“What do you mean?” The duke bit out. He was practically shaking with fury as he met the secretary’s cold gaze.
Lord Leo moved towards Gwen. She backed further into the wall with each step he took. He took a strand of her fallen hair into his hand, weaving it through his fingers. “I mean,” he said in a quiet voice, gazing at Gwen’s blonde strands intently. “That I took care of her.”
Gwen shifted, bringing Lord Leo’s attention to her face. Green and blue eyes met in an assessing stare. Gwen could see his confidence, his resolve. Not a hint of remorse could be seen in the tiny specks of gray. Gwen knew exactly what he did to her mother.
“It was you.” Gwen watched the slow lightening of the secretary’s eyes. He was happy she confirmed his crime out loud.
“Yes,” Lord Leo murmured. He released her hair, but not before tucking it behind her ears. Gwen forced herself not to cringe away when his fingers touched her skin. “I killed your mother.”
Chains banged against the floor abruptly. Gwen glanced over and saw Aeron’s struggle against the metal holding him prisoner.
“I WILL KILL YOU,” he screamed, enraged. Gwen worried about the pain she knew Aeron felt with every move against the iron manacles. He was too worked up to care. He continued to struggle against his restraints.
“I’m afraid you will not have the opportunity,” the secretary said in eerie amusement.
“It will be slow. Painful.” Aeron’s face was beyond recognition, it was so contorted with anger.
Lord Leo turned back to Gwen, ignoring Aeron’s continued threats. He knelt to her eye level. Gwen forced herself to return his stare without emotion.
“It is a shame,” he said lowly. “Like your mother, you are quite lovely.” Gwen felt sick to be on the receiving end of his admiring gaze. This time, when he placed his palm against her cheek, she jerked away.
Her action only made him smile. “What is it with Summer Princesses which enchant us Winter males so much? Prince Kalan sure seems devoted.”
Wanting to throw the male off his game anyway she could, Gwen finally responded to his running commentary. “Well…” she paused to give him a self-satisfied grin. “I am his lifemate.”
The secretary chuckled and patted her cheek before rising. “Nice try. The prince tried that plea for your safety as well. My queen is confident you are, in fact, not her son’s lifemate.”
“Your queen is wrong.”
“She is not.”
An idea formed in Gwen’s mind. It might prove useless, but it was worth a try.
What do I have to lose?
“Have you not heard of my time in Eirie? What the Wise Ones told Kalan and me regarding his prophecy?”
The secretary eyed her speculatively. She forced herself to not fidget under his scrutiny. Her plan depended on him believing her, and confidence was key.
When he remained silent, Gwen continued. “You see, I was experiencing discomfort the moment I left Winter Court. It was only alleviated when Kalan was around. I went to Eirie to ask the Wise Ones about it. Imagine my surprise when an Elder confirmed I am Kalan’s lifemate.”
The secretary shook his head in disgust. “Impossible. You are siblings.”
Gwen shrugged and winced as it shifted the cuffs against fresh skin. “I thought so too, but the Elder assured me Fate made it clear to him, and I was not to question ‘the Seers of Fate’”.
Lord Leo frowned. He turned to Aeron. The duke raised one eyebrow in response.
The two continued to stare at each other before Lord Leo broke the silence. “Well?”
“Well, what?” Aeron asked cooly.
“Is it true?” Lord Leo gestured towards Gwen. “I know you were in Eirie with her. Is she telling the truth?”
“How could she lie?” Aeron countered, obviously trying to irritate the Winter Fae by not directly answering his question.
Gwen was grudgingly impressed when the secretary did not take the bait. He calmly returned his attention to where Gwen sat and observed her.
Without a word, Lord Leo turned suddenly and left the concrete room. Gwen slouched in relief. She survived… for now.
“I think you bought us a little time,” Aeron commented with a praising look.
Gwen managed a feeble smile. “I had to do something. You were just trying to irritate him.”
