Chapter 22 #2
My mother gestured to the fae sitting at my right. “Primelle, may we present the rest of our family. On your father’s side, we have his twin brother, Arnel, and their younger brother, Leopold, Leopold’s wife, Crisillin, and their son and your cousin, Darius.”
Arnel was a near replica of my father. However, he had a small mustache, making it easy to tell them apart.
Leopold, while not identical to his two older brothers, was also blond and appeared to be around four or five hundred summers old.
And the female with reddish-blond hair and brown eyes, my aunt by marriage, seemed of similar age.
Darius looked around my age, though, and like his parents, was also fair.
“Princess Primelle, it’s been too long.” Leopold canted his head.
My father’s twin, Arnel, smiled in a friendly manner. “The last time I saw you, you were toddling around these halls.”
Crisillin plastered on a stiff smile, and her reddish-blond hair glinted in the fairy lights.
“I’m afraid we’ve never met before.” She eyed my cuff, and I wondered if she already knew it was a farce.
As Nathaniel had tried to discreetly warn me the previous night, that fact had likely spread. “Darius hasn’t met you before either.”
Darius rolled his eyes and said in a nasally tone, “Of course we’ve never met her before, Mother.
Since Father made you pregnant with me several summers after Primelle was sent away, she was never around when your forced marriage occurred.
” My cousin’s comments held a ring of insolence.
“The gods know that we wouldn’t even be a part of this family if Father hadn’t bred with you.
He certainly didn’t marry you for love.”
My eyes widened, and Crisillin gave him a sharp look. Her smile grew even more brittle, and a blush bloomed across her cheeks.
I rolled the cuff on my wrist absentmindedly and tried to ignore the fear in her aura that was quickly giving way to irritation.
My father cleared his throat. “Darius, none of that today.”
Darius sighed. “A thousand apologies, King Russem. I shall endeavor not to speak of my father and mother’s torrid affairs in the company of family again.”
Leopold shook his head and gave his son an angry glare, but Darius’s comment and the fact that Crisillin and my uncle Leopold sat on opposite ends of the couch, not touching, did make me wonder if theirs was a happy marriage, or if their union had taken place only to avoid a royal scandal.
“Please ignore him, Primelle,” Leopold said loudly. “Our son does love to make shocking statements.”
Darius angled his head to stare out the window. “Well, somebody has to liven things up around here.”
A muffled snort came from my left, and the youngest female on my mother’s side covered her mouth. I could only presume she was another cousin.
Not wanting to cause any further riffs, I said as politely as I could, “It’s nice to meet or re-meet you all again.”
Leopold and Arnel settled back in their seats, and it struck me that my uncle Arnel was neither married nor had children. But he was still young, and there was plenty of time if he eventually chose that path.
Darius turned his attention away from the window and began to pick his nails, looking entirely bored with this entire ordeal. Just as fast, an uncomfortable silence descended in the chambers.
“Anyway, as for my side of the family,” my mother said in a rush.
She gestured to the fae on my left. A middle-aged adult couple, as well as four younger adult fae, including the youngest female who’d snorted earlier, all gazed at me.
“This is my sister, Daileeum, her husband, Varkin, and your three cousins, Vasper, Varden, and Valeena. And the male by Vasper is his partner, Mylin.”
My aunt Daileeum’s dark-brown hair was thicker than my mother’s, making me think she was a younger sister, and instead of green eyes like the queen, she had brown.
Varkin, on the other hand, had black hair and startling green eyes. His complexion was an umber brown, and when his teeth flashed white in a smile, I spotted two sharp canines in his mouth. Startled, my magic reached out to him on its own accord.
Varkin’s aura was slightly different than the others. The taste of the sea was also inherent in his magical essence.
A genuine smile spread across my face. “You’re a Lochen fairy?”
Varkin chuckled. “What gave it away? The green eyes or the canines?” I laughed, and he added, “I’m actually half Lochen. My mother is Silten.”
My mother inclined her head. “Your Uncle Varkin is one of King Drachu’s oldest sons.” She finally settled herself back at my father’s side, and for the first time since I’d entered the room, she looked less anxious.
Intrigued, I cocked my head at Varkin. “You’re also royal?”
Varkin frowned. “I suppose so, but the way royalty is decided in the Lochen culture is different from the Silten, Solis, and Nolus fae. There are no guarantees anyone in my family will take the crown once Drachu passes or steps down. So, for the moment, my family may be royal, but there are no promises it’ll stay that way. ”
Something tingled in the back of my mind.
