“Why yes," (Patreon)

Hoardblemish nodded. "She is an elf. An elf queen to boot! She may even be the last of her kind!"

"How do you know she's a queen?" I asked suspiciously.

"She said she was. Elves do not lie, you know. It is part of their magickal nature that they must always speak the truth. Since you've shown yourself to be an earnest supporter of our school, I see no reason not to introduce you.”

Some of you guessed that I went to face Edessa alone. That was my intention as I politely let Hoardblemish lead me down the hall toward the library. I tried not to seem to anxious, but I had been waiting for this confrontation for several centuries now. That reprehensible femme was responsible for so much! She tried to kill me, actually DID kill my brother, and then trapped me in isolation for so long. Now that the moment was finally here, what was I going to do? Should I gloat over the fact that I escaped and was now technically Emperor and High King of Faerie? Should I castigate her for being a conniving harpy who tried to usurp power against the Sisterhood’s wishes, and then murdered her own husband? Should I exact a horrible vengeance for all the suffering she caused me? Perhaps all three?

Others among you surmised that I took Burnside along. It's uncanny. I still don't understand how you know these things. The group of witches was watching MacMath and Staircrawly enact some bizarre pantomime when Burnside broke away and quickly chased after Hoardblemish and myself.

I dropped a pace behind Hoardblemish and used Elfmind at Burnside: “I told you to stay close to Rebecca and the students.”

“You tole me to guard 'em from Edessa," she replied, also via Elfmind. "Now that you’re a goin' to see that critter, they don’t need guardin'. You do.”

“Fine,” I sighed.

“Pardon?” Hoardblemish asked, turning toward me.

“Er, is it fine if my companion joins us?”

“I don’t see why not,” Hoardblemish shrugged.

We arrived at a stout wooden door, upon which Hoardblemish knocked briskly. The door swung open immediately, as if Edessa had been standing just inside, waiting.

She stood there regarding us coldly. Hoardblemish seemed unfazed, so I assumed her grim demeanor was normal.

"Montague, would you excuse us," she murmured to Hoardblemish. "I would speak to these two alone."

"Of course, Your Highness," Hoardblemish answered hesitantly.

"Montague?" I asked. "I thought you said your name was Xavier."

"That is my, er, professional name," he muttered. "I'll just leave you with Her Majesty and you can rejoin me in my office when your meeting has concluded."

After Hoardblemish left and the door closed behind us, and after another long chilly glare, Edessa finally spoke. “So. You’re free. I knew, of course, having read it in the Red Book, but still I am never quite prepared for the reality when it comes. I assume you’re here to gloat… And I see you've brought your vicious little Antglade creature to make sure I can’t retaliate.”

I treated her to my sternest scowl and then hissed, “I’ve got a lot to say to you, you conniving black widow!”

“HOW DARE YOU!" Edessa snapped. "I loved my husband! His death was the last thing that I wanted!”

"The last thing you wanted?" I scoffed. “How long was that list? What was the next-to-last thing? Your every word and action shows you to be brimful of treachery. You tried to double-cross the Sisterhood by having me assassinated and executed. Was my death perhaps the first thing you wanted?”

“Of course I tried to double-cross the Sisterhood, you dunce! They wanted Estmere dead! And yes, I tried to have you killed because their whole plan revolved around elevating you to the throne over his corpse! When the choice was between my husband and his power-hungry bastard brother, is it any wonder that I did what I did? I suppose none of this crossed your mind at all. Have you spent the last few centuries just sitting at Albric Tor and feeling sorry for yourself?”

I gritted my teeth and glared at her. The fact that she was right just made me feel angrier. I needed a few seconds to come up with a blistering retort. But… She did have a point. Had I really spent all of that time just thinking about myself? No. Not all of it! But to be honest, most of it was exactly that. I started to lose focus on my anger as this realization hit me. By Fuma! No! I couldn't let this vile sorceress manipulate me! I needed to hold onto my seething rage so I could put her in her place once and for all!

...

Edessa could foresee events by reading about them in the sinister Red Book of Appin. I know it is absolutely impossible that any of you have access to that diabolical tome, and yet ... somehow ... you manage to predict every turn of my story. I am intrigued. So tell me, what did I say next? What question did I ask Edessa? And did Burnside interject?

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