Chapter 19
I couldn’t shake the feel of Aurelia’s soft fingers weaving through my hair or dancing over the tenderest part of my abdomen.
As I finished bathing and dressing, my movements clumsy as I avoided stretching my right arm too much, all I could think of was how I yearned for her to return. If she saw me half dressed, it would rattle her, and that endearing blush would spread across her face.
I didn’t know why I enjoyed it so much. Over the years, I’d been with plenty of women. Aurelia hadn’t shown the least bit of interest in me.
But perhaps that was why I craved it so much. As I said to her, I enjoyed a challenge.
I shook my head, cursing under my breath as I fumbled with the buttons of my shirt. This was foolishness. Once our bargain was complete, we would likely never see each other again. Our kingdoms would be on better terms, but that didn’t have to mean anything.
We would part ways. Because, to her, I would always be the enemy prince.
I exhaled a harsh breath through my teeth, turning to inspect my appearance in the mirror. The tunic and coat were simple; certainly not the elegance I was accustomed to. But the soft fabric was soothing against my skin, and it was surprisingly comfortable.
I would take comfort over elegance. With a smirk, I glanced at the wardrobe. This cottage did seem to understand exactly what I needed. The belt at my trousers even had a strap for my short sword.
When I was fully dressed, I left the room and made my way down the hallway. Voices echoed, and a woman’s high-pitched laugh rang out. I followed the sounds until I found Aurelia and Dreya taking tea in the sitting room. A plate of biscuits and scones sat on the table between the two sofas.
“Your Highness!” Dreya immediately rose and fell into a quick curtsy.
“Please,” I said, lifting my hand. “You have taken such good care of us in our time of need. You don’t need to curtsy, and you certainly don’t need to refer to me as Your Highness. Fenn will do.”
Dreya blushed and wrung her hands together, then shot an uncertain glance toward Aurelia, who lifted her eyebrows. “Oh, I couldn’t possibly…” Dreya mumbled.
“Then Prince Fenn.”
Dreya nodded once, her lips pressing together in a thin line.
“Don’t stop on my account,” I said, gesturing to the plate of pastries before sliding onto the cushion next to Aurelia. The sofa was small, and my arm and leg pressed against hers.
She stiffened for a brief moment, then relaxed against me as she no doubt remembered our ruse. She placed a hand on my knee and said, “I’ve sent word to the Autumn Court of our upcoming arrival. They should be expecting us before dusk.”
“Excellent.” With my uninjured arm, I reached for a blueberry scone and took a bite. Warmth flooded my tongue, and the sugared fruit tasted divine. I took another bite and groaned with satisfaction. “This is quite good.”
“Hallie is the best baker in the realm,” Dreya said proudly.
Aurelia nodded her agreement. “She certainly is.”
“Well, be sure to give her my compliments,” I said, licking the sugar from my fingers. With my other hand, I clasped Aurelia’s fingers in mine, then brought the back of her hand to my lips and brushed a kiss against it.
Aurelia’s cheeks flushed, her eyes flashing with irritation. I only smirked at her. “Did you sleep well, my love?” I murmured, my lips still on her hand.
She took a slow, deep breath before batting her eyelashes at me and offering a simpering smile that was anything but genuine. “How could I not? I was with you the entire night.”
She turned away, withdrawing her hand as she took a biscuit. I frowned at her, noting that she hadn’t answered my question. Would it have been a lie if she had said she had gotten a restful sleep? Had she been kept up by memories of whatever had happened to her to make her fear sharing a bed with me?
Dreya glanced uncertainly between us, and I smiled again before she suspected anything was amiss. “The room was lovely, Dreya. Thank you for your hospitality. I will tell everyone in my court that this is the inn to stay at.”
“That’s assuming anyone in your court will venture this way,” Aurelia muttered between bites of her food.
“Why wouldn’t they? With our union, the two courts will be allies. I’ll wager we’ll have many correspondences between our kingdoms.”
Aurelia’s lips tightened, and she lifted her teacup to her lips before taking a long sip. “We’ll see,” she whispered.
I scrutinized her, the rigid set of her jaw, the dark anger brewing in her gaze. Did she not believe that relations between our kingdoms would improve? Granted, once our false engagement ended, there would certainly be a strain. But she would get her stardust—and her people would be safe—and my kingdom would get a dragon. Surely, the benefits of our bargain would finally end the animosity between our courts.
Dreya cleared her throat, her shrewd eyes missing nothing. “Is there… a date set for the wedding?”
I leaned forward conspiratorially. “Between you and me, we haven’t officially announced it yet. But rest assured that news of a royal engagement like ours will be shouted from the rooftops, and you’ll be sure to know once arrangements have been made.” The deception rolled easily off my tongue. I wasn’t certain how deeply into our ruse we would go. Aurelia and I hadn’t agreed to officially announce a wedding date, so I didn’t want to make false promises. Not when my fae blood prevented me from lying.
Dreya’s face fell, and Aurelia leaned over the table to clasp her hands. “You will be more than welcome to attend. Perhaps we can even arrange for Hallie to bake something delicious for the ceremony.”
Dreya’s eyes lit up. “Oh, Your Highness, that would be the greatest honor!”
Aurelia smiled and took another sip of her tea, the icy rage in her eyes dimming slightly.
