55

Corinne glanced over at me. Then she waved her hand and the hearth roared to life, bursting into cozy flame. I started a little, but then the warmth washed over me and I settled back down. That was nice of her at least.

“I’ve instructed Adrian to let us rest for a day or so,” she said. “I’ll regain my strength, and then we’ll begin the preparations to return to Shianga.”

I flicked an ear in acknowledgment. I was still angry, and wanted her to see that in my expression, but I did want to know the details. If I was stuck with her in this form—I could at least get those.

I slept fitfully by the fire, and before dawn, when Corinne unceremoniously jerked me to my feet with a pulse of her power. I shook into wakefulness and padded after her, through the quiet white stone hallways of the palace, to a meeting room at the far end. This was much smaller than the other grand rooms we’d walked through, with nothing more than a low table and a vast window overlooking the still lake. When Corinne stepped inside, the three Fae seated at the table stood and bowed deeply in greeting.

“Your Highness,” Adrian said. “Welcome.”

“Adrian,” Corinne said warmly. “And my council members. General Eodwin. Lady Fretha.”

The other two members smiled in return. All four of them had the same shining silvery hair, but only Fretha wore hers long and loose, flowing nearly to the waist of her elegant pale blue gown. They took their seats and a servant swept in and poured a light, fragrant tea from an ornate silver teapot.

“And who is this?” Fretha asked, nodding at me.

“A wolf of Frasia,” Corinne said without hesitation. “She was also kept as a part of Draunar’s hoard. It was with her assistance I was able to escape. You’ll have to excuse the muzzle—she can be a bit, how should I say, spirited.”

Titters of laughter rang out around the table. Anger raced through me and made itself known as my upper lip peeled back from my teeth.

“Oh, my!” Fretha said with another bell-like laugh. “The wolf appears ferocious.”

“Pay her no mind,” Corinne said. “I couldn’t risk her exposing my plan to the wolves on Shianga before our strategy was settled. But first, let us discuss the kingdom’s developments in my absence…”

The council meeting was long, and excruciatingly detailed, and I tried to absorb the details I thought would be important. But there was so much detail—Adrian laid out dozens and dozens of grievances they’d sorted out with Fae villagers, Eodwin narrated the changes in the barracks and who had been promoted and who had not, and Fretha explained how she had managed the day-to-day upkeep of the manor. In this conversation, the long lives of the Fae were clear. They had systems to keep their community running even in the queen’s absence—it was like they had all known, despite the damage, that eventually she would return.

Once they had caught Corinne up on everything, she nodded thoughtfully and sipped her tea in the comfortable silence. “You’ve all done well,” she said.

“My only regret is we could not locate you, Your Majesty,” Eodwin said. “In your absence we struggled to maintain a presence in the other realms.”

“I don’t believe even Draunar knew what he had done to the Fae when he locked me away,” she said with a sigh. “His only interest was keeping a queen as a toy. He is a simple, stupid man, and his subjects will be better served under our leadership.”

“He will pay for what he did,” Adrian said mildly. Despite the quiet tone, there was an edge of clarity to his words that sent a shiver down my spine. Corinne was right about one thing—Draunar had no idea what he was getting into when he kidnapped the Fae queen.

“Eodwin,” Corinne said. “Keep an eye on the battlefield in Shianga. Do not engage or let them know you are there. Fretha, you and I will gather our finest soldiers and prepare them for battle. When the time is right, Eodwin, we will surprise Draunar in Shianga and take their palace from his claws.”

“I will leave immediately,” Eodwin said briskly. “I look forward to returning with news.”

Corinne hummed her dismissal and Eodwin left. When the tea was finished, another Fae in tiny glasses and a frazzled expression burst in with a large leatherbound tome in hand. “Your Highness!” he squeaked. “We simply must balance the ledger, it’s been a mess the past several years!”

Corinne sighed and gestured for the accountant to sit down. I settled down for another long, boring meeting.

As the days passed, Corinne held more catch-up meetings as she retook the throne. There were breakfasts, banquets, small meetings, large ones, tours of the grounds, rooftop cocktails, and so on and so on. For all of them, I was latched to her side like a plaything or a spoiled pet, muzzled and kept close so she could show me off. I never caused any problems. I sat quietly at her feet, lingered at her side, kept my ears and tail low, and even bit back my growls when the occasional Fae deigned to pet me like a dog. It was humiliating. But my demure behavior paid off.

On the fifth day, I lingered by the fire in her chambers, dozing as usual as Corinne went through her extensive dressing and bathing rituals. I had almost drifted back into sleep when she approached and placed her hand on the fine collar around my neck.

“You’ve done well this week, wolf,” she said.

I glanced up, ears twitching with suspicion. Then, her power briefly flowed through me, sharp and uncomfortable.

“There,” she said. “I’ve adjusted the hold some. You will be relegated to stay within the palace walls, and in this shape, but feel free to enjoy the courtyards. Some sunshine will do you good.”