Chapter Thirty-Two
Avari
By the time I forced myself out of bed, it was already four o’clock. The low grumbles in my stomach, paired with the hollow ache, told me one thing: I needed to eat.
As I descended the stairs, a prickling awareness settled over me. The staff’s eyes, too many and too prolonged, followed my every step.
It made my skin crawl.
What had I done last night, drunk and untethered? This kind of attention wasn’t flattering; it felt like a warning.
‘Lady Ava,’ the kitchen assistant greeted, stepping closer with a smile that lingered too long. ‘Enjoy your dinner. We had it made just for you.’
‘Oh… thanks. I appreciate it.’
‘Can I help you with anything?’ I asked when he didn’t move.
‘Well, we’re both single, aren’t we—’ he began with a suggestive glint, but a shout from the corridor cut him off.
‘I’ll be back later,’ he promised, flashing another smile before disappearing through the mahogany doors.
But I wouldn’t be. It was unprofessional for staff to mingle with castle residents, wasn’t it? I ate as quickly as I could, aiming to retreat to my room undetected.
Two more men smiled at me, lingeringly enough to make me genuinely worried about my actions.
Did I throw myself at the king? Had they seen it and decided I was a tease? Surely, that wasn’t why he was gone today. No, he needed to take care of the banquet; it couldn’t be that.
As I passed my cleaning lady, who winced at me, I nearly passed out from the sudden onslaught of undivided and very mixed attention.
With only an hour to spare before I had to leave, I tried not to overthink and instead forged a plan: I would ask him directly at the banquet.
The gown fit like a glove, its rich hue lending me a quiet confidence, and I paired it with white-gold jewellery, diamond stud earrings and a plain necklace that dipped low.
I rarely wore much makeup, usually going for mascara and lipstick, but the occasion called for a composed look.
A cherry shade of blush and deep burgundy lipstick gave my face a poised intensity, and I completed the ensemble with a crystal-encrusted bag.
Making my way downstairs, I prayed not to run into anyone; nevertheless, fate had already thrown several sultry looks in my direction.
The man I presumed to be my driver stood beside a car I knew all too well, deliberately avoiding my gaze, a reaction I much preferred.
Taking the seat in the back, I focused on watching the trees to calm myself down. After a long period of silence and too much contemplation, I asked, ‘How far are we going?’
‘About twenty minutes north.’ The driver kept shooting me glances through the rearview mirror, which I tried hard to class as curiosity rather than yet another outcome of my poor life decisions.
He opened a window and took a long breath, then sighed as if frustrated. ‘I really couldn’t. My King wouldn’t be pleased.’
Oh, no. Another one. ‘Sorry, what are you talking about?’
The man smirked. ‘Right.’
What. The. Fuck.
‘I really don’t understand,’ I tried to explain, which only pleased my driver more.
‘I usually enjoy the clueless act, but not when my balls and job are on the line. And they would be, with the king. So it’s not going to work.’
‘Okay?’ Did everyone suddenly assume I found them suitable candidates? It was becoming more preposterous by the minute.
We drove in uncomfortable silence for several more minutes as I begged the Gods to let us finally reach the godforsaken place so I could demand some clarity from River.
The driver opened my door, hovering slightly too close for my liking, his gaze idling on my décolletage.
I hurried toward the giant sailcloth tent, its deep-green fabric blending into the woods like camouflage. What I wouldn’t do to blend in that well.
I knew this place; the spot we hiked to wasn’t far from here. My mind already started forming escape plans as I spotted Michael. ‘Finally! I haven’t seen you in ages.’
He turned, slightly startled, eyebrows and nose twitching with a life of their own. ‘Um… are you this happy to see me, princess?’
I slapped his arm. ‘Of course I am. Celebrations like this freak me out. I can’t just walk in and face all those strangers alone.’
Michael’s expression shifted to disbelief, tinged with concern. ‘Ava, honey… is your nose blocked?’
‘What?’ Dragging a strand of my hair forward, I sniffed it. It smelt of roses. ‘Are you saying I stink?’
Laughter escaped him as I held a lock of my brown waves in front of his nose to prove him wrong.
‘Ava, I’m strong but I’m only a man too, so pull it away.’ Michael grinned, finding the situation hilarious. ‘Holy fuck, River is going to lose his shit. I need to see this.’
