“I don’t think here’s the place, Your Majesty.”
It took Aledwen a moment to remember he was talking to her. Being addressed formally was something she still had to get used to. Most of her servants had known her since she was a child, making it difficult for them to be anything less than slightly over friendly. She didn’t mind. She wanted to be approachable, and the kind of leader that people were actually comfortable talking to.
“Then why bring it up?” she asked, genuinely curious. If he hadn’t wanted to discuss it, then why had he mentioned it in the first place. Her gaze slipped to her mother, who had a slightly alarmed look on her face. Maybe this was out of protocol then? It’d explain why everyone but her sounded surprised.
“I-”
“Never mind,” Aledwen interrupted, though she tried to keep her voice as soft as possible. She didn’t want him thinking she was rude. Offending another people on her first day at court probably wasn’t the best plan. “Why don’t we discuss this tomorrow? In the sun room and just after the mid-day meal?”
The man from House Paige nodded, though he seemed a little unsure of the situation still. Good. Putting him on the back foot could be the start of her actually managing to shake things up around here.
“Aledwen,” her mother scolded, her eyes boring into her daughter.
“Yes, Your Majesty?” she replied sweetly, knowing that if she used the proper title, it’d rob her mother of any chance to make a scene. Aledwen knew there was a chance her mother might not even try do that, but it was better safe than sorry.
Her mother said nothing. Probably because there wasn’t anything for her to say, at least not without looking completely unreasonable.
“Don’t you need to get ready for the ball this evening?” she asked equally as sweetly. Good. She was rattled then. That would suit Aledwen just fine.
“Yes, mother.” She stood up before dipping a brief curtsy. She wouldn’t need to start getting ready for another few hours, she wasn’t one of those women that needed hours to make sure every tiny hair was in place. But she did know when she was being dismissed.
“Sir,” she added, curtsying to the elf too. If he’d been taken aback before, he was even more so now, and she smiled to herself. Satisfied in the reaction she’d caused, she swept out of the room, ignoring the murmurs of the court. What did it matter to her what they thought? None of them knew her, and even if they did, they had no choice in her position. One day she’d be their queen, whether they liked it or not.
Three
Okay, she’d admit it. She was bored. With the ball too close for her to sneak out of the palace, but far enough away for her to need to do something in between. Except she’d definitely chosen the wrong activity. She should have gone to the archery range and practiced shooting. It’d have occupied her body as well as her brain. Instead, she’d decided to read one of the novels that’d been smuggled in from the human realm. Which had been a really bad decision.
Every time the hero got into a risky situation, she kept picturing Drey in his place. Or occasionally even the ambassador from House Paige. She wasn’t sure where that one had come from. He’d been pleasant to look at, without a doubt, but he wasn’t her type. If she even knew what that was. Reading this book was twisting her up in knots, and she had no idea about how to untangle herself. Or if she even really wanted to. The images were kind of enticing.
“Aledwen?” A voice interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see her lady’s maid, and close friend, Johanna. She’d been in Aledwen’s service since they were both fourteen, and they’d instantly become close. As was to be expected given they’d both led very sheltered upbringings and somewhat boring lives.
“Mmm?” she responded, finally coming out of her daydreams. She shouldn’t be thinking about men like that. Her mother would have a fit. Propriety wasn’t the only thing she cared about. She was also a staunch believer in the fae women ruling alone. No man by their side to support or do anything for them.
In some respects, Aledwen liked that way of thinking. A woman didn’t need a man. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want one. Or two as the case may be. She’d probably read too many of the human novels, but she wanted to be swept off her feet and made to fall in love, just like those heroines were all the time.
A fantasy, true. But what else did she really have to sustain her?
“It’s time to get ready,” Johanna said, pity filling her eyes. Aledwen grimaced. It’d be fine if the dress she had to wear was pretty. Or fit her well. As it was, she could barely call what she was supposed to put on a dress. Rather, a cake topper or a just a cupcake. That was more like it.
At least it wasn’t pink.
Oh wait, it was. Her mother had insisted as it represented the pink cherry blossoms that sprung up everywhere at the beginning of spring. Just about any other colour would have been preferable.
“Very well then.” She sighed, setting her book down on the table and stripping herself of the simple dress she’d been wearing today. Yet another out of date tradition the fae seemed to love. No comfortable clothing for them, just old fashioned velvet, satin and cotton. Always stiff from the weird way they had to wash them so they didn’t get ruined.
She dropped her dress into the laundry basket, and entered her bathroom. At least this was modern. Sleek marble, hot water, and a tub big enough for ten. Maybe not ten. But probably six. Though she wasn’t too sure when she was ever actually going to try that out. It didn’t strike her as very princess like behaviour.
Or maybe that was the perfect reason to try it. She smiled to herself as she sunk into the hot water already filling the tub, amused at the idea of how scandalised her mother would be if she ever did that. It would be worth it even for that. She’d soon realise that her little girl wasn’t quite the proper lady she wanted her to be.
