just for internal stuff? No one outside the Night Court will see it—including other Courts?”
“Correct. Given Court loyalty—and the…competitive spirit between Courts—no one outside the Night Court would ever see this seal, given that it would mean they are looking at important internal documents.” Skye swiped on her tablet, showing a new display of seals, all pressed into wax blobs. “Here are examples from past rulers.”
The seals varied greatly from fierce—a scythe slashing through a full moon—to beautiful—a flower in front of tiny stars. There was even one with a gloom on it—although it didn’t look as underfed or have patchy fur like mine.
“Okay.” I thoughtfully leaned back in my chair.
Skye bowed slightly. “I expect you’ll need a few days to think it over.”
“Nah.” A grin crawled across my lips. “I know exactly what I want in my seal.”
Ohh, this was going to be fun.
Skye pulled a stylus out of a pocket in her suitcoat and took her tablet back. Once she got to a new screen, she held her stylus above the tablet in preparation. “Yes?”
“It’s a creature from the Night Realm,” I said.
Skye nodded as she started to write on her tablet. “An appropriate choice. What one?”
My big grin made my cheeks hurt. “For my seal, I want a pigeon-racoon-griffin.”
“You want one of those trash pickers?” Indigo yelped. “But they’re disgusting—they’re vermin!”
“I know. That’s why I want it,” I said.
Skye’s eyes widened slightly, but she wrote it down.
“You’ve lost your mind,” Indigo flatly said.
“Nope—I have a really good reason for it.” I wanted to look cool and set my feet up on the edge of my desk, but it was a really nice desk, and my parents raised me better than that, so I leaned forward and rested my elbows on it instead.
“I’ve finished with the photos—I’ll explain things to my people immediately,” Chase interrupted. He bowed to me, nodded to Indigo and Skye, then beat a hasty retreat like a man who knew something was about to go down and he wanted no part of it.
Indigo had her hands propped up on her hips and didn’t even acknowledge Chase’s flight. “What kind of idiotic reason could inspire you to pick out the realm vermin as your seal?”
“Because every last noble is going to hate it,” I purred.
“But it’s not going to stabilize your position, or increase your reputation,” Skye said.
“Yeah, I’m aware of that. And I don’t care anymore.”
Skye almost dropped her stylus. “W-what do you mean?”
“This game that the Paragon told me about—the way I need to win over my Court and establish a strong front of power? I’m not interested in it.”
“Queen Leila.” Skye sat down in one of the chairs pulled up to my desk for the first time since I interviewed her. “What do you mean? You have to play for power—there is no other way.”
“You don’t think there is another way, because there’s never been another way,” I corrected. “And there’s also never been a half human…half fae on the throne before.”
“I’ll bite.” Indigo hopped into the other chair, draping her arm over the side to pet Kevin. “What are you up to?”
Muffin made her way over to me and leaned into my chair. I petted her—a warm comfort as I tried to figure out how to explain everything.
Indigo is mine—I know she’ll stick with me. I think Skye will. I hope she will. But I have to tell them either way. I can’t keep my closest people in the dark.
“I’ve been too reactive,” I said. “I respond to insults, attempts on my life, and attacks on my people. I’m sick of just sitting around waiting for stuff to happen in order for me to really do anything.”
“If you were more aware of the intricacies of fae life, it would be easier to respond,” Skye admitted.
“Yeah, except I’m not. And I don’t think I ever will be—I don’t want to be. The fae are screwed up.” I stroked the red spot on Muffin’s head. “But I’m done being reactive. It’s time for me to go on the offense. But I’m not going to do it the classic fae way—no murders, no insults, no social snubs or stupid ploys like that. I’m going to troll my Court.”
“Troll?” Skye asked.
“Since they’re offended by me, I’m not going to hide what makes me different. I’m not going to conform to their picture of what a queen should and shouldn’t do. I’m going to name my pets whatever I want. I’m going to put a pigeon-raccoon-griffin