Midlife Blues by Victoria Danann

Author:Victoria Danann [Danann, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: 7th House, Imprint of Andromeda LLC
Published: 2020-10-30T16:00:00+00:00

As court reconvened, I opened a fresh bottle of spring water while Lochlan rose and announced, “Now comes before the court, Count Raif Nightingale, House of Howland Horn versus Queen Enya, House of Bryn-Eiwed.”

I watched closely as three figures came forward. The queen and Dzbog Bogdan, whom I recognized from the previous case, took their places at the defendant’s table while a second man came to a stop behind the plaintiff’s table.

I addressed the latter first.

“Count Nightingale, I presume?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“Are you expecting counsel or are you representing yourself?”

“Speaking for myself, Magistrate.”

He had the looks and manner of a player, right down to a sardonic smirk that seemed to be permanently frozen in place. Even his name spelled trouble. Raif just sounded way too similar to rake. Plus, coming before me without benefit of counsel also carried a suggestion of arrogance.

I turned to the other table.

“Mr. Bogdan. Back again, I see.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“For the record, may the clerk record that you are representing Queen Enya?”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

I settled my gaze on her and allowed it to linger for a few seconds. She raised her chin in a way that might have been considered snobbery, were it not for the slight smile that accompanied it.

“You and your client may sit, Mr. Bogdan.”

I turned to the plaintiff. “Mr., excuse me, Count Nightingale, please state your reason for bringing this suit, the damages you believe you sustained, and your suggestion for remedy.”

“Yes, Your Honor. Some time ago…”

“How long ago is ‘some time’?” I said. “In human years.”

“I can’t say exactly, Your Honor. Perhaps eight hundred years? It’s a guess.”

“Very well. Proceed.”

“I had a love affair with the queen when she was not yet queen. It ended amicably and we went our separate ways. As time passed, lovers came and went, and the encounter was no longer fresh in memory.”

He paused. I made a motion with my hand indicating that he should continue.

“A year and a half ago, I was desirous of a change to my hunting lodge near Inverness. An upgrade, I think you’d call it. I sent a messenger to Queen Enya to ask if she would do the work. Though I didn’t remember her, she hadn’t forgotten me. She cheerfully, shamelessly, accepted the commission while fully planning to act out some hysterical and misguided grievance.”

At that moment to my horror, my phone began loudly playing my ringtone. I’d slipped it into the pocket of my robe planning to look at texts when downtime presented itself. Since I received phone calls so rarely, I’d forgotten to set it on silent mode.

I fumbled through the folds of my robe for the pocket as the phone happily played, “You spin me right round, baby, right round, like a record player, right round, round, round…”

While I was mortified, Keir was apparently enjoying himself immensely. He’d leaned over and put elbows on knees so that he could hide his face with his hands. He was laughing his ass off, even if it was silently. My frantic search for the phone finally produced the traitor device.

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