Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
T hat evening at dinner was the first time Novi had been back on display since the humiliating experience of showing up uninvited to Lady Jennae’s wedding dress fitting. As usual, rumors were flying around the Great Hall, spoken by courtiers who kept forgetting that The Sacred One wasn’t human—she could hear just as well as any of them.
“Can you believe Novi had the nerve to show up and ruin Lady Jennae’s dress fitting?”
“A gardener told us that Novi screamed at Lady Jennae for two hours!”
“I heard Novi’s going to sabotage the royal wedding somehow. You know her handmaid is always down in the kitchens. What if she poisons the cake?”
Novi tried not to squirm at the absurdity of the gossip flying around her from all directions, but being so heavily pregnant made it impossible to get comfortable. She repositioned herself in her chair and fanned her neck as casually as possible, wondering why Esteban had used such a heavy fabric for her outfit.
Her long black jacket was covered in copper and gold embroidery, draped over a loose gown that looked like red and gold flames engulfing the silk. As lovely as it was, it was extremely warm, and only felt hotter and stickier with each outbreak of nervous sweat.
“How do you like your new handmaiden?” Fallon asked her, noticing her discomfort.
Novi pushed away her plate of half-eaten food and folded her hands in what remained of her lap.
“You know when you meet someone for the first time and you instantly feel a connection with them? Like you were cut from the same cloth?”
“No. I don’t know what that feels like,” Fallon replied, making Novi roll her eyes.
“Well, it’s like that. Annika and I have a lot in common. We both swear like sailors and we both used to work in restaurants.”
“Those aren’t particularly unique life experiences,” Fallon pointed out in between the last bites of his meal. Despite his arrogant tone, there was a grin on his face. Novi raised a blonde eyebrow at him.
“What about the fact that she and I both used to be human and now we’ve been changed into something else by magic?”
“Now there’s an extraordinary shared life experience,” he agreed.
“I know you’ll probably laugh at me, but I feel with all my heart that she’s meant to be here.” Novi let her gaze wander over the courtiers in front of her, before sneaking a glimpse down the other side of the table.
Queen Laena sat on Fallon’s right, too busy chatting with the Duke of Ordeya to pay attention to anything a lowly concubine had to say. Beside the Duke sat the Duchess, and then their daughter, Lady Jennae. Just as she turned in Novi’s direction, Novi pinned her eyes back on Fallon, blinking away the sudden tears that came out of nowhere.
The embarrassment of being the last to know of their engagement was still too recent…too raw. The pain of being wounded by a trusted friend was even worse. But Fallon had told her the longer she avoided the public eye, the harder it would be to move past the pain.
“Your plan has to work,” she whispered to him. “I don’t know what I’ll do if it doesn’t!”
Setting down his fork, Fallon took her hand into his and gave the back of it a tender caress with his thumb.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he assured her. “You’re not the only one who thinks our guest’s arrival is no mere coincidence. I know how valuable she is…how powerful her magic is…which means her husband knows it, too. He’d be a fool to fail in his mission and leave her here.” He paused to tuck a stray tendril of hair behind the delicate shell of Novi’s ear. “All the more reason to have faith that I won’t be the Blackwood brother Lady Jennae marries.”
“I hope you’re right,” Novi said, squeezing his hand.
“Shall I have my new bard sing for you and cheer you up?” he suggested with a wink. “After all, that’s why I’ve brought her here all the way from the Kingdom of America…which is not actually a kingdom at all.”
“How was Mauricio able to find out so much about America, and find out so fast?”
“I have mages stationed all throughout the empires, and Earth as well. The invention of the crystix has made communication between the two worlds effortless.”
“I thought you hated spies,” Novi whispered in his ear.
“I only hate them when they aren’t working for me,” he replied in a low hum. “Now then…would you like to have my new bard sing for us? It ought to put a stop to the endless gossip I keep hearing about you.”
The moment Novi nodded her head, Fallon gave the order to the nearest footman. Empty plates were cleared away and wine glasses were refilled as a small platform was assembled nearby with an elegant chair placed at the center.
A collective hush fell over the room as Annika was led in by a redcloak. The aqua silks of her new gown billowed over the turquoise velvet with every step she took. Moonstones shimmered along her bare collarbones and dripped down towards her cleavage before disappearing into the silvery-white fur stole that covered her shoulders.
Her unnaturally bright red hair glowed like demon fire under the warmth of a million faerie lights that hovered above. There wasn’t a demonborn in the entire room who wasn’t captivated by her presence. Even Queen Laena couldn’t look away from the foreign beauty.
From the corner of her eye, Novi caught Fallon clenching his jaw.
“What’s wrong?”
“I told Esteban to make her a gown appropriate for after-dinner entertainment,” Fallon growled in a low voice. “Apparently he misunderstood what sort of entertainment I was referring to. Annika looks like one of my concubines!”
“Yeah, that was my idea,” Novi whispered.
