And at the Welcoming, she’d give him all her attention so Keegan would suffer—surely suffer—believing he meant nothing to her any longer.
And when all was done, the taoiseach would kneel at her feet and beg her to belong to him. He would give her everything she wanted; she would take everything she deserved.
She gazed at the busy village, at the gardens, the castle, and her heart swelled with the knowledge all would soon belong to her.
In the happiest of moods, she rode to the stables, and though she’d been taught to tend to her own horse, she passed him off to one of the boys there. After all, she needed all the time she had left to ready herself for the evening.
She tossed her hood back as she went inside and, fingering the bag in her pocket, crossed the grand entryway.
“Good lady!” One of the men who did—whatever they did—around the castle called out to her. “The taoiseach sent for you. Wishes to speak to you on your return.”
“Does he then? And where is he?”
“He’s in the Map Room, but—”
She just waved a hand, walked on. Beyond the Justice Hall, beyond the library, near the council room—where she would one day sit—the Map Room stood two stories high, with its maps of every known world, even the cities in them, or the jungles, the villages, and the seas, rolled on tall cases.
In the center of the room stood a large round table where those maps could be studied. Smaller tables lined walls where scholars and travelers could sit to update maps as needed.
Worlds, she thought, still riding on her happy mood, surely possessed of pretty things. When she was in charge, travelers would, by law, bring her some pretty thing for the privilege of using a portal.
Keegan stood at the large table now with several others. Shana recognized the elf who’d spoken at the Judgment, she knew Brian—Sidhe, dragon rider—the twins who were scouts, one of Morena’s brothers, and Tarryn, of course, who in Shana’s opinion held far too much power for a mere mother.
Keegan rolled up a map as she came to the archway.
“Thanks to you all,” he said. “I’ll see you all at the Welcome.”
As they left, he walked over, poured himself a half tankard of ale. “If you’d close the door, Shana.”
“Of course.” Her pulse jumped. Maybe he’d come to his senses, and she wouldn’t have to use what she held in her pocket.
“I speak to you now, first as taoiseach, and must tell you of my great disappointment in your behavior.”
“Mine?” Her chin snapped up.
“And I speak to you second as one who thought of you as a friend, and must tell you of my anger you would use that friendship against another.”
She looked him straight in the eye, and the distress in her own was genuine. It masked a rage rising into her throat, but was genuine. “I don’t know what you mean, what you think I’ve done, but you hurt me.” That rage, barely suppressed, made her voice quiver. “You hurt me, Keegan, and insult me by scolding me like a schoolmaster.”
He took a slow drink, and because she knew him, she saw he held in his own temper. And that added the first licks of fear.
“Tell me this, did you seek out Breen yesterday?”
“Breen? Well, of course, as Minga asked me, and Kiara as well, to show her and her friend warmth and welcome. Why would you slap at me so for it?”
“You sought her out to tell her you and I continue to share a bed, and when I shared one with her it was of no matter. I don’t take kindly to being used in a lie to hurt another.”
“This is nonsense. Nonsense! Oh, sure and I should’ve known better than to offer her a bit of kindness.” She swirled around the room as Keegan stood, quiet and still. “I should’ve known better than to hold my tongue when she raged at me and called me foul names.”
“Did she now?” Keegan responded before setting the tankard aside.
“I told her plain that what had been between us was in the past, and that I loved another, but she wouldn’t relent, so jealous, so furious she was. Now she’s twisted it all around, hasn’t she? Running to you to speak these lies.”
“So these are lies?”
“Of course!” Eyes wide, she put a little tremble in her bottom lip. “How could you think … Didn’t I apologize to you only yesterday? Though you’d hurt me, I gave you my regret for how I behaved. And though, even upon our first meeting, she gave me a look that chilled me, I went to offer her friendship and whatever help or companionship she might want or need while she’s in the Capital.”