Chapter Twenty-Eight
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ROLE PLAY
I bucked and struggled against my captor’s grip, Cas shouting in the background.
“Fight more, and he dies,” a voice said. An oddly familiar voice, but I could not place it. Cas’s yells faded to silence, so I cooperated.
Just minutes later, I heard a door open and the cool, damp air of a cellar settled on my skin. The bag still covered my face as someone shoved me down and tied me to a chair, making my breath swarm hot all around me.
Footsteps neared, and the sack was pulled off.
I blinked, my vision adjusting to the empty, dimly lit stone chamber. Parson bent over me, his light brown hair pulled into a low bun.
He stared at me, betraying no emotions. A sinking feeling swelled in my gut.
“Parson,” I said, my voice low. “What am I doing here?”
He remained silent, just watching me.
“You, you snake ,” I hissed. “Who do you work for? Another of Neferti’s lapdogs?”
He stood unmoving and said nothing. Another conclusion dawned on me. Jana had never figured out how Fayzien knew my location in Argention was compromised—how he knew Jana was coming to extract me. It had left her to wonder if she’d had a mole in her ranks.
“You told the Rexi that Jana had found out I was alive, didn’t you? You are the reason my family is dead,” I growled.
Recognition sparked in his eyes. It looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. And a moment later, voices echoed through the room.
Dread sat like bricks on my chest at the prospect of seeing the Rexi. But my mother did not appear in front of me. King Darlan did.
He looked jubilant as ever, his cheeks rosy and a twinkle in his eye. One would never guess he was a captor approaching his prisoner.
The king took a deep bow, extending his arms out. “Princess Terra, hello! I do apologize for the regrettable circumstances of this encounter. I promise you, they are absolutely necessary. I would never do such a thing without utter cruciality.” He rested his hand on his heart.
“Your Majesty, why am I here?” I fought to keep my voice even.
“Yes, of course. We might as well get on with it.” He sat in an empty chair his companion set out for him. I did not recognize the other male, a tall and slender Fae with a sallow, distant expression.
“I need you to do me a favor, my sweet Terra. I need you to compete in the Sk?l.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is that what this is all about? I told Cas this morning that I would compete in the absurd competition.”
The king’s face contorted in an instant. “I will allow your petulant interruption this once, Terragnata. If you roll your eyes at me again, I will remove them from your skull. Now, back to what I was saying. I need you to compete in the Sk?l, and I need you to lose. On purpose.”
My insides went cold—at more than just his graphic threat. “I am still a bit unclear on the mechanics of the competition, but isn’t it a fight to the death?”
“In some cases, yes,” the king replied. “But not all. Will you face competitors who want to kill you? Most certainly. However, some contestants disqualify for performing the tasks slower than others. I truly cannot tell you more than that without spoiling the surprise. I trust you’re clever enough to situate a scenario in which you neither win nor perish.”
I shivered. “And may I ask why you request this? I can’t agree if your motivations are unknown to me.”
“Well, it should be in your best interest, no? You said yourself you don’t want to marry,” Darlan said.
“While your deflection is much admired, King, I won’t alter fate intentionally without knowing why. And it would crush Cas. Why would you want to do that to your son?”
“Cas may speak beyond his years, but at his core, he is a besotted young male. He is much too na?ve to understand certain things, though he believes he understands them better than I. He says he wants to marry you for the advantage of our kingdom, and certainly, that was the idea in the beginning. But much has changed. The needs of Viribrum have changed. And he is blind to those changes, for all he sees is you. I, however, do not. I see everything that goes on in Viribrum. Even what goes on in backwoods silver mining towns, deep in the human realm.”
“You knew,” I spat.
“That your mother was the one that sent you away? That you were never, in fact, dead?” The damp perspiration of the cellar beaded on his brow as he squinted at me. “Of course, I knew. I knew from the beginning! Such fools they are, the lot of them. To think I have no idea what goes on in my kingdom. I was not happy about it, initially, for she meddled in an agreement we had without consulting me. But my young boy had become so smitten with you, so weakened by emotion, I nearly thanked her for it. I hoped he would become stronger in your absence. And for a time, he did. But then he discovered you were alive and became obsessed with finding you. Now that he’s got you, he’s fixated on the image of you two sitting side by side, ruling over Fae and Witch alike. The fantasy of a child.”
“What do you mean, the needs of Viribrum have changed?” I murmured, knowing I could push my luck too far with the cantankerous ruler. If the king no longer wants to unite Nebbiolo and Viribrum through marriage… what does he want?
