31. Rosalina
31
Rosalina
O ur first family breakfast—and by family, I mean me and my four fae captors—is just as awkward as our dinners.
Dinners over the last few weeks have followed a certain pattern that usually involves Farron explaining our research, but getting talked over by Keldarion, who is usually yelling at either Dayton or Ezryn, depending on his mood. Sometimes Ez and Kel will team up on Dayton when he’s being particularly annoying, and that’s always good fun to watch.
Though Ezryn only attends half the time. And Dayton is sometimes so drunk, he passes out before he makes it to the dining hall. And if he does get there, all he can do is sit sleepily while Farron tries to spoon-feed him soup. It’s kind of endearing.
Thankfully, I hadn’t had to endure any more awkward one-on-one dinners with Keldarion.
Besides the dinners, I spend most days with Farron, researching in the library. I’m desperate to learn more about him, the other princes, and the world. But they’re all so cagey with information. Even Marigold and Astrid aren’t helpful. The former only wants to talk about how incredibly gorgeous the princes are… which is fair. Their future mates better send me lovely thank-you letters. And the latter is too frightened of Keldarion to tell me anything juicy—but that’s also fair. His temper is fickler than a cat.
But the scariest thing of all is the more time I spend here, the less I feel like a prisoner and more like another member of the household, desperate to break this curse.
I’m on the right track now. Soon, the princes will have their mates in their loving arms and I’ll be home, in Orca Cove getting gossiped about in the bookstore.
I shake my head and shovel half a blueberry muffin into my mouth.
“So,” Dayton drawls, swirling his orange juice that smells a little too strong, “what’s everyone doing for the full moon?”
The full moon. They’re quite excited about it—or at least Dayton is. The one night of the month the curse doesn’t take hold. It was a sidebar point in Farron’s and my research. We speculate the Enchantress’s magic isn’t as strong on the full moon, or perhaps their fae magic is at its peak. Whatever the case, for every full moon for the last twenty-five years, the curse has not affected them, nor the castle staff.
I had made a joke about werewolf movies having it wrong, but Farron hadn’t gotten it.
“Seriously,” Dayton continues, “on the full moon, you’re going to—”
“Transform into my wolf and hunt goblins,” Ezryn says, sitting there stoically. No food in front of him, of course.
Dayton puts a hand to his heart, flabbergasted. “It’s the one night of the month you don’t have to change into that mangy mutt.”
“The goblins don’t take a break from terrorizing our realms,” Ezryn says. “I won’t either.”
“Not me, brother,” Dayton says. “I need a break. A chance to be a man.”
“A break from what? Day drinking? Sitting in your hot springs?” Farron mutters bitterly.
Come to think of it, he’d been in a bad mood yesterday as well. I would have thought he’d be overjoyed. A chance to not spend the night in that dingy dungeon.
“Getting drunk during the day is nothing compared to tasting a sweet berry wine with the night’s sea breeze on your face,” Dayton continues. “I, for one, will return to the Summer Realm to bask in her beauty.”
“Don’t think too highly of him,” Keldarion says. “He doesn’t intend to check in with any of the political dealings while he’s there.”
“How can I be bothered by that when all the fruit of Summer’s glorious nights will be calling to me? Her sweet wines and even sweeter ladies.” Dayton grins. “Besides, my sister has all that political stuff under control.”
“Your sister is a child .” Farron shoves his chair back and glowers at him. “You’re as delusional about that as you are with everything else.”
The smile doesn’t break from Dayton’s face, but I swear I see something akin to hurt flash in his eyes. “We’re all on borrowed time here. You can either have fun while it lasts or spend it huddled up in your dusty old library looking for something you’re never going to find. Hey, you never know, maybe my mate will fall on my cock in the Summer Realm, and I’ll break this fucking curse myself.”
Farron’s eyes water, and he storms across the room to the exit.
“Farron, wait,” I call out.
“I have to get ready.” He pauses at the door, a soft expression on his face. “I’m going back to the Autumn Realm to see my parents. It’s good to spend the night there every so often.”
With that, he leaves. I’m surprised Dayton’s fiery gaze doesn’t burn a hole in the wall.
Okay, I have to bring up my plan. But I’m a little nervous now that my right-hand man has left.
“Where are you going for the full moon, Keldarion?” I ask, stalling.
“I’ll be here,” Keldarion states.
So much for stalling.
“Kel hasn’t left the castle in twenty-five years,” Dayton says. “Rumor has it that’s not the only thing he hasn’t—”
“You should watch your tongue when speaking to the Winter Prince,” Ezryn snaps. “He was given the Sword of the Protect—”
“Yes, lot of good that did us all,” Dayton counters, a fire to his words. Farron must have really affected him. “Kel screwed us all over. For what? To lie with the shadows—”
“Enough,” Keldarion snarls, slamming his hands down on the table. A frost springs over the food, making it appear freezer burnt.
Okay, it’s now or never.
“I know how to break the curse!” I cry out and stand.
All their eyes burrow into me.
“Well, I have a guess. A hypothesis, really. Something Farron and I think would be worth a try.”
In actuality, when I’d told Farron my idea, he’d grimaced and muttered something about how he’d try anything at this point. But he’d abandoned me, so the truth was what I made it.
Kel looks like listening to my idea is far less appealing than beating Dayton to a pulp, which is his current goal. But mercifully, Ezryn turns his metallic-masked head to me and says, “Share your knowledge, Rosalina.”
