Chapter 16
D ead.
A contender. Dead, because of the trials.
I searched for Ian’s face, but he focused somberly on the king, like most everyone else.
“Lord Thatcher should have recovered easily from the poison, with help from the healers. It appears, for some reason, his magic failed to fight off the poison’s toxin.”
A death of a noble at the palace would cause an uproar from Lord Thatcher’s city. I wondered if anyone had thought the trials would turn deadly.
“While we are heartbroken to hear the news of such a fine Fae being taken too soon, I must use this time to reiterate these trials are meant to test you all. Death is an unfortunate possibility, so I urge you to tread wisely. These are not just silly games to be my daughter’s husband. These trials determine your ability to be a king. A king who will rule these lands alongside its Queen.”
I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. Did any of them know this when they entered? Did Ian know a result of entering the trials could be death?
“We will conclude dinner slightly early so we may get the princess to her drinks and off to bed,” he said. “With such harrowing news, we imagine some may want to rest this evening in private.”
Frederich released a seething breath through his nose. “And now our time is once more cut short. Tonight, at drinks, Princess, I’ll have your full attention.”
As I stood, I wanted to tell him I’d rather die, but held my tongue. Maneuvering from the long dining table, I made my way toward the double doors, leading to the royal terrace and gardens.
My father left the room with his advisers, shuffling out collectively and leaving my mother behind. She gracefully glided toward me, reaching out her hands.
“Is Father okay?” I asked.
“The death of a noble is a precarious situation. However, it’s a part of the terms of the trials. Each of the contenders were made aware of this danger beforehand,” she said, squeezing my hand gently. “It will be all right.”
The winds caressed my face, almost encouragingly, as we walked onto the terrace. A small table had a vase of flowers perched on its center, with a few drinks and small chocolate desserts.
A familiar friction rubbed at my calves, tickling my legs. “Lucien.” I laughed, bending and scratching the pugron’s ears.
“Illiana,” my mother said, a scolding on the tip of her tongue.
“I didn’t bring him with me,” I murmured. “Besides, your dislike of my stray ended when I caught you reading with him curled up on your lap.”
She tried and failed to hide her smile before looking at Lucien. “She’ll be back this evening, go on now.”
He obeyed instantly and disappeared into the gardens while his wagging tail ripped into the shrubbery as he passed.
“See anyone worthy of King yet?” I asked my mother as we waited for the three contenders to join us from the dining hall.
She raised her eyebrows. “It is a bit soon to make a judgment. You never know how someone may surprise you.”
I tensed, attempting to not be too flippant in front of her. “You can’t convince Father to end this ridiculous trial?”
She faced me, lifting one of my hands to her mouth and pressing a kiss to my knuckles before enveloping them again. “Are you as presumptuous as his pompous advisers when it comes to knowing how this kingdom runs, my dear?” she asked, her eyes soft and curious.
I frowned, not understanding her meaning.
“Just because I stand quietly at his side, doesn’t mean every decision isn’t made equally,” she said.
“But you never offer your opinions.”
“That, you see,” she said, nodding. “But make no mistake, I am as vocal as he is away from the public eye. Our guards can attest to it.”
I shook my head. “Why wouldn’t you show your strength to others then? So many believe a king rules alone.”
“We are nothing without each other, and the beliefs you have are because of my own shortcomings, I’m afraid.” She patted my hand. “The very first outing as King and Queen consisted of commissioning a new batch of royal guards. The king insisted I lead the proceedings.”
I’d yet to hear this story. Her eyes shifted as though she replayed the memory instead of being here with me. A smile spread across her lips. “Andras made the mistake of insinuating a queen couldn’t perform the task, and your father went feral. Raging over how Brookmere had always been ruled by its King and Queen, and anyone who believed otherwise didn’t belong in his Court.”
“I’m surprised Andras lasted then.” I grimaced, wishing my father had removed him then and there.
“Hmm,” she said before returning to her story. “Anyway, I got up and froze in front of everyone. My stomach suddenly queasy, tossing and turning about. I stretched my hand behind me, hoping your father noticed my terror, and after he took over, I ran and vomited where no one could see.”
“You threw up? Why?”
“I hate speaking in public. It terrifies me.” She shook her head. “From then on, he has allowed me to have my quiet, supporting role in public, while giving him a piece of my mind in private. I make as many decisions as he does, and we never make an announcement without coming to an agreement together first.”
Realization dawned. Tugging my hand away, I took a few steps back. My chest tightened, but my mother stood her ground. “You support the trials?”
She nodded. “You may not put stock in what Vivienne says, but we do. We know what she claims is true.” She moved forward, leaning toward my ear. “He is sick, darling. He refuses to leave anything up to chance if he were to be taken from us suddenly.”
Bile rose in my throat, making it hard to swallow. The terrace doors opened and Ian, Kade, and Frederich entered.
Kade shot me a devilish grin and made his way toward the drinks instead of me. Frederich’s lips curled in a sickening smile, at least I thought it appeared like a smile from what I could view beneath all his hair. He moved toward me speedily.
