“Thank you, Rowan.” I’m not too sure what to say to all of that. “I hope you are happy too.”
His smile twists and he lifts the middle crown, it’s gold and black, glittered with red, white, and blue stones, and it’s beautiful in a dark way. “This is the one for you.” He takes the tiara from my head and replaces it with the crown in his hands.
“A dark beauty, for the dark beauty that stole my brother’s heart.” He places it on my head, and it pricks my skin, making me wince. He lifts it and places it back down, and this time it doesn’t hurt, but when he removes his hands, the weight on my head is heavy. “How is that?”
Antonio hovers behind us, clutching my tiara, looking nervous, and I smile at him to reassure him.
“It’s beautiful,” I admit. It is dark, but I quite like how it looks atop my head. I almost feel like a queen as I look at my reflection.
“Is this a private party, or can anyone crash it?” Cade strides into the room, Lex and Erion not far behind him.
“Oh, hi you. I thought I was seeing you after this.” I smile at him in the mirror as he wraps his arms around my waist from behind.
“I couldn’t wait any longer, I’ve barely seen you this week, and well, that’s it really. I missed you. I like this one, by the way.” He nods to the crown on my head.
“We’ll take this one too then I guess Antonio, please.” I take it from my head, and Antonio scurries over and grabs it before disappearing into another room at the back of the vault.
“Well, wasn’t he just a little bit nervous. Let’s get out of here, we have things to celebrate, and I want you to myself for a little while,” Cade murmurs in my ear, and the other three leave us alone in the room.
“Hey.” I smile at him, twisting in his arms to face him, and he kisses me, desperately, like I’m his air, and he can’t survive one moment longer without his lips on mine. He walks me backwards until my back is pushed against the wall and entwines his fingers with mine, raising my hands above my head as he devours me.
“I have been waiting so patiently to get you alone when we’re both awake.” He grapes my wrists in one hand as he kisses down my neck, while his other hand lifts the skirt of my dress, exploring the skin he finds under there. I swear he growls as I whimper as his fingers graze my panties.
“Tomorrow, Emilia, and you will be mine fully. I’m going to do this right with you, but I need to feel you.” He kisses me again as his fingers lift the lace of my panties and open me up. I gasp as his fingers enter me slowly, like some sort of sweet torture. It has been so long since I was touched like this, and Cade is setting my body on fire, and he’s barely touching me.
“Tomorrow, you’ll cry out my name, you’ll pant and beg me to take you, but today, today I just want to show you what’s coming.” He pushes in deeper, hitting that spot, while his palm rubs on me, pushing me closer to the edge.
“That’s it, Emilia. Let go for me.” I whimper and bite down on his shoulder as I come undone on his fingers, grateful he’s holding me up. He withdraws his fingers and pulls my panties back into place and lets down my skirts, still holding my hands captive. “That was beautiful.” His eyes burn, and I feel the length of him as he presses up against me. I didn’t think I could want him any more than I already did, but I was wrong, and my groan tells him how much I want him.
“Until tomorrow, princess.” He winks and me and steps back, adjusting himself. “Now, we have somewhere to be. Shall we?”
***
I wake in my old room and stare at the ceiling. I’m getting married today. And today I become queen. What a fucking day. I don’t know if the butterflies in my stomach are excited or terrified, and the same goes for me, but I do know I’m anxious to see Cade again. Last night wasn’t enough, and dinner was full of other people’s chatter about today. I take a deep breath and sit up. Today is going to be a day I’ll never forget, and I try not to groan at the thought of the drama my parents will undoubtedly bring with them. Other than their RSVP, I haven’t heard a word from them. I still don’t know if they know that Erion is here. But now is not the time to worry about that.
There’s a knock at the door before it swings open, and Cybil enters with a silver trolley full of pastry treats, fruits, and Berripagne.
