Chapter Fifteen
The cold stone of the throne felt as though it was seeping into my very bones after so many hours of sitting upon it.
The small band of string musicians played on a platform in the middle of the grand open space that made up the throne room.
The music they played wasn’t horrid, but it echoed throughout the open room, making my head throb relentlessly.
That, and the hundreds of people that crowded the normally empty space.
Recently, my advisors insisted on opening the castle gates to nobles and civilians alike for a grand coronation ball.
Since my coronation had been rushed due to Father’s untimely demise, we hadn’t held a public ceremony with the fae of Hollis.
The event I had found myself stuck in for the evening was to make up for that, supposedly.
I watched and waved a hand dismissively at each fae that approached the throne and offered their congratulations.
Hugo had mentioned that they were all well-meaning, but I couldn’t seem to understand how that could be.
Didn’t they realize it ran deeper than congratulating me on my accension to the Heartshire throne?
Didn’t they realize what we’d lost—and for my gain?
I couldn’t stop the creeping feeling that if Father were here, he’d have been disappointed. There I was, wasting time on a useless ball when there were still larger problems at hand that needed to be addressed.
The thought made my blood run hot, and I had to clench my hands in an attempt to control the swell in my zirilium that matched my emotions.
I desperately needed to get a handle on them.
Or to find another outlet, a voice that reminded me of Father’s said quietly in my mind.
I shook my head as the sound of his voice echoed in my thoughts, and abruptly stood from the solid onyx throne. The four guards on either side of me stood slightly straighter at my sudden movement.
“Relax, soldier. I’m just in need of refreshments,” I said, looking toward the nearest male. He bowed his head, then offered to send somebody else to grab me a glass, so I could remain where I was.
The thought of sitting still a moment longer made me feel sick to my stomach.
“That’s alright. I shall return in no time at all,” I assured the guard, then walked off the throne’s platform before he could attempt to persuade me further.
Sliding my way through the crowd with my wings tucked in tight, I brushed off anybody who tried to stop me for a chat. Sweat began to bead on my forehead, right under the silver Heartshire crown that sat atop my temples.
Father’s crown.
A moment later, I reached the far wall and made my way around the long buffet style table, so I could stand on the less crowded side. I came to a stop in front of the wine, grabbing a goblet of the deep red liquid and taking a heavy swig, then another.
My skin was slick, my head was throbbing, and my heart had begun to race.
But at least there was wine.
It had to help.
Right?
Just as I went to take in my third mouth-full of liquid, a voice rang out nearby.
“A wise fae would likely suggest that you slow down.”
Shifting to see who had just spoken, I found myself mere steps away from a female.
Her short hair was a soft yet rich brown, her eyes a striking blue, with a small beauty mark dotting her left cheek by her eye, similar to my own.
Her wings were an ashy gray, and she wore the classic Northern colors of blue and silver—but a soft blue, not the usual navy one saw all over Hollis.
Her creamy skin appeared soft, but the calluses I noted on her hands as she reached for her own goblet suggested she did some sort of manual labor, too.
So there was more to her than met the eye, it seemed.
“Fortunately, I would not consider myself wise,” the female said, the corner of her mouth tilting up into a sly smile.
Any other male would have drooled at the sight of her—relished in her attention. Yet to me, she just appeared slightly… off.
Her hair was too dark, her eyes too intense. Her lips, while plump and pink, were not the ones I had imagined kissing so many times before. The ones I still thought about as I fell asleep some nights, and had for years.
The claim to that part of myself belonged to one female, and one female only.
Someday, anyway, I wished to the Stars.
“I fear your efforts will be wasted upon me, m’lady,” I said over the rim of my crystal goblet. “I am spoken for.”
“Our king has a special lady?” she gasped, placing her spare hand over her heart in an act of dramatics.
When I didn’t react, she chuckled, dropping her hand back to her side and smiling slightly.
“You can’t blame a female for trying.” She shrugged. “You are the most powerful fae in the room right now, after all.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, examining. Analyzing.
Indeed, there seemed to be much more than met the eye when it came to the fae standing before me.
“What is your name, stranger?”
“Valenia, or Val, Your Majesty. At your service.” I watched as she curtsied perfectly, even with the glass of wine still held in her hand.
She dressed the part of a perfect lady, and could even act as one, and yet there seemed to be more to her. Aside from the calluses, I could also see soft muscles rippling beneath the skin of her upper arms and the faint outline of a small blade hidden in her top.
She had the tellings of a sort of warrior—not that of a noble, like her attire suggested.
Slowly, so as not to concern her with any sudden movements, I took the goblet from her hands, placing both hers and my own on the table next to us.
“Care for a dance?” I glanced toward the dance floor as the current song came to a close.
