Chapter 32 #2
Mom let out a low, wicked laugh. “Darling, they’re asking to be a part of your court.”
“My court?” I echoed, giving Mom a blank stare.
Moira slapped her hand over her mouth and gasped. “Oh, Evie,” she mumbled.
Garrett started to laugh, the sound a low, sexy rumble. “First, you should hire someone well versed in social etiquette.” He gestured to Simone. “I happen to have someone highly qualified right here.”
Simone gave me a little wave.
The cobwebs started to clear.
“There she goes,” Dad said, amusement in his voice. “She’s starting to understand.”
“A court,” I murmured. “Like ladies in waiting and all that nonsense?”
“Not so fancy as that,” Mom said, “but you do need a few close friends and family to keep you grounded and abreast on your social engagements.”
Well shit. I should have asked more questions. “Do you have people?” I put the word in air quotes.
“We both do,” Dad interjected. “You’ve met my people. Cliona’s people are more circumspect.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “And they don’t like you. Which is why you never see them.”
Dad wiggled his eyebrows at her, and Mom harrumphed, though her eyes sparkled with laughter.
“I don’t have a fund for salaries.” I frowned. “Or money to pay them.”
Dad sighed and shook his empty glass. “Simone. Can you make about twenty more of these?”
Moira snickered.
Simone rose. “I’ll make a pitcher.”
“The gods have blessed you,” Dad said. He floated the empty glasses over to the kitchen island.
Once Simone was in the kitchen, Dad leaned forward. “You are the current queen in training for all the fae.”
When I blinked owlishly at him, Dad groaned.
Garrett grinned. “Evie. Your father is too ancient to talk about money in public, but what he’s trying to hint around to is the fact that you’re filthy fucking rich.” He glanced at my father. “Correct?”
“Correct,” Dad agreed.
“So I can afford to pay salaries?”
“Many, many salaries,” Dad said.
“Huh. I’ll be damned. Cool.”
The sound of the cocktail shaker clattered around.
I glanced at Garrett. “Are you sure you want to leave Caelan? You’ve been with him for a long time. And you’re friends with him. Good friends.”
Grief flashed over his face, there and gone in an instant. “Not once in the many years I’ve been with him have I ever thought about walking away. Not until a few months ago. These last few weeks have only solidified my decision. Today was the last straw.”
I reached out to touch him but hesitated. “Garrett, I think something might be wrong with Caelan. He’s never been casually cruel.”
“None of us scent any foreign magic on him. We’ve looked.” Garrett grimaced. “We haven’t found anything inside the Keep that doesn’t belong, so it can’t be a curse or a charmed object. There’s nothing to explain his behavioral changes.”
While I’d known they wouldn’t have dismissed Caelan’s odd behavior as a fluke, it was cold comfort to realize they’d done their due diligence and found out that my fiancé was not under the influence of magic.
He was just a huge dick.
But I still wanted to ensure they weren’t making a mistake by coming to me. “Are you sure you don’t want to give it more time? I can’t help but think this is partially my fault.”
Simone came over with a tray full of martinis. “I don’t need more time. If the Lord I serve under can treat someone so poorly and keep hammering when her heart is clearly breaking in front of everyone, he is not a man I wish to continue serving.”
I blinked away the tears forming. “I—” My voice cracked. “Thank you, Simone.”
Garrett’s jaw tightened. “I was not there for that, but I hope you know I would have done something. Words hurt as much as a physical blow sometimes.”
“I’ll be fine.” As difficult as things were right now, I believed the words I was saying. I would be okay. If I could recover after Scotland, I could recover from this. At least I hadn’t gone ahead and married him. “But thank you.”
“Mom? Dad? What do you think? Anything I should know before I say yes?”
Mom sighed. “You’re a terrible negotiator.”
Moira sipped her martini. “How much was Caelan paying you?”
Dad snapped his fingers. “Yes. A good starting point.”
Garrett rattled off a number that made me choke on my drink, but Dad looked thoughtful.
“A good salary. You had access to a Healer at the Keep and mages for an additional level of security, yes?”
Garrett nodded. “I was in charge of much of the Keep’s security, but there were other aspects I had no say in.”
“Do you have additional gifts?”
Garrett’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“If you wish to work for the fae, specifically the queen, you are required to divulge anything which could potentially endanger her or add to her wellbeing.”
I gave Dad a funny look. What was he talking about?
The shifter looked uncomfortable. “Not all shifters possess additional gifts. Mostly they are limited to the Lords.”
