Chapter 25 The human Lord
The human delegation arrived two days before the coronation.
I had been in the library—my unofficial sanctuary, the one place Elowyn's spies seemed unable to penetrate, when Liriel found me. She was breathless, her cheeks flushed, which was unusual. Liriel was never breathless.
"Your Majesty," she said. "There are humans in the throne room!"
I set down my book. It was a history of the Sundered Gate Treaty, dry as bone and twice as brittle. I had been combing through it for weeks, searching for any mention of the consummation clause the High Priestess had referenced. So far, I had found nothing but footnotes and frustration.
"Humans," I repeated. "What kind of humans?"
"The kind with a delegation. Gifts. And a. Lord." Liriel paused, her voice dropping. "But more importantly, Princess Elowyn looks like she's swallowed a lemon."
That was enough to get me moving.
\-———————————————-
The throne room was in an uproar.
Not the visible kind of uproar, the Aurelian Court was too polished for that. But I had spent enough weeks here to read the undercurrents. The courtiers' whispers were sharper than usual. The lords' postures were stiffer. And Elowyn, standing at the base of the dais beside Cardan, was radiating a fury so potent I could feel it from across the room.
The humans stood in the center of the hall.
There were six of them, four guards in practical, unadorned armor that had clearly seen actual combat, a gray-haired advisor with the careful stillness of a diplomat, and at their head, a man who could only be the Lord.
He was young. Younger than Cardan, certainly. His hair was the color of burnished copper, swept back from a face that was all sharp angles and warm hazel eyes. He was handsome, devastatingly so, in the way that made courtiers pause and ladies flutter their fans. But it wasn't his beauty that caught my attention.
It was the way he held himself. Relaxed. Confident. Utterly unafraid of the glittering court surrounding him. You see humans were genetically smaller than Faes. They could never grow or look as tall and big as Faes. But what they lacked in build, they made up in character. Even if they were completely powerless.
This was a man who knew something. Something he wasn't supposed to know.
I slipped onto my smaller throne beside Cardan. He didn't acknowledge my arrival. Neither did Elowyn, though her shoulders tensed fractionally.
"Your Majesties." The human Lord bowed, deep enough to be respectful, shallow enough to be insulting. "I am Lord Sebastian Valois, nephew to His Majesty King Henri of Valdris. I bring gifts and felicitations from the human kingdoms on the occasion of your marriage."
"Lord Valois." Cardan's voice was cool, formal. "You are welcome in our court."
"Am I?" Sebastian's smile was knowing. "I'd heard the Aurelian Court was less than fond of humans."
"You heard incorrectly."
"Then I am relieved." His gaze shifted. To me. "And this must be the new Queen. The Princess of Hel."
"Queen Nyx," Elowyn corrected, keeping my voice even.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I meant no disrespect."
"Never mind that. I will always remain a Princess of Hel."
His eyes, hazel and gold-flecked, warm as autumn leaves, swept over me with undisguised interest. "The stories of your beauty do not do you justice."
"The stories of my beauty usually involve me devouring hearts."
"I heard it was only on Tuesdays."
"Today is Wednesday. You're safe."
He laughed, a genuine laugh, warm and surprised. "The stories really don't do you justice."
Beside me, Cardan had gone very still.
"We are grateful for your gifts," I said, steering the conversation back to safer ground. "What brings the nephew of a human king all the way to Aurelia Prime?"
"Diplomacy, Your Majesty. My uncle wishes to strengthen the bonds between our kingdoms. Trade. Alliance. Mutual understanding." His smile sharpened slightly. "Also, there are certain matters that require... discussion."
Elowyn made a small sound. It might have been a cough. It was probably a suppressed snarl.
"Certain matters," she repeated, her voice honeyed and dangerous. "I wasn't aware of any outstanding matters between our kingdoms."
"Weren't you?" Sebastian's expression was innocent. Too innocent. "I'm sure Lord Percival could enlighten you. He's been handling the arrangements on Aurelia's behalf for years."
Lord Percival, standing among the cluster of advisors, went pale.
"I'm not sure what you're implying," Elowyn said.
"I'm not implying anything. I'm stating facts." Sebastian turned back to Cardan. "Your Majesty, I propose an extended stay. A few weeks, perhaps a month. Long enough to discuss our mutual concerns and explore opportunities for cooperation. I understand the coronation is imminent,, I would be honored to attend as a representative of the human kingdoms."
"That's not possible," Elowyn said immediately. "The palace is full. The coronation is a sacred ceremony. The presence of humans would be..."
"Enlightening?" I suggested.
Elowyn's gaze snapped to me. "Inappropriate."
"Surely the palace has room for one more guest." I met her glare with serene indifference. "And I can think of no better way to demonstrate Aurelia's commitment to diplomacy than welcoming a human delegation to the coronation."
"The Queen makes an excellent point," Sebastian said, and I could have sworn he winked at me.
"The Queen Consort is new to our court," Elowyn said through gritted teeth. "She doesn't understand our traditions."
"The Queen understands diplomacy," I replied. "And it would be poor diplomacy to turn away the nephew of a king."
Elowyn opened her mouth to respond, but Cardan cut her off.
"Enough."
The word was quiet. It silenced the entire hall.
Cardan leaned forward on his throne, his silver eyes fixed on Sebastian. "Lord Valois. You may stay. We will arrange quarters for you and your delegation. You are welcome to attend the coronation as our guest."
Elowyn's face went white with fury.
"However," Cardan continued, "I expect your presence here to be productive. I want a full accounting of these matters you mentioned. I want a clear proposal for future cooperation. And I want your assurance that your uncle's intentions are peaceful."
"My uncle's intentions are always peaceful," Sebastian said. "It's his actions that sometimes cause problems."
"That's what I'm afraid of."
Sebastian bowed again. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I look forward to our discussions."
As the delegation withdrew, I caught Sebastian's eye one final time. He smiled at me, warm, knowing, and entirely too familiar.
I did not smile back.