Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
I followed Betsee and Kole into the hall to where the three new warriors waited.
“I shall be off for the day and will return tomorrow, Princess Primelle.” Kole bowed formally.
I dipped my head and followed his lead, acting as though his departure was nothing other than a trivial exchange of guarding duties. “Very well, enjoy your rest.”
Kole didn’t comment further and instead disappeared in a blast of mistphasing magic, taking Xaven and Callahan with him. Two of the new warriors told me they would stay at my private wing, guarding the entry points, but the auburn-haired one faced me and clasped his hands behind his back.
“Good morning, Your Highness. My name is Royden Bladeslicer. I’ll be your closely assigned Imperial Warrior today.
” Like all of the Imperial Warriors, his aura was fierce and his build strong.
I was beginning to think that tall, large frames and a dangling appendage between one’s legs were required of the warriors since I’d yet to meet a short male or a female in their ranks.
I inclined my head. “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you.”
He studied me carefully, and I hoped my expression didn’t relay anything other than polite indifference, the same demeanor I tried to portray when Kole left.
Betsee’s aura heightened as she studied the new warriors, then she waved two of her hands down the hall. “This way, Your Highness. The king and queen are awaiting your arrival.”
As Betsee led me to where my parents and extended family waited, Royden followed.
He walked closely behind me, but as the halls passed, I didn’t give him much further thought, as where I was headed and who I was about to meet took precedence.
With any luck, the introduction to my extended family would be short, and then my parents would be agreeable to let me begin researching the creatures.
In all likelihood, that would require allowing me to leave the palace to venture to various libraries, but I was hoping I could convince them that if I returned to the palace each day before nightfall, I would remain safe.
But if they weren’t amenable to that, I would have to think of another plan.
Just as that realization hit me, an idea struck me about one way I could learn more about the creatures.
“Royden?” I called over my shoulder.
“Yes, Your Highness?”
“How much do you know about the creatures that came for me last night?”
Ahead of me, Betsee squeaked, and a spike of worry pierced her aura. I fell more behind the lady’s attendant so as not to scare her further.
Walking beside the warrior, I asked in a quieter tone, “How many total were sent? Do you know?”
His brow furrowed. Unlike Kole, it was quickly becoming obvious that Royden didn’t hide his emotions. “I’m not sure I’m at liberty to say, Your Highness.”
“Says who?” I asked pleasantly and tacked on a smile for good measure.
His frown deepened, and he scratched his chin. “Actually, come to think of it, I suppose I wasn’t forbidden to discuss that particular detail with you.”
I beamed. “Wonderful. In that case, how many?”
“At final count, we burned twenty-eight last night.”
My jaw dropped. “Twenty-eight? That means that twenty-eight fae were turned into those things?”
He nodded. “Correct.”
“And does the Council know anything more? Who those fae were? Where they came from? How they became infected? Or what they’re hoping to accomplish by catching me?”
“Those are all very good questions.”
I strengthened my smile and said playfully, “And are they questions you’re about to answer?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up, but he shook his head.
I sighed but wasn’t willing to give up yet. “Are you forbidden from answering that? Or would you do me the honor of telling me what you know?”
“Unfortunately, regarding those details, yes, I am forbidden.”
My smile disappeared entirely. “May I ask on the order of who?”
He looked ahead, and while he didn’t say anything, his silent nod to our surroundings said it all.
“I see. So my parents believe that I’m best left in the dark.
They don’t want me to worry as the Imperial Council will undoubtedly figure it all out eventually.
” I gave a helpless shrug. “Meanwhile, I’m to stay beside a warrior at all times and not to concern myself with such things while being locked behind palace walls. ”
He winced but offered a reassuring smile. “Something like that, Your Highness.”
“Other than how many were in the maze last night, are you able to tell me anything else about what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, but no.”
We breezed around a turn, and a disturbance in the air fluttered my hair in his direction.
His chest rose in a breath, and for the briefest moment, his step faltered.
He walked a bit closer to my side, then inhaled.
A moment passed in which he studied me while our feet continued tapping along the wide hallway’s floor, then out of the blue, he asked, “Have you and Kole been getting along?”
