Chapter 35 #2
Stalking back to my bedroom, I imagined Nayana’s face again, and when I arrived, the bathing chamber door was still closed.
This bordered on the absurd. How long could putting a tiny female into a dress take? Drawing a hefty dose of air into my lungs, I was about to resume my pacing when I stilled.
Where was the wayward magic tendril? Earlier, the thing had been ready to take down a massive door with pure determination alone, so pardon me if I didn’t believe it would simply vanish.
Gods, what if someone had harmed Nayana while I hadn’t guarded her? Of course, a useless piece of senti…not sentient magic couldn’t be trusted.
Fuck, or had she departed already, although I’d ordered her not to leave before we would have spoken?
“Nayana? Are you alright?” Pounding against the door, I failed to keep the edge of hysterics out of my voice.
No answer. Fuck.
And when I checked, the bathroom was empty.
Gods, couldn’t she stay where I put her for once?
As much as I tried to hold on to the belief that her stubborn streak had led her to bail on me, the fact that her disappearance had Galrach written all over it was undeniable. Again, what if the maid wasn’t as loyal as I’d thought?
Nothing could keep me still anymore, and seconds later, I ripped open the main door to my suite, glaring at the two servants who were standing outside as usual. As I bared my teeth at them, they shrank away, and satisfaction filled me. “Did my Amplifier already leave?”
One of the males—although he gave the impression that he was moments away from pissing his pants—was brave enough to answer.
“Yes, Your Royal Highness. One of Steward Fainic’s assistants, Bua, had been tasked with escorting the Eachtrannach to the ballroom early so that no one would be offended by her entrance.
He fetched her about half an hour ago, Your Royal Highness. ”
My movements had ceased during the blabbering of the servant, my body taut as a bowstring.
I’d been close to losing my shit already, but as the male first mentioned the shitstain Fainic and his fucking assistant Bua—whoever he was—before hurling out the horrible slur Galrach had established for Nayana, I snapped.
Within seconds, my fingers curled around the hilt of my midnight sword that I’d conjured from darkness. How I had missed my weapon.
As all fae did, the servants possessed exceptional agility, but, unlucky for them, no matter how quick their reaction was, I was faster.
Thrusting my blade forward, I skewered the neck of the first male, changing the trajectory mid-motion so the weapon pierced the second one’s throat as well.
They didn’t even have time to scream before they dangled limply from my blade.
I’d made sure to dodge any droplets of blood—again, that wouldn’t have been an issue with black attire—and because I wasn’t dumb, I forced my sword to disappear. The males plummeted to the ground, where the plush carpet absorbed their body fluids.
Taking out two assholes should have given me more satisfaction than the deed had—the violence had barely taken the edge off. Too many idiots like them existed in Alaiann, who looked down upon my female, and by Kalag, I yearned to send every single one to Udiona.
Instead, I had a ball to attend. Fuck.
Not even bothering to close my own door, I stalked down the corridor. Near the exit of my wing, I snarled at the first guard I spotted on my path.
“Hey, assface.”
“—Your Royal Highness?”
“There’s a mess in front of my quarters. Go clean that up. Oh, and shut my doors and ensure that they’ll be manned again.”
The blank expression of shock in the male’s eyes was enough of an answer for me. Assface would follow my order, or his life was forfeited as well.
With every step toward the north wing, where Danartha resided, my annoyance grew. The closer I got, the more my stomach revolted.
Godscursed female.
Her continued existence was such an inconvenience. I’d rather cross the Breocharn on foot, twice, before voluntarily taking her with me to the ball, but I had no choice.
Danartha’s door was staffed with a guard and a lady’s maid as I arrived, and I annihilated the sulk from my features. Instead, I firmly glued the boredom back on.
“Where’s the nuisance?”
“Your…Royal Highness, what—”
“Your mistress.”
“Oh. Oh, yes. Lady Danartha is almost ready for you, Your Royal Highness. She tasked me with…demanding patience while she ensures that she’ll present herself at her best to you.”
My temper flared and burned everything in its wake. Was every little thing designed to make me furious today?
The only saving grace for the female servant was her expression of discomfort and apology as she relayed her lady’s message. So, she would live. For now.
The male guard, though, dared to breathe in my direction, and I shoved him into the wall, where he slumped down. No idea if the cracking noise had been the marble or the male’s skull.
