16. The Stolen Bride
As always, Forrest was not at breakfast the following morning. So rude. But he had left a small note under my tea cup.
Little Sparrow,
Meet me in my study tomorrow, an hour past sunset. A late dinner will be served immediately afterward. Don’t be late, and do try not to get yourself killed before then.
Forrest
More rudeness. Didn’t the Fae King possess an ounce of manners? Though I had to admit what he lacked in manners was made up for in successful rescue attempts.
How many times had he saved me now?
Then again, he had dragged me into this danger. If it weren’t for him, I would be safely at home, preparing for another ill-fated ball. I would be dancing with dignitaries and royals thrice my age. None with a body like Forrest. I remembered how it felt to be pressed against his hard chest with one warm arm encircling my waist as we rode home last night.
I blushed. Maybe harrowing life-or-death experiences were underrated…
Only an hour had passed since breakfast, but I felt restless. Ordinarily, I would wander, searching for my sister, but I wasn’t ready to return to the woods again. Not yet. Not with the memory of the Unseelie Queen so fresh on my mind.
Still, I had to do something. There were many hours until my meeting with the Fae King, and I wasn’t sure how to fill them. The truth was… I wasn’t accustomed to having free time.
At home, my days had been rigidly scheduled. I had formal meals, took lessons, practiced my lute, helped Magnolia with her schoolwork, engaged in social events, and entertained the wives and daughters of important political visitors. It was also socially necessary for me to change my clothes and hair at least twice per day.
I hardly had time to breathe.
My favorite moments were the ones where I was able to sneak in little things like reading or strolling the gardens with Magnolia.
Throughout my entire life, someone had always been in my ear, telling me what to do next. Here, the Fae King and his sparse staff seemed content to allow me to fill my days as I wished.
It was a terrific burden. Without my duty to my crown, father, and younger sister, I scarcely knew what to do with myself. I had never been permitted to choose how to spend my time before.
I realized I didn’t know how. Who was I without my duty? What did I want out of my life? How did I want to spend my days? They were important questions, ones I had never considered before.
Perhaps, I could start soon.
But only after I found my sister, Briar, and made my family whole again.
I decided to go to the place where I always found answers–the library. Not Forrest’s private study, comfortable as it was, but the proper royal library.
Surely, they had one.
Without another moment’s hesitation, I tucked Forrest”s Book of Iron under my arm and went to find Harry. I would need directions.
After searching the dining room, I found him in the entry hall with one hand on the door.
”Harry,” I called out.
He turned, and I noticed worry lines on his face.
”Am I interrupting?” I asked.
He shook his head. ”I”m on my way to a meeting, but if there”s something you need-”
I waved away his concern. ”I won’t keep you. I just wanted to know if there is a library in the castle.”
”Of course. If you’re ready to go now, I’d be happy to escort you. I have a meeting in ten minutes, but the library is on my way.”
I agreed, and we walked in uneasy silence.
I wondered if he was angry with me. In truth, I owed him an apology. So, I slowed my steps and looked up at him. ”I’m sorry.”
He looked down at me and tugged absentmindedly on a lock of his curly hair. ”For what?”
”For wandering. You offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go, but I never asked. Not once. Instead, I put myself in danger over and over again, and I just expected you and Rosie to come find me. That was selfish.”
He stopped me in the hallway, putting his hands gently on my shoulders. ”No, Georgia. It is I who should be apologizing. You are the future bride of our king. It was my duty to protect you, and I failed.”
I shook my head. ”You’re being far too kind. I know you have many duties. I’ve seen you meeting with diplomats and attending council meetings. You are not my personal guard, and it was selfish of me to make you act as such. It won’t happen again.”
He nodded. ”I’m glad to hear you’re taking your safety more seriously. It would kill Forrest if something happened to you.”
I gave him a bemused smile. ”Oh, I doubt that. He barely even knows I’m here.”
For one brief moment, his eyes met mine with a rare intensity. ”That book you carry says otherwise.”
I followed his eyes to the Book of Iron tucked under my arm.
”Do you know what that is, Georgia?”
I nodded. ”It has information about fae.”
”It’s more than that. Books of Iron are considered heirlooms. They’re passed down through the family line. They are never, ever read by outsiders, and I’m not sure a human has ever been gifted one. Even as a loan.”
I stared at him in confusion.
”Don’t you see? He has given you the most powerful weapon he has. Knowledge you could wield even against him. He has chosen to trust you. Maybe you should do the same.”
I was quiet the rest of our walk, thinking about what Harry had said. Forrest couldn’t possibly care about me. He was probably just trying to lighten his burden. If I could protect myself, he wouldn’t have to bother.
Finally, we reached a large arched entryway, and I stood at the precipice of the largest library I had ever seen. The fae lived for centuries. Sometimes even a millennia. What amazing, hidden knowledge must rest upon these shelves?
Harry gave me a gentle nudge inside. ”Enjoy your day,” he said with a chuckle.
I hurried to the first row of shelves, running my hand along the spines as I studied the titles– The Complete Guide to Pixie Dust Potencies, Whispers of the Wind: A Memoir, and Glimmering Gardens and the Secrets They Keep.
I picked the last one off the shelf and began to flip curiously through its pages before I caught myself. No, I scolded, purpose before pleasure.
My purpose was to locate my sister, and I was certain something in here could help me. A census? A book on stolen bride customs? A magic book with locator spells? The possibilities were endless.
I tucked the gardening book under my arm but focused on the task at hand.
Half an hour later, I had claimed a small table on the first level of the library, tucked away in a corner. I was on my way back with another seven books stacked high in my arms when I bumped into someone. ”Oof,” I said as the books knocked the wind out of my chest.
