18. Chapter 16 Camus

Chapter eighteen

Chapter 16: Camus

L inking arms with Solina, we stroll the gardens until we're far enough away from the castle that no one can eavesdrop. I pause and she faces me and takes a step back. I do my best to offer a genuine smile.

Her posture relaxes a smidge. "Why did you single me out?"

"Because you wanted to be there just as little as I did. I don't want to take a mate. I have no intention of doing so. And you don't want to be with me, so this is perfect."

"Why don't you want to take a mate?" she asks, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Because the one I want has to prove herself first so I'm buying myself some time."

"The one whose scent is all over your body?" She cocks an eyebrow at me.

"The very same. So, I have a proposition for you. Let's pretend we're courting until I can sort this stuff out, and get my grandmother off my back. In exchange for your help, I'll owe you a favor."

"What's the catch?" she asks.

"I'll need some help with a couple of things, including distracting my grandmother so that I can get into her chambers."

"I could be executed for that."

"Where's your sense of adventure?" I chastise.

"What are the limits on the favor?"

"Just that I can't kill any of the royals or council, and it can't involve sex. At least not with me."

She considers me for a moment. "I need you to help get me and one other person out of the city. Out of Solardin if possible."

"Why?"

"Because if I stay here, my sister and I have to do what my father says. Including mating with male fae, which I don't want."

"Deal. I need you to come with me to meet someone."

I lead her back toward the castle. It doesn't take long before we're descending the stairs to the dungeon. The door swings open, and I step in to find Arden sitting cross-legged on the floor, reading one of the books I brought her.

Her eyes find mine, and she smiles before her gaze shifts behind me to Solina. The smile immediately falls.

"Who is she?" Arden snaps, getting to her feet.

I smirk at her jealousy. "This is Solina," I say and open the cell door. I didn't clear time outside of the dungeon with Grandmother, but I don't care. "Come on. Let's go for a walk."

Arden glances at her sister, then tentatively steps out of the cell. "When your grandmother said she was making you take a mate, I didn't expect you to bring her here . I didn't expect you to rub her in my face."

"No interest in joining a little harem of wives?"

Her face turns the color of beetroot and her eyes begin to glow. I pull her to me and press my mouth to hers, and she struggles against me. It's useless. Without her magic, and with how little they've been feeding her she's too weak to stop me.

I pull away and look down into her eyes. "Despite everything, you have so little faith in me. No matter. I'll fix that eventually." I say it like it doesn't bother me, but it does sting a little. "Please come with me and Solina so we can have a quiet conversation. I think you'll like her." I soften my voice, hoping that making it seem less like a demand will entice her.

Arden's eyes return to normal, but she growls in frustration. "Fine. But the second I say it, you're bringing me back here."

"You're so angry with me that you would rather spend time in the dungeon?" I can't help but laugh. She's such a spiteful little thing.

"Yes." She holds her chin up defiantly.

I touch my finger to the tip of her nose. "You're adorable. Let's go."

I lead her out of the cell and slam the door, locking it behind me. Dira's angry, jealous gaze catches mine. I want to feel sorry for her, but I just can't.

"Sorry, dear sister. If you want to have a better time, I suggest taking it up with my brother. Most of the time he's a coward, but he might just listen to you."

"Fuck off, Camus," she snaps.

I bark a laugh and lead Solina and Arden out of the dungeons and back out to the gardens. This time we walk more casually. I had hoped that Arden's first time in the gardens would be a more magical experience for her. But bringing her here might put her in a better mood, and make her more agreeable to my suggestions.

"Why are we out here?" Arden asks after we're a decent walk away from the castle.

"We needed relative privacy. First," I say and pull her into me.

I tangle my fist in her hair and kiss her properly. It doesn't matter how many times we've fucked in one day, her touch lights me up every time. My hard cock presses against her belly, and she whimpers into my mouth. I've always enjoyed having an audience, so having Solina here is a bonus. What catches me off guard is the faint scent of arousal coming from our third wheel.

I end our kiss, but keep my eyes on Arden as I ask, "So which of us are you attracted to, Solina? Or is it both?"

When I turn to face her, I find that she's gone scarlet. Arden is staring at her, chewing her lip, and for a second I consider taking them both back to my quarters and... focus.

