Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

T he king is not at all what I expected.

I was expecting a middle-aged scholarly type, thanks to his reputation of rewriting parts of the past to ensure a better life for his citizens, but he is actually the complete opposite.

He must stand around six foot high, which is tall for a male in our lands, but nothing compared to the fae. Muscular and broad, he moves with a grace I had not thought possible for a man so large. What surprises me the most, however, is that he is a hunter, and a good one at that. The wall behind him is covered in his trophies from his hunts—not just any hunter, though, but a fae hunter.

I’m not sure why this surprises me so much. We hear very little from the city, what with Brine being so far away. I suppose in my mind and in the books that I read, kings are smart and strategic, making plans with their advisors on the best course of action to avoid bad outcomes, or they are more focused on their military might, being strong and organised. Also, for a kingdom that has allied with the Seelie Court, discovering that their leader hunts the fae is a surprise, especially considering how proudly he has hung the bodies of his kills.

As I stand in his office that overlooks the city, I cannot help but feel uncomfortable at the choice of decorations. Fae of all types are displayed in glass containers, stuffed and exhibited for the king’s pleasure. Pixies, goblins, brownies, and a whole host of other creatures I do not know stare back at me. They are all from smaller fae races, and I find myself grateful there is no one like the prince mounted on the wall. I have never agreed with hunting creatures for sport, and that extends to the fae. Their bodies are not supposed to hang in grotesque demonstrations of masculinity on the wall. The weight of their stares hangs over me, making my chest tight, and although I know they cannot see me, it feels as though I am being watched.

If Alaric and Blaise are offended by the king’s choices, they do not show it, instead keeping their expressions neutral. This is not their first visit to the human king, so the element of surprise is gone.

The room is dark, and the walls are cluttered with fae body parts, detailed diagrams of various creatures, and portraits of the king with his catches. There are no maps of the kingdom or books on strategy to be seen. This is more like the private office of a hunter, not the meeting room for the king.

I am so distracted by the heavy presence in the room that I miss much of what is being said, the voices of those around me slowly sinking in and bringing my focus back to what is happening.

“Leaving my ministers behind is not a good way to keep my trust, prince.” The king’s voice is tight, and he is clearly attempting to keep his anger in check.

This display doesn’t bother the two fae in the slightest. If anything, it seems to amuse Blaise. Alaric raises a brow and crosses his arms over his chest, staring the king down. “It was a necessity, I can assure you.” The power in his voice is intense, and although he makes no show of force or aggression, it is very obvious that he would wield that power should he need to. “We have found the doe, the female the Unseelie need to break their curse.” He gestures to me, turning his upper body enough so he can glance at me before facing the king once more. “We found the Unseelie trying to capture her, so we fought them off and brought her here to safety. There was no time to get everyone together, since her safety was paramount.”

The king’s body language changes as his eyes land on me with growing interest. “This is her?” Stepping around his desk, he looks me up and down. “She is such a sweet thing. Are you sure she is the one they covet?”

A shudder passes through me. I do not like the way he looks at me, as though I am a possession he needs to own and use. Every instinct I have is warning me to be careful around the king. In this room with the king, Alaric, and Blaise, it is no longer the two fae whom I fear most.

“You will have to trust me on this.” Alaric’s reply is hissed through clenched teeth, as he’s offended by the accusation that he might have gotten this wrong. Fae senses are far sharper than ours, everyone knows this. Is the king ignorant of the way of the fae, or is he doing this on purpose to get a rise from them?

“Hmm…” The king seems to ponder the idea of trusting the fae, and despite their careful masks, I can see that his behaviour is getting to the prince and his companion.

The king claps his hands together, making me jump at the loud noise. He smirks, enjoying my reaction. “Very well. We shall keep her safe here where the Unseelie will never reach her. Thank you for bringing her to us.”

Nodding in a clear dismissal, he waves towards the door.

Startled, I look around with wide eyes before staring at Alaric. My heart pounds in my chest, and I struggle to catch a breath. This cannot be correct. They did not bring me all this way just to leave me here, right? I might still be angry for how they took me from Brine, but they are the closest things to friends that I have right now—not to mention the king doesn’t make me feel safe. If anything, I feel more unsafe in his company than I did in the forest.

“You’re leaving me here?” I ask, my voice cracking with emotion.

