Page 6 of Undertow
“Always, Sagan,” he said fondly. “Keep moving and we’ll be there soon to give our proper condolences.”
Fair enough.
I walked out of my suite focused on my phone as if I already had too much to handle and wasn’t worried in the slightest about any of what was going on. It was only half acting. Unless they were stupid enough to try and summon me to the ballroom to actually attempt to assassinate me… Well, I’d just have to rebuild my ballroom and castle later.
Honestly, that was what would happen.
My detail was with me until we reached the ballroom and then there seemed to be someconfusionas to who would guard me going forward. I met the gazes of the new guards who clearly weren’t on my side. “Big mistake. One you will regret if you make another.”
And with that, I walked into the ballroom. A throat cleared and I held up my finger before sending another message.
“Are you finally able to focus now, Your Highness?” one of the elders drawled.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “You summon me—I’m sorry,invite meto a meeting in my own house while I’m rather busy handling my own parents’ funerals and wishes, and you are pouting I was busy? You cannot possibly be that petty that I didn’t run right here like a trained dog at your beck and call instead of being the next ruler ofdragonsand our great nation?”
At least he was smart enough to understand I’d won that point.
And big time.
He cleared his throat. “Join us.”
I moved in a bit but didn’t sit and was careful not to block the camera I knew Benson would probably focus on most given the setup. “There is still much for me to handle that I already booked myself with. This wasn’t onmyagenda. Speak quickly with… Whatever this is.” I gestured around to the gathered group.
Who I was pretty sure was all the elders.
No, Hardin and several others were missing. That couldn’t have been a coincidence and actually worried me more than if they were all there.
“Be civil and sit, Princess,” the elder pushed, gesturing to the chair that was left out for me. The clear “hot seat” as they all sat around me at tables.
“Elder, get on with it and don’t gaslight me that I’m the rude one here when taking over my ballroom,” I countered. I wiggled my phone at him. “I expect it to ring in seconds with the next details I need to confirm or—”
“You need to be mated,” he bit out, obviously done with my “disrespect.”
Well, I didn’t see this coming. Not by a long shot.
I slowly blinked at him. “Yes, I understand that one day I will take a mate. I know my duties and how things work. We’re a bit busy at the moment with a tragedy andfuneralhappening soon to even consider something tocelebratelike the queen mating.”
Rage filled his eyes and he seemed to have trouble speaking, his dragon riding him hard.
“Yes, well, it will have to be a muted ceremony and obviously after a respectful time following the funeral,” Elder Cardoso took over, his beady little eyes full of too much when I met his gaze. “But it will happen before the coronation. Also, the consummation ceremonies.”
Thatgot a reaction from me and it was hard not to cough. “Not only was that practice outlawed, you misspoke that there would be multiple.”
“The practice wasn’t outlawed, but the tradition stopped given—it matters not, and we feel they will be needed since your parents won’t be here to handle the alliances,” he countered. “And yes, multiple. You will be mating the sons of four different Alphas who—”
“You have lost your minds,” I chuckled darkly, rubbing the side of my face. “No, no, I will not. And you cannot think there is a single reason I would ever consider such—”
“It’s the only way we would feel comfortable confirming you as queen,” he interrupted, not even hiding his smirk of perceived victory.
I let out a slow breath and told myself to keep control before glancing at all of them in turn. “So your idea for the world’s worst coup is to mate me tofourAlpha families that you’ve picked and undoubtedly will gain—no.” I met Cardoso’s gaze. “No. Not a chance.”
Rage filled his eyes. “Listen here, because there—”
“Seize Elder Cardoso and put him in the dungeon with his aide until I decide he’d regained his sanity,” I ordered the guards, ignoring the gasps of the people in the ballroom.
There were several outraged comments and people jumping to their feet, but I had a different reaction, slowly blinking before turning and looking at the guards.
“I warned you not to make another mistake. I’mcompletelywithin my rights to order what I did.”
