Blood of the Hunt

Blood of the Hunt - Chapter 11

Alec covered the grounds that stretched away behind Morgenstern Manor with long strides that ate up the distance quickly. He had delayed as long as he had dared, but he couldn't put this meeting off any longer if he was going to have any hope of succeeding in making the next move in his delicate plan. It would do little good to continue to guess and predict possible outcomes if he lost his opportunity to make good on them.

The first boughs of the overgrown apple orchard that was badly in need of care rose over a gentle hill that sloped down into the forest of fruit trees. He spied a table set for two standing just at the edge of the tree line, lightly shaded from the morning sun and laden with a breakfast fit for a...

...Queen.

Arynessa perched straight-backed in the west-facing chair, clad in what looked like one of Isabelle's more demur dresses, a rippling, airy flow of white fabric that Alec immediately decided not to tell her was a mourning gown. Maybe she already knew. He felt his palms grow slightly clammy as he anticipated the negotiation ahead. So much depended on the outcome.

At least it looked like Simon had done as Alec had asked, arranging a suitably vegetarian breakfast for the Queen in the privacy of the grounds. Not surprisingly, with Morgenstern Manor nearly bursting with house-guests, it was difficult to find somewhere to conduct a private conversation. The hurried debriefing from Jace about what had happened at the Scholomance the previous night had been held in muted whispers in the pantry. Hearing that the curse of the Hunt could be spread, could be weaponized, only further convinced Alec of the need for haste. They no longer had the luxury of time.

The Seelie Queen's violet eyes locked on to him when she heard his approach, drawing her attention away from the birds flitting around in the orchard to pull at the worms feasting on the rotting apples that had fallen from the trees. She did not look amused to have been kept waiting, but Jace had insisted that Alec needed to hear about the Scholomance before going out to meet her.

"I apologize for the delay, your Highness. Things have been, understandably, unsettled with the Clave as of late."

She narrowed her gaze haughtily. "Yes, I'm sure the destruction of the Seelie Court must be quite an inconvenience to you," she replied in a voice that dripped with false sweetness.

Alec matched her stare evenly with one of his own and sharpened his tone more than he intended. "No more so than the razing of Alicante." Careful, he cautioned himself. He inhaled slowly, trying to relax. "We must both set aside this animosity if we are to work together."

In response, the Queen held their eye contact for a few moments longer and then looked down to select a ripe strawberry from the succulent fruit platter before her. "As you wish," she answered lightly as she took a bite. "Why have you requested an audience with me?"

As if you don't already know. Alec fortified himself with some of his legendary patience. She obviously did not want to be reminded that she had come to them for help, but if she wanted to try to maintain the pretense that she held the advantage this morning, he would allow it, but only just. He took the chair opposite of her, squinting into the sun for a moment, as she had no doubt intended when she had taken her own position. He wondered uncharitably if she had deliberately moved the seats to achieve the desired effect.

"When my parabatai came to tell me that you had come to Morgenstern Manor to seek refuge from what had happened in the Seelie Court, he said that you had intimated that now that both of our peoples are being forced to start over in the ashes of our homes, the time has come to mend past wounds." Alec helped himself to a waffle and lifted his knife to start cutting it. "Today we will discuss how we might begin that process and heal the division between our races."