After Paris left with Faren, Shildreth stayed to help me get ready for the audience. Shildreth was already prepared, dressed in a gown of gold with her gleaming hair done in a crown braid atop her head. She looked like a princess, beautiful yet also solemn.

Shildreth brought a gown of azure for me, the stitching done in the same gold to match Paris’s robe. I hadn’t been dressed this formally since my days in Troy.

I sat at the vanity as Shildreth expertly managed my hair into an attractive formal coif. It was half up, leaving the waves free to fall down my back.

Shildreth beamed at me in the mirror, admiring her handiwork. “A servant gave me your dress. She had hidden it behind her wardrobe when Desmerada swept through the castle. It once belonged to Queen Hecuba. I think it should fit you nicely.”

I lifted my arms and shimmied into the gown. It draped across my breasts, skimmed my waist, and hugged my hips before flaring out at the bottom.

Shildreth stood back and admired the total package. “You are a vision. And I brought the perfect piece to set it off from the vault.” She spoke through the hairpins in her mouth.

She drew a velvet bag from the counter and opened it tenderly to withdraw a stunning tiara. It glittered platinum in the light and was adorned with diamonds and some strange stone that was at once blue and then gold, depending on the angle.

“These stones are the most precious in all the Underworld. We call them changelings. These were mined by the vampires in ages long past and given to each king or queen in turn. This tiara hasn’t adorned any vampire royal in ages. But now”—she gingerly set it atop my head and pinned it—“it’s yours.”

I was mesmerized by the gems, and the whole look of vampire royalty, really. But I shook my head, only slightly lest I unseat the priceless jewels. “I’m not vampire royalty, Shildreth. This tiara doesn’t belong to me.”

Shildreth put her hands on her hips. “It does belong to you, because the king told me that anything within the vault was yours.”

“I know, and I love him for it.” The word rolled off my tongue so easily, everything clicking back into place. Paris and I were united as we were meant to be. But it wasn’t so easy. I remembered my vows to Menelaus. Willingly given? No. But given all the same. I could not wed Paris, could not be the woman Shildreth wanted me to be, until Menelaus was slain.

“Just wear them for tonight, my lady?”

I looked at Shildreth’s eager eyes in the mirror and knew I couldn’t say no. “Fine.”

“Excellent. Shall we go?”

I stood and put out my arm for Shildreth.

She took it with a grateful smile. “Thank you, my lady.”

We made our way to the great hall, a large swell of voices already rising inside.

“Have you and Faren come to a decision about Desmerada?”

Shildreth stumbled, but I held her steady.

“We have not. Faren has left it up to me, and I feel I cannot make the decision until I look her in the eye.”

“Just know that Paris and I will be there, right alongside you the whole time.”

“I know, my lady. Thank you.”

We arrived at the oaken doors leading to the great hall from the royal chambers.

I took a deep breath, not sure if I was ready to greet Paris’s subjects. Shildreth was less wary and motioned for the guards to open the doors.

“Wait!” a woman called, her voice a high, melodic sound. I knew that voice. A scuffle sounded through an antechamber door. Hissing and the frightened yells of vampire soldiers raised a clatter.

“Let her through!” I banged on the door. “Open up!”

“But, my lady, it’s not only her,” a guard said through the wood.

“I don’t care. Open the door this instant.”

The guards did as I commanded, and I gasped. Just as I suspected, Arachne stood beyond the door. But she was changed. No longer did she have the body of a spider or the rows of deadly teeth. Her hair shone mahogany and framed her face. She was a beautiful maiden once again. The only marker that remained was her eyes of shiny black obsidian. She was dressed in a gown of deep emerald. Two spiders escorted her, hissing at the guards.

I left Shildreth and hugged Arachne. The maiden froze before tentatively returning the embrace, and the guards were at a total loss.

“It’s fine. She’s with me.” I shooed them back to their posts.

“And them?” a guard said and pointed to the spiders.

“They’re with me too.”

Arachne smiled, her teeth gleaming white and even. No more needles, thank the gods. “They’ll behave, I promise.”

