And I knew inside, I was completely broken.
I felt a hand clasp my shoulder and my eyes snapped to focus over the stranger in the mirrors shoulder. I don’t know who I expected to see, but when I looked, I saw only Tilli.
“They are here for you,” she beamed.
I closed my eyes and nodded.
“What is wrong, my lady? Why are you not happy?”
I put my hand over hers on my shoulder, the contact made her jump lightly but her eyes met the eyes of the girl in the mirror. “I am not happy… because my heart is broken.” I said completely defeated, then turned away and headed for the door.
To my surprise Roman and Jax were at the door. They smiled a huge, warming smile and both extended an elbow for me to take. Without looking back, I reached for the offered arms and stepped through the doorway. But before I could touch either guard, their arms simultaneously dropped to their sides and I looked up at them, confused.
“Something wrong?”
“No, we, umm…” Jax stammered and glance over at Roman.
“You are simply magnificent.” Roman finished, nodding at Jax and, again, offering his arm.
I smiled my thanks as I took their arms, but I knew the smile never reached my eyes.
We did not talk as we walked down the winding halls. I felt both the guards every time they peeked at me out of the corner of their eyes, but I didn’t acknowledge it. I tried to keep my mind focused on what was about to happen.
We stopped in front of a set of very large doors, ones I hadn’t noticed on our tour. I stood there staring at the doors, but made no start to move forward. The guards had dropped my arms allowing me to continue alone, but I couldn’t make myself move.
“Trystessa?” Roman questioned beside me, a hand laid gently on my lower back.
“I’m fine, Roman. Thank you.” He nodded once and dropped the comforting touch at the small of my back and suddenly, I missed that reassuring touch. I glanced at him longingly, for only a second, before he reached out and pushed open the doors.
The sound of the giant doors opening echoed through the large room in front of me, filled to capacity with fae.
Jax and Roman stayed by my side as we moved forward. A murmur when through the crowd as I was revealed from behind the doors. We only walked a few feet into the room, then stopped and stood there, waiting, as the King stood and started walking toward me.
He stopped in front of me and motioned for the guards to leave. I had to restrain myself for reaching for them as they turned to walk away.
The King leaned over and kissed my cheek gently, taking the opportunity to whisper in my ear. “Your decision, my dear.”
I relaxed my stiff shoulders and let out a slow breath. “Halo. I choose Halo.” My finger flared and I stifled a whimper, biting my lip.
Corrigan pulled back and narrowed his eyes. They darkened and something like a shadow passed over his face. “That is not a wide decision,” he said, taking my hand and squeezing. My whole body went rigid as he touched me and I froze in place. It took all the strength I had left to stifle my cry. He tugged me a little harder than necessary to get me moving again.
“I tired to let you make the right choice,” he whispered, pulling me close to his side and leaning down toward me as we walked. “But you obviously are not capable of doing what is right, what is required.”
A shot of fear coursed through me and a chill creped down my spine. My finger flared white hot in Corrigan’s hand. He jumped, dropping my hand and looking down at me just as a gust of wing blew threw the room caressing my face and calming my heated nerves.
Instead of reclaiming Corrigan’s hand, I brushed past him and continued toward Halo, who stood at the end of the room before an alter covered in deep red roses and thick dark vines. A solid scarlet curtain was hanging around the alter. I ignored the unease that was growing in the pit of my stomach and continued toward the waiting prince. My expression must have been one of a sort of unhappiness because as I stopped in front of Halo’s handsome face, his smile faltered and he reached for me.
“Trystie, do not be nervous. Everything will be okay.”
I wanted to believe him, I truly did, but I couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the alter and felt my heart flip in my chest. His eyes followed the direction of my gaze and he let out a sigh.
“It is to consummate the bond after the ceremony. I asked for a curtain because I knew you wouldn’t be… comfortable doing such an intimate act in front of the entire court. The fae do not see public displays of affection as shameful or something to be hidden, as humans do, it is to be honored.”
