Page 75 of Shadow Queen
“You’ll give him to me,” Gregor demanded.Demanded. He had the nerve to demand.
“I can’t do that,” Mikael told him.
“What do you mean youcan’t?” Gregor spewed each word with venom. “You mean youwon’t?”
While Mikael stood calmly, he was on the verge of blood rage, which wouldn’t end well for anyone. Norah stood. “He means the lord commander is no longer his to give,” she cut in, a sharp edge to her tone. She shot a steely glance at Mikael. “Orto punish.”
All heads turned toward her, and she heard several audible surprises. Even Soren’s head snapped up. Mikael stood motionless. He said nothing, but his eyes were fixed on her.
“He’smine, sworn tome,” she said firmly, stepping down the stairs toward Gregor. “And I mostcertainlywon’t be giving him toyou.”
“You seek war?” he challenged.
“Your nephew waged an attack against the highest command of the Mercian army, which in itself is the very act of war!” Norah spat back, letting her rage cut through the hall. “The lord commander, now the servant of Mercia, was compelled to act on this threat.As am I.”
The king of Japheth took a step back at the ferocity of her words.
Norah calmed, but still pressed toward him. “However,” she continued, “my husband has tried to tell me that this was merely the foolishness of a young man, for which he’s unfortunately paid with his life. And so Salar has asked for compassion, that I not take this as an intentional threat, and that I not rouse our combined forces andallieson such a misunderstanding.”
Norah stepped directly in front of Gregor and stared at him with an icy fire. There was no question of her reference to allies.Aleon. And it hung heavy in the air. “So, I ask,” she said, “is this a misunderstanding? Or does Japheth seek war against the queen of Mercia and salara of Kharav?”
Gregor stood, speechless. An eerie quiet hung in the hall as all eyes waited for the Japheth king’s response. No single alliance could be stronger than the forces of Mercia, Kharav, and Aleon together.Ifthey were together. Norah knew her threat, if believed, turned the tables. And it showed this pitiful excuse of a king that Mikael was the only thing that stood between him and a crushing war.
Finally, Gregor gave a slight nod, acquiescing. “Forgive me, Salara, for I neither knew the commander was sworn to you, nor the circumstance by which my poor nephew suffered his fate. I ask your pardon, and your understanding, as sometimes young men make poor choices without thought of consequence.”
She gave a pursed smile and looked back at Mikael. “I’m just thankful to Salar, otherwise I may have acted in haste. But his friendship with Japheth is of importance to him.” Tohim, not toher. She hoped she’d made that clear. And this king should grovel at Mikael’s feet to keep him.
“It was wise counsel,” Gregor replied, “and Kharav is of great importance to Japheth.” He dipped his head low, toward Mikael.
As he should.Grovel.
“Then I’ll let you both get on with your negotiations, keeping that importance in mind,” she said with a warning smile.
Gregor gave a final nod and left them, his entourage following him out.
Norah swallowed back the bile that was building in her throat. Her knees shook, and she was thankful for her layered skirts.
Mikael stepped close behind her. “You risk another Great War,” he said.
She turned to face him. “Japheth against three of the most powerful kingdoms in the world would not be a Great War.”
Mikael cast his gaze to the side before bringing it back to her. “Is this to mean that you’ve negotiated Aleon as your ally?” he asked.
“Aleon doesn’t have to be an ally to join me against Japheth in war. Phillip wants Gregor’s head above all else. Everyone knows this.”
She turned to leave, but Mikael caught her arm. “I’m beginning to think you know exactly how all of this works.”
“I was waiting for you to figure it out.”
The corners of his lips curved ever so slightly.
“Did you really intend to lash Soren?” she asked.
He frowned. “If it would get us an accord and save the alliance, yes. And he would have gladly accepted it.”
“I wouldn’t have,” she said firmly.
He leaned back on his heel.
