Chapter 36
Q ueen Fiadh walked like the world molded to her every move.
She was graceful and stoic, and she scared the absolute crap out of me.
As she led the way up the stone stairs to her side of the castle, I watched in awe as those around her seemed to feed off her energy.
Like a flock of swallows, her soldiers, ladies, and servants…
they all moved as one giant body around a single brain.
It was creeping me out by the moment, and even Wylen’s calming touch couldn’t subdue the growing sense of dread seeping into my bones.
Yet while I cringed on the inside, the scenery around me made it hard not to stare in wonder.
Being next to the main entrance of the castle up close gave me a whole new perspective on just how intricate the design was.
Not only were the boulders carved out of the land and placed perfectly side by side, but it seemed like the fae used roots and vines and willow branches to hold it all together.
Arched windows with stained glass gave the structure its color, while the mild tones of browns and greens softened the harsh exterior.
And everyone who wasn’t a guest for the ball wore white.
The queen’s ladies strolled next to her in gowns that had similarities to hers but were much less detailed.
The servants waiting at the entrance were dressed in white leather tunics and pants.
Even the soldiers’ white feathers on top of their helmets…
everything felt like it was planned and it belonged.
It was a stark contrast to the dark outfits Wylen and I were wearing this evening.
Definitely planned.
Wylen never dropped his hand from my back as we followed the crowd inside.
The queen barked orders to several fae surrounding her, clearing the way for the entrance into the grand hall.
Ceilings that reached toward the stars. Beam work that put the best estates in Briargate to shame.
And candles hanging in a way that made them look like they were floating in midair.
Once again, I was overwhelmed with the exquisiteness of it all.
“This way,” Queen Fiadh told us over her shoulder.
We followed closely behind as she turned to the left and led us down a short hallway to a set of double doors. Two servants bowed as they pulled the intricate wooden masterpieces open, and we paused only a moment before she walked briskly inside.
We’d entered what I would have to call a throne room. Somewhat narrow and long, the floor was composed of millions of cobblestones arranged in circular patterns. Windows lined the left wall, letting in the early evening light that complemented the flickering candles in the sconces.
“Your father, Sosasia Raine Westwood?—"
“Just Sosie.”
She did the one eyebrow thing, as though trying to decide what she should do to me for interrupting her. “Miss Sosie.” Letting the words roll off her tongue like a sour taste, she stepped to the side and gestured toward the front of the room. “May I present to you The Bladesmith.”
Wylen and I stared at the scene in front of us.
Where the queen had her gorgeous wooden throne, a man hung beside it like a decoration.
He was chained to a tree trunk post, arms bound behind his back and ankles shackled together.
He was shirtless and skinny, and all I could see were ribs and a mop of dark, curly hair covering his bowed head .
The anger surging through me pushed all the fear away and made me forget my court manners.
“What have you done?” I snarled at the queen.
Even Wylen’s quiet warning couldn’t stop me from asking more.
“He is starving! And weak!” Stepping away from Wylen, I marched right up into the queen’s face. “He is one of your own!”
If she was annoyed with me, she didn’t show it. Instead, she crossed her painted arms and looked even more regal, if that was possible. “He used to be one of us. But then he chose the humans.”
Was that why she took him? Because he was living in my world?
I swallowed my next response and stomped away from her.
I could ask questions later. My footsteps echoed in the large, open room, but no one was following me.
As I got closer to Gil, the stench made my eyes burn.
He must have been chained up here for days…
unable to use a restroom or take a bath.
The shadows accentuated his shirtless torso, his ribs and collarbone sticking out almost like someone had painted them onto his skin.
Blood soaked his torn pants from his hips to his knees, most of the material missing below that point.
Barefoot, his feet were covered in mud. Dry now but covered none the same.
I stepped closer, carefully as if I might scare him. “Gil?” I asked. “Can you hear me?”
His head moved slowly, the curls bouncing a little while he tried to look my way. A trail of dried tears stained his cheeks, and a dribble of slobber fell from his mouth.
But when he looked into my eyes, everything changed.
His face lit up, an almost glow emitting from all the wrinkles and hardships he’d received while being the queen’s prisoner. With a smile that framed his perfect teeth, he did his best to stand up straight.
“Sosasia.” His rugged voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Hi, Gil.” Tears blurred my vision, and I quickly wiped them away. “It’s nice to meet you. ”
Gil shook his head very slowly. It was a struggle for him to get it back upright. “You shouldn’t be here,” he whispered.
Not knowing if it was said in concern or warning, I stepped closer so I could be sure he would listen to me. “I don’t care what you say.” Smiling, I added, “And it looks like you need me.”
He huffed a laugh and immediately winced in pain. He tried to move his shoulders, but the metal chains wrapped around the post clattered in protest. I turned to the queen, being sure to give her my best demanding attitude. “Please unchain him.”
“No.” She was standing next to Wylen, who had zero expression on his face.
“He clearly isn’t a threat. Unchain him now.”
The queen moved so fast I thought she teleported right in front of me.
I stumbled backward toward Gil when she reappeared with a finger pointing at my chest. “You do not get to make demands in my court,” she hissed.
Then, as though she realized she had an audience, she cleared her throat, threw her shoulders back, and clasped her hands together across her bare stomach.
“He is my prisoner of war. I can do with him as I wish.”
“War?” Wylen asked, stepping forward.