‘What the hell are all of you talking about? You’re all acting like a bunch of lunatics!’ I accused him, starting to think the problem was not me; it was them.
Arm hooked through mine, he escorted me to a slightly secluded area behind the trees, shielded with luscious bushes and clearly prepared for family members to retreat and relax from the chaos.
‘Wait here, love. I’ll fetch him for you, and… watch him explain,’ he teased before disappearing.
Confused and feeling out of place, all I could do was sink into one of the cushioned chairs and wait for the king to clarify what was going on.
When a red-haired man walked in, for a moment I thought it was Rob, but this man was shorter and stubbier. ‘Who do we have here?’ Well-dressed in a deep-red tuxedo, he reeked of whisky. ‘I’m happy to see you too.’
He sank into the chair beside me, the sharp odour of alcohol making me nauseous, an unpleasant reminder of my indulgence the night before.
Leaning forward, he found it appropriate to invade my space. ‘You’re very attractive. I’m so happy I found you he—’
‘Leave, Matthew.’ Not once did River’s eyes stray; their weight made me wonder whether I was in trouble too.
‘My friend is thrilled to see me, cousin. Or are your senses failing you?’ the drunk argued.
Eyes darkening, River’s tone was final as he commanded, ‘Now.’
The man was getting up before the king’s mouth even snapped shut. ‘Oh, seems our king wants you for himself.’
‘Ava! What the fuck?’ Emily all but screamed from behind River as sternness faded from his gaze and turned into intrigue.
But Emily didn’t matter at the moment. I needed to know what was going on. ‘What happened last night?’
A flicker of consternation crossed his face as his nostrils worked overtime. ‘What do you mean?’
‘They’re all treating me like some seductress! Did I…’ It was difficult to speak with my tightened throat. ‘Did I do anything inappropriate?’
It seemed to finally dawn on him. A shy smile escaped as he ran a hand down his neck. ‘No, Ava, you haven’t done anything inappropriate. At least, not yesterday.’
At his soft laughter, Emily shot him a sly look before chastising, ‘Ava, I told you to spray yourself. What are you doing parading like this?’
Once again, bewilderment overwhelmed my senses at the implication. ‘I honestly don’t know where all of this is coming from. I took a shower, I washed my hair, and I’m clean. I don’t smell. Do I smell?’
I was either losing my mind or one of my senses.
Emily and River exchanged a look.
‘Honey, did you never spray yourself in Ortensia?’ Tone significantly milder, Emily questioned.
This was ridiculous. ‘Like perfume? Of course, I use perfume!’
Emily sighed. ‘No, not like perfume, Ava. Fae women who can’t control their pheromones spray themselves with a liquid hormone blocker. It doesn’t have a scent, but it stops men from smelling that you’re ovulating. As you might’ve noticed, it affects fae men.’
‘I never had to do that before.’ The men I’d encountered must have smelt it. That’s why they’d behaved so out of character. ‘It’s that strong?’
‘It is.’ River’s short answer made me spiral. How many men had I almost seduced?
Michael entered, laughing. ‘Ava, darling. I’ve heard about your sister’s ways with men, but you—’
‘Piss off, Mike,’ River barked, and I felt my cheeks redden. Fidgeting with my necklace and unsure what to do with myself, I watched as the king asked his brother, ‘How’s security going? Do you have a guy to spare?’
‘Not a chance. Everything’s secure, and to keep it that way, they’re all staying where they are.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘In fact, I need to get going too. Ava babes, try not to drive too many people mad with lust.’
I would have gladly jumped into the eye of a cyclone rather than stay a moment longer, but it was clear the event was serious, and every single one of them was expected to attend.
‘Maybe I can just go back to the castle with my driver?’ I pleaded as Emily started to leave to help a tiny woman with a wardrobe crisis.
For the first time since I’d met him, the king looked genuinely unsure what to do. Standing speechless, he was calculating his next move.
‘I can’t leave, and I can’t let you leave with anyone either.
Your smell… it’s like an invitation. Our women only allow themselves to be like this in the presence of men they want.
For obvious reasons.’ A wicked smile carved its way across his face, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks again, making him grin even harder.
‘Don’t worry. I will drown you in so much of my scent that it might go unnoticed. And if they do notice, you’ll be staying close to me anyway. They won’t dare comment,’ River reassured me.
