by J. C. Diem
They spent a few hours wandering around the palace, receiving strange looks from the guards, servants and courtiers. Kurtus endured the sly looks and tittering laughter as his lot. He didn’t know why he’d had the bad luck to be chosen to be their future queen’s lacky. He would have preferred to have stayed at his boring post watching a hallway where nothing ever happened. Instead, he had to follow the tiny dryad around as she explored her new home.
Eventually, the afternoon faded and darkness approached. Not that it was ever light outside anymore. The land was waterlogged and the sun hadn’t been seen since Prince Sindarian had been slain by the dragon.
“You should return to your room to rest, my lady,” Kurtus said in an unsubtle hint that he was done traipsing around after her for the day. “You will probably be expected for dinner in an hour.”
She grimaced, then nodded reluctantly. “I guess we’d better head back then.” Thoroughly lost by now, she followed the soldier as he escorted her back to her suite. “Thanks for being my guide,” she said glumly. “I won’t make you follow me around again. I could tell you’d rather return to your normal guard duty.”
He hesitated, then found himself responding before he could control his mouth. “I didn’t mind so much, my lady. If you have need of me again, send a brownie for me.” He bowed, then swiftly walked away before he could volunteer to become her permanent escort. His helmet reappeared as the brownies returned it to him.
Watching the warrior walk away in bemusement, Asha shook her head, then entered her room. Her feet were sore from walking, but it had been better than being cooped up in the suite all day.
Taking her shoes off, she curled up on a sofa to watch the flames dance in the fireplace. Tears welled up as she thought of the friends she’d left behind. She missed them all and wished she was back in Texas with them right now. Instead, she was stuck in an evil land where everyone hated her and each other. Jake had told her she would know love again, but she seriously doubted it. No one in the Unseelie realm was capable of feeling love, except her. She would become just as twisted and malicious as the other inhabitants over time.
“Don’t be sad, your majesty,” Olsa said as she and her husband appeared on the couch next to her.
“Everything will be all right,” Unwin added unconvincingly.
“No, it won’t,” Asha said and wiped away a tear that escaped her. A low boom of thunder sounded as if in agreement. A succession of lightning flickered to illuminate the room through the drapes that had been drawn for the night. “Nothing is ever going to be the same again,” she added.
“You’ll become the Queen of this realm,” Olsa reminded her, patting her on the arm. “Everyone will have to obey you then.”
Dashing away more tears, Asha gave her an incredulous look. “I’m sure Lord Nicolaia and his cronies would disagree with that.”
“You’re not the frightened little girl they expected,” Unwin said. “You’ve already shown them you have a backbone. Everyone in the palace has heard about what you did to that servant when he touched you.” They shared a giggle that lifted her spirits a little.
“Apparently, Corvine was most disturbed when he heard the news,” Olsa whispered. “He threw a priceless vase at the wall in a tantrum.”
“Did he break it?” Asha asked in horror.
“One of our kin caught it,” Unwin replied with a grin. “They removed all of the trinkets from his room so he couldn’t smash them in his fit of displeasure.”
“Maybe he’s having second thoughts about becoming my husband,” Asha said with a snicker. “No man would want to become a pincushion when they try to touch their bride.”
“Be wary of him, your highness,” Unwin urged. “The warrior isn’t used to being thwarted.”
“Thanks for the warning,” she said and mustered up a smile. She’d only met the fairy briefly and she was already wary of him. He’d insulted her upon first sight and had proclaimed her to be less attractive than he’d expected. Yet she knew he wasn’t going to give up the chance to become king. No Unseelie fairy would pass up that opportunity.
Chapter Fifteen
OLSA AND UNWIN CHANGED Asha’s dress and shoes when it was time for her to attend the banquet that was being held to celebrate her arrival. She stood in front of a tall mirror to examine herself. Her dress was bronze, with gemstones scattered across the bodice and skirt. She had to admit she looked delicately lovely in the gown. It was modest in design, showing off her tiny waist while keeping her decently covered. Her shoes were bronze as well, but had a three inch heel this time.
