by Dyan Chick
"I told you I love you, Cassia. But it's so much deeper than that," he slid a stray curl away from my face, "tell me you feel it too."
"I do," I said. "I feel it."
"So you know I'm not going anywhere. And you know I'm going to keep you safe, no matter what." He kissed my forehead again. "Now go to sleep."
My whole body felt warm as a relieved satisfaction settled around me. What Ethan and I had was simple and pure. I knew I could count on him the same way he could count on me. I'd never felt as comfortable or safe as I did in his arms. Finally, I settled into a dreamless sleep.
When I woke the next morning, Ethan was already awake, sitting in a chair near the large fireplace. I tossed the blankets aside and stepped onto the freezing stone floor.
He looked up at me as I padded over to him. "Good morning."
The only light in the room came from the healthy fire crackling away in the hearth. "What time is it?"
"After breakfast," he said.
I sat down on the arm of the chair. "How long have you been awake?"
"Not long," he said.
After everything that had happened last night, I wasn't sure where to begin this morning. I sat quietly next to Ethan, enjoying the warmth from the fire and his closeness to me. "It's quiet here."
"Most of the people who visit here sleep late," he said.
"That makes sense." My stomach growled and my cheeks heated in embarrassment. "Sorry."
Ethan smiled. "I'm sure we can find something in the kitchens. Plus, Cormac is probably waiting for us."
Part of me didn't want to leave the little sanctuary of the basement room. There were no windows and only one way in - through a locked door. Once we left, I was exposed. "That lead, from last night, you think they figured anything out?"
"Don't worry," he said. "If they haven't yet, they will soon."
Quickly, I pulled on the dress Lainey lent me. Then, I followed Ethan out of the door into the dark basement hallway. The stone floor was cold under my feet and I hoped I'd be able to hunt down a pair of boots soon. As we walked toward the stairs, I had the odd sense that Ethan and I were alone. The hallway was silent but it didn't feel like the type of quiet that came from sleeping. It was more than that. Suddenly, I was happy we were leaving the dark basement behind. There was a stifled feeling down there and it didn't sit well with me.
The light on the main floor was bright when we emerged from the basement stairwell. Weak sunlight poured in through the windows, but there was no warmth from the light. Everything about the heart of the Winter Court was cold.
I expected to see servants or other Fae, but just as the basement had been, it felt abandoned. "Where is everyone?"
Ethan walked ahead of me, peeking into the sitting room and the kitchen.
"We're up here," Dane's voice came from behind me.
I turned to see him on the stairway, walking down to us.
"I had a feeling you were up," he said, stopping in front of me. He kissed my cheek. "Were you able to get any rest?" His question was laced with genuine concern.
"I did, thank you."
"We're upstairs," Dane said to Ethan. "Fourth floor. We have news."
"What is it?" I asked. "What did you find out?"
"I can't possibly tell you," Dane said. "It would ruin all of Cormac's fun."
We walked into a large, nearly empty room at the top of the stairs. In the center of the room was a massive table littered with small objects and rolled up parchment. A wood stove in the corner heated the room so it was warmer than the basement had been despite an entire wall of glass windows that looked out over the city.
Cormac was standing next to the window, staring out at the street below.
He turned at the sound of us walking into the room. "I wondered when you'd join us."
"You could have woken me," I said. "I thought we were in a hurry to get to the Queen's palace."
"There are some complications," Cormac said.
"Complications?" I asked, peering around him to get a view of the window. "What were you looking at?"
"Guards," Cormac said, gesturing behind him.
I padded over to the large glass pained window and looked down. We were in one of the taller buildings in the bustling city. In the street below, I saw people walking back and forth along with carts and horses. Everyone seemed to be fighting for the ability to move through the crowded street. Part of the congestion was the fact that there was a large group of guards blocking half of the street directly in front of the building we were in. "Is that really necessary?"
"Why?" I asked.
"Because you've drawn a lot of attention to yourself," Tristan's voice carried into the room from behind me.
I turned away from the window and bit down the comment I wanted to make about him finally speaking to me again. "Is this all about Queen's Trial?"
"It started off that way," Tristan said. "But now, it's about your Queen."
My brow furrowed. "I don't understand."
"You've created quite the sensation. A highborn Fae nobody ever heard of before who has been placed under the protection of the Autumn Prince. You ride with a prince of each of the four courts. It's made a lot of people nervous, including my own nobles," Tristan said.
"Is that why I was attacked?" I asked. "But I thought that was someone from the Summer Court."
"The first assassin was from the Summer Court, the males who questioned you last night were from the Autumn Court."
"How did they even get in?" I asked. "I thought they needed Winter Fae blood."
"We're still working on that part," Tristan said, his jaw tightening.
I looked at Cormac, hoping he'd clarify some of this for me. "What now?"
"Now, we wait," he said. "For the Queen's sister."
"Wait?" I asked, my stomach churning with unease.
"She's on her way here," Dane said. "News of you reached the Queen and she's requested we meet with her sister before we travel to her palace."
"Alright," I said. "I suppose that's good, right? We let her know what's going on and she helps relay our message. But that doesn't explain everything else. What about the nobles who called in their soldiers?"
