Chapter 10
Fawn wished Naomi could be here with her, walking across the dais of the royal dining hall in front of the entire palace staff.
Fawn tried not to look nervous walking to her assigned seat.
Amelia had invited Fawn and another maid, Birdie to her secret wedding to the king.
They didn’t know her well, but according to Amelia, Birdie and Fawn were kind to her when no one else was.
The wedding had been shock enough, but then Amelia asked the two maids to dine at the royal table with her, King Rennick, and a handful of the king’s closest friends.
Fawn and Naomi couldn’t believe it. A half-human maid dining with royalty? Unreal.
A young man in a server’s uniform pulled out a chair and gestured for Fawn to sit. “Here you are.”
Fawn nervously scanned the other high tables as her stomach knotted. Other royals and council members sat around her, while the rest of the palace staff filled tables on the main floor below.
A childlike giddiness filled her as she slid into the seat beside Birdie.
A few curious glances slid her way, and she lifted a hand to check her hair, making sure her ears were covered.
Amelia displayed her round ears proudly, but as the king’s mate, no one dared look at her sideways.
Most people didn’t know Fawn’s secret, and she’d intended to keep it that way.
She covertly looked down at her dress. It wasn’t befitting a royal celebration, but it was the nicest she owned.
The warm blue wool clung to her arms and torso with a plain square neckline, and the heavy skirts covering her practical boots.
Sitting where everyone could see her suddenly felt like a very bad idea.
As royals and council members from other kingdoms continued to fill the tables around her, a flash of blue caught her attention. A quick peek at the approaching man nearly dropped her jaw. His jacket marked him as one of the kings, and he was beautiful.
His straight nose and smooth, chiseled jaw made for a stunning profile. His hair—not quite brown, not quite blond—fell perfectly into place, like a faerietale prince come to life. She wanted to see the color of his eyes, but they scanned the room as his hand absently rubbed his chest.
An elbow nudged her side, and she turned to Birdie. “You’re staring.”
Birdie’s lips quirked into a knowing smile, and Fawn’s cheeks burned. “Did you see him?” Fawn whispered, sneaking another peek over her shoulder. “It should be illegal to look like that.”
Birdie chuckled into her wineglass. “Royal-born fae have always been otherworldly attractive. You’d think they descended from gods.”
Fawn bobbed her head. King Rennick was handsome in a rugged, warrior kind of way, and the new Desert King was terrifyingly gorgeous. She hadn’t yet seen the Tropical rulers, but she imagined they were more of the same.
Soon their table filled, and the conversation picked up. The king’s friends were witty, and Fawn found herself enjoying the evening. “Nice haircut,” Echo, Amelia’s guard, said to Finn, King Rennick’s best friend.
Finn’s warm brown cheeks reddened as he ran a hand over his bald head. “Maybe I’ll dye your hair blond in your sleep. You’ll have to shave yours too.”
Fawn pressed her lips tight to hold back a laugh. King Rennick had decreed that every blond, male-presenting person in the Mountain Kingdom shave their heads, all because Amelia had once said she liked men with blond hair.
Echo took a swig of ale and swiped the back of their hand over their mouth. “Try it and see if I don’t dye your other hair blond. Let’s see if the king still lets you keep your precious jewels.”
The table erupted in laughter.
Dean sauntered up to the new Mountain King wearing a lazy smile. The man looked ready to tear apart every man who so much as greeted the blonde woman beside him.
“Rennick,” Dean drawled, extending his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person. Apologies for not coming sooner.”
“Think nothing of it,” Rennick replied, his voice gruff. He gestured to the woman at his side. “This is my wife, Amelia.” Dean noted the shape of her ears. The Mountain King had taken a human mate? His mind jumped to Fawn. Would her ears have been round too?
Grief rose sharp and sudden, but he tamped it down. He needed to see the Mountain Kingdom’s records as soon as possible.
He flashed the Mountain Queen a practiced smile and lifted her hand to his mouth. “A pleasure to meet you.” He kissed her hand and smirked when Rennick stiffened. “Dean.”
Rennick yanked Amelia protectively to his side. “Careful how you look at my wife,” he warned.
