The Promised Queen (Forgotten Empires #3)- Jeffe Kennedy Page 0,128
snatch it up.
“What about Cradysica?” Anure retorted, a greedy smile devouring his face. “It seems you lost there, Slave King.”
“Really—that is what you call a victory?” I snorted in disbelief, glancing to a cluster of courtiers at the edge of my vision, shaking my head and inviting them to join in my incredulity. “You lost more than two hundred ships, the best of your fleet—we’re not sure how many since most of them are at the bottom of the sea. Thousands of your best sailors and soldiers died. And we successfully repelled you from Calanthe, which is now forever beyond your reach. I’m not clear on how you figure victory, but we must have different definitions.”
Anure leaned forward from the edge of his throne, precarious in his perch, clawed fingers hanging on to the arms of the chair as if loosening his grip would pitch him headlong down the steps. “I won!” he gritted out. “I captured the only prize worth having, and everyone here witnessed that. Queen Euthalia, so celebrated and honored—your wife—humiliated and broken right where you stand.”
“You didn’t manage to keep her long, though,” I pointed out sympathetically. “Her escape must’ve stung, huh?”
Anure stilled, and I worked hard to look casual, not holding my breath. “Her Highness is My prisoner,” Anure declared. “When she has reconsidered the error of her ways, I might readmit her to My presence. Of course, since you so foully raped an untouched blossom, I can no longer marry her, but perhaps she will be pleased to see her abuser tortured.”
Beside me, Percy relaxed, just enough for me to notice—hopefully imperceptible to anyone else. The wizards didn’t so much as twitch, but I liked to think I’d made them nervous. Lia might be right that they held Anure’s leash, but the guy sitting on the throne still gave the orders.
“Are you sure of that?” I asked, making it clear he shouldn’t be. “Because I just saw Queen Euthalia on Calanthe. I even kissed Her Highness goodbye, after fucking her all night. You missed out on a prime piece there, Anure.” My deliberate crudeness sent renewed murmuring through the court. The black wizard made a complicated hand gesture, turning his face in the direction of Calanthe.
A high whining sound skittered off the marble walls, silencing everyone, a rime of fear stilling all movement. “Lies,” Anure hissed, the acute pitch nearly painful. “I shall make you suffer, Slave King. You might have raped and defiled My beloved fiancée, but I rescued her from your unclean hands. She is Mine now. You’ll never touch her again.”
I made a face of dramatic regret. “You’re wrong, Your Imperiousness. But let’s make a bet. Send for Her Highness. If you can produce her, I’ll give you the Abiding Ring.” I held up the glass case in demonstration.
“We can take it anyway, just as we divested you of that bomb.” Anure sat back, considering. “Besides, I see through your trick. You hope to deceive Me into releasing Her Highness from My prisons in an attempt to recover her. You must care about Euthalia very much.” His keen gaze rested on me, seeing into my heart.
“My spoils of war belong to me and no one else,” I replied. “I already recovered what you attempted to take and weren’t strong or clever enough to keep. Look closer at this,” I said, allowing a smirk of triumph as I held the case aloft for all to see. “The hand and finger you severed in this very room. When I reclaimed my bride, I took those, too. Along with the Abiding Ring.”
The black wizard descended the steps to confer with the red wizard, both eyeing my trophy. The other two wizards seemed oddly still. I kept an eye on them, most of my attention on Anure. “Queen Euthalia hasn’t been your guest for some time now.” I tipped my head meaningfully at the wizards. “Maybe these guys lied to you?”
Anure looked to the wizard nearest him, the blue-robed one, gesturing impatiently. The blue wizard suddenly stirred, bowed, and spoke to Anure at length, but quietly. The purple wizard seemed not to notice anything, the red and black wizards still in their private conversation, occasionally glancing my way as if trying to see the contents of the case better.
Then the blue wizard’s words apparently penetrated Anure’s thick skull. As if his fuse finally burned through, Anure exploded. “Dead?!” he thundered. “Why wasn’t I informed?”
The red wizard tore his gaze from the case I held to