Crown of Shadows (Court of Midnight and Deception #1) - K. M. Shea Page 0,34
have found the lot of you lack certain areas to both your personality and your moral compass that make you unpleasant for me to spend any length of time with. Thank you for exiting this interview in a manner befitting of your station.”
“You can’t be serious,” the male fae—the sneerer—said. “I’m the eldest son of Lord Vyalnt!”
I smiled and clapped my hands together. “And I have no idea who Lord Vyalnt is! Which, unfortunately for you, means I don’t care. At all.”
A few of the irate applicants started to leave, and I turned my attention to the remaining three I would have left to talk to after I finished chatting with the part-human-part fae. “I’m going to ask you the same questions. If you don’t like humans, want the job because you’re plotting against me, and can’t tell me why you’re applying, there is no sense in staying.”
Two of the applicants—a male and female fae who looked more frightened than angry—exchanged glances, then stood up and fled.
The third—a smug looking male fae I recognized as the friend/cohort of the blond fae who had started the heckling when the Paragon had introduced me—smirked and settled into his chair.
“Yeah, no,” I said. “I remember you quite well. It’s not happening. Buh-bye.”
The final applicant narrowed his eyes at me. “Soon you will learn this was a mistake—to treat us so poorly.”
“Because based on the way you all responded, I’m sure I missed out on becoming life-long besties with all of you. Goodbye—and better luck next time!”
He finally left, and when I glanced at the faun who had escorted me here, he bobbed and bowed. “I’ll just wait outside.”
He disappeared through the door, leaving me alone with the remaining applicant.
I studied her for a moment, trying to get a feel for her. “You’re part human?”
“Half, Queen Leila.” She inclined her head in a nod of respect to me. “My name is Skye—I’m the granddaughter of Lord Thales.”
When I kept staring at her, she added, “He is a member of fae nobility.”
“I can’t say I find that shocking. Tell me, Skye, why do you want to be my steward?” I plopped down in one of the chairs and rolled closer when I discovered it was on wheels.
Skye’s lips twitched.
“You don’t want to tell me?” I spun my chair so it faced the door, and was opening my mouth to send her on her way, but she spoke before I could.
“Your questions are designed to strip the applicants bare.”
I swiveled back in her direction. “And you find that inappropriate?”
She wasn’t wrong.
I had spent the earliest hours of the morning trying to figure out what questions I could ask so I didn’t end up with a backstabber as a steward.
“No…I can understand why. But no fae will willingly reveal themselves like that. It’s against all our instincts and everything we’ve been taught. To be open is to be weak. It gives your enemies an advantage and makes you an easy target.”
I drummed my fingers on the granite table-top. “Then how would you go about getting a job candidate’s reassurance that they won’t backstab me at the bidding of their family?”
“I would ask each candidate who they would be most loyal to. The trick is to allow the candidate the chance to remain veiled, but have the motivation you want your employees to have.”
Oh, she’s good. I whistled, impressed by her thought process. But a tad optimistic. Just because I’m queen doesn’t mean anyone is going to be loyal to me—even the ones I hire. Which means I just need to come up with a motivation that I can work with.
“I can swear that I will be loyal to you, Queen Leila,” Skye said.
I smiled to show I appreciated the gesture. “Thank you for saying that, but you are half human. I know you can lie to me.”
Her question felt genuine. The light in her eye was questioning, and she hadn’t smothered her reaction like a fae usually would. But seriously, how could she not know?
Her face cleared, her confusion smoothed away by a solemn expression. “Regardless, you are correct. As a half fae, my vows don’t mean as much. But as a pledge of my loyalty I will reveal that I am here at the request of my grandfather.”
“He’s plotting against me?”
“Not at all. But his line is one of the smallest noble houses. If I became your steward, it would bring us honor and prestige,” Skye said.