“Not long, Your Majesty. About 5 minutes. He tested Princess Gwenevere’s meal about a quarter of an hour ago.”
The reality of the discussion poured over Gwen like a bucket of ice water. Goosebumps rose over her flesh. “A taster?” She cried the words in disbelief. “Why do I have a taster?”
King Cai ignored her question and asked one of his own. “Gwen, did you have any of the food? Even a small bite?”
She ignored his question back. “Why do I have a taster?”
Ian’s heated, yet concerned, eyes found hers before the king could respond. He placed his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to focus on him. “Gwen. Did you eat anything? You need to tell us. Your life could be at stake.”
Seeing his fear caused a knot to form in Gwen’s stomach. “No,” she whispered, her eyes searching his for understanding. “Why do I have a taster?”
Ian’s expression turned to one of sympathy. “To test your food for poison.” His answer was equally quiet.
“Poison…” Gwen’s body began to shake as she acknowledged the implications of her current situation. The king and queen employed a fae to serve as a guinea pig… her guinea pig. Their elaborate measures for her safety included making sure she was not poisoned. The realization disturbed her. How could anyone willingly risk another’s wellbeing for her sake? It didn’t seem right.
Her shaking continued to increase when she realized the poor servant’s illness validated the king and queen’s precautions. Gwen barely felt Ian’s arms surround her in a tight embrace. Her tears fell unchecked onto his green overcoat.
“It’s alright, Gwennie,” he soothed into her ear. “You are alright.”
The room buzzed with worried conversation and accusations. The tones ranged from anxious to livid.
Gwen could not make out a single word. Her mind and heart rose and fell on a rollercoaster of remorse, anger, and fear. She continued to cry on her best friend’s shoulder, wishing with all her heart that this was not her reality.
I never wanted this…
Chapter 10
“Mother, might I have a word?”
Queen Tanya stood in the middle of her parlor, a young seamstress kneeling beside her as she adjusted the queen’s hemline. At hearing her son’s voice, the queen leisurely turned to face him with one raised eyebrow.
“Of course, Kalan.” Her tone was cool. Detached. “Leave us.”
The servant rose with a curtsy before swiftly exiting the queen’s chambers. Queen Tanya stepped down from the wooden box in front of the floor-length mirror and walked out to her personal patio without a word. Kalan had to bite down his frustration as he silently followed her.
Ever since his mother’s accusations at the council meeting, Kalan went out of his way to try and meet with her. He hoped to reason with the queen regarding her persecution of Gwen, but his mother successfully evaded every one of his attempts to speak with her on the subject. An entire week passed where Kalan only saw his mother in the company of others, rendering him unable to discuss the sensitive topic and make his pleas for her to cease the allegations.
Queen Tanya looked the picture of ease as she sat on her wicker-patio furniture. Kalan’s jaw tightened, and he moved to take the seat across from her.
“To what do I owe this visit?” His mother’s expression was formal and distant. It was not a good sign for the prince.
“I believe you know,” Kalan responded with gritted teeth.
“Ah, yes,” the queen looked to the left and eyed the snow-covered mountains in the distance. “I imagine this will be regarding the dual-court girl.”
“Her name is Gwen, Mother. And, if what you say is true, then you must realize she is a Princess of Summer Court.”
Kalan thought of using the fact as an additional motivator for his mother to stop advocating for Gwen’s death almost immediately following the council meeting. The queen had to know the political ramifications of killing a princess, especially considering the repercussions following Princess Gwendolyn’s death. The two Courts just recently reached peaceful terms following that tragedy, and Winter Court was never even proven to be responsible for the princess’ death. Kalan shuddered to think what retaliation Summer Court might employ if anything happened to Gwen. This time, Winter Court would be well-known as the criminals responsible.
The bitter smile on the queen’s lips proved his hopes for reason were futile. “She is half Winter Fae as well, which makes her my subject. That distinction holds more weight for me, as the Winter Queen, than any title Summer Court gives her.”
Kalan yearned to shout at his mother, but held back. He felt a strong urge to attack his mother’s plan by revealing Gwen would be considered a princess in Winter Court as well, but he didn’t dare.
The prince remembered his conversation with his father following the council meeting where his mother voiced her accusations.
Kalan seethed as he made his way to the king’s private study. Following King Kheelen’s statement that they would “eliminate the threat” should it be proven Gwen was a dual-court fae, the prince could not wait to approach and demand an explanation from his father. How could he nonchalantly state he would eliminate his own daughter?
King Kheelen sat behind his heavy desk, resting his head against the back of his leather chair. The king’s face was anything but calm, giving Kalan pause in launching his verbal attack.
“Father?” The prince approached when the king waved for him to enter.
“Shut the door,” he ordered with a sigh, sounding older than Kalan could ever remember. The prince obeyed and moved further into the study.
“I assume you are angry with me? Fate knows, I am angry with myself.”
Just like that, Kalan felt every drop of animosity fall away with his father’s self-depreciating words. Now, the prince was only curious to know if the king had a plan to protect the fae they both loved.
“Do you think Mother knows?” Kalan asked as he sat down in front of his father’s desk. The question plagued the prince from the moment Queen Tanya spoke at the council meeting.