“Which you will one day be,” Dad said, surprising the hell out of me.
How things change. Months ago, Garrett could barely tolerate being in the same room with me, going so far as to threaten to kill me every time he saw me. Now, not only were we sitting together, he was asking for a job. “Damn, Garrett. You might be a Lord, and you still want to work for me?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not a Lord, and working for you will look great on my resume. Even if you have no idea what you’re doing.”
“Careful, wolf,” Dad said in a warning tone.
“I’m not wrong,” Garrett doubled down.
“Perhaps, but you are still speaking to a queen.”
I raised my hand. “Queen in training. And it’s Garrett. I appreciate that he doesn’t feel the need to be nice to me.”
“And I appreciate you feel the same.”
We smiled at each other, and it wasn’t exactly friendly.
I looked over at Dad. “How do you assure someone’s loyalty when they become part of your court?”
Garrett snorted. “You’re finally learning, kid.”
“Blood oaths,” Dad said. “It will feel odd at first, but you’ll get used to them.”
Simone interjected. “The Lords have something similar. We swear one to whatever Alpha or Lord we choose to serve.”
“Are you still under the blood oath?” Moira asked.
Simone nodded. “Until Caelan severs it or we choose another one to serve.”
“Can he compel you through the oath?”
Simone and Garrett exchanged an unreadable glance. “In some ways, yes,” she finally said.
I grimaced. “Is the fae oath similar?”
Dad nodded. “You can make the commands as loose or as strong as you wish. Loosening them allows freedom and choice. But I would recommend ensuring you have a few ironclad commands.”
“Such as?” I couldn’t think of anything I’d want to force Simone and Garrett to do.
“Loyalty to your kingdom and people. Protection of family and loved ones. Things like that.”
I glanced at the two shifters. “Are those similar to what Caelan did?”
Simone shifted. Garrett’s expression was blank. “We are not allowed to tell you of the previously taken oaths.”
“Will those oaths shatter once you are under a new one?”
Garrett nodded.
“Will it be difficult for you to fight against Caelan if ever called to do so?”
My attention jerked to my father. “What kind of question is that?”
He shrugged. “One that needs asking.”
Garret’s nostrils flared. “Even after all of this, he remains my friend. At least on my side. He is unhappy, but I do not think he will strike back. But if he does, if I am under another oath, I will have no choice other than to fight back.”
I looked at Simone. She swallowed hard but nodded.
“Do you want more time to think about this? Even if you can’t find something wrong, that’s not a definitive answer. What would you do if he really was under the influence of something?”
“We’ve already spoken about this. Caelan has been different for many months now, and we have not always agreed with his methods, even before you came into his life.
We were already speaking of leaving, but neither of us expected to seek another so soon.
As Lords go, he was one of the better ones, but now we’re wondering how far he will go to win. ”
Sympathy flooded me. “I’m sorry. For both of you. And the answer is—”
Moira jumped in. “You haven’t asked me.”
I blinked. “Asked you what?”
“If I wanted to be in your court or whatever the hell this is.” Her dark eyes pinned me to the seat. “I’m supposed to be your best friend, and I didn’t even know you’d claimed the crown until that thing started spinning around on your head!”
I opened my mouth to explain, then closed it. She was right. I’d bargained for myself and my friends and barreled straight ahead without even thinking of consulting Moira.
“I—” My voice cracked. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Would you even want a spot? What if I have to move? Or travel all the time?”
Moira reached over and took my hands in her cool ones. “I will go wherever you go. Home is wherever we’re together.”
Tears filled my eyes. “Of course, Moira. Whatever place you want, you can have.”
I waved my hand at Mom and Dad. “Pay her a lot.”
Mom laughed.
“Alright then,” I said and dragged in a breath. “I’m willing if you are. But I want you to know I take no pleasure in this, and I want to be 100% sure this is what you want.”
Everyone nodded. The feeling of a loosened knot being tightened formed in my chest. What was happening right now felt like I’d been slowly moving toward this my entire life, and I couldn’t explain why.
I had no idea who my father was until a few months ago.
I shouldn’t be able to carry the Chimera curse, and yet, here I was, the product of two powerful fae and my blood swimming with Chimera DNA.
And now I was queen of all the fae.
Or queen in training. Weird enough either way.
Talk about things not being on your bingo card. This was all one big doozy.
Caelan was going to be furious when he found out.
Strangely enough, that was the least of my problems.