A knock sounded at the door, then the servant waited for her to open it. “It is time for the banquet, my lady,” the new escort said warily while keeping her distance. She wore the same red tunic and black pants as the male servants.
“Lead the way,” Asha instructed, closing the door behind her. She almost had to trot to keep up with the slightly taller fairy.
They slowed down when they reached the banquet hall. Asha’s stomach dropped when she saw Corvine waiting for her in the doorway. Dressed in his usual black armor, he bowed stiffly and offered her his arm. “I wish to apologize for my rude greeting this morning,” he lied in an uncaring tone as she lightly placed her hand on his arm. She had to be touching flesh rather than metal for her abilities to work, so he was safe enough for now.
“You mean when you said I looked like a child and that you don’t want to sleep with me?” she reminded him sourly.
He glanced down at her dress, but couldn’t make out anything beneath the layers of fabric and gems. “Maybe when I see you naked, I’ll change my mind,” he said ungraciously.
“Oh, I’m pretty sure that’s never going to happen,” she said in an offhand tone. “You must have heard about what happened to that servant who was rude to me this morning,” she added. “All he did was touch my arm and I speared him through the throat. You don’t even want to know what happens to anyone who is stupid enough to touch me anywhere inappropriate.” His already pale face went a few shades whiter and she gave him a sunny grin.
They entered the banquet hall and she saw it was identical to the one from the Seelie palace. The entire building had been modeled on the palace from the other realm. Tables were staged in a U shape and the courtiers were arranged according to their hierarchy. The table at the center held the six advisors, three sat on either side of the twin thrones in the middle.
Asha allowed herself to be escorted to the throne on the left. She and Corvine weren’t even bonded yet and they were already being treated as if they were a couple. Her escort sat on the throne beside her with an arrogant toss of his bi-colored hair. His brown and yellow flecked eyes shifted to her uneasily and his weren’t the only ones. Word had indeed spread about her encounter with the servant. She heard speculative whispers about what sort of monster she turned into and how dangerous she might be.
King Lod sat on the seat to her left, silently gloating that his offspring would rule beneath his guidance. He’d achieved far more than any other goblin had in the entire history of his species. He not only ruled the goblin lands, he would now have a far greater influence over the Unseelie realms as well. His kind would rise in power until they would rival the fairies.
Lord Nicolaia sat to Corvine’s right, darting glances around the room and pondering on the decisions he and his colleagues had made. He was feeling uneasy about what the girl had said during their meeting. She’d warned them that no one could control fate. Deep down, he knew she was right. He could see the evidence of their meddling himself. That thought was accompanied by an earsplitting crash of thunder that made their glasses and plates rattle.
An uneasy lull spread through the room as the storm seemed to intensify. The courtiers were doing their best to act as if they weren’t worried, but they were quietly terrified. Storms lashed the realm and their magic was fading away. Unless the balance was restored, everything would fall apart. No one wanted to contemplate their dismal future then.
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nbsp; Eating the small meals that appeared on her plate, Asha reached for her glass. She almost took a sip when she realized it was alcohol. One instance of passing out drunk had been enough for her. “Water, please,” she murmured. The liquid instantly changed and she took a small sip. “Thank you,” she said in appreciation. The courtiers sneered at her manners. To them, brownies were the lowest of the low. They took the tiny beings for granted and didn’t realize how lost they would be without them.
After several courses had been delivered and devoured, Lord Nicolaia stood. He caught everyone’s attention by tapping a spoon against his glass. “In three days, Corvine and Asha will become bonded,” he proclaimed. Corvine slanted his bride-to-be a haughty look, which she returned with a bland stare. “Raise your glasses to your future King and Queen,” the advisor instructed.
