the throne, and the decisions he made while upon it. I knew the moment I set the crown upon my head that death would try for me, next. There’s a certain strength you get by being in power, but there’s also a unique danger. And without my magic—without any magic—it’s not a danger I want to brave alone.
I want to let the others in, more than anything. I don’t want to find everything on my own. It’s just … hard. But maybe in small doses. Maybe this can be the first step.
The tension in Ferrick’s body eases as he lets out a breath heavy with relief. If I weren’t so sick to my stomach, I might have even laughed at how over the top it was.
“Good.” He drops his voice low enough that the rest of us have to lean in, careful for any eavesdropping attendants who might be passing by. “We’ll meet up in the afternoon for a trip to the marketplace, to figure out where the poison was bought and who it was sold to.” Then he turns to Shanty, whose body straightens with understanding as he says, “We’re going to need your help.”
“Just say the word.” Shanty’s smile is as lethal as a serrated blade, though it flashes for only a moment before she’s looking at me, again. “But before that, there’s something you might want to see, Amora.”
Ferrick’s head swivels toward her, face pinched and stern. “I thought we were going to wait on that.”
“She needs to know—”
As each of their faces sour, I sigh. “Whatever it is, show me. It’s not like this day’s going to get any worse.”
As she plucks a piece of parchment from her pockets and goes to unfold it, however, I know instantly upon looking at the moving parchment how wrong I am.
HER MAJESTY, QUEEN AMORA: AN ACCOMPLISHED NEW RULER, OR A CHILD IN A CROWN?
Last night, Queen Amora’s royal officials were seen escorting Her Majesty from her own party several hours before it was set to end. With reports from Curmanan staff claiming that Queen Amora was throwing up well into the morning, we have to wonder: Could the queen be pregnant?
With the Montara lineage dwindling, it’s no secret the queen will need to quickly produce an heir to the throne. Sources claim the child could belong to a dark-haired male seen entering Her Majesty’s room, alone, prior to the party.
But perhaps there’s another answer. According to Lord Gregori, grandchild to the Suntosan representative, Lord Garrison, Her Majesty was heavily intoxicated throughout the night’s festivities.
“I tried to get her to slow down,” he told us in an exclusive interview. “We spent most of the night together, strategizing about Visidia and discussing the expansion of weaponry. At first Amora seemed fine. She was smiling and laughing, and we were having a wonderful time. But perhaps the night was too much for her, because as the party went on, I started to notice she was drinking more heavily. By the time I thought to stop her, she was already nearly six glasses of wine in, and was growing increasingly irate with me. When I noticed something was wrong, I quickly found her staff and sent them to collect her. I’m not sure how she’s doing, but I’m going to be sure to check in on her today. We have a date set this afternoon.”
If Lord Gregori’s right, then we have to wonder—in the hands of a freshly minted eighteen-year-old queen, just how safe is Visidia? Is it too much—
I crumple the parchment in my hands without finishing it, hating the moving image of me shoving my empty wine flute into Lord Gregori’s chest.
“Your mother’s not happy,” Casem says timidly. “She’s been yelling at me all morning.” His eyes are milky white, hazy with the look of someone using mind magic. As the color returns to them, he sighs and tiredly rubs his temples.
“Tell her it was food poisoning.” My voice shakes with an anger I don’t try to rein in, letting it fuel me. “If she learns it was anything else, or if she thinks I’m out here making a fool of myself, she’ll try to bring me back to Arida.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” It’s Ferrick who asks, a hand on his scabbard. “You’ve had two assassination attempts already. Maybe we should return home and try to plan something else.”
“I will not cower before my kingdom.” Ferrick, more than anyone, should understand why this is so important. When he opens