Then the stack of books began to topple over. However, to my surprise, they didn’t hit the floor. The man I slammed into caught them with ease. He regarded me over top of them. His hair was even darker than Forrest’s, and he had olive skin and golden eyes. ”It looks like you have quite a bit of reading planned.” He chuckled.
I looked over at him sheepishly and reached out to accept my books. ”I’m so sorry. I can take those.”
Good-naturedly, he waved my offer away. ”It’s no trouble. Where are you sitting? I’ll move them over. You can hardly see over them.”
”On that table over there,” I said, gesturing ten or more shelves away.
With a lazy wave of his hand, a gust of wind rose in the library, whipping my hair around my neck and hovering my stack of books just beside him.
My eyes widened at his casual show of power, but I didn’t say anything. I led the way, and he followed, floating my once-teetering stack of books.
”Are you a visiting academic?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.
I smiled. I wished. What freedom to spend one’s life among the stacks, ensconced in fantastic adventures, whirlwind romances, and, of course, knowledge? ”No,” I said sadly. ”I am Princess Georgia. I-”
”Am betrothed to the king,” he finished for me.
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if it was wise to divulge that to a stranger, but we were inside the castle. Also, Harry had walked me here with no complaints, so I had to assume it was safe, or as safe as anywhere in the fae realm could be.
After a short pause, I confirmed it. ”I am.”
He bowed formally at the waist. ”It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.”
”At last?” I asked.
”My apologies. That was a poor introduction.” He laughed. ”I am called Hawthorne, and I am seated on your betrothed’s council of advisors. My specialty is in court politics, specifically the unseelie.”
Hair rose on the back of my neck, and I took a quick step backward. My memory of the Unseelie Queen was all too recent. ”The unseelie?” I echoed. ”I heard they cannot be governed, that they prefer chaos.”
He chuckled again. ”You could say that. Though, even the unseelie share common aims.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and snapped, ”Yes, their aim seems to be to kill me and destroy my kingdom.”
He frowned. ”I apologize if I’ve offended you, princess. While I am the king’s expert on the unseelie, it does not mean I agree with all of their actions. I am, in fact, part-human myself.”
Some of the tension in my shoulders loosened. I was so wound up just being on this island that I was suspicious of everyone and everything on it, even this man who had been nothing but kind to me. ”Of course not. I was too quick to judge.”
He shook his head. ”A natural reaction, especially from someone who has just been dragged into a dangerous new world.”
Dragged? Hmm. That was an interesting choice of words for someone on the king’s council. He said he was part-human. I wondered how much time he had spent on the mainland.
He continued to beam that same unrelentingly friendly smile at me. It was a nice juxtaposition from the Fae King’s alternating sour and seductive moods.
”What I do enjoy is a nice sit in the library and a good book,” he added, gesturing around.
I met his smile with one of my own. It had been too long since I had an opportunity to discuss something I enjoyed as much as reading. I wondered if he had read any human books. “I do, as well.”
”May I?” he asked, picking up the book on the top of my stack.
I nodded. ”Please.” Maybe, if I was lucky, he’d accidentally drop some critical piece of information in my lap that would help me find my sister. A girl could dream.
”Ah, Runes of Power. An interesting choice.”
”Have you read it?” I asked.
”Not in over a decade, but the chapters on summoning were intriguing.” He lifted each book in my stack, perusing their titles one by one.
Finally, he looked down at me and cocked his head to one side. ”Is there someone you’re seeking, princess?”
I bit my lip, uncertain whether I should confide in this stranger.
Before I could make up my mind, he added, ”You may find me particularly helpful as I hear whispers from not just this court but many others, too.”
He had hit on my worst fear. What if Briar wasn’t on the island? What if she had been spirited away to some far-flung court? Ones I had only heard the faintest of whispers about. Ones I wasn’t even sure existed. She could be somewhere I would never find her.
With that thought, I was filled with resolve. I couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. If Hawthorne told the Fae King, so be it.
So far, Hawthorne had been one of the most pleasant fae I had encountered. I didn’t want to deceive him, but I wasn’t sure I could trust him with the whole truth. Not yet.
So, I smiled sadly and looked at my shoes. ”Yes,” I admitted. ”My sister was taken as a fae bride many years ago. I wish to find her and invite her to my wedding.”
He appraised me for a moment, and I could tell his mind was turning. He knew I was lying. I was almost certain of it. Finally, he spoke, ”Being stolen away to a strange world must be”–he paused as if searching for the right word–”difficult. I must admit I find the tradition unsavory. No offense intended.”
That was an understatement. ”That’s kind of you. It has been difficult. There are few humans on the island, not even many with human lineage in their family trees such as yours. It can be a bit isolating.”
He nodded as if making up his mind right then and there. He flashed that kind smile once more. ”It would be my honor to help reunite the two of you.”
My heart leaped in my chest. Really? He would help? I couldn’t believe my good fortune at running into him. Finally, the tides of fate were turning in my favor once more.
”What is her name?” he asked.
”Briar,” I said softly.
He nodded as if committing her name to his memory. ”I’ll make some quiet inquiries. Where can I find you?”
I decided on the spot that this library would be a part of my new daily routine. So, I said, ”I often come here during the day.”
He nodded. ”Very well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Princess Georgia.”
I inclined my head, a grin still pulling at the corners of my lips. ”And you, Hawthorne.”
Before he left, he thumbed through my stack of books and handed me the one entitled, Glimmering Gardens and the Secrets They Keep. ”Start with this one,” he said with a knowing nod.
Then he disappeared, leaving me with my stack of books.