False Queen

by Nikki Jefford

Not one to let things go, Sarfina demanded, “What about the father of your child? Where is he?”

  “That is none of your concern.” I threw the words down from the dais, practicing my best queenly voice. Sounded good to me. I might not look the part, but the bite of my tone said otherwise.

  Jastra smirked at her sister, who now wore an angry pout over her glossy pink lips.

  “The male elf is here for Aerith’s protection, as are Galather and Folas,” Liri announced. “They have sworn their oaths, and now it is your turn. You will all obey Aerith while Jastra and I are gone. I want to hear each of you swear it, starting with you, Sarfina.”

  “Better an elf than a human,” Sarfina muttered. As she shuffled up to the dais, Galather came forward with a thick gold crown. He handed it to Liri, who stepped in front of me. I sidestepped him.

  “No way. I don’t want some cursed crown on my head.”

  “Not to worry, Aerith. Liri threw that one in the lake,” Jastra said from below, tossing back her teal hair.

  “I’m still not wearing that clump of heavy metal. It gives me a headache just looking at it.”

  Ryo snickered.

  Liri glared at him. He probably wanted to do the same to me, but knew better. As part of our arrangement, I made him swear he would not interfere in my decisions while I ruled over the kingdom in his absence. That included his promise not to bother me via dreamscape. I would not have him checking in whenever he liked, intruding on Jhaeros and me.

  When Liri demanded to know how we would communicate, I told him he could do so through Galather or Folas. He’d had no choice but to agree to my terms—all of them.

  Clearing his throat, Liri handed the crown back to Galather.

  “We will find something more to your liking before I depart.”

  We’d see about that. For now, I wanted to hear Sarfina and Ryo swear to serve me loyally. Liri had them come up one by one. Sarfina managed to swear her oath without choking. Ryo’s eager smile when he promised to obey me had Liri’s frown deepening. Unlike his older siblings, Ryo didn’t have a poker face. But if he thought that while the king was away the prince would play, he was in for a surprise.

  Liri and Jastra didn’t stay for supper. Liri left no instructions either. Carte blanche over the kingdom. Cool.

  All hail Queen Aerith Elmray.

  Chapter Nine

  Aerith

  S

  ervants filed out of the chamber, arms filled with purple linens, pillows, and drapes.

  My first act as queen involved remodeling my old suite in the royal wing. Fresh white sheets and a comforter were brought in, and from there, I got to work on my favorite part: the embellishments.

  A petite servant with a brown braid down to her ankles followed me around like a puppy, listening carefully to everything I said.

  “The throw blankets and accent pillows should be bright and cheery.” I waved my arm around the room as though that would make it magically transform from the purple monstrosity into Aerith approved territory. “I want fun colors and patterns. Do you have anything pink and light green?”

  The petite servant nodded eagerly before jogging out of the room. No sooner had she left than the head of the maids walked in. Gloriosa was a Fae in her thirties with wavy shoulder length copper hair, golden eyes, and the air of a lioness.

  A male followed behind her, carrying a retro patchwork armchair.

  “Set it down,” Gloriosa instructed, pointing at a spot in front of me. “Is this what you had in mind, Queen Aerith?”

  My eyes slid over the multicolored plush cushion. “I love it!”

  “Put it in the left corner by the bed,” Gloriosa instructed the servant. “We will return with more furniture. Can we remove anything else?”

  I scanned the room, pursing my lips at the mauve tinted walls. “I’m not fond of the artwork in here.”

  “Lark, remove the paintings,” Gloriosa ordered. I liked the female’s efficiency. This queen thing wasn’t so bad. I even had someone to issue commands on my behalf.

  The young male, Lark, placed the chair where he’d been instructed then started pulling down portraits of the castle and surrounding scenery. Liri really was unimaginative. Luckily, Jastra and Sarfina had some flare and a storeroom filled with castoffs.

  Hands on my hips, I looked up toward the ceiling.

  “These walls need a unicorn.” Grabbing a painting in each hand, Lark trailed after Gloriosa. “But not too many,” I cautioned. “Unicorns are not something you want to overdo. Some florals would look nice as well. Flowers brighten any room. And where is my campaigne board?”

