Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Deirdre
Any ‘bright side’ there could be to look at was shadowed by the unavoidable darkness of my situation.
A beautiful breakfast spread out before me: pastries with jam, poached eggs, sugared fruit, various breads, and freshly squeezed juice.
And yet I sat alone with only the company of servants who watched from the sides in silence, probably feeling all sorts of pity for the new queen who ate breakfast alone.
No king in sight.
I poked the egg in front of me, pressing it against the side of the bowl and watching the yolk spill out.
Why do I even care that he's not here? I should be grateful. Why would I want him to be here? Eating alone wasn't as appealing as I thought it would be. Was this how it was going to be every day?
I tore a chunk off the thick loaf of bread by my side and dipped it in the egg and shoved the whole thing in my mouth. At least the food's good.
The food at the temple wasn't horrible, just more plain, I would say.
Definitely none of these. I grabbed a handful of the sugared blueberries, drizzled with honey.
If there was one thing I learned about the fae, they knew how to cook good food.
The door to the dining hall opened. Gitz, in his normal tight-fitted black suit, walked in followed by Gideon.
I sat up straight and he bowed. “Your Majesty.”
His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and he wore a light-blue brocade jacket and pants that reached his knees with white tights and dark-blue buckled shoes. He was extremely fancy this morning.
“Good morning,” I replied.
“I've arranged for you to come to the village right outside the castle.”
“Wonderful.” I took the handkerchief by my side and patted my cheeks, making sure there was no food on them. I went to stand, and a servant ran over to pull out my chair. “Thank you.”
Grabbing the sides of my cream-colored dress, I walked over to Gideon. “When do we go?”
His gaze went to the empty seat at the head of the table meant for Kane. “Whenever you're ready. If you'd like to finish eating, I can wait.”
“No, I'm ready,” I said, eager to leave this room.
“Very well.” He bowed, allowing me to walk ahead of him.
As soon as we left the dining hall, my two guards—I still didn't know either of their names—stepped in line behind us. My silent watchers dressed in golden armor.
“Guards are already stationed in the village to prepare for your arrival.”
“Is this what I will normally do here? Nobody has told me what a fae queen actually does. Is it different than what I learned about previous queens?” I said, lowering my voice, embarrassed that I even had to ask the question.
He smiled.
“For one, a queen does whatever she wants,” he said in a matching tone.
“But there are some things that the previous queens have done, and I'll be more than happy to go over that with you. My sisters are involved in the court. They handle more unnecessary things. My mother works with the merchant’s guild.”
“Is that what your family does? Are they merchants?”
He nodded. “Yes. My mother is one of the headmasters of The Guild. Can't have a kingdom without food and supplies.”
Two guards stood at the entrance and opened the doors as we approached. There were two carriages out front. Liora stood by the second, head bowed.
“You and I will ride together,” he said. “Where we can discuss matters of the court. Your handmaiden and some of the other servants who will help us distribute food will ride in the second carriage.”
As I walked to the first carriage, a guard opened the door and I stepped inside the velvet-clothed vehicle and sat. Dark curtains had been drawn over the two windows on each side, allowing only slivers of light to shine in. Gideon climbed in and sat on the bench across from me.
“Do we need to tell Kane where I’m going?”
Gideon lounged back against the bench. “My cousin is busy with other matters, and you’re queen now. You don’t need permission to walk around your own town.”
“He doesn't trust me.”
“No, he doesn't. But that will change in time. You'll change his mind.”
“I will?”
“What else have you read? Have you learned anything more?”
I dug my hands into the tulle of my dress, debating on whether I should share what I've read. “There was an entry near the end. One of the last ones he ever wrote.”
Gideon’s brows perked up, and he leaned over. “Go on.”
I looked around even though we were in the carriage alone.
“They can't hear you,” Gideon said, almost reading my mind.
“There was a comment about his mother.”
“My aunt?” Gideon tapped his fingers against each other.
“What happened to her?”
“What did it say?” Ignoring my question, he urged me to continue.
“He blames her for his father’s death and leaving him in the Dryad Realm. How did Kane become immortal? His diary never says why.”
Gideon shrugged. “Nobody knows.”
“Were you here when it happened?”