The quality of staff here in Alaiann was worrisome, considering that I hadn’t even used my magic, and still, the fae lying crumpled on the ground was unconscious, if not worse.
Finally, Danartha must have decided she’d flaunted her imaginary superiority long enough and emerged from her chambers, right after a cloud of jasmine wafting through the open door had nearly knocked me out.
As her note had announced, she wore a black dress decorated with silver embroidery and jewels, which was as gaudy as the female herself.
Her brown hair was pulled into a complicated hairstyle, adorned with glittering gems in black, silver, and purple, and she donned a fucking tiara—thank gods—in silver.
“Scriosta,” she chirped before her carefully painted mask crumbled. “What in the gods’ names are you wearing?”
“Pants. Dress tunic, both silk. As always, when there’s a fucking revelry to attend to. Speaking of which, I'm late. So, are you ready, Danartha?”
Her face contorted in anger, and the petty side of me rejoiced.
“We don’t match at all.”
“I agree. Never have, never will. Good that you finally realize this as well.”
Danartha gaped at me like a fish trapped outside of water before her features morphed into a sneer.
I didn’t give a flying fuck.
“Oh, by the way, here, your mandatory winter solstice present.” Handing her the small cardboard box that I hadn’t even gift-wrapped, I carried hopes she’d get the message, but to be honest, they weren’t high.
Danartha snatched the parcel out of my grip and scowled at the plain container, but in the end, she schooled her expression as she opened her gift. Her contentment was only short-lived, though, and a frown marred her forehead.
“Scriosta, whatever this is, it’s not what I requested.”
“About that. The story is hilarious, in fact. See, you wrote that you told my manservant, but I don’t have one of those at the moment.
And I couldn’t be bothered to ask all the servants in my wing because of you and your inaccuracy.
” My head tipped to the side as I observed her taking the plain hair clip I’d found in some washroom in a cheap Ivreian inn between two fingers—my assumption had been that the trinket belonged to Nayana, but she’d shaken her head when I’d asked her—and Danartha bristled, her gaze snapping to mine.
Gods, this stupid, entitled female.
“Of course you have a manservant. The brown-haired one with the multitude of piercings and the weird eyes. According to rumor, he’d even accompanied you to the inferior world.”
“Don’t tell me you mean Ireas? Danartha, you’re treading on thin ice here. He’s not my servant. We’re comrades, and thus, you should be very cautious with your insults. Because I won’t tolerate you spewing your poison any longer.”
Danartha huffed.
Was I behaving like a bastard? Definitely.
Still, I didn’t feel an ounce bad. She was the type of female who never accepted a no—and I’d told her a couple of times already that I wasn’t interested in her, but for her, a rejection was still a yes, just because she willed so.
“What is this anyway?”
“I brought the thing from Ivreia. Women use these in their hair. You can buy them everywhere. They’re rather popular.”
“Ah. I get it. This is a joke, isn’t it?”
“Are you calling my winter solstice present a joke?” Narrowing my eyes, I showed her my teeth to remind her I was done tolerating her shit.
Her face fell, and for the first instance in a very long time, she shied away from me. Good, she’d gotten the message.
Sadly, she caught herself much too soon and grabbed my arm. “No. Apologies, Your Royal Highness. Thoughtful gift. But maybe we should head to the ball now? We’re late. I believe everyone is waiting for us.”
Dipping my chin once, I didn’t correct her on how not a single soul anticipated her arrival, but strolled down the corridor.
My patience to deal with Danartha had been spent before I’d even approached her door, and the most challenging part of our conversation was still lying in front of me.
A blunt pain throbbed in my temples. The prospect that I was forced to explain in no uncertain terms—again—that there would never be something official between me and her had me nauseated.
Sure, we’d fucked a few times when we’d been younger—she had been available, willing, and enthusiastic, and sinking my cock into her had been convenient—but the older she’d turned, the more insufferable she had become.
Gods, what had I done wrong in a former life that I was punished with a nuisance like Danartha in this one?
The female in question droned in my ears as we hurried to the giant reception hall, but I wasn’t interested in what she was yapping about. Instead, I hoped for every guest attending this farce that Nayana had already arrived, and I’d find her unharmed.
And if not—
I might not be able to hurt my grandfather, but no one else was protected like him.
Two hundred and twelve winters ago, I purged an entire fae city in the span of five minutes. I bet I could annihilate a royal palace in three.