by Skye Horn
“How was your meeting with Queen Ismara?” Ethel asked, looking to change the subject as she rummaged through the organized wardrobe to pull out a baby-pink dress that would clash horribly with Thea’s red hair.
They both made a face at the dress, and Ethel put it back into the wardrobe. Whoever the dresses had belonged to obviously had more neutrally-colored hair.
“The Queen invited me to dinner tonight,” Thea said, leaving out the part about it being more of a demand than an invitation. She stripped out of her leather clothing and combed her hair with a brush from the vanity, wincing as the knots snagged on the brush teeth. “Declan will be back from his hunt by then.”
“What will you wear?” Ethel asked excitedly, eyeing an elaborate silver dress that Thea had refused wearing multiple times to other occasions, but that Ethel had obviously snuck into her pack.
“I’ll wear that on one condition,” Thea said, wetting a cloth in a bucket of cold water near the tub. She scrubbed the day-old dirt from her skin.
What she would give for a shower these days, she mused to herself.
“What condition?” Ethel raised a curious eyebrow.
“You and Mica make sure no one follows me into the village. I know Derek and Jami mean well, but I don’t want any guards with me.”
Ethel argued, but Thea just shook her head. Seeing Kieran would be hard enough. The last thing she wanted was an entourage of testosterone-driven guards watching her while she did it.
“You’ll wear the dress if I do?” Ethel said, defeated.
Thea nodded and, satisfied with her dirt-free skin, walked over to the wardrobe. As a woman, she would stand out if she wore her weapons baldric into the village, so she set that aside on the bed. Ethel watched her as she pulled on a pair of clean, brown leather pants and tucked a cream tunic into them. She slid a single dagger into its hiding spot in her boot, leaving Kieran’s sword behind. She wanted to be as normal as possible to avoid recognition in the village.
When she finished dressing, she walked to the vanity and pulled a few of the bottles she’d been examining from the drawer. She applied a soft cream to her skin, concealing the darkening circles beneath her eyes. Then she took a rouge cream and applied it to her lips and cheeks, bringing a soft color to her skin that had been lacking. Last, Thea lined her eyes with a charcoal-like substance, watching them pop with their own style of magic.
“Thank the Goddess,” she mumbled to herself.
“I didn’t know you knew how to do that,” Ethel said with a tone of amazement. Thea let her hair fall down her back and around her shoulders, ignoring the subconscious part of her that reminded her this was how Kieran liked it.
“Glad I can still surprise you,” Thea mused, taking a last look at her reflection in the mirror. “How do I look?”
“Beautiful, milady.” Ethel hesitated for a moment and then said, “Kieran is in the village?”
Thea realized she hadn’t told Ethel why she was going to the village, but it must have been obvious.
“Ismara told me where he is,” Thea breathed, feeling naked without her array of weapons strapped to her.
“She knows?” Ethel asked, obviously surprised by this information.
Thea nodded and recounted as quickly as she could what had happened in the throne room to Ethel, who sat on the edge of the gigantic bed, looking more and more confused by the second.
“Why would she want you to marry Declan if she knows you’re in love with Kieran?” Ethel asked, eyebrows furrowing.
Thea shrugged. She did not understand what Ismara wanted out of all of this, but she wasn’t about to miss her chance to talk to Kieran. She’d meet Declan later, just as she’d promised, but first, she needed the closure everyone kept telling her about. She needed to face Kieran.
Perhaps that was something Ismara knew. Perhaps that was why she’d told Thea where to go. Thea wasn’t sure, but she also didn’t really care.
“Are you sure you want to see him?” Ethel asked, catching Thea off-guard. “I mean, after what he did to you.”
“That’s why I need to see him,” Thea said. “I need to know the truth.”
You’ve been lied to. Thea wished she could shake the words, but Morrigan seemed to be with her everywhere she went now. She couldn’t handle more lies or secrets now.
