Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

I t took a bit of convincing, but finally, at long last, Harald was willing to put on a fresh shirt so they could return to the feast. They had been gone for some time now, so, doubtless, their absence had been noted, but no one had come to find them.

A thought that made Karalyn blush when she considered the possibilities that some might construe as the reason behind their disappearance…

Now was not the time for that, however. Trying to conceive a child with Harald when Evermore was going mad with war was not something she was even willing to consider. It simply wouldn't be prudent, and if the war would spread despite her ending the curse before it did any damage, she would have to fight alongside Harald.

Or would they have to fight separately? Above and below? If all of Evermore launched a war against the fairies and the sea raiders, she and he could not fight together. The fight would be on the sea or else the island of the sea raiders as well as above the Falls of Ethereia in Fae Falls.

Harald placed a hand upon her shoulder, and she turned and smiled at him as they rejoined the feast. How much had changed between them in such a short period of time. He could comfort her without saying a word and even know without speech that her mind was troubled.

Karalyn glanced around, trying to locate her best friend, Eliana Backen, when she realized she was walking on the ground instead of hovering. Not so long ago, her feet hardly touched grass, and now, she was walking far more than ever before.

My, how times had changed.

Elmer Mercer flew up to them. "Your parents are looking for you," he said.

Karalyn smiled warmly at her friend. "Thank you." She turned to her husband. "Shall we?"

"If we are to be scolded…"

"I will shield you from the brunt of it." She winked at him.

He scoffed. "I do not need you to protect me."

"No? You were the one who was wounded!"

"That happens."

"I do not want it to happen again."

"Some wants will occur. Any that are within my power, I will procure for you in any fashion, but others… The ones outside of my control most likely will not come to pass," he said grimly.

Elmer glanced between them. "Ah… I'll be off then."

Karalyn sighed as her friend flew away. "Perhaps be a bit more mindful of what you say in front of my parents," she murmured.

"I said nothing that should have offended your friend," he protested.

"Perhaps not, but…"

"Come now. Sea raiders and fairies are not all that different," he protested.

"Oh, I disagree on that account. You lack wings!"

"Yes, but we both bleed."

She glared at him. "Yes, of course, but you control the sea!"

"Through our staff, which you were able to use."

"You cannot control nature nor the wind."

"Can all fairies control the wind?"

She hesitated. "No," she admitted. "Only the strongest can."

"It has nothing to do with your being royal?"

"Perhaps," she murmured. "Are we to make my parents wait much longer?"

"I suppose not. I would not wish for them to think poorly of me."

"Why would they?"

He snorted. "You thought poorly of me for a long while. Years."

"Yes, well…"

She started to hover so she could move more swiftly through the crowd, but Harald touched her hand, and she turned back to him.

"I want you to know that you never have need to fear the waters ever again," he said, his tone deathly serious. "I doubt we will have time for you to complete the Trials by Water to earn your own staff, but I am the king, and what I say goes. You will be given one, but the moment the war is over and peace is reclaimed in Tridor and Fae Falls, then you will secure your right to the staff."

"Harald, no. It should not be given without merit," she protested.

"Your fear of the water might very well stem from me and my actions. I thought you could swim. Now, I look back and wonder why I made that assumption. Just because you have arms and legs does not mean you can do laps. I never meant for harm to come to you then, and I will never wish that upon you ever."

She smiled fondly and cupped his cheek. "I—" Karalyn glanced away.

"What is it?"

"Elmer. He wished to speak to my father about becoming one of the Guardians of the Air. He made no mention of it just now."

"Do you think your father refused him? Speaking of your father…"

She smiled wanly. "You do not wish for your father through marriage to think poorly of you, hmm?"

"We should go see what your parents want, do you not agree?"

"I suppose."

He lifted his eyebrows, and she wrinkled her nose.

"They might not be happy that we disappeared," she admitted in a low whisper.

"We are here now," he said, but he grimaced.

