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“Unfortunately, my magic spell turned out to be too strong for even me to break.” Lady Nolana shook her head. “I think that the Jewel of Lolth—which I made certain stayed with you when I left you in the Mortal Realm—magnified the magic. So though I searched and searched for you, I was never able to find you again. You can imagine my relief when you stumbled into the Holy Clearing and we all recognized you as the Lost Princess.”
“That spell you put on me stuck so hard it made me sick until Krynn and Sel finally got it off me,” I pointed out. “It nearly killed me!”
“I’m so sorry for that, Princess.” Lady Nolana clasped her hands together. “I never meant for that to happen—I just wanted you to be safe. And now all I want is to see you safely on the Throne of the Midnight Court. Which means we must get to your coronation in time!”
“But how can I take the throne if Mordren tries to stop me?” I asked. “I thought Seldarin and Krynn would be by my side—what can I do by myself?”
“You’ll just have to do your best,” she said firmly. “You have the blood of Lolth the Spider Queen in your veins. I was in the audience last night at the Public Quenching and I felt the Royal energy you were able to produce. I believe your magic will rise to the occasion.”
I wanted to point out that all I had was baby magic—even with the Blood Magic my inheritance gave me. If only she’d been able to find me in my early twenties my power would have had a chance to grow. But as it was, I felt completely defenseless.
Still, I knew I had to try. Not just for the sake of the Dark Fae people, but because Mordren was holding Sel and Krynn hostage. I knew if our positions were reversed, they would come for me. Though I had less magic than the smallest Lesser Fae child, I had to do my best to get them back.
Even if I had almost no chance of succeeding.
49
Lily
“Well, well, Princess—so here you are. I thought you might have given up on your coronation and run away, back to the Mortal Realm,” Mordren remarked as I stepped into the Hallowed Clearing.
He was sitting on the smaller throne again—the Regent’s Throne—while the much larger Silver Throne of the Midnight Court was set up behind him. Gathered in a circle around the clearing were the High Fae of the Court as well as the Lesser Fae. All of them were there to see my coronation and I heard a soft gasp leave many mouths as I walked out into the light of the gold and blue bonfire.
I held my head high. I looked spectacular and I knew it. Lady Nolana had insisted on getting me ready in style because, as she said, I had to “look queenly in order to claim my place as Queen.” I was wearing the puffy white coronation gown sewn all over with tiny Royal Purple gems and it swayed around my hips as I walked. My long silver, white, and purple hair was done in a fashionable up-do and the Jewel of Lolth sparkled at the hollow of my throat. I might not feel like a Royal ruler, but I certainly looked the part.
It was hard to believe this was the same clearing where I had first stumbled into my birthright simply because I was hungry and the food smelled so good. That had been less than a week ago, but it felt like years—lifetimes. So much had changed it was hard to believe that only a few days back I had been homeless and divorced with nowhere to go and no one to love. Now I had Krynn and Sel and a home in the Palace—not to mention a destiny as the true Queen of the Midnight Court that I had to somehow try to fulfill.
“If you really thought I’d abandon the men I care for, you don’t know me, Mordren,” I said, lifting my chin as I walked towards him. “I came here for Krynn and Sel—what did you do to them?” I demanded.
My heart was in my throat as I asked. What if he had killed them? I wouldn’t put it past him to assassinate them both—Sel especially since he was the Captain of the Palace Guards and Mordren wouldn’t want him turning them against him.
But to my great relief, Mordren shook his head.
“Are you worried that I killed them? Of course not—why would I do that?” he asked and laughed condescendingly. “No, I have a much better use for the two of them.”
“And what is that? Give them back to me!” I snapped, not waiting for an answer to my question.
“I’ll be happy to—for a price.” His fake purple eyes glimmered with greed. “Come with me and we’ll discuss it.”
He rose from the smaller throne and raised his voice, speaking to the assembled Fae.
“Citizens of the Midnight Court, I know you’re all eager to begin the coronation of our lovely Princess. But please be patient for a moment—she has asked for my guidance.”
There was murmuring among the crowd but no one seemed inclined to go anywhere.
“Come with me,” Mordren said again and though I didn’t like it, I didn’t see that I had any choice but to comply.
Warily, I followed him into the woods behind where the larger throne was set up. Only a few steps into the tree line, we came to another, smaller clearing and I saw a sight that nearly stopped my heart.
Krynn and Sel were both standing there wearing only trousers. Krynn’s wings were out, but they looked ragged, as though someone had been cutting or tearing them. Both of them had their hands tied above their heads with long ropes which were bound to the sturdy bough of the huge old oak tree they were standing under.
What worried me most was the way they were sagging against their bonds—as though they could barely stand. Their heads were bowed and their shoulders were slumped—what was wrong with them?
“Krynn! Sel!” I started to run to them, but Mordren threw out an arm to stop me.
“Not so fast, Princess, if you please,” he purred. “I know how very much you care for your two half-breeds. The question I have for you is—how much would you pay for their lives?”
“You can’t kill them!” I exclaimed, glaring at him. “You don’t dare!”
