Betrayed

by Julia Crane

  His body went rigid. He pulled away to get a better look at me. “What are you saying? Just tell me. Don’t drag it out.”

  “My mother has been dethroned. I’m to return to the lands and take her place.”

  His face paled. “I don’t understand.”

  Of course he didn’t. I barely understood it myself. “That’s not the worst of it. There’s a condition.” I paused, not wanting to say the words. “I will be merged with another, in three days. He’ll be crowned king.”

  Michael’s jaw clenched. “No. That can’t happen. There has to be another choice. I can’t stand the thought of you marrying another. ”

  I shook my head. “It’s already been decreed. I don’t want to do it, but it was the only way to keep the crown in our lineage.”

  He looked away. “So that’s it? We’re done? What about the children? Are you walking away from them, too?”

  A lump rose in my throat. I reached for his arm and said through my tears, “Please, don’t make this harder than it already is. I’ll be able to return to Earth, I just won’t be able to stay for long periods of time.”

  “But you’ll be married to another man.” His voice was clipped.

  “I’m sorry,” I said in a broken whisper, my hand dropping down to his shoulder.

  “Stay here,” he pleaded. “Let someone else take reign.”

  As tempting as that was, I knew I could never do that to my mother. “My place is with my people.” The words sounded hollow even to myself.

  “Then I guess we have nothing else to say.” He rose to his feet and made his way to the window, looking down.

  Just the thought of losing Michael filled me with anguish. I so desperately wanted to tell him I would stay and let someone else deal with the realms. But I knew that would not happen. I wanted so badly for him to take me into his arms and kiss me, holding me tight and tell me he understood. Who was I kidding?

  Wiping the tears with the back of my palm, I crossed the room and threw my arms around his waist, dropping my head on his back. His body tensed. We stood that way for several moments, neither of us speaking.

  Finally, he shifted his body until he was turned toward me. His eyes brimmed with tears both in hurt and anger. “I always knew you were too good to be true, too good for me. But I just hoped I’d have more time with you.”

  “I want more time, too,” I spoke softly; my arms tightened around his waist. My heart was ripping into shreds. “I don’t want this to ever end.”

  “When do you have to leave?” His voice was rough with emotion.

  “Two days. In two days I’ll be crowned Queen.” Why did that sound so wrong to me? I was groomed my whole life for this role. It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t being forced to merge with someone I couldn’t stand. If only I had been able to take the crown solo. Once I was merged I could never see Michael like this again. What we had between us would be over, even when I came back to Earth we couldn’t have these hidden moments alone.

  A sob escaped, my feelings overwhelming me. Michael held me closer.

  Chapter Twenty

  The next two days passed in a blur. I spent as much time as I could with Michael and the offsprings, but there was also a lot of planning I had to do with my mother. I had two days to learn the intricate workings of the faerie realms. It was absurd the amount of information my mother had stored in her mind. There were so many names, and places. Not to mention all the rules, and the task of the queen.

  Of course, I’d always known my mother was busy but I had no idea of all the work that went into it. There were also customs that I wasn’t aware of, in the different villages. I was taking a crash course on knowledge that would normally take years. I’d wished now I’d paid more attention to my schooling.

  It was nice to have my mother back, even if it was only for a couple of days. We avoided talking about Michael or Ainston. Just thinking about it made me miserable.

  After my mother left, I dropped to the bed and stared up at the ceiling. I needed a few moments to pull myself together before I said my good-byes.

  A slight knock on the door startled me out of my thoughts. When I glanced over I was surprised to see Demitrious standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”

  Nodding, I pushed myself up to sitting. I tried to swallow the painful burning lump in my throat.

  “You’re very upset by this turn of events. I’m curious as to why? This is what you were born for.”

  I turned my head up at him, tears welling up in my eyes. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  He sat down on the chair beside my bed. “I want to try.”

  “It doesn’t matter, it’s too late now. Tomorrow I will be wed to the man I despise and rule a land of people that betrayed my own mother. I have to leave the man I love and the children I thought I would have time to get to know. I want to scream that it’s not fair, but I know that’s wasted breath. I have to lift my chin, smile, and wave. This is not how I dreamt my life would be, but I am grateful, because before I came to Earth, I didn’t understand what it was like to really live. I was a spoiled princess.”

  Demitrious leaned back in the chair. “And now you’ve grown into a queen. Tell me, why do you despise this young man you are to marry?”

  I folded my hands over my chest. “He’s not kingly material. I don’t even know why they would choose his family line. I shudder to think what power they have over the council to allow this to happen. He told me to my face before I came to Earth that he only spent time with me to have bragging rights and that he was repulsed by what I was going to have to do to save Earth.”

  Demitrious didn’t say anything for a long time. “Perhaps in time you will grow to care for him. It could be worse—you could be forced to marry someone old and homely.”

  The same thing my mother had said. “I’ll never love him. I know its fantasy, but I wanted what my mother had with my father. True love. They were equal, partners.”

  Demitrious rose to his feet. “You will be missed here, Princess.”

