“Funny how the world works.” Except that he didn’t sound like he actually found it amusing. There was something very off about the expression on his face.
“Something about the reason you don’t talk much?” Maybe she should have left the question unasked, but a part of her was dying to know the reason. Clearly it had affected him, and she longed to know why, but knew it would take time.
To her surprise, he nodded. “I’ll tell you one day.”
“When you’re ready,” she responded.
“I will. Your answer now has helped a lot with making sure it’s not an issue again.”
That was cryptic, and had her brain working at a hundred miles an hour. Maybe it was something to do with a woman? If he’d tried to share with Brandon before, and it’d gone badly, that could explain his hatred of talking.
“So long as you feel good about this too.” She broke his hold ever so slightly, and lifted a hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb against his soft skin. Yes, she was definitely okay with having them all. Things between her and Drey were great, but she could also feel a connection to Cyprus, and no doubt to the brother who took the spotlight a lot.
“I feel very okay with this,” he murmured and leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. Something awoke inside her. Not the burning passion like it had with Drey, but something softer, more loving.
Cyprus was gentle, and the admiration he already seemed to have for her shining through in his kiss.
She didn’t care they were in a ballroom full of people. For the first time in her life, she felt like a proper princess.
Thirteen
As little as she wanted to leave the moment she’d shared with Cyprus, she knew she had to go sort the mess with her mother out. Especially if she didn’t want to end up married. Why had her mother signed that first treaty? She’d love to ask, but she didn’t want to in front of the guys, it seemed unfair to bring them into something like that straight away. They were angry enough about the marriage thing.
She walked into the room, Cyprus’ hand in hers more comforting that she wanted to let on. She was nervous about the confrontation over this. It could end particularly badly for them all. Especially if her mother had actually known what she was doing when she’d signed the past treaties.
A low growl filled the room, and she looked around, half expecting to discover a shifted dragon to be filling the room. Except that the noise wasn’t coming from Drey, it was coming from a slightly larger than normal fox in the middle of the room, its teeth bared towards her mother.
“Call it off,” the Queen shrieked.
“Brandon, please don’t eat my mother,” she asked, and watched in awe as he shifted back instantly, leaving him gloriously naked.
Aledwen’s gaze slipped downwards, and she found herself inappropriately wondering if the twins were identical in this way too. If so, she was in for quite some nights ahead.
Realising the direction her thoughts had taken, a blush rose to her cheeks and she tore her gaze away.
“Here,” Drey said, handing Brandon his jacket. “Probably best you don’t talk to your mother-in-law naked.”
That should freak her out. The mother-in-law part, not the naked shifter part, but for some reason it didn’t. Okay, not some reason. She knew why she was feeling that way. Cyprus had covered it in their conversation before coming to the room after all.
“What happened to your clothes?” she asked.
Next to her, Cyprus’ chest heaved as he laughed, clearly more than just amused at his brother’s predicament.
“I...errr...had a little accident.” Brandon scuffed his feet against the floor, looking down at them as if they were suddenly the most interesting thing in the room.
“He exploded out of them,” Drey supplied, gesturing to the scraps of clothing littering the floor.
“How come you don’t do that when you shift?” she asked curiously, forgetting her mother was in the room.
“I had my clothes enchanted by a genie.”
Well, that hadn’t been what she expected. She hadn’t even known that genies were real. It made sense. Most of the creatures from the human tales actually existed, just not in the way the stories told them.
“Makes sense,” she said offhandedly.
“What is going on here?” her mother demanded. Oh, oops. Aledwen had forgotten she was even in the room. Apparently being growled at by a fox was enough to keep her quiet. Aledwen would have to remember that for future arguments.
“I think you’re meeting my mates,” Aledwen said, surprised at how easily the word slipped off her tongues
“Your mates, Aledwen? Really? That doesn’t seem likely.”
“Why? Because you’ve never let me out of the palace? Or because you didn’t think I’d be able to win anyone? Or maybe because you actually want to marry me off to an elf for whatever reason is behind your treaties.” She didn’t know where any of that came from, but she knew it needed saying. Kind of.
Her mother stood stock still, staring at her with a confused expression on her face. At least, it was confused before it became enraged. “What did you just say?” Her voice dripped with cold anger, causing dread to spread through Aledwen.
Cyprus squeezed her hand, and she relaxed a little. it was definitely helping having him there. It was helping having all three of them there. She wasn’t alone now. She needed to remember that.
“I know about the treaties. I know they’ve been going on since before you were pregnant with me.”
“And you’re trusting that elf over your own mother?” she sounded genuinely taken aback by that.
“No, I’m trusting my own eyes. I saw the most recent treaty. I know what it says.” Aledwen was almost shaking with anger now. Her mother had messed with her life and didn’t even realise she’d done it. That wasn’t fair to either of them really.
“Oh.”
