The True Queen- Book Two

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Cordelia

Sebastian's hand slams against the table, making everyone jump. Cordelia holds her hands on her lap, hiding the shaking. Silence falls again in the council chambers as Sebastian slowly glares at everyone in the room. Eventually, his eyes fall on Cordelia. She gulps, her mouth going dry.

"Cordelia," he begins.

"Yes, grandfather?" she replies, her voice coming out calm and confident.

"Do you know what happened during the night?" he asks.

"I do not, grandfather," she replies. Sebastian then looks over to Kristoff.

"Do you?" he asks. Kristoff is visibly pale next to Cordelia and bead of sweat drips down the side of his face.

"Lord Jemson and his family," he gulps and licks his dry lips before continuing, "were murdered," he finishes. There is silence again. Cordelia's heart thuds loudly in her chest and her stomach aches and flutters with fear. It takes a few moments for the news to sink in. Then, when it does, it takes all her strength to keep from smiling. Cordelia bites her cheek as her face remains straight. When she had been woken in the early hours by Kristoff, telling her that her grandfather demanded an immediate meeting, she knew it had to be something serious.

"How and by who?" Cordelia asks, her voice sounding stronger now that the shock had worn off. Sebastian's eyes snap over to her.

"It would appear," Sebastian begins, "that the Knights of the Pheonix has made their allegiance to Illyana public," he snarls through gritted teeth. "They've done this," he begins, "by somehow managing to sneak into the Jemson estate and slaughter the family without any of his guards noticing and leaving long before the bodies were discovered. But, not before they painted their symbol on the walls in the blood of those they assassinated." Cordelia's eyes widen. "For weeks, you've had your soldiers patrolling and searching the city for these scum," Sebastian spits at Leander Drake. "Yet they've found nothing. Now, one of the Lords of Vivelle and all his heirs are dead." Leander is just as pale as his son as Sebastian speaks to him.

"They're very careful and skilled," he says, "But they'll slip up soon."

"That's not good enough, Leander," Sebastian says, his voice cold and calm. "They've killed one of the most prominent members of our society. A man whose farms in the flatlands feeds most of this city. Who is going to manage his land now?" he asks. The doors burst open and the room silences as Matthias walks in. Cordelia doesn't react, but again she has to force herself not to smile as he enters. Gone is the rugged, broken man. At least, in appearance anyway. Matthias has his black hair neatly combed and his face cleanly shaven. His clothes are pristine and gone are the dark bags around his eyes.

Sebastian glares at his son as Matthias walks in. Followed by some of the guards that Cordelia had compulsed.

"Thank you, for looking after everything in my absence father," Matthias says as Sebastian makes no effort to move from the chair. "But now I am returning to my duties." An amused smile plays on Sebastian's lips before he lets out a cold laugh and looks at the rest of the council around the table. They start laughing too though it is nervous. They're unsure about the situation.

"Go back to your excessive drinking and destruction of your room, boy. This kingdom needs a leader, not a weak little man," he smirks as he leans back in the chair with a smug smirk on his face.

"And that leader is you, is it, father?" Matthias asks, his deep voice mocking as a smirk plays on his lips.

"Yes, it is me," Sebastian replies, "I'm the only one capable of getting this mess sorted out."