Page 26 of Beauty At Stake
“Don't 'what' me. You just shifted. That means you think you're staying.”
“Well, I'm already here, mo shíorghrá.”
I rolled my eyes and walked out.
“What about the camera?” Raza followed. “Seren? Seren, tell me about the camera.”
Chapter Eleven
I strode out of the corridor and into the living room where everyone was waiting for us. And I went straight to Malai. “You know, I was so happy to meet a Lady of the Wild Hunt. My daughter is going to be a Lady someday. Danu revealed it to me. But you have brought dishonor to the title. I'm reporting you to the High Council.”
Malai blinked and swallowed, but other than that, she gave no reaction.
“Seren, please,” Raza said. “That's a little extreme.”
“Is it?” I spun to face him. “She's not just a hunter. She's a Lady of the Wild Hunt, and she's on a mission. Her responsibility was to that mission. But she flat-out said to me that her loyalty lay with you, first and foremost. She doesn't respect this mission because it doesn't involve Fairies. So, when she heard a bit of gossip, she took it to her king, betraying her hunter vow. The Wild Hunt is supposed to be neutral, without loyalty to any single kingdom.”
Raza's face, so human now, tightened with every word I spoke. “Yes, I see your point. But she showed me loyalty, so I cannot—”
“What you cannot do isinterfere, Raza.” I spun back toward Malai. “You compromised the mission. We've alreadylost a lot of time over this nonsense. Even worse, you've made fools out of an ambassador and your king. Tell me, Malai, what exactly was your intention went you went running to my husband, spouting tales that had nothing to do with him?”
Malai lifted her chin even as the rest of her team exchanged angry glances.
“Don't you dare get upset!” I pointed at the hunters. “You're in trouble too, you motherfuckers! One of you could have reminded her of your vows. At the very least, you should have left and reported her yourselves.”
“Whoa, babe!” Killian said.
I looked at him.
“I mean, yeah, you're right. Go on with your bad self. Let her have it!” He ran a hand through his hair and muttered, “Fuck.”
“I know, Kill. You wanna be the guy everyone likes. Fine. Do your thing. But I'm not working with people I can't trust.” I narrowed my eyes at the Wild Hunt team. “Raza is your king, yes. ButIam your queen! Where was your loyalty to me? Huh? Did you forget that when you were busy squawking like hens? I cannot believe the level of unprofessionalism that I've just witnessed. You haven't just embarrassed the Wild Hunt and your local Fey community, you've also embarrassed your king and queen in front of extinguishers, vexes, and the goddamn, motherfucking King of Hell!”
The Fairies cringed back.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Star smile. My husbands were wincing, but Star saw the necessity of what I wasdoing. As a new monarch who dealt with rebels, he understood such situations. If you let disrespect go unchecked, you will never earn respect. And this disrespect wasn't just toward me. It had targeted the High Fairy Council and the Wild Hunt as a whole.
“I'm sorry, Your Majesty,” Malai said. “Please, don't report my team. It was my decision. I take full responsibility.”
“If you want to fall on your sword, that's fine with me,” I said. “But I'm done working withallof you. Get the fuck out of my sight right now.”
Malai bowed to me, then Raza. She left with her hunters.
“Are you really going to report her?” Raza asked.
I swiveled my stare at him much as he'd done to me earlier.
“Seren, she was being loyal to me.”
“Raza, the mere fact that you can't get past that long enough to see that, in being loyal to you, she was disloyal to me is troubling. Where is all that stuff about tearing apart worlds for me? Do you lose your claws when that world shows you loyalty?”
He stepped back as if I'd struck him.
“Babe.” Killian shook his head. “Harsh.”
“Harsh?” I was suddenly very angry. “Harsh? Are you hearing what he's saying? According to Raza, I shouldn't report a Lady of the Wild Hunt for breaking her hunter oath, leading her team into insubordination, and jeopardizing a mission. Why? Because she was being loyal to him.” I spun back to Raza. “This is why I don't want to bring you on missions!”
Raza lifted his chin. “Very well, my Queen. I can feel your anger, and I see your reason for it. I'm sorry that my pleasure at one of our fairies showing me loyalty has come between us. I know you see it as a betrayal to you, but I don't. I think Lady Malai acted out of concern for both of her monarchs.”