"Maybe another time," I grumble with a sigh. Lowering my voice I continue on, "For now, we have business to discuss. Solina is going to pretend to let me court her. In exchange, we have to take her with us."

"To Feldorn?" Arden asks. "I don't think that's wise."

"Not to the castle, but maybe one of the outlying towns?" I ask.

"Why not to the castle?" Solina asks. "Not that I really want to go there...but..." her face goes red again.

"Do you have a crush on my mate?" I ask the pretty dark-haired fae.

"Stop it!" Arden scolds and smacks me on the shoulder. "There are very high tensions among the residents of the castle because of the situation with Iona and Falmir. It's toxic and volatile. I just don't think you'd be comfortable there."

"I don't care. I would be free. People can give me sideways glances all day long if they want as long as my sister and I are out from underneath our father's thumb."

Arden considers Solina for a moment, before finally agreeing. "Okay. And we may not be in Feldorn long. If Camus and I have to go to Kildara, you'll be welcome to join us. Hopefully me being alive will smooth over any unwanted guests with my great grandfather.

"What's our next move?"

"We need to make this look believable. We have two choices: either you have to act extremely jealous any time you're both in the presence of my grandmother. Which judging by your reaction in the dungeons, won't be too difficult for you. Or we have to act like all three of us are perfectly okay with this arrangement."

"You mean..." Solina starts.

"The three of us are in a very happy relationship with each other. The first choice will make my grandmother happy, so she may be less suspicious. The second option sounds more fun.

"I'll settle for whatever you two feel more confident at pretending. Though I wouldn't mind the second. We could practice in private."

"Camus!" Arden snarls as I give Solina an appreciative once over.

"But you're pretty good at the jealous mate bit. Oh, I don't know. You decide."

Arden blows out a long breath. "What do you think, Solina?"

"I honestly don't know. I'm not good at lying so both seem like shit options. I can't pretend to be interested in him." She gestures at me aggressively. "My father will know that I'm lying. I'm interested in women, and I'm certainly not interested in any of the royal males."

"You don't have to pretend you're okay with it. What Camus wants, Camus gets," Arden says giving me a sarcastic look. "You can be annoyed about it. Cyndair knows that Camus has no interest in any of this.

"And maybe to start, I feign jealousy. Then after a few days or a week or two, we lean into the relationship a bit. We need to make it believable. Camus, maybe you go to Solina's father and tell him that you want his daughter. Solina, will your dad give you a choice?"

"No. He'll insist that I mate with Camus. He's been desperate to get someone in our family mated to a royal for years."

"This will work then. It won't take any effort for you to pretend you're pissed about it. Just tell yourself that it's actually happening," Arden says. "If things don't seem like they're going well, then we shift gears a little sooner than expected. We adapt."

Watching her plot and plan makes me unbearably happy. She's so good at being devious that you would never know she was raised among humans. If Grandmother weren't so busy being intimidated by her, she would be using her to her advantage.

"We should seal it, and do so in a way that none of us can talk about our deal outside of this circle," I say.

"Before we agree, you promise that you'll help me and my sister get out of Solardin when you go if at all possible?" Solina clarifies.

"I swear on the Stars and the Moons that I will help you and your sister escape this hellhole of a kingdom barring mortal risk to me or my mate. And that I will never speak of this deal when anyone other than the three of us is present."

Solina takes a deep breath. "I swear on the Stars and the Moons that I will help you figure out a way to get out of Solardin, and that I will not talk about our agreement in the presence of anyone but the two of you and my sister."

She sneakily added that sister bit in, but I'm not going to fight her on it. It'll be easier to get her sister out of Solardin if we don't have to take her by complete surprise. I pull Solina to me and kiss her.

Sealing deals with kisses is far more fun than with handshakes. She groans in protest into my mouth as Arden snarls beside us, forcing a smile onto my lips as I break the kiss.

"Enough," she growls.

"Fuck you're beautiful when you're jealous," I say as Solina pulls away from me. "I should get Solina back upstairs, and tell our families the wonderful news. Let's mess up your hair a bit; make it more believable."

"You're going to be my father's new favorite fae in all of Sangaris. I just wish I could be here to see it all fall down around him when we leave."

We take our time leading Arden back to the dungeons. I'm not in any hurry to return to the stuffy awkward dinner that's going on upstairs.

