Chapter Nineteen #2
Her eyes kept finding him across the table and he was usually watching her when she did.
It felt nice to have his constant attention.
Was he thinking about her in a wife way?
Or was he just happy that she got along with his sister?
Did he feel this interesting pull toward her like she did him?
She wondered a lot of things as they ate pork and potatoes.
Though, she mostly just ate the potatoes as she’d never cared much for meat.
After supper, most everyone gathered in the library while the queen and her friends played a game that was new to Rhea. There were pieces of parchment inside of a box and everyone would take a piece and act out the words written on it.
She laughed when Reeve tried to demonstrate riding a dragon. Everyone guessed he was riding a horse instead. When it was her turn, she pretended to fish, as she’d seen some men do during the tournament. Sid guessed it correctly first. It was probably the most fun Rhea had had in years.
The next morning, she woke to the sound of someone knocking on her chamber door.
Reeve was on the other side, looking handsome in his dark blue tunic.
He always looked so nice. As if he woke up this way.
She absentmindedly straightened her nightgown as he spoke, hoping her hair wasn’t terribly rumpled from the bed.
“Good morning,” he said, smiling. “I hope I didn’t disturb you.”
“No, I was already awake,” she lied.
“Great. I’m afraid I have some bad news.”
“You do?” Oh no. Here it comes. He’s changed his mind.
“The queen is expecting guests and will be needing your chambers free,” he said. “Today.”
“Oh.” That wasn’t at all what she’d expected. “But where will I stay?”
“Well, my sister and I share a suite on the first floor now. I told the queen that you could stay with us. Or with Gabby really. If that would be acceptable to you?”
“Yes!” she said then caught herself. “I mean, I find it acceptable.”
“Good. We’ll just fetch your belongings and take them down.”
“Well… I actually only have one piece of clothing apart from this one,” she said, touching her nightgown.
Other than the short white dress that she had worn each day since leaving Anestas, this nightgown was her only other clothing.
She had already snuck the borrowed clothes from the queen back into the wardrobe.
“Is that so? Well, that won’t do.” Reeve shook his head and smiled again. “We’ll need to visit the seamstress in the village and have a few gowns made for you then.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“It would be my pleasure. Besides, I have a large sum of prize money from the tournament and have been looking for something meaningful to spend it on. Gabby would certainly appreciate a new gown as well.” Before she could protest, he added, “We can consider it a thank you gift for saving my life in the valley.”
She couldn’t say no to his gorgeous smile—and she didn’t want to anyway—so she nodded.
“Fantastic. I will secure a coach to take the three of us into the village after breakfast.” Before she could change her mind, he turned and walked down the hallway.
Rhea closed the door behind her and leaned against it. She wasn’t sure what just happened. However, being closer to him by staying with Gabby in their suite would make her plan much easier. She smiled and hurried to change into her dress. Breakfast and her future were waiting downstairs.
~*~
“I can walk on my own, Dagan.”
He kept his arm around her waist, so she swatted it away.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
“It hasn’t even been two days since you performed the single largest piece of magic I’ve ever seen.
Not to mention the toll that removing Rhea’s collar took on you, yesterday.
Are you hungry? I can get you some more food. You only had two plates at breakfast.”
Sid shook her head but he ignored her and called out to a kitchenmaid who was sweeping the floor nearby. She could be annoyed by his hovering, but she was trying to enjoy the attention. Some of it anyway.
Finn spotted them as he entered the hall and walked over. “I think you may want to come into the courtyard. There’s something you should see.”
Sid swatted Dagan’s hand away yet again and they followed Finn outside. She was surprised to see what appeared to be a group of fairies standing in the middle of the courtyard. When they saw her approaching, a fairy with long, dark hair and a blue dress stepped forward.
“You must be the Elder Mage,” she said, looking Sidonie up and down.
“How could you tell?” Sid asked.
Standing next to the flawless fairies, she suddenly felt frumpy in her dress.
There were at least a dozen fairies, all tall and curvy with skin and hair in every shade.
