Trik watched as Karzac, Lissa's Refizani healer mate, had his hands on the Queen as soon as Winkler set her on a comfortable sofa. "What's happening?" He was concerned for the Queen as well, and it was only beginning to sink in that he was one of her children, now. Morwin had given him a copy of the papers, naming Lissa as his adoptive mother and Shadow Grey his adoptive father.
"Mom's pregnant," Ry said quietly at Trik's side. "She shouldn't have been in there that long without somebody seeing to her."
"Don't worry, Trikleer, the Queen loves you already, I think." One of the tall, blue Larentii knelt beside Trik's chair. "When she was human, she was unable to bear children, so you and the others are like gifts to her." Trik stared at the Larentii in shock. No one had ever thought of his existence as anything other than an annoyance. Yet the Queen thought of him as a gift? "Young one, we will come soon and work on your leg and foot," the Larentii went on. "How is the hand? Is it becoming easier to work?"
"Yes," Trik almost stuttered his answer. He flexed the hand and moved the fingers for the Larentii to see. He could hold things now and he didn't lose his grip if those things weighed more than a few ounces.
"Very good. You will be standing and running with these others in no time." The Larentii patted Trik's shoulder and stood, moving toward the Queen.
"Toff, I was so scared," Nissa put her arms around Toff's neck and hugged him—hard. Toff's arms were about Nissa's waist and he was hugging her back.
"You sounded so calm and clear," Toff whispered. "I was the mess."
"No," Nissa murmured. "Ry and Tory were nodding at all your words. And I think Mom is really proud of you."
"I will be coming to the rest of the meeting, I do not care how awkward it looks," Karzac snapped. "These young ones do not have to return unless they wish to. In the meantime, feed them something—they are all hungry as birds," Karzac added.
That's how they were all served a quick meal inside the Queen's Library. Tory was happy, his stomach had been growling for an hour.
"Do you want to go back?" Nissa nudged Toff's elbow.
"I do and I don't," he sighed.
"Come on, you know you'll be asking us what happened afterward if you don't," Ry coaxed.
"But what if something awful happens?" Nissa frowned.
"Nissa, those two could have gone to an adult and said what was happening. Yet they didn't," Trik was happy to hold half a sandwich in a hand that couldn't, only a few weeks before. "What might they have done if Gren had been successful? Now, Gren has associated himself with something even worse."
"What? How do you know that?" Ry hissed.
"I listen," Trik replied. "I've always listened. I knew things at Belancour Manor, even when I wasn't included in conversations. People said things, thinking I wasn't within hearing distance or wouldn't understand."
"They'll send them to Evensun," Tory sounded positive as they were settled into their box seats later, when the Council reconvened. The half hour had been stretched to an hour so Karzac could see to the Queen. The healer now had a seat not far from the dais in case Lissa needed assistance.
"I agree—their crime wasn't that different from Haldis and Sark's," Ry nodded. Toff and Nissa hadn't stopped holding hands, once they'd arrived inside the Council chamber. Trik, too, was quite shocked when Nissa took his hand as well. Shadow and Roff claimed the seats behind the children, just as before.
"All rise for the Queen," Aryn said once more, and Lissa walked in and sat behind her desk. The Council members reclaimed their seats.
"The tally of the votes is thus," Aurelius read from his handheld comp-vid, "Guilty, by a unanimous vote, of attempted murder upon Toff the comesula and upon Princess Nissa Beth Grey. Now, we will decide the punishment."
"If these two were adults, the punishment would be death," Casimir, a vampire from old Earth rose and spoke. "But as they are not adults and were easily led astray, I suggest they be sent to Evensun."
"I realize that I was outvoted last time, but I would like to offer a sentence to Harifa Edus instead," Queen Lissa spoke firmly from her seat on the dais.
"Lady Queen, we know of your feelings in this matter, and we would like to spare you if we could. But I cannot in good conscience vote for a lighter sentence than Evensun," another vampire named Montrose rose and spoke. "Let us take the vote now, as we did the last time. When the vote goes one way or the other, then this will be settled and we can turn to other matters. The parents will have the option of going with their children if that is their desire."
"Very well," the Queen sounded exhausted to Trik's ears.
Nissa squeezed Trik and Toff's hands tightly as the votes were submitted by comp-vid. Aurelius announced the results.
"Three hundred two votes for Evensun, eight for Harifa Edus and two abstentions," Aurelius pronounced the sentence. Clover shouted, even as his mother stood and attempted to cast Fae magic at the Queen.
* * *
"You should know that the Council chamber is spelled against any kind of magic," Erland Morphis, Ry's father, hissed at Hyacinth, Clover's mother. The meeting had been extended due to Hyacinth's attempt to hurl a spell at the Queen. She would now face charges of her own.
"Erland, she was only thinking of her child," Lissa said weakly. Karzac was out of his seat immediately and kneeling beside the Queen's chair.
"Then let us take all prisoners to the dungeons," Erland was still glaring at Hyacinth, who shrank back in her seat. Storm, Laral's mother, was sent away earlier.
Drake and Drew escorted Laral, Clover and Hyacinth away before the Council was officially ended for the day. Ry and Tory stood to help Toff, Nissa and Trik, who were all stunned at Hyacinth's outburst.
* * *
"Hyacinth attempted to cast the ripening spell at the Queen," Storm reported to Tiearan, Rain and a few other elders at the Green Fae village. "And this was after the Queen had argued for a lighter sentence for our children. Tiearan, I think the core's draining is affecting all of us in terrible ways. Hyacinth would not have done that, otherwise. We all feel the imbalance of things, as we are closer to the planet itself. How quickly will this affect the others, so they will come looking for a cause? We need to form the Circle soon."
"You are correct, I fear, and I weep for Laral, Clover and Hyacinth," Tiearan said. "And we owe a debt to the Queen—we all know that." He turned his gaze on those gathered, daring any to argue. The Queen had saved them, their Half-Fae children and the peaceful Vionnu. Twice. They were all indebted to Lissa and they'd done little to discharge that debt. "Charge your crystal. We will do this soon."