“No. I wasn't born yet. My older sisters were, but my family had left court. Things were not well.”
“What do you mean?”
He tapped a finger across his knee. “The king was ill. Some say he was even mad with dragon sickness and when the second princess died, strangely, my parents decided we would stay at one of our estates, away from court until things settled a bit.”
“They must know something about what happened. Kane said he was in the Dryad Realm for forty years.”
The carriage bumped over a hard rock and I flew forward, almost landing in Gideon’s lap. He grabbed me, his eyes wide. “That’s impossible. He would’ve been missed.”
Slipping out of Gideon’s hold, I moved back to my seat. “That's what his diary says. His mother sent him there. How do you get into the realm of the dryads?”
“Around the lands there are different gates, and there’s one here.
Most fae know of the one here, but not how to access it.
There's a royal courtyard that only members of the royal family can enter. That rune on your hand will gain you access to everything in the castle, the royal bedrooms, royal courtyard, even the defense system.”
“The defense system?”
“Did you notice the golem statues that the castle rests on?”
I only could peek once outside by the stables. The gargantuan statues were beautifully carved.
“They're magical golems that when the defense system is activated from the control room, it raises the castle and enacts the barrier. Nobody without the royal rune can leave or enter. That symbol gives you more power than you know. I’m surprised he doesn’t have one of his pixies following you around everywhere.
He must not see you as a threat… an underestimation on his part. ”
I leaned back, taking in every word he said.
“There are many things that make little sense about my cousin’s unique immortality gift,” Gideon whispered. “But we know one thing for sure. My aunt was involved. We need to search her chambers.”
My heart raced and I put a hand to my head. “What are you planning, and why should I trust you?”
“I can't tell you everything, but know that I can get you free if you help.”
“Where will I go? Anyone who sees me will see this birthmark and know who I am. There is no escape for me.” I brushed a finger across the birthmark on my face.
“I can hide that. My family and I are well skilled in illusion. We can protect you if you work with us.”
Freedom.
Something I had dreamed about since I was a little girl.
Not to be free of a greater destiny, or even queen, but to go unrecognized through a crowd.
To run amongst other children and laugh without fear.
To be untethered to the world, running barefoot through fields without guards or priestesses watching me.
For so long, I had walked through the world trapped by a destiny I never asked for. What could I do without a prophecy controlling my future?
And with no signifying mark, I’d truly be free.
“You could do that?” Without my birthmark, I was just a woman, not the child of prophecy. If Gideon could actually hide it, I might have a chance of freedom.
But at what cost? Without knowing his plans, I was taking a significant risk in trusting this stranger.
“I need to know I can trust you too,” he said. “Help me tonight, and I’ll share with you what I can.”
The carriage stopped.
Gideon pulled the curtain back, looking outside. “I will come to you tonight when it’s safe.”
Before I could answer, a guard opened the door and Gideon stepped out first. He held out his hand, helping me out of the carriage.
Liora came over, followed by three chambermaids, each one holding a basket and dressed in simple white and green frocks. Their white bonnets hid their hair, but not their long pointy ears.
“This way, Your Majesty.” Gideon stepped aside and walked toward the center square.
Guards were stationed along the perimeter, creating a circle around the stone fountain.
One cobbled road ran down the center of the tightly knit square. Carts carrying various morning goods and trinkets lined the sides and filled the sidewalks.
The homes, built from rocks and moss, held a quaint beauty, but one I didn't expect from fae. There were no big, beautiful trees or passing butterflies.
Instead, blue forget-me-nots and yellow lilies filled the grassy spaces between the homes, which were decorated with various wildflowers ranging from vibrant bluebells to pink fireweed.
There was something intricately simple and wondrous about the town.
Sunlight beamed on the crystal water, and two red robins splashed on the bowl the elf statue in the center held. Another stunning sight. As the warm sunlight heated my face and arms, I forgot about my own troubles and enjoyed the view before me.
Rustling carts bumped across the cobblestone, fae trying to get a better view of me. Curious whispers mingled with the clanging of metal from a nearby blacksmith.
One of the chambermaids handed me a basket filled with red apples and loaves of bread. I took one of the fresh rolls and handed it to a young fae cowering behind her mother’s apron, dirt covering her face.