“Knows what? That I am Gwenevere’s father? I do not believe so.”
“What if we were to tell her? Maybe she would sto-”
“No,” his father said firmly, cutting him off. “Learning Gwen is a dual-court fae of not one but both royal blood lines would do nothing to lessen your mother’s desire to see to her death.”
“Why?” Kalan questioned with exasperation. “Why is she so hell-bent on this? She must know of the risk she takes in pursuing it.”
His father sighed. Once again, the prince was surprised to notice how old he seemed. “Your mother has always put too much trust in prophesies and their interpretations. She fears Gwen could be your downfall.”
Kalan leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. He let out a heavy breath. The prince knew all too well his mother’s obsessive belief in the prophecies of the Wise Ones.
His own prophesy, spoken the day of his birth, indicated the prince was destined to have a lifemate–a rare bond of fated mates. The prophecy also alluded Kalan would become the greatest Winter Court ruler, but only with his lifemate at his side.
In an effort to ensure her son rose to greatness, Queen Tanya searched Winter Realm for every potential lifemate. The group was exclusive to females who shared his same day of birth, October 7th.
Kalan forced his eyes shut as the memory of Gwen following the ball came to mind. It was painful to remember her excitement as she revealed her birthday to be October 7th. It was agonizing to envision Gwen’s eyes shining with love and happiness with the belief she could be his lifemate, especially now when the prince knew she would never look at him the same way again.
So close, Kalan thought with despair. I was so close to a happy ending…
“What are we to do?” The prince asked his father, pushing down the familiar pain associated with the loss of his love. “How do we protect Gwen?”
“For now, by keeping silent of her r
elation to us. Your mother will attract more supporters if anyone learns I am Gwen’s father. We must let your mother conduct her investigation in order to appear non-biased, no matter what she finds.”
Kalan opened his mouth to object, but his father continued.
“If what your mother says is true, and Gwen is at Summer Court, then she is as safe as possible. I do not doubt that King Cai and Queen Orla will do everything in their considerable power to protect her.”
“Do you believe she is there?”
King Kheelen nodded. “Yes. My scouts have confirmed the reinforced Summer soldiers on bordering lands. I am awaiting further news from my informants before I can be certain Gwen is there. However, I can think of no other reason for the royals’ sudden protective measures following our treaty.”
The prince nodded and prayed to Fate for the first time in weeks. He begged the all-powerful force to guide Gwen to Summer Court and urged Fate to protect her from his mother and her plans…
Kalan recalled leaving his father’s study feeling as reassured as the situation allowed. Still possessing a desire to do something to help Gwen, the prince came up with the idea to write to King Cai and Queen Orla to warn them of his mother’s plans. He debated for a while before deciding to include his affection for their granddaughter in the letter. It was hard to do, but Kalan wanted to give the royals a reason to trust his words. What better reason could he give than the admission that he was doing so out of love? The prince even went so far as to request an audience with them and their granddaughter, assuming Gwen resided with them.
Days later, Kalan had yet to receive a reply.
“You really must accept the facts at hand, my son,” Queen Tanya’s falsely soothing voice irritated Kalan out of his thoughts. “I know you fancy yourself in love with the girl, but a relationship with her is impossible. I was fine with letting your dalliance continue for a while. I knew how tiring you found my matchmaking attempts and realized you might benefit from a break from searching for your lifemate. I conceded to your relationship with the girl out of love for you.
“However,” the queen’s tone hardened. “All of that is irrelevant now that we know the girl is of a dual-court nature. You need to nurse your wounds quickly and get back to searching for your lifemate. You will feel better once you do, and Winter Court’s future will be secured.”
Kalan smirked as his mother reminded him of yet another piece of information she was lacking; a piece of information he could use to throw off her plan. King Kheelen might have forbidden Kalan to say anything regarding Gwen’s paternal ancestry, but he said nothing regarding her birth.
“You do not know, then?” Kalan asked, feeling smug. He leaned back against his chair and crossed his arms.
The queen noticed her son’s change in demeanor. “Know what?”
“I am surprised your many informants and spies have not told you this sooner. Strange, is it not, how Fae you trust so fully do not even know this interesting bit of information?”
The queen looked anything but amused. “Please,” she pleaded sarcastically. “Do tell.”
Kalan happily obliged. “If what you say is true, and Gwen really is a dual-court fae, it will not change the fact that she shares my day of birth. Or,” Kalan let his smile grow wide as he watched the arrogant expression fall from his mother’s face. “That I believe Princess Gwenevere to be my lifemate.”
Queen Tanya’s cheeks grew pale. The only sound on the patio came from the Winter Court breeze rustling the trees below. “Impossible…” she whispered.
Kalan stared into the queen’s eyes. “I assure you, Mother. It is not.”
The prince stood and looked down where his mother sat. “I encourage you to remember how I fought your matchmaking ways more strongly when Gwen was at Winter Court. You will recall observing my constant attention to her every move. You might not know of the inescapable pull she has on me, but it exists. Even now, I am in pain as a result of our separation.