  “I’ll get it!” the petite servant rushed inside the room, arms piled so high with pillows I could hardly see her face. She dumped them on top of the bedspread. The middle-aged woman with round human ears who had just smoothed it out scowled at the young faerie.

  “What is your name?” I asked the petite female.

  She smacked her hand against her chest. “My name is Peridot, Your Majesty.”

  “Let’s see the pillows you brought, Peridot.” I strode to the edge of the bed and picked up each pillow one at a time. There was a matching set of white pillows with whimsical light green and pink florals that looked as though they had been sketched, as well as a green square pillow with “Hello, sunshine” stitched in pink. Peridot had listened well to my suggestion on color scheme. An oversized fuzzy light pink pillow had me stroking the synthetic fur as though it was a beloved pet. Another smaller square pillow had reflective mirrorlike circles sewn into the velvet. Then there was the pink cupcake-patterned one I wanted to drool into.

  “I can take away the ones you don’t like,” Peridot said.

  I gave the fuzzy pillow one last pet. “I love them all. Good job, Peridot.”

  The faerie beamed before bounding out of the room with promises to return the moment she located a campaigne board and pieces.

  A new set of servants arrived, holding up curtains for me to inspect, shortly followed by Gloriosa, Lark, and five additional males all holding up paintings for my approval.

  Galather stood near the door, watching everyone come and go, one of whom was his twin.

  Folas nodded at him as he entered and approached me. “Your Majesty, Sarfina requests an audience with you.”

  Sarfina could wait, I thought as I walked down the row of faeries holding paintings, nodding at a unicorn with a rainbow mane. “Lovely,” I murmured. I stopped in front of the next canvas and frowned at a cartoonish mermaid sitting beside a unicorn. “No. Not this one. The mermaid should be with a seahorse, not a unicorn, and the style is too juvenile. Everything else can go on the wall. Gloriosa will tell you where.” I turned to face Folas. “Is she in the hallway?”

  “Only select servants are allowed in the royal wing,” Folas informed me. “Everyone else must have your permission.”

  Sarfina wasn’t even allowed to wait in the hallway outside my chamber? There was no stopping the smile that shot up my cheeks.

  “You may have her sent over.”

  By the time Folas made the round trip to bring Sarfina to me, down the south wing halls and open breezeway with the lake below, I’d suppressed some of the glee from my face.

  My room already looked a hundred times better with most of the furniture, artwork, linens, curtains, and rugs switched out.

  When Sarfina entered the room, Galather folded his arms and kept his gaze trained on her back.

  My sister-in-law surveyed the activity in the room before resting her light gray eyes on me. “You certainly wasted no time making yourself at home.”

  “I never got an opportunity to decorate the last couple times I was here. Third time’s a charm, I suppose.”

  “Queen Aerith! I found it!” Peridot cried from the doorway. She held the purple-and-black board in both hands, the marble and onyx game pieces piled in the middle.

  “Excellent,” I said with a smile. “You can set it up in the adjoining sitting room.”

  Pe
ridot grimaced. “I’m so sorry, Your Majesty, but I don’t know where the pieces go.”

  I waved it off. “It’s okay. Just set them upright, and I’ll put them in place later.”

  Peridot managed to curtsy without spilling a single game piece.

  Through the open window, sunlight beamed in as the bright orb lazily descended toward the horizon. I couldn’t complain about the weather in Dahlquist, especially during their summer, which was opposite that of Pinemist’s.

  “Excellent work, everyone,” I announced. “We will add the finishing touches tomorrow.”

  Gloriosa clapped her hands. “You heard the queen. Everyone out. Go freshen up before dinner.” She watched the servants file out the door. “Peridot,” she beckoned. The petite brunette bounded out of the adjoining room and raced for the hall. With a slight courtesy, Gloriosa took her leave. Galather closed the door, remaining behind.

  “Well?” I prompted Sarfina. “You have my full attention.”