Aeron smirked. “Words are the only weapons I have until I’m out of these shackles.” He paused and looked around the room, searching for a tool which did not exist. “He will probably report back to the queen and get her assurance before coming back to finish the job. We need to be gone by then.”
“You don’t think the queen will change her mind about killing me?” Gwen remembered Kalan telling her how motivated his mother was to find his lifemate. Surely, the queen wouldn’t kill the one girl the Wise Ones actually declared her son’s lifemate. Right?
“I would rather not wait around to find out,” Aeron replied distractedly as he continued to scan the room. He stopped searching and returned his attention to Gwen a few moments later. There was nothing to assist them in an escape.
Gwen grew worried as she took in the duke’s pained expression. In false confidence, she smiled and offered, “We will think of something.”
In her mind, Gwen cursed fate for probably the hundredth time since learning of its authority over all things Fae. The entity brought her nothing but trouble.
Chapter 30
Queen Tanya sat at her writing desk when she heard the commotion coming down the hallway.
She stood and faced the door for whomever was approaching. She maintained her passive expression as she watched her son enter the room, his guard two steps behind him.
Ronan observed protocol with a quick bow in her direction. Kalan did not even spare a greeting.
“How dare you, Mother.” He seethed, fists clenched as he met her eyes. The queen tilted her head, observing her son’s rigid posture. He was angry with her for something.
No doubt about that girl again, she thought tiredly. Though, she did not know what new information he could have received to bring him to confront her so soon after their last encounter.
“Kalan, how nice to see you.” She waved away her personal guards as they warily observed the scenario. She did not need gossip of the impending discussion to spread.
Kalan showed great restraint by waiting until the door closed to continue his verbal assault. “How dare you condemn Princess Gwendolyn, you hypocrite.”
The statement caught Tanya off-guard. “I do not know what you mean, Kalan,” she replied in truth. She did not know how the deceased princess could possibly be the center of their discussion.
Her answer seemed to only increase the prince’s anger. Kalan scowled and ground out, “You had an affair with a Summer Fae. Duke Aeron.”
The queen could not hide the shock from her expression.
Where did he learn that information?
Tanya quickly reigned in her emotions. “That was a long time ago, Kalan.”
“A little over twenty-four years, I believe.” Her son’s jaw twitched in agitation.
The queen sighed. It had been a long time since she spared a thought for the Summer Fae who was once her lover. Seeing him at Winter Court as the Summer Ambassador had been a mild shock, and brought forth many pleasant memories. Memories she forced out of her mind, for the sake of propriety.
“How did you learn this of this?” She asked wearily, already tired of the unpleasant conversation.
Ronan cleared his throat, drawing her attention. “My apologies, Your Majesty, for revealing such a private detail to Prince Kalan. My only excuse to offer is that the prince came to me with interesting news which caused him severe discomfort. I revealed what I knew in order to alleviate him of it.”
The queen was not surprised; Ronan was her personal guard prior to Kalan’s birth. The male saw and heard many things during his service. If anyone knew of her liaison with the Summer Duke, it would be him.
; Before the queen could formulate a response to the guard, her son interrupted. “You are a hypocrite. You condemn Gwen’s existence when you had relations with a Summer Fae.”
The queen willed herself not to roll her eyes. “It is not the same thing.”
“It is exactly the same thing.” Kalan’s stated emphatically.
“I did not spawn a dual-court fae,” Queen Tanya responded with a false sense of righteousness.
Kalan’s eyes hardened, and a sardonic smirk covered his lips. “Are you sure about that?”
Before she could ask what he meant, the queen watched and felt as her son seemed to draw the room’s energy to him. His posture was stiff; his jaw muscle ticking in concentration.
Tanya frowned as she observed him. “Kalan? What are you doing?”
The prince did not respond. Instead, he held out his hand to the right of her, towards a plant. With a focused gaze, he stared at the potted plant. The queen jumped away as the blue flowers caught fire.
