“Not Leona,” Maeve snorted. “Oestera.”
“My mother?” Astra tried to cover the shock.
“She doesn’t mean your face,” Luxuros said.
Mirquios flashed a grin. “Maeve has tricks, much like you. She sees auras that tell her about a person’s past, present, and future.”
“And you,” Maeve said, her bold red lips parting in a wicked smile. “Are a dead fucking ringer for Her Majesty the Queen.”
“You know my mother?” Astra asked.
Maeve snorted again, setting something on the shelf closest to them. “She knows nothing,” she said to Mirquios. She turned her gaze on Astra. “You know nothing.”
“Apparently.”
“You aren’t here for me to regale you with tales of our glory days,” Maeve said, pointing to Mirquios. “What have you got?”
“Lumas has been located,” Mirquios started.
Gods above, Ellume felt like a decade ago, Astra thought.
Maeve laughed, “Who broke Ivonne? Surely Daria didn’t suddenly grow a spine and stand up to Mommy.” Lux cleared his throat, eyes sliding over to Astra. “You, Princess?”
Astra frowned. “I might not know much, but I’m not completely useless.”
“And does your mother know the apple didn’t fall far from the Rebel Queen’s tree?”
Astra shook her head. “If she knew I was here right now, she’d have my head.”
Maeve flinched, her eyes widening, but she talked herself out of what she wanted to say. “Where is Lumas?”
“We’ve already dispatched a team to extract him. He was being held in a Lunar prison. As of this morning, he’s been relocated to an outpost in Venus.”
“Excellent. And Kwan?”
Mirquios shrugged. “Kwan’s numbers are outpacing the Lunarians, though he’s made little progress with the prince. The Plutonian Court will join us in Lunaria for the Winter. Arcas is to be the sole champion, though we’re doing everything we can to prevent the union.” Mirquios cleared his throat, something tightening in his chest as he stood taller and smoothed his shirt.
Maeve turned her eyes to Astra again.
“Speaking of unions,” Maeve said. “What are we doing about this little mess?” She gestured between Astra and the commander, their eyes both flashing in panic. Whatever Maeve saw between them, whatever sparked as she stared, she understood in a heartbeat. She pushed her hand back toward the king.
“I thought we were to have an Autumn wedding, but we’ve clearly missed that mark.”
Mirquios nodded, his eyes avoiding Astra’s. “The timing was off. Now that we’ve returned, I’m sure we can remedy it soon.” He swallowed, a shiver settling in the spaces between Astra’s spine.
“Good.” Maeve’s eyebrows tucked together, unsure where to look.
“I’ve compiled an extensive report on my time with Pluto. Is Gnor here? I’d like to give them a full rundown.”
“They’re paying our friends in Mars a visit,” Maeve said, leaning over another table to search for something. “Seems they’re still struggling to get their communication networks built. That prince of theirs is green, but he’s trying his best.”
“Omnir?” Astra asked. “Is he a Rebel?”
Mirquios nodded. “He joined us last year. His father would crucify him, but he’s brave for a child.”
“You knew even during the Solstice?” Astra’s eyebrow raised, her arms folding over her chest.
The king’s lips twisted into an apologetic grin. “I had to knock him out of the running for your hand. He’s too inexperienced to let you rise to your fullest potential.”
