To Kill A Kingdom | ACOTAR ✔️

Chapter 1 - "Do not finish that sentence!"

It had been two weeks since she was thrown into the Cauldron and had left her sister at the Night Court. Her and Allegra had been writing to each other and it sounded like Rhys and the others were looking after her well. Evette had also been exchanging letters with Orpheus of the Winter Court, and Eris of the Autumn Court. This was mainly to both build a friendship with them both, and to see if they held any extra information on Hybern and her aunt.

They didn't. But she felt having a friendship with them both was very helpful. For the future, at least.

She had also been the Black Queen for a week and a half, and was in the midst of building up her own Court. Her Court was known as the Silver Court as the Black Court still very much existed and were stood with their Queen.

Her commander was Valerian - who had followed her to her Court from her mother's. Valerian was around 86 years old, and was a magnificent combinations of Fey. He was half Tattoon - who had bodies and a physiology made specifically for being warriors - and he was half Galon. His twin brother was also a member of the Black Court.

Her spymaster - and her only spy - was Macaria. Macaria was 189 years old, and she was from Tattoon. Her and Macaria had been friends once upon a time - and it seemed as though that friendship had still stayed. Only remained hidden with the tensions between Angevin and Tattoon.

Her emissary was Elexina. Elexina was 110 years old, and she was an old lover of Emory. Elexina was one of the most powerful Fey that Evette knew.

Before she had been Queen, Evette had mentioned a very controversial idea to her mother and her Court. And just mere days after that day, she had sat down with her mother's court with Elexina and Valerian - they had discussed what she wanted to do, and it hadn't gone too well.

Her uncle and mother had put their foot down - what she planned to do was 'a lot more than controversial' in her uncle's words. And 'utterly insane - even for a Fey' in her mother's words.

Evette had been willing to let that slide - she knew she could get around it and leave the idea alone. After all, it was only a contingency plan. Her last go-to. Her Plan B. She was fine with it - and was planning with her mother their first moves in war.

But that had been up until she had gotten wind of information that Macaria had received. That Macaria had left instantly without talking to her to try and prevent it from happening - but she had been just moments too late. And she had returned to Angevin grave, and slightly injured.

When she returned she had told both herself and her mother information that made Evette see nothing but red. That made Evette grow sick of playing this safe...sick of playing nicely and by the rules. Sick of playing it like a noble Queen - like her mother.

Her aunt, her cousins, and Romulus had gone to the human lands and had murdered her father and brother in cold blood. All because she hadn't died that day in the Cauldron. All because she had removed the amplification on her aunt's power.

So, while her mother had collapsed into a chair and had started to sob for her lost love, did Evette turn and leave the room while her uncle comforted her mother. It was why she walked down the halls of the castle...a dark pulse of energy following behind her as she did. This strange new dark pulse filled the entire corridor, and it grew a few degrees colder.

She had found that her powers had transformed - a lot more than they should have. Becoming the Black Queen was only supposed to amplify her normal powers...yet she had found she had new ones. An example of such was this dark pulse of energy...of dark magic...that followed her. Especially when she felt emotions like the fury she felt in that moment.

Deep down, Evette knew what exactly this was...or at least what the cause was. She didn't know what it was exactly for sure - she had suspicions. Suspicions she didn't want to get into as of right now.