The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires #3)- Jeffe Kennedy Page 0,127
you? We’re not idiots.”
Percy protested that it wasn’t a bomb. I concentrated on looking mean and stoic. The guards laughed and marched us in—one taking the bomb away, the fuse unlit.
They deposited us on the wide apron at the foot of the imposing throne. I’d been grateful that Lia had pushed herself to re-create the throne room for us because we needed the information. Now I found myself glad in a way I hadn’t expected that I’d seen Lia’s model of the throne itself, and heard her and Sondra discuss the optical illusion of the thing. If I hadn’t known, I might’ve been intimidated by the vast scale, the awesome height, and the piles of treasure mounded on the steps. As it was, I had been braced for the sight of Anure seemingly so far above me—and I could smile inside at the ridiculousness of a man so desperate to feel superior.
Also as Lia had described, the four wizards stood on the steps of the throne. The one in black stood nearest Anure, only two steps down, the two in blue and purple midway down on each side, and the one in red nearly at the bottom.
The guards retreated a few steps behind us, blocking our retreat. Percy bowed gracefully to Anure while I—true to my expected character—refused. Returning Anure’s stare without flinching, I put all my disgust and hatred on display. Make him think all you care about is defying him.
“I should declare this an imperial holiday,” Anure said in his smoothly cultured voice. “My prodigal cousin returns to Me and brings Me two gifts: the wretched rebel Slave King and something else of note. A special piece of jewelry, I understand?” The avid greed leaked into his tone, his fingers twitching in his longing to grasp and take.
At his words, the red wizard tipped back his cowl to reveal black eyes in a curiously smooth face. He should be able to sense the magic of the case and Lia’s enchantment on the orchid, but the spell wouldn’t stand up to close inspection, she’d said, not for long. He didn’t look at the case, though. Instead the red wizard stared long and hard at me, then smiled, not at all nicely. Snapping his fingers, he summoned a page and bent to whisper some message, sending the page off again.
“Your Imperial Majesty,” Percy had been saying during this little scene, oozing obsequious charm, “I greet you. It has been too long since the joyful days of our youth.”
“I thought you were dead, Percival,” Anure said, sounding unpleasantly surprised to discover he was wrong. “I can’t imagine why you aren’t—nor why you’re here.”
Percy shrugged. “Aekis was boring. I helped you before, and you shared your wealth and position with me. I want that again. So I brought you gifts to demonstrate my sincerity.”
Anure’s lip curled, and he tapped twitching fingers on the arm of his obscene throne. “And you, Slave King, I’m astonished you didn’t kill yourself rather than be dragged to face justice in my court, given all you’ve stolen from Me.”
I laughed at that, loudly and heartily, for once not self-conscious at the harsh burr of it, like a dog choking on its collar, even enjoying how the courtiers in my peripheral vision flinched at the sound.
“Do I amuse you, dog?” Anure sneered.
“Well, yeah.” I tipped my chin at the treasure dripping down the steps of the throne. “It’s pretty fucking funny to hear a thief sitting on a pile of stolen jewels accuse someone else of theft.” I couldn’t help scanning the hoard, wondering if the crown of Oriel lay in there somewhere, if I’d even recognize it after all these years. “I’m also surprised you can even say the word ‘justice.’ Did it burn your tongue on the way out?”
“I could have you killed where you stand for such insolence,” Anure shouted, thumping his fist on the arm of his throne.
I glanced around, raising a dubious brow at his guards. “I am chained and unarmed,” I noted. “So you might have a shot at it. I’m sure you realize that’s the only way you could beat me—since I’ve defeated you in every other battle.”
People behind me gasped and muttered, a hint of titillation in their voices. Anure ignored them as beneath his notice, and I finally got Lia’s point about the false emperor being lax about his court. Lia would’ve played to their reactions. As it was, Anure had lost that opportunity and I was going to