Chapter Twelve Zeklan

I feel Mabel stiffen beside me when she sets eyes on the monster hunter. He is white-haired, just like her, but much taller. His muscles were once huge, but now have shrunk somewhat and the chains are the reason why.

He wears a thick choker of metal around his neck and a chain runs from the center of it, attaching to the chair with a padlock. The queen wears a decorative key around her neck, nestled between her breasts, that obviously belongs to the padlock.

"What the fuck?" Mabel says and I fear she might have just pissed off the queen again.

I'm not sure I'm ready to be banished just yet. While I have recovered from what happened in Filania, I need to build my strength up some more yet before we are back in the wilds again. I feel like the man in front of me, withered and not quite the person I used to be.

However, the queen simply laughs before replying. "This is Magnus, you probably have a lot to chat about, I suppose."

"We sure do," Mabel says, her fists clenching by her sides, and I reach out to tickle her fingers apart on one hand. She reacts immediately, untwining her hand and clasping mine as though it is the only thing that will settle her. Brugo steps up behind her, his body leaning into hers to offer more support as well. Around the room, there is unease as people gasp and chitter nervously in response to Mabel's emotions.

I look at Arthur and wonder if he knew about the monster hunter. When he makes eye contact with me, I know the answer and I'm pissed.

"You could have given us a warning," I hiss at him and he only shrugs before stepping around the table and taking a seat.

"Come, sit here, Mabel, so you can talk to Magnus," he says, and I am fuming.

"I think you can find another place to sit because I'm not letting go of her," I reply, and Arthur knows I'm mad at him because he stands immediately and moves to the other side of the queen.

Mabel marches along the short table and sets herself down exactly where Arthur told her, and I take the seat next to her. Fenn and Brugo eyeball each other for a moment before Brugo relents and takes the seat next to Arthur, placing Fenn as far away as possible from the queen. Mabel doesn't need any more stress than she already has, and I am glad Brugo understood that without being told.

"Why are you in chains?" she asks the monster hunter as soon as she's seated. She's not taking anyone's shit or hiding behind airs and graces–regardless of any threats from the queen. However, Siorah seems relaxed and not at all concerned at what Mabel has just asked.

The man, Magnus, chuckles and it is a deep, rumbling sound. "The queen doesn't trust me, obviously," he replies.

"He's tasked with killing me," the queen adds. "By your king."

Beside me, Mabel gasps. And I don't blame her, there's a lot to unpack in such a short statement.

"But she also loves me, so she can't kill me either," Magnus adds.

Honestly, my head is spinning. What sort of place is this? And why on earth would King Gilberd want Queen Siorah dead? I want to ask but Mabel beats me to it.

"What does King Gilberd have to do with this?"

"I am a threat to him, of course," Siorah replies.

"How?" Mabel returns. "No offense, but no one really wants to come here so why would he want to rule it?"

For ruling is the only reason why the king would want her dead.

"I, single-handedly, managed to unite this country. Never before has a person managed to do that, let alone a woman."

"Still, that doesn't explain why Gilberd would want to take over here."

"Oh, but it does," Siorah says smugly as she plucks a piece of meat off a platter with a long pair of wooden tongs and places it on the plate in front of her. "While most of the people outside of Kiros Somu–the commoners–see this place as a living hell, a place to be scared of, the rulers all know the truth. They perpetuate the rumors and allow their people to tremble in fear every time they think of this place. But really, they all want the power I hold here. For fear is the best way to control anyone. Isn't it, Magnus?"

I look at the monster hunter and he gives the queen a strange look. It is filled with anger and desire and something else I can't quite place but it could, somehow, be respect. Of which, I can make no sense of, if that's true.

"It is, my queen," Magnus says, his voice purrs as he speaks, and I can see the way he looks at Siorah as he speaks. Every fiber of his being is focused on her. She may have him in chains, but he is captured by her regardless of the physicality of the matter. He should be mad at his containment, of the fact that the queen is parading him out here in front of everyone, like he is some sort of pet on display. A trinket to show off. Not a man. I feel sympathy for him because it wasn't that long ago that I was a captive as well. Yet, I am also mad at him for not acting like he wants to kill Siorah, like I did with my captors.

"Come on, everyone, eat up," the queen says, spearing a two-tined fork into her meat and taking a delicate bite.

"I've lost my appetite," Mabel hisses and continues to stare daggers between Siorah and Magnus. She's just as confused as I am.

I lean forward, my lips brushing her ear as I whisper, "Try to eat, Mabel. We all need our strength. Especially if we have to leave in a hurry."

I don't want to scare Mabel, but she really does need to look after herself for once. She barely eats as it is. And while I know she won't starve to death, she needs some meat on her bones, and the strength that gives. She needs a buffer as we head into the unknown.

Mabel turns to me, her lips touching mine since we are so close and I close my eyes briefly, taking in her scent, the mingle of all our emissions still lingering under the salt of her skin and the soft floral scent she naturally gives off. When I open my eyes, she is staring at me. Giving a small nod, she pulls away and starts loading up her plate.

I do the same. Although, mine is piled much higher than hers. She is eating to make me happy. I am eating because I am genuinely starving.

Fenn has been quiet this entire time because he is already on his second helping of food. And gods only knows how many goblets of wine he's consumed since we've sat down. Which reminds me, we probably all need to be drunk too. Everything that has happened of late has built up and we haven't yet had a chance to settle down and relax. Alcohol might be just what we need. Sure, we need to keep an eye on the situation, but just for tonight, we need to unwind.

Tomorrow we can worry about all the secrets that will likely swallow us whole.

And, with that, I call a toast.

Thankfully, Mabel drinks deeply. So do the others, even Magnus.