*THIS NOVEL IS A SEQUEL TO WILD CARD & CANNOT BE READ AS A STANDALONE*
There is a legend that one in four royal advisor-mages will betray their monarch, overthrow them for power.
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Gwenore, the new Queen of Acewood, is on a throne most would kill...
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I saw them, from the library windows—the nobles and lords come to pay their respects to Queen Gwenore.
Or more like, to come and see her, to find out what all the fuss was about. Who this woman was, what she was worth, and whether or not she could be manipulated like her father.
Many knew her from her youth. She was the stiff-backed, adventurous eldest daughter of King Hendry, who no one thought would ever step up to the plate and accept her responsibilities.
Not that she was immature or unqualified; but as an adult, she never wanted this, never wanted to be here.
And since she'd changed her mind, all of Acewood Kingdom was curious, wondering what happened to make her views shift. What happened to convince her to take the throne that belonged to her.
I had no doubt some were in attendance the day she declared her intentions, when she told everyone about the truth behind the rebellions and her father's failures. But many lived too far to witness that speech and had heard it all through the grapevine.
Today, they'd come to discover it for themselves.
They weren't here for fealty, for loyalty; they were here to get their questions answered.
The instant I spotted their banners and sigils, I retreated to my room, locking the door behind me. I paced, back and forth, back and forth, only pausing to change into my glittered gray evening dress, crafted by Tilda for tonight's occasion.
I'd been so busy with other tasks that I'd omitted this aspect of the events. Them. The guests.
They'd showed up. I wasn't certain they would, in truth, considering their attitude towards King Hendry in the past few years. Their disregard for his needs—he was their king!—and the way they'd turned a blind eye to the chaos in Acewood proper. How they'd left him and his own to fend for themselves, to figure out their disputes.
But they came today. They traveled from far, leagues away for some. Their reasons were varied, most of them not so positive, I presumed; but their presence was all that mattered, for now.
What they'd say was of no importance. Their actions, however, would mean a lot.
What counted was who was here. Why they were here. What their deeper motives were, and whether they truly had the realm's best interests at heart. Their flashy, fancy carriages and elaborate signs meant nothing to me. If they brought gifts for our queen, swell; if they didn't, I didn't care.
The true gift would be being able to see into their minds and gauge their intentions.
I imagined all their faces and positions in my head. Counts, marquesses, viscounts, lords. Widowed ladies with money and power. Lesser nobles with position and pride. Peasants who'd received the invitation and accepted with excitement.