“He told you why in the letter,” Ethel argued and it felt like a slap in the face. Thea frowned. She knew Ethel was right. Kieran had left her all the answers to her questions, but Thea’s rash decision-making had led her to burn the letter. It wasn’t her proudest moment, but she couldn’t take it back.
“He should have told me in person,” Thea replied with tight lips, knowing how childish it sounded.
Ethel said nothing else, so Thea crossed her arms.
“What do you think about me marrying a stranger?” she asked. “Be honest.”
It took Ethel a minute to reply. She considered and debated Thea’s words before speaking again. Despite her age, Thea wanted to know what Ethel thought. Did she think Thea was selfish for not wanting this union? Or stupid for hoping for a chance with Kieran?
“I love you and Kieran both,” Ethel said. “And I love you and Kieran together—but I never thought you’d actually stay together. None of us did.”
The words hurt to hear, but Thea listened. After all, she’d been the one who’d asked for honesty.
“The law isn’t kind to those who break it, and Kieran has always believed he needs to live up to that law. He thinks he has to do what is best for the people before himself, and I think you believe that way too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stayed put after he left.
“I realize he left you here to deal with all of this on your own, but I think he’s still trying to help. Mica says he’s been traveling between the villages, making sure the people know what is coming. You couldn’t go with him to do that; you have a kingdom to rule.”
Thea hated how nervous Ethel looked as she spoke, as if she expected Thea to break down or explode.
“I don’t know why your paths crossed the way they did, but I have to believe there is a reason. I have to believe Ainé didn’t just make you soulmates to torture you for the rest of your lives.” Ethel folded her hands in her lap, looking older than fourteen.
“When did you grow up?” Thea asked. She wasn’t angry, but she wasn’t happy either.
Ethel smiled in response.
“I wish you could make decisions that make you happy, but maybe Declan won’t be so bad.”
“Maybe,” Thea said, although she didn’t believe she could ever love anyone the way she loved Kieran. Plus, everyone had made it very clear that Declan had no interest in her either.
That seemed to be a continuing theme for her: men who didn’t want her.
“Well, Ismara obviously wants me to talk to Kieran today,” Thea said. “And I don’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t.”
“Then go talk to him,” Ethel agreed. “Settle what needs to be settled so that you can move on.”
The words move on hung in the air between them, but Thea nodded in agreement regardless of the sting. She tightened her waistcoat one last time, straightening her wavy hair in the mirror, and pulled her cloak on, hiding beneath the hood.
“I’ll be back before dinner to change,” Thea said, knowing she couldn’t get away with not wearing a dress to dinner. “And remember our deal. I’m not wearing that dress if I’m followed.”
The words were teasing, but Thea still meant them. She didn’t want any of the guards going to the village with her, not even Mica. This was too private a moment, and they already knew too much, even if they wouldn’t admit it.
“Promise,” Ethel said, saluting as Thea headed out the bedroom door.
Thea passed through the busy castle halls mostly unnoticed. She stopped to ask for directions from a young handmaiden after walking in circles for at least a quarter of an hour, but once she was headed in the right direction, she felt her confidence morphing into an
xiety.
She considered turning around multiple times, fearing what her interaction with Kieran might be like, but never actually returned to her bedroom. Within the hour, Thea had reached the busy village and wanted to puke at how nervous she felt.
Like the castle, the village was larger than both Ivandor’s and Grimwalde’s villages. The young and the old busied themselves with shopping and chatting beneath the warmth of the afternoon sun. There were children in most of the shop fronts, calling out to her about purchasing perfume or bread from the shop owners, but Thea only smiled, declining as politely as she could. It intrigued her how the Fae and humans interacted here. No one cast judging glances at one another, and there was no scrutiny about who had wings or who didn’t. She could stroll through town without the horrors of war following her footsteps.
