by Liz Schulte
I gave him a quelling glance. I wasn’t quite ready to share that bit of news with everyone yet. I still needed time to process it. I could barely take care of myself. How was I going to be responsible for another little life?
Sebastian looked perplexed. “You haven’t remarried yet. What other life is in danger?”
Cheney and I had a stare off. His golden eyes churned with emotion and I narrowed mine in response.
“Corbin,” I said. It was true. He was bonded to me. I wasn’t sure the depth of the bond, but anything that happened to me could affect him.
“You married the damn vampire?” Sy asked, flabbergasted. “You were only gone twelve hours. How exactly did that happen?”
“No.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “It’s a long story. He’s bonded to me. I don’t really know what that means, but I don’t think it goes both ways. I don’t feel bonded to him.”
Sebastian just shook his head, and Sy mumbled something about my needing to be locked in a white padded room for not only my protection, but also the safety of the rest of the world.
“I know he helped you,” Sebastian said slowly, eyes darting back and forth from me to Cheney. “But one vampire is an acceptable loss if Selene insists upon doing this.”
“It’s not just one vampire’s or Selene’s life on the line. It’s also the heir to the throne,” he said. “Is that an acceptable loss, as well?”
Sebastian blinked a few times and Sy looked back and forth between the two of us.
“Wait. What?” Sy sputtered.
I let out a huff of breath and took Cheney’s hand, feeling happy despite the situation. “Surprise…?”
Once the shock wore off, they both looked genuinely happy. They went through all the questions you would expect: how do you know, what are you having, are you sure the baby is okay because you were dead yesterday, etc.
“Selene and I are getting married as soon as it can be arranged. That was the deal.” Cheney squeezed my hand back. “You agreed you would marry me again as soon as you came back.”
“But—” I started, but he pressed on.
“One thing I have learned since I met you is that the timing is always going to be wrong. There will always be a problem to deal with, and we will deal with them. Together. As it should be. I’m tired of waiting and feeling incomplete.” He turned his finely sculpted face and eyes I could fall into up to me. “Make me whole again.”
Sebastian looked thoughtful. “As inconvenient as a wedding would be right now, it may actually help with our other problem. If you have a large ceremony and create excitement among the fae about the wedding, not only would it distract them from whatever the Pole does should it pop up, but maybe they will embrace her, too.”
“The people’s queen,” Sy agreed. “It’s a role Selene was born to play.”
Cheney’s face went blank. Other problem? I thought, frowning at Sebastian. “What other problem?”
He looked at Cheney. “I thought the two of you spoke.”
“We did,” he said through gritted teeth. “Just not about that?”
“What?” I asked, a trickle of irritation running like ice through my veins. I tried to dismiss it as exhaustion—of course it couldn’t be because he still kept secrets.
“There were some incidents,” Cheney said. “Nothing to worry about.”
“The elves just need to meet you,” Sebastian added.
Every moment they didn’t tell me my anger built. I was going to have to leave the castle if they didn’t start talking soon. What incidents?
Sy rolled his shoulders and his eyes. “They hate you. They don’t want you to be queen and they’ve been protesting you.”
I felt like I had been punched. Defensiveness reared, but I beat it back down. If I got angry they were never going to tell me what was going on. “What? Who? What did I do now?”
Cheney turned me toward him. “You didn’t do anything. No one hates you. They just don’t know you. To them you are just the half-elf who upset their world. Give it time.”
“This didn’t just start yesterday, did it? Why didn’t you tell me?” Seriously, how much crap could go wrong in one day?
He cringed. “There’s always something going on. I was waiting for the right time—like after it was taken care of.”
I pressed my lips together. “How long?”
“A few weeks.”
Everything in me went still. I looked into his eyes. “Damn it, Cheney.”
Cheney gave me a patient—and monumentally irritating—look. “You’ve been a little busy. You didn’t need one more thing to worry about with everything else that’s been happening.”
So what if he was right? I told him everything last night and he had sat there letting me, knowing full well he was still keeping secrets. Just the thought that there was a group of strangers out there who hated me without having ever met me or talked to me blew my mind. I didn’t always make great decisions, but I was a nice person. I certainly didn’t think I was someone people would be inclined to protest against. “Exactly what are they doing? Like signs? Threats? Angry grumbling? What?”
“They may not even be there anymore. It’s possible my father arranged for the protests. Today is a new day.”
I went to the window, but we were facing the wrong direction and I couldn’t see anything except gardens, forest, and mountains in the distance.
“It doesn’t matter if they are there or not. The Pole of Charon is the more pressing issue. Besides, Sebastian is right—the wedding will probably help, and even if it doesn’t, it’s not like they can impeach you,” Sy said.
“Yeah. So not helping, Sy.” I turned back to them. “If I have to find the Pole again and I don’t have time to figure out why people hate me, then I certainly don’t have time to plan a wedding. The wedding has to wait, and I will deal with the two more pressing issues first.”
Cheney smiled like he expected this response from me. “We’ll hire a planner to arrange the details while we find the Pole. The wedding is not negotiable. You gave me your word and I am holding you to it. The wedding should appease the masses for now and put the bond back in place, where it belongs.”
