Chapter 21
Evangeline
There are worse fates than marrying a sexy fae king, and yet my heart is beating rapidly, like an ax murderer is following me.
My brain can’t tell the difference between the two.
It’s normal to be nervous on your wedding night, right?
At least that’s what all the romance movies I’ve ever seen taught me.
This is exactly what I signed up for, minus the threat of the scary-ass Nephilim.
My nerves aren’t unfounded though, keeping me awake all last night with thoughts of my betrothed and his mate. No matter how many times Niko reassures me, I can’t help but fear that our marriage—or mating, as he calls it—will drive a wedge between Niko and Zephyr.
I still can’t get a read on Zephyr’s feelings.
He claims he’s fine with the mating, but why does he seem so distant from me?
I’ve accepted he doesn’t wish to marry me—something I’m strangely saddened by, which makes no sense—but I had hoped we could be friends.
Or whatever the equivalent of that would be when you’re bonded to his mate.
He said we’d be family, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be friendly. Maybe he will warm up to me in time.
Here’s to hoping.
Niko stopped by earlier this morning to drop off a gown.
He offered to stay while I got ready, but I turned him down.
Maybe a little too quickly. It felt wrong.
Even if I don’t know what fae traditions say about wedding days, in my world, grooms aren’t supposed to see their brides before the ceremony.
Superstition or not, I need something familiar to hold on to and ground me. Something human.
He then offered to have a maid help me get ready for the wedding, but that also didn’t feel right.
I never pictured my wedding before, but if I had, I’d be getting ready with friends and family.
I never thought marriage was in my future, but if I were to find a husband, I hoped he’d be kind, caring, and devoted.
Which seems to describe Niko. If my mother were still here, she’d be the one doing my hair and helping me into the dress. No, it’s best I do this alone.
Lady Thalia is off overseeing the final preparations, which leaves me alone, pacing the room in a swirl of silk and nerves.
My hands won’t stop trembling, and the silence feels impossibly loud.
This is happening. I’m really about to marry a fae king.
I wait for the regret to come bursting through, spoiling an already tense mood.
But it never comes.
Needing an outlet for my pent-up energy, I unzip the dress Niko brought in earlier, revealing a puffy layer of twill and even more silk, similar to the texture of the pajamas I’m wearing.
Stripping to just my panties, I carefully maneuver myself into the dress, which turns into an Olympic sport as I precariously jump from foot to foot to shimmy into it without ruining anything.
By the time I finish, I’m out of breath, which is embarrassing. One would think I just sprinted a mile, rather than simply put on a dress. After all this trouble, it better look amazing on me.
I move to stand in front of the mirror, fingers clenched tightly in front of me to stop them from shaking.
The gown shimmers like moonlight spilled over a luscious field—soft, ethereal, and almost too beautiful to be real.
Pale green tulle floats over a blush skirt, dotted with tiny blossoms that look like they were plucked from a whimsical garden.
The off-shoulder sleeves brush against my skin, delicate and light, and completely sheer.
My throat tightens, and I exhale slowly.
My hand drifts to the bodice, fingertips grazing the stitched petals like they might anchor me. “You can do this,” I whisper to the girl in the mirror.
She doesn’t quite believe me. Not yet. But it’s a nice sentiment. In honesty, I still don’t think I’m the woman Ender promised them, but I’m here now. I have to believe everything happens for a reason.
A soft knock on the door has me jumping out of my skin just as it cracks open. Finnick’s tiny head pokes in, searching the room until his gaze lands on me. Comically slowly, his eyes widen, and a low whistle leaves his throat. “Eva, you look beautiful. Far too good for my ugly brother.”
His words break up the nerves, forcing a laugh from my lips. “It’s not too much? It weighs a ton.”
“Never too much. You look like a proper queen.” Finnick creaks the door open farther and flutters into the room.
