Paragon
Everything Eleanor had wanted was coming to fruition, and Aborella had been the one to deliver it to her. The high sorceress and fairy of Paragon sat in a seat of honor in the great hall, the fuchsia silk of her gown draping beautifully over her dark purple skin. Her complexion was nearly as dark as it had been before Raven had drained and almost killed her. A few more sessions among the forests of Paragon and she’d be at full strength.
Thankfully, Eleanor didn’t need Aborella’s abilities right now. Her plan was going smashingly. The band began to play, and the empress appeared at the head of the aisle, dressed in a regal black-and-diamond gown that brought out the glow of the citrines and diamonds crowding her ring, crown, necklace, and scepter.
Everyone who was anyone was in attendance, the entire Highborn Court as well as all the most important families in Paragon. Dressed in their finest vilt gowns, they stood from the rows of chairs brought in for the occasion and then knelt before her. Aborella noticed some of their jewels had been enchanted by local witches and wizards to give off their own light. None shone so bright as Eleanor’s however, but then Aborella had spelled those herself.
The empress climbed onto the dais and lowered herself to the blood-red velvet of her throne. Brynhoff wasn’t with her today. Now that Aborella thought of it, she hadn’t seen Brynhoff in a number of days. Was he ill or something else? No matter—she’d never cared for him anyway.
“You may be seated,” Eleanor commanded in her sharp nasal tone. There was a rumble as their guests rose from their knees and sat. “As your invitations suggested, I have an exciting announcement to make. Many centuries ago, my son Marius was killed in what we all thought was a traitorous uprising by my other children. That night was every mother’s nightmare. My remaining children disappeared in a clash of swords and magic. All of us believed the Treasure of Paragon were either dead or in hiding after what they’d done. Not only did it break my heart that my own children could do such a thing, their absence left no choice but for me and my brother, Brynhoff, to remain on the throne to lead our kingdom.
“We have spent significant resources trying to track down those responsible for Marius’s death. Justice, after all, must be served. But we were thwarted by a side effect of the sorcery used that night to distract us from the attack. No one who attended the coronation remembered exactly what had occurred. No one, as you will recall, except Brynhoff, who accused my other children.”
Aborella smiled at the lie. Oh, Eleanor remembered everything, as did Aborella. She’d helped Eleanor design the spell to poison Brynhoff’s mind so he’d kill his own nephew and then planted the memory of the uprising by the other children. It was Aborella who was responsible for the fact that none of the guests could remember a thing about the event. She proudly raised her chin at the importance of her magic to the crown.
“Recently, thanks to the work of Ransom and the rest of the Obsidian Guard,” Eleanor continued, “the truth has been revealed! It gives me no pleasure to divulge to you that Brynhoff, not my other children as was formerly believed, was responsible for the coup. Brynhoff, not my children, was the true traitor.”
Aborella’s jaw dropped at the invented revelation, and the hall erupted into murmurs and loud gasps. Surprising—Eleanor hadn’t mentioned her plan to place the blame on Brynhoff. She narrowed her eyes on Ransom, the new captain of the Obsidian Guard. He’d risen to power months ago after Captain Scoria was murdered by Eleanor’s wayward children. Aborella watched him cross to her now, a fine-looking male dragon with full chocolate-brown hair, a square jaw, and dimpled chin. In his black-and-red uniform, he looked younger than Scoria but also a bit naive. Still, Eleanor seemed to favor him, to the point Aborella felt a pang of jealousy. How was it that she had not been included in the scheme?
“Fear not. Due to Ransom’s dedication, we have brought Brynhoff to justice.”
Ransom stepped onto the dais and drew a draped piece of black cloth off a small table. All the air seemed to rush from the room as the silver agate heart that once was Brynhoff’s was revealed. Aborella scanned the stunned faces behind her. It was as if everyone in the crowd was holding their breath.
So Eleanor had assassinated him. Aborella squelched another grin. The empress was now the ultimate power. Brilliant plan, regardless of how she chose to execute it.
“What evidence did you have against him?” a man yelled from the back, breaking the silence. Aborella couldn’t see who it was, but the accusation in his voice was unmistakable.
“I’m glad you asked.” Eleanor raised her chin. “Gabriel, Tobias, please join me.”
Aborella stiffened. Eleanor was taking a great risk trusting her older children to play this part when they knew the truth. Yes, Raven’s comfort was a valuable carrot and her life and the life of their child was a brutal stick, but all it took was one wrong word to be the spark that started a revolution.
Aborella watched as Gabriel stepped out from the staging area, dressed in a royal tunic and sash, an emerald crown upon his head. Darkly handsome, he took his place on his mother’s right side, although not a hint of a smile crossed his lips. Tobias followed, looking just as princely in his attire and sapphire crown. He took his place on her left, folding his hands and staring at the audience in a way that made his blond hair and blue eyes take on an icy quality.
The moment of truth. Would they go along with the plan for Raven’s sake? Or would Aborella be allowed to kill the witch tonight?
The murmurs rose to a deafening pitch as their guests processed that the two eldest living heirs to the kingdom of Paragon were back. They only quieted when Eleanor raised her hand.
“As you can see, Captain Ransom has recovered two of my sons, who were tortured and held captive by Brynhoff. The rest are still missing. But the important thing is that Gabriel and Tobias remember what happened that night. They were able to identify Brynhoff, and I took decisive action against him. I am more than pleased to welcome them home.”
A louder rumble began as guests began to discuss the implications.
A woman in the front, Lemetria—Aborella recognized her as the wife of the wealthy doormaker, Darium—stood and asked in the pretentious tone of the aristocracy, “Will Gabriel, now that you have cleared him of the accusations of treason, take the throne per Paragonian tradition?”
The empress smiled up at her son, and Aborella held her breath.
“No,” Gabriel said. “Not at this time.” The whispering among the crowd rose to a roar. Gabriel spoke over it. “Our abduction was difficult. My brother and I are still recovering and applying ourselves to the task of educating ourselves on what has happened in Paragon during our absence. Until we do, we feel it is in the best interest of our kingdom for our mother to continue ruling as she has.”
The murmurs started again. Aborella watched a look of disgust pass through Tobias’s features before disappearing behind a carefully impassive mask. His eyes glossed over, but from her seat in the front row, she could see his jaw work as if he was grinding his teeth.
“My sons will rule by my side for the foreseeable future. You will treat them as full princes of Paragon, and they will have full privileges and security from the Obsidian Guard. Please act accordingly.”
What she meant was the guards would be enforcing their silence and cooperation. Aborella loved every minute of it. She only wished she’d succeeded in bringing Alexander back as well.
“Now, if you will join us for refreshments in the grand ballroom, Gabriel, Tobias, and I will be available to discuss matters of politics.”
Everyone stood and was ushered into the next room by the servants. Aborella rose to follow but soon found Gabriel glaring down at her, his gloved hand on her shoulder.
“Where is my wife?”
She narrowed her eyes on him. “Comfortable, alive, and safe, thanks to your wise cooperation.”
Eleanor stood from her throne and raised an eyebrow in their direction. Aborella gave her a reassuring nod. “Come, Gabriel. It’s never a good idea to keep your mother waiting.”