Chapter 16

SIXTEEN

Cassia

I reach the bottom of the steps leading to the castle and look up, feeling uncertain as I stare at the towering white structure. Normally, from here, I'd be making my way to the servants' halls to change and get ready for my shift. Now? I don't have a clue what I'm supposed to be doing.

But then as I'm struggling to decide what to do, a fae servant exits through the huge wooden doors, looks at me, eyes wide, and heads toward me. My heart races. The human servants rarely interacted with the fae servants. Even though we have similar roles in the castle, they're still above us. And yet, this servant seems to have been looking for me specifically.

"My lady," she gushes as she reaches me, giving a sweeping bow. "We've been expecting you."

"You have?" I ask, feeling dumb.

Of course they would have been expecting me. My family's already arrived and the Summer Court functions like a well-oiled machine. No doubt they already have a room cleaned and ready for me, along with anything else I might need. That's just how things roll when they think you're fae royalty.

She smiles as she straightens, and the movement draws attention to her heart-shaped face and large eyes. The girl can't be more than eighteen, but she carries herself like she's far older. "Come on now, you're late, Lady Cassia."

"Late?" I snort. "Late to be porked by four princes?" The moment the words slip from my lips, I regret them.

Her cheeks turn scarlet. "N-no, not for that."

I feel embarrassed as she turns and leads me through the castle. Just because I'm terrified of a night with the princes doesn't mean I should be discussing it with some random servant. She doesn't deserve that.

As we walk, I feel all eyes on us and hear the sound of whispering each time I pass someone. I keep my back straight, even though my gaze is trained on the ground. I might not want to see humans and fae alike, who are now looking at me like some long-lost fae princess, staring, but I'll be damned if they see just how much they're getting to me.

When we stop in a room, I finally look up and frown. "What's this about then?"

The servant turns back to me. "Prince Sulien has instructed us to prepare a wardrobe for you." She sweeps her arms around the room covered in material, with a little place to stand and a mirror in front of it.

A fae man with long dark hair and a pointy nose appears from behind a changing area. "Ah, you're here at last. Come now." He offers me his arm, which I awkwardly take, and then he leads me up onto the little stand.

Before I even have a chance to process, he's measuring me this way and that with a little tape measure, jotting down notes as he goes. "What are your preferences in colors? Fabrics? Fit? Length?" He rattles off the questions so fast I can barely follow.

"I just don't want to look like an asshole." Geez. Surely there was a better way to say that?

He freezes while measuring my arm. "Uh, an asshole, my lady?"

All this "my lady" stuff is already getting old, but I clarify, "I don't want to be squeezed into outfits that have my boobs falling out. I don't want to have huge puffy skirts that make it hard to walk. I want to be in clothes that I can move around in and do what I have to do. Other than that, I don't care." There, that's better.

He gives a nod, but he has a funny look on his face, like he's trying to figure me out as he measures me. Granted, I haven't exactly been a smooth talker since I entered this room, so I don't blame him. The thing is, I just want to find some quiet place to crawl into and sleep away the rest of this strange day.

Maybe then I'd gain some clarity about what to do with the princes and the spell that went so terribly wrong.

"I don't think she needs new clothes. She looks just fine in what she's already wearing."

I freeze and glance to my side where Prince Cobar leans against a wall looking far too handsome in dark blue pants and a white shirt that's unbuttoned nearly to his belly. His golden curls have been left loose, softening the strong lines of his face ever-so-slightly. His startling blue eyes cling to my body, moving from my feet up to my face, heating my skin like a caress.

It's unsettling. He shouldn't be here.

Damn teleporting.

"What are you doing here?" I ask, feeling even more frustrated.

I'm not ready to face these men. Not yet. Not when I still don't know what lies to tell to buy me time to find a solution to the mess I'm now in.

He smiles, and I hate how much I like his smile. "I had the good fortune of hearing that you were here and thought I'd check on my bride."

This again? "Not your bride," I counter.

"That's not what the magic says," he teases, followed by a wink.

My tailor clears his throat. "My lady, do you have a, uh, more suitable gown you might be able to wear while we're preparing your other garments?"

I look down at my clothes. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

"Not a thing," Prince Cobar says smoothly. "You look more beautiful than any woman I've seen in my life, and I've seen the finest women from the four kingdoms."

Lifting a brow, I study him. "You know flattery won't get you anywhere."

He smirks. "We'll see."

The tailor rises from measuring my legs. "Prince Sulien simply suggested that it'd be… good to give you something to wear for now, so I've placed a few gowns in the changing area, if you will."

I bite my lip, debating whether I should tell them all to go to hell or simply stomp out of the room. But that'd be pointless. If things go as planned, I'm still going to marry Prince Sulien and have to get used to all of this, so why not start now?

"Alright," I say.

Prince Cobar offers me his hand, and I reluctantly take it. But he surprises me by pulling me into his arms. I gasp, my hand on his chest, and our eyes meet. My heart races, and his smile falters as his gaze moves to my lips.