Alaric stares at me for a long moment, all noise in the room falling away as I wait for his response. Why am I turning to him? He’s a fae, one of my kind’s natural enemies, only, that does not feel right any longer. My feelings for him are complicated, and I blame it on the stress of the events over the last few days. Everything about my life has changed so quickly that it makes sense I would grab onto the closest safe person. Yes, that is what is happening and why I want to stay with him and not be left here.

He seems to be having his own mental battle, and the only indicator that he has come to a conclusion is the slight narrowing of his eyes. Turning to face the king, Alaric clears his throat. “Your Majesty, while I know she would be safe here, I cannot leave her.”

The fluttering of butterflies inside my stomach fills me with a hope I don’t quite understand. Alaric is just ensuring that I do not get into the hands of the Unseelie, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he was moved by my plea not to be left alone. I know this, yet I cannot seem to separate those two reasons, not when I saw the look on his face.

Tension builds in the room, filling the silence with a pressure that weighs down on us as we await the king’s response. He does not seem like the type who is used to being denied, and I have not quite worked out the relationship between him and the fae. Watching him carefully, I take in the way he seems poised as though ready to strike as he stares down the prince. Slowly, his gaze shifts to me, and something changes about him.

Smiling, he shifts his weight on his feet, making himself appear non-threatening. “This is no talk for a girl,” he says jovially, waving away the tension with a callous gesture. “Why don’t you go for a walk in the gardens while the prince and I discuss the details?”

There is no room for argument, the order ringing through clearly despite it being posed as a question. For some reason, he doesn’t want me hearing whatever is going to be discussed next. Is it because he doesn’t trust me and is discussing sensitive information, or does he truly believe his own biases?

No talk for a girl.

The comment twinges something within me—some buried, wild part that has been suffocated for many years. I may be young, but that does not affect my worth, and neither does my sex. Part of me believes this is just an excuse for the king to speak freely with the prince, but why does he feel the need to belittle me in the process?

I suppose I should not expect anything more, especially from a king. This is just the way things are in our world. Women do not have the same standing and rights as males, so there is no point in getting worked up about it. What could one woman change?

While I may not have much of an impact on my own, that does not mean I should drop my standards and ideals.

Honestly, I am very eager to leave the room. I trust that Alaric will try to negotiate in my favour, and it is clear that the king would not respect my opinions. However, the idea of wandering around the castle on my own is also terrifying. Everything is so different here, and although I am surrounded by my own kind, I have never felt more out of my depth.

“I shall go with you, I could use some fresh air,” Blaise comments lightly, sounding bored when I know he is stepping in to keep me safe.

Alaric turns his attention to me, watching me closely for a heavy second before dipping his head in agreement. I wish I could read his thoughts so I knew what emotions were causing the intense look on his face. Shifting his gaze to Blaise, he does that strange silent communication the two of them seem to share.

Things appear to move very quickly now as we bow and take our leave, and as warm light filters onto my face, I realise we are no longer in the castle. Somehow, I have managed to walk to the gardens without paying a single ounce of attention to where I was going. Quietly cursing, I shake my head in frustration as I look around the gardens. How do I expect to survive in this new environment if I float through my life here? Sure, Blaise is here to keep me safe now, but he won’t always be.

Enough of that, I will learn from my mistakes .

Glancing around, I pause at the entrance to the garden, Blaise stopping at my side without question. Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and attempt to ground myself. The scent of roses and lavender invade my senses, their sweet fragrances soothing my ragged soul. They call me, welcoming me with the light brush of their leaves as I pass.

I open my eyes once more and take in the surprising beauty around me.

The castle is perched on top of a cliff, the back of which faces the sea. It is a large, foreboding building made from a dark stone that seems to absorb the light. Built primarily for defence, it is short and squat with only a single tower that rises up out of the darkness. From the point of defence, it makes sense. There is no room for making your home look grand and pretty when it might be destroyed the very next day. Given our history of war with the fae, I should not be surprised by this. The city is built similarly, with the same dark stone used on the houses and the wall surrounding the city.

The courtyard is large and surrounded by the castle on three sides, a covered walkway with arched pillars creating a pathway along the perimeter. A circular fountain takes centre stage, a stone swan arching its neck as the water cascades down its extended wings and back. The gentle sound is relaxing and makes me smile. The rest of the garden is split into four sections, a pathway dividing them into quarters.