My mouth fell open. That really wasn’t what I had in mind. Every girl had an idea of what they wanted for their perfect wedding. A huge spectacle to appease a crowd of people who hated me wasn’t actually part of that plan. “You actually expect me to use our wedding, that should be about us and love and our future together, politically?”
I was met with silence as I glared at Cheney.
“I think it is time for us to go,” Sy said as he and Sebastian all but ran out of the room. Chickens.
Cheney sighed. “I’m aware there’s a wrong answer here and I’m about to give it to you, but in short, yes. Very little in our lives will ever be just our own. This is what comes with ruling a kingdom. So, we’ll use our wedding to sway public opinion and hope it does trick. It’s just one day of our lives. Ultimately, the ceremony means very little—it’s the bond that matters. Distasteful as it may be, it would be an easy fix, which we need right now.”
My mouth snapped shut. Conflicting thoughts swam through my head. How much was Cheney willing to do to keep up appearances? At what point would we lose ourselves to become what they expected us to be? Was that something I could do? He had been raised for this life. I had craved freedom my entire life—both as a human and as an elf. “Including the selection of your wife? Does the kingdom get to do that, too? If so, this isn’t my problem, is it?”
He massaged the bridge of his nose. “I think I have a solution. I’ve thought about it for a while.” He stood up and took my hands. “I love you. I want to marry you and have a family with you. Everything else doesn’t really matter anymore. I see what I want more clearly than I ever have before.” His thumb traced along my jaw and tilted my chin up to the angle that suited him. “We’ve fought this long to be together. Nothing will stand in our way, including the crown. If you don’t want to us
e the wedding to improve our political footing, that’s fine with me. I don’t care anymore.” Suddenly, a crooked smile took over his face and excitement built in the air around him. “Let’s abdicate the throne.”
SELENE’S MOUTH FELL OPEN. Even tired and befuddled she was perfect. I kissed each cheek then eased her into a lingering kiss until she relaxed beneath my arms. Last time I spoke of leaving the throne she had talked me out of it, and I wasn’t going to let her do it again. Selene believed this was part of who I was, but she was wrong. Being part of the royal family was the only thing I knew growing up. It was forced on me, not pursued. As an adult I accepted it because I knew that I could bring much-needed change to world. However, after last night I knew one thing for certain—I was never going to let my profession take away from my family. Selene and our future children were and would always be the most important part of my life. Walking away from the throne was inevitable. If I didn’t do it now, I would certainly do it in the future. It was only a matter of when, and now seemed as good of a time as any.
She pulled back from the kiss. “You can’t step down.”
I smiled. “I’m not doing it alone. You’re coming with me.”
“Cheney, I’m serious.”
“I can see that. So am I. Selene, we don’t owe them anything. If they want to plot against us, if my own council isn’t even on our side, then why are we wasting our precious time helping them? Let the fae tear themselves apart if that’s what they want to do. They aren’t taking us with them.”
“It was only Alanna who worked against you.”
“That we know of.” I moved my fingers in a soothing circle over her spine. “Remember our house? The one I took you to when you didn’t remember me?” She nodded. “We can go back there. No more guards, no more castles, no more expectations from complete strangers.”
She caught her lower lip between her teeth. “What about what we started here? How can we walk away from that?”
I shrugged. “The wheels are already in motion. All we need is someone with the same vision as us to take over.”
She was quiet for a long while, not quite looking at me. I let her have a moment to process what I was saying.
“You really want to walk away?”
I nodded. “This isn’t the life I want.”
She released a deep breath. “Then why did we do all of this to begin with?”
It was a question I had asked myself many times, and just at that moment I finally came up with an answer. “The only way my father was ever going to be removed from power without a full-blown civil war was if I did it. I thought at the time maybe it would be different if I was in his position, but I can’t do the job the way it needs to be done. I won’t put the kingdom ahead of you. Sebastian kept telling me I had a responsibility to do what was right for the kingdom, but the truth is, I’ll always choose to save you, regardless of the consequences.”
“So this is my fault. Of course it is. If I got in less trouble then you wouldn’t have to choose between me and the kingdom.”
She tried to step away but I held her close. “That’s not what I’m saying. If it weren’t you, it wouldn’t be anybody. Don’t you know that by now?”
She laid her hand against my cheek, her fingers cool against my face. “You can’t appoint someone to take your spot,” she said softly. “If this is what you really want, then there should be an election. Let all the fae vote, and we need to stay out of it. If they don’t share our vision, we can’t force it on them when we aren’t even going to see it through. Are you ready to walk away from that, too?”
I didn’t love the idea, but I understood what she was saying. Maybe the truest form of change I could bring to the kingdom was to take my family out of the equation and let them decide how to rule the rest of their lives. If they liked the hierarchy, then so be it. If they wanted change, they would have to vote it in. Selene and I would finally be free. No one trying to kill her, no weighty responsibility hanging over my head, and best of all, we could just be with one another.
“I’m okay with that.” Her face was hard to read. This wasn’t just my fight. It had been hers, too. She’d made sacrifices to bring this change about. Maybe she wasn’t willing to walk away as easily as I was. “Are you?”
