Chapter 17

SEVENTEEN

Cassia

My room on the royal floor is bigger than the house I moved out of this morning, and as different as night and day. I sit on the obscenely large bed and survey the room, letting my hands run over the expensive fabric. The sun sits high, and light shines brightly into the room. Crystals in the chandelier glitter and reflect sparkles all over the room. The marble floor glistens. It's all like something out of a fairy tale.

Basically, it's weird. Really weird.

Two days ago, I was cleaning this room, picking up some snotty, entitled fae's dirty underwear, and making the bed with the softest material I've ever felt. Now I'm sitting on the bed—something I'd always wanted to do, but that would have cost me my job if I'd been caught. The linens alone are worth more than I got paid for six months of work. And even though I'm going to enjoy sleeping on them tonight, I'm feeling strangely uncomfortable about the whole idea.

I stand and walk over to the dressing table where four jewelry boxes are lined up neatly with the official seals from the four courts. Sitting down in front of them, I hesitate, then open the first box. It's filled with diamond jewelry. I know it's from Prince Zane, since it's the official gem of the Winter Court, and I know what the others will look like too. Amber from Prince Sulien. Emeralds from Prince Forrest. And Sapphires from Prince Cobar.

I push the boxes away, feeling numb. I don't belong here. Life in the royal castle just isn't for me.

Before I got to my room, I'd sought out my father and grandmother in the garden cottage. With the help of the fae who'd moved our belongings, Grandmother had already unpacked, and Father was rolling around in his wheelchair, overjoyed at his newfound mobility. They have exactly what I wanted them to have, happiness and security in a way I never could've provided them before. No more worries will plague them ever again.

As long as they're here.

Standing with them is when it hits me on a soul-deep level. I'm stuck with these four princes because ripping the joy I see in my family is out of the question. Maybe I can still find a way out of marrying all four of them, but if I can't, I have to accept this.

For my family.

I close my eyes and lay my head on the dressing table. I feel overloaded, unable to process all the changes that have happened in less than a day. I'm experiencing the oddest feeling of being trapped and being set free all at the same time, and I don't like it. Life before might have been uncertain in some ways, but there was… a certainty to knowing I'd be working each day. A certainty of coming home and seeing my grandmother and father. A certainty to who I was in this world .

That's all gone now.

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were here yet," Beatrix says with a start.

I whirl around to spot her in the doorway. She's backing away, and my heart leaps into my throat at the sight of a familiar face from my old life.

"No, wait, please come back!" She freezes at my words, and I stand and walk toward the door. "How are you?"

Beatrix bows, her spine stiff and her shoulders set. She's wearing the same ugly burned orange uniform I'd worn a thousand times before, except hers is wrinkle-free. It's neatly done too, just like the bun in her hair.

And it's strange–the sight of the uniform almost makes me miss wearing it.

I force a smile, hating that my friend is bowing to me now, just because of some lie. "Don't do that. Please. I'm the same Cassia I've always been. I worked here as a maid two days ago. Seriously, I'm just me."

She smiles, and some of the tension eases from her face. "Why would you want to be ‘just you' when you can be fae royal? Your life is a dream come true!"

I can't tell her the whole truth. I wish there was someone I could tell, but that'd be too dangerous, even if talking this out might help me understand how I'm feeling.

So what can I tell her?

"I'm not sure I'm up for all of this." I wave my hand in front of me. She's better off than I am–was– but she's got to understand the leap from bottom-rung human to royal fae is monumental. "Dating the princes? Marrying all four of them? That's a lot."

Beatrix half shrugs with a small smile teasing her lips. "I mean," she drags out the word, "marrying four sexy fae princes and living the high life of a royal fae does sound like shit on a stick. Ew ." She shakes her head and frowns.

I can't help but laugh. "Well, when you phrase it like that…" But I find myself sad again before I can even finish the sentence.

If only things were that easy.

"You deserve good things." Her gaze is locked with mine. "And four fae dicks all at once, or even one at a time, sounds like good things."

I erupt into laughter. But just as some of the tension that's been resting on my chest starts to ease, I remember that she doesn't know all the details. She doesn't know that all of this is because of some fucked up magical potion. That all four princes might find their true mates at some point, and that the truth will cost me my head. But until then, I'll be lying to three men day and night, pretending to be something I'm not. The tension returns twofold.

It's a huge risk. More than I signed on for. And thinking of the four men I'll be marrying, I hate the thought of hurting any of them. The princes seem so genuine. I hate thinking about the way these men are trying to win my heart, because they all seem so genuine but it's all based on a lie.

This is the first time in my life where I've felt like a bad person, while also knowing I can't do anything to fix the mess I've created. Unless, of course, I can find a way to go back to just being betrothed to Prince Sulien, which seems unlikely.

"Thank you," I tell her, but the words sound so broken. As broken as my heart .

Beatrix sighs. "Cassia, I've known you our whole lives… Can I be honest with you?"

I nod eagerly. Honesty is what I desperately need right now.

She looks uncomfortable, but takes a breath, and the look passes. "You haven't had an easy life. The whole world has given you every reason not to trust it–"

"It's been fine," I interrupt, then force my mouth to close.

