Chapter Nineteen

If I had been slapped in the face, I could not have felt more shocked. I felt a sudden need to sit and think about what Murphy had just told me. It suddenly all made sense—Anabelle's dislike for Reaver, her sudden employment at the castle, her odd behavior the past few days...

Murphy took a step toward me, and he grasped my shoulder, steadying me. His voice tightened as he spoke, "So now you understand." He closed his eyes, and he covered his face with a hand for a moment. When he let his arm fall to his side, I could see that his impossibly blue eyes were filled with such acute sorrow. "Please, Your Majesty...Keira...Please help her."

"Why?" I asked. "Why has she agreed to this?"

"I-I am not sure," He said, shaking his head. "That is something that she would not tell me...nor would Reaver. B-but if anyone would be able to help, it w-would be you."

I wasn't sure what I would be able to do to help. Reaver was on edge. I was not sure how he would react to a change in plans so very soon to the day of the tribute, but I knew that Anabelle couldn't do this—especially not in her condition. I would have to change this myself, I knew. I couldn't let a friend give herself away like this, no matter the reason. I drew in a breath, and I moved toward the door. "I need to talk to her. I need to know the reason she's offered up her life, the reason she's kept this from me..."

"Sh-she's asked that no one-"

"I need to talk to her," I repeated more forcefully. "I need to know everything."

He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes looking conflicted. After a few moments of contemplation, he nodded, and he opened the door. He led me down the hallway His posture was stiff, and his steps were long and quick.

Trying to match his strides, I caught up, but as soon as I had, we were in front of Anabelle's door. Murphy looked almost intimidated by the door, and he gulped before reaching a hand out to knock.

The muffled sound of Anabelle's voice answered, "I'd prefer to be left alone, please."

"Ana, love," Murphy pleaded softly, pressing against the door "I...we need to speak with you."

"Anabelle," I chimed in. "Please let us in. We can sort this out. I promise you. "

"No disrespect meant, Keira, but I really have to decline," She said. Her voice was thick with sadness. "I need time..."

"We d-don't have time, darling," Murphy insisted. "Please."

"Murphy...I can't see you...not right now. I just can't," She whimpered softly.

Murphy looked completely defeated as he rested his forehead against the wood of the door. "W-would you talk to Keira at least?"

There were a few moments of silence before she answered with a soft, sobbing, "Yes."

Murphy stepped aside, his face taut with frustration, but he nodded in my direction, as if granting me permission to speak with to Anabelle without him.

I opened the door, slipping in an closing it behind me. The curtains were drawn on her room, and it was mostly dark save for a few sparse candles that had been lit. She sat in one of the chairs that was placed before the cold, empty fireplace. Her hands covered her face, and her hair was let down loose down her back.

When I took a seat across from her, she wiped the remnants of tears away from her eyes before letting her hands fall to her lap. She leaned back into her seat, and she pressed her lips together. "So Murphy has told you, then?"

"He told me what he knows, which isn't much, Anabelle," I said softly, scooting to the edge of my seat in an attempt to get closer. "What made you take this deal from Reaver?"

She brought her deep chocolate eyes up toward mine. She pinched her bottom lip between her teeth for a few moments, thinking of what to say. "Desperation?" It was almost a question, and she offered a small shrug in addition to it.

"What made you so desperate that you would give up your youth?" I asked, raising my eyebrows and shaking my head.

"The love of my brother and the rest of my family," She said, her eyes welling up once more.

My heart twisted with a sympathetic pain. I could understand wanting to give everything up for one's family. I remained silent, simply nodding and encouraging her to go on.

"You have probably met him in the past," She said. "Lord Arthur Marlowe of Brightwall. Our family was never as wealthy as a lot of the other noble families. When our father died, my brother tried to strike up a partnership with Reaver, investing what little money we had into a factory. Things were going really well for our family, and Arthur was able to take a beautiful wife Catherine...who he loved so very much and who loved him just the same." She drew in a breath. "I was so happy to have her for a sister."

"When Arthur announced that she was pregnant, everyone was overjoyed, most of all Catherine," she continued. A look of deeper melancholy set itself on her face. "What should have been a blessed event turned out to be a horrible tragedy. The child was stillborn, and Catherine did not make it through the week. The doctors say that she'd developed some sort of infection, but...it had to have been a broken heart that took my brother's wife from him." She closed her eyes, bringing a handkerchief to them to dab at the constant flow of tears.