“ Your idea?”
Novi nodded and revealed a cunning smile.
“You said you don’t want too many people asking her why she’s here, so I thought if your bard looked like one of your concubines, there would be even less questions. Everyone will assume that you’re the one who told Esteban you wanted to see that much cleavage.”
“I don’t understand your reasoning whatsoever,” Fallon said with an exasperated motion of his hands. He fought back an agitated frown.
“My reasoning was to tell everyone at court, ‘hands off. Look at what I have and you don’t.’ Besides…she’s got great tits. Was I wrong about the neckline of her dress?”
Fallon’s eyes went straight to Annika’s chest, then immediately darted back to Novi, who was trying not to laugh.
“Was I wrong?”
“I’m not answering your ridiculous question,” he said with a warning look. “If you’re trying to play games with me, you’re going to be very, very sorry.”
With a perfect deadpan expression, Novi turned to him.
“Your entire court plays games. I’m just doing what I can to make sure nobody messes with Annika while she’s here. Like you said, she’s valuable to us.” She grinned to herself, then looked deep into his eyes. “And for the record, if I was playing games with you, I think you’re the one who’d be sorry.” She let her hand fall from her lap and slid it underneath the tablecloth until it landed between Fallon’s thighs. She leaned closer to him, pressing her hand against the neglected organ until it stirred.
“Why would I be sorry?” Fallon asked while raising a curious eyebrow.
“Because I’m going to keep doing this to you until you ruin your uniform,” Novi replied as she continued stroking him beneath the table. “How are you going to explain that to poor Cedric when he undresses you?”
“I won’t need to. I have more self-control than to let that happen,” Fallon crooned back to her. Novi kept stroking, kept grinning, and slowly shook her head.
“No, you don’t. You’re wound up so tight.” She squeezed harder, giving him a sultry look. “If you don’t do something about it soon, you’re going to explode.”
“Into you ,” he sighed so only she could hear. “The second the Royal Physician gives the all clear, I’m giving you another child. I hope you want a big family.”
“Oh, I definitely do…”
Meanwhile, Annika had sensed the number of eyes staring at her. She pulled her stole close against her skin as she took her place in the chair on the platform. She looked around, wide-eyed, until her eyes found Novi, who was grinning ear to ear. Even though she was a performer and used to being in front of crowds, having a familiar face nearby was comforting. To everyone else, Annika was a curiosity, an unexpected sideshow.
A footman handed her a black guitar, the same Sinaryan Seven String she’d played for Fallon a few days ago to prove that she was, indeed, a musician. She cradled it in her arms like a baby, then looked up at Prince Fallon, who merely nodded at her.
“Whenever you’re ready,” he said without moving from his chair. He couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to—Novi had put him in an undignified state.
Dressed in the finest of clothes and jewels, the entire Blackwood Court waited with drinks in hand and expectant looks on their faces.
Annika ran her fingers over the frets, strumming a few chords. Then she began to sing. Just like when Fallon had first listened to her, she was quiet at first, but as she went on, it became so lovely. So delicate. So moving.
Novi’s hand fell from Fallon’s thigh as her attention was redirected towards the beguiling creature on stage. Like everyone else in the great hall, her eyes were fixated on the tiny redhead whose voice filed the room.
Annika played a few songs, each one more enchanting than the next. Fallon found himself unable to look away from the songstress until his mother leaned close enough to quietly speak to him.
“The Duke wonders if your bard is available after her performance.”
Was she available?
Fallon knew exactly what the duke was asking. A lifetime of hiding his inner thoughts had trained him not to snarl when he caught the Duke of Ordeya’s discreet, yet expectant, entitled expression.
The man was the second wealthiest in all of Sinaryos. He was used to getting whatever he wanted…whoever he wanted. It was no secret that he kept one or two mistresses at any given time. Even the duchess knew. Her wealth and power made it easy not to care. She had her own lovers. And if the duke had successfully negotiated for his daughter to be the future queen of Sinaryos, it only made sense that he should have any woman he wanted.
Just not this one.
Whether it was his unshakable sense of duty or a desire to put the greedy duke in his place, something ignited in Fallon at the thought of sending Annika to the man’s chambers. He held back a low growl of displeasure, suddenly feeling possessive, suddenly protective of his naive little bard. She was in his castle, performing at his request, and was in his care until Talvi returned.
By all accounts, she was, in fact, his .
He glanced at Novi, wanting to tell her she’d been right about Annika’s dress, but she’d just written something on a piece of paper and was asking Callie to help her out of her chair. Fallon waited until she left the table and joined Annika before turning back to the duke.
“Your fiery little songbird is absolutely breathtaking,” he said, speaking to Fallon as if Queen Laena wasn’t sitting right between them. “Where did you find her?”
“One of my mages told me about her,” Fallon replied. “He said I had to experience her music for myself, so here I am, experiencing it.”