She continues. "I can remember when you were ten, not long after your grandmother lost her eyesight and was fired from her job. You were trying to sell some jewelry that belonged to your mother to pay for food, and everyone at the market was trying to scam you. I caught you walking home in tears, because you'd thought of those people as your family, and when you needed them the most, they failed you."

I swallow around the lump in my throat. "Sometimes life sucks."

"And sometimes people fail you, but not all the time." She hesitates, then pushes on. "I remember when you were twelve and the men in town started making you awful offers in trade for food and the things you needed. The same men that had snuck you treats when your grandmother was a woman working at the palace, trading with them regularly. I remember you asking what was wrong with you that they wanted those things from you. It was… awful. Awful seeing you blame yourself and awful watching you lose faith in people one day after another."

My eyes sting. "Life can be hard."

She takes my hands. "It can be. It has been for you, but it doesn't have to be, Cassia. That's what I'm trying to say. It can have good things. It can have good people. There can be magic, laughter, wealth, and love in your life, if you're open to it."

If only she understood…

"There's four of them," I say, trying to blink away the tears that gather in my eyes. "They have expectations. And I'm not going to fill any of those expectations." I pull my hands from her and gesture to the room. "They're used to this! I'm used to cleaning this!"

She shakes her head. "If you don't meet their expectations, they're crazy, and they don't deserve you."

I wish she could understand. I wish she knew the truth. Her opinion of everything would change if she knew I wasn't really their mates. If she knew I tricked them, like some snake in the mud.

"Cassia, just don't do what you always do in these situations. Don't get stubborn. Don't hide behind your fear. You've missed out on so many things because you were scared to trust…"

A knock at the door quiets us. Beatrix jumps and scurries to the bed, pulling a pillow out of place and then straightening it. I want to tell her that she doesn't have to do that, but I know deep down that I have to answer that door, and she has to play the part of my maid and not my friend.

This is my life now, after all. Even if it breaks my heart a little.

Later. We'll finish this later. Because her words are clinging to me like fresh wounds. They make me uncomfortable in my own skin, which probably means I need to think about how much truth there is in them, and how they apply to my current situation .

Feeling wounded and vulnerable, I open the door and Lady Takara stands in front of me, flanked by two fae I've seen before but can't identify. I stare at the three of them in confusion. Why the hell are they here? And why do they look like they're all dressed for different events?

Lady Takara is wearing a bright pink dress with glitter on the fabric, on her skin, and in her blonde hair. Beside her, a woman with harsh green eyes stands stiff as an arrow. Her ears are pointy, making me think she might be from the House of War, or the House of Memories. She wears brown and green clothes that have a masculine air, even though they wrap her figure perfectly. On Lady Takara's other side is a woman I know has to come from the House of Cosmos. She has curly black hair, gentle brown eyes, and silver wings. Her dress is silver too, as are the large gems woven into her hair.

"Can I help you?" I ask, wanting to have more of an attitude for Lady Takara's benefit, but not willing to be an ass to the two unknown women.

Beatrix slips out of the door, taking my only friend with her. None of the fae notice. But, of course, they only notice humans when they're going to be their new queen.

"I'm Lady Nova from the House of War," the green-eyed one introduces herself, head held high.

"I'm Lady Starlite from the House of Cosmos," the one with the curly black hair adds, with a little bob.

Okay…

"I don't think we've formally met. I'm Lady Takara from the House of Wealth," Lady Takara announces in her high-pitched voice, then barges into the room.

I bristle and stand up straighter. I don't like Lady Takara being in my space. Well, the only place close to my space anymore. There's just something about her I don't like. Maybe it's the planting stolen jewelry on me and getting me fired thing. Bitch. But I ignore her like the useless irritant she is to me now, and focus my attention on the other women.

Lady Starlite takes my hand. "The stars aligned perfectly on the night of the Summer Solstice. The celestials put on a show that night, making a tapestry that determined your future and a great future for the four courts. You were fated to be our queen. You managed to harness the energy of the retrograde and attract the princes. It is still in you. I can feel it. So much good is coming to the kingdom that–"

"How are you a fae?" Lady Takara interrupts Lady Starlite, glaring at me. I can tell she has more to say, but she clamps her mouth shut.

If she thinks she's going to intimidate me any more, now that my job doesn't depend on being nice to her, she's sorely mistaken. "I imagine someone in my family fucked a fae, or the other way around. And here I am."

She snarls at me. "Well, who's a fae in your family line?"

"Someone born before me." I slowly blink at her, then welcome the women awkwardly into my room, before closing the door behind them.

She scoffs and her attention is drawn to the jewelry boxes on my dressing table. She walks over to them and runs a finger along the box filled with diamond jewelry. "The princes deserve a full fae. Someone from an important house. Someone equal to them."

"Yet, I'm their mate. Deal with it."

She rounds on me, fists clenched. "No matter what, you'll always be the girl who scrubbed my floors."

Oh, honey, no you didn't… "No, I'll be queen. Your queen. Capable of putting you in your place in creative and painful ways, if I so wish." Then, I smile, proud of how cold and confident the words came out.

