Chapter 7
ROSE
Ispun around to face the infuriating man. “You could have given me a chance to say goodbye!”
Raith threw open the door and strode from the room. “You had all day to do that.”
I huffed and chased after him down a hallway of the same black stone, made glaringly bright with torches every few feet. “Some warning would have been nice.”
“I told you we would leave as soon as the wedding feast was over.”
“Yes, and that still gave me a few more hours!”
An older, stately gentleman emerged from a doorway. “Good, you’ve returned. The ledgers you requested are in your study and—” He cut off when he saw me, taking in the sight of my diamond-covered wedding gown and silver tiara with surprise.
“Rose, this is Oren,” Raith said. “He runs the castle and acts as my advisor in most matters.”
“Your majesty, it is an honor to welcome you to Ilidan,” Oren said, with a deep bow. It took me a moment to realize he was addressing me as “majesty.” Another thing I would have to get used to now that I was a queen.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said, mustering the best smile I could.
I studied Oren’s lined face for any sign of disgust or reluctance, but he was either too well-trained for that or truly had none, even though only hours earlier our kingdoms had been at war.
Even if Oren didn’t dislike me on sight, I couldn’t expect others to treat me so well.
What would the people of Ilidan think once they discovered they had a new, unexpected queen, who had formerly been their enemy?
“I’ve already prepared the royal consort’s chambers and had your belongings moved into them. Please let me know if there is anything else you require.”
“Oh,” I said. “Thank you. I hadn’t realized my things were already here.”
“I brought them over earlier,” Raith said.
I was torn between feeling impressed with his teleportation magic and resigned that even my belongings had been brought here without my knowledge.
Everything was happening so quickly, and it felt like control of my life was slipping out of my grasp completely.
Not that I’d ever had much control, but I’d cherished what little I could chip away from my father’s rule. Now even that was gone.
We moved through what I now realized was Ilidan’s main residence for the royal family, Varlock Castle.
From the stories I’d heard I’d gotten the impression it was a gothic, foreboding keep full of cobwebs, dark magic, and darker secrets.
A place where if you opened a closet door, you might find a dead body stashed inside.
I didn’t see any cobwebs, but I couldn’t rule out the rest just yet.
We stepped into a large entry decorated with hundreds of candles, torches, and braziers scattered around the room.
They illuminated every corner and nook, making the space almost as bright as if it were the middle of the day.
Perhaps to lighten up the otherwise dreary castle, which seemed to be made entirely of that smooth black stone that danced with the reflections of flame and light.
The castle was disturbingly quiet, and only four guards in red and black armor stood around the room despite its size.
Then again, Raith had entered my kingdom unprotected—maybe he believed his magic kept the castle safe.
I was certainly familiar with the arrogance of kings, though my father preferred to show his power by filling our castle with as many soldiers as possible.
“Your rooms are this way, your majesty,” Oren said. “If you’ll follow me…”
I hesitated, glancing back at Raith before addressing Oren. “Would you please give us a moment?”
“Of course,” Oren said, before stepping away to a discreet distance.
“What now?” I asked Raith quietly, hoping he understood the silent questions hiding between those two words. Where do we go from here as husband and wife? What is my role as queen? What do you expect of me?
“I have some business to attend to in my study,” Raith said, his voice clipped. “Oren will show you to your chambers and we’ll discuss everything else tomorrow.”
I smoothed the skirt of my wedding dress, my hands restless. “Will you join me tonight?”
He frowned, but his eyes followed my hands before sliding slowly back up my body to my face. “You must be exhausted.”
“I’m fine.”
He turned away with a sharp exhale. “Go to your rooms. I’ll meet with you later.”
Later. A trickle of warmth spread through me at this small victory and at the anticipation of our future encounter. I inclined my head slightly. “I’ll see you then.”
But as I turned away, he stopped me with one word. “Wait.”
My pulse raced as I faced him again. “Yes?”
“There’s one more thing,” he said, his voice turning dark and commanding. “You are to never leave the castle alone, and must never step foot outside at night. Do you understand?”
I blinked at him. “Why?”