Perdot blocked him, holding a tray of drinks, and I thought of kissing him for his interference. His slight step in front gave Ian time to reach us first.
“Your Majesty.” Ian bowed his head before my mother leaned in and accepted a kiss on the cheek from him.
“Sweet Ian.” She cupped his face with one hand and then removed it. “Oh, I better not play favorites.”
“You flatter me, my Queen.” He grinned back at her.
Flicking her hand daintily, she shooed us away. “I’m the chaperone this evening, so leave the elderly Queen to her desserts. Have fun.”
“Not likely,” I hissed through clenched teeth.
Ian and I walked to the edge of the balcony, and he leaned against the marble railing. “Well, things are less than ideal now.”
“Less than ideal?” I scoffed. “You mean impossible. Ruppert is a stickler. I have no idea how we’ll continue—” I stopped, holding a hand to my chest.
My father’s announcement removing Ian as my personal guard remained difficult to fathom in more ways than one. Most especially, because the well-executed patterns we’d developed in our Hidden Henchman activities would be disrupted.
My emotions got the better of me, considering the short-term nature of this arrangement. A small part of me knew it was irrational to be this worked up, but the Hidden Henchman had become the one thing giving me freedom to be who I wanted to be, despite the mask. The Hidden Henchman persona made me feel enough, more than enough.
Leaning onto the marble railing, I let the cool stone calm the fire burning within me. Gripping onto it tightly, I grounded myself in the here and now.
Ian rested one of his gloved hands over mine. “We’ll figure it out.”
He exuded confidence, both in himself and in our team. He would make it work somehow, regardless of the extra weight it put on his shoulders.
“I noticed Andras’s favorite guard Warrick with a broken nose this afternoon.” I glanced at my best friend, trying to gauge his reaction. It was well known that Warrick and Ian had sparred on more than a few occasions, both in and out of the ring.
“Well, it’s what happens when you call your Princess a common whore.” Ian clenched his fists at his side.
“What?” My smile fell instantly, the teasing nature of my comment sucked away.
Ian ran a hand over his face. “I’m used to the rumors I slept my way to the role of Captain. I can handle them. However, I refuse to listen to my troops trash the Crown. Even if you weren’t the future of this kingdom, you’re my best friend, Lan.” He shrugged. “If he weren’t being sent to the border in a few days, he’d be released from duty. The nose was a kind punishment from me compared to what he deserved.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “So, it has gotten worse since you entered the trials.”
“I can handle it,” he said bluntly, his tone signaling the end of this conversation. Ian never liked discussing rumors. Kalliah could make light of things enough to tease occasionally, but overall, I knew this bothered him. His anger was geared toward the way it made me appear, more so than him.
“More people are going to the borders?” I asked. Although based on my father and Andras’s conversation, I knew the answer.
Ian pursed his lips. “Another twenty men are being sent.”
“And none are returning,” I whispered. I shifted so even if Frederich or Kade were listening, they wouldn’t be able to hear. “Andras approached my father at the trials saying as much. They’re concerned about not having many more men left to blindly send.”
Ian frowned. “The general is the only person above me, and even I don't have all of the information. Whatever is going on, they’re keeping it tight-lipped. Rumors are spreading faster about whatever evil magic is running rampant at the borders. It may not be so far off, given what we have faced.”
“Can we stop it if it comes here?” I asked.
“We don’t know anything about it. No one has been able to talk to those at the border with enough frequency to determine what’s happening, or how to make it stop. Kade and Storm might know more, but we would need to talk to them to learn what they know.”
“Come, come, now Captain Stronholm. I believe I made my point earlier. You've had enough time with the princess,” Frederich said, lumbering in our direction with his too-loud voice.
Ian squeezed my arm. “Apologies, Frederich. You are correct, I know Princess Illiana is looking forward to getting to know you. Please, enjoy your evening.” He opened his mouth when he stood behind Frederich, taunting me as he backed away near my mother. I didn’t miss how she swatted his arm as soon as he reached her side.
Kade stood back, watching me suffer with Frederich, swirling the sweet red wine in his glass. A glimmer in his eye told me he was simply biding his time without a care in the world.
He stood a few feet away, staring out into the garden, seemingly unbothered by having none of my attention yet.
Frederich, though, remained adamant and waiting. Unfortunately.
He put his arm around me, and I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed his wrist, struggling not to yank it away like I wanted, and instead, demurely removed it from my shoulder. “Although your enthusiasm is noted, I’d appreciate it if you kindly kept your hands to yourself for now.”
Even a few feet away, I noticed Kade’s jaw ticked as he stretched his neck.
“My, you are a feisty one.” He snorted, and his belly shook with the movement. “I do like a woman who knows what she likes. It’s why I think we’d be perfect as King and Queen.”
“Oh?” I asked, attempting to appear engaged enough so he wouldn’t complain about me to my father. “What qualifications do you have to make you a good king?”
He tapped his fingers on the yellow vest covering his protruding stomach. “Well, despite trade being down in the kingdom overall, my affairs are blossoming continuously. I manage to continue our fruit exports, despite some of the harsher issues amongst the border towns. My town, however, has not been as affected as the others, due to my incredible shielding magic. Starhaven may have been under threat the longest, but we certainly haven’t needed help from vigilantes in masks, as I’ve heard some other towns have resorted to. Nobody crosses my borders and stays without my permission.”