I drew in a breath. I hadn't expected the tale to be an easy one to hear, but this was truly heartbreaking. I knew loss, but the thought of losing a child cut more deeply than I could have ever imagined. I not only wanted a child of my own—I needed a child. The thought of being given that hope, then having it taken away was unimaginable.

"Arthur was devastated, as you can imagine." Her voice cracked with sadness. "He barely spoke, barely ate. He was wasting away before me, and I couldn't blame him. He went to work and came home, and that was all he did. Until one day, he seemed hopeful for something. He brought home the paperwork to sign the family's estate and all of our holdings over to me. I was caught off guard, but I could only accept as he'd insisted. Then...one day I woke up and he was nowhere to be found."

"I was so confused and saddened by the disappearance of my brother, and it was compounded by Reaver's visit the following day," She said, her jaw tightening with anger. "He came and demanded that my brother come out at once, that he had duties to see to. When I told him that I didn't understand, he merely rolled his eyes and told me that if my brother did not show up within the fortnight, he would return and bring ruin upon what remained of my family."

I wanted to be shocked at the depth of Reaver's cruelty, but I knew the type of man he was when I exchanged vows with him. I knew that it would be unlikely that he would show mercy, especially in a situation such as that.

She wrung the material of her skirt tightly in her hands, the pain of the memory written all over her face. "When Arthur did not return, I knew that Reaver would, so I was determined to make a deal with him, no matter the cost. I couldn't let Reaver put my mother and two younger sisters out of our home, or do Light knows what else to them. As the oldest, and the Lady of the house, it was my obligation to settle things. Before anything could be done, The Darkness descended on Albion, and it only made my worry for my family heighten. When the war was over, word reached me that my brother had been one of the casualties to that The Darkness had claimed. He'd been hiding in Bowerstone, hoping that Reaver would never think to search right under his nose."

My heart sunk, and tears of my own pooled in the corners of my eyes. "Anabelle...I am so sorry. I wish I could have saved him...saved everyone..."

"I don't blame you, Keira," She said, her eyes raising to me and softening. "How could one person be blamed for such a tragedy? You were alone with no one to help you shoulder the burden. I could never blame you."

I felt guilty that she was trying to comfort me in such a time of distress. Shaking my head and wiping the budding tears from my eyes before they could fall, I returned my attention to her. "Please, Anabelle. This isn't about me. Please...please go on."

Anabelle nodded, gulping and taking in a breath. "When Reaver returned, he told me the basics of his deal with The Shadow Court, and the price that was to be paid each year. He explained that Arthur was to be his latest tribute, and that he had given a large sum of money in exchange for the service. I offered him everything I had. Gold, land...myself if that was what he wished. He said that Arthur's cowardice caused a tremendous amount of distress, and he was forced to scramble to find a new tribute. He continued on to say that to appease him would cost more than any amount of gold I could ever give him, but that there was one thing that he would accept."

She folded her hands in her lap, lacing her fingers tightly together. "He said he needed to secure a tribute for the next year. He told me that I would be the most suitable candidate he'd had in decades, but despite his flattery, I was reluctant. When he expressed interest in my younger sister, Georgiana, as an alternative, I told him that I would do it. I told him that as long as my family was cared for, I would do whatever he wanted. He agreed, and he told me that he would come to collect me when he saw fit."

I, once again, was not surprised by her portrayal of Reaver. It seemed like something he would do. With his arrangement with The Shadow Court jeopardized, I was positive he would act vengefully and mercilessly.

"When I came to the castle to work for you, it was at his command. He taunted me with my brother's cowardice, implying that it was likely a trait passed through the blood. He said that he'd have to keep an eye on me. I complied because I hoped desperately that Reaver was a man of his word, that he would keep my family safe and secure...and he has." She sighed, her eyes turning toward the ground. "I just don't know what they'll say when I go missing." Her face contorted to one of utter pain, and she covered it. "They have lost so much already...I..." She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to stem the flow of her tears.

"Gods, Anabelle," I sighed, my eyebrows knitting together in an expression of concern. I scooted off of the edge of my chair, and I crouched before her, pulling her into a tight, comforting embrace.

