The Bastard Queen (Viciously Yours #2)

Chapter Thirty-Seven: 'Last Resort' Stash

The last two Estates on the list were easy enough to turn to our side. Baron O'Ceallaigh was an old man with a large family who wanted to see a better future for his children and grandchildren. He was actually a very neutral tempered man for a Seelie Fae, his family set my teeth on edge with their cheer but he was alright. I liked him, he was even willing to fight and I was interested in seeing his animal ability in action.

The Walsh's were a bit trickier to handle than then rest. My information on the amount of soldiers they had was outdated, they somehow managed to collect over fifteen thousand soldiers instead of the five thousand I thought they had. They wanted a seat on the council for their large contribution to the war and I couldn't disagree with them. I already had Trolls and Banshees on my council, it was time I started adding a few Unseelies. Overall, our last two visits were uneventful but effective.

It became more obvious by the last few Estates we had visited, that more and more Fae were hearing about the war and remembering who I was. Though arriving back at the camp was even more of an eye opener. We had each received a kiss from Sy, located on the hand for me, Cillian and the mated soldiers. But once we walked into camp the sheer number of tents was shocking. We went from a modest couple hundred tents to well over a thousand, the Nymphs must have relocated the trees because even the clearing was larger.

Gazing over the large mass of white and blue tents, I walked through the camp in a trance-like state. Little tendrils of smoke rose up here and there as people got ready for night fall. Dark clouds hovered in the sky above the camp hinting at the rain that was sure to fall during the night. Fae, Banshees and Trolls alike roamed the camp in all different directions. There were even Trolls and Fae speaking casually as if they hadn't held hate in their hearts for each other just a few weeks ago. It was inspiring to watch but it was the way they all dropped to one knee as I passed that stole the breath from my lungs.

At one point, I had stopped and stared until Cillian discreetly nudged me forward. Leather boots treading over the beaten down grass path between the tents, I turned abruptly to the left. I needed chocolate and I needed it now. Cillian murmured something in my ear about checking on something but I barely paid attention. Feeling hundreds of eyes on me and the way people dropped to one knee.... It was too much, my chest constricted with the new level of pressure I felt.

If I had died a couple of nights ago, I would have damned all these people. They were already labeled traitors by Mab's kingdom but without someone leading them they'd be picked off like rats. These people were risking their lives to put me on the throne and I almost ruined it by getting myself killed. The responsibility of my position and the lives of these people had already weighed on me but now it was almost unbearable.

Breathing in and out as quickly and as inconspicuously as I could, I flung back the tent flaps and stormed inside the cooking tent. Thankfully, it was empty besides a tall woman in the back corner with long light green hair streaked through with gray. In a panicked state, I barely registered her as I raced to the back cabinet. Dropping to my knees, I yanked open the wooden doors and started rifling through the different sugar-free chocolate products. Chocolate bars, Chocolate powder, Chocolate cookies, Choco Blasts....

No, no, no, no. Where is it? I know it's in here. Come on, where are you? I needed the heavy duty stuff before I really flipped my shit. Bottles and glass jars knocked together as my searching became more frantic. The ground rolling beneath my knees and the splashing of the lake could be heard, hinting to my impending breakdown if I couldn't find it. A hand on my shoulder had me throwing myself back against the counter to look up at the person who had grabbed me.

"Looking for this, My Queen?" She asked, holding out a glass jar and spoon.

Snatching them out her hands, I ripped the top off and sunk the spoon into the thick dark double chocolate frosting. Scooping up a generous amount, I stuck it into my mouth with a sigh and dropped my head back against the counter. The ground settled and the splashing from the lake could no longer be heard. Calmer than I had been before, I looked up at the woman only to blink a few times in recognition.