I gave her one more look, letting my amazement shine on the transformed beauty that stood before me. “I have no doubts. Shildreth, please allow me to introduce you to Arachne, Lady of the Darkwood.”

Shildreth bowed. “My very great pleasure.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Arachne drew a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. I kept my tears of joy at bay, barely, but sent up a silent thanks to Apollo.

Arachne took my hands. “I can’t thank you enough.”

“There’s no need. I’m just glad that Apollo was able to help.” He had done me a good turn, and I would not soon forget it.

Arachne smiled and studied her feet as her cheeks pinked. “He certainly did.”

“I want all the sexy details from you later, but for now, we’ve got an audience to attend.” I retook Shildreth’s arm and offered my other to Arachne, who accepted it and once again beamed that heart-stopping smile.

Together, the three of us entered the hall with the two spiders following close behind.

A hush fell, voices quieting to murmurs. The room was full of vampires, though not quite the crush that Desmerada had the previous night. These vampires seemed different, friendly, though perhaps it was my imagination. They stared at me, no doubt wondering what a non-vampire was doing in royal dress. The men bowed as I passed, and the women curtsied. So many eyes on me. I wondered if I was leaning on Shildreth and Arachne more than the other way around.

A few of the nobles backed away and stumbled into each other when they saw the spiders marching along behind us. The spiders hissed and clicked their teeth at the commotion but didn’t break ranks. Arachne had trained them well.

In the center of the room, in a stroke of turnabout, Desmerada stood trapped in the silver cage on the platform. She was bound and gagged. Not a good look. And beyond her, at the head table, sat Paris, resplendent in his robes of gorgeous blue. A simple golden crown adorned his head. Magnificent.

Faren was dressed in blue-and-gold finery, though somewhat subdued. His dark hair graced his forehead, and his clean-shaven face was handsome, bright. He was sitting at Paris’s right, conversing, but when he looked up and saw Shildreth, he stopped midsentence. Paris, in perfect mimicry, froze as he gazed at me. Heat rushed into my cheeks at the way his eyes ate me up. He left no curve unseen, no inch of fabric or jewel free from his consuming scrutiny. He looked hungry, and I could feel myself burning just knowing that hunger was for me.

“We are the two luckiest females in all the Underworld,” Shildreth whispered.

I couldn’t have agreed more. After seating Shildreth next to Faren, I took the seat at Paris’s left and patted the next chair for Arachne. The spiders lined up on either side of their mistress, like faithful dogs. But with too many creepy eyes. And those teeth.

Angling my head to Paris, I found him still watching my every move.

“I have half a mind to throw you over my shoulder, carry you back to our chamber, and make you scream my name,” Paris whispered.

I placed my hand on his knee, enjoying how he tensed at my boldness. “Would you like it if I screamed ‘my king’ instead?”

He growled and moved my hand under his robe to his hard shaft. “This is what you do to me, woman.”

The guards at the rear of the room swung the massive doors closed, and the room silenced.

“You’re on,” whispered Faren.

I removed my hand and pinched Paris’s knee for encouragement.

Paris rose from his seat, thankfully hidden by the table from the waist down.

Every male vampire in the room took a knee, and every female bowed low. “Askenith,” they said as one.

“Shakorah.” Paris’s voice boomed out over the crowd.

I couldn’t stop the pride that welled in my heart. I could only imagine how proud Priam would have been to see this moment.

After silence reigned again, I heard a small squeak. It was Desmerada, trying to scream around her gag.

“I want you all to know that we”—he motioned to the trusted Darkwood and keep vampires seated at the head table, along with Arachne and me—“intend to make the Bloodkeep the jewel of the Underworld once again.”

The crowd stood and sent up a cheer that would have deafened a mortal.

“This will not be an easy road. We have lost our relationships, our prestige. We are no longer trusted or looked upon as a source of good. These things must change. This change must start here.” He rapped his knuckles across his breast.

Another deafening cheer.

“Together, we can take back what was stolen from us by the one you see caged and chained before you.”

The crowd hissed at Desmerada. The open aggression was palpable.