Everyone did as he ordered, murmuring to each other and giggling behind their hands. Asha was aware that the women scorned her outfit of choice. Their dresses were revealing to the point where nothing was left to the imagination. She must look like a nun to them, not that they had anything of that nature here. Asha refused to raise her glass despite her father elbowing her in the side. She caught a whiff of the black gunk that was in his glass and almost gagged. Apparently, she didn’t share enough of his blood to be able to ingest whatever that horrible liquid was.
Corvine stood and raised his own glass when Nicolaia sat down. Everyone went quiet to listen to what he had to say. “I look forward to ruling the Unseelie realm,” he stated. “After our bodies become joined, Asha and I will restore the balance and end the chaos!”
Glasses were raised and sarcastic cheers sounded that he apparently didn’t pick up on. Asha tried not to grimace at the thought of being joined in any way with this creature and failed. Her husband-to-be took his seat and desserts appeared on everyone’s plates. Asha had lost her appetite and pushed hers away. If she tried to eat another bite, she would probably vomit on Corvine’s lap. She slid him a look, contemplating whether that would be such a bad thing, then decided against it. That would probably be pushing things too far.
After an interminable few hours, the banquet was finally over. Asha allowed Corvine to escort her to the hallway, then removed her hand from his arm and strode away before he could say anything. She became lost within the first few hallways and ended up in one of the libraries. Fighting back tears, she walked over to the fireplace to warm her icy hands.
“You’re lost, aren’t you, my lady?” Kurtus asked as he entered the room, pushing his visor up so she could see his face. He’d followed her at a discreet distance for reasons he wasn’t even sure of.
Turning to face him, she gave him a wry smile. “How did you guess?”
“It was pretty obvious when you headed in the opposite direction to where your rooms are,” he said in a pitying tone.
“This palace is huge. How am I supposed to remember how to get anywhere?” she asked, waving her arms in frustration.
The warrior backed up a few steps in alarm, fearing she might spear him in her agitation. “You’ll soon learn where everything is,” he said. “After a few days, you’ll stop getting lost.”
Shoulders slumping, Asha turned to face the fire again. She hated it here and the thought of spending the rest of her life in this dark palace with blood red furniture and drapes was depressing. Now that Sindarian was gone, maybe she could make a few changes. She would have to consult the brownies and ask their opinion. She didn’t even know if it was possible to alter things here with how unstable the realm was right now.
“Do you want me to escort you to your suite?” Kurtus asked.
“Would you mind?” she asked over her shoulder.
He frowned at the question. “You shouldn’t care whether I mind or not. You’re going to be our Queen. Just give me an order and I’ll follow it.”
He was abrupt and surly, but she appreciated his honesty. “Okay then, please show me where my suite is.”
He shook his head in exasperation, but turned to lead the way. “Unseelie fairies don’t ask nicely,” he scolded her.
“I’m not a fairy,” she reminded his back as she hurried in his wake.
“That’s becoming more obvious by the hour,” he muttered and slowed his pace so she didn’t have to rush to keep up with him.
Chapter Sixteen
DURING THE NEXT THREE days, Asha had Kurtus escort her through the palace while she waited for the night of her supposed bonding to Corvine to arrive. They traipsed through all five levels, avoiding the private bedrooms of the courtiers. Her keen hearing picked up on the sounds of trysts going on behind the doors. She had no desire to see any of the fairies naked together.
There were many gardens and courtyards that she would have liked to see up close, but the storms made that impossible. The basement level was beginning to flood and the brownies had called in some gnomes to set up a drainage system. Whispers were spreading that magic was becoming harder to use. It hadn’t affected the brownies yet, but the gnomes had had to set up pipes and pumps rather than using spells to fix the problem.
On the night she was supposed to become bonded to Corvine, Asha stood in front of the mirror. She gazed at her reflection without seeing it. She’d met with her intended husband a few times now and none of their conversations had gone well. He was vain, arrogant and clearly not very intelligent.