"The worst part of it all is Murphy," She said, her voice trembling against my ear. "I was fine with giving my life away because I felt like it had no meaning if my family was not safe...but then..." She covered her face, taking a few shallow breaths to steady herself. "He told me he loved me, and I had something to lose. I knew that Murphy would eventually have to go through the pain of losing me, and I couldn't bear knowing that I had caused that. So I told him that it was over, hoping that if he was angry with me, his anger would eclipse the sadness after Reaver took me to Wraithmarsh. I couldn't bear knowing that I'd broken his heart." She buried her face against my shoulder, her sobs muffled against me. "I love him too much to hurt him like that..."

The door opened suddenly, and Murphy stepped in, his eyes wet with tears. He'd probably heard the whole thing, and he closed the door behind him. He was swift as lightning, coming to Anabelle's side in an instant, and I moved out of the way. He pulled her to his feet an immediately into his arms, holding her with a gentle fierceness.

She gripped him tightly, her face was twisted in a a mixture of relief and anguish. Sobs raked her body, and she buried herself into the crook of his neck. "I'm so sorry...I..."

He hushed her quietly, his fingers combing affectionately through her hair. With both love and sadness in his eyes, he regarded her like a long sought-after treasure. His lips brushed the top of her head, and her weeping grew quieter.

My eyes moved away, for a moment, feeling that I was intruding on something private. I still needed more answers than had been given, but they deserved to have this moment on such a trying day.

"Ana, my love," He whispered. "Why didn't you tell me everything? I surely c-could have done something to help."

"This is my burden, Murphy," She wept. "As despicable as he is, Reaver never shirked his duties the contract with my brother detailed. I cannot let anything happen to my family. I must do this... but this child complicates things. I do not know what would happen if..."

"It's not an option," Murphy said, his voice suddenly more forceful than I'd ever heard it. He captured her face in his hands and tilted it to look up to him, his eyes lit with a fierce determination. "I w-would rather give myself."

"Murphy, no," She gasped. "You can't. This is-"

"This isn't about just your family anymore, Anabelle," he insisted. "It is our child...and our family."

"No-no-no...Perhaps after I've had the child-"
"No," he said. "A child shouldn't have to grow up without a mother. It is not an easy life, I can tell you from p-personal experience."

Anabelle's eyebrows raised with an astonished curiosity.

I, too, was curious. I'd never heard Murphy mention his life before he's become Reaver's favored servant. What kind of man had he been before he was the stuttering, timid man I'd come to know?

"My mother died when I was very young, and not long after, my ff-f-father decided that I was too much of a b-burden to care for," He said. "He took me to the orphanage, claiming that I was not his—th-that I had no one."

"That's terrible," I found myself saying as my hand touched to my mouth.

Murphy's eyes raised to me for a moment, acknowledging my sympathy, but he returned his gaze to Anabelle. Stroking her cheek, he said, "I will not allow my child to end-dure that."

Anabelle's tears had returned, and she grasped his face, shaking her head softly. "Please. Do not do this... I love you, Murphy. I cannot lose you."

"And I love you, but our child cannot lose you," he said. He kissed her forehead tenderly, sighing as he did. His eyes turned to me. "We must speak to Reaver as soon as possible. He will not like this change in plan, but it will happen. He is n-not taking Anabelle."

I nodded, and I turned to leave the room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Anabelle sinking into Murphy's chest, dissolving once more into tears. My heart ached with sympathy, and I closed the door behind me as I exited.

The sky had all but opened up during our carriage ride. The rain was so heavy, and the sky was a dark, menacing gray. Murphy held the umbrella over our heads as we rushed up to the main entrance of Reaver's largest factory. Murphy opened the door for me and ushered me inside as he closed the umbrella.

Page was making her way toward the entrance, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. She tilted her head to the side, and she moved to meet me. "Keira, what are you-?"

"There's no time to dawdle," Murphy said, with a curt nod. "Is Reaver in a meeting?"

"He's locked in his office in probably the worst mood I've ever witnessed," Page told us with a roll of her eyes. "Do you know that he shot one of his stockholders today? Right in the ass..."

On any other occasion, I might have been amused, but his foul temper could prove to be a problem for the current dilemma. "But he is alone?"

"What has he done now?" She questioned, cocking a brow. "What is the matter, Keira?"

"We need to speak with him immediately. If you'll excuse us," Murphy wrapped his hand around my wrist, tugging me along behind him, his eyes set on the staircase that would take us to Reaver.