Roses, lilies, honeysuckle, and lavender greet me as I follow the pathway, letting my hand brush along the leaves as I pass. Purple, pink, and white flowers create a riot of colour, each plant perfectly pruned and maintained. Personally, I prefer my plants a little less manicured, but there is no denying how gorgeous this space is. The far end of the garden is without a border, and I make my way over to see what is waiting for us beyond.

What I thought was the end of the garden is anything but. A stone staircase built into the edge of the courtyard leads down to several more gardens on different levels. Each section has a different theme and feel to it, and although I feel uneasy here, I cannot wait to explore the gardens.

My excitement must show, as Blaise snorts in amusement. Ignoring him, I descend the steps, making sure my skirt doesn’t drag behind me. Although I have the castle looming behind me like a silent sentinel, I feel so much calmer out here surrounded by nature. Sure, it is tamed and hemmed in, but it helps settle me.

Walking up to an ornate stone bench beside a bed of gorgeous white roses, I sit and admire the flowers surrounding me. Blaise waits in front of me, his arms crossed and brow raised as he waits for me to do something. Eventually, he seems to realise that I am content to sit here, and he starts to explore the area around us. He never leaves my sight, but I can see his need to move, to do something , in the restless movements of his hands.

“The king was not what I expected.”

My comment seems to take him by surprise, causing him to pause and turn to face me. I cannot get a read on Blaise. One minute, I think he might want nothing more than to get rid of me, then the next, I think he finds me fascinating, like he has discovered a new creature and is studying it closely. Mostly, I believe that he finds me amusing, the little human who bumbles around without a clue as to what is happening in the real world.

He watches me for a moment and snorts, shaking his head in disgust. “The king is an idiot. I do not trust him.” Turning to stare at the castle, he narrows his eyes as though he can see right through the walls and into the king’s office. “Alaric will make sure you are safe.”

This is the most serious I have seen the fae, and the certainty in his voice is aimed to reassure me. Strangely, I find that it does. I run my fingers over a perfect bloom, the velvety petals soft against my skin. I still have so many questions, my thoughts so tangled it feels as though I have thorns in my mind, snagging against me with each action I take.

“Is stopping the Unseelie really as simple as keeping me away from them?”

This has been bugging me since the prince rescued me from the Unseelie. Hiding and protecting me from them seems like a temporary solution. Are they going to care for me until I die from old age, stopping the dark fae from leaving the forest for good, or is there a more permanent plan?

“It sounds simple, but it is anything but.” Wandering back to me, he scans me from head to toe and then solemnly surveys the castle grounds, looking for weaknesses. “The Unseelie are cunning and will find a way to get to you. That is a fact, and one that you should prepare for. You may need to fight your way to safety one day.”

My mouth goes dry at his statement, dread and fear gripping me in its tight grasp. Fingers trembling, I pull my hand away from the flower and let it drop into my lap. The urge to run is fierce. In theory, I should be safe here, protected by the king and surrounded by my people, yet I do not feel safe here. What could I possibly do to change the situation though? I am no one of importance, and other than having an affinity with nature, I have no special skills.

My shoulders droop forward, caving in as a realisation comes to me. “The king will never let me leave, will he?”

Blaise looks grim, yet the flash of sympathy I see in his eyes worries me the most. “After seeing his reaction to you, no, I do not believe so.”

It becomes difficult to take a full breath as the world seems to close in around me. Even the scents of the flowers and the gentle breeze on my face fail to calm me. “So this castle is about to become my prison?” My voice quakes as I speak. Taking a deep breath, I try to contain my overwhelming emotions.

Blaise shuffles his weight from foot to foot, uncomfortable with my display of emotion. “Alaric will do what he can. Our alliance with the humans is fragile, and it will not take much to break it. These things are… delicate.”

His words sink in, and I try to pull myself together. I cannot even imagine how difficult it would be to manage the alliance between the two races, especially when they do not agree. From what I understand, they have only come together to stand against the Unseelie, so what will happen once they achieve that? With no Unseelie to worry about, will the humans and Seelie keep their fragile alliance?

Blaise stiffens, turning as he picks up on something my human senses have yet to register. Before I can ask, Alaric appears in a blur of colour. Blaise is there in a flash, grabbing the prince by the shoulders.

“Your Highness, is everything—”

“We need to leave, now,” Alaric states then strides over to me and stares down at me with that same intensity that takes my breath away. “We are leaving for Seelie territory,” he announces, his body full of tension and urgency. He doesn’t look away from me as he speaks again. “Iris, you’re coming with us.”