32. The Stolen Bride
Iwas a maelstrom of swirling emotions. I was relieved to know the Fae King’s secret. I was worried about my family and kingdom. I was aware of my own personal safety in a castle where disappearances were happening.
Mostly I wondered what this meant for us. I understood why Forrest had kept this secret from me. It was deadly. It had the power to topple kingdoms and destroy lives. By sharing it with me, he was burdening me with the knowledge of what hung in the balance.
But I also couldn’t help but wonder… Was his unbroken curse the only reason I was still here? Had it weighed on his mind when he decided to save me, stroll with me, send letters to me, and kiss me? And what about what had happened in the hot springs? Had that just been a delightful bonus for him? Did he care about me or just my usefulness as a potential curse breaker?
If the curse was lifted today, would he still want me? A foolish human with the lifespan of a goldfish. I couldn’t help but feel a little betrayed.
Still, what if he freed me from our bargain right now? What would I want? Would I go home? I wasn’t sure.
I shook away these thoughts. I simply didn’t have time for them.
The one thing I was always sure of was my duty. Whether it was pleasure or pain, I would marry Forrest and become his queen. I would try my hardest to break his curse regardless of the toll on me. I would do it because it would make my family and my kingdom safer. And that was what I had been born to do.
There was one hour until our departure for the Full Moon Revel, and I hadn’t yet dressed. The gown I had commissioned was waiting on my bed—white with threads of silver moonlight embroidered in, a semi-sheer bodice, a flowing skirt, and soft white feathers adorning the low, sweetheart neckline. It reminded me of an ethereal bird.
I’d commissioned the dress for him. I’d imagined his green eyes filled with mirth when he saw his “little sparrow” in a gown adorned with feathers. I had imagined us laughing together as he pulled me into his arms to dance like we had on our date. I had imagined us happy.
But right now, I didn’t feel happy.
It was a beautiful dress. Perhaps, the most beautiful dress I had ever set eyes on. But I couldn’t wear it, not tonight. Not after everything I had learned.
Instead, Rosie helped me into the sleeveless petal pink gown with the flower-petal shaped bodice in iridescent lavender and pale greens. I wore matching petal green high heels, glamoured for comfort. It was a pretty spring night. This dress would be nice.
But not perfect.
Forrest led me down hallways and through doors until we arrived at the castle’s largest courtyard. It was an expansive garden with a large open center, surrounded by marble pillars and open to the sky. The scent of blooming night jasmine drifted on the warm breeze.
The moon was magnificent and full, casting its glow down on the scores of partygoers. There were fae of every kind here—royals, wee folk, will-o”-the-wisps, redcaps, wind sprites, dryads, and others I couldn’t name. All here to celebrate my false union with the Fae King.
Forrest grasped my hand and pulled me into the center of the faerie circle. Every head in the courtyard turned, and every set of eyes was on us. All conversation stopped. Even the wisps floated serenely above us, glowing in a current of blues and greens like the tide. I quickly forced my eyes downward, lest I be entranced by the sneaky little blighters.
Forrest raised our joined hands in triumph. ”Friends! Welcome! I am honored by your presence as is my beautiful bride to be. You know I am not one for elegant speeches. Instead, I say eat well, drink well, and love well!” On the last two words the crowd shouted along, and suffice it to say, the word they used was not love. Forest snickered at my scandalized facial expression.
Then he swept me into his arms and dipped me into a dramatic kiss. I was caught off guard by his sudden proximity, drawn in by his heady scent of pine, mist, and sea, overwhelmed by his kiss. His tongue parted my lips, searching, and I couldn’t help but react to his longing. My mouth opened, welcoming him in. He pulled back a minute later.
”Let the revel commence!” called Forrest.
And so it did.
The crowd cheered, clapped, and stomped. This was nothing like the quiet, dignified gatherings of my own kingdom. This was raucous, and it had only just begun. What would it look like when the fae had begun imbibing?
”Are you ready?” he whispered. ”Hold on tight, and I’ll make sure you don’t get lost to the dance. Unless you want to, of course.”
I had heard tales of humans who joined the faerie circles and danced until their feet bled, until they collapsed of exhaustion, or until they died.
I gave him a thin-lipped smile. ”Yes, dearest.”
He narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. ”Is something wrong?”
I didn’t reply. There were too many people watching, and this was above all a performance. The king didn’t disappoint them. He reached his arms around my waist and pulled me close. We twirled and spun. It was only moments before others joined us. The wee folk joined hands and formed a dancing ring around the perimeter.