  Surprised, I watched as he exited the room. I didn’t think the demon was capable of missing anyone.

  I dreaded this moment more than any other in my lifetime. It was time to return to my home realm. The ceremony would take place at moonrise, and I had to get there in time to get dressed and prepare.

  Saying good-bye to Michael would be harder than the children. Because he was human we did not have a telepathic communication. And I knew once I walked through the portal, our time together was over.

  How did one force their feet to move when they wanted to stay firmly rooted to the ground?

  I knocked on his door and he looked up, his face expressionless. Even though I knew he was trying to be strong for me, it hurt.

  “I have to leave soon,” I whispered.

  “I know.” His voice was rough.

  Crossing the room, I stood beside him. “I want you to know that even though our time was short, in all my years, it has been my most cherished time. I will never forget a second of it. Please believe me, I wish there was another way.”

  His jaw clenched, and his eyes blinked back the moisture that wanted to escape. “I hate it,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “Me too. I’ll be back as soon as I can get away.” I rested my wrist on his shoulders, clasping my fingers around his neck.

  His mouth lowered, finding mine. Tears rolled down the sides of my cheeks as I opened my mouth, his tongue entering mine, his lips pressing harder, desperate. We both knew this would be our last kiss. I pressed my breasts to his chest, his strong arms encircled my waist, pulling my even tighter into him. The kiss intensified until we were both gasping for air.

  A sharp rap on the door startled us apart. It was my mother. “It’s time.”

  Biting my lip I tightened my hold around his neck, squeezing him hard. “Thank you, Michael,” I whispered. “For showing me what real affection feels like.”

  Dropping my hands, I pulled away. The look on his face was pur
e agony. “Bye, Tulupea.” His voice cracked.

  My feet felt like lead bricks as I forced myself to leave the room. Glancing back, I saw him wipe a tear off with the back of his hand.

  As soon as we were in the hallway my mother grabbed my arm and lowered her voice. “This cannot continue. Once you are merged there can be no others.”

  I yanked my arm back from hers, “I’m very well aware of the fact that I just said good-bye to the only happiness I will probably ever experience from this day forward.”

  Her tone softened. “I hope that is not true, I pray you will find peace. Time heals. I know you don’t believe it now, but it does.”

  “Right. Can you honestly say you are over my father? You’ve never loved another since him.”

  I kept my thoughts to myself but perhaps if she had taken another king we wouldn’t be in this position right now.

  “I’m at peace.” A sad smile lit her face. “You, too, will find peace someday.”

  I didn’t feel her reply needed an answer. Glancing around I sought out the children, who were all together in the kitchen. They all smiled brightly at me.

  “We’ll walk you to the portal,” Isla said cheerfully.

  Why couldn’t I be as nonchalant as they were?

  The good-byes were quick, and before I knew it we’d crossed through the portal to the other side.

  As soon as we emerged, guards surrounded us.

  When they reached for my mother’s arm she shot them a seething look and they backed away.

  Thankfully one of the conditions was she was able to attend the ceremony. I don’t know if I’d be able to make it without her there.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I could hear footsteps coming down the long hallway. I knew any moment the future king would enter the room. It was only a matter of time before he arrived. Surprisingly, I felt numb and very tired.

  Ainston wore a condescending smile as he entered the greeting hall flanked by his guards. How had I forgotten his superior arrogance? What had I ever seen in him? My stomach turned at the thought of spending the rest of my life with this man. He looked so soft and weak compared to Michael.

  Slowly, I rose to my feet, standing tall. My wings spread out fully.

  In that moment I hated him. How was I going to merge with someone that I couldn’t stand the sight of? The thought of being intimate with him caused bile to rise in my throat.

  Not only had he taken me from Michael, but also the halflings—just the reminder of them made my heart ache. Taking a controlled breath I reined in my magick that wanted to be released on my future mate. Maybe I should just destroy him. It would be nothing more than a flick of the wrist and my problems would be over. The idea rolled around in my mind for several moments, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

  Even if he was a twit he didn’t deserve to die. Unfortunately, I didn’t think he deserved to be king either.

  In mere hours we would be wed before the kingdom.

  “Tulupea.” He nodded slightly, when he should have bowed; he was not King yet.

  With awakened authority in my voice, I said, “You will greet me properly,” not bothering to suppress my annoyance. It was clear from my tone that order was not to be discussed nor defied.

  Ainston bristled, before bowing low.

  “Rise up,” I said in a commanding voice.

  When he rose, in an annoyed tone he replied, “Tonight I will be your equal.”

  “You’ll never be my equal,” I snapped with venom in my voice. The hall became deadly quiet, you could hear the shuffle of material as the guards shifted with unease.

  Ainston’s eyebrows lifted as he took another step forward.

  Someone clapped their hands. Annoyed, I glanced up and locked eyes with the chief magistracy. “I see this union is off to a beautiful start. Ainston, what are you doing here? You are not to see the princess until later tonight.”

  “I wanted to make sure the princess had really returned and that her beauty was not tarnished by her time on Earth.”