“Very generous of you to share her with us, Your Highness.” The duke cast a lecherous leer at the platform where Annika and Novi were busy discussing whatever was written on that piece of paper. “I’d like a different sort of experience. Preferably a private concert, if you know what I mean,” he chuckled. “Is she available later?”
Fallon gave the duke a courteous, yet mysterious smile. Then he shook his head.
“She is not.”
From his place above everyone else at court, Fallon watched as Annika picked up the black guitar and began to play. Suddenly his ears perked up at the eerily familiar tune. He hadn’t heard it in years, not since the last time he’d taken a naval excursion out on the open water. It made his heart swell with sentiment and ache with longing.
The melody was simple, almost childish in its sea shanty, sing-song arrangement, but that was the beauty of it. His heart thumped in his chest as he watched Novi sing the words while Annika’s fingers fought to find the right chords. Once she’d gotten the music down, she took a deep breath and joined Novi with the words.
“Oh, do take care exactly where you set your sail
You know that your time has come when you hear her sound her wail
Mighty men have conquered much in a span of time so long
Mighty men have conquered much, but never a siren’s song . . . ”
The great hall erupted in song, Fallon among them as all the sailors in the room began to sing the old, beloved tune. It was the sort of music reserved for drunk seafarers and naval officers hidden away on their ships or in low-brow taverns, but taverns was Novi’s forte. No wonder she’d made that particular request. Fallon’s eyes gleamed with happiness at her thoughtful gesture. She knew how much he missed being out on the open water.
This was the closest thing he’d had to it in ages.
The atmosphere in the great hall turned electric as members of the court were swept up in the music. Most of them were clapping along, while a few others rose from their chairs and began to dance. Even Queen Laena’s frosty lack of interest had started to melt away. She waited for the song to end and the cheers and clapping to fade away before turning to her son.
“I’m surprised at you, Fallon,” she said while smoothing out a wrinkle in her gown. “Your little songbird walked into a court of chimeras and now nearly all of them are eating out of her hand.”
“I don’t know how I can take the credit,” he admitted. “I didn’t teach her how to sing.”
“You brought her here,” Laena pointed out. “We could use her popularity to our advantage.”
Fallon cast his mother a questioning look.
“Are we not already popular enough, what with a royal bastard, a royal wedding, and a new parliament that promises equality for everyone in the kingdom?”
Laena shot him a sneer of disapproval.
“Your parliament…ugh! You can’t possibly believe that it’s actually going to happen. Your father was clearly not in his right mind when he approved your absurd request.”
“The people like the idea.”
“The people are morons,” Laena scoffed. “How long ago was it that they were living in their own filth and riddled with disease? Why…they honestly believed if they sailed too far in the ocean that they’d fall off the edge of the world! The truth is that they’ll believe anything they’re told, as long as it comes from someone they respect. If you lower yourself to their level with this parliament, or let them believe their opinions carry as much weight as yours, they won’t respect you. That’s why someone like her would be useful.”
Laena tipped her flawless chin in Annika’s direction, where she was surrounded by admirers complimenting her on her performance. The queen’s jealousy was palpable, yet expected. The one thing Fallon couldn’t ignore was her desire to harness Annika’s popularity and use it to her own advantage.
“Look at them fawning over her,” Laena said with an icy black stare. “Perhaps I should become her patron. I can give her guidance on what sort of songs she ought to be singing.”
“Ah, yes,” Fallon nodded. “Tales of all the wars the almighty demonborn have won…as long as you ignore how many souls were sent to the afterworld to get us where we are today.”
“Why do you detest your own race?” Laena demanded. “You ought to be proud to be a Sacred Son, yet you are the most ungrateful one I’ve ever known. I can’t believe you actually want to give away your power to humans and lycans and vampires.”
“Speaking of giving things away, are you pleased with your new handmaiden?” he asked, swiftly changing the subject.
“You mean Elsa?”
“Elka.”
“Whatever her name is,” Laena said after finishing her glass of wine. “I already have two handmaidens. Why did you give me another?”
“I was told I had a responsibility to find suitable employment for all of my concubines,” he answered with a casual shrug. “I thought you’d find Elka the most agreeable of all my girls.”
“Well, she hasn’t annoyed me yet,” Laena admitted. “She’s knitting me a thistledown shawl to wear at your wedding. Her work is exceptional. Must be those…those tiny human fingers…”
Laena gathered her skirts and shot out of her chair so fast that Fallon didn’t have time to ask her what was wrong. He watched as the queen marched through the crowd, her subjects bowing and curtsying as she rushed past them. Then she cut in on a conversation Novi and Annika were both having with what looked to be a vagrant or beggar.
His black hair was thick with grease and his shirt was so full of sweat that it appeared yellow. Laena grabbed him by the arm, sinking her talon-like nails into him as she led him away with a pair of guards.
A chill ran through Fallon as he realized what had just happened.
Prince Tristan was awake.