After some time, we paused and made our rounds with Forrest introducing me to important guests here and there—several members of his advisory council, a redcap captain of the guard, the radiant queen of the sun court, and more.
Now this felt like home, boring political conversations and social introductions. At my first opportunity, I excused myself to seek refreshments. I spotted an attendant passing around a tray of bright blue and green cordials. The green was pretty and deep. Unthinkingly, I started to reach for it, but someone knocked my hand away.
Surprised, I turned and saw a young woman close to my own age. She let out a peel of laughter. ”I’m sorry. That was so rude of me! Trust me when I say you do not want to drink that one. It’s not good for us.”
Us?I wondered.
Then, the woman tucked a strand of her bright, copper hair behind her ear, revealing its roundness. She was human, like me. The first I had seen. Was she a stolen bride too? My mouth opened to ask, but she was already slipping back into the crowd.
I took a blue cordial instead. Blue was better anyway. It didn’t remind me of a certain someone’s traitorous green eyes.
I returned to Forrest’s side, and he excused himself to dance.
He pulled me tight against his chest, and I could feel his steady heart beat. I wanted to rest my ear against it and listen. Then I caught myself. Get a grip!
”Careful. Those are strong,” Forrest warned, taking the glass from my hand and passing it off to some blur of a fae. Probably a brownie that didn’t wish to be seen.
”I’m not a child,” I grumbled.
He laughed softly. ”Of course not. Drink as many as you want. It would be my pleasure to carry you to bed,” he said in a low, rumbling voice that sent a delicious shiver down my spine.
As we danced, I ”accidentally” stepped on his toe.
I’d marry him for my family and kingdom, but I wasn’t going to flirt. Not now that I knew what I was to him. A solution to a problem.
When Forrest suggested we take a break, I nodded my agreement, but my feet had other plans. They didn’t follow. My eyes widened in a brief moment of fear, but Forrest seemed unsurprised. He simply wrapped an arm around my back and pushed me forward.
”Don’t worry,” he whispered. ”I will pull you from the dance anytime you need me, and all of your shoes have a soft-sole charm to protect your feet.”
We exited the faerie circle, and my feet returned to normal.
Seconds later, Forrest received a tap on the shoulder from a visiting dignitary, one so wild he almost looked as if he might grow roots into the castle floor. He was a slow talker, and I fought a sigh.
Forrest gave me a brief look that said, ”Go on. Have a drink. I’ll still be here.”
So, I strolled on my own for a bit, taking in the unusual plant life. It struck me that the plant I had been seeking could be here. If I could find susurrus, my garden would be complete.
Yet another attendant passed by with drinks. I stopped and grabbed another blue cordial. This one was a deeper blue than the first and tasted as sweet as nectar. I hoped it was safe. I looked around for the copper-haired girl, wondering if she could tell me, but sadly, she was nowhere to be seen.
I returned to Forrest’s side and offered him the rest of my cordial. He downed it in one shot. ”Thanks,” he mumbled. ”It felt like that conversation would never end.”
Then I noticed a hulking fae man approaching us. Though he didn’t appear aged, his hair was the color of snow, and his eyes were a sharp, penetrating crystal blue. He was sizing up the room as if he were on a battlefield. He was formidable in stance, build, and attire. His broad shoulders were adorned in battle leathers rather than party finery. A broadsword hung from his hip, and as I looked closer, I noticed it was dripping fresh blood. Had this man just stepped off a battlefield? Had he slain a party guest?
He made me nervous, and I began tracking his steps toward us with trepidation. Until I saw his companion—the petite human woman with vivid, copper hair, the one who had advised me on cordials. I wondered again if she, too, was a stolen bride.
Then I caught sight of her hands. One of them was delicately intertwined with his. Seconds later, the girl tripped, and the man steadied her. She looked up at him with a sheepish smile and loving eyes. Was she glamoured or drugged?
Perhaps not as he gazed back at her steadily for a long moment before righting her.
They appeared to be…together.
But so did Forrest and I.
Appearances were not always reality, and I didn’t want to judge someone else’s situation before I knew them. And I longed to know this other human girl. She was the first I had seen since arriving in the fae realm.
Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long.
The odd couple appeared before us. The fae man bowed his head in deference. The girl’s eyes met mine, and she gave me a bemused smile before curtsying. ”Oh, it’s you!” she said happily.
The fae man cut his eyes over at her warningly.
Forrest looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
”We met by the drinks. She advised me not to drink the green cordials.”
Forrest’s brow furrowed. ”What’s wrong with them?”
The girl laughed and nudged me. ”Let’s just say it’s a secret between us mortals.”