“Many of you have suffered at her hands, and many have died because of her treachery. I would decree her death here and now—”

Another cheer.

“But I have given her end over to the hands of the faithful. Shildreth, the leader of the Darkwood vampires and your new prime minister, has lost more at the hands of this vile creature than most. Therefore, it is only fitting that she decrees her fate.”

Faren assisted Shildreth to her feet. She was formidable, her spine rigid as she faced her tormentor.

“Remove her gag.” Shildreth’s voice rang out steady and strong.

The guards obeyed, reaching through the grates and ripping the fabric from Desmerada’s mouth.

“Do you have any final words? Can you answer for your crimes?”

“I have no need to explain myself to some Darkwood peasant,” Desmerada spat. She rose to her full height, straining against the chains. Her hair was matted and her gaze darted about, an insane glint in her eyes. She cackled. “Your son’s lifeblood did wonders for my skin, by the way.”

The crowd gasped.

The self-appointed queen was still a vicious harpy to the last. But Shildreth did not move.

Desmerada stilled as her eyes bored into me. “You would dare pillory me when Menelaus’s queen is offered to you as vampire royalty?”

I sat still as stone as the vampires turned their enquiring gazes to me.

Shildreth banged her fist on the table. “You would dare question the future queen in such a manner? Helen has saved this kingdom from your destructive grasp. Your cruel reign is over because of her. Thank the gods. Each one of you”—her gaze swept over the crowd—“owes a blood debt to Helen. Never forget it.”

The vampires all bowed low to me. “Askenor,” they said in unison.

Paris smiled down at me. “It means ‘my queen.’”

I inclined my head, acknowledging the vampires. They accepted me, an outsider, even though Desmerada’s words were true. My emotions rose into my throat at their warm looks. I returned Paris’s smile before he straightened again.

“Shildreth, have you come to your final judgment?” Paris asked.

“Just a moment,” Desmerada interrupted. She still locked me in her gaze. “I have one last request for you to consider.”

“Speak, witch,” Shildreth said.

Desmerada paused in melodramatic fashion. “As Helen knows, she can’t harm Menelaus. All that power.” She tsked. “But she can’t use it to destroy the one being who is the ultimate enemy of this keep. I’m the one who hexed her. Only I can remove it. If you kill me, the curse becomes permanent.”

Shildreth glanced at me. I nodded in response, confirming the truth of Desmerada’s words.

“What is your bargain?” Shildreth asked.

Desmerada grinned. “If you will promise me that I will leave the keep alive, unharmed, through the portal, then I will remove the curse.”

“Why should we trust the word of a known liar?” Shildreth shot back.

“If I don’t do as you ask, you can kill me here. But if I do, you must promise that I will leave this keep alive. If you don’t agree, remember that Helen will be utterly powerless against Menelaus. When he gets his claws in her again, and he will, she won’t be able to stop him. He can do anything he wants to your queen,” she sneered.

“Do not make this creature any promises,” I warned. “Dispatch her so she can’t spew any more of her poison. I will deal with Menelaus some other way when the time comes.”

Shildreth looked to Paris and then Faren.

“If I may.” Arachne rose and went to Shildreth. Arachne whispered in her ear. I could not make out the words. The sidebar ended with a perfunctory nod from Shildreth.

Arachne retook her seat as Shildreth gave her decree.

“We do not accept your offer. But we do have a counter. If you unbind Helen, you will be allowed to leave the keep alive and enter the Darkwood. None here, nor any under their control, will harm you while you are in the keep or the Darkwood. Where you go from there is up to you.”

Desmerada’s mouth twitched as she considered the offer.

Her beady gaze slipped to Arachne. “This deal includes hideous Arachne and her monsters? They can’t harm me either?”

“That is correct,” Shildreth said.

“Well, as much as I’d love to take the word of a dirty peasant, I’m going to need your word, Askenith. Do you agree to those terms?”

“If Shildreth agrees, then you have my word,” Paris said.

Desmerada’s cackle filled the hall with malice.

“Done.”

Shildreth sank back down into her seat and buried her face in Faren’s shirt.