Chapter 86 Hel’s horse
Chapter 86 Hel’s horse
Before I could take two steps, Elowyn rose from her seat, her golden gown glittering like captured sunlight. She raised her glass, and the room fell silent.
"Before the Queen presents her gift," she announced, "I have an announcement of my own."
I froze.
"Brother. Lady Freya." Elowyn's smile was radiant. "Today is a day of celebration. A day of joy. And what better time to share the news that will secure the future of our kingdom for generations to come?"
The courtiers leaned forward. I could feel their hunger, their anticipation.
"Lady Freya," Elowyn continued, gesturing toward the woman at her side, "is carrying a child. A son. The priestesses who examined her have confirmed it. And tonight, I am overjoyed to announce that this child, this blessed, beautiful boy, will be named heir to the throne of Aurelia."
The hall erupted.
Cheers. Applause. The thunder of a hundred voices raised in celebration. The courtiers surged to their feet, raising their glasses, toasting the unborn heir. Elowyn stood at the center of it all, her face alight with triumph, her eyes finding mine across the chaos.
Look at you, her gaze seemed to say. Look at what I've done. Look at what I've taken from you.
But I couldn't look at her. I could only look at Cardan.
He was not cheering. He was not smiling. He was staring at Elowyn with an expression I couldn't read, shock, yes, but something else too. Something that might have been resignation.
He had known. He had told me he would consider it, but he had already made his decision. He had let Elowyn make the announcement. He had let her frame it as her victory.
And I had been caught completely off guard.
The anger rose in my chest like a tide. My shadows stirred, dark and hungry. But before I could speak, before I could do anything, there was a commotion at the far end of the hall.
A crash. A shout. The thunder of hooves on marble.
Malfane.
The Hel horse had broken free of its handlers. It burst through the grand doors like a creature possessed, its midnight coat gleaming, its silver mane flying. It reared up on its hind legs, hooves flashing, and let out a scream that shattered the air.
The courtiers scattered. Nobles dove out of the way, overturning tables and sending crystal goblets crashing to the floor. The musicians abandoned their instruments. The guards drew their swords.
And Freya screamed.
The horse charged through the chaos, its eyes blazing with wild, unseeing panic. It crashed into a table, sending golden plates flying. It trampled a tapestry beneath its hooves. It was heading straight for the head table, straight for where Cardan, Elowyn and Freya and the screaming, scattering courtiers.
"Protect the King!" someone shouted.
"Protect the child!"
In the chaos, Freya stumbled. She fell. And Cardan, my husband, the man who had sworn to love me, threw himself toward her, shielding her with his own body as the horse thundered past.
I stood frozen, watching.
The scene burned itself into my memory. Cardan's arms around Freya. His body between her and the danger. The way he held her, protective and desperate, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
He chose her, a voice whispered in my mind. When it mattered, he chose her.
But there was no time to grieve. No time to process. The guards were closing in on Malfane, their swords raised and their faces grim. They would kill him. They would slaughter my gift, my beautiful, terrified horse, and they would call it justice.
"No!"
My shadows exploded.
They poured from me in a wave, dark and cold, filling the hall with the power in my bloodline. The guards froze mid-step, their swords trembling in their hands. The remaining courtiers stumbled back, their faces white with terror. Even Elowyn, still standing at the head table, went very, very still.
I walked through the chaos like a shadow moving through light.
Malfane was still now, his sides heaving, his eyes rolling. He was terrified. Something had spooked him, something had driven him into this frenzy. But when he saw me, when he felt the familiar darkness of the Morrigan blood, he began to calm.
"Shh," I murmured, approaching slowly. "It's all right. I'm here."
The horse whickered, low and uncertain.
"You're safe," I said, reaching out. "No one will hurt you. I won't let them."
My hand touched his muzzle. He flinched, then relaxed. His breathing slowed. The wild panic in his eyes began to fade.
"That's it," I whispered. "Good boy. You're all right now."
The hall was silent.
I could feel them all watching, Cardan, still crouched over Freya. Elowyn, her triumph replaced by shock. The courtiers, their fear and confusion and barely concealed horror. The guards, their swords still raised, waiting for orders.
And me, standing in the center of the destruction, my shadows wrapped around the terrified horse like a shield.
The night was not over.
But everything had changed.
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The hall was silent save for the ragged breathing of the horse.
I stood with my hand pressed to Malfane's muzzle, my shadows wrapped around him like a protective shroud. His flanks still heaved with residual panic, but he was calming now. His wild eyes met mine, and I saw the fear there, the confusion. He had not meant to cause chaos. Something had driven him to it.
And then Elowyn shattered the silence.
"This is an outrage!" Her voice rang through the hall like a blade. "The Queen's beast could have killed us all! It could have killed Lady Freya! It could have killed the future heir to the throne!"
I didn't turn. I kept my focus on Malfane, stroking his muzzle, murmuring soft words in the old tongue of Hel. "He was frightened. Something spooked him."
"Spooked him? It attacked the banquet! It destroyed half the hall!" Elowyn's voice rose to a shriek. "That creature is a menace. It should be put down immediately."
"No."
The word came out cold and sharp. I turned to face her, my shadows rising around me.
"You will not touch this horse. He is under my protection."
"He is a danger to everyone in this palace. To the King. To Lady Freya. To the unborn heir." Elowyn's eyes blazed with triumph. "Guards! Seize the beast! Take it to the courtyard and put it down!"
The guards hesitated. They looked at Elowyn. Then at me. Then at their swords, still drawn, still trembling.
"I am your Queen," I said, my voice carrying through the hall. "You will not take this horse."
"I am the Princess of Aurelia!" Elowyn countered. "I speak with the High King's authority! Take the beast away!"
The guards didn't move. They were frozen, caught between two commands, two women, two impossible choices.
"Enough."
Cardan's voice cut through the chaos.