Forrest laughed in return. ”Very well. Keep your secrets.” He turned his attention to the man. ”Ivan! It’s good of you to come. I know you have… other concerns at present. How are things?”
Ivan nodded solemnly. ”The nightmares are spreading, and the barrier is weakening. We don’t have long now. I know this is your celebration, but I have a favor to ask of you.”
What was all this about nightmares and barriers? It sounded ghastly and frightening, and I found myself hoping this white-haired fae was from a very distant realm.
The girl turned to me. ”Would you like to take a turn about the yard? I haven’t seen another human in months.”
Forrest nodded in relief, and I left with the copper-haired girl.
”I’m Georgia,” I offered.
”Clara,” she said.
I smiled at her. ”It’s good to meet you. I haven’t seen another human since I got here. Only a few with a human parent or grandparent.”
She gave a sad smile. ”We don’t see many of those in the frosted forests. The nightmares are too close now. Anyone with sense has fled.”
”Nightmares?” I asked, puzzled.
She waved away my concern. ”Don’t worry about it. They’re far away from your realm, and this is a party! Your party. We should try to have a good time.”
I was still curious, but I didn’t pry. After all, we had only just met.
”Then tell me about all the drinks. Which ones are good? And what does the green one actually do?”
She laughed and whispered something in my ear.
”No way!” I cried.
”Seriously,” she said.
”Thank goodness you stopped me.”
”Anytime.”
I glanced back at the men, talking seriously with furrowed brows and low voices.
”This is probably rude of me to ask, but are you two together?”
A sliver of a smile brightened her lips. ”It’s still new.”
”And you?” she asked.
”It’s… complicated,” I answered after a long pause. ”I came as a stolen bride, a princess from another kingdom.”
She lowered her voice, ”Are you okay?”
I nodded. ”I am. This is where I need to be right now.”
The girl nodded. ”I know how that feels. Sometimes you have to be somewhere even when it’s not easy.”
”Like your nightmares?” I asked.
She nodded. ”And like your marriage?”
”He’s not a bad man,” I confided.
Her body trembled, and her eyes darted anxiously from side to side. Then she seemed to shake herself. ”I-I didn’t think so. Not really. I’ve known some bad men.”
I glanced back over at Forrest and the white-haired fae.
”Oh, no! Not him. I know how he looks, but he’s one of the good ones, I swear.”
I was still studying them as Liliana, Queen of the Sun Court, joined them.
”That’s good,” Clara muttered, watching the odd group as well. She turned her attention back to me. ”Want to go sample some cordials?”
I nodded. ”Absolutely. Food, too.”
Clara linked her arm through mine, and we began to drink hop around the courtyard. I stopped several times to peer through dense foliage or study a promising plant. So far, no signs of my missing susurrus, the final plant I needed to complete my garden.
As we walked, Clara began to link a daisy chain. ”Are you an herbalist?”
I fought a blush. ”Just a gardener,” I replied, realizing how bizarre I must appear, staring at flowers and poking around shrubberies. ”Can you keep a secret?”
She mimed stitching her lips.
”I’m looking for something. A rare, blue flower. Back home we call it susurrus.”
”I’ll let you know if I see it,” she promised.
I was three cordials in now—blue, purple, yellow— and I was beginning to feel their effects. Each was different. Blue lowered inhibitions and made your tongue feel like lead. Yellow made you feel warm and energized. The purple one made me spend the next ten minutes blinking at the wisps glowing lights and gorging myself on apples.
”The yellow ones are my favorite.” Clara giggled, plopping on the grass and looping her daisy chain into a crown.
”They should be! You had three of them!” I beamed, apple juice running down the sides of my face.
I would have been worried about appearances, but the fae around us were doing far worse. The party had picked up steam. The dance was faster. The clothes were scantier. The drinks were flowing. I could hear moans of ecstasy coming from nearby rose bushes. Other revelers didn’t bother to hide themselves, laying entwined on the grass just outside of the circle.
By now, I was telling Clara all about Forrest, our bargain, and every moment that had transpired between us. Except for the frog thing, of course.
She was an attentive audience.
Finally, when I was done, she looked at me thoughtfully. ”You’re soooo into him.” She laughed.
I laughed too, leaning back on the grass next to her and staring up at the stars.
”But I get it,” she said quietly. ”They’re slow to love and hard to read. At least, for us.”
I shivered.
”Are you cold?” she asked.
”A little,” I said, my teeth chattering.
”That’s the purple ones. You can’t drink too many in a row without that happening.” Clara paused for a moment. “Promise not to freak out?”