  She flicked her bright blonde ponytail over her shoulder and strutted to the edge of my bed where she picked up the oversized fuzzy pillow. “I remember this. It used to be mine.”

  “You can have it back after I leave.”

  “Keep it.” Sarfina set the pillow down and faced me. “Despite what you may think, I am happy you are back. You are family, unlike that human phony.”

  “That human phony is my friend, not to mention our sister-in-law, whether you like it or not.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t say.” My eyes rolled up to the ceiling.

  Sarfina placed one hand on the pink pillow and stroked the corner. “I know we’ve had our differences, but what family doesn’t? I just want you to know I’m on your side.”

  A sense of foreboding swirled inside my gut. I searched Sarfina’s eyes for any signs of what exactly she meant by that.

  “There are no sides,” I said slowly. “As you said, we are all family, and we want what’s best for Dahlquist.”

  Sarfina nodded eagerly. “Exactly. I’m glad we’re on the same page. See you at dinner.” She pivoted and strode out of the room, ponytail swinging.

  Inwardly, I groaned. I had a sinking suspicion we weren’t even in the same book, let alone on the same page.

  “Have a seat, Folas,” I said after he escorted me into the dining room.

  Jhaeros was already there, smiling at me. He’d taken on the task of speaking to the kitchen staff about the daily menus. I had a lot of cravings and nutrients I needed to get in me for the baby.

  Galather had taken the position guarding the outside of the dining room while Folas stood within. When he attempted to decline, I smiled and said, “I order you then. It’s silly, not to mention unsettling, for you to stand behind me the whole time.”

  Folas scrubbed his jaw. “I will wait for the prince and princess first.”

  Sarfina and Ryo didn’t take long. They practically bounded into the room and plopped into their seats across from Jhaeros and me. Sarfina put her elbows on the table while Ryo slouched back in his seat.

  “There,” I said. “We are all here. You may sit now, Folas.”

  Hesitating the whole while, Folas slowly pulled back the empty chair on my right and lowered himself onto the seat inch by inch before taking a rigid posture.

  Three footmen entered with our dinners, including a fifth for Folas. The blond guard’s eyes swung to me in surprise as a plate was set in front of him.

  Yes, Jhaeros and I had planned that in advance. We often invited Fhaornik and Mrs. Calarel to dine with us. I had no doubt that Folas could chew food and keep an eye on our small party simultaneously. Sarfina and Ryo had sworn oaths to me. I felt perfectly relaxed in the dining room. Besides, there was always my bow and quiver hidden beneath the table, but I didn’t expect there’d ever be a reason to use it during meals.

  Steam rose from my plate of mashed sweet potato, steamed broccoli, roasted chickpeas, and a thin slice of pork.

  “As they say in France, bon appétit,” I said as I dug into the potato with my fork.

  “France?” Ryo asked, leaning forward in his chair.

  “It’s a country in the mortal realm,” I said before closing my lips around the delicious mash. Oh nice, it had a creamy texture that dissolved over my tongue. I breathed in with contentment.

  “Did you go there?” Ryo asked, cutting into his piece of pork.

  “Not yet, but we plan to. We only had time to visit Alaska and Hawaii, which are both in a country called the United States of America, made up of fifty states. Funny enough, the two we visited are the only two that aren’t connected to the rest of the country.” I speared a piece of broccoli and stuffed it inside my mouth.

  “That is funny,” Ryo said.

  I finished chewing and swallowed. “And they’re exact opposites in terms of temperature. Alaska is one of the coldest states, while Hawaii is one of the warmest.”

  “Sort of like how it’s winter right now in Pinemist while it’s summer in Dahlquist,” Ryo said.

  “Kind of. Some places are seasonal while others, like Hawaii, are tropical year-round. Geography plays a large role. A better comparison might be that when it’s winter in the United States, it’s summer in a country called Australia. I will look into finding you a tutor to teach you more.”

  Ryo’s eager smile was cut off by Sarfina’s exasperated huff. “Why would we want to learn about another realm? It’s not like we’ll ever visit.”