“Wedding breakfast for our soon-to-be queen.” She smiles. I jump from the bed and hug her. I’ve not seen her since I was injured, but I know that she was visiting with her family. She might have been harsh with me at one point, but when I truly needed her, she was there for me.
“You’re back!”
“I wouldn’t have missed this day for anything. I’ve watched Master Cade for many years, I saw as he closed himself off from the world, but I’ve also seen him come back to that boy we all used to know since you’ve been back in his life, Emilia. For that, I thank you, and I want to apologize for my behavior when you arrived here. It was unnecessary and cruel, and I am truly sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for; I get it. You were being protective of the boy you helped raise. I can’t really hold that against you. I should thank you for looking out for him when not many others were.” She smiles at me and ushers me to sit as she places the goodies on the table in front of me.
“The girls will be here shortly to help you with your hair and makeup, and dress. So, enjoy this quiet while you can.” She winks at me before she wheels the trolley from the room and leaves me in the peaceful calm again. I open the curtains and let the light of dawn into the room, the pink sky a beautiful sight.
I sit back down and indulge in a few gulps of Berripagne to try and calm the butterflies inside me before picking at the pastries. Too nervous to eat, I decide to jump in the shower, so I’m ready when the girls get here to make me look beautiful for today. I stand under the hot running water and try to wash away the stress and nerves, scrubbing my skin and hair until I relax. I shut off the water and climb out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself. I grab the counter to steady myself as my vision blurs. Maybe I should’ve eaten more. I bend over and wrap my hair in another towel before padding out back into the room, where I find Rowan sitting eating my pastries and sipping on a glass of Berripagne.
“No indulgence spared today, huh?” He smiles cheekily, taking another bite from the sugary treat. “I just wanted to come and wish you all the best today—not luck because you don’t need it, but I really do hope today goes to plan. For us all. I’d hug you but—” He motions to the fact I’m standing here, dripping in towels.
“Yeah, thanks.” I laugh. “Are you ready for today? To stand up there beside your brother?”
“I am, and better still, the healers think Mother will be able to attend today.”
“Oh, Rowan, I’m so glad to hear it! You and Cade must be so relieved.”
“We are, we got news just before I came here. I was also asked to bring you this.” He plucks a square velvet box from his jacket and places in on the table. I walk over to him, open it and gasp. Earrings lay in the black velvet. Long drops that look like vines and the stones like leaves, perfectly matching my tiara. “A gift from your husband to be.”
“They’re stunning.” I sigh as laughter filters through the door seconds before it opens, and Isabella and Eleanor appear through it with bags and boxes in their arms, ready to start prepping me for this day.
“And that”—Rowan stands—“is my cue to make myself scarce. I’ll see you soon.” He bends and kisses my cheek before making his escape from the room, the girls following him with their eyes, sighing at his departure.
“Are you ready to make me wedding-beautiful, ladies?”
Cade
I take a deep breath and look in the mirror. This is the day I’ve been waiting for my entire life, but now it’s here, I don’t know if I want it. Heavy lies the crown. I always thought it was the weak that used it as an excuse for their failures, but now I know it to be true. My father raised me to be a king, a soldier, a man ready to do whatever is necessary for my people. What he
couldn’t foresee was that Emilia would be the woman sitting opposite me, the perfect counterbalance for the cruelty he instilled in me.
Everybody is looking at us to be strong, to lead, to get us through what is to come. To join forces with the Summer Court as my father arranged, but with half of the Summer Court scattered to escape the fight that is coming, the weight sits firmly on my shoulders to make things right for our people.
Today I take the crown, and I take the throne and everything that comes with the responsibility they both carry. With Emilia at my side to anchor me, my fear lessens about what we are going to face.
“Studying your pretty face pretty intensely there, brother.” Rowan enters the room and clasps my shoulder in his hand. He may be younger than me, but these days you can barely tell. He almost matches me in height and size, and the darkness I tried to keep from him lingers behind his eyes. “Did no one tell you today is meant to be a happy day? The happiest of your life.” He winks.