Slowly, Kel sits down, and Dayton turns his attention to me. Nerves flutter in my stomach and a blush burns my cheeks. “Farron and I have been doing lots of research. And I have to say… Dayton’s right.”
Dayton looks the most shocked of all of them, but Kel’s face is equally displeased, and I can imagine the stunned look Ezryn has under that mask of his.
“What I mean is, yes. Maybe his mate will fall right on his, um—”
“If the mere thought of my cock turns you that red,” Dayton gleams, “then imagine what you’d look like with it in your—”
“Stop being crude,” I snap. “The point is, Dayton is right that he might find his mate in the Summer Realm. You’re certainly not going to find your mates sitting in the castle like you, Kel. It’s not like you’re going to wake up one day and feel your mating bond burst to life inside of you.”
“And why not?” He glares at me.
“Because it doesn’t work that way!”
“Doesn’t it?” His gaze is a blue fire across the table.
I’ve read every book on mates in the damned library over the last month, and it seems Keldarion is intent on testing that knowledge. “Okay, technically you could wake up one morning and feel it. But it’s doubtful. Something likely has to trigger it.”
“And what are these potential triggers, Rosalina?”
I breathe in a steadying breath. “This actually has nothing to do with my—”
“Should we get Farron back here to properly explain?”
“Potential triggers for awakening your bond could involve an incident with you or your mate near-death. Any intense emotion from either, within a certain proximity, could do it. And proximity is something Farron and I have been researching. From what we can tell, it’s not endless. I’m not sure about the magic of this castle, but I don’t think your bonds will reach your realms. Possibly into the Briar as that’s where the castle is grounded in reality, but unless your mate is a goblin, Keldarion, you’re not going to randomly feel her.”
He matches my glare and plops a grape into his mouth. At least that shut him up for now. I turn back to Ezryn and Dayton.
“I believe the curse has caused your mating bonds to lie dormant. Or it could be the fact that most of you don’t leave the castle.” Farron told me that at first, he, Dayton, and Ez had tried walking around the realms during the day, but year after year of nothing had eroded their hope. And their mates would have to love them, beasts and all. “Dayton has probably had the most exposure, figuring you do sometimes leave to drink during the day and on full moons. Have you ever felt—”
“Oh, I’ve felt a lot,” Dayton says.
“Listen.” I shake my head, running my hands through my hair, trying to remember the passages in my book. “In all the books, they say the bond is indescribable, which is super unhelpful. But from what I gather it’s like… starlight igniting your whole body, realizing there was an empty part of your heart and having it filled…”
I trail off and see all of them staring at me with unreadable expressions. Well, expect Ezryn. There, I just see my awkward reflection.
“Dayton, have you ever felt anything like that before?”
“No,” he says automatically, but his eyes flick to the door before going back to me.
Unhelpful, every single one of them. Every day, I am less and less surprised these idiots have not broken the curse. I swear, I could deliver each of their mates directly onto their laps, and they still wouldn’t be able to break this bloody thing.
Alas, I must forge ahead. “Finding your mates is the prominent part of breaking this curse, and we’re going to do it with exposure therapy!”
“Uh, what?” Dayton blinks.
“In other words,” I throw my arms out for emphasis, “a grand ball!”
“A ball?” Ezryn repeats slowly.
“Yes.” I heave in a breath to explain before they can stop me. “It’s the perfect opportunity to meet lots of eligible people—and touch them. Sometimes, just being in the same room as your mate can cause the bond to awaken. Farron and I were thinking each of the realms could host one. That way, you can meet fae from all around the Enchanted Vale.”
“You know me, love.” Dayton smiles. “I’m always down for a party.”
“The winter solstice is a few weeks away. If we host our first ball in the Winter Realm, it might also help inspire the people,” I suggest tentatively. From what Kel’s vizier had been saying, the Winter Realm could use a little pick me up.
“The solstice does not fall on a full moon,” Ezryn says. “It would have to be during the day.”
Hope swells within me. That isn’t a no. “Yes, we could market it as a full day celebration. Spread rumors the princes are looking for partners. That will bring in an eager crowd.”
“Dancing with a bunch of fae and drinking during the day?” Dayton laughs. “You have my support.”
“I suppose the idea has some merit,” Ezryn says. “However, we would have to be most cautious to leave for the castle before nightfall. No one can know about the curse.”
“Of course, we can arrange all that! I’m sure your mating bonds will bloom forth in such a romantic setting!” I nearly jump up with excitement. They’re totally into it. That is, until I turn to Keldarion.
His expression is stormy, and I’m caught in the torrent as he glares at me. “You can use my realm and invite my people, but I will not be in attendance.”
I shoot forward. “Kel, you have to go.”
“My answer is final,” he snarls.
This plan falls apart if Keldarion doesn’t go. Especially because we’re starting in his bloody realm. Does he think he’s just going to wake up one day with his mate bond in place? Or maybe he doesn’t care. Doesn’t care about this castle. Or the other princes. Or anyone except himself.
“You’re a selfish bastard, Kel,” I sneer.
I search for the most burnt muffin in the basket, grab it, and chuck it as hard as I can at him. He doesn’t catch it, not that I don’t think he couldn’t. He just didn’t think it was worth the effort when it bounces harmlessly off his rock-hard chest.
I reach for another muffin, but he’s already crossed the length of the table and snatches my wrist, his hand covering the bargain tattoo. “With that sort of talk, Rosalina, you’ll fit right in with the rest of the Winter Realm.”