“What do you get out of signing these treaties blindly, mother?” Aledwen asked, completely on edge. Confrontation was awful, and she hated it any time it came up. Yet, she needed some answers, and where did her loyalties lay? For her mother, who’d raised her and was ultimately her Queen, or to herself, who she’d have to live with for the rest of her life.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“I think it does,” Aledwen replied, along with a low growl from Brandon. She could almost swear she saw orangey-brown fur flash over his torso. Good to know he had a little bit of a temper, if she knew, then she could do her best to help keep it under control. Hopefully.
She waved her hand at him, in a gesture she hoped said she had this handled. Though she wasn’t a hundred percent sure she did. But it was her mother, her problem.
“It’s none of your business, Aledwen,” her mother tried instead.
“While it’s my magic, and my marriage on the line, I think it damned well is.” She only just managed to keep from shouting the words. But she really didn’t want any of the other ball goers to overhear and come watch. That would be a disaster.
Plus, they’d probably check Brandon out, and Aledwen was not okay with that.
Not at all. He was hers.
“Your magic, Aledwen?”
“You have absolutely no idea what you’ve signed away over the years, do you?” Cold rage travelled through her. How in all the realms had her mother not realised what she was doing? How had she been so careless with the future of her daughter and her people?
“I...”
“How many treaties have there been?” she demanded, wanting to know just how much damage her mother had done.
“Five.”
“What do the others say?”
Cyprus squeezed her hand, offering his silent support. She wondered if he’d speak when there were other people around too, or if that was just for when the two of them were alone. She suspected the latter, making her feel honoured and more than a little loved.
Loved? Oh no. Way too early for that. She pushed the thought away. Definitely not time for that.<
br />
“I don’t know.”
“Get out,” Aledwen fumed. If she’d been a dragon shifter like Drey, she was sure she’d be smoking at the mouth right now. Concerning to say the least.
“Aledwen...”
“Out, now! And not just of this room, don’t go back to the ball.”
“You have no right to order me about,” her mother protested, but the look on her face said it all. She knew she was beaten, and she knew Aledwen had support.
She probably also knew that the fae wouldn’t stand for this when they discovered it.
“You have no right to sign away my future without even reading it.” She turned away from her mother, no longer wanting to look at her face. “Drey, I need you to go find me Fane Paige. I have to speak with him now.”
“Got it.” He nodded once and walked out of the room. Hopefully he’d find the elf quickly, and they’d be able to start working it out.
“Drey,” she called. He looked back over his shoulder, showing he was listening without saying a word. “Bring him to the library. I don’t want this conversation where anyone can overhear.”
He nodded, and continued walking.
“Aledwen...” her mother pleaded. Aledwen turned to her and glared in a way she didn’t even think she could achieve. Turns out she could do it though, as her mother flinched backwards.
That was odd. How had she never realised how weak her mother was? She’d always come across as this stern and foreboding, but now...
“Leave. Now. Don’t go back to the ball, and don’t come near me until I say it’s alright to.”
“And just how are you going to ensure that?” she sneered slightly, but there was still a hint of fear in her eyes.
“I’ll watch her,” Brandon offered instantly.
“Are you sure? I...”
“I know. I should be in the library with you, but someone needs to watch her, and I know Cyprus will watch out for my interests.”
Aledwen nodded. “Thank you, Brandon.” She didn’t like it. She’d much rather know her mother wasn’t going to be able to get up to more mischief than have Brandon with her. Weirdly, she trusted him already, far more than she probably should, but she guessed that was the bond between them. There was no denying what it was anymore.
“Thank you.” The urge to kiss him was strong, but she held back. Not because it was wrong to, but because she didn’t want their first kiss to be in front of her mother. “Let’s go get some answers,” she said to Cyprus, making her way towards the door, and towards the library where Drey and Fane would hopefully be waiting.
Her stomach flipped at the thought of the two of them together, though she did her best to ignore it. She’d explore the idea tomorrow, when she had more time.
Fourteen
She sighed in relief when she saw both men sat at the corner table, with the fire blazing next to them. Perfect. The only thing that would make it better, was if she actually had comfortable clothing to wear. But it was win some, lose some she guessed.
Cyprus’ hand was still warm in hers, and she didn’t want to quite admit how much she loved it. At least not aloud. Though he probably already knew.
“Ah, you’re here,” Drey said, rising from his seat and offering it to her. Finally letting go of Cyprus, she lifted up on tiptoes, and pressed a kiss against his lips. Just a quick one, she didn’t want to detract from what they were doing here. But kissing him hello did seem right.
Damn, she was losing herself to these men. Not even slowly, but definitely surely.
“We need to sort this out,” she said firmly as both Drey and Cyprus pulled up their own chairs. “Do we know what the other treaties say?” she asked Fane, who shook his head.
“Drey said there were five?” She nodded in response to his question. “I’ve only delivered two, and know about the additional one signing away your powers.”
“The one from before I was born?”
“That’s the one. For some reason, that one’s in the public domain.” Fane was almost too business like in his demeanor, and Aledwen wasn’t completely sure she liked it. But then again, this was a serious subject, it was probably right he wasn’t fawning over her. Though looking her in the eye might have been good. She’d have to ask about that later.
“What does it say?”
“Just what we talked about before.”
