Discipline (Omega Queen Series Book 1)

by W. J. May

  The fae caught onto his master scheme at the same time the princess did, slipping the pony into his pocket before sweeping gracefully to the door.

  “I don’t think I’d do a thing to change it.” He glanced at the top of the princess’ hair with a little grin. “It’s perfect just the way it is.”

  Just like that, the battle of the century turned into an unexpected truce as the friends and the stylists parted ways—both sides waving graciously and offering sweet words of goodbye.

  The second they were in the hallway, the friends fell silent.

  “Seven. Hells.”

  Never one to hold back his opinion Ellanden bit down on his lip with a grin, trying to comfort the princess and failing miserably to do so at the same time. “It’s not that bad. Maybe we can drape a sheet over your head. That way, no one will ever see.”

  She reached for his belt, yanking the sword halfway out of its sheath. Asher caught her hands and lowered them back to her sides, stepping between them with a quiet chuckle.

  “Let’s save the bloodshed until after the feast...”

  In a flash, his fingers were in her hair—pulling out pins and sliding out wires, expertly unwinding every coil the hairdresser had taken so long to fold into place. When he was finished, her hair looked the way it always did—cascading in crimson waves down the center of her back.

  “There...” He pulled out the flower last, tucking it behind her ear. “...perfect.”

  She slowly lifted her hand to it, not knowing what to say.

  Compared to his boisterous friends the vampire was quiet, keeping mostly to himself. But every now and then, he did something to surprise her.

  “...thanks, Ash.”

  Ellanden cocked his head to the door. “Are you finished preening yet? Can we get on with it?”

  Still fighting the urge to impale him upon his own blade the princess flounced past with a superior smile, swishing her long hair back and forth as she threw open the doors with a flourish.

  “Let the party begin...”

  THERE ARE PARTIES, and there are parties.

  This was the latter.

  Everywhere the princess looked, she was dazzled. The courtyard of the castle had been transformed into some kind of wonderland. The walls were draped with silks and the fountain was dripping with candles. Flowers and fairy lights were strewn amidst the trees. Even the breeze itself was enchanted, scented like whatever aroma each person desired the most.

  Long silver tables had been set on one side for the feast and an equally long arena had been set up on the far side of the grass. Ellanden hadn’t been joking about there being a joust. But there were other tournaments as well. Sword-fighting, archery. As a knight crashed to the ground in a spray of sweat and blood, Evie knew instinctively that’s where she’s be spending most of her time.

  Vibrantly colored tents had been erected in the space in between. Most of them were booths for different games, but the local villagers had been allowed to sell their wares. There were stacks of soaps and fine linens. Delicate woodland jewelry and endless stacks of honeys and jams. A pack of shifters was hawking a corded cloak that was guaranteed to stay on even during a transformation, while a coven of witches was selling candles that guaranteed to lure your lover to bed.

  The boys stared curiously at the candles, until Evie stepped into their path.

  “Where to first?”

  “The archery range,” they answered in unison.

  And THIS is why we’re friends.

  With a beaming smile, she slipped an arm through each of theirs and the three of them began winding their way slowly through the tents. No matter how urgent the need to prove themselves in the arena might have been, there was simply too much to see to go there directly. Every few feet, they found themselves stopping to look at some new distraction. Several times they found themselves reaching eagerly into their pockets for coins, having found something they needed to buy.

  A quiver of silver arrows for the prince, a pair of riding gloves for the princess. A sinister-looking lollipop for the vampire that made the others gag until they forced themselves to look away.

  As if the tents weren’t fantastical enough, there were the festival-goers themselves. People of all ages had come out to enjoy the celebration. And by people...very few of them were human.

  Packs of children raced in between the tents, some of them so excited by what was going on around them they hadn’t realized they’d begun to grow claws and fur. Nymphs and naiads floated past in shimmering gowns that seemed to change color depending which way you looked at them, while groups of warriors and knights wandered around side by side, laughing loudly at times gone by with flagons of ale permanently affixed to their hands.

  A lone warlock had set up shop in the far corner, hawking a ridiculously expensive elixir that claimed to give immortal life. Five witches were planted immediately in front of him, siphoning off business with a tent that streamed multi-colored bubbles into the air.

  It was a magical extravaganza. The type of thing that used to happen all the time, but had only started up again once their parents had ascended the throne.

  And the best part?

  For one night alone the friends were allowed walk amongst them.

  “This is fantastic,” Ellanden murmured, looking far younger than usual as he tilted his head back with a contented smile. “I’ve missed this.”

  Fae had a tendency to age only so far as they were ready at the time. Some of them stayed children for much longer than most cultures, while others were in a hurry to grow up. Ellanden was the latter. Of all the friends, he alone had been born around the time of the battle. His mother was actually carrying him during the fight. If Evie hadn’t been born, there’s a chance he would have aged normally and been eighteen already. But to suit the speed of his childhood companion, he’d stopped two years short. Now, they were all sixteen together. Counting down the days until they were grown.

  “You could declare an annual celebration,” Asher teased lightly, tossing the remains of his treat into the trash. “We could come back every year.”