He’s dressed to the nines as well, wearing a vibrant button-up white shirt that gaps open to expose most of his chest. The sleeves are rolled up, and his wrists are adorned with various bracelets.
His leather pants make him appear almost pirate-like, but it’s a good look for him.
“I didn’t come in here to tell you how beautiful you look, though you do.
” He winks. “I came to get you for the ceremony. Everything is set up. All we need is you.” Finnick then looks around the room, as if expecting someone to appear from the shadows.
He leans closer and whispers, “But if you want me to spare you from being tied to my brother, I have some centaur friends you could stay with.”
“As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll take my chances with Niko.”
Finnick just shrugs. “Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when he bores you to death. Let’s go before they think I actually stole you away.”
“Was that a fear?”
Another shrug. “I find keeping them on their toes amusing. They never know what’s coming next.”
“Now that, I believe.” I laugh and gather my skirts so they don’t drag across the floor. I follow Finnick, nerves setting in once again. Except this time, it feels more like excitement. I’m not sure what that says about me that I’m excited to marry a married man I hardly know.
Remember, Niko and Zephyr are both okay with this.
I let this mantra repeat in my mind as we leave the castle, heading out toward the gardens. It feels whimsical and fantastical, as if I stepped into my very own fairy tale.
But in this fairy tale, I don’t get a prince.
I get a king.
We walk up a gentle hill that opens into a secluded clearing, the last bit of open space before the forest thickens.
The grass is still lush and springy beneath my bare feet, despite winter quickly approaching.
A small pond glimmers ahead, ringed by moss-covered rocks and lily pads that drift lazily across the water’s surface.
Dragonflies skim the air above it, their wings catching the last of the sunlight.
Nestled beside the pond, Lady Thalia turns at the sound of my approach. Her golden gown flutters in the breeze, and her kind eyes sweep over me with approval. “Oh, Evangeline,” she says, her voice full of warmth, reminding me so much of my mother. “Look at how beautiful you are.”
Her words draw attention I’m not yet ready for. From a man I hadn’t noticed until now.
Niko turns. He breaks off from a quiet conversation with Zephyr and slowly pivots toward me. When his eyes meet mine, the world narrows to just that look. A look that’s intense, dark, and full of heat.
His gaze rakes over me, lingering, devouring. There’s hunger in it, admiration, and something rawer. Something that steals the air from my lungs. My breath catches, knees trembling as if my body already knows I belong to him.
The silence stretches between us, heavy and electric.
I feel exposed under that look… but I don’t want to hide.
And then I see Zephyr.
His gaze scorches my skin as he looks me over head-to-toe. His tongue comes out and moistens his lips, and I can’t help but wonder what else his tongue is good for. A completely inappropriate thought about a man I’m not marrying and has no interest in mating me.
Or at least claims to have no interest.
The lust in his eyes says differently. But maybe that’s all it is. Lust.
Whereas Niko’s need is pure hunger for me.
Like one taste wouldn’t be enough. He moves with the grace and poise only a confident king can possess as he closes the distance between us.
I may be fully dressed, but I feel completely exposed by the way his eyes roam over my body, lingering on my chest before meeting my gaze.
“You were born to be queen.”
His words are said with so much conviction, even I want to believe him. That I’m not simply a human woman from a humble upbringing, wanting to touch people with her food. Maybe this has been my destiny all along.
It’s quite a revelation, and one I don’t wish to ponder for too long. Not now.
Niko holds out a hand, his callused fingers reaching for mine. I hesitate for just a breath, my palm hovering above his, trembling faintly with nerves. Then, slowly, I let him thread our fingers together.
“Shall we begin?” he asks, his voice low and steady. No hint of nerves.
There’s only one answer, but the words lodge in my throat. I’m about to be bonded to a fae king—something I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams. It almost doesn’t feel real, and yet, the reality of our situation stares me in the face.
So instead of speaking, I nod.
And I know at this moment, my world will never be the same.