Storm Warned (The Grim Series) by Dani Harper

Caris was reminded that the throne was designed to seat two monarchs at once—yet Gwenhidw seemed perfectly at ease, even comfortable.
    “Peoples of the Nine Realms, we are gathered on a matter of great importance.” Strength was woven through the clear, crystalline tones of the queen’s voice, and Caris found herself leaning forward in spite of herself.
    “As the Lord of the Wild Hunt indicated, this is our home. It will always be our first home. However, our numbers are many, and the mountains here are old. The power that flows through this earth, that forms the very touchstone of our magic, is not infinite. It is no longer great enough to support us all. At best, we risk stagnation. At worst, we risk war among ourselves.
    “As you know, we have proposed to follow the example of many other fae kingdoms. Our brothers and sisters to the north and to the west have established new holdings in the younger lands, and so must we.
    “When the king lived . . .” Here Gwenhidw paused, but Caris didn’t think it was for effect. “When my husband lived,” the monarch continued, “he negotiated with other fae tribes for many years until he succeeded in claiming a choice territory for our people. Arthfael rightly named it Tir Hardd, the Beautiful Land. There the earth magic pulses like a thousand hearts, and on its surface alone, it is nearly seven times the size of the human country of Wales above us. Below, however, where earth magic holds sway, Tir Hardd is vast, many times as large as all the Nine Realms taken together.”
    The crowd had obviously heard this before. There were many heads nodding, and a few soft murmurs, but some in the assembly seemed to struggle to be silent. Finally, a gnomelike creature near the front, one of the coblynau , could not hold his tongue any longer, and stood up. “Begging yer pardon, good Majesty. There’s been talk of the new territory fer a long time, and I’m sure it’s every bit as grand as ya say, but that won’t matter to my clan,” he said loudly. “Won’t change a thing fer us. The Tylwyth Teg control everything here, and they’ll do the same there. They’ll own everything and they’ll run everything. There’s not a thing in Tir Hardd fer the rest of us to look toward.”
    Though those immediately around him drew away as if he were about to be struck by lightning, many more in the hall jumped to their feet and clamored their agreement. Unfazed, Gwenhidw smiled. “Your point is well taken, Druce Aldergrove. Some have too much power and others do not have enough, so there is no longer a balance in the Nine Realms. This is exactly why we must not build on old foundations if Tir Hardd is to be a sanctuary and a new beginning for all. In short, we must change.”
    “And exactly how would you have us change , my Queen? The Tylwyth Teg have always ruled because we are fit to rule.” Caris recognized Maelgwn by his voice before she spotted him on the far side of the vast chamber. He continued without waiting for an answer: “It has been so since the beginning of our worlds. Surely you would not have us discard our traditions because of a few malcontents?”
    Not surprisingly, the place erupted into shouts and roars, the tumult amplified by the rock surfaces. It seemed that everyone was arguing at once . . .
    Until an explosion of light shook the immense room to its foundations. Grateful she was already lying down, Caris struggled to put her clumsy paws over her ears as thunder reverberated off the walls and vibrated through her body. The heart-stopping display startled the vast assembly into absolute silence, but Caris was one of the few who knew what had happened: Lurien, as llaw dde of the queen, had used the full power of his light whip upon the steps of the dais. A magical weapon, whoever held a light whip could summon and control a hunt. The guilty were chased down with it, and captives were driven like cattle before it. Hounds were compelled with it. And she, Caris