“Any job has its pluses and minuses, and if the minuses outweight the pluses, you screw up your courage and quit… unless, of course, you’re King Rodrick. Then, instead of abdicating and turning the pluses and minuses over to someone else, you stick someone else with doing the job in your name and sneak out a back door. Maybe that’s how people do their jobs where you were raised, but I think it’s conduct a peasant would be ashamed of.”
I faced them, hands defiantly on my hips.
“Well, I’ve done my job. The kingdom has been protected from the immediate threat. With any luck, you two will learn to work together. I trust King Rodrick can dilute the queen’s ambition. I only hope that Queen Hemlock’s fiery spirit can put a little more spine and courage into the King.”
This time it was Queen Hemlock who was on her feet.
“Are you going to let him talk to you like that. Roddie? You’re the king. Nobody pushes a king around.”
“Guards!” Rodrick said tightly. “Seize that man.”
It had worked! King and Queen were united against a common foe … me! Now all I had to do was survive it.
One more mind pass, and my comrades stood exposed as the outworlders they were.
Queen Hemlock, unaccustomed to my dealings with demons, dropped into her seat with a small gasp. The King simply scowled as he realized the real reason for the presence of my friends.
“Your Majesties,” Badaxe said, stepping forward. “I am sworn to protect the throne and would willingly lay down my life in your defense. I do not see a physical threat here, however. If anything, it occurs to me both throne and kingdom would be strengthened if the Great Skeeve’s words were heard and heeded.”