“Beggar’s Hole is not ours to give, human,” Parnassia growled. “You must understand that.”
“I don’t see why not. You know, I came here from Maine by sheer… happenstance. And even though I had an alliance with the fire dragons, I helped the ice dragons. I gave them a piece of technology—no, you know what, Lethe? I gave you a piece of technology that you needed in order to win the war. I gave you a crucial piece of technology, and it solidified that crown on your head, didn’t it?” She poked his chest. It was almost too much to watch. She was such a hellion. “I was brought here for questioning following the destruction of the fire people’s shelter, and your father especially liked me. He saw that we would make a good match… and so did you, Lethe.” She crossed her arms over her bust and smirked at him knowingly. “I know you saw us together, too. You can’t hide anything from me. So I stayed. This isn’t my country. This isn’t my world. But I’ve stayed. I stayed for you, Lethe, and I stayed for the ice dragons, and I stayed for the Eraeus dynasty. You think about that!” She stomped one foot. “You think about how I gave up my entire life to you, and I asked for nothing in exchange. Don’t you think it’s time that I get a little something back? Huh? Don’t you think it’s time that I get—oh, I don’t know—a wedding present?”
Parnassia’s mouth turned down into a grimace. “Beggar’s Hole has several valuable assets to its name,” she said to Lethe, still not deigning to converse with Michelle. “It is not a mere wedding present, like the head of an enemy.”
“And isn’t the mountaintop of Everwinter worth something, then?” Michelle shrilled. “Lethe! Don’t let this bird-woman disparage our country like that!”
Lethe sighed and rolled his eyes. “If you really want to try to procure some space in Beggar’s Hole…” He winced. “I guess we could try to work something out.”
Michelle simpered. “I would so love to be able to see my family during the winter there,” she purred.
Parnassia scoffed. “These were not the terms of our arrangement,” she sneered. “I have yet to see the section of your land staked for my sisters and myself. And I have yet to be reassured that we will not be made the target of any dragon attacks.”
Lethe’s mouth opened, but no words came out. “Uh,” he stammered again. “When we made that deal, I was only a prince, and now I am a king… but a new king. Things are uncertain. The city is just beginning to settle now that the fire dragons have been fully driven from the territory. Parnassia… Miss Thundercliff… we will need more time to figure out this arrangement. I’m just not sure—”
“These are your people!” Parnassia screeched. “They obey you, or they don’t! My sisters and I completed our portion of the bargain! And now it is your turn! But the words mean nothing! Nothing!”
With that, her powerful wings beat at her side, carrying her into the air, and she wheeled out of the throne room, tearing through the palace and out of sight.
“Wow,” I murmured. If this meeting was any indication, the kingdom which lay sprawled before this king and queen was a dysfunctional one. After all, the queen was sullen and heavy-handed, imagining herself as more a prize than she truly was, just because a man who was losing his mind took a shine to her. And poor Lethe… he didn’t have the spine to say no to her demands. He didn’t have the spine, and he didn’t even like her that much.
“Who asked you?” Michelle snarled, whirling on me. “Didn’t you say there was some mess in the washroom that you needed to clean up? And that’s why you weren’t working when we found you?”
“Yes,” I agreed, not wishing to incur her wrath.
“God,” she sighed. “Lethe? Who would be good to send with Nell, to help her figure out how to sweep up some broken porcelain?”
“None of them,” Lethe answered. He didn’t smile or laugh. He wasn’t joking. “They’re ice dragonesses. They’re all as mean as… Oh! No! You know who’s actually quite nice?”
Michelle rolled her eyes. “No,” she muttered. “Who is actually quite nice?”
“That Merulina girl.”
Merulina… Where have I heard that name before?
“Let’s pair her with Merulina. Merulina will be fair. Yes? Nell, go to the servant wing and ask the head maid to pair you with Merulina. Tell her this was by the king’s command. She’ll reassign whatever Merulina’s task is, and we can get that floor cleaned up.”