"What prompted the attack?" Aisling asked.
"I'm not sure," I said. "He just went crazy. I actually don't know what happened in the room, because I was buried under a mound of bodyguards." I looked at Abe still lying in my lap, and glanced at Frost and Doyle. "What did happen?"
"The king attacked Doyle," Frost said.
"What neither will say," Abe said, "is that only Doyle throwing up his gun to deflect the spell saved him from being blinded. Taranis tried for his face, and he meant it to either kill or permanently maim. I haven't seen the old fart use his power that well in centuries."
"Aren't you older than he is?" I asked, peering down at him.
He smiled, "Older, yes, but in my heart I'm still a pup. Taranis let himself grow old inside. Most of us can't age the way a human can, but inside we can grow just as old. Just as unwilling to change with the times."
"The gun deflected Taranis's hand of power?" Usna asked.
"Yes," Doyle said, and he made a motion with his good hand. "Not all of it, obviously, but some."
"Guns are made out of all sorts of things that faerie magic doesn't like," I said.
"I'm not certain about the new polymer-frame guns," Doyle said. "The metal ones, yes, but since plastic doesn't seem to bother the lesser fey, I wouldn't swear that the new polymer guns would deflect anything."
"Why doesn't plastic bother the lesser fey?" Usna asked. "It's as man-made as metal, more so."
"Maybe it's not the man-made part, but the metal part that counts," Frost said.
"Until we know, I think only guns with more metal than plastic should be used by the guards," Doyle said.
Everyone just nodded.
"When Doyle fell, the humans started screaming and running," Frost said. "Taranis used his hand of power on the room, but he seemed confused, as if he didn't know what to target."
"When he stopped firing, Galen and I were ordered to get the princess, you, out of the room, and we tried," Abe said. "That's when Taranis decided on me." He shivered a little, his hand tightening on my leg.
I leaned over and laid a kiss on his temple. "I'm sorry you got hurt, Abe."
"I was doing my job."
"Was Abeloec his target?" Aisling asked. "Or did he try for the princess and miss?"
"Frost?" Doyle said.
"I believe he hit what he was aiming at, but when Abeloec fell, Galen picked the princess up, and he moved in a way that I have not seen anyone move except the princess herself inside faerie,"' Frost said.
"Galen didn't open the door, did he?" I asked.
"No," Frost said.
"Galen carried you through the door?" Usna asked.
"I don't know. One minute we were in the room, the next we were in the hallway. I honestly don't remember what happened at the door."
"You blurred, then vanished at the door," Frost said. "In that first moment, Meredith, I wasn't certain whether Galen had gotten you out or another Seelie trick had stolen you away."
"Then what happened?" I asked.
"The king's own guard jumped him," Abe said.
"Truly?" Aisling asked.
Abe grinned. "Oh, yeah. It was a sweet moment."
"His most trusted nobles attacked the king?" Usna asked, as if he couldn't believe it.
Abe's grin widened, until it crinkled the edges of his face. "Sweet, isn't it?"
"Sweet," Usna agreed.
"Was the king so easily subdued?" Aisling asked.
"No," Frost said, "he used his hand of power three more times. The last time Hugh stepped in front of him, and used his own body to shield the room and the people inside it."
"Hugh the Firelord was able to take Taranis's power at point-blank range?" Aisling asked.
"Yes," Frost said.
"His shirt was scorched, but his skin seemed untouched," I said.
"And how did you see Hugh?" Aisling asked, "if Galen had gotten you outside to safety."
"She came back," Frost said, and his voice was not happy.
"I could not leave you to the Seelie's treachery," I said.
"I ordered Galen to take you to safety," Frost said.
"And I ordered him not to."
Frost glared at me and I glared back.
"You couldn't leave Doyle hurt, maybe dying," Usna said softly.
"Maybe, yes, but also if I am ever to rule, truly rule a court of faerie, I must be able to lead in battle. We aren't humans to keep our leaders in the back. The sidhe lead from the front."
"You are mortal, Merry," Doyle said. "That changes some rules."
"If I am too mortal to rule, then so be it, but I must rule, Doyle."