A Court Bright and Broken (Age of Fae #1)

37. The Whole Truth

Chapter 37

The Whole Truth

S tellon

I hoped Mareth was right when she’d said women loved honesty.

Telling Raewyn the truth about my glamour had gone well—then I’d gone and insulted her by suggesting she should become my consort.

Now it seemed I might have a second chance. It terrified me to think about confessing the full truth, but I knew it was the only way forward for us.

And honestly, it wasn’t as scary as walking in here and finding her in my brother’s grasp.

Pharis had claimed to have honorable intentions, but for a moment there I was half-convinced what he’d ask for as payment to keep my secret was some alone time with Raewyn.

He looked at her far too long and with far too much interest.

Who could blame him, really? She was ethereally beautiful, even in her wrinkled shift with her hair mussed on one side from sleep.

She looked so young now sitting here with the firelight gilding her skin and hair. Innocent. Almost childlike. And yet so womanly my hands literally ached from the effort not to touch the curves I could see outlined in the thin shift.

I was not innocent. Far from it. And if I was going to ask Raewyn what I planned to ask her, I would have to tell her all of it.

Everything I’d done.

Taking a seat next to her, I cleared my throat, not quite sure how to start.

“You seem to have a very negative opinion of my brother,” I began.

“I wonder why?” she asked facetiously.

“He and I aren’t so different,” I said. “He may have the reputation as the ‘bad brother,’ but Pharis isn’t all bad… and I’m not all good.”

“I know that. No one is,” Raewyn said. “But you are a good person. What’s all this about, Stellon?”

“I’m… not who you think I am. I’ve done terrible things,” I said, trying to get her to understand.

“I told you how my father used my glamour gift to augment his own Compelling glamour?”

She nodded.

“Well, there have been times that what he wanted, what he was determined to have, was… everything,” I said.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” she said, “considering how much he’s taken from the people in our village—and all the others. So he’s done the same to the Fae people? Enforcing an unfair tithe?”

“Not exactly. But yes, in some cases he’s taken their money, their land, their property… sometimes… their lives,” I said.

“What?”

I nodded, taking in the horror dawning on Raewyn’s face. “Sometimes what my father wanted… was their deaths .”

“And you enhanced his glamour,” she said, understanding now.

“Yes. No matter what it was he wanted. I’ve never known there was any other way, any other choice.”

“You actually helped him kill people?” she asked.

“I tried not to think of it that way. It’s not like I held them down while he stabbed them through the heart. He said he needed my help… I amplified his glamour… and then I’d find out the person he’d wanted to get rid of had died shortly thereafter. One of them actually died right in front of me. One of the worst moments of my life.”

I held out a hand.

“I’m not making excuses. It’s not like I was completely ignorant. I just… tried not to think about it too much.”

I swallowed, looking away. “It haunts me though. Who knows how many lives I’ve ruined? Or… taken?”

Hurriedly I added, “I just thought you should know. I don’t want there to be any lies between us. And you… well, I wanted you to know you’ve made me sort of face my past and question everything . You make me want to do better , be a better version of myself.”

She stared at me for such a long time I thought she wasn’t going to say anything at all—maybe never speak to me again. Then she finally spoke.

“I’m not who you think I am either.”

I blinked in surprise. “What do you mean? You’re Raewyn. We met in the marketplace.”

“Yes, that’s true. But there are things I haven’t told you.”

She licked her lips and looked down at her lap where her fingers fidgeted, twisting together.

I nodded in encouragement. “Go on.”

Whatever she had to confess would pale in comparison to my shameful past.

“I did get into the ball that night,” she said.

My head jerked in surprise. “But I didn’t see you there. I’m not sure how I could have missed you.”

Now that I thought about it though, once I’d spotted Lady Wyn, my eyes had hardly deviated from her beautiful face.

“You did see me,” Raewyn said. “In fact, we danced. And talked.”

What was she talking about? There was no way I would have forgotten that.

Her breathing was very shallow, and her entwined fingers were so tightly twisted they’d turned white.

“And at the end of the evening… you proposed to me. Stellon… I’m Wyn. That was me.”

It felt like a wildfire had ignited in my mind, my thoughts consumed by the hot flames.

How could I not have recognized her? How could she have appeared so different?

And why would she have waited so long to tell me?

“I don’t understand. How is this possible?” I asked.

