"So when Queen Andais denied your request at her court, you turned to the humans."
"I appealed to you, Meredith, but you would not even answer my calls."
"Queen Andais advised me against it, and she is my queen and my father's sister. I heeded her advice." It had actually been more of an order. She'd said that whatever evil Taranis had planned I should avoid him. When someone as powerful as Andais says to avoid someone for fear of what they will do, I listen. I had not been so arrogant as to believe that Taranis's entire purpose was to simply have me talk to him on a mirror call. Andais had not believed that it was his purpose either, but now, today, I was beginning to wonder. I could think of nothing I could offer him that would make this much effort worthwhile.
"But now, because of human law, you must speak to me," he said.
Biggs said, "The princess agreed to this meeting out of courtesy. She was not compelled to be here."
Taranis's eyes never even moved to look at the lawyer. "But you are here, now, and you are more beautiful than I remember. I was very lax in my attentions to you, Meredith."
I laughed, and it was a harsh sound. "Oh, no, Uncle Taranis, I think you were quite thorough in your attentions to me. Almost more thorough than my mortal body could endure."
Doyle, Rhys, and Frost all tensed against me. I knew what they meant by it: have a care, don't give away court secrets in front of the humans. But Taranis had begun it, dragging us out before the humans. I was only following his lead.
"Will you never forget that one moment in your childhood?"
"You nearly beat me to death, Uncle. I am not likely to forget it."
"I did not understand how fragile your body was, Meredith, or I would never have touched you so."
Veducci recovered first, saying, "Is King Taranis admitting that he beat you as a child, Princess?"
I looked at my uncle, so large, so imposing, so regal in his gold and white court clothes. "He is not denying it, are you Uncle Taranis?"
"Please, Meredith, uncle seems so formal." His voice was wheedling. From the way Nelson began to walk closer to the mirror, I think the tone was meant to be seductive.
"He is not denying it," Doyle said.
"I am not speaking to you, Darkness," Taranis said, and his voice tried to thunder again. But as the seduction had not worked, so now the threat fell flat as well.
"King Taranis," Biggs said, "are you admitting that you beat my client as a child?"
Taranis finally turned to him, frowning. Biggs reacted as if the sun itself had smiled at him. He actually stumbled in his speech and looked uncertain.
Taranis said, "What I did years ago has no bearing on the crime that these monsters committed."
Veducci turned to me. "How badly did he beat you, Princess Meredith?"
"I remember how red my blood was on the white marble," I said. I looked at Veducci as I spoke, though I could feel Taranis's magic pushing at me, calling me to look at him. I looked at Veducci because I could, and because I knew that it would unnerve the king. "If my Gran, my grandmother, had not interfered I believe he would have beaten me to death."
"You hold a grudge, Meredith. I have apologized for my actions that day."
"Yes," I said, turning back to the mirror. "You have recently apologized for that beating."
"Why did he beat you?" Veducci asked.
Taranis roared, "That is not the business of humans."
He'd beat me when I'd asked why Maeve Reed, once the goddess Conchenn, had been exiled from his court. She was the golden goddess of Hollywood now, and had been for fifty years. We were all still living on her estate in Holmby Hills, though the recent addition of so many men was beginning to tax even her space. Maeve had given us some new room by going to Europe. It was far enough away to stay out of Taranis's way—or that was the hope.
Maeve had told us Taranis's deep dark secret. He had wanted to marry her after putting away a third wife for barrenness. Maeve had refused, pointing out that the last wife he'd put away had gone on to have children with someone else. She dared to tell the king that it was he who was barren, not the women. A hundred years ago Maeve had told him this, but he had exiled her and forbidden anyone to speak to her. Because if his court found out that a century ago he had known that he might be barren, and said nothing, did nothing… If the king is barren, the people and land are barren. He had condemned them to a slow death as a people. They lived almost forever, but no children meant that when they died, there would be no more Seelie sidhe. If his court found out what he had done, they were within our laws to demand a living sacrifice, with Taranis in the starring role.