The clash of swords brought Thea out of her peaceful trance, though, and she looked in the sound’s direction. It vibrated against her eardrums, drawing her toward it. Thea slipped the dagger from her boot and ran—all while ignoring the little voice in her head which sounded like Derek telling her not to be stupid.
By the time she reached the fighting her hood had fallen back, and it surprised her to find two men standing against one woman. The female was obviously Fae. She wore similar clothing to Thea and even had large, brown wings extending from her back. However, unlike Thea, her baldric of weapons was strapped securely across her back, holding not only daggers and swords but also a bow and arrow.
Thea felt even more naked without her weapons now, but the female Fae was laughing as she fought off the two men.
“C’mon boys!” she called out as she dodged attack after attack with complete grace. A crowd gathered around them, whispering to each other as if this fighting in the streets was normal and unalarming. “You’re making this too easy on me.”
She smirked while the male Fae glared at her. Neither of them had wings, but each was definitely a trained soldier. Pointed ears stuck out from beneath the woman’s pixie hair, twitching as the male Fae circled her.
Two against one didn’t seem fair, but to Thea’s astonishment, the men lost. It only took about a minute longer before the winged female had disarmed her opponents, sending them glowering past Thea. Each of their faces burned with anger as the crowd cheered and the winner gave a mock curtsy. She collected a jar from the ground, which Thea was astonished to see held gold and bronze coins.
“Maybe next time!” she called out to them and then noticed Thea standing with the dagger clutched in her hand, looking dumbfounded.
They were fighting for money—what strange world had she stumbled into? In Ivandor, the clash of swords in the street would have meant death, but here it was something different. A game?
To Thea’s embarrassment, the winged Fae walked toward her, sheathing her sword with a tilted, curious gaze as she examined Thea.
“You’re new here,” she said with a smile. Up close, Thea could see her sweat-stained forehead and purple irises.
“I…” Thea didn’t know what to say. She didn’t really understand what she’d just witnessed. “I’m Thea.”
The words fumbled out of Thea’s lips with no sense of grace.
“Haven,” the girl introduced herself, eyeing Thea’s dagger. “Were you planning on murdering me?”
Blushing, Thea slipped the dagger back into her boot with a shake of her head.
“No. No, I just heard the fighting,” she blurted. “And, well, I guess I’m not used to that where I come from.”
“And where is that?” Haven asked, setting her hands on her hips in a way that made Thea raise her own eyebrow at the challenge.
“Ivandor,” Thea said, and then moved to change the subject. “You’re quite a fighter. Are you hoping to join the Queen’s Guard?”
After so many months of arguing with her High Council, Thea knew the criteria for the Queen’s Guard well. She also knew female winged Fae were not common, according to her guards at least. It intrigued her to meet another female with wings, although she tried to hide that interest as much as possible.
However, the grim look that crossed Haven’s face at the mention of the Queen’s Guard made Thea regret she’d ever spoken.
“Sorry, I’m not great with small talk,” Thea said, hoping Haven would hear the sincerity in her voice. She hadn’t meant to cross whatever line she’d crossed. “Could you point me toward the tavern?”
The change of subject seemed to please Haven, but Thea couldn’t shake the way she’d looked away. Whatever nerve Thea had struck hadn’t been a pleasant one.
“I could, but why is the Princess of Ivandor going to a run-down inn when she has a room in the castle?”
Thea’s mouth fell open.
“How did you know?” she asked, astonished.
“I’ve heard of you,” she said, eyeing the wings on her back. “Plus, you’re too beautiful to be a commoner.”
Thea blushed, blinking in surprise at the comment.
“I think there are many beautiful commoners,” she said, but the response felt ridiculous, and Haven only laughed.
“Plus, I would stay elsewhere, but I don’t think that future queens get many choices.”
“Oh?” Haven said with intrigue. “Tell me about it while I walk you to the tavern. I don’t know how you slipped away from your guards, but I wouldn’t be an honorable citizen to let you wander the streets alone. Even Gimmerwich can be dangerous.”
