53
Two days later, the bleed was almost done with me.
A mercy, I discovered when Celestine told me that her bleed lasted for ten days and that she’d heard of far worse. Considering fertile faeries only bled twice per year, the chaos it caused our bodies was understandably more significant than that of most other beings.
Taking a seat on the end of the commander’s perfectly made bed, I picked at my nails and watched Dusk settle on the divan. Voran hadn’t visited me yesterday. Or this morning.
I couldn’t decide if I was relieved or disappointed.
“I cannot remember the last time I saw you do that.”
My eyes lifted to Celestine. “Do what?”
She nodded at my hands.
I dropped them. “I don’t want to talk about Voran.”
Her lips wriggled. She raised her hands. “I didn’t say anything about him.”
“You were going to.”
“Guilty.” Leaning against the doorframe, she swished her apricot skirts around her feet. “Ruvus said that Raxon’s death means I am no longer required to be his unwanted pet.”
“Yet here you still are,” I needlessly said. “Brightening his rooms.”
Celestine gave me a withering look. “Do you want me to leave?”
I rolled my eyes. “Of course not.” When she continued to glare at me, I smiled. “I will be very upset if you even try to leave, but I’m all right now, and your parents are likely furious.”
Her chin rose. “They officially ceased controlling me last moon when I reached twenty-five years.” But she then chewed at her lower lip. Releasing it with a blown-out breath, she pushed off the doorframe. “I’m not sure what to do.”
Remembering how… particular Ruvus was, I asked, “Is the commander treating you well?”
“Define well,” she drawled.
I pursed my lips, then suggested, “We can get you your own rooms while you decide what you want to do?”
“No,” she said quickly. Far too quickly. “No need for that. He’s fine. Amusing, really. But…” She fussed with her skirts again. “What even awaits me at home, Ayla?”
Frowning, I asked more than said, “Plenty?”
“Plenty of the same thing. Tedious games and insults layered with compliments. This place is dull and dreary, yet it’s also…
” Dropping her skirts, she shrugged. “Nice. The candor and the quiet. There’s simplicity here.
It’s like being back at the archives, but without the humidity and needing to follow so many damned rules. ”
Though Ruvus seemed to have lots of rules, and though I’d only had a taste of what she meant on account of spending my first days in Valadorn petrified, I understood. “So stay.”
Her mouth parted, then spread into a smile so full of hope it made her eyes glisten. “Do you really think I should?”
Rotting roots.
She truly did not wish to go home.
But after what she’d endured with Darcen, it warmed me to see her hopeful and, as I looked back on her time here, thriving again.
“If you’re comfortable living in perpetual winter with your friend, her wyvern, an uptight commander, and hundreds of wolves…” I lifted my shoulders. “Then I think you should stay for as long as you like.”
A choked laugh burst from her. She swiped a tear from her cheek and paced alongside the bed. “I mean, it’s not as if my parents will even miss me. Meront is first in line. He’s all they need to secure Moongold’s future. I’m merely a worst-case scenario. But I can be that from anywhere. I can—”
The door opened so fast that Elynia almost stumbled into the room. “There you are.”
Celestine stopped and blinked at the princess.
The glee in Elynia’s eyes caused my spine to straighten as they fell upon me. Gripping the door handle, she laughed giddily. “He’s getting rid of the maid.” Mistaking my silence for confusion, she hissed, “Theela. She’s being escorted to the city right now.”
Celestine tossed me a wide-eyed look.
My heart sank as I rose and followed the princesses outside to the railing overlooking the ground floor.
“Never in all of these torturous years have I seen him this tormented. You have him backed into a corner indeed.” Elynia knocked my arm with hers. “Who knew a mere flower grower had such power?” She snickered. “No offense, Majesty.”
Warriors had gathered in the atrium below, watching. At other railings throughout the second floor stood more people—staff and more warriors.
Inundated with shock, I asked, “What is happening?”
“I just told you.” Elynia scoffed. “The maid has been thrown out of the palace.”
Everyone in the atrium quickly dispersed. Those upstairs stepped back into the shadows.
“Yes, but why?” asked Celestine. “What has she done?”
“Aside from feeding and wanting my brother for years?” Elynia shrugged. “Nothing.”
Celestine let out a low whistle. “I see.”
Voran stalked through the atrium.
Feeling the blood drain from my face, I shrank away from the railing before he saw me. I walked back into the commander’s rooms, sickened.
Celestine trailed me.
“Theela hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“This is not about her.” She closed the door. “Voran’s not Seelie, Ayla. You married a direwolf—bonded to him. Did you think he’d just tolerate you shunning him?” Amusement lit her blue eyes. “This is his version of purchasing jewels or picking flowers for you.”
“Goddess.” I paced to the divan. “This is bad. Really bad.” My fingers dug into my hair. “Fucking awful.”
“I don’t know,” Celestine said. “I think it’s much better than jewels and flowers, and we know how much I adore pretty yet useless things.”
Fighting laughter that would likely sound hysterical, I snatched a cushion from the divan and threw it at her.
She ducked.
And it smacked Ruvus in the face when he opened the door.
Spectacles askew, he glowered at us.
We snorted as we tried to contain our laughter. We failed, and the wolf muttered something that sounded like, “born cursed indeed,” as he strode back out of his rooms.