It was of a book I’d read once on Lochen fae culture.
I’d found it by chance one day at university and had gobbled it up.
Since the fae races were usually isolated from one another, it was common for fae of one continent to know little of the cultural aspects of the others, but something about Varkin’s claim rang true.
My thoughts shifted to Kole, who also had dual parentage, then to my aunt Gwen, since her grandmother was Nolus.
It was startling how many fae in my life had mixed heritage since such a thing was rare among our kind.
An immediate feeling of kinship bloomed in me for my mother’s side of the family, perhaps because Varkin was just one more fairy who reminded me of Kole and Gwen.
I grinned at them. “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”
My two male cousins, Vasper and Vordem, snickered. And Vasper’s partner, Mylin, seemed content to simply listen and let the family do the talking, but he did inch closer to Vasper whose arm was draped over his shoulders.
Like my newest uncle, my male cousins both had black hair and green eyes, but their complexions were all a lighter brown, and their canines weren’t overly noticeable.
Valeena grinned and eyed me excitedly. It was impossible to miss the bubbly energy that surrounded her. “I’ve been just dying to meet you,” she gushed. “When my mother told me that you’d come back from the dead, why I told her we needed to leave for Whiteolf immediately.”
I laughed, and some of the nerves that had been jostling my stomach eased.
“I’m so glad that you did. It’s wonderful to discover who my true family is.
” I turned my attention to my aunt and uncle.
“And how did you two meet?” I asked Daileeum and Varkin.
Since most Lochen lived in the sea, it wasn’t easy for their kind to mix with ours.
Although I wondered if Varkin had actually grown up on land, given that his mother was Silten.
Daileeum and Varkin gave each other a side-eye, then laughed. “Do you want to tell her, or should I?” Daileeum asked.
Varkin sighed and ran a hand over his cheek. “It’s quite embarrassing, Primelle, but I suppose the deep, dark family secret will be out sooner or later.”
“Oh?” I replied.
“It’s just delightful!” Valeena clapped.
“And I’ll tell the story.” She turned bright eyes on me.
“Father had been ordered by our grandfather, King Drachu, to raid Brownsand, which you probably know is a large city on Mistvale’s northern coast. Well,” she said dramatically, “it just so happened that Mother was visiting there with some of her school friends. It was at night, and they were on the beach—I believe drinking too much leminai—when Father and his clan emerged from the sea. Needless to say, Mother immediately fled to alert the kingsfae, but Father caught her before she could reach them.” Valeena snickered and waggled her finger between the two.
“Those two absolutely refuse to divulge any further details of their first night together beyond that, but we can all guess what happened.” She snorted in laughter.
“Probably the same thing that caused me, Vasper, and Vordem to all be born within several summers of each other.”
She laughed in delight, and I decided that I absolutely loved this new cousin of mine.
My aunt Daileeum, however, dropped her mouth wide open and poked my cousin’s side. “Valeena, truly! How have I not taught you better manners?”
Vasper sniggered and at his side Mylin laughed.
“Oh, Mother, truly. You should stop trying. She’s a lost cause.” Vordem laughed and elbowed his brother. “Don’t you agree?”
“Indeed. I’ve been telling her the same thing for full seasons.” Vasper pinched his sister’s arm. “Good thing we still like you, Leena. Otherwise, Mother probably would have sent you to live in the sea so as not to embarrass us further.”
“Oh, I don’t embarrass you.” She swished her hand through the air. “I entertain all of you. You’re just too proper to admit it.”
Varkin eyed his youngest child with a twinkle in his eye, and I had a feeling my cousin was right.
My mother also seemed to be in agreement. A grin spread across her face as she beheld her sister’s family. “I so wish I’d been able to join you that weekend, Daileeum. But at least I finally got to meet Varkin once you two emerged from your bedroom chambers a month later.”
Vordem, Vasper, and Mylin all roared with laughter, and Valeena poked her mother back.
“Stars, did you hear that, Mother? Even Aunt Oleander is joining in the fun. Whatever are you going to do?” Valeena batted her eyelashes playfully.
Laughing again, I glanced at my sisters. Both Koraline and Lillith had been quiet so far, but from the happy smiles and quiet chuckles they’d both emitted, I had a feeling they also loved these cousins.