She stayed quiet for another moment, obviously still thinking. Eventually, she spoke again. “Getting to this position hasn’t brought out my better qualities. I have killed a man, I’ve lied, I’ve manipulated, and I’ve cheated. I think I could close the door on this part of me pretty easily.”
It was like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I kissed her again. “Have I mentioned that I love you?”
She smiled. “Once or twice.”
“Knock. Knock.” Lily peeked through the door she had cracked open. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Wait,” I stopped her before she could close the door. “Come in. I want you to meet Selene.”
The door opened slowly and she took a couple hesitant steps in. “I just came to say goodbye.”
“You’re leaving?”
“One night in a castle didn’t make me a princess after all. Go figure.”
Selene smiled. “I’m Selene.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Lily replied, looking Selene over once then shaking her hand. “Glad you didn’t die.”
“Me too.” A slightly pained expression crossed Selene’s face, but she recovered quickly. “You’re Cheney’s sister Lily?”
“The one and only.” She gave a flourishing bow. “The elverpige sort of destroyed my club last night. I need to go assess the damage and figure out what to do next.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I just wanted to let him know so he didn’t freak or anything.”
“We’ll see you again, right? I’d like a chance to get to know you,” Selene said.
Lily glanced at me then quickly back at Selene. Finally she said, “I’d like that,” softly, as if she wasn’t sure all of this wouldn’t backfire on her.
Selene grinned. “Great. Right now I need to go see my grandmother, but maybe you could join us for dinner tonight?”
Lily nodded.
“If you need help at the club, I’m sure Cheney would —”
She waved her off and smirked. “The Erlking has better things to do. I can totally handle it alone.”
All things considered, I probably didn’t have time go with Lily, but Selene’s suggestion felt right. If family was going to be my priority, then I should start now. She was the last of my family line and I wanted to know her better, too. “Not today I don’t. I’d be happy to take you back to your club.”
“For real?” Lily’s expression was stunned, and even Selene’s eyes widened as she lifted an eyebrow.
“Absolutely.”
She sighed, but that didn’t hide the happy pink tint to her cheeks. “You aren’t going to try to save me from my life, are you? Just so it is clear, I like my life as it is.”
“No saving, I promise.”
The three of us walked outside together before Selene transported to her grandmother’s and Lily and I headed back to her club, Thistle. Outside the castle grounds was exactly the same as it had been the day before. The guards held the perimeter, but the crowd fed off of each other’s energy. The signs were the same racially directed insults and threats at Selene: “half-elf slut,” “royal disappointment,” and “kill the queen.” There was no doubt left that leaving was the best option for us. Selene was charming, but she couldn’t change the minds of people who refused to listen and hated without reason.
I led Lily toward the side entrance to avoid the crowd, but it was even louder over there. It sounded like two separate protests were happening at once. The noise was so loud that I couldn’t understand either of them.
“Wait here,” I told Lily. I went up the guard tower to take a look. Only one guard remained at the top while the others had formed a line between two groups on the ground, plus a few more from the house. “What�
�s going on?” I asked the remaining guard.
“Another group showed up today.” He pointed to the left side. “Non-elves.”
I looked closer. It was a mixture of nearly all the races: fairies, sprites, dwarves, goblins, and even half-elves. At first I was baffled why they would protest Selene, then I read the signs about equality, the need for change, and some with Selene’s image being used as a symbol of hope. The weight of what I was leaving behind finally hit me. It was one thing to walk away from hate—it was another to walk away from hope.
“What’d you do to piss them off?” Lily’s voice came from behind me.
I turned to look at my half-elf sister. Lily may have been full fae, but she wasn’t full elf. She was half elf and half fortuna fae. I had the urge to block them from her view. “Fell in love with the wrong person,” I answered.
She moved around me to see. Her mouth twisted into a wry smile. “One pretty little half-elf and all these people get their panties in a wad. This is why I work with jinn. Nothing gets their panties in a wad. Most don’t even wear them.” She winked at the guard who struggled to maintain his composure.
I laughed. “We should probably just transport to the club.”
Lily considered the crowd then shook her head. “You can if you want. I’m walking right through the center of them, personally.”
I tore my eyes away from the crowd to look at her, but she was already headed out the door with a slight skip to her step. I took a step to follow her, but hesitated. Would I make the situation worse or better if I went with her? On one hand, I would show my allegiance for the cause, but on the other I may incite a riot. Why was every woman in my life willfully stubborn? I jogged a bit to catch up with Lily.
“Do you think this is a good idea?”
“I think that if people don’t push the boundaries then the boundaries only get smaller. Right now, the elves are so narrow-minded they can reach out and touch both walls without leaning.” She stopped and turned to me. “Look, I’m not revolutionary minded at all. For the most part I stay out of fae politics. I work with outsiders and I’ve built my own life that has nothing to do with these people—unless they’re feeling lucky. In that case, I’m happy to take their money. I’m not looking for trouble, but I’m not ashamed of what I am, either.” She patted my shoulder. “You don’t have to come along. I totally get it.”