“So you see, Mother.” Kalan smirked as his mother’s face grew even paler. “No matter if Gwen is a dual-court fae, I believe she is my lifemate.”
Kalan felt undeniable satisfaction as he observed the queen’s reaction to his admission. Gone was the confident and self-righteous queen. In her place, sat a female full of uncertainty. Queen Tanya opened her mouth, but she could not manage to make a sound.
Kalan’s ending words flowed from his tongue as if spoken by Fate. “If you kill Gwen, you will be killing my only chance at fulfilling my prophecy. You will be destroying all you have ever hoped for me. Perhaps you should consider that when contemplating your plans.”
The prince bent into a bow, but maintained eye contact throughout the gesture. He saw the doubt his speech seared into the queen’s mind reflected through her eyes.
With a feeling of triumph, Kalan turned and left his mother’s rooms.
His reveal bought Gwen time… for now.
Chapter 11
“I just don’t understand this crazy weather.” Sara Roberts stood in the entryway to the apartment she shared with her sister and uncle. She grabbed the damp towel hanging from the nearby coat rack and quickly set about drying the ends of her soaked hair.
Tropical systems, rolling in from the Gulf of Mexico, brought the San Antonio and South Texas region more rain than they knew what to do with. Five days passed since Sara could remember seeing sunshine, and the forecast gave little hope the dreary weather would be over any time soon. While rainy days were not unheard of in Texas, so many in a row was proving troublesome for the residents of the Lonestar State.
Leaning against the wall behind her sister, Kate took off the zebra rain boots she was smart enough to wear during their outing in the inclement weather. “Did you hear about all the rivers flooding? The Guadalupe, Brazos, and Blanco have already overflowed their beds. My friend Lisa was vacationing in Wimberley this weekend when their group was evacuated in the middle of the night. She posted pictures of their cabin this morning. It was completely swept off its foundation.”
Sara knew all about the flooding; local news stations constantly interrupted T.V. and radio programs to warn audiences to avoid flooded areas. Her stomach knotted when she thought of the numerous individuals reported missing the first two days of the storms. Sara knew the chances of them being caught in the sudden and dangerous floods were all too likely.
Thankfully, following the increased news coverage, it seemed residents of South Texas began to take the threat of drowning much more seriously. People left their lake and riverside homes to stay with family or friends in higher elevated areas. Most drivers heeded signs indicating low-water crossings and the slogan, “Turn around. Don’t Drown.” Numerous employers announced half-days or complete business shutdowns in the interest of safety for their employees. Sara and Kate’s uncle even found a CNN video describing what to go/what not to do if your vehicle becomes submerged, and insisted his nieces watch and memorize the actions.
“I hope it stops soon,” Sara handed the towel to her sister, continuing to watch the heavy rain fall from the sky. “I’m not sure San Antonio can take much more of this.”
Chapter 12
Gwen felt drained following the events of the previous evening. Shortly after the king and queen processed what transpired, they immediately instructed Gwen to return to her rooms and remain there under guard. The worry for her safety was etched in the lines on their youthful faces.
Gwen spent the remainder of the night wide awake as she played back every moment of the dinner. What would have happened if she had taken a bite from her plate? Would the servant’s warning reach them in time for her to be treated and saved from whatever poison was meant for her?
More importantly, Gwen asked to herself, who would have tried to kill me?
Gwen voiced the question to Ian and Aeron as soon as the trio entered her rooms after dinner. Neither engaged her. Instead, they did their best to dissuade her from worrying about it. Easier said than done when all those aroun
d her were on high alert. Their reactions clearly indicated she should, in fact, worry.
The following morning, Gwen’s anxiety grew with each passing hour without a word from King Cai or Queen Orla. She was sure, in a situation like this, no news was definitely bad news.
In an attempt to pull his friend out of her uneasy mood, Ian arranged for them to visit one of the palace’s pools in the afternoon. Gwen was disappointed to learn it would be one of the indoor pools, and she would be accompanied by 3 guards, minimum. She tried to persuade her companions to let her go outside and feel the sun on her skin, but each Summer Fae remained determined she stay indoors.
Sitting on the edge of the ceramic-tiled pool, Gwen absentmindedly swirled her legs in a clockwise and counterclockwise motion. The gestures would often bring beautiful flowers, positioned on lily pads, towards her. Gwen would lean forward and gently propel the plant back out into the center of the pool. She repeated the motion for every subsequent flower that came her way. In her distracted state, Gwen did not allow herself to marvel at the natural beauty the Summer Fae perfectly entwined within their fae-made pool.
“Mind if I join you?” A familiar voice asked. Her foster-brother disappeared shortly after breakfast that morning and must have just returned to the pool room.
Not waiting for a reply, Ian gracefully lowered himself beside her. His tanned arm brushed against her as he leaned to the side to place his feet in the water. Gwen observed him with her peripheral vision. He seemed distracted as he looked around. Gwen followed his example and examined her surroundings.
The room was a tall space with Roman-style columns arranged at the edges. The design reminded Gwen of her trip to the ancient city. Ian had surprised Gwen with the spontaneous trip to celebrate her graduation. They toured many bathhouses while in Rome. The resemblance between the two was notable.
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