”About what?” I asked.
She held out her hand, and a small flame roared to life in her palm. She offered it to me. ”Here, it won’t hurt you. It’ll warm you up.”
Tentatively, I whisked a single finger through the top of the flame. I felt nothing but a soothing, warm heat. So, I held out my hand, and she passed the flame over.
”This feels great,” I said. ”How can you do this?”
She shrugged. ”I’m not really sure. I only just found out about it.”
A moment later, Forrest and Clara’s fae man were towering over us.
Forrest cleared his throat. ”Ahem.”
I bolted upright and straightened my gown with my hands.
His eyes sparkled with mirth.
The other fae, harsh and hulking but with a slight hint of a smile now, said, ”Come, Clara. We have what we need.”
He bowed to Forrest, and Clara did the same.
Before she left, Clara reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out a soft green candle with raised white and gold leaves. She handed it to me. ”Here. I want you to have this.”
”Oh! It’s so pretty, and is it handcarved? I can’t accept this. You’ve already gifted me your sommelier skills.”
”Of course you can. This is your engagement party.”
For the first time, Ivan spoke directly to me. His voice was a deep rumble but oddly soothing. ”That’s not just any candle, princess. Clara has a rare flame magic. Her candles are imbued with it.”
Clara’s eyes twinkled. ”He’s right! That candle will burn for years.”
Ivan looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. ”What Clara has forgotten to tell you is that she imbues each candle with a wish. I won’t pretend to understand her magic, but they often come true. What’s this one, my meddlesome flame? ‘Fess up.”
She crinkled her nose. ”Why do you always have to spoil my fun?”
I looked at her expectantly.
”It’s love. Whether it comes true is up to you. It can be filial love or romantic love. The way I see it, love is always a gift.”
She beamed, and I smiled back.
Then, unexpectedly, she leaned in and gave me a tight hug. I felt her hand in my dress pocket and a soft whisper in my ear, ”There’s more under the white rose bushes.”
Clara stepped back and said out loud, ”I hope we’ll meet again.”
I did, too. I also couldn’t wait to ditch Forrest, so I could see what in the twelve kingdoms she had left in my pocket. Maybe the white-haired fae was right, and she was a meddler. I smiled.
The odd couple bowed once more and quickly departed back to their land of nightmares, frost, and flame.
Forrest reached for my hand. ”Shall we dance? I’ve had more than enough diplomacy for one night.” He grumbled the last bit in a low voice.
On our way back to the faerie circle, we were interrupted once more. Another important political guest. Forrest’s shoulder sunk, but he smiled politely.
After a few minutes, I looked up at Forrest and batted my eyes in what I hoped appeared to be dumbstruck devotion. ”Love, would you mind if I left you and your enchanting companion for just a moment? My throat is parched.”
”Not at all. Please.” He gestured for me to take my leave, and I did.
I hurried behind a trailing lattice of jasmine and quickly reached into my pocket. I felt something fragile and moist. Carefully, I liberated the object from my pocket and let out a gasp as I set eyes on it. Susurrus! Clara had found it!
The little plant even had its roots intact. I knew she said there was more, but just in case, I hid it carefully at the jasmine’s base, topping its roots with fresh soil to prevent them from drying out. I’d come back tomorrow morning to collect it. Hopefully, I’d find more.
I had scarcely straightened when I noticed a familiar man approach–young and handsome with eyes like liquid gold. He dipped into a long, deep bow. When he finally rose, he said, ”Good evening, my queen to be.”
”Hathorne!” I called, hurrying over.
He laughed and pulled me into a tight embrace, spinning me around once and setting me back down. ”You seem to be in fine spirits.”
”I’ve had a few cordials,” I admitted.
He lowered his voice conspiratorially. ”Don’t drink the green. I’m only half fae, and they wreck me.”
I nodded fiercely. ”I have been twice warned.” My words were a bit more slurred than I would wish.
”Where is your betrothed?” he asked.
I rolled my eyes and inclined my head toward him.
He frowned. ”Politics during his own engagement revel? Poor form.” Then he shook his head. “Forgive me. That wasn’t something I’d repeat.”
I waved away his apology.
“Can I make it up to you with a dance?”
I nodded. ”Certainly, fair sir.”
He laughed again. ”You’re pissed, princess.”
”I am not pissed. I am only ever so slightly buzzed,” I said in a sing-song voice.
”Absolutely pissed. Come on, let’s see if you can dance it off.”