“Just making sure my beautiful face is matched in equal beauty by these dress robes.” I laugh with him. He’s wearing the same thing I am, but his are white instead of blue.
“You ready to be tied to one woman for the rest of your life?”
“I’ve been tied to her my entire life already, and you know it. Emilia bewitched me long ago, though I have to say our journey has taken a much different path than the one I imagined originally.”
“Oh, I know. You are one lucky man, and the important thing is that you got here in the end. I know these last few weeks have been hard, saying goodbye to Father, dealing with Mother spiraling out of control, just trying to keep going, trying not to disappoint anyone, and help our people rebuild and mourn while keeping them safe. It’s been a tall order, but you’ve shouldered it well, big brother. He’d be proud of you. He definitely would’ve gone about it differently, but you’re not a cold as he was.”
“There’s still time.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. And if you happen to stray off course, I’ll be here to kick your ass back on the path.” He knocks my shoulder with his and graces me a small smile.
“You know we’re not meant to talk like this, right? If anyone heard us, they’d accuse us of spending too much time with the women in our lives.”
“Maybe they’d be right, but fuck them. If I want a sappy moment with you, then I’ll damn well have one. You ready to go out and face your adoring public?”
I take a deep breath and nod, the gold buttons and accents of my suit and robe catch the sunlight as we move. “Let the games begin.”
I push the door open and walk through the halls of the palace. My Palace. The weight of the responsibility that is about to officially be mine bears down on my chest, making breathing that little bit harder. Rowan stands beside me, shoulder to shoulder as we wait outside the lower doors to the ballroom. I can already hear the people as they filter in and take their seats, the society climbers wanting to see how they can get their hooks into us, the little family we have left at the very front, and then we’ve opened up the rest of the seats to anyone who wants to be here. The amount of security here is ridiculous, but it is necessary considering the threat that still exists beyond these walls.
I touch the sword at my waist, there more for decoration than use today, but I feel better with it at my side. I should be happy right now, excited, but I can’t help the foreboding feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me something isn’t right. The doors in front of us open to the side of the altar in the ballroom and a hush descends across the hall. We take our places, me front and center with Rowan behind me and to the left.
“We are here today to witness the crowning of our new king, and to join him with his new wife.” The Master of Ceremonies’ voice rings out across the room, clear and crisp. “We have seen much sorrow in recent days, but this day is the start of a new journey, of a new path. One of happiness, prosperity, and love.”
The string quartet starts to play, and I smile inwardly, of course, she picked this song. It was her favorite years ago, the one I taught her to slow dance to before the first ball she was allowed to attend, since neither of her brothers would. I wait as the music plays and the doors open, but the person I see there isn’t the one I want to see.
Erion rushes down the aisle to me and pulls me aside.
“What’s wrong?” I ask amid the noise of the chapel.
“It’s Emilia. She’s gone.”
Chapter Seventeen
Emilia
I’m not sure how I got to this point in my life, but I don’t think I ever did anything to deserve this. The Wild Hunt isn’t meant to haunt the Fae, it is meant to serve no one but the dead, but our magik is meant to protect us. I never even believed it to be real, just another childhood story to induce fear and ensure compliance. I wish I’d paid more attention to my grandmother’s stories when I was a child. Maybe then I wouldn’t be here, trapped in this room, my clothes nothing more than sodden rags or at least I’d know how to get out of here, wherever here is.
I couldn’t even tell you how long I’ve been here. The constant darkness makes it hard to keep track of time, they come every now and then and try to speak to my mind, to read my memories, though I have no idea why.
I hear the clinking of his metal keys and crunching of his boots on the dirty floor. He’s coming for me again. I try to make myself small, as I curl into a ball in the corner, the wall at my back. I hold my breath as the steps get closer. I try to stop the tremble in my hands, the evidence of his last visit still shows on my arms, the dried and crusted blood in patches on what was once my beautiful wedding dress. I try not to whimper at the thought of Cade standing there, waiting for me, and me never showing. I hope he doesn’t think I just ran; I hope with all that I am that he knows how much I love him, how excited I was to be his wife.
