She had drunk another goblet of what they had on her way back though. Or maybe it was two. Very unlike her, but comforting.


    Ardon lounged in a chair, holding a wine goblet. A small stack of papers sat on the low table in front of him. He didn’t look over, though it seemed clear he was listening. He took a sip of his wine.


    “Sorry to disturb you,” Ardon said, “but there are a few time-sensitive things we should discuss.”


    He took a sip of wine, then placed the goblet on the table and picked up some of the papers. “First, there’s the matter of the funeral. I wanted to know if you have any specific desires or requests, or if Garet made any requests himself before his death. It would be good to know these things before the Queen plans the whole thing.” He motioned to Marna, who brought him a pen and ink jar.


    Quilla hadn’t thought about the funeral. She’d been so focused on getting here so there could be a funeral that she hadn’t stopped to think about what the funeral would be like. She thought a moment. “Since we don’t have his body, there should be some sort of physical memorial there. I’m not sure what exactly. It doesn’t have to be fancy. I’d actually prefer it wasn’t fancy. He wasn’t a fancy person.”


    Quilla forced a smile, then took a sip of wine. She had left things out, choosing to focus on only the most pertinent details. Garet’s parents and sibling didn’t need to know about Felit?a’s Will-Breaker stuff or Corvinian’s unusual powers. She’d just said the Volgs had kidnapped her son and Garet went to Ninifin with Felit?a to rescue him.


    The Queen had not been happy to learn of Felit?a’s involvement, although she claimed to have suspected it. Quilla had let her declare Garet’s death Felit?a’s fault just like Felit?a had said to do. Quilla even embellished on it a little.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    “Stop trying to diminish Felit?a’s role,” the Queen snapped. “She was always a master of manipulating people as a child, and she seems no different now. What was it the Volgs called her? Will-Wrecker? Something like that.”


    Quilla stared at her wine. How many cups had she had now? This was the first one here, right? She sighed and motioned Marna over to her. If she was going to go through all this again, she was going to go full Garet. She downed the remaining contents of the goblet and held it out for Marna to refill. “Stay with me.” Marna curtsied and stood beside her as she began to tell the tale in full.


    Sometime later, Ardon was gone and Quilla was stretched out on the chaise longue. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed or when Ardon had left. It was all a little hazy.


    She remembered sending Marna to acquire some of that wine Sinit?a had, the name of which had slipped her mind. She was fairly sure she had remembered it when sending Marna though, and that was the main thing. Even if she hadn’t, Marna was a smart girl and could probably find the right one.


    She was also reasonably certain she hadn’t left anything out of her story for Ardon, though she couldn’t quite remember telling all of it. She did remember...oh dear. She’d said some nasty things about Felit?a.


    “Why yes, your Majesty, didn’t you know that Felit?a invented wine? She put the fucking alcohol in it specifically to get me and other people drunk. What a horrible person she is. You should have her arrested on charges of...of...what should the charges be? Treason?” She giggled.