4. Chapter Four
Chapter Four
The palace was in an uproar.
The throne room’s usually calm energy was chaotic and loud. Rainbows danced along the walls and various Fae walked near my mother’s diamond leaved tree behind the throne dais. The setting sun from the skylight above shimmered light over the crystals, swaying like the branches of a willow.
The awe in my body seeing that tree never got old. The very symbol of Crysia, and my family.
A loud voice called the ballroom to the side of this one. “Perfect timing, little gem.” My father sauntered over, his long black hair swished behind him, and his golden eyes lit up seeing me.
King Lachan wasn’t a very affectionate man. He didn’t hug me often or tuck me in when I was younger. Some Fae males weren’t affectionate, which was common despite wishing differently. We mostly had small talk conversations with each other. I assumed this would be no different.
He lifted an arm. “The ballroom is immaculate, a perfect greeting for your future husband. Come see.”
I placed my hand on the arm of his black and gold embroidered tunic and kept pace as we walked through the large wooden doors to the next room.
He was right about the room being immaculate.
White cascading flowers hung from the ceiling.
The open skylight in the middle of the room would bathe the room in the waning moon’s glow throughout the evening.
Candles were placed all around the walls, and the buffet table housed exquisite decorations of ice and vines with purple flowers.
Someone was busy creating such masterpieces. I wish I knew who so I could shower them with compliments.
My father watched me take it all in. “Getting the ideas flowing for your wedding?” he asked and I froze a smile on my face.
“Very fitting for a princess.” But not this princess.
I always envisioned a small wedding with only friends and family present. I’d be hand in hand with my mate in nature. Not inside the ballroom with all the beautiful but superfluous decorations.
“Yes, I think your future husband will be enamored by our extravagance and his lovely bride.” He patted his hand on mine and dropped his arm.
“Best you get a head start on preparing yourself for tonight. Goblin blood starts to stink after a few hours. Can’t have the prince meet you smelling like dead goblins.”
My chest warmed.
Busted.
He winked and gestured for me to get going.
He was right, and honestly, I was surprised he didn’t go off on a tangent about how silly it was to put myself in danger, even if with great intentions. I was a princess. I was to do princess things and leave the fighting to the warriors.
My mother fought in many battles, she’d slain giants, and protected our kingdom at the helm. He wasn’t a fighter, more of a brain type than brawn. As I walked up the stone stairs to the royal chambers floor, my thoughts drifted back to Rune, and then my mother.
My parents were like roommates. They danced, they talked, they were there for me. But father liked to hunt. He would leave for random months, leaving her to raise me, and to rule alone.
Mates were common, and I wondered why, as one of the most powerful Fae, she never found hers.
Was her power too great that the magic of the elusive Heart tree, our supposed creator, deemed unworthy of a match? My father was harmless. His obsidian core made him smart, intuitive, and patient. He had the power of fire, though I never saw him use it. A brute’s power he claimed.
But he wasn’t a match for my mother, Queen Olyndria.
Was I destined to the same fate?
“Do me a favor and don’t lose your fire.”
Rune’s parting words followed me into my room. I sat at my vanity and stared at myself.
The warrior liked what he’d seen in the midst of a fight. The light brown skinned woman with hazel eyes watched me in the reflection. My curly brown hair shot in all different directions. The cloak and blue corset over my silver tunic weren’t fancy. Nothing fitting of a princess.
He saw the fire in me and wanted to burn in it.
What if my future—
The door to my room opened and I felt the soothing presence of my only true friend before she spoke.
“All right, warrior princess. I’ve got three hours to turn this depressing look into one that says, ‘Hey, handsome, let’s fuck and rule the kingdom with our twenty heirs.’”
I choked. Nyx always knew how to get me out of my head.
She pulled her long, lavender tresses back with a hair tie and rolled up her purple sleeves. Literally and figuratively. “But for real, you smell and it’s my reputation on the line.”
Nyx was a princess from another land who wanted out of her home. She offered to be my handmaiden eight years ago, and I don’t know how I’d lived without her.
