Guinevere's Grail | ✓ [BOOK 2]

~ 41 ~

SELENE TRIED NOT TO tremble when the Queen told her to stay behind as the rest of the crowd filed out of the throne room. She still had Giselle beside her, but the princess looked just as afraid to face her. If she caught on to their real intentions, she could only imagine what would happen, and judging by her scowl, she had to assume that was the case.

"Glad you're still alive, Giselle," the Queen said when the room was empty.

Giselle bowed her head, then tossed a glance to Selene as if she were asking for help. She shrugged, she'd no idea what to say, either.

The Queen took their silence as an invitation to continue. "Why are you really here? Be honest."

Giselle's head snapped back up, and Selene knew exactly what she was thinking when she looked at her again. This time, Selene nodded, albeit a bit hesitant. The Queen didn't deserve to be lied to, at least.

The princess screwed her mouth before she spoke up. "Because I don't have much of a choice. It's either this or I stop being the Vernal Princess and I stop being your daughter."

"So you don't want to fight alongside Titania."

Giselle gulped, then shook her head. "No," she murmured, soft enough that Selene herself barely heard it. "But I will if I have to."

The Queen contemplated. "Good," she said. Both of them looked at her with surprise, and she smirked. "I told all my men to focus on defense of the Vernal Court, no matter who you defend it against. Didn't you hear me say that? Titania is an oppressor, she has kept us all beneath her boot for so long, it's affected the very workings of our species. Why do you think our glamour has a limit?"

Selene was flabbergasted. "I thought you couldn't fight against Titania no matter what."

"That's what she told us," the Queen said. "We don't know if it's really true because we've been too scared to try. We cannot attack her directly, we know that much. But if she attempts to hurt our people, we have every right to defend. And if that means we damage her, then so be it. We'll be discreet, but this is our chance to protest. And that is exactly what we'll do."

A breath of relief left Selene's lungs, and she finally worked up the courage to clutch Giselle's hand. This made things much easier to have the Queen on their side, as much as she could be.

"Will you send an army to battle the Unseelies?" Selene asked.

"We are too small in number," she said. "Our people have been ravaged by the disease the hardest, no one knows why. We will fight on the defense, the Summer Court are the warriors of the Seelies. We will be attacked, but we won't attack. We can't afford to send any soldiers onto the field."

"Allow me to help, then," said Selene. "I can protect the palace with you and Giselle, I'll guard your family with my life."

The Queen stepped down from her throne, allowing herself to relax. "That is exactly where I wanted you. I appreciate your enthusiasm."

Giselle looked up at her with sad eyes. "Thank you, my love," she hummed. "But please, do not give up on the fight should you lose your footing, don't be eager to sacrifice yourself. That is a last resort, do you understand me?"

Selene was prepared to give it all for Giselle and her people, but she knew how the princess's heart would shatter if she ever lost her. "I understand, Princess. I'll do my best. But so must you."

Before anyone else could get a word in, a loud, jarring bellow of horns rang throughout the kingdom, from every angle of the palace and echoing through her head, sending chills down her spine. The sound was mournful and empowering all at once, like the war cry of a banshee. It made her dizzy with fear and determination, like she was cast under a spell to give her courage. All at once, the world was quiet, and all of Faerie knew of the carnage to come.