I felt myself gasp in horror and understanding. “Are you saying… consummate… we have to… in front of everyone?”
“That is what is usually done, but we could just complete the bond. It is a simple blood ceremony to finalize our uniting in front of the King and our court.”
At the mention of the King my stomach knotted and Halo looked over my shoulder. I knew who was there. I refused to turn and look.
Instead, I peeked around Halo and saw Devlin staring at me. I gave him a smile, a miserable excuse for one but a smile none the less. He smiled back but it was a sad smirk that twisted his face. I thought maybe he was sad for me, being put threw something he knew I did not want to do, but looking into those emerald eyes now, there was something else, pain and lose. I didn’t understand how he could have such a feeling behind those eyes, and I didn’t have time for it right now. Pushing it away, I tore my gaze from his and back to Halo.
Halo’s eyes shifted to mine quickly, then back to his father.
He spoke loud, addressing not only his father, who stood behind me, but also the entire court. “King Corrigan, King of Darkness and Influence, King of the Unseelie court and my father. I, Prince Halo, Prince of Shadows, am seeking your approval to bond eternally to Trystessa Night. To make her my everlasting love and a princess at my side.” He looked down at me again and took my hand. “Father, my king, will you grant my claim and allow me, your son and heir, to bond this day?”
I could feel the collective intake of breath throughout the court. Everyone was simultaneously holding their breath, waiting for the King’s official ruling. I was not only holding my breath but terrified. I had a bad feeling. A really, really, bad feeling. My stomach twisted horribly and my hand tightened in Halo’s grip.
I felt Corrigan shift behind me, after what felt like and eternity of waiting. While Halo held tightly to my right hand, Corrigan took hold of the other, spinning me so my back was to the court, but I could see both Halo and Corrigan at the same time. He let out a lungful of air and looked at me, not at Halo, when he answered. He spoke loud, so his voice rang musically over the court.
“Trystessa is a beautiful and intriguing young woman. She shows great strength and potential to this court. I could not think of a more expectable woman to stand by the side of any royal sidhe… which is why I will not grant your bonding.”
The audience took in a collective breath and chaos erupted around us. To my surprise, it all seemed to be disapproval. I only managed to find one happy face in the crowd, Darcelle.
I turned my back to look at Halo who stood frozen at my side, staring down his father. A dark flash swept across his eyes and the beautiful violet faded, turned red.
“How could you do this?” I heard him managed threw clenched teeth. For the first time, I noticed two dainty fangs indenting his bottom lip.
The King ignored him and turned to the crowd.
“Silence! Sit, I am not finished.” He smiled as though he was pleased with their reaction.
Like a switch had been thrown, the entire room fell silent and seated, waiting.
I squeezed Halo’s hand but not in reassurance, not in comfort. I was scared. The bad feeling I had before was now spilling over and my body had erupted. Causing my skin to goosebump. I had a feeling what was coming and I wouldn’t like it.
Not that it mattered, my vote doesn’t count.
“It is my right, as King of the Unseelie court, to reject a bonding ceremony. However, I am not rejecting the bonding ceremony. I am rejecting that the bonding be with Prince Halo.”
A court noble I had met at the banquet stood up in the audience and spoke. “Do you mean to pick another to bond with the young woman?”
“Yes, Lord Merric. A bonding ceremony will take place today and I have already chosen who will take my sons place. Trystessa will be bonding to me.”
The court remained silent, not a breath could be heard. I closed my eyes, waiting for someone to appose, to say something, anything, so that this wouldn’t happen. But who would actually stand up to the King. There would be horrible, unspeakable consequences for speaking out against the King. Even I knew that and I knew nothing about court life. I hung my head in defeat. There was nothing anyone could do, not even Halo.