Dean chuckled low in his throat. “Easy, Mountain King. I only meant to greet her properly.” He winked at Amelia before strolling off. He understood Rennick’s possessiveness. If he had his mate, he’d kill any man who tried to take her from him. But he couldn’t resist riling the new king up.
Dean headed for the dais reserved for the kingdoms’ elite. He hadn’t brought his council members like everyone else; he didn’t need them questioning why he insisted on traveling to the other kingdoms afterward.
A giddy excitement not his own tickled his chest as he climbed the stairs, and he surveyed the large room. Is it her? Sensing her didn’t mean she was here, but he couldn’t shake the restlessness inside him.
He took his seat beside the Tropical King and Queen, Felix and Sarah.
Their son, Roman, wouldn’t turn twenty-five for another few months.
One of Roman’s friends were currently visiting the Garden Kingdom and staying at the palace.
Queen Sarah had written to Dean a few weeks ago, explaining the woman was taking a trip through Eden and asking if he could offer her protection while visiting.
“Dean,” Sarah greeted, smiling warmly. “We can’t thank you enough for welcoming Violet into your home.”
Dean lifted his glass of wine. “Think nothing of it, sweetheart. Any friend of yours is welcome in my home.” She blushed at the endearment he used on everyone. Felix’s eyes narrowed his way, and Dean hid his smile behind his drink.
They made small talk, and he nearly laughed when Sarah threatened to cut out her husband’s tongue for teasing her. Felix whispered something back with a heated stare, and Sarah’s cheeks flamed.
A pang of jealousy struck Dean square in the chest. He wanted that. Badly.
A round of rowdy laughter rose nearby, and he didn’t just hear it—he felt it, as if it were his own.
His heart leapt to his throat as he scanned the tables, his gaze landing on a woman with ash-brown hair and a breathtaking smile.
She turned her face toward a young server who stared at her adoringly. It’s her.
All rational thought fled, and he was across the dais in a flash, ripping the man away from her.
His mate screamed and scrambled from her seat, her terror coiling inside him so sharply his knees nearly buckled.
He tried to steady himself, not wanting to frighten her further, but a sick part of him basked in her fear.
Her fear confirmed what he already knew: he’d found his mate. Fawn .
“I thought you were dead,” he rasped, scooping her into his arms.
Fawn kicked and thrashed. “Put me down!”
He begrudgingly lowered her to the ground, but his eyes never left her. She was fucking beautiful, just like he’d always known she would be. “You’re stunning, Fawn.”
She tried to retreat but bumped into her chair. Good . He wouldn’t have let her get far anyway. “How do you know my name?” Her voice wavered a bit.
Every eye in the room was on them, but Dean didn’t care. He’d found her.
Calm down, he warned himself. She has no idea why you charged across the room like a wild animal.
How could he explain himself without sounding insane? If she’d grown up in the Human Kingdom like his father claimed, she might not know much about fae—but if that was true, why was she here?
“I’ve known your name since I was thirteen,” he said.
“My father had men searching the four fae kingdoms for you.” Supposedly .
His voice softened. “But when we were fourteen, I felt agony, followed by deep sorrow.” Fawn trembled under his intensity, and he tried to rein himself in. “And then I felt nothing at all.”
Callum, Rennick’s father, rose and approached. “Let me take you two somewhere private where you can discuss things without prying eyes.”
Fawn transformed before his eyes, and the bond in his chest shifted too. She slipped a mask of cool indifference, her emotions fading into a whisper. Her control would’ve been impressive if it didn’t hide her from him.
“You’re his mate,” Amelia soothed. “He won’t hurt you.”
Fawn thought he’d hurt her? A groan rose from the boy on the ground, and Dean turned to stare down at him. Oh .
“I’m only half fae,” his mate blurted, wincing. “There’s been a mistake.”
One truth his father had told. Dean reached out, brushing her cheek in the hope of calming her. She might play indifferent, but he felt the ghost of her fear. “There is no mistake, darling.”
Amelia sighed dreamily while Rennick scowled at Dean.
Dean’s hand slid to the side of Fawn’s neck, his thumb grazing her slightly elevated pulse. “You are mine, and I am not leaving here without you.”
She shied away from his touch. Too much , idiot.
“Come,” Callum said, wrapping his arm around Fawn’s shoulders. Dean wanted to rip his arm off, but it would only frighten Fawn more.