The king sighed. “I have no obligation to answer you, my dear, but it is better you learn this hard lesson now. Witch and Fae are not meant to coexist, at least not as equals. Fae live longer; we’re stronger and wiser. Thousands of years ago—millennia before Nebbiolo was even a twinkle in the first bitch queen’s eye, Witch served the Fae in Viribrum. In my younger years, I thought it prudent to align with Nebbiolo, to hurry along the transition back to the old ways. Change starts at the top, they say. But your mother’s display with your abduction proved the unreliability of your kind. Cas believes he will remain in command of himself, but he is weak. I know he’ll fall to your will—a Fae male becoming subservient to a Witch,” the king sneered. “The thought makes me sick.”
“You think the Witches will one day… serve you,” I whispered, more to myself than to the king.
King Darlan’s chest bobbed to a deep chuckle, and he clapped himself on his round belly. “Oh, my Terra, I am not saying Fae will be restored to greatness in one century—it may take many! Anyhow, it is not your concern. Focus on one thing. The Sk?l.”
I swallowed the urge to roll my eyes at my Terra again for the sake of them remaining in my skull. “So, I lose the Sk?l, on purpose, somehow I survive, and then what? Cas marries someone else?” An image of Cas’s white-haired lover in a white dress flashed in my head, but I shooed it away. “What becomes of me?”
“You go back to where you belong. Your home. In Nebbiolo,” he said definitively.
“Your Majesty, I was raised in Viribrum. I believe I have relations here on my father’s side. I matured in the human lands. Nebbiolo is not my home.”
“Well, although your mother and I can agree on nearly nothing, that is one area we see eye to eye on. Your duty is to the Nebbiolon people, whether you like it or not. You will one day be their queen.” Darlan’s eyes gleamed with something that said, though not for long . A shiver danced down my spine.
“And if I return to Nebbiolo with the Rexi, what will happen here? I’ve been told the tensions with Drakkar should cool with my return, but you talk as if there will be no peace…” I trailed off to goad him. I grasped the gist of his desires but knew little of his plans.
Darlan grinned. “A curious one, you are. Just like your father. While my plans are of no consequence to you, I will say this: Your mother used your disappearance to increase those tensions, hoping the two kingdoms would destroy one another. And if it is a war she wants, it is a war she’ll get. The decades of hate she has sewn into the hearts of the Witch and the Fae did not simply dissipate upon your return. I can promise you one thing—if there is a war between the Fae and Witch, the Witches will stand no chance.”
My stomach curdled. “Won’t many die,” I breathed, “if Drakkar and Viribrum go to war?”
“You are na?ve, child, to think you would not do the same to protect your own people.”
I struggled in the chains, physical and not. “And the purpose of this display? Why did you have me kidnapped and bound?”
“Well, for one, you will not be let out until you agree. And secondly, your abduction will be positioned… how shall I say, advantageously for my cause.”
“If you think I won’t tell Cas about this, you’re?—”
“Be very careful, Terragnata. This conversation stays between the two of us. Only us . And if it does not, and if you fail to comply with my request to lose the Sk?l, well, I would fear for your aunt’s safety. Accidents can happen in prison cells. They do all the time, in fact. They also happen to young pregnant humans, so delicate they are.”
I shook my head, looking at the ceiling. If it wasn’t clear he was threatening me before, it certainly was now.
“I agree,” I huffed, praying to the gods that one day I wouldn’t be a pawn in a massive chess game, one I hadn’t the slightest idea how to play.
Parson deposited me in a heap outside the castle gates, the sun already making its descent. He told me to stay put until someone found me. I did, thinking of Ezren—wondering if he’d felt the injuries I’d sustained. The king ensured that I looked worse for wear, a part of his antagonism plot, I guessed.
And then there were guards fussing over me. Cas arrived in under a minute, folding me into his arms and carrying me back to my chambers. He’d looked better himself, with several bruises smattering his face. They’d heal in a few hours, since strong Fae blood coursed through his veins.
He walked in silence. No doubt, Cas wanted to wait to interrogate me until we were far from prying ears. As we neared my room, my mind wandered. “What is your shift shape, Cas?”
He barked out a laugh. “You may find it amusing. While I was blessed with superior scent and unusual magic, my shift is, shall we say, less admired.”
“I could use amusing right now,” I murmured.
“A cat. A black cat with purple-golden eyes. Though I can be very ferocious in my shift, should I need to be.” He winked.
I giggled, imagining him in his feline form, snuggling against me.
He set me in a large chair in front of the fire. Why did I let him carry me the entire way? My legs still worked just fine. The question dissipated with Olea bustling around, preparing tea for us and a bath for me.
Cas knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. “Terra, I’m so sorry. I should have seen them. I was distracted, and I didn’t protect you. I am so, so sorry,” he whispered.
