She led me through the palace until we came to a golden gate, much like the larger one out front of the massive, skyscraper-sized tree, but on a smaller scale.
“This is the entrance to my private quarters,” she said to me and looked pointedly at Bran and Lachlan and the brook horse. “I am afraid I cannot let everyone come in.”
“We are sworn to Emma’s service, Your Majesty,” Lachlan said, frowning. “We have vowed not to leave her side!”
“But we know she will be safe with you, if you give your word not to hurt her,” Bran added smoothly. “As everyone knows, your royal word is your bond and you may not break it.”
“Smartly said, young man. I know you, don’t I?” The queen peered at him. “Yes—you’re my advisor’s son.”
“No longer, Your Majesty.” Bran lifted his chin. “My father stripped me of the family name when I chose to stay with Emma and Lachlan rather than go with my family. So I do not know where they are,” he added.
“Which means you cannot tell me their whereabouts. Clever indeed, just like your father,” the queen murmured. “It is possible I dismissed him too hastily. I could use his wisdom now.”
Bran only bowed his head—clearly he had said all he meant to say. But Lachlan obviously didn’t trust the Queen of the Summer Court quite as much as his friend. He stared fiercely at her and demanded,
“Give us your word that Emma is safe with you, Your Majesty. We will not leave her side for anything less.”
“Hmm, you’re a bold one, aren’t you?” The queen raised one silver eyebrow at him. “A half-breed, are you?”
“I am neutral—I do not claim to belong to either the Summer or the Winter Court,” Lachlan said. “But my mother was Lady Isella—she was once one of your Ladies in Waiting, many years ago.”
A look of sorrow passed over the queen’s face.
“Ah, poor Isella! What happened to her was such a tragedy!”
“Yes,” Lachlan said evenly. “And I am the result of it.”
I remembered how he’d told me that his father—who was a two-headed ogre—had kidnapped his mother and made her pregnant with him. Why hadn’t anyone from the Summer Court come to save her? Why was she just discounted as a person and as a member of the Court after her abduction and attack?
I didn’t ask these questions, though I wanted to. The queen was still looking at Lachlan and I sensed she wasn’t done with him yet.
“I can feel your power, young man,” she said to him. “You’ve become quite a mage in your own right, haven’t you? Lady Isella always did have power and to spare—I suppose she must have passed it down to you.”
“My mother gave me many gifts,” Lachlan said, his eyes flashing. “Though she was unable to gift me a place in the Summer Court, of course.”
“That would be quite impossible, given your parentage,” the queen said stiffly. “However, I see that you are quite devoted to Emma, here.”
My heart jumped when she said my name, so casually like that. As though we’d known each other for years.
“I am and so is Bran—we are both sworn to her service,” Lachlan said.
“And you’ve both Marked her and you both wear her Mark as well.” The queen peered at all three of our foreheads, frowning. “That is…most unusual. Unheard of, even.”
“We haven’t…done anything,” I said quickly, feeling my cheeks get red with a blush. “Bran and Lachlan Marked me to protect me and I Marked them back so they could heal me from a spider bite. But we haven’t…they didn’t…I mean…I…I’m a virgin,” I blurted out and then felt incredibly embarrassed and stupid. Talk about TMI! Why had I said something like that to the Queen of the Summer Court?
Queen Elia put a finger under my chin and looked into my face. Her eyes flickered over me and I had the feeling of being read in some way—as though she had a way of knowing if I was telling the truth or not.
“I believe you,” she said at last. “Good. And you are safe with me, my dear—no matter what your parentage turns out to be. I give you my royal word,” she added, looking at Bran and Lachlan. “So please have the goodness to wait here for us.”
Bran nodded and, after a tense moment, Lachlan did as well.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Bran said and both of them bowed low.
Airgead, who had been standing behind them, stamping restlessly, whinnied and did his horse-bow as well.
“Be safe, my Mistress,” I heard him say.
“I’ll be fine,” I said, speaking to all three of them. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Then I followed the Queen of the Summer Court through the golden gates and into her inner sanctum, not having any idea what was going to happen to me next.