Each was wearing a short dress in bright colors with flowers sewn into them in varied designs, unlike Rhea’s dress which was all white.
“I can sense your magic,” the fairy replied. “We request an audience with Queen Breestlin. We’ve come to assist your kingdom.”
Sid gathered they meant with the aftermath of the wildfire, but she didn’t understand why. According to Rhea, the fae had outright refused to aid Junacave or anyone else. However, she nodded and sent Finn to find Bree, then she escorted the fairies inside.
Breestlin was on her way to the hall with Rowan when Finn found her. She’d thought he was joking when he said that there was a group of fairies in her castle. She poked her head around the doorway and sure enough, there were several of them standing in front of her throne.
“Rowan, you should probably stay hidden until they leave,” she said, pulling her head back into the hallway. “If they see you and realize that Reeve isn’t you, who knows what they will do to him. Or you.”
“I’ll watch from here,” he said.
Bree stepped into the hall and greeted the fairies. Raven introduced herself and the others.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” Bree spoke next. “But very pleased, nonetheless. We certainly appreciate the assistance from Queen Viola.”
“Unfortunately, we aren’t here on behalf of Queen Viola.”
“Oh?”
“The queen does not wish to help. We have come on our own. And we would appreciate your discretion. We only have until dusk before we must return to Anestas. We cannot aid the other two kingdoms.”
“Why have you chosen to help Junacave?” Sid asked.
“We each have our own reasons, I suppose. However, I will not lie. The simple fact that you, Elder Mage, are a woman and not a man is enough reason for me.”
“I wish other wizards felt the same as you do.”
“Wizards fear what they cannot control. You, Elder Mage, will never be truly safe in the realm. The last sorceress left a stain on the history of magic. You would be wise to avoid making the same mistake.”
Sid nodded then she led the fairies to the southern wall and watched as they spread out over the ground to work their magic.
One fairy with bright red hair began to hum a slow tune.
Then another fairy started to sing. Then another.
Soon, every fairy had joined in, creating a lovely melody in a language that she didn’t recognize.
“It’s the language of the fae,” Rhea said, walking up beside her. “The oldest language known to the realm. It is of the land, which is why it can heal the land. Even from destructive magic.”
Sid smiled and closed her eyes. The song was beautiful and she could feel her own magic calming. It was similar to a terra circle but more relaxing than energizing. It made her feel sleepy.
Raven stopped singing when she spotted Rhea and walked over to her, followed by one fairy with blonde hair like Rhea’s and one with dark curly hair.
“What in the realm are you wearing?” exclaimed the blonde fairy.
“It’s good to see you too, Twila,” Rhea said, forcing a smile she didn’t feel. Of all her sisters, Twila was the last one she’d wanted to see.
The gowns the seamstress was making for Rhea wouldn’t be ready for several days.
However, the lady was kind enough to give her a dress that she had already made.
The color may have been a brighter yellow than she would have preferred but Gabby loved it.
The girl had declared that she couldn’t wait to wear it when she was old enough.
The thought that Rhea might still be around when Gabby grew into the dress was a small ray of hope that she clung to.
Even Twila’s harsh gaze wouldn’t take that away.
“The color looks good on you,” Raven said.
“Oh, Raven,” Twila chuckled. “Don’t lie to the poor thing. Yellow really isn’t her color.”
“I think she looks radiant,” Reeve said, walking up behind them. He stopped next to Rhea and ran his gaze over her. “Like a ray of sunlight.”
Sid had to pretend to cough to muffle the laugh that escaped when she saw Twila’s expression. The fairy was obviously embarrassed. Her face was turning as pink as her dress while she looked back and forth between Reeve and Rhea.
Reeve didn’t notice the other fairies because he was fixated on only one.
She was looking up at him in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected him to defend her.
Walking up to them at that moment had been lucky because seeing the way that Rhea seemed to shrink in the presence of the blonde fairy made Reeve’s blood boil.
It was her alone, who left to help the pixies. Who’d been there all this time. These other fairies didn’t deserve to stand alongside her. He’d come to ask her something in private but doing it in front of the others seemed like a better plan.