Page 198 of Shadow Queen
“I’ll assemble them,” Caspian replied.
“Where’s Soren?”
“In his chamber still, resting.”
“Time for rest is done,” she said. “Tell him to come, and dress for blood. I may need it.”
Caspian’s brows dipped in concern. “Norah—”
“Do as I say.”
Reluctantly, he nodded and left her in the hall, and she turned toward the judisaept.
Soren arrived before the councilmen, much sooner than she’d expected. She’d thought he would appear a little more just-coming-back-from-the-brink-of-death-like, not at all the full Destroyer that stood before her now. Perhaps the potential call for blood had breathed new life into him. It was the first she had seen him since he’d fallen sick, and she desperately wanted to hug him, but there would be time for merriment and thanksgiving later. Right now, she had things to address.
The councilmen came quickly. Of course, they expected her call would be in response to a letter. She doubted they expected what she had in store for them.
When Alexander stepped into the room, he surprised everyone, including Norah.
“Lord Justice,” she said. She swallowed back her emotion at seeing him. Did this mean he was well?
“Queen Norah,” he greeted back with a nod of his head. “The healer has said I’m beyond the window of danger. If I had the fever, I would have displayed symptoms already.”
She let out a breath of relief, and the councilmen clapped. Even Soren gave him an indebted nod.
“Good news, Lord Justice,” Edward said. “Praise the gods; they’re merciful to their faithful subjects.”
Norah’s eyes narrowed. No doubt it was a jab at Soren. “Was Henricus not faithful?” she asked.
The room fell silent.
But she wasn’t here to discuss the gods’ mercy, or Henricus. “Where is the last letter from the king of Aleon?” she asked.
“Surely you have it,” Edward said.
She eyed him suspiciously. “No, I don’t. It never reached me.”
“Then what makes you think there was a letter?”
“Because I know its contents. Phillip sent a warning to close our ports, the same warning he sent to Kharav.” She kept her eyes on Edward. “But you didn’t want to close the ports, Councilman Edward.”
“I didn’t take the letter, if that’s what you are insinuating,” he said, with an edge to his voice.
“I don’t believe you,” she challenged.
“That’s a bold statement,” Councilman Alastair warned.
“Not as bold as writing the king of Aleon and asking him to withdraw the forces your queen sent to Kharav.”
Alastair looked around the table. “You cannot think anyone here would do such a thing.”
She raised Phillip’s letter. “I have the proof in my hand. Phillip shares how grateful he is that he didn’t heed this council’s advice and withdraw his forces, for not a single man was lost in Kharav. Meanwhile, the fever has taken nearly a quarter of his men across Aleon.”
The council let out an audible gasp.
“I know you’re not happy with my decision to close the ports and halt our trade,” she continued. “I know you’re not happy with many of my decisions, but perhaps you shouldn’t have been so eager to put this crown on my head and call me queen. Well, now Iamqueen. I’ve forged an alliance that brings Mercia strength, one that’s kept us from war. I’ve brought our people peace, provisions, security. But you don’t want peace, do you? You work against me.”
Her eyes moved around the table from councilman to councilman. “Do you know what that is?” she asked them. “Treason.”