“It’s not safe for you.” He took a step forward, until he towered over me. “Promise me you’ll stay inside after sundown.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but held my tongue at the last moment.
Raith must be worried I was in danger from people in Ilidan who might want to punish me for everything my kingdom had done.
There would be many who couldn’t believe we were at peace now, or wouldn’t want to accept it.
Was that why there were so few guards? Had he removed any that he didn’t feel could be trusted completely?
“I’ll stay inside,” I said. “Until it’s safe.”
He gave me a hard stare that never seemed to end, before he finally turned on his heel and walked away without another word. I watched him disappear, the door banging shut behind him, and sighed. So much for my grand wedding night.
Oren led me down more overly illuminated corridors, and our footsteps were the only sounds echoing throughout the eerily empty castle.
The few servants we did see dropped to a hasty bow, then spoke in hushed whispers as soon as we’d passed them by.
The guards ignored us completely, their eyes watching the shadows while their armor gleamed under the firelight.
Everyone I saw was human—only Raith and I had the pointed ears of the fae, which I probably should have expected.
Very few fae ventured outside of the kingdom of Korelan, which was ruled by their High Queen.
“You certainly keep this place aglow,” I said to Oren as we climbed a stone staircase and turned down another bright hallway.
He nodded solemnly. “To keep the shadows away.”
“Of course,” I said, as if I knew what he meant, though I wasn’t sure why that was so important.
Perhaps it was a normal custom in Ilidan?
Further proof I had a lot to learn about my new home.
If only I’d had more time before the wedding and our departure, I could have studied up on Ilidan instead of arriving in my new home feeling lost and ignorant.
Something I would have to rectify tomorrow.
Oren nodded to a heavy door as we passed by it. “This is the monarch’s chambers, though King Raith spends little time inside them. He can usually be found in his study.”
He continued to the next door and opened it with a key.
We entered a sitting room decorated in dark red and black brocade, with tall arched ceilings and huge windows on one side.
The hearth was going strong to combat the night’s chill, although compared to Talador it was quite warm here.
No shadows touched the room thanks to the candles covering nearly every surface.
Like the rest of Varlock Castle, someone had gone to a lot of trouble making sure this room was brightly lit.
“These are the royal consort’s chambers,” Oren said as we stepped inside. “They haven’t been used in some time, not since the King’s father passed about six years ago, but we have aired them out and prepared them for your arrival as best we could on such short notice.”
“I appreciate that. This has happened rather quickly for all of us.”
“Indeed. King Raith only informed us of your marriage this afternoon when he brought over some of your belongings. It was certainly a…surprise.”
“For Raith and I as well,” I said, with a wry smile.
He gestured to the room. “As royal consort, you have your own personal sitting room, washroom, and bedroom. I’m sure you’ll want to update them to your own style, of course.”
“Did Raith’s wife not stay here?”
He stiffened up, his face going blank. “Lady Silena passed before he became king. They lived in another part of the castle.” He moved to the door and bowed again. “Please let me know if there is anything else you need.”
“Thank you, Oren.” He seemed hesitant to speak at all about the lost princess, which I supposed was understandable, especially if she was well-loved. But I doubted Raith would tell me anything about her, so I had to get information wherever I could.
As soon as he left, a girl about my age entered and dropped into a deep curtsy. She wore a plain blue dress and had blond hair tied back tightly. “Your majesty, I am Loura and it is a great honor to serve you as your lady’s maid.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Loura. Please, call me Rose.” I hadn’t been allowed a single lady’s maid to accompany me to Ilidan, which still stung. But no matter. Though I was completely cut off from my home, I would do what I could to form new bonds here.
“Yes, Queen Rose,” she said, her cheeks flushed.
I gave her a kind smile. “Just Rose is fine. I’m still getting used to the new title, and it’s all a bit overwhelming.”
Loura looked worried at the suggestion she could speak to me without formality, but nodded. “Of course, your...” She swallowed back the word and nodded again.
After taking another look at the sitting room, I moved into the bedroom. It was decorated similarly, with a large canopied bed and an ornate wooden wardrobe, along with a locked door on one side.
“Where does this go?” I asked, flicking open the lock.
“That connects to the King’s chambers,” Loura said.