There was a humming vibration shivering over my right hand, and I opened my eyes to see Halo’s hand still in mine. He was so angry he was shivering with rage, I could see him nearly vibrating. His body stiffened and I could see he was getting ready to do something. Just when he was about to throw himself at his father, a pair of arms wrapped around him to hold him down and pull him back.
His father’s expression caught me off guard, as I watched him smile at his enraged son.
I looked up startled, to see Devlin holding Halo back from attacking his father. Halo looked at me, his eyes completely red. I would have guessed that he barely recognized me in such a state, but when he looked into my eyes, his face softened. He mouth silently, “I’m sorry,” as Devlin held him in place. The look in Devlin’s face said he was doing his best to protect Halo from himself, he was sorry he couldn’t help protect me.
I numbly realized Halo’s hand was still in mine. I looked down at our clasped fingers and felt… lost. Just then, a hand reached across me and yanked my fingers from his. “If you can not control yourself in the presence of your King, Halo, and in the presence of the future Queen, then you can leave us or I will have you removed.”
I was dreaming. It felt like a dream. A nightmare. Everything in my vision was fuzzy. Nothing was clear, not the man who stood before me and took my hand. Not the two men wrestling to back away. You could feel the collective disapproval of the court. But none of that mattered. The King would do only what he wanted.
And for some reason, he wanted me.
Corrigan clasped both my hands in his and turned me to face him. He smiled, a wicked, evil smile and spoke.
“I, King Corrigan or the Unseelie court, King of Darkness and Influence…” his words trailed away and I became dizzy. The room was spinning. I took in a lungful of air and let it out slowly, forcing my eyes shut. I could slightly hear Corrigan’s booming voice in the background, but I didn’t hear what he said. I didn’t care what he said. There was nothing that could be done to undo this. It seemed that the last piece of me, the last piece that was whole, that I was clinging to for hope, had finally shattered.
A blast of heat coursed threw me, making me stumble. I distantly heard Corrigan stop speaking and his hands fell away from mine. My eyes opened and his shocked expression filled my view. Looking around I could see no one else in the room knew what was going on. Well, neither did I. Corrigan’s brows drew together in determination and he stepped forward again.
A thunderous noise rumbled through the room as the back doors I had walked through flew open.
“Stop!” someone yelled.
The guards rushed to hold back the intruder from entering any further and destroying the ceremony. My vision was starting to clear, without the musical voice of the King in my ear. I twisted away from him to see who had come, but a mass of guards were in my direct line of vision. I started for them, but someone grabbed my hand, pulling me back.
“You are mine. You will not move.” Corrigan snarled in my face and pulled me roughly back toward the alter.
“No, you can not finish!” A familiar voice screamed from in the room. “I am an heir to this throne. Let me through.”
Abruptly, everything came to a halt and the crowd gasped. The guards stepped away but remained posed for attack. I heard the court murmurs, speaking silently to one another.
“Is that the lost Prince?”
“Where did he come from?”
“Where has he been?”
“Why does he want to stop the ceremony?”
I uselessly pulled on my hands and yanked with all my weight to peel myself from Corrigan’s iron grip. But as hard as I tried, I could not spin myself enough to see who was coming toward us.
“Father, you will not do this.”
A recognizable tingle started to travel down my spine and a let out a shaky breath. My ring burned to life again, coursing up my arm and twisting around my shoulder and neck. Again, the sensation made Corrigan drop my hands and jump back, as if a wall had pushed him backward.
I spun on my heels at the first chance I was free to see Kamdyn rushing toward me. Without thinking twice, I ran toward him and leapt into his arms. The second he touched me a warmth so unreal filled me and a sigh escaped my lips. His arms wrapped around me, holding me as if he gave me any less of his strength I would disappear. Then I felt something else around me, something besides his strong arms. It felt warm and soft, just the barest of touches. I couldn’t see anything around me but I had the sensation I was completely enveloped in Kamdyn’s touch.