Tristan raised an eyebrow. "You know about that?"
My eyes widened and I looked to Cormac, wondering if I'd said something wrong. He'd trusted me with that information.
"We talked about it," Cormac said. "Tristan is aware of the issue. It has nothing to do with you."
"But that sounds bad," I said.
"Don't worry about that," Tristan said.
A gentle knock on the open door caused all of us to turn to see the newcomer. Lainey and another female were standing at the door. They both curtseyed low, avoiding eye contact with Tristan. "Your Grace, we were told you wanted to see us."
"Yes, thank you for coming," he said. "I require assistance with my lady friend. She needs to be properly attired for a visit with an especially important diplomat."
Tristan walked over to them, a smirk on his lips. He stopped right in front of them and cocked his head to the side. "They tell me you two are the most experienced ladies in the house. They tell me you're the best. And the most discreet."
My chest felt like it was on fire as I watched him shamelessly flirting with the two courtesans in front of me. Seeing him turn on the charm for other females was nearly painful to witness. I clenched my teeth and felt my nostrils flare as I tried to calm my temper. It didn't make sense for me to care about how he acted or who he was with, but the jealousy surged through me the same way it would if it had been Ethan standing there flirting with them.
Tristan touched Lainey's cheek. "You'll be compensated well for your efforts." Tristan leaned closer to her and whispered something I couldn't hear.
Lainey giggled, and lowered her eyes again, playing the chaste maiden. My cheeks heated as I watched her, knowing there was nothing chaste about her. Was he making plans with her? Without thinking I took a few steps closer to them.
I knew my face was turning an even darker shade of red. "I'm not a princess."
"Cassia, just go with them," Cormac said.
I sighed and ignored the grin on Tristan's face as I walked forward, making sure I bumped into him as I passed.
Chapter Fifteen
Lainey and the other female were silent as we walked down the stairs. We reached Lainey's floor and I continued to follow the silent courtesans. I grimaced at the blood stain on the carpet and forced myself to keep my eyes up, away from the place the Orc and the guard had died just last night. I paused in front of Lainey's door, expecting her to stop, but she continued on to the end of the hall.
Finally, she opened the last door in the hallway and inclined her head in a subtle bow. I narrowed my eyes at her, hoping for an explanation but she kept her eyes averted. "In here?"
She nodded.
Feeling cut off and alone, I walked into the room and stopped right inside the door. The floor was a cool, shiny stone and the room was lined with rows and rows of clothing along each wall. In the center of the room stood a large bathtub. Steam rose from the water already waiting in the tub and my shoulders involuntarily relaxed as the promise of a relaxing bath loomed in front of me.
I heard the click of the door as it closed and spun around to face Lainey and the other female. Lainey did a quick glance around the room, then her stoic expression gave way to a smile. "I would have kept your secret last night. You didn't have to pretend you were a courtesan."
"I'm so sorry," I said.
"Are you really a princess?" the other female asked. She had long, straight black hair that hung to her mid-back. She was about a head shorter than me. Her features were delicate but her eyes were larger than most Fae I saw.
I shook my head. "No, Tristan knew it would bother me if he called me that."
The new female gasped, then giggled as she turned to Lainey. "You were right. She does use his name."
I covered my face with my hands, feeling embarrassed for slipping again. The last thing I wanted was for word to get back to Tristan, the Winter Prince, that I was disrespecting him. He was helping me and I didn't want to be rude.
"Don't worry," Lainey said. "Like I said last night, your words are safe with us. You might not be working, but I have a feeling you understand. Besides, we were told we're getting a Lady ready for an important event."
"You might not be a princess," the new female said, "but you're clearly high ranking."
"Maybe," I said, not really thinking about how the word would sound.
"That's enough, Jae. She doesn't have to tell us. It's clearly complicated," Lainey said.
"It is," I agreed. I'd spent last night with Ethan. The handsome Spring Prince that I felt a mating bond with. But the night before, I'd been with Dane. And my feelings for him were intense and hot and confusing. Then there was Cormac and our almost kiss. At least it felt like that. And I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to do all sorts of things to me.
"Well, if I had a chance to have a night with His Grace, I certainly wouldn't turn it down," Jae said, winking at me.
My cheeks heated. Tristan. His Grace. The Winter Prince. He was speaking to me again, at least. A vision burst into view of my legs wrapped around Tristan's waist. Neither of us were clothed. My thighs clenched and I squeezed my eyes closed to try to clear the picture in my mind. I turned down his offer to sleep in the princess suite, then I'd slapped him in the face. "I'm pretty sure there's no chance of that for me."
"He is a prince," Jae said. "I'm sure his man would share if he wanted you."
The thought of Tristan's mouth exploring my body sent tingles to the place between my legs. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Jae, leave her alone." Lainey turned to me. "You'll have to forgive her, My Lady."
"You don't have to call me that," I said. "Cassia is fine."
Lainey nodded. "Alright, Cassia. Let's get you ready for that visitor."
I wasn't used to bathing in front of strangers, but neither of the females showed any sign of giving me privacy. Though, based on what happened last time I'd taken a bath, I should be grateful for their company.