  The friends laughed quietly, having attempted such things many times before.

  Their parents visited each other as much as was possible, considering each of them had a kingdom to run, but no matter how much time was spent together it was never enough for their children. After years of shameless begging they had finally been allowed to spend each summer together, either in the High Kingdom, the Belarian capital, or behind the ivory gates of Taviel.

  “Landi—look!” Evie hurried over to a booth that was curiously unattended, given the lovely gems strewn out on display. Delicate silver necklaces, teardrop earrings, and shimmering bracelets of white gold. “I can’t believe they’d just leave it out like this. No one’s even watching.”

  “That’s because no one would ever steal from them.” Asher gestured to a sigil sewn into one of the banners on the tent. “This belongs to the fae. Probably not even planning on selling it.”

  “They have that stuff all over the place in Taviel,” Ellanden said dismissively, eying a display of swords. “If you want, I can pick something up for you the next time we go back.”

  She lingered a second longer, touching the tip of her finger to an exquisitely-crafted ring of braided silver leaves, before turning to follow his gaze.

  “I say we get our faces painted, then try out that battle-axe.”

  The boys shared a grin over the top of her head, then headed off towards the weapons. Gemstones and sweets could occupy them for only so long... The arena was calling.

  “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WE’RE not allowed to fight??” Ellanden asked furiously, towering over a squat little man who looked to be on the verge of a heart attack. “We’re hosting the festival!”

  “I’m sorry, Highness,” he stammered, eying the two silver swords already gripped in the prince’s hand. “Your father’s orders. No one of royal blood is permitted to enter the arena.”

  The fae glanc
ed furiously over his shoulder to where Cassiel was sitting with the others at the high table, graciously receiving an endless stream of courtiers. Their eyes met ever so briefly over the crowd and he shook his head sharply. A moment later, he returned to the guests.

  Ellanden turned back to the proprietor, seething in silent rage. “Fine. Then clear out the archery range so we can practice.”

  The man hurried so quickly to do as he asked, he almost tripped over his own shoes. While the exhibition fights continued at one end of the field, the three friends picked up their quivers and bows and marched across to the other—throwing sullen looks over their shoulders all the while.

  Rather, two of them did. The vampire maintained his usual calm.

  “Aw, come on.” He tried to cheer up his friends, picking up an arrow and throwing it towards the target with his bare hands. “It’s not like they could have let the prince of the fae and the crown princess of the High Kingdom fight against commoners in a festival arena. You think they didn’t want to fight themselves? You think they’d rather be sitting there, doing that?”

  He gestured towards their parents with amusement, lingering on their rigid postures and fixed smiles. They sat without blinking, greeting each new arrival with the same glassed-over eyes.

  The others looked, but didn’t care.

  “Easy for you to say,” Ellanden said petulantly, threading his bow. “You wouldn’t have been allowed to fight anyway.”

  The second the words left his mouth he glanced up quickly, staring at his best friend with a mixture of apology and fear. When Asher lifted his eyebrows, that apology deepened.

  “Sorry, Ash. I wasn’t...” He trailed off as the vampire took a step towards him, twirling an arrow absentmindedly between his fingers. “Now, don’t get crazy. I said I was sorry—”

  “I heard you,” Asher said sweetly, never stopping his advance. “I heard the whole thing.”

  Evie rolled her eyes and took the opportunity to fire three arrows into the center of the target, while one boy continued stalking toward the other, a predatory smile on his face.

  “You know I hate it when you do this,” Ellanden muttered, unable to hide the grin that was creeping up the side of his face. “I swear, it gives me nightmares.”

  The vampire’s eyebrows cocked in mock sympathy. “Oh, no.”

  Even Evie had to laugh at that as the fae lifted his bow between them—notching an arrow just three feet away from the vampire’s heart. “I’m sorry it had to come to this—”

  At that moment, several things happened at once.

  The vampire pounced, the arrow flew, and both teenagers were yanked into the air with a simultaneous gasp, staring up in astonishment at a blinding light twinkling above them.

  “Marigold!”

  Evie dropped her bow and ran over with a grin, arriving just in time to see the light shimmer into the form of a radiant little woman. A second later, the boys dropped back to the ground.

  “It’s so wonderful to see you, my darling!” The fairy stepped obliviously over their crumpled bodies, embracing the princess with a strength that defied her size. “And look how you’ve grown!”

  Evie bowed her head with a blush as the woman glanced over her shoulder.

  “And you two.” She clucked her tongue disapprovingly, opening her arms to them at the same time. “How many times do I have to stop you from killing one another?”

  They stepped forward and sank to their knees in perfect unison, kissing her on the cheek.

  “It’s good to see you again,” Ellanden said with a smile.

  “When did you get to the castle?” Asher added, discreetly wiping a smear of lipstick off his cheek with the back of his hand.

  “Just now,” she answered merrily. “I thought I’d try to enjoy a little bit of the festival before my insufferable companions showed up and... and there they are.”

  The friends twisted around as two more balls of light floated over the wall of the castle. One was crimson, the other a deep sapphire. They hovered for a moment, vibrating with such speed the princess was sure she could hear little voices squeaking through, before dropping to the ground abruptly and leaving two equally tiny women standing on the grass.