“Aledwen...” Johanna warned, and she jolted upright in the bath, not realising quite how deep into her fantasy ideas she actually was.
“Sorry, getting out now,” she lied, ducking her head under the water, and washing out the imaginary grime. As a fae, there was no need for her to actually wash her hair. It would do it naturally after a bit. But she enjoyed the fragrance that trailed her around after she’d used the apple shampoo she bought from the human shop in the nearby settlement. Oddly, her mother had never asked where she’d gotten it, but that would have meant her paying attention enough to realise something.
She rinsed off, and pushed herself up out of the bath, pulling the plug so it would drain as she did so. She toweled herself off, and hastily dressed in the underwear and slip she’d picked out for the evening. They too were from the human shop. Fae clothing was bad right down to the bottom layer, and she’d long since started buying the softer feeling human stuff. Lucky for her, Johanna completely agreed, and would never betray her trust by revealing she had it.
Pulling the door open, she stepped back into her main room, to find Johanna stood there with a bunch of petticoats in her hands. Reluctantly, Aledwen stepped into them, and waited patiently for Johanna to tie them around her waist. Yet another problem with these outfits. Getting in and out of them alone was virtually impossible.
She grimaced as she realised what was next, but refused to suck in a breath. If there was one thing she definitely had no plans of giving in to, it was having her corset so tight she could barely breathe. Most women did it to attract the visiting male paranormals. Or the half-fae. She likely wouldn’t need that even if she was allowed anyway. She was the princess, what man wouldn’t want to try and win her. It’d get him imaginary power in most men’s eyes.
That done, all she had to do was step into her skirts, which was actually the easiest bit.
Slowly, Johanna ran her hands through Aledwen’s hair, drying it with her magic. She really should have been able to do that alone, but without any magic, there wasn’t much she could do.
“There.” The other woman stood back, admiring her handiwork. “You look beautiful.”
> “I look like a decoration,” Aledwen murmured. Johanna stifled a laugh behind her hand.
“But a beautiful one.”
“I’m sure.” No one looked good like this. It was royalty goggles all over again. One look at anyone with a title, and a lot of fae got giddy and started rambling on about beauty. Really, fae were just like any other species. There were truly beautiful fae, and not quite so beautiful fae. The only difference was that they often tended to glow. Only faintly, for which Aledwen was glad. Going around with a green filter on everything wasn’t exactly her idea of fun. She’d rather experience the world in every colour.
“Thank you,” she told Johanna, giving her a weak smile.
“You’re welcome.” Her friend smiled back, then made a slight shooing motion, indicating that she really should get on her way. She had a ball to get to whether she liked it or not.
The corridor was surprisingly deserted. Everyone must already be in the room preparing to dance the night away. That, or they were drunk down another corridor somewhere. That was how most of the balls she’d been allowed to attend seemed to end up.
Before she knew it, she was at the entrance to the ballroom. And kind of hating that this was the last time she’d be able to enter so unobtrusively. They weren’t like the summer court. Balls for the Spring Fae happened rarely, and the next one was in a few days when the Birth would occur. Well, after the Birth. She’d never been allowed to go to that one before, but she’d listened to it every year. Part of her was excited, it was the one party a year where everyone let their hair down. The other part of her was just worried about the bit that came before.
They were worries for another day though. First she had to get through this ball and hope that Drey didn’t see her in this monstrosity of a dress. Maybe she wouldn’t be asking him to dance after all. He’d likely just laugh when he saw her anyway. She would if she were him.
The hall was alive, but everyone was stood the correct distance apart, like propriety dictated. It was odd that they ran the balls and court like they all lived in a nunnery, but sex, alcohol and kidnapping were considered to be just who the fae were. The double standards weren’t just baffling, but completely stupid too. It didn’t make any sense to Aledwen for them to be that way. She’d rather the fae dropped the kidnapping humans bit, there were enough visiting paranormal men that they really didn’t need to do that anymore, but if they wanted to get drunk and have sex, then they should just own it. Preferably not in such uncomfortable dresses though. Maybe that was the point of them. Taking so long to remove it did kind of kill the mood a bit. Unless the man had claws. Then it could be fun.
Her thoughts drifted back to Drey. She wondered what kind of shifter he was. If he even was one, but something in her gut was telling her she was right.
“You summoned, Your Majesty?” The man in question appeared in front of her as if by magic, and gave an exaggerated bow.
“Dreyfus,” she acknowledged, cringing inwardly that he was seeing her in such an awful dress. “Would you like to dance?” she asked before he could get in there first. She wanted to be the one in control of the situation, and this seemed to be the best way to achieve that.
“Sure.” He smiled easily, not at all put off by her forwardness, which could probably only be a good thing? She wasn’t too sure. Maybe that completely counteracted what she was trying to achieve?
He held out his hand, and she took it, tingles running up and down her skin. There was something about him that was calling to her. And not just on the surface either. Something deep down was telling her that she could trust him. That he was on her side. That she was on his. The only thing that was confusing her a little was the lack of urge to drag him into a cupboard and have her way with him. The rest of it sounded like the mating rumours did. But she should want him in that way too if it was the case. And while she’d been thinking of it earlier, and found him physically attractive now, she wasn’t wanting to quite go that far.