He’d been chosen to rule because he was easily led, but he was too dumb to realize it. Corvine believed he was worthy of the crown and therefor was worthy of her. She was just a lowly half-dryad, half-goblin after all. She’d overheard him say that to one of the guards just yesterday. He’d even had the audacity to suggest she should be grateful a fairy of his breeding and caliber would lower himself enough to bed her.
Anger rose inside her and a hint of silver glinted in her eyes that the advisors to the throne were putting her through this charade. Her father had left just minutes ago after warning her to submit to the warrior. He’d cited that the realm would continue to suffer and it would be all her fault if she didn’t go along with their plans.
Looking down at the creature that had barely came to her chest, she’d held in her contempt, but only just. They all thought she was going to meekly allow Corvine to steal her innocence despite the warnings she’d given them. She knew it wasn’t her fate to wed that brute. If Jake hadn’t told her he’d foreseen she would eventually be happy, she might have succumbed to the pressure.
“Are you sure you want to wear that dress, your majesty?” Olsa asked timidly. She and her husband were perched on Asha’s shoulders, peering at the gown doubtfully.
Dead black and without a hint of embellishment, it suited Asha’s mood perfectly. They’d made it to her specifications despite their misgivings. Her blonde hair and pale skin made a stark contrast to the dark fabric. “I’m sure,” she replied. She wasn’t going to pretend to be happy about this farce and everyone was going to know it.
A knock sounded at the door and she strode over to open it. Kurtus stood on the other side. With one look at her dress, he took a cautious step back. It was the first time he’d seen her wear that particular color and he knew it didn’t bode well. “The banquet is about to begin, my lady,” he told her.
Usually, servants came to retrieve her for her meals. The fact that they’d sent an armored warrior instead meant they weren’t sure she was going to be compliant. Not that Kurtus could force her to go if she didn’t want to. He wasn’t stupid enough to put his hands on her after what he’d seen her do to the unfortunate servant a few days ago.
Olsa and Unwin patted her on her shoulders comfortingly, then vanished. “Let’s go,” Asha said grimly, then pulled her door shut and preceded Kurtus down the hall. Just as he’d said, she’d learned how to navigate her way through the building. While she didn’t know every room well, she could at least find the banquet hall and some of the libraries and sitting rooms.
All conversation stopped when they entered the hall. Everyone else was alread
y seated. Their expressions were a mixture of malicious amusement and weary contempt at her choice of attire. Holding her head high, Asha nodded her thanks at Kurtus and made her way to her throne.
Corvine didn’t bother to stand for his would-be bride. He eyed her black gown insolently while holding a glass of wine. Lord Nicolaia politely stood and Lord Vanse copied him. King Lod remained seated. His expression was crafty and his silver eyes were alight with anticipation. He was all but rubbing his hands together in glee that his daughter would soon be bedded, then wedded.
Feeling sick to her stomach, Asha sat down and conversation resumed. Food appeared on her plate as the banquet began, but she didn’t have an appetite and merely pushed it around with her fork.
“You should eat,” Corvine told her. “You’re going to need your strength when I have you in my bed.”
Raucous laughter rang out. It was a reminder that everyone in the room had exceptional hearing. Corvine leaned back in his chair with a pleased smile that he’d managed to humiliate her yet again.
Pushing her plate away completely, Asha crossed her arms to signal her refusal of not just the meal, but of him as well.
Studying her, he pointed at the dress. “Did you think wearing that ugly thing would make me refuse to bed you?” he asked.
“I’m sure nothing will stop you from trying,” she said without looking at him. “I’ve heard you’ll sleep with anything that has a heartbeat.” Now that he was intended to become their ruler, he’d become more attractive to the courtiers. Ignoring the rumors that he was too rough with his women, he’d apparently worked his way through at least ten fairies so far, or so the brownies told her. Looking around the tables, Asha saw some of the females flinch and look away when their gazes strayed to the man sitting beside her. She had no intention of becoming his next victim.
“After tonight, you’ll be the only woman I’ll be able to join with,” he said with a sneer. “Not that you can really be classed as a woman. You’re half animal, after all.”