Dreya had Hallie bake us an extra batch of scones and biscuits for the road and insisted we take a pair of horses as well. Aurelia would only accept the kindness if Dreya allowed us to reimburse her for them. The innkeeper stammered her thanks, but she took the gold, and the relief on Aurelia’s face told me just how guilty she felt about taking advantage of the woman’s hospitality. Before midday, we set off, each saddled on our own horse. We kept to the main road, keeping a light, easy pace as we rode in silence.
I watched Aurelia as her distant gaze remained fixed ahead, as if she was trying not to look at me. She absently traced the marking on her knuckle from our bargain. I had an identical one on mine as well, but it was difficult to see on my tan skin.
“Why do you often come to that inn?” I asked her.
Aurelia took a moment before answering. “Wouldn’t you want to return to a cottage that can anticipate your needs?”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“I’m not obligated to answer your question.”
My eyes narrowed at her. “What’s the matter with you? Did I do something to offend you?”
She scoffed. “ Everything you do offends me, Fenn.”
“I don’t understand why you’re being so hostile after?—”
“After what? We shared a bed? I tended to your wounds? I scrubbed your injured body?” She shook her head, her lip curling in derision. “Don’t think that just because we shared a few amicable moments together that that makes us friends. I just didn’t want you bleeding out or slowing us down with an infection.”
My stomach soured, and I found it difficult to swallow around the lump in my throat. “If there is something specific I have done that has caused you genuine pain, I’d like to know.”
Aurelia exhaled, then turned to look at me, her blue eyes cold. “ Why did you say that to Dreya? About relations between our courts?”
I frowned. “Why shouldn’t I say that? Isn’t that the point of our ruse?”
“Do you know what she could do with access to stardust? She could enhance the magic of the cottage. She could expand her business so that she isn’t scraping by to make ends meet.”
I snorted. “She hardly seems to be scraping by . I saw several other patrons there during our stay.”
“Dammit, Fenn, that’s not the point! Do you have any intention of sharing your wealth with other kingdoms, or is this all just a game to you?”
I glared at her. “That’s rich, coming from you. How many dragons have you shared with other courts?”
Her nostrils flared. “That’s different. Dragons are brilliant living creatures who don’t deserve to be caged or?—”
“And do you think we are merely sitting on a pile of unused stardust, laughing idly while the kingdoms around us waste away?”
“Of course not, but?—”
“I told you stardust is scarce, and yet you still accuse me of hoarding it from other kingdoms? Gods, it’s no wonder your court has no allies.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” she snapped.
“It means your people have isolated themselves from other kingdoms for years, Aurelia. You’ve only brought this on yourself. You accuse me of not helping anyone, but what are you doing for the Realm of Valora? Have you done anything to assist another fae court besides your own? Anything at all?” I raised my eyebrows at her in a challenge.
Her cheeks reddened, and her nostrils flared. She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue with me, but then faltered. “I—” She stopped again, her mouth clamping shut. The blush on her face spread to her ears. “That’s not?—”
I only continued to raise my eyebrows at her, and though I tried not to look smug, the glare she threw at me told me I was failing.
At long last, she found her voice. “All anyone cares about are our dragons, Fenn. We tried to be civil. We tried inviting other kingdoms. But all they wanted was to steal from us. ”
“Are you sure it was theft? And not just kingdoms trying to barter?”
“Dragons are not goods to exchange!” she said hotly.
“Then trade them for other animals!” I shouted. “Other people , even, since you seem to care more about your damned dragons than anyone else. Offer to give a kingdom a dragon in exchange for a powerful fae warlock. Or in exchange for livestock that your people desperately need.”
She scoffed and fixed her eyes on the road ahead, her gaze full of fire. “This is what’s wrong with Valora, Fenn. Making exchanges as if these aren’t intelligent beasts with souls . ”
“What the hell is the matter with you?” I couldn’t hold in my rage any longer. How could this woman be so naive? “ That is how court works. Everything is an exchange. Even lives, even intelligent beasts with souls. Gods, aren’t you supposed to be a princess? Shouldn’t you know these things? Haven’t you been raised your entire life to make a marriage contract that would benefit your kingdom? You are a good to be exchanged. That is what you do for your people. How is it that you can auction off yourself to the highest bidder but you wouldn’t dare do the same for your dragons? How is this any different? Are you not also a brilliant living creature who doesn’t deserve to be caged?”
Her mouth opened, then closed as she looked at me. Her face was still flushed, but the ire in her expression had shifted to curiosity and confusion. For a long moment, nothing broke the silence between us save for the clopping of our horses’ hooves.
“It shouldn’t be this way,” she said, her voice quiet.
“Well, it is,” I bit out. “And if I hadn’t been in your kingdom when the curse hit, you would have been in deep shit. Because I guarantee that no one in Valora would have bothered to come help you. Not with the way you’ve cut yourself off from the world.”
Her eyes narrowed into slits. “You aren’t blameless here, either, Fenn. We may have isolated ourselves, but you haven’t done a damn thing to try to smooth relations between us, either. Your kingdom attacked and slaughtered my people, bringing war to both our kingdoms. You breached our borders. You shed first blood. Why the hell would you risk the innocent lives of your people like that? How selfish are you? ”
A storm raged in my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. Red crept into the corners of my vision, and I knew if I spoke, I would say something we would both regret. So I stayed silent, trying to quiet the tumultuous emotions roaring inside me.
Aurelia snorted, as if she’d won the argument. “That’s what I thought.”
“Maybe we should just not speak to one another,” I said, my voice tight. “I would much prefer that.”
“Fine by me.”
I nudged my horse into a trot, eager to quicken our pace and put an end to this wretched journey alongside such an unpleasant traveling companion.