I pitied him at that moment, wondering what demons my being snatched under his nose brought up. I cupped his cheeks. “It’s okay, Cas, I’m okay. I’m here.”
He shuddered and leaned into my touch. “My guards are investigating, doing everything they can to figure out who the attackers were. They will have to question you at some point. But right now, I just want it to be you and me, mi karus . If… if that’s what you want, too.”
I knew what he offered. I could not deny the comfort, nor the fact that Cas and I had a bond of some kind. It didn’t compare to what I had with Ezren—unpredictable, a wild flame. The connection between Cas and me was old, based on history and mutual understanding. It was safe.
“Olea,” Cas said, still gazing up at me. “Please finish preparing the bath and then leave us.”
She complied. And when she left, Cas pulled me to stand. My hair hung in a matted mess around me. Cas pulled off my riding gloves first, checking to make sure both rings still remained on my fingers, and kissed each one. He undid the outer layer of my riding skirts next, letting them fall to the ground, then pulled out the laces of my leather corset, which ran up my front. He was slow and deliberate in his motions. My breath stuck inside my lungs. I couldn’t exhale, knowing what came next.
The leather fell to the ground, and I now stood in a simple cream shift with breeches beneath it. His eyes ran down me, lingering on the shadow of my chest, which was visible beneath the sheer fabric.
“My turn,” I whispered. He was still in his riding wear. I unhooked the fasteners of his jacket, spreading it, and then I pushed it off him. His tattoo stared back at me, and I let my eyes and fingers trace the outline of it once again. He exhaled, tilting his head back as my fingers made their way down his abdominals, which flexed with his deep breath. They landed on his waistband, and I undid his trousers. I tugged on them, and they fell to the ground, revealing nothing but his manhood beneath.
He swelled, and I froze, my eyes widening, still unused to such a sight. He noticed my trepidation and uttered a laugh, turning to walk to the tub. Cas lowered himself in and rested his head against the lip of copper. “When you’re ready, mi karus , the water is warm.”
I took a steadying breath and slipped my hands beneath my shift, shedding my trousers, leaving nothing beneath the sheer fabric. I went to the tub and climbed in after him, my shirt sticking to my skin as it saturated with water. He lounged on one end, I on the other. I splashed some water on my face and arched my spine, tilting my head back and letting my hair soak. Cas watched me, the heat of his eyes burning into me.
I sat straight up, my knees folded beneath me, and looked at him, unable to move.
His gaze met mine. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I remained still for a moment, unsure. But the desire was there, whether it was a product of the trauma, my new Fae body, or pure need. I nodded, my eyes not leaving his.
That seemed to be enough for him, and he reached forward, pulling me on top of him, the water sloshing all around us. I was dangerously close to his manhood, looking down at him. He brushed my hair away from my face, placing his hands on my neck, his thumbs pressed to my jawline. “You’re okay, Terra,” Cas said, more to himself than to me.
Before I could think further, I brushed my lips to his. He kissed me back, running his hands down my sides, raising bumps on my skin despite the warmth of the water and the thin layer of wet cloth shrouding me. And then he thrust into me, holding my hips while he moved. I cried out, losing myself in the joining of our bodies.
I woke in my bed, shrouded in silk, with Cas nowhere in sight. I could only hear the rhythmic crash of waves beneath my window.
I lay there, listening to the sound of the water, remembering the sensation of Cas inside me. It felt good to lose myself in the pure physicality of need —to revel in the comforting touch of someone familiar.
But I could not shake the guilt. Ezren’s face lingered in my mind, even in those first moments Cas was inside me. It felt… dirty.
I resented that notion, the self-loathing that seemed to have been schooled into me. We came together in the inevitability of the moment—the stress of the day, the closeness we’d shared for so long. It didn’t feel wrong, the act. The wrongness came from thinking of another. Perhaps it would fade with time.
I fell asleep to those thoughts, stubbornly ignoring the buzzing from my hip bone.
A shaking of my shoulders ripped me from my sleep. “Mestress, me hates te wake ye, but ets urgent,” Olea said. “The Rexi. She’s asken’ te see ye.”
I peeked an eye open—barely dawn. I’d slept a mere two or three hours, and I moaned in protest of the disturbance.
“Please, mess,” Olea pleaded. “She said ef ye didna come, I’d have me personal hours suspended fer a month.”
I didn’t know what ‘personal hours’ were, but the desperation in Olea’s voice roused me. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, my body aching from the previous day’s manhandling. “Where is she?”
“Her guards are waiten’ fer ye outside the door,” Olea answered.
I stuffed my feet into the slippers next to my bedside and grabbed a matching silk robe.
