Chapter 6 #2
“The priests will push you to marry her quickly.”
“No one forces me to do anything. They learned that lesson many years ago. Why are you so concerned? Why are we even discussing this?”
The stairwell turned as it twisted up toward the spire, the only light coming in through the few slitted, oval-shaped stained-glass windows.
“You're the one who thought it would be fun to capture the human and bring her to court,” I reminded Olivia.
“I know what I said!”
“What is wrong with you?” I stopped, eyeing the pixie who had been my little fiendishly favored court fae for the past few hundred years.
“Nothing is wrong with me, but there might be something wrong with you!”
“You will mind your tongue, pixie,” I said, my tone dropping.
She pouted at me and then turned around, flying down the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
She didn't respond.
“Olivia!”
She spun around, little hands on her hips, her big iridescent wings fluttering rapidly.
Olivia stuck her tongue out at me before whirling around and flying away.
“What am I supposed to do with this thing?” I yelled, staring at the sleeping human in my arms. “She needs tending.”
“You’ll figure it out!” Olivia yelled back before disappearing from sight.
I should never have agreed to this.
Things were fine without dragging an unwanted woman into my court.
Readjusting her in my arms, I walked up the rest of the stairs, muttering about how disrespectful my pixies had become.
Too many years behind closed doors and they tended to be more brash with their words.
If they weren't so dear to my blackened heart, I might have ripped off their wings for their insolence.
The stairs ended at the top platform with a large oak door bearing a black iron lock.
Moving the human to my hip, I pulled out the key ring, searching for the lock to the spire. My key master had gone missing, and I had been left holding all the master keys. There were fewer keys than I remembered, and I knew wherever my house brownie went, he took specific keys with him.
Never a good sign when one's servant randomly vanishes with the keys to the front door.
Which one was it again?
I held up one of the brass rings with the twisted symbol.
I think this is it.
The keys were all magical, opening various rooms and objects throughout the palace. With my keymaster missing, I didn't trust anyone else with the keys.
Thankfully, no one wanted to get into the spire room.
Too far away from anything enjoyable. Plus, this room held nothing of importance in it.
There were at least four or five other keys to the locked room, roaming around the castle, which of course I would have to locate now that I had a guest staying here.
Opening the door, I coughed on the motes of dust that flew into my face.
I couldn't remember the last time anybody was in here. I hadn't planned on having the human stay in this part of the castle, but after seeing how powerful her elemental ability was, I was not taking any chances.
Out of the thirteen elements, plant magic was not only unique, but useful when crops stunted to grow. The temple had severely undermined her ability, or they were never aware of it; otherwise, my agent would have noticed and reported that delicate detail back to me.
Though she did not know it, I’d had my kin watching her from the moment we received word of her birth. Not that I ever planned to wed her, but I needed to observe her in case she ever came searching for me. Humans tended to be fanatical, and I didn’t need another witch ruining my life.
White drapes covered the vanity, the wardrobe, even the bed.
I tried to remember who had stayed here before. If anyone had. It wasn't where my father had kept his human witches, mistresses, whatever he called them, and it wasn't a place for guests. I had no recollection of this room other than it existed.
“Well,” I said looking around, “I can't very well hold you and move this stuff.”
Though I didn't care if the human got covered in dust, she was already drenched and soaked with algae slime. Quite a mess.
I placed her on the floor and went to the bed, grabbing the white sheet and yanking it off.
I turned my head as the dust trailed through the room. The large rectangular stained-glass windows created rainbows of light. It was actually quite beautiful. The spire room held no bathing chamber, which meant she would have to go somewhere else, at least to bathe.
There didn’t seem to be too much dust on the bed. But I was not about to put her there. I walked around the room, pulling the rest of the drapes off, coughing. The room was quaint, with a table set with a mirror, another table next to the bed, and a bookcase with old tomes.
“What is she doing on the floor?” Anna fluttered back in with the handmaiden behind her. A white robe and hood covered the female fae who kept her gaze down, showing me the respect my pixie should have.
Just once it would be nice if my pixies could show some decorum when other fae were around. Sometimes I wondered if they considered me more like their child than their king.
Anna flew over to the human and placed her hand on her forehead. “She feels warmer than before. Why is she on the floor?”
Having the human die from a fever would be a useless act. She showed a lot of tenacity, so surely a cold wouldn’t kill her?
And yet, what would I do if it did?
This day had turned into a reckless disaster that I’d made muddier.
“She's covered in slime,” I finally said, wrinkling my nose, “and I was not about to undress her. That’s…” I flicked a hand at the handmaiden. “Her job.”
The handmaiden nodded. “I brought this from her chambers.”
“These are her chambers, for now. What is your name?”
“Liora, Your Majesty.” She pulled her hood down.
Her light-brown hair had been coiled in a large braid around her pointy ears. Pieces of her hair were an odd magenta color and when she finally lifted her gaze, her eyes matched the purple hues of her hair. Not odd for a fae. Her skin resembled the palest color of humans.
Though I didn’t remember her name, I’d recognized her before, working in the kitchens. If Anna chose her to be the child of prophecy’s handmaiden, there must be more to this fae than I could see.
But I trusted Anna. Liora would do.
“I can tend to her, Your Majesty,” she said.
“I should at least stay until she wakes up. Make sure she's alive.”
“Of course.”
Turning, I gazed out the window, listening to the handmaiden and Anna whisper about symptoms and tonics needed for the human. The shuffling of clothes became louder, then quieted.
“Is she decent?” I asked, keeping my gaze locked on the beautiful image etched into the window.
“She is.”
Liora picked up the human and placed her in the bed, taking the sheet and placing it over her. “I will stay by her side and make sure she is okay.”
I moved to the bed, staring over at the human.
“What is her name, Your Majesty?”
“Deirdre,” I replied, hovering over the human.
She opened her eyes, her irises expanding, turning her deep-chocolate eyes almost black.
“Ah. Deirdre.” I stared down at her. “You are in for a rude but illustrious awakening.”