Thinking about it was starting to give her a headache.
“Do you know this song?” he asked casually, and she appreciated his attempt at light conversation.
“Yes, I know most of them. I had dancing tutors as a child.” She’d actually enjoyed those lessons. The melody in the music, and the freedom of movement. At least until the corsets had come. Then dancing hadn’t been so fun. Quite the opposite. Even as loose as her corset was tonight, there’d likely be bruises come the morning. Not to mention back ache. She could almost feel it already.
He drew her into a firm ballroom hold, and started the intricate steps of the dance. Pleasantly surprised, she followed along with him, giving over to the music. There weren’t many men who could dance like this, though that could be because only the half-fae really spent a significant amount of time at court. And even then, they tended to be looked down on as inferior. Another thing she’d change if she could. It wasn’t their fault they’d been born male and couldn’t inherit the full powers of a fae.
“Where did you learn to dance?” she asked as the music slowed and transitioned into another song. Technically, she believed she was supposed to change partners, but she didn’t want to yet. Not when there were so many more dances to enjoy. And questions to be asked. But she hadn’t wanted to talk during their first dance for some reason.
“My mother.” A haunted look flitted through his dark eyes and she decided to refrain from pushing further. Maybe he’d tell her in time. Wait...in time? What made her think there’d be time? It was the gut feeling she seemed to be having about him again. She should probably just go with it. It’d never served her wrong before.
“Do you enjoy it? Dancing I mean?”
“Yes, it reminds me of her.”
They lapsed back into silence, though she was desperate to pry a little more. To learn what made him tick, and to chase away the sadness in his eyes and his voice. The something inside her definitely didn’t like the idea of him being hurt.
“Are your parties always this stiff and formal?” he asked after a few more rounds of the dance floor.
“I think so.”
“You don’t know?” He spun her under his arm, and her dress flared around her. She had to admit that effect was kind of pretty, even if the dress itself was frightfully bad.
“I don’t come to many,” she admitted, glancing away and pretending to watch the couple in front of them.
“Why not?”
“I just don’t.”
“What’s more your scene then? One of the parties on Earth?” She turned back to him, noting the curious look on his face. He was genuinely interested in her answer it seemed. That was odd to say the least. No one was ever really interested in what she wanted.
“I don’t know, I’ve never been,” she answered. This time, his face lit up in response.
“Would you like to?”
She thought for a moment. She’d never been to Earth, and it seemed kind of crazy to agree to go there with someone she’d just met. But on the other hand...
“Yes,” she blurted out. “I’d like that very much, thank you.”
“Pick you up in an hour?”
“Wait, what?”
“Be ready, Dwen, you have a balcony?” He gave her a cheeky smile, and without realising she was doing it, she nodded along. “Good. I’ll meet you there.”
“How...”
“Wait and see.” He winked at her, before finally breaking their hold and striding off into the crowd. If she was going to escape in an hour, then she really needed to do the rounds so she could sneak away. And hopefully get out of the awful excuse for a dress she was wearing.
Four
She watched as a large shape made its way up to her balcony. She should be nervous, but something was telling her not to be. The same something that was telling her to trust Drey. She guessed that answered what kind of shifter he was. Or it would when he got a little bit closer. Maybe he was a...
No, she couldn’t think it. They were far too rare for one of the
m to have accidentally made their way to her court. And no way would one be heading towards her balcony. The shape drew closer, the huge wingspan dominating the sky.
He was actually a freaking dragon. Of all the things...
Then again, she was a fae princess, and there were only ever four of them in existence at any one time, which might suggest that she was even rarer than a dragon.
She couldn’t make out what colour he was from this far away, other than dark. Maybe he’d match his eyes. She didn’t really mind, but just knowing he was a dragon had her head spinning. There were so many questions she needed to ask. Being curious by nature did have its drawbacks, especially for the other people in her life.
He descended towards her balcony, and Aledwen took a step back and away from the edge, knowing she’d be in his way otherwise.
With a surprising amount of grace, he shifted back into human form and landed in a crouch on the tiled floor. His head rose, and his gaze met hers. She was only a little disappointed he was still fully clothed, but at least it meant she could focus and wouldn’t end up fixating on bits of him that she shouldn’t.
Or should. There was still an odd part of her that was tugging her towards him and telling her that he was a good choice. There was a real possibility she’d give into the urge at some point. It would probably be fun after all.
“You can’t wear that,” he said by way of greeting.
“I know,” she replied. “But I can’t take it off on my own.”
“What?”
“It’s designed for two people to get in and out of. I can’t even reach the corset laces at the back.” A shiver stole down her spin as she realised how close he’d have to get in order to remove it. Maybe his hands would brush against her skin in the process and...
Chasing Aledwen: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Novel (Fated Seasons: Spring Book 1) Page 2