“Kalan!” She shouted in horror, eyes widening with fear. “Stop it this instant!”
Continuing to ignore her, Kalan turned his attention to the glass of water on the writing desk. The liquid began to boil and splash onto her letters.
“Stop it, now!” The queen rushed forward to physically lower her son’s arm. She was trembling with the cascade of feelings. The greatest being fear. She was afraid of what her son just did. It couldn’t be possible. He never displayed Summer abilities before.
“I will stop when you admit it. Admit you spawned a dual-court fae from illicit relations with Duke Aeron of Summer Court.”
“Kalan,” the queen stared into her son’s hard eyes. She had never seen him look so out of control. “I did not know. You never had sum–”
A flare of Summer Power silenced her as its heat seemed to lick her cheeks. She reared back to escape the high temperature emanating off her son’s body.
Kalan gave a humorless laugh. “I never thought to try to use Summer powers,” Kalan pointed out. “Why would I? I never expected I was not my father’s son. But it all makes sense. Did you know I can faze into Summer Palace with little effort? I learned that just this evening.”
“You are Kheelen’s son, Kalan,” the queen focused on the beginning of his rant. She didn’t know how to address the last part. “You are the prince.”
“That does not make me his son,” Kalan shouted. “My whole life. You lied to me my whole life.”
“I did not know it was a lie,” the queen attempted to reason.
“You must have suspected.”
Queen Tanya paused and eyed him warily. She contemplated avoiding the question, but knew doing so would not make him any less volatile.
“Of course,” she conceded, “But you are the epitome of a Winter Fae: your coloring, you excel with Winter abilities... I never had cause to suspect you were not your father’s son.”
“Except that you had an affair. Both of you did.” Kalan looked lost for a moment. His eyes grew distant before quickly snapping back to meet hers with antipathy.
Tanya didn’t understand her son’s last comment. “Both of who?”
“You and Father. Oh, I’m sorry. You and King Kheelen. I don’t want to confuse you.”
“Enough, Kalan,” the queen retorted at his disrespect. She paused before asking, “Why did you bring up your father?”
The smug smirk was back. “Oh, that’s right. You were not made privy to this information.
“Did you never wonder, Mother, who Princess Gwenevere’s father is?” The prince’s eyes were full of meaning.
Tanya’s breath flew from her lungs following his implication.
No... It can’t be.
“Yes, Mother,” Kalan continued with confidence, as if he heard her. “You are trying to kill my half-sister. Wait. No. Not my half-sister. Your husband’s daughter.”
The queen’s mind began whirling with memories almost a quarter of a century old. All of them focusing on her husband. She remembered her marriage being at the peak of its distance during the time. The lack of devotion, coupled with lack of an heir, strained their relationship markedly. It was why the queen so easily sought out comfort with the Summer duke. She was not proud of her affair, but the male provided much needed comfort during a tumultuous time in her life.
Tanya’s heart began to beat painfully as she realized her husband might have engaged in a similar comforting association. Now that she thought about it, she could vividly recall a number of occasions where her husband sought out Princess Gwendolyn’s company. Tanya never suspected anything romantic occurring between the two. It was not in her husband’s nature… or so she thought.
“Are you certain?” The queen whispered the question, though her heart already knew the answer.
“King Kheelen is very certain.”
Tanya began to pace the length of the room as she processed all the information. “Kalan, this makes the situation even more precarious. The girl is from two royal bloodlines. Her power could know no limit. She must be dealt with.” The queen forced the feelings of betrayal away. She knew she had no right to begrudge Kheelen, given her own past actions.
The fireplace roared; sparks landed on the carpet inches from the queen’s gown. “You will not touch her.” The prince seethed. The temperature of the room continued to rise.
“Kalan,” the queen pleaded with new fear clenching her chest. “You have to see… she is dangerous.”
“Maybe I am the monstrous dual-court fae the prophecy warns against,” Kalan countered, looking smug. “Did you ever think of that, Mother?”