The turn of the key in the lock makes me flinch, and I scold myself internally. I will not show weakness in front of these monsters. I breathe slowly, fixing the walls around my mind as Grandmother taught me all those years ago. I don’t know what he wants, but I am not going down without a fight. He steps into the room, lit only from the lantern in his thick hand. The light bounces off of the stone walls and shows me his emotionless face.
“Hello, princess.” I hear his scratchy voice inside my head, and clutch either side of my head to try and stop the pain the follows. I scream out at the needles inside my skin. It doesn’t matter that I can’t see them, I feel them. “Are you ready to show me what you know?”
“I don’t know anything. I don’t understand; the Wild Hunt does not torture. They once took people to join the Hunt, none of this makes sense,” I plead and hear his throaty laugh as it echoes around the empty room. He takes a step toward me, and I scramble back up against the wall, trying to keep the distance between us. I watch as he tilts his head, trying to work me out. He pauses and just watches me, and then I feel it, the assault on my mind begins, as does the feeling of flames licking at my hands as I take my head in them to remind myself it’s not real. I feel rather than see his approach; my eyes burst open as he lifts me from the ground by my throat.
I scratch at the hand around my throat and try to suck in the air. His grasp is too tight, and despite my fight, he stands, fixed to the floor. His dark, soulless eyes stare into mine. I drown in the darkness and feel as he starts to absorb the light within me. I see flashes at the corner of my eyes, as reality starts to fail me, and I swear I see Cade. There’s no way he could be here. He couldn’t be the reason I’m here. Could he?
I think back over the last few weeks, and try to make it make sense, but the pain inside my skull is too much, and the little air I had isn’t enough anymore. The burn in my lungs screams, and I lose the little hold I had left. I feel his smile as the world fades away, Cade’s face the last thing I see.
***
“What is wrong with her?” I hear the voices, but I can’t clear the darkness.
“She is resisting, and we need her not to. We
need him here. He is the key to unlocking it all.”
“But isn’t she the one?”
“Yes, but without him, it’s hidden.”
“He didn’t want her to know. Any of them to know until it’s time.”
“We may not have a choice.”
***
The pain inside my head returns when I wake, and I’m back in my cell. The yellow eyes of my captor stare back at me, glowing in the darkness.
“Good, you’re awake.”
“Oh good, he speaks.” I try to move my fingers to keep the blood flowing and stop the pins and needles.
“Do not sass me, girl.” His growl is amplified by his quick movement towards me, and I feel his breath on my face.
“You think this is sass, oh my, what a sheltered life you’ve lived.” I mean, I probably shouldn’t provoke the Hunter who has me captive, but at this point, what do I have to lose? “And so, the Hunters joined the Hunt. How very cliché.”
The pain inside my head amplifies, and I scream out. The metallic taste of blood hits my tongue as it runs from my nose. It stops, and in the shadows, I see him again. The one from before.
“Good to see you’re brave enough to be here alone, Hunter.” His hand stings my cheek and rattles my bones as it connects with my face.
“Do not speak out of turn, princess. You have no power here. This place was created a millennia before your pathetic existence.” I reach inside myself to my fire, and I feel it there, a low flame, but I can’t draw on it. For fuck’s sake, where the hell am I?
He laughs, and I notice the door is open. And the person that walks through it is the last person I expected; the betrayal burns.
“Oberon . . .” His name falls from my lips as a whisper, but he doesn’t look how I remember. His hair is longer, wilder, and his once beautiful face marred by scars, which could only mean he was burned and left unable to heal by magik. I can’t help the sorrow that burns through me for what he must have suffered at the hands of my father.
Summer Princess (Dark Fae Book 1) Page 17