Crown of Moonlight (Court of Midnight and Deception #2) - K.M. Shea Page 0,84
Leila, but I have never liked you, and I’ll never forget what you’ve made me do.”
Fell rolled his eyes. “All these dramatics for such a little deal! Just a hunt once a year, and now I’m the bad guy!”
“Oh, do shut up, Fell,” Rime snapped.
Fell gaped at the usually impartial Winter Queen, but did as he was told and sat down.
We were quiet until the Paragon came bustling back, clutching his giant glass teapot.
“Do you need help?” I half stood up, the manners my mother instilled in me prodding me to move.
“No, no. You sit down. This will take just a moment!” The Paragon worked his way around the table, pouring tea in each individual’s porcelain teacup.
I could have sworn the teapot didn’t have enough in it for everyone, but by the time he reached his chair, he still had plenty left.
“There. Now we may begin!” The Paragon nodded his head in satisfaction and sat down on his chair.
Aphrodite sat on the arm of the chair until the Paragon was seated, then she jumped in his lap, and instantly all the silver serving trays filled with food.
Carrot cake, finger sandwiches, scones, éclairs, and slices of spice cake generously topped with frosting filled up half the trays, while Japanese snacks—I recognized mochi, castella cake, and manju buns—filled up the other half.
“Queen Rime, I insist you try a sakura mochi cake—I got it because I know you like it,” the Paragon said.
“You are too kind, Paragon.” Queen Rime served herself a piece of pink mochi cake as the other monarchs loaded up their plates with goodies and added sugar and/or cream to their teacups.
I smiled benevolently and sipped my latte as I watched.
Solis glanced at me as he elegantly dropped a sugar cube into his tea. “Don’t you intend to have any, Leila?”
“Maybe after I finish my latte,” I evasively said.
Truth was, since the food just appeared like that—and Hazel’s complaints already made me doubt the tea—I wouldn’t touch any of this stuff with a ten-foot pole.
Yeah, sure, eat food that just magically appeared on a table. The monarchs obviously haven’t read enough fairy tales, because that’s how you get bespelled and then fall asleep for fifty years.
“I invited you all here today because I am well aware of enmity between a few of you.” The Paragon tucked into a thick slice of carrot cake, though his eyes flicked from Verdant—who was sipping her tea—to Fell—who had just set his teacup down after drinking some.
“I want to make sure that we’re clear on one thing,” the Paragon continued. “Fight between yourselves all you like, but the moment an innocent gets tangled up in these spats of yours, I will intervene. And you won’t like how I’ll do it.”
“Please, Paragon,” Fell simpered. “You’re our leader—we should be embarrassed to shame you.”
“I am not your leader,” the Paragon said. “That role belongs to the fae emperor—if we can ever find a poor wretch capable of filling that position again.”
“There hasn’t been an emperor in over fifty years.” Birch held his teacup nestled in his hands and blinked at the Paragon. “And you’re the top fae.”
“I’m a representative,” the Paragon said. “But I hold no power over you, except—perhaps—that I am the strongest fae!” He stuck his chin up with pride a little bit with that statement. “Queen Rime—as fae representative on the Regional Committee of Magic—has more power over you.”
Does she?
I glanced around the table, but no one said anything against the statement.
Huh. I always knew the representatives on the Regional Committee of Magic had a lot of power, which is why it’s those of us on the Fae Ring that get to decide who the rep is. But I didn’t think it was that big of a deal as the representative would act for the betterment of their people.
Although I suppose now, having a front seat to all the politics, I could see a fae representative purposely striking disadvantageous deals that would affect a Court they dislike.
Aphrodite stretched her skinny paw high—claws out—and tangled it up in the Paragon’s beard, then yanked.
“Ouch, Aphrodite—please take more care with your claws,” the Paragon complained.
“This tea is divine.” Queen Rime stared at the flower pattern on her cup with great concentration.
“Isn’t it, though? Drink up!” the Paragon cheerfully said. Once he got Aphrodite’s paw out of his beard he saw me, leaning back in my chair and still nursing my latte. “Come now, Queen Leila—join the fun!”
“I want to finish my pumpkin latte first,” I said.