"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly worried. She was not altogether certain she liked the way he was eyeing her.

"Your lips are a little swollen," he muttered.

"Oh! You should shave!"

He burst out laughing. "Swollen lips come from kisses. It matters not if the gent has facial hair or not."

"So you claim, but I would like to know if your theory is wrong."

"Dover can attest that it does not matter."

She eyed him skeptically.

Harald tilted his head to the side. "Come. Your parents love you. All fairies are here for the feast. Why should you fear your parents?"

"I am not afraid of them," she protested.

"Then let us go."

She nodded, but she hovered beside him instead of walking on the ground. It did not take them long to reach her parents.

As she feared, Rebutia Tilbury, Queen of the Fairies, and Giles, her husband, looked more than a little unsettled as she and Harald approached.

"Has something happened?" Karalyn asked, her heart sinking.

Her father waved a hand, his wings hardly fluttering. "No, but we were discussing matters."

The queen leaned forward as she hovered several feet above the ground. "There are many perks to your union."

Karalyn shyly smiled at her husband.

But Harald appeared wary. "That is true," he allowed.

"However," the King of the Fairies added, "it is not necessarily easy for news to travel from here to there."

"That is true," Karalyn admitted.

"To that end…" Her mother patted her father's arm. "…we were thinking that it might be smart for the two of you to go to Tridor and spread the news about the victory here."

"And how your curse is no more," the king added.

Karalyn nodded even as her stomach clenched. As much as she wanted to believe that her curse had been broken, who was to say that it wouldn't occur another day? Although how could she set the sky on fire? The curse had always confused her.

Harald dipped his head. "We have enjoyed this feast. Thank you. I do think that heading to Tridor would be a good idea, but if Karalyn wishes to spend the night here first, we can venture down after a good night's sleep."

Karalyn opened and closed her mouth, considering the options. "We can leave now," she said slowly. Her parents would not have suggested they leave now unless they thought that preferable. "So long as you do not mind," she added to Harald.

He nodded to her. "Now is fine. Until next time." He bowed to her mother and then to her father.

Karalyn embraced her parents and continued to fly close to the ground beside Harald as they made their way beyond the feast toward the waterfall. The Falls of Ethereia emptied into the sea below, and she peered over the side. Fae Falls was a floating island, beautiful and majestic, and every time she had to leave, Karalyn wished she could return to the lush greenery of the fairy kingdom.

"I can carry you down," Karalyn offered.

"You could or…" He lifted his staff. "Coming up to your land might prove nearly impossible for me even with this, but I already have traveled down the falls with my magic previously."

"I know… and it had been a sight to see."

He smirked. "Did you like when I use magic?"

"You like to show off far too much," she retorted.

"Ah, but this time, you can enjoy my showing off without having to worry. The sirens are not attacking."

"As far as we know," she murmured worriedly. "They do not like me much at all."

"If they would get to know you?—"

"I doubt they will ever give me the chance."

"Perhaps not, but that does not mean you should avoid the land that you are the queen consort of," he protested.

"Tridor… It does not have one ruler but three sets."

"Yes, but?—"

"The sirens and mermaids fight from time to time, but what if they combine their forces to go against the sea raiders?"

"They have ceased their tidal waves upon the castle."

Her eyes widened. "Harald!"

"We are fine," he assured her.

With that said, he already stepped into the water or, rather stood on top of it and walked over the edge.

Her heart skipped a beat, and Karalyn zoomed forward, flying swiftly. Harald was falling, but slower than one would if they were in a freefall. He seemed to be almost gliding along the top of the water, and his speed was gradually increasing to the point that she could not tell if he was being more daring and showing off for her sake or if he was losing control.

She flew over to match his pace. "Do you have a handle on this?" she asked.

He did not look at her, too intent was his focus. "I am fine."