“Wait,” Olea protested when I made to exit. “Ye really should be dressed, te see the queen. Et isna proper?—”
“Did she specifically request me to be dressed?”
Olea shook her head.
“Very well then,” I said, knowing perfectly well that the bruises I’d earned the past few days would be visible.
It was a long walk to her quarters, which were not in the wing of the Crown but in the wing dedicated to distinguished guests. She was fully dressed, of course. Her hair, the color matching mine, was tightly piled atop her head, revealing the soft curves of her face that I also possessed. But we were not alike in every physical way. Where my eyes resembled the Earth, all life and vibrance, hers were an inky pool of black. They were death.
She tapped her chrome-colored nails against the window ledge on which she perched, her deep purple velvet gown draped all around her. “You’re late. I thought the delay would at least mean you bothered to dress,” she said, her eyes still trained on the hazy morning outside the window.
I stood motionless, wondering how to address the female who bore me for the first time in private. “Hello, Rexi. What have I done to earn this coveted early morning summons?”
She was silent a moment. “How are you?” she asked, her gaze dragging towards me.
I shifted on my feet, assessing the authenticity of her question. “You mean, how am I, after being pulled from my horse, strapped to a chair for interrogation, beaten, and dumped at the palace gates?”
Her eyes narrowed at me. “What did the king want from you?”
I stilled. “It wasn’t the king,” I replied. “It was a group of men, with?—”
“Let me guess: shaved heads, imposing face tattoos, and long dark robes?” She raised her eyebrows in boredom.
I closed my mouth, weighing my options. The king had made it perfectly clear what would happen if I revealed anything about the nature of our conversation to anyone.
Before I could respond, she spoke again. “Let us change the subject, my dear. Have you chosen to compete in the Sk?l?”
“I have.”
“I see. And do you plan to lose?”
I nodded once, almost imperceptibly, and said, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Rexi. I have no plans to lose.”
“Good,” she said, flicking her wrist. A whoosh of air shot out from the Rexi in all directions, as if to coat the walls. “We can speak freely now. I’ve sealed the room. If any stray ears were on us, they will report your denial.”
I blinked, wondering what spell she just used, and how I could learn something so handy.
“It’s easier for all of us if you lose that blasted competition. The sooner you do, the sooner we can return home.”
I flinched at the idea of going anywhere with the cold stranger who sat in front of me. “Do you no longer approve of my match with Cas?” I asked carefully.
The Rexi sighed. “That match was always Viturius’s idea—never mine. It would have had advantages… the heir, in particular, could have been used to control Cas. Darlan, too. But the king no longer supports it. Publicly, he does, of course. The bastard can’t stand to lose face. But if the match is not supported privately, then it is doomed to begin with. It is far more advantageous for us to return to Nebbiolo. It is why I hoped Fayzien would retrieve you before you made it to Valfalla—we could’ve returned to Nebbiolo and avoided all this Sk?l business entirely. But we are here now, and I do not think it wise to reject the prince outright.” The Rexi paused, thinking for a moment, while my stomach boiled at her casual mention of manipulating Cas.
“It is time, Terra, for you to get to know your home so that you may prepare for your role as queen. It may come sooner than you think.”
White-hot anger mixed with terror flashed through my body—at her callousness, her arrogant assumption that I would follow her orders without question. “And what makes you think I have any interest in ruling? After what you did to me? To my father? To my Argenti family? You have no idea who I am. You don’t know me at all! I am no daughter to you, no future queen,” I spat.
In an instant, my body was hauled across the room until I stood before her. The Rexi’s thin fingers wrapped around my throat, her chrome nails pressing into the bruises left by Fayzien the morning before. I choked, gasping for air, my toes fighting to remain on the ground as she raised me up with a strength I did not know Witches could possess. I grasped for an ember of my power to call to any nearby earthen object, but the flicker of magic sputtered out like a damp rag had been put over it.
“A Witch queen’s strength draws from her people,” she purred, answering my unspoken thought. It is nearly unlimited. If you fear the power Darlan has to harm your little human friend, then listen carefully. I could end Prince Casmerre with a mere thought. Lose the Sk?l, as Darlan instructed. And then we will leave. I will hear no more whimpering or whining. The queen’s bloodline means a duty to the Nebbiolon people, above all else.”
She released me, and I dropped to the floor, choking on new breath. I could’ve laughed out loud at my earlier thought to wound her with the sight of my bruises—when she had just added to them herself. The door flung open, and a guard walked over to me, pulling me to stand, while the Rexi resumed her staring out of the window. I followed him, numb, not looking back.
“Terra,” she said, pausing us as we exited her room. I turned my head over my shoulder, hate roiling off me. “We all have our role to play. It is best you accept that.”
And then the door shut in our faces.