Her jaw drops.

Glancing at the others to decide how to deal with them, I see that Lady Starlite isn't even paying attention to our conversation. She's doing weird signs with her hands and practically prancing around the room. The House of Cosmos, they're weird people.

I look away from her and toward Lady Nova. The blonde is staring silently, and I get the feeling she's assessing me, which is uncomfortable. That's right, my new subjects, this is your future queen in all her glory!

"You know, I'm a very important member of the House of Wealth. The last thing you'd want to do is piss me off." Lady Takara draws herself up taller, but there's a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze.

Doubt it. She seems like the type of fae that even her own house would be glad to be rid of.

Then, I picture her the day I was tossed out of the castle in disgrace, and I remember exactly why she unleashed that hell on my life. "You might be important, but you also seem very good at angering important people. Living on the edge and taking what doesn't belong to you."

Her big eyes widen. She opens her mouth, then closes it, before dropping her head.

I bet you don't have anything more to say, bitch.

Maybe now I've said enough to get her off my back. I've got more than enough shit to deal with without having to watch my back around this horrid woman. Now, I just need to figure out the other two. Are they friends or foes?

I turn to Lady Nova. "Is that why you're here too? To support her when she's clearly pissed that I got all four princes, and she got stuck with herself, a dreadful consolation prize?"

Lady Nova lowers her head and speaks just above a whisper. "I just don't want war."

"I don't plan for war," I tell her honestly.

War is the furthest thing from my mind. I'm trying to save my own ass, to see if there's some loophole that will get me out of marrying all four princes and still allow my family to enjoy the good life. War isn't even on the radar.

"No one plans for war," she tells me, cocking her head. "But it seems that you'll be the deciding factor between peace and bloodshed for our people."

" Me ?" I ask in shock.

She stands up taller, meeting my gaze. "Do you know the tale of Queen Icily?"

I shake my head. Should I?

"Queen Icily was matched with all four princes." She pauses, lifting a brow as if to tell me, just like you . "It is said that she was a vain but beautiful woman, unprepared for ruling. She saw the role of queen as a way to have the finest things and wield her influence over the courts and houses like a weapon. Instead of fostering the relationships between the four princes, she pitted them against each other. She showed some more love, some more attention, and some more affection than others. This bred jealousy and resentment between the four kings and even as war ravaged our lands, she continued to see nothing wrong with what she was doing. She, quite simply, didn't care that she was the cause of war, death, and destruction .

"A queen who matches with all four princes is meant to be strong, powerful, and intelligent enough to understand that her job may be to rule the kingdom, along with her husbands, but equally important is her role to foster peace between the four kings. Queen Icily did not understand that." She finishes abruptly, then stares at me.

I hate that this is the first time I'm hearing about any of this, and it hits me like a punch to the gut. If I marry the four princes, I don't just need to keep my secret and play a wife to them. I need to… prevent war . My job is to maintain a happy relationship between me and my men, and each other.

Everyone is staring at me, so I try to hide the fact that my stomach is churning and put on a brave face. "So all of this is to say…?"

Lady Nova considers me for a moment, then says, "I'm from the House of War. My people will suffer more than any other house if there's war. I just wanted to see the woman who will determine our fate and decide if you understand how powerful your position is. And see if you're ready for such a role."

I draw myself up taller. "Have you come to a conclusion?"

Her eyes narrow, and she nods.

But before she can answer, Lady Takara jumps in. "None of this really matters. Before we even talk about wars and her role as queen, we have to wait for the elders to conduct the test." And she looks so damn smug that I want to rip her hair out.

Unfortunately for me, I have no idea what she's talking about. I don't even know enough to determine whether she's lying through her teeth, or if I should take what she's saying seriously .

But I guess I have to find out.

"What test?" I feign nonchalance, like it slipped my mind.

No one said anything about a test. Just like no one told me that my family was moving into the castle today. If I do become queen, I'm changing the way they send out information because there's no system now, and it is infuriating.

"It's the test that will determine your fae heritage. Afterward, everyone will know what house you come from." She smiles widely, like she knows my secret rather than the other way around.

Lady Starlite is suddenly in front of me. She places her hands on my shoulders, and our eyes meet and hold. "Don't worry about the test, my lady. Three of the five planets were aligned on the day of your meeting, one star ceased to exist the moment you touched Prince Sulien, another fell from the sky just after. The solar system was awake, breathing, watching. Your bond will be like no bond before it. Your rule will be one filled with love, prosperity, and change. The test means nothing because the stars and planets have already said it all."

I glance at Lady Nova.

She shrugs and says, "I don't care what the stars or the test say, all I care about is what you do."

Fucking hell. "So… the test will really–?"

"Show us all who you are," Lady Takara says, then grins like she's won. "Ladies, we should go. I'm sure our future queen would like time to enjoy this life." I fill in her unspoken words, before it's taken away .

I watch them go, then collapse onto my bed. She doesn't even know for sure that I'm a fake, but everyone will know soon, if she's telling the truth about this test .

Fuck. Is this really happening when it's too late to go back?

And why didn't someone warn me about this? And by someone , I mean Prince damn Sulien.