I followed, my heart suddenly pounding unsteadily. I glanced back at Page, who looked a little baffled, but she quickly ducked into the hallway toward the factory floor. I returned my eyes to Murphy as we ascended the stairs. His face was pale and blank, but his eyes were on fire with anxiety and determination all at once.

The man at the desk posted in front of Reaver's door, shot to his feet, and bowed. "Y-Your Majesty, His Grace has requested that no one-"

"You would dare to deny The Queen entry to her husband's office?" Murphy spat, his eyes narrowing. His voice had a cool, threatening edge to it. Murphy had certainly picked up on Reaver's skill of intimidation in his year of service to him; the secretary sat back behind his desk without another word, averting his eyes.

When we reached Reaver's door, Murphy paused. He inhaled a long, deep breath, and he adjusted his posture. With his shoulders pulled back, and his chin high, he looked much less like the bumbling, nervous wreck he usually became in Reaver's presence. His jaw tightened, and his eyes, now filled with apprehension, found mine.

"Things will be fine," I murmured as I reached my hand out to twist the knob. It was locked.

"I had requested that I be allowed time to think," Reaver's voice came through the door, blatantly annoyed. "Go away, and perhaps I will stow my pistol."

"Reaver," I said.

Before I could say anything more, I heard his footsteps moving swiftly toward us. The lock clicked, and he opened the door to us. He allowed us entry to the office, and he closed the door behind Murphy, flicking the lock back into place. He looked completely out of sorts. His hair was disheveled, and he'd shed his jacket and vest. His tie was loose, and he smelled of whiskey and cigarettes. A look of relief passed over his features as his eyes fell on me. "Darling," He sighed, stroking a wet tendril of hair away from my face. "Why are you out in such atrocious weather? I was just contemplating the journey. I fear-"

"Reaver," Murphy interjected. "There is a reason why we've come in the weather."

Reaver's eyes turned to Murphy quickly, narrowing with clear annoyance of being interrupted.

"There must be a change in our plans," I said, taking the attention from Murphy before Reaver's temper could get out of hand.

"Anabelle c-cannot go to Wraithmarsh with you," Murphy said.

Reaver looked livid as his eyes flicked back and forth between us, as if he was shocked to hear Murphy's words. "I clearly remember telling you not to reveal that bit of information to my wife. It goes against my wishes, and Anabelle's." He moved to stand directly in front of Murphy, looking down to him with a look of sheer contempt.

I'd never thought that it might have been Anabelle's choice to hide this from me. Perhaps she was afraid of hurting me, too. My stomach felt even more unsettled than it had earlier. At that moment, I wished that I could have done more to comfort her during our conversation, but time was not on our side.

"She is p-pregnant," Murphy continued.

Reaver's eyes widened with shock, and his mouth opened soundlessly. He looked completely unmanned for a few moments, but suddenly, his mouth closed, and his lips pursed with anger.

"Oh, Murphy," Reaver said, his voice a mix of shock and disappointment. He raised a hand, as if to strike him, but it tightened into a tight fist of restraint as he forced both hands to his sides. "What have you done, you foolish boy?" The words were laced with acidic chagrin. "You've rendered her useless, now. What shall I do? Go the Shadow Court and simply say 'Oh, dear. Pardon me, gentlemen, but I'm afraid I'm fresh out of young beauties to present to you. May I return at another time?' "

Murphy's chin raised, but he was silent, knowing that anything else he would say would only exacerbate Reaver's ire.

"You did not think of how this might put a damper in my plans when you repeatedly fucked that little tart, even though I made it painfully clear that you were to leave her be?" His face was red with fury, and he whipped around, his boots thundering against the wooden planks of the floor. His hand connected with a newly sculpted bust of himself, marring the perfect attention to detail and reducing it to a pile of crumbled white stone. He shook his hand, which was undoubtedly throbbing with pain, but he simply let it fall to his side once more, bleeding and gnarled "Perhaps I wasn't thorough enough in your punishments. Perhaps I should have hit you a little harder. Perhaps it might have knocked some common sense into your imbecilic mind." He loomed toward Murphy.

Murphy took a step back. I could see fear clouding his icy eyes, but his face remained firm and stoic.

I, on the other hand, took a step forward, and I took his injured hand into mine. When he snatched it away, I spoke, "You are acting like a child, Reaver."