  “You never know,” I said with a shrug. “My sister’s in the human world right now having a blast. Her early studies of countries and customs have come in quite handy.”

  Ryo sat up taller, setting down his fork, including the chunk of pork on the end of his prongs.

  “You can learn a lot from other beings,” I continued. “I find it fascinating.”

  “I’d like to learn more about other realms, including the elven,” Ryo said.

  I grinned across the table at him. “I am glad to hear it. We will need to work on your weapons training as well.”

  Ryo’s eyes expanded, lifting his brows straight up into his dark hairline. “You mean it?”

  I nodded and looked over at Jhaeros. “We should get him started straight away.”

  “Tomorrow,” Jhaeros agreed.

  Ryo’s jaw joined his eyes in opening wide.

  He seemed momentarily to have forgotten all about the food on his plate. I hadn’t. I polished off the last of my mashed sweet potatoes and began chasing chickpeas around my plate with my fork. Tricky little roly-poly legumes.

  “And I think we should throw a ball here at the castle to show solidarity and confidence in our kingdom.” It was a bunch of hogwash. I had no interest in hosting any kind of party for privileged Fae, but this too was part of the strategy Jhaeros and I had worked out during our power planning. The busier we kept Sarfina and Ryo, the less time they would have for scheming, should their minds turn to making trouble. I knew it would work like a charm before my words were even out. “Sarfina, would you be in charge of organizing the ball?”

  Her blonde head jerked up as she squealed. “Yes! It will be the best ball in years—an enchanting, entrancing, magical affair to remember.” Sarfina squealed again. “I will need time to see to all the preparations.”

  I kicked Jhaeros’s leg beneath the table. He nudged mine back. From the corner of my eyes, I could see his bored poker face. I maintained mine as well.

  “Take all the time you need.”

  “Who’s invited?” Sarfina asked, pressing her fingers over the edge of the table and tapping up and down as though playing a piano.

  “Dahlquist’s noble supporters,” I suggested.

  Sarfina stopped tapping and shot a look of challenge at me across the table. “What about our cousins?”

  “I don’t see why not. They are family, after all.” This potential hiccup had also been anticipated and prepared for so that I could answer without hesitation. From what Liri had told us, they were
wreaking havoc outside the castle, so why not invite them into the lion’s den where we could watch them—or tear them apart if needed? I’d never met the Elmray cousins. Perhaps it was time I saw what I was dealing with. And if Sarfina extended an invitation, they might halt whatever schemes they were likely hatching for a surprise infiltration. Too bad for them that there were two mastermind elves at the wheel of the ship. I was of the mind to take no prisoners. Liri could thank me when he returned.

  Ryo cleared his throat softly. “What country is your sister in now?”

  His question startled me out of the grid forming in my mind like a campaigne board presenting multiple moves and countermoves.

  “We left her and Devdan in Hawaii, but I imagine they’ve moved on to another state or country by now.”

  Ryo’s face seemed to fall before he lifted his chest and asked, “Does she know you are back in Dahlquist?”

  “Unfortunately, I have no way to reach her, but I’ve left a message with our staff back home to pass on to her should she return early, which I highly doubt.”

  I’d be willing to bet my best bow that Mel wouldn’t be back until the baby was due. Knowing my sister, she’d probably rush in at the eleventh hour right as I was going into labor.

  “In the unlikelihood she does end up home early, I’ve arranged for Folas and Galather to take turns dreamscaping into a specified location at a specified time once a week. Our staff has instructions for Melarue should she need to send me a message.”

  “I can check in if you want,” Ryo said in a rush of words.

  I pinned him with my gaze, causing him to look at the table.

  “I’ve always wanted to practice dreamscaping. Besides, you said she won’t even be there.” His defensive tone couldn’t hide the flush of his cheeks.

  Interesting. So, Ryo had a thing for Mel. Very well. Let him crush on her from afar. My sister was unreachable, and there was no way she’d come portaling back to Pinemist before she absolutely had to. Meanwhile, Ryo’s crush on Mel would strengthen his loyalty to me.

  I laced my fingers together and set them on the table.