My ears perked. Men who bragged certainly did give away more than they realized, it would seem.
“Starhaven has been under threat the longest?” I asked.
He ran his thumb and forefinger over his mustache. “Oh, yes, just over two decades now. But no evil can thwart powerful Fae for long.” He rubbed his stomach, complimenting himself. “The Hidden Henchman, or whatever they call the man delivering goods these days, hasn’t had a single drop in Starhaven and never will. Any evil which comes our way doesn’t seem to last long.”
Maybe you’ve absorbed it all yourself with how condescending you are, I thought.
“In fact,” he continued, unprompted this time, “Lord West even requested a private discussion with me later this evening about something he claims will push both of us up in Brookmere.”
“Ah.” I nodded.
“Besides, if I become King”—He took my hand, blatantly ignoring my request to keep his own to himself—“I would have my duties to you be my primary focus.”
Yanking from his grasp, I subtly wiped my palms on my dress. “Running a business is a valuable endeavor. It’s wonderful you're thriving despite others’ misfortunes.” I disguised my distaste enough, so he didn’t seem to notice, however, a garbled choke from my left signaled I hadn’t completely succeeded.
Stupid Fae hearing. Kade pretended he’d choked on his drink, not even bothering to look at us, when I knew very well, he heard every word.
“Tell me—have you taken any of those border towns under your care?” I asked.
“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Frederich asked, staring at me as if I’d spoken in an olden Fae language.
I elevated my chin, our eyes level due to his shorter stature. “I mean, since there are so many in Brookmere suffering, and you are not, have you offered goods at lower rates to those in need? Do you donate any of your blossoming fruit exports, or even travel services if the Fae in your employ are still capable of traveling so freely without fear?”
He shook his head. “Ah, an idealistic woman is our future Queen. Beautiful child, you will soon learn one does not succeed by giving things away for free.”
“Well, this has been a fascinating discussion, Frederich. Congratulations on doing so well. I believe the final contender is ready for his time, and then I’ll be retiring.”
Again, the smarmy man took my hand in his, and placed a kiss upon it, squeezing it in a way that left the skin he touched crawling.
As he walked away, I grabbed a drink from Perdot, who had never been too far from my side, and downed it. “Tits and daggers, he’s a prick,” I mumbled.
Kade hadn’t moved from the far side of the balcony. He turned as I approached, and I hesitated as his eyes darkened, like I’d seen before at the drop. They were more black than grey, the storms normally swirling turned to darkened skies. His jaw clenched.
“That’s quite a unique mouth you’ve got for a princess.” His gaze held me like tethers to him.
I glared, not breaking eye contact. “I’m told it’s my best quality.”
The darkness faded from his eyes almost instantly when a half-smile formed on his face, as though it had never been there at all.
As his smile lingered, a current ran through me. “It’s an awfully forward thing to say to a stranger. Is this what you plan on discussing with me during my esteemed private courting time?”
“Trust me, if I didn’t have to give everyone at this gathering a fair amount of time, you’d have none of my attention.” Even as I said the words, I knew they weren’t true. He commanded my attention for some stupid reason.
He chuckled like he knew it. “Right, because your other company was so delightful.” Kade tipped back his honey sweet wine, staring at the empty glass before setting it down on the railing beside us.
“I have been with plenty of men who are, in fact, delightful company—” I paused, realizing how what I’d said could be construed and clamped my mouth shut.
Kade raised his eyebrows and leaned his arm against the balcony railing. “Please, do tell me more. I didn’t realize you were so accustomed to us men.” The way he leaned in brought him closer to me than normal conversation. My heartbeat quickened, and I hoped the sound of his own voice distracted him enough so he wouldn’t notice the effect his presence had on me.
“Have you ever been with a man before, Little Rebel?”
My jaw dropped at his forwardness, my breath hitching at the nickname, which so clearly got under my skin.
Kade’s eyes danced at my immediate reaction.
“How dare you?” I snapped.
He shrugged, flicking a petal from the marble railing. “You started this conversation.”
I narrowed my eyes, ignoring the sensation stirring in my gut. “Worried the goods you're vying for are sullied? Perhaps you should back out of the trials.”
Kade grinned at my indignant retort, or maybe he just enjoyed the fight. Either way, he held my stare as, I swear, a fire lit behind his damned eyes. “The goods look flawless. I couldn’t care less if they’re sullied as you say.” He cocked an eyebrow, almost daring me to respond.
I hated the heat rising in my face, aware it colored my cheeks. I stepped toward him, my chest practically touching his. “Good. Because you certainly wouldn’t be my first.”
Kade reached for me, and I froze in place. Gently, so much so his fingertips whispered across my skin, he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
Closing the barely-there gap between us, he leaned forward, his breath warm against my cheek as he spoke. “But, I’d certainly be the best.”
He took a step back from me, bowed his head, then retreated, although he still held my gaze.
“Sweet dreams, Little Rebel.”