"I am acting as if the efforts I put into a carefully constructed plan has been all for naught," He hissed. He cradled his hand against his chest, and I could see the large gash already starting to knit back together and the bones snapping back into place. He took a handkerchief from his pocket, wrapping it around the wound.

"You have another candidate for s-sacrifice," Murphy said, gulping audibly. He inhaled sharply. "You'll take me to Wraithmarsh, and Anabelle's debt will be paid."

"You," Reaver said, his jaw falling slightly agape. "That's preposterous. I could not possibly take you."

"And why n-not?" Murphy asked, curling a brow, his face becoming a little more severe. "I am sure that I would be acceptable."

Reaver's eyes rolled, and he shook his head. "People would notice if you simply went missing. You are advisor to The Queen of Albion, as well as her protector. It would look a little suspicious if you disappeared. You certainly would not be able to return after the offering is made. You would be unrecognizable and useless."

"Then what would you do?" I asked, wedging myself into the conversation. I hoped that Reaver would be able to come up with something that would allow both of my friends to make it through this ordeal unharmed. "What alternative is there?"

Reaver looked hesitant for a moment, but he spoke with an exasperated edge to his voice, "Murphy and I search hastily for a young beauty to abduct." He walked to his desk to retrieve a cigarette from his open case. His eyes turned up toward Murphy. He said nothing to him, but his face tightened with discontent.

"The weather is not on our side," he continued. "I had hoped to depart late tonight, so it seems my options are limited." He unwrapped the bloodied handkerchief from around his knuckles, and he flexed his mostly healed hand.

"You have many options," Murphy said. "You just choose to ignore them."

"You cannot possibly think that I would even consider not taking a sacrifice," Reaver said, tossing the unlit cigarette carelessly back onto his desk. He strode toward Murphy, his eyes suddenly black and cold. "You could not fathom the things that those demons would do to me if my part in the deal is not fulfilled." He caught Murphy's jaw in a tight grip. "They are even less merciful than I."

As Reaver shoved him back, Murphy caught himself. His eyes met with Reaver's with a matching cool intensity, "You will have a tribute to offer The Shadow Court, and Anabelle's debt will be fulfilled. There will be no search for anyone else."

Reaver's lip raised in a snarl, his dark eyes trailing over Murphy's face, waiting for a crack in his former servant's composure.

It didn't come. Murphy stood steadfast and determined. "We will leave tonight."

My stomach twisted anxiously. I was not ready to see this plan come to fruition. Murphy would lose the majority of the rest of his life, and Anabelle would have to lose him just as she'd lost her brother. "I can take us there, if not very close, through my mother's sanctuary, I think. We would not have to rush to leave tonight."

Reaver's eyes found me, and he looked inquisitive, yet skeptical.

"You can d-do that?" Murphy asked. "All three of us?"

I had never tried to transport anyone else since my heroic abilities had first been unlocked, but the last few times I'd used my gift of teleportation, it had become exponentially easier. I was sure I could transport us with just a little extra effort. I would simply need time to recover after. "Yes," I said, my head bobbing softly in a nod.

Reaver did not look convinced. "If we are the tiniest bit late, horrific things will happen, Keira. If you cannot do this-"

"I can," I said. "I am sure I could get us to Bloodstone, at least. That is close enough, right? I know my mother had it marked on her map table."

"That will have to do, I suppose," Reaver said, his tone still sharp with annoyance.

"Reaver, I cannot leave my child without a mother. It's my duty to see to it that my child is taken care of," Murphy explained, as if it would cause a change in Reaver's stony, tightly-closed heart.

I saw my husband's eyes narrow in vexation, and he turned away from Murphy and me. "Then I suppose it is settled, and all is right with the world, isn't it? The fools and low-lives continue to procreate, whereas those carrying traits of actual value are spurned."

The tone of his voice nearly took me by surprise. It was a mixture of sarcasm and bitterness, and it was now clear that he was jealous of Murphy's ability to get Anabelle pregnant within only a few weeks. It had been something that had crossed my own mind more than once on the carriage ride over. I looked to Murphy, and I cleared my throat. "Can you see to it that a the carriage is readied for Reaver and myself. I'd like to have a private word with him."

"Yes," Murphy said, his eyes snapping from Reaver's back to my face. "Yes, Ma'am." He gave a stiff bow before exiting the room, closing the door behind us.