“So nothing about about why my mother signed away my powers.”
“I’m sorry, Aledwen,” he said softly, his eyes meeting hers for a moment, before flitting away again. There was something else going on here, something about why he wouldn’t look her in the eyes. It was odd to say the least.
“No need to be sorry. I guess we just need to work out reasons why she could want that.” She jumped to her feet and began pacing back and forth in front of the fire. “What could the elvish High Lord have to offer her?” she mused aloud.
“Money?” Drey suggested.
Fane shook his head vigorously. “Elves used to be rich, but not anymore. If I was my- the High Lord, and someone was signing my treaties without questioning, then it’d be money I’d ask for.”
“Is the no money a new thing?” Drey asked, and Fane shook his head again.
Cyprus also rose to his feet, and wandered over to a set of shelves that Aledwen was almost sure contained all the records of her family line back to the very beginning. Saying that, she’d never read any of them, it sounded far too dull and boring for her. But Cyprus appeared to have other ideas, as he pulled one of the books off it’s shelf, and began to leaf through it.
Aledwen left him to it. There must be a reason for what he was up to, and while she was eager to know what he was thinking, she didn’t want to break his train of thought.
“So it’s not money the elves have that my mother wants. What magic are you good at?” She winced even as she finished asking. It was rude to inquire into another paranormal’s powers. But in this case, it needed to be done.
“Not much really. We’re good at fading into the background, but then so do dryads. Only difference is, we can extend that to other objects too.”
“Hmm. Anything else?” After all, what did her mother have to hide? Other than the treaties themselves that was. Though signing a treaty to hide a treaty sounded ridiculous to say the least.
“I guess we’re graceful, and a lot of us have healing magic.” Fane frowned deeply. “I really don’t understand what we have to offer the Spring Fae.”
“No,” Aledwen answered bluntly. There wasn’t time for beating around the bush after all. But he was right. Most Spring Fae already had the ability to heal. They wouldn’t, and shouldn’t, need elvish magic for that. Especially not her mother, who as Queen, had more magic than most.
“I think it is masking,” Cyprus said, causing all three of them to look up sharply. She was surprised, and a little disappointed that he’d spoken in front of the other two, but the apologetic look on his face, and the severity of the situation, convinced her it was necessary.
“What makes you say that?”
“Does this look a lot like you?” Cyprus placed the book he was reading down on the table, and the two other men leaned over alongside Aledwen.
“No.” The woman in the picture had flaming red hair, freckles and green eyes. The latter being the only feature she and Aledwen seemed to share.
“Turn the page,” Cyprus instructed.
She did so, revealing a similar picture of a small child with the same flaming red hair, with the label Calla.
“That’s my mother’s name.”
“But not your mother?” he prompted. Aledwen shook her head. There was no way the child in this picture turned into her mother. “Are you sure?”
“It seems highly unlikely,” she said uneasily, despite knowing her mother and this little girl shared a name.
“Turn the page again,” he said.
She sucked in a breath as the next image was revealed. This time, the drawing was of her mother. There was absolutely no
doubt of that. But that’s what didn’t make any sense to Aledwen at all. Her mother didn’t have red hair, or a heart shaped face, or...
“I don’t think I understand.”
“Or you don’t want to?” Cyprus said softly, moving around so he could place his hands on her shoulder. The gesture was far more reassuring that she expected, and she leaned back into him, accepting the love and support he was giving. No. Not love. She had to stop her heart getting ahead of her, or she was going to end up in their thrall before she could even establish herself.
“Probably that.”
“Will someone explain?” Drey asked, looking thoroughly confused. Fane, on the other hand, had a look of understanding on his face. It had hit him at the same time it had her.
“Aledwen’s mother isn’t the real Queen,” he explained to the dragon. “She’s using elvish masking magic to hide something big. Probably the whereabouts of the actual royal family.”
“Meaning I’m not actually a princess.” Aledwen’s shoulders slumped, and she had to bite back the tears that were forming. She hadn’t quite realised how much she liked and wanted to be royal until that moment.
“Is that a bad thing?” Drey asked softly. “More time to do the things you want if you’re not.”
“But also less of a chance to make a difference,” she threw back instantly. It was the one thing that got her through each and every day. Once she was Queen, she could make a difference in the world, even if it was just to a handful of fae. Then again, once she was Queen, she’d probably have something to do with the Councils too, and the influence they had over the paranormal world.
“If it’s important to you, we’ll find a way to make sure you still can,” Drey said. Both Fane and Cyprus nodded.
Aledwen looked in the elf’s direction and raised an eyebrow, choosing not to ignore the fact he’d responded to a statement that made it sound like he too was hers.
Part of her hoped so, but he instantly averted his eyes again, which suggested he wasn’t quite there yet. That was okay. She’d convince him once all this was done, and her mother was....well, she didn’t know what she wanted her mother to be. Done with all the lying and the cheating and the taking stupid risks. That seemed like a reasonable request, even if she didn’t think so.
Chasing Aledwen: A Paranormal Reverse Harem Novel (Fated Seasons: Spring Book 1) Page 9