I didn’t pull back. I couldn’t pull away. I thought I had lost him. I choked back my tears and opened my eyes. Kamdyn pulled back enough to focus his beautifully deep purple eyes on mine. “Everything is going to be okay,” he whispered softly. “I won’t let you go.”
A loud, slow clapping started behind me and Kamdyn slowly lowered me to the ground. “That was quite the entrance, son. But I am sorry to inform you, the first half of our bond has already been completed. She is not yours. She will never be yours.” He took a step toward us and Kamdyn pushed me behind him. Corrigan cocked an intrigued eyebrow.
“She will not ever be yours.”
The King laughed, a horrible sound that dripped with darkness. “They are pretty words, but saying them doesn’t make them so. The ceremony has been started, and you,” he pointed to Kamdyn and smiled, “have no say in what I do. You can not stop me.”
“No, but I can.” A beautiful voice sang out from behind me. I heard the shift and crinkle of clothing and turned to see the entire court down on their knee, head bowed.
The women who walked into the room had beautiful long auburn hair and ice blue eyes. She was the woman from my dreams. My breath caught as she walked toward us and I stood frozen in place at Kamdyn’s back. She continued on without acknowledging anyone.
“Rhyannon, you can not stop me from doing this.” Corrigan’s voice showed his shock but remained steady, tense.
“You are right. I can not stop you from doing this ritual. But I will stop you from continuing it.” The woman continued to walk toward Corrigan who still stood in the same place by the altar.
“No, Rhyannon, you will not. Not today. The ceremony has been started and I will finish it.”
“I promise Corrigan, that if you push this, you will regret what it will lead to. It will create a war between our courts and you know you do not want that.”
I peeked around Kamdyn’s body to see what was happening. What the woman had said seemed to make Corrigan pause and try to think clearly, rationally. Devlin appeared at his side and, without touching him, leaned in to say, “Your majesty, think rationally about this. Let them go. You do not want a war between the courts. You know what will happen.” His eyes shifted to find me and he winked.
Rhyannon spoke again, not letting Corrigan think forward. “I want our son to walk out of here, with Trystessa at his side. They are leaving Faerie until they are ready to return.”
So this woman, the one I saw in my dreams, who gave me guidance when I most needed it, was Kamdyn’s mother, and… the Queen of the Seelie court.
My train of thought was interrupted by a loud scream.
“No!” Corrigan bellowed. The entire room became shrouded with a lingering darkness, but we still managed to see slightly, and that fuzzy feeling started to push its way into my mind.
My body began moving on its own. I walked around Kamdyn, who reached for me, but I unknowingly dodged him. I walked passed the Queen, who simply watched me. I walked in front of Halo and Devlin, who had moved closer but made no move to stop me. They knew it would be useless.
“Do not do this, Corrigan.” Rhyannon warned. “You can not use your influence to create a bond. You of all people know this.”
But Corrigan did not seem to hear her, his eyes were transfixed only on me.
I could feel him pulling me closer. His body nearly shaking with the anticipation and satisfaction.
I distantly heard Rhyannon’s voice, but not what she said. Before I could reach the altar, someone was at my side. A tingling sensation traveled across my cheek and over my bare shoulder.
I kept moving.
“Trystie, you need to fight this. I know you can. Please, love.”
I took another step.
Then he took my hand and his finger ran gently over my ring. It was a very brief touch but it sent a clarifying chill over my body. My eyes focused, my head cleared and my feet stopped moving forward. Kamdyn’s hand was still holding mine. I looked down at our clasped hands and saw a light surrounding them. A pulsing, radiant light that made my hand throb with strength.
While I watched, the vine around my finger began to grow. It flashed bright green light and bound itself around my arm and up my shoulder, ending just at the base of my neck. For the first time, not in a dream, those that big black flowers had bloomed all around the entwining vine, opening up, to show a huge bloom of black petals that faded in to the center at an amazingly deep violet.
Beautiful Nightmare Page 39