Reaver didn't move or say anything. He seethed silently, staring at the broken marble that littered the otherwise pristine floor of his office.

I wanted to say something to him, but I wasn't sure what. I had known that the news of Anabelle's pregnancy had poured salt in the wound of being unable to concieve, but I would have never guessed that his reaction would mirror mine. "Reaver-"

"Don't," He said sharply. "Do not justify the situation. Do not tell me that I am wrong." I could see his muscles tensing. He had changed the subject, and from his tone of voice, I could tell it had been deliberate.

"Anabelle isn't to blame. She only-"

"She agreed to the contract, and she signed it. She agreed that she would not do anything to jeopardize her part, and she has. Her contract is void...as is the protection I have extended her family. I have every right to make her family pay for her failure. "

"You will not go near her family," I asserted firmly, straightening my back. My willingness to treat him gently was receding. He was pushing it too far, now. "She is my friend, and she and her family are under my protection."

He sucked in a sharp breath, and his fists tightened at his sides. "I am your husband. You should take my side. I am the one who has been wronged here." Every word was slashed with fierceness, and the tension in his muscles had given way to a quaking rage.

"Throwing a temper tantrum is not going to resolve this," I argued, daring to take a few steps toward him. "You have your sacrifice. Isn't that what you care about?" I reached to touch him, possibly soothe the imminent explosion of his anger.

Before I could lay a hand on him, he'd spun around and caught my wrist in a tight grip. His dark eyes were ablaze with rage, and his jaw was clenched tightly. He took hold of my other hand, and he subdued me, pulling me closer to him. "What I care about is the fact that I have been painted the villain in all of this." His grip on my wrists tightened.

My eyes widened, and I felt my heart pound nervously. I'd never been on the receiving end of Reaver's anger. I was not powerless against him, but the shock of his aggression startled me. "Let go of me, Reaver. This isn't anyone's fault."

"No?" He snarled, his flawless teeth ground together. "Then I suppose all is forgiven, hmm?" His dark eyebrows raised sarcastically. "It is Anabelle's selfish, craven of a brother's fault that her family owes me a debt, and it is her own fault that she is in this predicament. You may be cursed with a naïve, tender heart, but I should not have to accommodate her foolish indiscretion."

Heat flared at my cheeks, and I could feel the nervous pounding of my heart turn to a rapid rhythm of anger. My wrists throbbed, and I pulled myself from his hands. Before he could move or retaliate, I pinned him against the wall by his shoulders. I glared up to him, my voice just as cool and sharp, "I think that you should be thankful that someone has offered themselves as a replacement. What difference does this predicament make?

His face was one of shock, but his eyes narrowed once more. "Oh, you do not want to test me right now, dear," His voice was a soft growl. "I have shot people for less today."

"Shoot me, and I promise you that I will pay it back to you tenfold," I threatened, my fingers digging into the sinew of his lean, toned shoulders. A surge of power pushed itself through my veins, and I had to restrain my Will from unleashing itself. "I will not be threatened. Not even by you."

His eyes searched mine for any hint of weakness in my resolve. When he didn't find it, his body loosened a bit. The red in his face faded to a flush of discontent, and he shrugged off my grip. His face was suddenly slightly sullen, and he slipped around me, walking toward the door.

I hurried after him. "Reaver, you are being-"

"I am being what?" He thundered, whipping around once more. "Please enlighten me. I think that my reaction to this mess is completely justified."

"This isn't just about The Shadow Court, is it? You are upset that we haven't had a child," I laid it out bluntly. "We have tried for months upon months, and it has not happened. What you said earlier-"

"This is not a discussion that I am willing to have right now," He said in a firm, decisive tone. "For the sake of yourself and others, do not try my patience any more than you already have." He swept past me, each step deliberately thunderous, and he threw the door open.

I watched as he stomped down the hallway. The nosy employees that had congregated in the area outside of his office darted out of his way, and the whole factory seemed to hold its breath while he passed. I followed him out of the hallway, and the nervous employees scrambled to bow and scrape. I ignored them. I had so much more on my mind than being a gracious monarch.

A/N: Thank you to everyone for waiting patiently for these past two chapters! I wanted everything to be perfect, so I've been especially nitpicky with what I've let pass through to my awesome beta (angelacm). I hope to have the next few chapter underway soon. To those who have left reviews: Thank you! It really means a lot to hear your feedback, and it would be great to hear more from my readers!