Thea wondered if that was true as she looked around at all the cheerful faces, but didn’t argue. Unlike with her male guards, Thea relaxed a little beside Haven. It was an unusual feeling for her.
“I’m looking for someone, and Queen Ismara says he’s here in the village. I figured I’d start with the tavern,” Thea explained as they walked.
“Ah, you’re chasing a man. I should have known,” Haven replied, her eyebrows wiggling at Thea, who flushed. “Well, come on. Tell me all about him.”
Chapter 12
Thea didn’t know why she did it, but she told Haven everything. It felt like a bomb that had been ticking beneath the surface of Thea’s skin for months had just exploded as she emptied her emotions on this stranger she’d met in the village, who listened without ever interrupting. Thea told Haven how her mother had made Kieran take Thea to the land without magic and leave her there. She explained she’d spent her entire life not knowing who she was, but finding Kieran had changed that. Thea didn’t even hesitate to talk about her and Kieran’s last night together, before Morrigan had tricked Mirielle into sending Thea into a trap. That night wasn’t something Thea had told anyone about. It had been a shared memory between only Kieran and her, but now it exploded out of her as if she’d known Haven for years.
“So, if your love was so epic, why’d he leave?” Haven asked as Thea came to pause in her story. The words weren’t cruel, but concerned.
“That’s what I’m here to find out,” Thea murmured, realizing they’d approached the tavern while she was speaking about her tragic love story.
“He doesn’t seem worth the time,” Haven said with blunt honesty that for once didn’t hurt Thea’s feelings. “But then again, I don’t really know anything about soul bonds.”
“Sometimes I wish I could just get rid of it,” Thea admitted, staring at the entrance. Now that she was here, she didn’t know if she had the courage to open the door.
Haven reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. The gentle sincerity surprised Thea again. This woman was a complete stranger, and yet, Thea had unloaded her tragedy onto her and received no judgement in return.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” Thea asked, knowing her own bluntness wouldn’t bother the other girl.
“You seem like you need a friend,” was all Haven said in response, but it rang so many truths into Thea’s ears.
She’d had Ethel for the past few months, sure, but when it came down to it, Ethel was fourteen. She didn’t know what Thea was going through or how to handle it. Thea definitely c
ouldn’t talk to her about how she and Kieran had sex, and then he left her. She couldn’t burden Ethel or Iris with her worries, not only because of age, but because they were Kieran’s family. It wasn’t fair to put them in a position where they needed to pick sides.
Haven was another story, and Thea hadn’t even known how badly she needed a friend until this moment. It made her wonder if there was such a thing as a soul bond between friends as she squeezed Haven’s hand back with a smile.
“Will you wait for me?” she asked.
“I’ll disturb the peace by grabbing an ale at the bar while I do.” She smirked, and then pushed the door open for Thea, who hesitated only a moment longer before stepping into the dimly lit tavern.
The harsh scent of rotten cheese and bitter ale assaulted Thea’s nostrils immediately, making her eyes water slightly as she took in her bearings. The tables were crammed so close together that it seemed impossible anyone could have a private conversation. However, none of that mattered to Thea, whose eyes had drifted directly to the darkened corner of the room where a Fae with large black wings sat in front of a half-empty stein.
His sea-green eyes lifted to meet her gaze the second she walked through the door. Haven released her hand, leaving her side, but Thea didn’t watch where she disappeared to. All she saw was Kieran, and his face gave away everything her heart had been hoping for.
No amount of time could have prepared Kieran for the flood of emotions he felt as soon as Thea walked into the tavern. He felt her presence just before their eyes met and was left open and raw for her to see. His heart raced against his chest, but he masked the emotions from his face for her protection. Although Thea had walked into the tavern with a well-armed female Fae, Kieran saw no other protection for the princess. She attempted to blend with the villagers, hiding herself beneath the hood of her cloak, but he would recognize her anywhere from any distance.