His energy washed over me like a blanket of power as he removed his jet-black suit jacket and covered my shoulders. It smelt strongly of citrus and wood, the scent I recognised from so many times before.
But it did nothing to calm my nerves. ‘So, do you think they’ll smell it? Can you still smell it?’
‘Tough to tell. I would smell it anyway,’ he mused smugly.
‘Is it because your sense of smell is stronger as a king?’
River snorted before placing a hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the party. ‘Something like that.’
‘Why can’t I smell it?’ I wondered, still trying to understand the strange phenomenon. I’d never heard of Ortensians spraying anything on themselves.
‘You’re only half fae, right? My guess is your sense of smell isn’t sensitive enough to pick up on it.’
‘What does it even smell like?’ I asked him, wondering what was so enticing about it.
His throat bobbed as he kept his gaze fixed ahead. ‘Yours is floral.’
Interesting. ‘Okay… at least floral isn’t a bad smell, I guess.’
River laughed, though his shoulders remained tense. ‘Is that what you’re worried about?’
‘I’m sorry,’ I said softly, hoping he wasn’t angry.
He glanced at me with his brows furrowed. ‘What are you apologising for?’
‘I never meant to ruin your day. I know it took you guys a lot of preparation.’
‘You’re not ruining anything. Just making it slightly more difficult to focus.’ He loosened his tie, and a muscle in his jaw ticked. ‘Stay close to me. I’m not in the mood to kick any asses today.’
While he might have tried to pretend he wasn’t affected, I saw the signs clearly: the tension in his shoulders and the way his hazelnut gaze had darkened, deeper now, hungrier. Not for food. For something no banquet could satisfy.
The long night went on. I met nobles, lords, councilmen—so many titles that blurred together, their importance fading as quickly as their names.
When my smile started to ache, he must have seen it.
Without a word, he took my hand and led me outside, away from the noise and ceremony, to a quiet spot where only the strange fireflies stirred and moonlight shimmered across the lake’s surface like spilt silver.
We stood in silence, letting the mesmerising view and the hush of moonlight offer a reprieve from the court’s relentless pageantry. I couldn’t fathom how some of them sustained such endless socialising, smiles too wide and words too polished.
‘You owe me three questions.’ The words earned me a smirk that, over time, I had grown to like.
He faced me. ‘What do you want to know?’
There were so many questions, too many. Some mattered to me as a woman, some as a court member, and others as a rival. As his gaze deepened, drawing me in, the rest fell away. ‘How do you feel about me being in your kingdom?’
A low chuckle vibrated from deep within him. ‘What do you think?’
He took my hand, and our energies intertwined in a furious whirlwind of passion and need.
At first, it was only the flames spinning in circles, but before I realised what had happened, we were moving too, drawn into the fire’s rhythm, swept into a fervent dance that blurred the line between magic and desire.
‘Are you trying to distract me from asking any more?’
‘I would never.’
He would; that sparkle in his eyes betrayed every true intention.
Spinning, drunk on the mingling of our essences, the tranquillity of the land deepened, wrapping us in its calm.
‘What’s it like, being a king?’ I asked, wondering whether it was at all what he bargained for.
River didn’t answer immediately. His flame flickered as if considering the question for him. ‘In the spirit of my ever-gracious approach,’ he said at last, voice edged with amusement, ‘I’ll allow you to specify: do you mean merely a king, or the Fogoyan king?’
‘The Fogoyan King.’
‘It’s challenging. I love and hate it,’ he said before his face turned into a vicious scowl when he stepped back and pushed me behind him. The sudden absence of his fire left a dull ache. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Just meeting our new princess, no?’ The man looked carved from shadow itself, dangerous and deliberate. Hair dark as obsidian, he matched my king in height as he approached us. ‘Pleased to meet you, Ava.’
He stilled. Oh no. He smelt it.
‘Is this some twisted fantasy? Letting other men smell her like this?’ His glare cut through the air, sharp and predatory.
River stepped forward, every muscle coiled, guarding me as if his presence alone could ward the man off. ‘It’s invite-only. Get lost.’
The man laughed, leaning closer so I could feel the heat of his intent. ‘See you soon, princess.’
A chill ran down my spine. Why did that sound like a threat?
Even after he’d gone, the air still held his scent, smoke and iron, and the warning with it.