I jerk away from him, my legs feeling wobbly as I head for the changing area. Ducking inside, I draw in several shaky breaths. I hate that I'm this woman, like all the others, charmed by the beautiful fae princes. I thought I was better than that, but it's like everything changed the night of the ball, and now I can't seem to escape them, both in real life and in my thoughts.

"Do you like the choices I left you?" the tailor asks.

Right, the dresses. I turn, looking away from the changing screen, and see half a dozen dresses hanging from the wall. Most are far too fancy for me. One is covered in feathers. Another in gems. A third looks so low-cut in the front that I'm sure my boobs would be popping out left and right. The dress on the end, however, is a blue-green color that reminds me of my eyes. It's simple. Short sleeves, silver along the bodice, and a corset back.

When I touch the material, I sigh. It's soft, criminally soft, and now I desperately want to wear it.

I struggle out of my dress, hanging it from one of the hooks, and then slip into the dress. I'm not sure how it looks, but it feels divine. Unfortunately, I can't tie the back.

"Uh, can I get a little help?" I ask.

In seconds, someone is behind me, and I shift my hair over my shoulder to give them better access to pull the laces tighter and tie it. The person's touch is light and gentle, and I find it strange to need someone's help to dress, but I guess this is my life now. Fancy, soft dresses and servants tying my clothes.

"It's beautiful."

I whirl around and find Prince Cobar there, staring down at me, and my heart leaps into my throat. "You shouldn't be in here."

He doesn't smile. "I know, but I couldn't help it." His gaze heats as it moves over my dress, and then he reaches out and strokes the fabric at my stomach. "It's soft. Like you."

I snort and speak without thinking. "I'm not soft, you are."

He raises a brow. "Cassia, one thing you'll learn about me is that I'm never soft around you. Want to check?"

My jaw drops open, and despite my best intentions, my gaze moves lower. Sure enough, the bastard is hard and ready to go. I wonder if he'd be this eager if he knew I was only a human, a human who tricked him with a potion. That big dick of his would be limp as a noodle before I even finished my explanation.

"Soft or hard," I tell him slowly, "it doesn't matter to me, because you won't be getting anywhere near me with that thing."

He tosses back his head and laughs. "How long are we going to play this game, my little mate? Just crawl into my bed. That's where you'll be from now on anyway."

It's irritating. These men. They think they want me as a wife because of a spell, and they think they don't need to work at all to earn my heart because I'm their mate. But even then, shouldn't I deserve better? Is this how they'd really treat their mate?

I shove him a little, and either he was off-balance or my action completely caught him off-guard, because he stumbles back into the changing screen, and it goes toppling down. My cheeks heat as I see the tailor and the servant staring open mouthed at us, but I can't take the time to care.

"Don't follow me!" I say, pointing at Prince Cobar.

Then I storm away, disappearing out into the hall… where I run smack into a big body. My gaze moves up, and Prince Zane is there, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Cassia, my lady." He bows, then rights himself, still too close to me.

I step back, then around him, racing down the hall, to who the hell knows where. Unfortunately for me, he has much longer legs, so he manages to match my stride with ease. Several times I glare over at him, but he doesn't seem to notice, just keeps pace with me.

"What?" I finally snap.

He casts me a curious glance. "You seem upset."

"No joke, because your friend with a hard dick wants me in his bed."

Prince Zane freezes and the thunder in his face makes me stop too. Hell, it makes my heart stop. "Which of my friends propositioned you? I'll have his head!"

"Wh-what?" I say. My brain seems to have decided to stop working.

He draws so close to me that our breaths mingle, and the look in his eyes makes a shiver roll down my spine. "Which of my friends would make such an offer? I may be a calm man, but there is nothing inside of me that will stop from beating him to a pulp. "

Is it weird that I find his threat hot? "No, I, uh, just meant Prince Cobar."

"Prince Cobar?" The fury fades from his face, and he takes a shaky breath. "Well, that's different, I have no choice but to share you with him."

Now I'm truly curious. "You were about to kill some random guy a minute ago. Why is it different with him?"

He seems to consider me for a moment. "With there being fewer female fae than male fae, sharing women is quite common. And the fact that you are the mate to all four of us means that I either accept it or lose my mind. I might feel an uncomfortable amount of… possessiveness when it comes to you, but I'm not an animal. I have to understand that this is the way things are."

Wow. Progressive.

"I can't imagine sharing a man with someone else," I tell him honestly.

There's amusement in his gaze. "Lucky for you, you won't have to. We'll be content with you and only you."

"Because I'm your mate." Not because you know me. Or like me. But because some magical thing said that I'm the one.

He nods. "Because you're our mate."

My chest aches at his words, and I turn and walk away.

"Why does that bother you?" he asks, again at my side. "We'll be married soon. Bonded for our lifetimes. You'll spend your days being worshipped by us, and your nights having your body worshipped by us. Is that really a bad thing?"

My body. Our nights. Being in their beds. These fae seriously have one track minds. They want to pledge themselves to a human servant who none of them really know, all because of a lie. It's almost so painful it's funny.

"Excuse me," I say. "I need to find my room."

I can tell he wants to say more, that he wants to follow me, but he does me the small kindness of letting me leave. I don't know where I'm going, but I know I need to get away from all the princes before I say or do something I might regret.