I started at the abrupt change in topic. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I asked if you and Kole have been on friendly terms?” A slight edge filled his tone.
I side-eyed him just as Betsee guided me to a new hallway. The lady’s attendant had her four arms pinned to her sides, and she glided purposefully ahead of us. I was pretty sure she was humming as well, likely so she wouldn’t overhear any further frightening details.
“He’s been pleasant,” I replied hesitantly, but it wasn’t lost on me that Royden had just inhaled my scent and then asked about Kole.
My mind flew to that and began to dissect it, but I told myself I was overreacting.
Kole and I might have done intimate things that morning, but surely if Kole’s scent had been lingering on me, it would have fluttered away by now.
Regardless, my heart began to race, and to cover it up, I grinned again and made myself act as though nothing was amiss. “Have you known the other warriors long?”
Instead of answering, Royden walked even closer to me, and his nostrils flared almost undetectably, but since I’d gone on hyperawareness due to his odd question, I didn’t miss it.
A groove appeared between his eyes. “I’ve known many of them for full seasons.”
“How lovely.” I put distance between us and acted as though I was simply joining my lady’s attendant again.
Ahead, Betsee called cheerfully, “Just around this bend, Your Highness, and we shall be there.”
“Wonderful!” I sashayed toward her, trying as hard as I could not to waft any more of my scent toward the warrior, because truth be told, I had no idea what kind of magic Royden possessed.
For all I knew, he was a fairy from Ironcrest and held scent sensory magic.
In which case, it wouldn’t matter if an entire wing separated us.
If any of my scent blew toward him, he would be able to detect it.
Oh stars.
Suddenly, I wished I’d taken Betsee up on her offer to bathe.
But as luck would have it, it was too late to turn back now.
Two large double doors waited at the end of the hall.
They weren’t as extravagant as the doors leading to the ballroom last night, but they were close to it, and I had a good idea what waited behind them.
More family, more judgment, and more questions were likely to come in the next hour.
I would have to be careful not to sit too closely to anyone. I had no idea what kind of magic my extended family possessed, and if Kole’s scent did linger on me, it was best not to alert anyone else to that fact.
When Betsee reached the double doors, the two guards stationed at their sides opened them seamlessly, and I followed her inside. Similar to what she’d done at the first supper with my family, she immediately swept herself to the side and bowed. “May I present, Princess Primelle.”
I paused at the threshold. Seated before me in the large opulent room were my parents, Lillith, Koraline, the male who I guessed was Neb Deerwood but hadn’t been introduced to yet, three older adult males—one of whom looked identical to my father—two older adult females, and five other adult fae that appeared younger, so I guessed they were my cousins.
“Darling, it’s so good of you to join us.
” Before I could utter a sound, my mother was out of her seat and hurrying to my side.
“It was quite an awful turn of events last night, so I’m afraid we weren’t able to make all of the introductions we’d hoped to, but this morning we plan to set that right.
” She gestured to the empty chair beside the sofa she and my father sat on.
Excellent, I wasn’t to be seated too closely to anyone. “Please, come join us.”
All eyes fell on me, and Royden went to the wall to stand stoically. His strange inhalations in the hallway fell to the back of my mind as I beheld my extended blood family.
Smile plastered to my face, I followed my mother.
When I passed Lillith, I did a quick once-over on her, and she met my gaze just as readily. She didn’t say anything, but a small smile curved her lips. Koraline instantly gave her a sharp look, but I returned the friendly greeting and asked quietly, “Are you all right?”
Lillith dipped her head. “I am. Are you?”
I nodded hastily. It was the most either of us could say before I was seated in a high wing-back chair as though I was a doll on display.
Like me, all of those present were dressed in comfortable attire, nothing like the extravagant dress code of the previous night, but it didn’t appear that anyone had slept well.
Despite Lillith’s comment that she was fine, dark circles lined her eyes, and my father’s eyes drooped, as if he’d been up most of the night too and was fighting to stay awake.
My mother, however, was one hundred percent nervous energy, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d had one too many cups of coffee or tea upon waking.