"So, are you going to tell us why someone from the Summer Court tried to kill you? You didn't share that with me earlier," Lainey said.
"How did you know about that?" I stepped into the rose scented water and used my fingers to send the floating petals swirling around me. "Nothing stays secret here, does it?"
Lainey poured warm water on the back of my head, soaking my hair. I leaned back so it wouldn't run into my eyes as she worked the tangles out with her fingers.
"You are correct. The interesting thing about the House of the Moon, is that nobody considers us important enough to censor themselves around us. We probably have more knowledge of the inner workings of the Winter Court that anyone save the Prince himself," Lainey said.
My ears perked at her comment. I had a feeling conversations were very free around these females. "Yes, I was attacked by someone. Why do I have a feeling that you know more than me?"
"She calls His Grace by his first name, but he won't tell you what he knows about your assassin?" The other girl asked.
"She's a lady," Lainey said. "I'm sure he's trying to protect her."
The other girl, Jae, rolled her eyes and handed me a bar of pink soap in the shape of a rose. Apparently, the theme of this bath was to get me smelling as much like a flower as possible. I took the soap from her, then worked it into a lather between my hands, grateful that they were allowing me to soap myself up. Lainey had moved on to a brush, working the tangles out of my hair slowly.
"I sort of did something to upset him," I said. "I think he's withholding information from me now as punishment."
"So does that mean it's over between the two of you?" Lainey asked.
"I told you there's nothing between us," I said.
Lainey stopped brushing my hair. "You share with us, we'll share with you."
"What happened to not talking about him?" I asked.
"I won't share stories that aren't mine to share. It sounds like you have reliable information, I can't get punished for that," she said.
"No way," my cheeks heated. It was bad enough that I had accused Tristan of trying to hurt me when I knew, deep down he would never do such a thing. Slapping him just made me sound ungrateful. I wasn't sure I wanted to admit that to these females who insisted on using his formal title at all times.
"You want to hear what we know? I want to hear the story of how you upset the Winter Prince." Lainey leaned over my shoulder. "It seems to be the only story that isn't circulating right now. What did you do to him that didn't make its way out to the rest of us?"
"You're really going to make me say it, aren't you?" I asked.
"It's been a long time since we've had anything entertaining happen around here," Lainey said with a shrug.
"There was an orc killed in the hallway last night. How much more entertaining did you need?" I asked.
Lainey waved her hand. "That's not entertainment, that’s business. Give us something juicy we can enjoy for a while."
I felt my cheeks heating even more. It seemed, Lainey thought whatever I had done to upset Tristan was more intimate than I intended. "It's not that juicy."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Fine." I huffed. "When I was attacked, I thought maybe he was the one who had sent the assassin. So I slapped him. That's it."
Lainey and the other female looked at each other, a moment of silent understanding passing between them that I wasn't privy to. "What?"
"You attacked the Winter Prince?" Lainey asked. "That is not what I expected at all. I mean, I thought for sure the two of you snuck off somewhere together."
"I wouldn't call it an attack, exactly." Embarrassment surged through me. "It was a mista
ke. I was scared. I've apologized, but things still haven't returned to normal between the two of us." I reflected on those words and realized I had no idea what normal between Tristan and I even looked like. I hadn't known him very long, I hadn't known any of the princes that long. But Tristan and I seemed to exist on a different level than I did with the others.
"Who are you?" Lainey asked, dropping my hair back against my back. She grabbed the edge of the tub and stared at me, brow furrowed. The levity of our conversation was gone, replaced by something more serious.
"I told you, I'm no one important."
"No," Lainey said. "The last person who insulted the prince, was sentenced to death. He does not take betrayal lightly. The fact that you did that, in front of his entourage and his guards, I'm honestly surprised you're still alive."
"You can't be serious," I said, watching her expression. I expected it to break. For her to laugh and tell me that she was teasing me. But she didn't falter.
"You call him by his name, you insulted him, you assaulted him. You are someone very important," Lainey said.
A knock sounded on the door and the other girl promptly got up and scurried away to answer it.
I lowered my voice. "You're not going to tell anybody about this, are you?" I realize now that if she was telling the truth, this could be very dangerous for me and very difficult for Tristan to explain.
"As I said, everything that we say is private. We don't violate that rule here. We take very seriously."
The other girl returned and hovered above me next to the bathtub. In her hands, she held a bundle of clothing. "His Grace sent this for you. And like Lainey said, nothing leaves this room." She curtsied, averting her eyes. "My lady." Then she looked up and just the flicker of a smirk crossed her lips. "Or should I be calling you ‘Your Grace’?"
My stomach turned at the thought of being given such a title. Tristan had offered for me to sleep in the suite designated for his wife, the one who would eventually wear that title. Then, he'd teased me by calling me a princess. Now, I find out the actions against him would have resulted in serious discipline for anyone who wasn't me.
Tristan came across as a flirt, but I didn't think there was anything other than sexual attraction between the two of us. Obviously, I was interested in him in that sense because who wouldn't be? But what if there was more to it than physical attraction?