“Your Majesty?” Her voice gave away her surprise at my sudden offer.
“Don’t you trust me?” I asked, meeting her gaze and quirking one side of my mouth up into a smirk. I held out my hand.
“Not in the slightest,” she responded in the same breath as she placed her hand into mine.
My smirk grew at her response as I led us out into the middle of the floor, close to the musicians. The crowd parted as I walked through, all eyes on Valenia and me. The whispers and chatter began almost immediately, so I stole a glance at the female beside me.
To my surprise, her face gave away nothing of what she felt beyond confidence. She almost appeared comfortable.
Wordlessly, we took our place on the dance floor and listened as the crowd overcame their shock when the next song began. This one was slower than the last, and called for close contact to perfect the moves.
Her hand found mine, placing the other on my shoulder. I looped my other arm around her waist, resting my hand on the small of her back as I pulled her close to me. With our bodies nearly flush, we began our dance.
“So, little warrior,” I said into her ear over the music playing so close. “What brings you to my castle tonight? Because I know you’re not here just to chat and dance.”
I felt the way her breathing hitched at my accusation while in such an intimate position. My zirilium pounded through my veins, but I did my best to block it out. Nobody there besides Hugo knew I even possessed any abilities—and I intended to keep it that way.
Besides, I had to focus.
I needed to know why she was there.
She drew her head back to meet my eyes, her expression showing a hint of the surprise she must have felt. Her grip on my hand faltered, but I held on tight.
“How—”
“You’re not as slick as you may think you are,” I offered, not deigning to explain further, though I could only assume she’d come here with bad intentions.
As we spoke, we moved in time with the music, performing one of many traditional Northern dances. To my surprise, Valenia knew every step to take and did so at the exact right moment. Whoever she was, she was impressive.
I spun her, our arms outstretched, before pulling her back to me, forcing our bodies flush against one another again.
“Alright,” she responded, ever so slightly breathless. “You’ve caught me. Now what?”
“Now, you have a choice to make.” I dipped her as the melody called for, arching her back away from me while keeping what parts of us I could pressed together.
Once I’d pulled her up in one elegant move, she met my gaze and arched an eyebrow—a question without having spoken.
“You can abandon your old life, including whatever brought you on your mission here tonight, and tell me everything you know while serving at my side…” I took a breath, letting the weight of my words sink into her. The type of dedication I was asking for.
“Or?” she pushed, continuing to step and move in perfect rhythm with me and the song.
Dipping my head so my lips barely brushed the shell of her ear as they moved, I purred, “Or, I can out you right here, right now. Don’t worry, I appreciate your confidence—I’d tell them to make it a swift death. You wouldn’t even get to see the inside of Gatlyn Castle’s dungeons.”
I smiled as I felt her shoulders stiffen ever so slightly—the only reaction I noticed, besides the defeated, angry glint in her eyes when I pulled away.
The song tapered off as the melody came to an end in a single, drawn-out note.
“So?” I inquired softly a heartbeat after the song ended, the crowd clapping all around us.
I watched, fascinated, as she subtly studied her surroundings. When she finally seemed to realize just how badly she’d failed whatever her mission might have been, she sighed heavily.
Then she kneeled.
She looked up at me expectantly, although I had been bargaining on having to watch her die tonight.
When I cleared my throat loudly, what little of the crowd’s attention that wasn’t already on us shifted our way at the sound.
Choosing my wording for this next part carefully, I finally spoke.
“Do you, Valenia of the North, vow to serve me for the remainder of your days and protect me with your life, until one of us returns to the Stars?”
If I was to keep an eye on this beautiful stranger, this was the best way to do it. She’d be vowed to me, unable to harm me, and she’d always be nearby.
For that reassurance, I could drown out the sound of my doubts and anxieties.
Valenia, whose shoulders had been squared back and her dress elegantly pooled on the floor around her, responded strongly and with that unwavering confidence I knew I could mold. “Yes, my king. I vow this.”
I smirked as I listened to her speak. It seemed the old tradition of vows was still well known, as gasps and chatter rang out from the crowd. That, and the old standard of not having females in a place of power.
“Then rise, and take your place as my Right Hand,” I commanded.
The female kneeling before me bowed her head before rising to her feet and taking her place by my side.
Now, she was mine. If she were to ever break her vow, it was death on sight—no questions asked—by the hands of any Northerner that could get their hands on her. Only the ruler of the North could excuse her—and we both knew I wasn’t doing that.
Though I felt sure it wouldn’t come to that.
“Anybody who needs to speak to me now goes through Valenia of the North first. She shall be as my spoken word and my action.” I looked out at the disgruntled, enraged faces in the crowd.
“And if anybody believes they’d be a better fit for her position, please, feel free to try and take it from her. ”