Full of Briars Read Online Free Page B

live here, after all. “You know this Kingdom has a hope chest, right?” Which we hadn’t used, but I didn’t feel like it was my place to tell her that.
    â€œYes . . .” she said.
    â€œIf I may,” said Tybalt, interjecting himself before things could get ugly. “Young Chelsea is the daughter of a Knight of Shadowed Hills and a mortal woman. He was unaware that their brief tryst had borne fruit, and when Chelsea reached her teenage years, she manifested her powers in a rather impressive way. It was necessary to neutralize her without killing her, as she is a quite lovely girl, and didn’t deserve such a fate.”
    â€œShe was punching holes in the walls of the world,” said Toby. “It had to stop.”
    â€œYes,” said Mom. “So you . . . changed her? Did she consent?”
    â€œFully,” said Toby. “She had to go one way or the other—she was too dangerous as she was—but she got to choose.”
    â€œI see.” Mom looked at me again, then at my father. “The situation here seems to get more complicated every time we take our eyes off it for an instant.”
    Arden laughed bitterly. I jumped. I’d almost forgotten she was there. She might be a queen now, but she’d been a mortal retail employee for a long time, and she knew how to blend into the background when she wanted to. “Welcome to my life,” she said.
    My parents looked even more perplexed. It had probably been a long, long time since one of their vassals dared to say something like that in their presence. There was another point to be made there, but I couldn’t think of how to phrase it without angering my parents and embarrassing Arden. So instead, I forced a smile and said, “Toby is good at complicating things. That’s why she’s been such a good teacher for me. By the time I’m High King, I’m going to be completely unflappable.”
    â€œThis is the most ridiculous conversation I have ever been involved in,” muttered Dad.
    â€œAlso a pretty common side effect of the company we tend to keep,” said May. “Look, I get that this is all a lot to take in, and that you don’t have all the time in the world. We really,
really
don’t want you to take Quentin away from us. How long are you staying?”
    That was Arden’s cue, and she met it admirably. “We’re still opening the knowe. Most of the chambers will be unsuited for habitation for another few months, so I am afraid I can’t offer you the type of housing you deserve, but we’ve cleaned and reopened my father’s quarters. I would be honored if you chose to rest upon the hospitality of my house, and spend the day.”
    Mom frowned. “We can’t take your room.”
    â€œI don’t sleep in my father’s quarters.” Arden grimaced. “I’m sure this is another of the cultural differences Sir Daye mentioned, but it wouldn’t feel . . . right . . . for me to sleep in his bed. I have a smaller room near the library. I think it’s going to be a while before I feel comfortable in anything larger.”
    â€œToo late to refuse to confirm her just because she grew up surrounded by humans,” said Toby quickly. “No backsies.”
    â€œI don’t believe there are ‘backsies’ where thrones are concerned,” said Tybalt, sounding amused.
    Toby was unrepentant. “I don’t care. I want to be sure.”
    â€œYou want a great many things,” said Dad. He looked to Arden, and nodded. “We’ll accept the hospitality of your house for one day. That will give us time to speak with our son, and decide what’s to be done. Sir Daye?”
    â€œYes?” said Toby. There was a sudden edge in her voice. Then she glanced at me, and I realized that it wasn’t so sudden; she had just been doing her best to hide it. She was