The two Seelie sons glared at her, appearing more like petulant children than like adult fae, but they didn’t speak as they were escorted away. No one offered them aid or checked their injuries. Of course, no one did anything about the fact that they’d kidnapped her and Violet and injured both Creed and Torquil. The two Seelie princes were simply taken away.
There were no Abernathy commandments that seemed particularly fitting for this situation. She thought idly that she might need to start adding to the list after her encounters with the fae. Abernathy Commandments for Dealing with Fae: #1—If they try to marry you, a sharp sword is a fine reply. She smiled at the thought of the list, but then she realized that her grandparents were looking at her expectantly.
“What?” she asked.
Endellion’s brows both raised, either at Lily’s tone or question. Lily looked beyond her grandmother and saw myriad fae watching as if the entire situation—one that started with threats to her life and was resolved with a sword to Nacton’s throat—was a bit of entertainment.
“Show respect, niece,” Rhys warned, and then he returned his attention to the injured. “Zephyr, go with the guards who are escorting Torquil and my sister.”
Creed hobbled over to join Violet at Lily’s side, as two of the armed fae stepped forward to flank Zephyr, Eilidh, and Torquil.
“The king and I are willing to make you our heir,” Endellion said, again in a clear voice that everyone there heard.
“I’d rather not,” Lily said, just as loudly.
Innumerable gasps filled the air.
The king continued as if Lily hadn’t spoken. “I was concerned about the taint of your humanity, but you handle yourself better than most true fae. The queen suggests that perhaps this Nicolas person was not your actual father.”
At that, the hold Lily had on her manners slipped away. “I can assure you that Daidí is my father.”
She didn’t mean to tighten her grip on the hilt of her sword, but she realized she was doing so when Violet whispered, “Stop that.”
Endellion smiled and looked pointedly at Lily’s hand and then at her face again, obviously quite aware of the reaction Lily was having. “You’ll make a fine queen.”
“Again, no,” Lily stressed. “I won’t.”
The Queen of Blood and Rage stepped away from the king and walked up to Lily. Violet, for reasons of fear or foolishness, did not move back. Neither did Creed. They stayed at her sides.
“No one refuses me,” Endellion said. “Not my daughter, not my spouse, not my son . . . and not you, Granddaughter.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in being a queen.”
“What if we offer you a trade?” Leith asked, staying where he was. “If Endellion and I were to call a cease-fire against the humans, would you be willing to accept your rightful place?”
Endellion glanced back at the king in barely concealed shock. “How dare you suggest—”
“Our daughter lived, Dell, and we have a strong healthy heir right here in front of us,” Leith said gently. “That was what we wanted, what you planned. Do you still remember? You marched into my court and announced that I would give you a child and share your throne or you’d kill me once and for all.”
“Of course, I remember! My baby died. They took her from me—”
“But she didn’t. They didn’t.” Leith walked over and took Endellion’s free hand. “Look at her daughter. We have what you wanted right here. We can end the war and the bloodshed. Bring the Sleepers in if they want, and we all stay here where we are meant to be—no more a part of that world. That was what we planned.”
For a moment, Endellion tensed, and then she looked past her husband to take in the faces of the fae. Lily could already see the hope on their faces, and she knew her grandmother could too.
“We could discuss it,” Lily said cautiously. “If you’d end the war and spare the rest of the Sleepers . . .” Her words faded as the Queen of Blood and Rage met her gaze.
But Endellion gestured for her to continue. “What else is it that you want?”
“I will not be married against my wishes or live here full-time,” Lily bartered.
“Royal marriages, as with any marriage of high-ranking fae, require my approval,” Endellion said levelly, glancing pointedly at Creed. “It is not a decision you can make without my approval.”
“Our approval,” Leith added.
Endellion ignored him.
“Fine,” Lily said. “But it cannot be decided without my approval either—and you can’t gain that through coercion. No blackmail, no threats, no tricks. What they just tried—”
“Was not something I authorized or will authorize.” Endellion met Lily’s gaze. “Those two . . . wretches will never be approved to marry my granddaughter.”
At that, Lily smiled. “Thank you.”
The queen nodded once. “Queens, however, live with their subjects.”
“The Hidden Lands still have a queen and a king on the throne.” Lily didn’t look away from the queen’s face as she spoke. “I have a father, duties in the other world, and school.”
“Divided time then,” Leith said, loud enough to be heard by all assembled. “You would split your time between the worlds, Lilywhite.”
“LilyDark,” Lily corrected, deciding in that moment that Violet’s renaming of her was fitting. She met first her grandfather and then her grandmother’s gaze and said firmly, “I am neither Seelie nor Unseelie. We might as well be very clear that I am of neither court solely. I am of the light and the dark.”
Both of her grandparents smiled—Leith widely, and Endellion slightly.
Leith nodded. “Agreed, LilyDark.”
She added, “And I belong to neither world solely while there is no need to assume the throne.”
Leith looked at Endellion, who gave a curt nod.
“Are those all of your terms, LilyDark?” Leith asked.
She hesitated. There were more than a few reasons not to make deals with the fae, but the idea of stopping the war was too tempting to ignore. Her friends would be safe. The reality was that now there was nowhere she could truly hide forever, not since she was being claimed as the heir to the Hidden Throne. She hadn’t meant to be declared heir, or to impress the regents, or to fight the Seelie princes. She’d simply hoped that talking to the queen, telling her that Iana wasn’t killed by the humans that day long ago, might appease her. She’d had a vague hope that the queen would see reason to end her attacks. She’d hoped to spare Zephyr and the rest of the Black Diamonds from the queen’s wrath.
Abernathy Commandment #4: Weigh the consequences before beginning a course of action.
She had weighed them, but even being raised as the daughter of Nick Abernathy hadn’t prepared her for this situation. There was manipulation and machination, and then there was fae manipulation and machination.
“I won’t be wed without my consent. I will not be engaged to someone not of my choosing. I will not favor one court over the other or reside solely in the Hidden Lands, nor will I stop being Nicolas Abernathy’s daughter,” Lily said, reviewing the terms. She paused, thinking over any other terms she might be forgetting.
Abernathy Commandment #15: Always have a way out, more than one if possible.