Once she's locked back in her cell, I make a big show of it. "See little shifter? If you don't get yourself put together and start acting like a true royal, then this is what you'll have to deal with for the rest of your miserable life."

No doubt some of grandmother's spies have already communicated with her that I brought them both out into the gardens for a conversation. There needs to be a reasonable explanation as to why. A part of it was to make Arden jealous. They just don't need to know the rest of it.

"If you take her as a mate, I will skin you alive, and fashion the flesh of your nut sack into a coin purse. The royal jewels won't be worth so much then."

"Too far, love," I mutter and angle groin away from her and the murderous look in her eyes.

She's playing the part, but she's also dead serious. She leans in and whispers, "You're mine Camus. And I mean it. If you mate any other females, you won't have to worry about your ascension to the throne or anything else for that matter."

"If I had known that the key to getting you to care about me was to threaten to take another mate, I would have done that ages ago." I lower my voice and continue, "There is no female for me but you." I place my palm on her cheek and give her a smile.

She rolls her eyes and pouts. "Go back to your grandmother. Show her what a good little boy you are."

I click my tongue at her and back away out of swinging range. "And tomorrow you can be such a good girl for me. Get some rest. It's your first day of 'royal obedience classes' in the morning, love. Time to tame you."

Her gaze burns hot with rage as I continue backing toward the dungeon door, turn on my heel and exit without waiting for a response.

"Was that wise?" Solina murmurs in my ear, following close behind.

"I don't think anything I've ever done could be considered 'wise'. But that may have been too far."

"She'll definitely make your life hell for that."

"A problem for tomorrow's Camus."

We stroll into the dining hall a few minutes later, arm-in-arm. The rest of the council and their daughters, Gormon, and Grandmother are still seated around the table. They look a little more casual, but things are still tense. Empty dessert plates litter the table, and Gormon has never looked so uninterested in anything in his life.

Solina plastered an irritated look on her lovely face before we opened the doors. She attempts to pull her arm from mine, but I hold her to me.

"I would like to announce my decision to formally court Solina," I say, as we approach the table.

The expressions of the other fae range from shocked to downright envious. Except for Solina's father who looks proud, and Grandmother who looks indifferent which means she's elated. She's also a little suspicious, but I don't think she's gone a day without assuming someone was plotting against her in nearly a millennium.

Solina's father stands and takes my hand in his. "Thank you!"

"Yes, well, it's not a done deal. Solina has to pass some tests for me. And the one I chose as a mate may still step it up enough that Grandmother drops this farce so your daughter doesn't end up in a loveless relationship. But only time will tell."

Durlan's face falls slightly, but he regains his composure. "I'm sure you and Solina could learn to love one another just as her mother and I learn—"

"Cut the shit, Father. You're just lucky Mama is a doormat and does everything you say." She makes eye contact with Grandmother before continuing, "Mark my words that I will do no such thing for your grandson. I will make every second with me a living hell until he either kills me or takes a different mate. Either way, I will bear no heir. Good night."

She yanks her arm away from mine, and punctuates her outburst with a shallow bow. Her father mutters a poor excuse of an apology to Grandmother as he bows and scurries after his daughter.

I pour myself a healthy measure of wine, and plop back down in my seat earning me a loathsome look from Grandmother.

"So did I miss anything interesting while I was strolling about the gardens with Solina? Have you picked your bride yet, Gormon?"

"As a matter of fact, he hasn't," Grandmother says, redirecting her rage at my spineless brother.

"I'll need some time to think on it."

"Of course you will," I say with a snort. "You're delaying the inevitable. You want even less to do with these females than I do. Why don't you just close your eyes and point at one?"

His nostrils flare, and I swear I can see smoke coming out of his ears.

"Tick-tock little brother."

The other females wait, hopeful that he'll choose them. They've been bred and brought up to accept whatever mate the courts gave them. They're playing their roles brilliantly. Their parents were forced into marriages of alliance and so shall they.

"I said I'll need more time," Gormon grinds out, slamming his fist on the table. "You might think this is all a big joke, but I'm taking it seriously."

He pushes away from the table and storms out of the room. Once the door slams behind him, all eyes fall expectantly on me as I casually sip my wine. But I have nothing more to say. Starting tomorrow, Arden and I will work toward her earning her place among the royalty, and in the meantime we'll use our extra time together to conspire to get out of this place.