He sounded a bit breathless but also exuberant. Regardless of how in control he seemed to be, Karalyn did not like this, not one bit. The moment he touched down on top of the water, she could see more easily how he kept the water away from his boots.

"Do all sea raiders with staves abuse their magical might so?" she asked dryly.

"It is important to know what one can and cannot do," he protested. "Besides, my crew have done the same."

"Yes, I know, but… Do you oft walk on water?"

His grin was altogether rakish. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She sighed and scoffed, but as he made his way over toward his island, she had no choice but to follow.

There were times when he remained impossible, but she doubted he would ever change.

Strangely, she was all right about that.

The king had only just set foot onto the sand of his island when a sea raider approached. A female. Karalyn recognized her as the one to have notified her and Harald that the sirens had been attacking.

Karalyn smiled as warmly as she could. She still felt a bit out of sorts around some of the sea raiders.

"I do not believe we have properly met yet," she said, hoping she was not wrong concerning this matter. So much had occurred in such a short amount of time, and she hardly wished to insult one of Harald's people. "I am Karalyn…"

She hesitated. She had been about to say Tilbury, but she supposed she now had another name.

"Forgive me," Harald said, smoothly stepping forward. "Karalyn, this is Rosella Lenton. Rosella, this is my wife, Princess of the Fairies and Queen Cohort of the Sea Raiders."

Rosella tilted her head to the side. "I know," she said in a tone that suggested she was irked. More with Harald than anyone if Karalyn had to guess, but she did not appreciate that for his sake. "I also know that Dover and the rest of us are fine with this… your father is…"

"Some of the other crews?" Harald asked.

Rosella eschewed eye contact and wrinkled her nose. "I would call the lot of them…" She glanced at Karalyn and then away before falling silent.

"What is it?" Harald pressed, his tone strangely stern yet gentle.

"I'll refrain from calling them what I'm thinking," the sea raider muttered darkly, "but not everyone is happy about you… about your wife."

Karalyn couldn't help but stiffen.

"My parents sought this union for years," Harald protested. "Why would they?—"

"They think that with the unrest in Tridor, perhaps you should have considered a siren, especially since you have the means to protect yourself from their voices." Rosella yanked out a dagger from her belt and balanced it between her index fingers. She looked very comfortable with the weapons to Karalyn's eyes.

He touched the chain that held the enchanted coral that protected him from the sirens' magic. "That did not happen," he said firmly. "It was never going to happen. The Maestro and Maestra of the Sirens knew this."

"Wait," Karalyn cut in. "Do you mean to say that there are sea raiders who oppose our union?"

Rosella let out a string of terrible words that had the Fairy Princess gaping at her.

Harald grunted. "You get used to Rosella," he told her. "I suppose this should not surprise me. Could you go and tell everyone that, if the tides are kind, the war might be over? The Kingdom of the Skies fought, but we prevailed."

"We saw the fire lighting up the skies even from down here," Rosella murmured.

Karalyn winced. "That was not?—"

"My wife was the one to save the day," Harald said firmly. "Be certain everyone knows that. Let the sirens and mermaids overhear that detail too."

Before Karalyn could protest, Rosella strode off.

Karalyn whirled around on Harald. "It was not just me!"

"Yes. Of course." Harald cleared his throat loudly. "Rosella?"

The sea raider pivoted. "Yes?" she called.

"Be sure to add that Karalyn's curse is no more. She ended the war and the curse."

Rosella eyed Karalyn, and a slow smile crossed her face for only a moment before she made an about-face and marched off, disappearing from view as she slipped down a sand dune.

Karalyn groaned and wiped a hand down her face. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Put up with me for the rest of your life."

"You and your lies!"

"Not a lie."

"Exaggeration at the very least," she protested.

"I would disagree, but… I could speak of your beauty, and that would require no exaggeration."

She sighed again, covering her face with both hands now, but she had to laugh as he pressed his lips to his forehead.

He was, in a word, incorrigible, and she just might love him for it despite herself.