“It’s rather a long story,” she said. “The short of it is, our village mother gave me the dress and the shoes and transformed my appearance so I’d fit in better, so I could…”

After a pause she finished. “... attend the ball. And there might have been a… love spell. I’m not sure.”

Her face flushed dark pink, and she looked like she might cry.

“But she didn’t warn me about that. I’m so sorry for deceiving you, for not telling you sooner. I wasn’t completely sure I could trust you—not until just now.”

A sense of wonder had me in a daze.

“I can hardly point fingers. When you met me , I was disguised as a human peasant. How did she ‘transform’ you?”

Her shoulders lifted and fell. “Magic, I guess? She’s an Earthwife. I’m not sure how they do what they do.”

“That explains why ‘Wyn’ seemed taller than you.”

Letting out a chuckle, I said, “So the woman my father’s troops have been scouring the region for, carrying a sparkly shoe no less, has been here all along.”

Raewyn nodded, looking fearful. I wasn’t sure why. As far as I was concerned, this was phenomenal news.

Memories from the ball collided with those I’d made with Raewyn these past two weeks. Why had I not seen it sooner?

Or maybe I had. Had a part of me known all along?

When I’d heard her voice, when I’d seen those eyes… I knew there was no way two people could have possessed eyes like that.

This explained so much—how Lady Wyn could have disappeared without a trace—and how I had moved so quickly from feeling like I loved her to loving Raewyn.

And I hadn’t been under a spell.

I knew what I felt, and my feelings weren’t fickle. In fact, they hadn’t changed since the day I’d met Raewyn, except to grow stronger.

Drawing her into my arms, I held her tightly and sank my face into her fragrant hair.

“I am so happy.”

She wiggled, and I released my hold enough to allow her to draw back and see my face.

“You’re not angry?” she asked.

“Not at all. I’m relieved, honestly,” I said. “Now I know why I was so enchanted by the ‘Elven stranger’ then forgot about her as soon as I saw you again.”

Gazing down at her in awe, I said. “And now I’m even more certain about the reason I came back tonight, about the question I wanted to ask you. I think I started falling for you the moment I saw you in the marketplace.”

I stroked her cheek, marveling at its softness.

“When I woke to see you holding that flaming torch with that fierce, beautiful look on your face, the deed was done. My heart was lost. And the fact you went to such lengths to attend the ball and see me again, well… I’m beyond flattered and delighted.”

Taking her hands in mine, I said, “In spite of their challenges, these last two weeks with you have been the happiest of my life.”

“There’s more I should tell you about that night,” she said, her tone grave with trepidation.

“And I want to hear it all. I want to hear everything about everything. But first, I have to ask you. I can’t wait another minute.”

Here, I paused for a fortifying breath then dropped to one knee.

“I’m so in love with you, it’s painful. I need you with me always, Raewyn. Marry me.”

She drew back in shock. “We can’t marry. You’re Elven, and I’m human.”

“I don’t care. You’re the one I want,” I vowed. “The only woman I’ll ever want. I don’t want you to be my concubine or my consort. I want you to be my wife, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it.”

“Your father and brother will care quite a bit,” she said. “You saw the way Pharis reacted, and your father…”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, and I meant it. I was taking a giant leap away from my lifelong commitment to duty and honor, but it felt so right.

Raewyn was worth any consequence that might follow.

“My father will either accept my decision and allow me to marry you, or I’ll abdicate, and Pharis will become Crown Prince. Either way, I get to be with you. That’s all I care about.”

“The king will never allow it,” Raewyn said, shaking her head rapidly. “He gets what he wants, and what he wants is for you to produce a pureblooded heir and rule when he steps down. He’ll have me executed as soon as you tell him of your intentions.”

A surge of protective fury filled my veins.

“He’ll have to execute me first,” I said, rising to my feet. “I’ll never let anyone harm you, Raewyn. You are the most important person in the world to me.”

Pulling her close again, I wrapped my arms around her and peppered her face with kisses.

“We’ll find a way to make it work,” I vowed. “Even if I have to go live in a human village, it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters to me except spending my life with you.”

I drew back so we could make eye contact. Hers were brimming with tears and maybe even a spark of hope.

“I can’t believe you’d give all of this up for me ,” she said.

“Gladly,” I assured her. “All this and more. It’s all rubbish without you. So what is your answer? Will you finally admit you love me too… and do me the honor of becoming my wife?”