“Our queen shall join you shortly,” we were assured by one of Oriana’s tulip-skirted maidens. Once we were seated, she skittered out of the room, and we waited.
And waited.
At one point, I dozed off against Micah’s shoulder. He woke me, admonished me for having the audacity to fall asleep while waiting for our queen’s arrival, and proceeded to fall asleep himself. He’s cute when he drools.
Once I’d roused him, I asked him what could be taking Oriana so long. “We did arrive quite early,” Micah replied, surreptitiously wiping his chin. “Perhaps our queen had a late night.”
“Perhaps our queen wants to watch us squirm,” I muttered. Before Micah could defend her, Oriana herself appeared. Her new companion, Ayla, the Inheritor of Fire, was right behind her.
“Lord Silverstrand,” Oriana intoned as one of the tulip-skirted girls led her to her throne, while Ayla claimed an ornate seat to the throne’s left. I was beginning to wonder if Oriana could manage to feed and groom herself without assistance. “Lady Silverstrand,” she added, mostly as an afterthought.
“My queen,” Micah said, bowing low. I wasn’t going to bother with bowing, but Micah pulled me into a half-assed curtsey. He had always been much more polite than me.
“Thank you for allowing us a brief respite before we attended you,” Micah continued, once we’d straightened. “My wife and I both appreciate your generosity. Her captivity was quite an ordeal for all of us.”
Oriana stared at me, so I stared back until Micah pinched me. Oh, yes, I should probably speak. “We all appreciate your patience,” I said. “During our capture—”
“Was your sister captured?” Oriana demanded.
“Yes.” After another pinch from Micah, I added, “My lady.”
“Did she also escape?”
“Um, yes.”
Oriana leaned forward, her eyes narrowed. “Why is she not here now?”
I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, wondering if I should begin with the fight Sadie had with Dad or the fact that Micah and I hadn’t woken her before we left.
“Micah, the lack of the Inheritor’s presence worries me greatly,” Oriana continued before I could come up with anything. “If she continues in her refusals, I will count this as the second time you have abandoned me.”
“I have never abandoned you,” Micah stated, a hint of irritation in his voice. “As I explained during our last visit—”
Oriana held up a hand and shook her head.
“Oh, but you did,” she countered. “After you stepped down as my general—“
“Didn’t we already go over this?” I interrupted, earning me a third pinch from Micah. That one definitely left a mark.
Oriana’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I’d like to go over it again.”
Micah moved to pinch me again, but I swatted his hand. “I mean no disrespect,” I said. “It’s just that, from what you and Micah have said, it doesn’t sound like he abandoned you. Things just happened, things that ended up hurting both of you.”
“He may as well have,” Oriana snapped. “Without Micah’s leadership, I fell before iron. If he’d been with me, he could have saved me, saved Eurwynn…”
Oriana’s accusations faded to sobs, and Ayla rushed forth to comfort her. While the queen was distracted, I whispered to Micah, “She really misses the Gold King.”
“Bards sang of their love across the realm,” Micah murmured. “Now, those ballads have become laments.” He turned to me and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear. “Sara, do not judge our queen too harshly. She merely grieves the loss of her husband.”
I nodded, though I thought Oriana’s actions of late could be attributed to a bit more than grief. “My lady,” I began, “I am so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine the weight of your grief.”
“Thank you,” Oriana sniffled, then she sat straight up and folded her hands in her lap. Her moods changed so fast I felt like I was the sole passenger on a roller coaster, a rickety one assembled by a drunk carnie at that. “Despite my continued lack of a king and a capable general, we do need to sort out where the Inheritor’s loyalties lie.”
“Of course,” Micah said, then he steered the conversation in a completely new direction. “My lady, before we discuss the question of the Inheritor’s loyalty, should we not first establish what this supposed scroll, and the family tree it contains, might mean to the monarchy?”
Oriana’s eyes went wide, her chin quivering. “Micah, you, too, wish to unseat me?”