CHAPTER NINE #2
He rolls his eyes. “Maeve. I’m not a prince. I don’t need a crown.”
I jut my chin out at him. “This is a royal tea party and I declare you a prince today. So you wear the crown.” I gesture at the few dolls I have sitting around the table with their crowns.
“See, everyone else is wearing one. You’re my prince, joining me for tea,” I state firmly, narrowing my eyes so he understands this isn’t up for debate.
“But your mother’s mates aren’t princes. They’re consorts,” he argues back.
I place my tea cup gently down on the saucer. “They still wear crowns,” I sing. “Fine, if you won’t be my prince, you can be my consort. Now, pinkie up and drink your tea before it gets cold.”
He laughs, shaking his head at me. “I’ve missed you, Maeven. Father almost didn’t let me come today,” he says frowning down at the peppermint tea.
I swallow my sip. “Why not?” I ask, frowning.
He shrugs while taking a sip. “I don’t know. He’s been acting weird lately.”
My heart freezes. “Weirder than normal? Is he still hurting you? My mother told me she would handle it.”
I get up from my spot and hug him, letting him take comfort from me, but he never answers. After a bit, we go back to having a tea party and I try to take his mind off whatever is bugging him. I know he will tell me when he’s ready.
He always does.
I FINISH PLACING the last blanket over the table in the library and crawl inside where Killian is laying on his stomach reading a book. Collapsing onto the pillows next to him, I grab the book of fairy-tales, one my mother sometimes would read to me before bed.
Killian is my quietest friend and this is our favorite place to hide when things get too tough for him. When he wants to be alone, but not actually be alone.
He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. “What are you reading today?” he asks quietly and I smile, showing him the cover. He nods and closes his book, scooting closer to me. “Can we read yours today?” he whispers shyly.
Scooting closer so our shoulders are pressed together, I lay the book in front of us. But when I lean into him he hisses.
Rolling on my side, I face him. “What’s wrong?” I ask, keeping my voice low. “Did I hurt you?”
He shakes his head and murmurs. “You could never hurt me Mae. My father took training a little too hard yesterday. I’m okay.” His eye twitches and I know he’s lying. He always lies about how he was injured. He’s only four years older than me but even the other heirs aren’t nearly as scarred as him.
“Can I see?” I ask.
Killian hesitates and then nods.
I sit up under the table and he does the same, having to duck his head though as the space is too small. He pulls his arm out of the sleeve and then slides it out of the tunic showing me a massive wound, running from the top of his shoulder down to his elbow.
A sharp gasp leaves my lips as my dainty fingers tremble over the bloodied bandage. “Kill…”
He dresses quickly and adjusts his tunic. “It’s okay, Mae. I’m here with you and that makes everything better. I love our reading time together.”
I stare at his arm where I know that wound sits, along with older scars.
I know he won’t want me to worry, so I do the only thing I can.
I grab the book of fairy-tales and curl into his side and begin reading about a fae who is searching for a great stone of power.
He places his arm around me and we read long into the afternoon, giving him all the comfort I can offer him.
TODAY IS ONE of the few times a year where all the Lords and their families come to the castle.
to celebrate the winter solstice—a time where we give gifts to the ones we love and treasure.
At least that’s what mother says, although I don’t know how accurate that actually is because she gives gifts to the Lords of Damorleia and I know she doesn’t love them. Tolerates yes, but not more than that.
When I asked one of my fathers why that is, he pulled me into his lap, tickling me. “Because sometimes we have to be nice to people who don’t like us, to keep the peace. The realm is a delicate ecosystem and sometimes you need to do things you don’t like to keep everyone else happy.
It makes sense, but also, why? Why do things you don’t like? Shouldn’t your happiness count for something?
Dragons roar, shaking the windows of the castle and I jump up, running down to the courtyard.
“Maeven, my jewel, please don’t run inside,” I hear my mother yell as I barrel down the hall at full speed.
“Sorry, mother!” I move to a fast walk until I’m around the corner and take off again, laughing. They’re here! They’re here!
Jesper makes it to the courtyard first and I fly into him. The others follow: Talyn, Aemon and then Killian. For a ten-year-old he towers over all of us and I pout. It’s not fair that I’m the shortest one. Just wait. When I’m all grown up, I’ll be even taller than all of them.
“How was your trip here?’ I ask, bouncing on the tips of my toes. “I have so much planned for us before the celebration tonight!”
They look between themselves before glancing back at me, all of them with sad expressions etched on their faces, but it’s Talyn who speaks up, the unofficial leader of our little group.
“I’m sorry Mae, we won’t be staying until the celebration.
Our fathers wouldn’t tell us why, just that we are here to pay our respects. ”
My face falls.
Talyn panics, whipping out a small bundle from his jacket pocket, hoping to stop my tears before they fall. “We didn’t forget these, though.”
I sniffle, taking his gift. “But we aren’t supposed to open presents until after dinner. All your gifts are still in my room.”
Jesper takes my hand, laughing. “Well, want to race up there? I bet we can get there before these lugheads. If we do, I get to open my present first.”
With the tears temporarily forgotten, I squeeze his hand and take off.
Jesper stays at my side, his grin wide and toothy as he laughs carelessly as we tear through the castle.
The others are right on our heels and just as we reach the hall my room is located in, Killian overtakes us all, but not before Aemon uses the shadows to blink ahead of us and just walk into my room.
I huff, crossing my arms. “You cheated again. Killian gets his present first.”
He raises a pale brow at me. “You didn’t say anything about not using our magick.”
Jesper laughs and tackles Aemon to the floor. “I will defend your honor, Princess!”
Killian comes and stands at my side as we both shake our heads at them.
I take Kill’s hand and tug him over to my closet and give him the gift I made before handing out the others.
Clasping my hands in front of me, I hold my breath waiting to see what they would think.
Mother says that the gifts you make or do for someone have more meaning than ones you buy.
So I wanted to make my best friends something special, so even when I’m not with them, they will always have a piece of me.
I watch as each of them pull out a bracelet that I had my Elemi father help me make.
Each bracelet has both of our names carved into the wooden beads.
It’s nothing fancy but… I hope they like them.
Jesper bounces over to me. “Help me put it on?” He tilts his head holding out his wrist and it takes a few tries but I manage to secure it on him before he scoops me up in a hug, each of them doing the same.
“Thank you, Mae,” Aemon mumbles, staring at his bracelet.
I stand straighter, grinning. “Of course!”
One by one, they each pass me a small gift but right as I go to open them my mother comes into my room, with a concerned expression etched on her face, a hardness I don’t usually see there. “I think you four best be heading off. Your fathers are waiting for you.”
I run to my mother, grabbing her skirts. “But mother, they just got here!”
She reaches down and cups my cheek and there’s a sadness in her gaze. She brushes a light brown lock of hair behind her pointed ear. “I know, my Jewel. Say your goodbyes. We will try to arrange something soon.”
A part of me didn’t know then, but that was the last time I would see them because that was the night my world came crumbling down around me.