“I’ll get the bath ready, and while you soak, you can tell me about your little Hallowstags adventure and the handsome man you took to Laurie’s.”
She strutted into the bathroom, and I looked around my room with a sigh. Figures she’d find out about Rune, although, I wasn’t exactly hiding my time with him. Nothing happened.
Was it too late to climb out the window and make a run for it?
“Don’t even think about leaving. At least not before you wear that dress I created for tonight,” she hollered and I slumped into my chair.
My fate was sealed, and anything outside a miracle would change it. The best thing I could do is to think about the good things.
I had a nice day with a man who twisted my insides in a good way.
The prince and I would have as much time as I needed to bond. He could even be my mate.
As I unhooked my cloak and got to work on the corset strings my chest tightened and I had to slowly breathe to relax.
Nyx appeared in the doorway and helped me finish getting out of the corset and set my sword to the side while I sunk into the large bubble bath. “All right, tell me everything.” She sat on the edge of the stone rimmed tub.
“I killed the goblins that’ve been causing problems. I also stabbed Rune, the guy from the baker, in the shoulder.”
Her purple eyebrow arched. “You stabbed him and he wanted to have pastries afterwards?”
Her question made me laugh.
“Yeah, he was dangerous, and I felt this intense… I don’t know how to describe it, but I wanted to be around him. And even though I talked his head off, he wanted to be around me too.” My head shook. Then, I dipped under the water and ran my fingers through my hair.
When I surfaced, Nyx was closer and wearing an amused look on her face.
“I didn’t know you were kinky, Sapphira. Maybe you’ve got a little battle foreplay thing happening. Fighting and fucking gets you hot,” she teased and poured some flowery scented shampoo onto my head.
“Yeah, well, pointless right? From everything we know, my future husband isn’t a warrior.”
“Who knows. Maybe you’ll see this Rune at the ball, and you can take him as a lover after marrying the prince. It’s pretty common among royals to have lovers.”
It was but I didn’t want to be that type of princess.
“I don’t think so. But it was a nice day, and I can hold onto that.
You know… while I’m popping out twenty heirs.
” I finished lathering up my curls and dipped back under the water.
Nyx’s muffed laughs made me smile and maybe she snuck some of her amethyst core crystals into my bath to calm me because I did feel better. Lighter.
Like I could look and play the role given and everything would work out.
Once I’d been deemed clean, Nyx got to work on my hair and makeup before pulling out her most beautiful design yet.
We tugged the shimmering sapphire blue gown over my head.
She tied the laces behind me, then pressed against my back, nudging me to look at her creation all put together in the mirror.
My hazel eyes popped with the golden makeup on my lids.
My curly hair still had its wild flare, but she’d braided it loosely behind my head, adding bits of golden sparkles to highlight the barely contained waves.
I had to give it to Nyx. She really was the best in Crysia, maybe all the Fae realms when it came to dresses and designing them.
She tailored every detail to the person wearing it.
The deep blue matched my sapphire core, making me feel myself and connected to this moment.
And I loved all the golden stars scattered about, like the dress was a map of the constellations.
The off-the-shoulder straps accentuated my shoulders and neck.
Of course, Nyx dusted my brown skin with gold shimmers, and I wanted to admire how smooth and ethereal I looked.
I was Fae, a magical being and all, but I looked the part right now.
A beautiful princess the mortals wrote romantic fantasy stories about.
A gust of wind from the open window brushed against the skin of my thighs and chest. Yeah, the neckline was low, and the slit at my right thigh was hip bone high. I wasn’t always a fan of that, but this was normal in our world.
The ultimate point of tonight was to meet the man I’d marry, giving him a little tease of what’s to come.
“Oh yeah, you are so getting laid tonight. Hell, I might even do you,” she exclaimed with her hands on her hips.
A job well done. “Come chat with me while I get dressed then we’ll walk down together, sound good?
” She stretched out her hand toward me. I glanced at her waiting fingers and then the window.
“You’ve got this, Sapphira. I just have this feeling that it’s gonna be a night that changes everything. You’ll see.”
I grabbed her hand and nodded. I hope she was right.