  Ticked off, I shot daggers at the back of his head.

  “Well, as you can see the princess is as exquisite as ever. Perhaps even more so, there is a fire in her eyes that wasn’t there when she left. So run along back to your palace and prepare for tonight’s ceremony.”

  Without glancing back at me, Ainston strode out of the room.

  “Really, Princess, you should not goad the future king. The two of you will have to work together.”

  “I’d just as soon wed a toad. It has more brains. How do they expect the likes of him to rule the lands? Surely, there had to be a better choice?”

  The magistracy sighed. “You know there are few lines that have the most influence. Ainston’s a wise choice. Don’t worry, in time you will come to like each other again.”

  “Don’t count on it,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Tulupea, what has come over you? You’ve changed with your brief time on Earth.”

  Tilting my head I stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “My mother has been kicked out of the realms. I’m being forced to wed someone that I can’t stand the sight of and you wonder why I am not happy?” I laughed bitterly.

  The magistracy moved closer and lowered his voice. “I think in time she will be allowed to return. If the realms are stable and your union with Ainston is strong.”

  His words took me off guard. My mother might be able to return to the lands? A sense of relief filled me. The thought of being without her guidance for so long …

  He regarded me with a cool expression. “But you have to pull yourself together. If your union is seen as false or troubled, they will be too fearful to bring her back.”

  “Why? What did the state of our union matter?” I managed to sound indifferent.

  The man rubbed his fingers across his forehead as if he was having to explain something to a child. “If your union is not strong there is the fear that your mother or even you will remove the king, permanently.” He let the words hang in the air. “And if that were to happen, the lands would be divided and an all-out war would take place.

  Normally, I would have been appalled by his words, but the truth was, I was just thinking the very same thing about removing Ainston for good. My mother would never approve of such drastic matters. And even though I couldn’t stand Ainston, it wasn’t enough to take his life.

  With a sigh, I moved across the room, the magistracy following my movements. “Eaglen, I’ve always known there was a chance I would have to marry someone I did not have feelings for, it is one of the downsides of being royalty. We cannot choose our mates, I understand this, and I’m sure you are right in time, I will renew my feelings for Ainston. After all, we were once very close.” I spoke lies, and he knew it, but this was the way it would be.

  I could visibly feel the man relax beside me. “I was hoping you would say something like that. Your mother raised you well. Truth be told, I was against the banishment of your mother and I will help you in any way for her return. But do not disillusion yourself into believing she can ever take back the crown.”

  With a curt nod I said, “That’s a given. But I must have my mother here, for her guidance. No one knows the realms like she does.”

  “This is true. She was both feared and loved. Because of the loyalty of her people that is the only reason you were allowed to take her place. Please, Princess, we’re counting on you.”

  My mind raced. Just the flicker of hope of bringing my mother back was enough to alter my mood. Like it or not, the wedding was going to take place. I would force a smile, wear a mask pretending to go along with the merger. But I was not about to give up on the idea of handing the crown back to her. There had to be another way that did not include Ainston’s untimely death. For now I would go along with the plan, but as soon as I could figure out a way, I would return to Earth.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  In two hours I would be married. It seemed surreal to me, and yet there wasn’t a
damn thing I could do to prevent it.

  I hadn’t told my mother what Eaglen had said about her returning, because I didn’t want to get her hopes up until I had a better grasp of the situation. For now I had to do my part, smile and pretend like my whole world wasn’t crumbling around me.

  My mother had resided to her room to bathe and dress, two of the servants were rushing around preparing my dress and setting my hair. All I wanted to do was crawl in bed and act like this was all a horrible nightmare.

  “You can leave.” Ainston’s voice filled the room.

  The servants glanced at me. I nodded and waved them away.

  “What are you doing in my chambers?” I asked irritably.

  He shut the door, locked it. I could hear the chatter of the castle in full swing outside.

  My head tilted at his nerve. “I said, what are you doing in here?”

  He laughed. “I’ve come to get what’s mine.” Roughly he grabbed me by the arms, yanking me toward him.

  “Get your hands off me,” I demanded, feeling my magick stir.

  When he pushed me up against the wall, my back banged with a thud.

  “Don’t act frightened. We all know you’re damaged goods. Soiled by a human.” One of his hands came up and gripped my neck.

  I was so horrified I could hardly speak.

  Shocked, I let off a burst of magick, throwing him across the room. He landed against the wall before sliding to the ground, and one of the paintings fell, hitting his leg. He struggled to his feet, brushing down his clothes, trying to compose himself.

  I strode forward until I was mere inches from his face. “If you ever attempt to touch me again without my consent, I will break every bone in your body, one at a time. Do. You. Understand?”

  Ainston rose to his full height. I was surprised he didn’t shrink back at my words; instead, he seemed enraged. “Tonight you will be my mate and you will do as I say.”

  I laughed bitterly. “If you think you can control me, you are marrying the wrong girl. I will rule these lands, you will be king in name alone. And if you ever bring up Michael again, I will kill you myself, I don’t care what the consequences will be.”