  They needed only a moment to get their bearings, then they pounced.

  “Oh, shite—”

  In the scuffle that followed, chances were Evie was the only one who heard Ellanden’s quiet curse. Back in the day, it was said that the fairy, Nixie, developed a startling crush on her own father. But the second she saw his teenage nephew, those affections had tripled in size.

  The others looked on with a grin as she leapt on top of him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck with delight. Given their comical height difference, it almost looked as if he was wearing a rather aggressive scarf. His eyes closed with a rather pained expression before opening with a grin.

  “Hey, Nix...you’re strangling me.”

  She buried her face in his skin, inhaling deeply. “That’s how it feels to me, too...”

  Asher bit his lip as the other fairy, Beck, swatted the back of her head.

  “He means it literally, you psychopath! You’re choking the boy!”

  With the utmost reluctance she released him and dropped back to the ground, swishing her dress back and forth with a coy little grin.

  “She’s just jealous. She’ll never understand what we have.”

  Wisely choosing to ignore them Marigold rotated in a slow circle, trying to take in the festival before fluttering several feet into the air to get a better view.

  “Ah, I see your parents already want to kill themselves.” Her eyes swept over their endless formalities with a twinkle before returning to Evie. “And you escaped the royal hairdresser.”

  “I didn’t, actually. Ash saved me on the way out.”

  As she spoke she eyed the jovial woman with extreme caution, taking a step away. She loved the fairies more than anything, but the women saw the princess as a life-size doll and were endlessly trying to play with her hair. Beck cast a sly look at the fae. They were always trying to do his hair as well. But it hung loose to his shoulders as always, twisted with occasional braids like his father.

  “Well, you’ll be wanting to get to the table soon enough,” the fairy replied, rubbing her hands together as she spotted some sticks of nectar moving their way through the crowd. “The feast is soon to begin, and your parents won’t be happy if you’re late.”

  Without another word, the fairies vanished and three glowing orbs took their place—floating up above the crowd before disappearing amongst the tents.

  The friends glanced at the high table before turning back to the target.

  “Best out of five?” Ellanden suggested.

  Evie snatched the bow from his hand with a grin.

  Growing up, she’d been at a distinct disadvantage when it came to such things. Both her friends were blessed with supernatural speed, strength, and accuracy—not to mention that the Fae were natural archers. But she’d never been content to play the part of the dainty princess. She craved adventure just like the rest of them, and every second she wasn’t studying she trained. Hard.

  Fencing, knife play, riding, archery—you name it. Whenever she expressed even the slightest interest in something involving the outdoors, her father became personally involved. Sending for the best instructors and commissioning specialized weapons from the blacksmith.

  She was a quick study. Often times, he simply trained her himself.

  “What are you going to give me when I win?” she asked arrogantly, nocking an arrow to the string as she lifted her arms. “It had better be good.”

  Bold words, considering her opponents. But there were few things more arrogant than a fae.

  “Oh, Everly...” Ellanden chuckled under his breath. “If you win, I’ll give you something I’ve never even dreamed of giving you before.”

  Their eyes met and he flashed a wicked smile.

  “Respect.”

  With a
n icy glare, she raised her arms once more—seeing the entire target just the way her uncle had taught her. Her fingers relaxed as she prepared to let the arrow fly. But a second before she could release it, Asher grabbed her hand with a sudden cry.

  “Wait!”

  He was gone a second later—streaking to the target in a blur. There was a brief scuffle when he got there, then he reappeared a moment later with a small girl in his arms.

  “Cosette!”

  Ellanden threw his bow to the ground and angrily made his way towards them, taking the child from the vampire and kneeling in front of her with a brotherly scowl.

  “What in seven hells were you doing? We could have shot you!”

  The little girl flushed, unable to meet his eyes. “I just wanted to play with you,” she murmured, staring down at her fingers. “I thought maybe I could retrieve the arrows.”

  The sight was enough to melt anyone’s heart, but the fae was immune.

  “So you hid behind the target?”

  They might have only been cousins, but the two could easily have passed for siblings. With their fair skin, dark eyes and ivory hair, they favored each other in every way. Ellanden certainly treated her as a sibling. Commanding her around in that same possessive, imperious way Evie had sometimes see Cassiel speak to Serafina. Usually right before he got slapped in the face.

  “Answer me, little one.”

  She flushed again and threw a silent look to Evie.

  With a grin, the princess set down her bow and walked over to help. The princesses of the High Kingdom had to stick together. Besides, the girl was her cousin as well.

  “What seems to be the trouble here?” she asked in a theatrical tone, folding her arms threateningly across her chest. “Do I need to start knocking heads?”

  Ellanden rolled his eyes, glancing at the target. “She’s going to get herself killed...”

  “Why?” Evie raised her eyebrows in a challenge. “You think you would have missed?”

  The fae stared at her for a moment, then gestured down to the child. “No. I’m going to strangle her.”

  A bugle sounded in the distance and the crowds started drifting towards the tables. Already, Katerina was standing on her tiptoes, searching for her daughter in the crowd.