Tanya’s face froze and her heart stopped for a moment. “No. Impossible. It has to be her. She is a princess of both courts.”
Kalan spoke lightly, as if he had not heard his mother’s words. “Perhaps I will reveal my bloodline to your followers? Endure the same fate you designed for Gwen.”
“Kalan, no! Please,” the queen’s fear threatened to choke her. She didn’t recognize the fae before her. Her son never looked so distant and calculated. It was terrifying “Don’t do anything rash.”
“Where is Gwen?”
“I don’t know!”
“Guess.”
The queen thought frantically. “With Leo? I haven’t heard from him in hours, which is unlike him. I suspected he might have the girl.”
Kalan’s demeanor did not soften. “Where?”
“I have no idea. Truthfully. He might not even have her. As I said, I haven’t heard from him. Please, Kalan. Calm down. You are scaring me.”
“This is Wrath, Mother,” Kalan ground out. “I imagine you might have heard of it. The males in a lifemate couple tend to feel it more acutely. Especially when someone is threatening their lifemate.”
“It cannot be,” the queen’s voice sounded weak. After all the time and effort she spent trying to save her son from a destructive path, it seemed it and his successful path were one and the same.
“I assure you. It can be. In fact, it is.”
“It is too great of a risk to choose to be with her,” his mother tried to reason. “Surely you know that.”
“It’s not a choice!” Kalan shouted. “Look at me. LOOK AT ME.”
The queen obliged, meeting his icy blue gaze. “Look at what becomes of me when Gwen is in danger. Do you think I can control this? Do you think I want to lose my mind to Wrath?”
Tanya remained silent.
“Gwen is my lifemate. Learning the truth of my paternal line only confirms what I was already convinced of. She and I are not related, and the Elder was right. We are lifemates.”
Tanya tried to think of anything to say to discourage her son’s resolve. The fear she felt for him was stronger than ever before. Was it too much to simply want her son to lead a safe and prosperous existence?
“You will be risking much if you are with her.” The queen’s words were barely above a whisper.
Kalan’s shoulders showed the first sign of relaxing. “I can think of no
thing I care less about.” He ran a hand through his hair, looking young and lost. “She is my lifemate. I have to be with her. I will be with her.”
A tear slid down the queen’s cheek. She knew she lost the battle. “Please… at least keep your nature a secret.”
Kalan straightened. “I will reveal the truth if, or when, the occasion calls for it. I do not fear the prophecy, as you do.”
“Please.” His mother implored quietly. “At least don’t reveal it to those you do not trust unreservedly.” The queen knew too many Winter Fae who would go to great lengths to end dual-court fae. She was, after all, the one responsible for riling them up. Now, she feared her actions might end up costing her greatly.
“We shall see,” Kalan replied.
Tanya nodded. She was not in the situation to insist. It would only anger her son, and he was finally returning to his normal, composed self.
“Do you have any ideas, Mother?” The prince asked tiredly, “Where I might find Leo?”
“I do not… I am sorry.” The apology was given for more than lack of information.
Kalan ignored it. “I am going to go to Eirie,” he stated. “Perhaps the Wise Ones can help.”
The queen nodded. “That is not a bad idea.”
Kalan turned to leave. Ronan followed after another bow in her direction; he remained so quiet during the conversation, the queen almost forgot he was there.
Just as the prince was about to cross the threshold, he stopped and turned. He levelled a cool gaze on the queen. “Just so you know, if anything happens to Gwen, I will not hesitate to reveal my secret to all of Fae Realm. Perhaps it would be wise of you to search out your minion before he does something you will regret.”
Tanya’s knees shook, and she had to grab hold of an armrest to remain standing as she watched Kalan disappear around the door.
There was no doubt in her mind her son’s threat was genuine. Now, because of something she started, her son was in danger.
She muttered a curse against Fate and its prophecies, and tried to think of where Leo might take the girl.
Work of Fate (Dual Court Kiss Book 2) Page 20