average human’s Reviews > Ardent Queen: Kingdom of Aramis Duet > Status Update

Titus is mine and chose to make himself known to me so we can share information with one another at the blessing of the Chaos king. Titus is a half fairy shifter, half fae, which is why he was assigned the shifter kingdom. His mother is a fairy shifter who fell in love with a fae and chose to leave for the Chaos Kingdom so they could be together. He’s tall and slender and has pointy ears like a fae with long pale green hair, which I assume is from his father. I haven’t seen him in his fairy form, but the man is a living, breathing weapon with knives strapped all over his protective black leathers.
He puts the book back on the shelf and helps himself to my bar, pulling out his favorite fae wine, which I keep specifically for his visits.
“Yes, she is,” I confirm when he doesn’t ask anything else. “Queen Colbie may be just what this kingdom needs—a breath of fresh air,” I tell him. “She sent missives to the mer, fairy, and equine shifters, inviting them to submit candidates for council representation.
“And how does she feel about the Chaos Kingdom?” he asks, taking a sip of his pale purple wine while holding my gaze.
“We briefed her on it this morning, and she seemed agreeable to the concept. I didn’t mention our relationship yet. She has enough to contend with without knowing that a fairy assassin is her contact with the Chaos Kingdom.”
He studies me carefully, and I watch him consider what information he will choose to impart to me today. While it took a period of time, I have come to trust that Titus has both the shifter and Chaos kingdoms best interest in mind.
“There is word on the breeze that a hit has been put on the queen. The assassin’s guild was offered a significant sum to take care of the problem,” he tells me, and my heart starts to race in panic. The assassin’s guild very rarely fails to complete their tasks. My hand tightens on the glass I’m holding, and he doesn’t miss the movement.
“And what did the Chaos king decide?” I ask, trying to come up with a plan to keep Colbie alive. Her hydra has regenerative properties and is nearly immortal, but I doubt it carries over into her human form, otherwise the humans would not have been able to kill them off during the previous war.
He takes another slow sip of his drink. “The king chose to decline the offer. He doesn’t want any trouble with the monarchs of any of the kingdoms. In fact, he issued a warning to anyone who may try to assassinate the queen that retribution would be swift and final.”
I can’t control my reaction, and my eyebrows jump in surprise. “He did?”
He nods, slowly putting his feet up on my desk. I scowl at them, but his boots aren’t muddy, so I let it slide this time. “Yes, you could say our king has a vested interest in your queen’s well-being. In fact, he would like to meet her. He has issued an invitation for her to dine in the Chaos Kingdom, and it would be in her best interest to do so.” I can hear the threat behind his words, and I don’t like it.
I jump to my feet, spilling my drink on my hand, and slam the glass down on the table. “For Aramis’s sake, Titus. The queen has enough to worry about without receiving an invite from your king. We have the fact that she’s missing mates and can’t be crowned, missing shifter children that need to be found, and a damn problem with someone creating ferals, and you heard that cretin. The council will be gunning for her now too.” I pace back and forth behind my desk, and he watches me with curious eyes.
“Lucas, it isn’t like you to overshare. You usually keep everything close to the chest.”
I scoff and throw my hands up. “Like you assholes don’t know all of that already.” I face him, putting my hands on my hips. “Do you deny it?”
He purses his lips and hums. “No,” he answers slowly. “You are right, we are aware of all your internal issues.” He stands up, throwing back the last of his wine and placing the glass on my desk. “The queen is still missing mates? I was under the impression that she found them.”
Again, I’m surprised, but this time, I manage to keep my reaction to myself and think about what I should share regarding the recent wave of magic. I consider keeping it to myself, but I don’t doubt the whole damn kingdom will know soon. “The goddess felt it necessary to award Colbie two more mates earlier this morning. One has made itself known to us, and the other remains a mystery. Until that shifter comes forward, Colbie can’t be crowned. We are also searching for the whereabouts of one other. Although we know who he is, he has yet to be notified.”
He waves his hand and pulls a long, black hooded cape out of the air, swinging it around his shoulders. “I must go, but make sure the queen visits my king. He may have an answer to your feral problem.”
“Does the Chaos Kingdom have something to do with our missing children and feral issue?” I have to ask, even though I am fairly certain they have nothing to do with this.
He gives me a look that would make a lesser man piss his pants. “I will forget you ever asked that in the name of continuing good relations between our kingdoms. I can assure you that our king detests abuse toward children as much as, if not more than, all of the other kingdoms combined. Do not forget how our kingdom came to be. We are the outcasts and rejects your kingdoms deemed unworthy.”
I wince at his accusations. He isn’t wrong. I’m not sure which generation of kings and queens declared cross matings illegal, but it’s another thing I have been trying to change the laws on. I’m sure Colbie will continue my fight once she is crowned, and seeing the good people of the Chaos Kingdom would be a step in the right direction.
I incline my head in apology. “I will see to it that she makes time to visit King Loki.”
“Sooner rather than later,” he warns before he disappears in a flash. Titus obviously got his ability to teleport from his father. Usually, children from cross pairings favor one parent or the other. On a rare occasion, like him, they take on characteristics of both parents and are a force to be reckoned with. I believe this is probably why cross mating was prohibited. The children of such matings can be very powerful.
I grab my glass and pour another generous amount of whiskey into it before flopping back in my chair again. “Fuck, I haven’t drunk this much since my own coronation,” I mutter, taking a large sip and closing my eyes. Poor Colbie. Her reign is going to be anything but easy. I should stock the office bar for her. It seems like she’s going to need it.