He pulled me into the faerie circle itself. We joined hands with each other and the fae on either side of us. I was next to a woodland nymph. As I grasped her hand, vines shot around my wrist and a petal pink flower bloomed that matched my dress. She smiled warmly at me. Then I was lost in the dance. It was fast and free. My legs kicked, my arms swung, and my body swiveled in time with the ring. I saw how easy it would be to get lost in the movement.
After a few minutes, Hawthorne pulled me out of the ring and to his chest for a dance in the center. It was strange to be so close to another man. His scent was very different from Forrest’s—musk and warm spice. Perhaps, it was because he was half-human and not as connected to the ocean and isle.
The question fell from my lips. ”You’re half fae, right?”
His smile dimmed. ”Yes, my mother was a stolen bride.”
I looked up at him with wide eyes. ”I had no idea. I-”
The conversation did not progress. We were interrupted by a firm hand gripping my shoulder. I turned and found Forrest’s piercing eyes locked on mine. ”May I cut in?” he asked.
From the look on his face, I could see the answer ”no” would be met with a lightning strike and a Hawthorne shaped smudge on the floor. Overhead, the night sky darkened as ominous clouds began to roll in. A distant roll of thunder boomed. A few partygoers turned to stare at us.
”Forrest,” I squeaked.
Hawthorne dipped into a shallow bow and placed my hand in Forrest’s. ”Of course, my king. Have a pleasant evening.”
Forrest pulled me to his chest with a small growl. ”Georgia, are you okay?”
”Am I okay?” I exclaimed. ”Are you okay? You looked like you were going to call a storm right here in the middle of the revel. Is this about Hawthorne? Are you angry I danced with him?
”Hathorne! How do you know that wretched snake’s name? When did you even meet?”
”Forrest, there’s nothing romantic going on. I met him in the library, and he recommended a few books. We’re just friends.”
He growled, ”Do not go near that man again.”
”You have to be kidding.”
”He is dangerous. He works with the unseelie court. You know, the one that tried to kill you.”
I sighed. ”I know that already. He is a liaison. It doesn’t mean he agrees with everything they do.”
”Please listen to me. That man is poison.”
I couldn’t reconcile Forrest’s account with the easygoing man I had been getting to know—the one that smiled and laughed often. Hawthorne had helped me at every turn.
I started to pull away from Forrest, but I stumbled. The faerie cordials I had imbibed seemed to only be growing in strength, and the crowd around us felt like a blur.
The Fae King caught me, and I allowed myself to be reeled back into his embrace. Still, I wasn’t happy about it. By the third time I stepped on his foot, he grimaced in pain. I couldn’t help but smile. Stupid frog.
Just when I thought it wasn’t possible, he drew me closer still. He kissed and nipped his way up my neck until he reached my ear and purred, ”Georgia, are you angry with me?”
Everywhere he touched burned, and I longed to press myself up against the full heat of his body. Instead, I smiled for all the room to see and hissed into his ear, ”Seething.”
He pulled back ever so slightly. ”What? Why? Is this about Hawthorne?”
It was the cordial that had loosened my lips enough to allow me to whisper, ”No, you idiot. It’s because you let me believe we had something real.”
He gazed down at me fiercely. ”We do have something real.”
I frowned. ”I want to believe you, but you’ve already fooled me once.”
He wrapped his arms around me protectively and unfurled his beautiful wings. A soft sigh escaped my lips unbidden.
”May I?” he asked.
I nodded.
All eyes turned to us as he swept me into a brief but beautiful twirl and then lifted us higher and higher into the sky. ”Hold on tight,” he whispered.
He flew us over the heads of the partygoers, and with the cordial running through my veins, I felt no fear of the height whatsoever. Instead, I gazed at the pretty blurred lights and mesmerizing movement of the circle below. He flew us outside of the courtyard and landed us by a nearby pond.
Pink water lilies floated serenely across the surface. It felt fitting to be here. It reminded me of that first night we had met. When things had looked so promising.
He tilted my chin up, so that I was gazing into his intense, penetrating green eyes. Then he placed one of my hands on his chest, so that I could feel the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart.
I bit my lip uncertainly.
”Georgia.” He whispered my name like an answer, like a prayer. ”Maybe I am a fool to admit it, but my heart has never beat like this for another. My feelings are real, and if you wish it, our marriage can be real too.” He paused for a moment. ”I will gladly give you my forever. But if you’re not ready or if you don’t feel the same way, I will understand. I’ll take whatever you give me—moments, years, or a lifetime.”
He could omit. He could deceive. But he couldn’t lie.
He had offered me forever. My heart fluttered. Blaming it on the drinks, I let him hold me close.
We stood like that for a long time before returning to the party.