“The Buchanans once attacked the crown. And for that, they owe me a sacrifice.”
Wylen’s gaze dropped to Gil. He was thinking and scheming. I could see it in his eyes. “Are you referring to the Twenty-Year War?”
The queen held her ground. “Yes.”
“Fiadh—”
“You will address me as your queen,” she snapped.
“My Queen.” Wylen dragged out that last word. “That war ended a century ago.”
She pointed to Gil. “His family betrayed me, and they owed me a debt. Gilanders Earvin Buchanan is the only living member left. I do not care if he was with the humans during that time. A blood promise is a blood promise. You of all people should understand this! ”
Wylen flashed his eyes at me. Yes, I’d heard the queen’s words. There were secrets Wylen wasn’t telling me, but that wasn’t the most important part right now.
The queen suddenly sucked in a breath and spun on her heel. “He was the only living member…”
Gil stood taller, grunting in pain. “No!”
“No?” the queen imitated. “Who is going to stop me?”
“I will,” Wylen stated.
She laughed at him. “I am not afraid of you, young prince. But I see that your time in the human realm has weakened not only your soul but your mind.” Fixing her glare on me again, she said, “If you want to see Gilanders Earvin Buchanan unchained, I will need a trade.”
“A trade?”
“Yes. Of equal value.”
Wylen was shaking his head, his neck turning red with anger. “My queen, don’t.”
She ignored him. “What will you do, Sosie?”
“Do you want money?” I asked, not following her logic. “I can get you money, but I don’t see how that would be of any use to you here.”
She scoffed at me and spoke to Wylen. “Never mind. She is too stupid to trade.”
“Hey!” I shouted, and then I understood. “Oh. You want me to trade places with my father?”
Twirling a finger in the air, the queen smiled. “There you go, you ignorant child.”
“Okay, first of all?—”
“Sosie,” Gil warned. “Be careful.”
At this point, I had lost enough of my patience that logic disappeared.
“I am not afraid of you,” I snapped at her.
“Where I come from, queens are just a figurehead. They have no real power and no real authority. You don’t get to make decisions for me.
You don’t get to hold my father prisoner for the crimes of his ancestors. ”
To her credit, Queen Faidh didn’t back down. “If you want me to release your father, you will stand in his place.”
“No!” Wylen shouted again. “If you want a trade, then trade for me. Sosie will not survive this world. You know as much. I can offer you my family's allegiance. I am Prince of Geimhreadh. You know I have the authority to make this deal.”
“You are a prince of a frozen land with meager means. I do not need your allegiance.”
That seemed to piss Wylen off. “Listen to me!” he shouted, clearly used to people paying attention to him when he spoke.
“My lands are vast in their resources. My people are the most loyal you will find in all the realm. We have riches yet undiscovered. You do not need to keep a halfling girl chained up in your castle to prove that you won the war!”
“Here, here,” Gil whispered behind me.
“How dare you?” she growled at Wylen. “I have offered you my home, and this is how you repay me? By disrespecting my authority and undermining my decisions?” She stomped away from him but quickly turned back, red gown waving out behind her like a shield. “You are no longer welcome in my bed.”
Bed? Wylen?
Looking appropriately contrite, Wylen bowed his head. “All I am saying is that Sosie is of no value to you and your reign.”
I believed he was saying that in my favor, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit the words stung a little. The queen must have seen it written on my face because she laughed when she pulled her attention back to me. “I believe you are right, Prince Keldi. She offers me little.”
“Hold on,” I cut in. Not sure where this was going, I just let the words spew. “Wylen? You slept with her?”
The members of the court who’d been slowly trickling in sucked in a collective breath. A few of them giggled as well. When the queen glared at me, I waved her away. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. She is beautiful.” I turned to face her. “You really are. But you’re not very nice. ”
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but her laugh was not one of my choices. “I think I could grow to like you.”
“No, believe me. You wouldn’t like me.” More chuckles filled the air. “But I think we should discuss our options.”
“Our options?” she jeered.
“Yes. You want a trade, and I want my father to be released. Clearly, Wylen’s title and wealth don’t interest you, but I am of the mind that we can find some type of bargain. Isn’t that a fae thing? Bargaining?”
She nodded slightly.
“So, let’s figure this out. You and me. Two women coming to terms on their own accord.”
That earned me another grin. “Two women?”
“Yes. No men allowed. They always fuck up the negotiations.” I didn’t mean to curse. In fact, I almost slapped my hand over my mouth in response. But when the queen bellowed a full, honest laugh, I stood my ground.
“Yes. Yes, they do always fuck it up, don’t they?” The court reacted quite brashly to the queen’s vulgarity, but she ignored them. “Very well. You may join me in my healing room for negotiations.”
“Can you allow Gil some food and water? Please.”
She rolled her eyes but then jerked her chin toward one of the servants, who briskly ran out of the room, hopefully, to get some sustenance for my father. “Come.” She waved at me over her shoulder.
As she walked away, Wylen rushed to my side. “What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to figure that out,” I snapped back.
“Do not promise her anything. Do you understand? The fae like to twist their promises into life sentences. Please don’t make any rash decisions. Come talk to me first.”
I ignored him. This was the whole point, right? Just me and the queen negotiating like champs. With one last look back at my father, who was watching closely, I nudged Wylen to the side and followed the queen out the door.