Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  For the first time since they’d entered the throne room, Fen met Anna’s eyes. Her smile held a tremble, but her chin tilted upward in steady resolve. “I am with you either way.”

  His breath caught at her words, and he brushed his fingers tenderly across her cheek, the wonder of her filling him with awe. He might not have deserved her or Maddy in the past, but by any divinity out there, he would start doing so now.

  Sensing his decision, Anna let go of his arm, and Fen turned to face the staring nobles. He didn’t know a damned one of their names, but he would still rule them—sort of. His ways were not fully theirs and never would be. Never. Acceptance of that fact washed through him, and none too few of the nearest nobles looked uneasy at the smile he couldn’t quite stop.

  Fair chance his mother was going to regret this.

  Too bad.

  “A few months ago, I could have been brought here a prisoner. The king might have killed me as a traitor.” Ah, the indrawn breaths and startled glances. Lovely. “Technically, he would have been right.”

  “Feniarathen—”

  “I’m only telling the truth.” He barely bothered to cast an annoyed glance his mother’s way. “They know it. We all know it. I worked with Prince Kien, an exile of Moranaia, and I foolishly believed he would keep his word to spare the Unseelie from his plans. The poison was not supposed to reach here, but it did. My own cousin died from it.”

  The whispers started, then, but Fen ignored them.

  “I absolved my crime by working with Prince Vek to correct that mistake, and after being abandoned by my family for nearly my entire life, I have begun to work with my uncle to learn the Unseelie ways.” A few nobles looked at his mother after that slight, but if she was as furious as he suspected, she didn’t say so. “Queen Ara has named me her heir, and I have decided to accept that place. But know this. I’ve never been particularly good at doing what I’m supposed to, nor do I ignore the outside world in favor of tradition. I’ll make changes without apology. I won’t play your little games. But most of all, I refuse to take anyone’s shit.”

  Really, Fen? he berated himself. God, he was terrible at giving speeches. What kind of prince used the word “shit” in a formal announcement? But it didn’t seem to faze the Unseelie gathered in the throne room. Though they didn’t cheer or throw themselves prostrate like courtiers in some movie, they did lower themselves to one knee, heads bowing—if a touch reluctantly.

  Huh. They hadn’t laughed.

  Close enough to a victory.

  The Sidhe guards were not the inexperienced goons Maddy had dealt with when she’d been kidnapped by Kien’s group. Here, they didn’t rely on fear alone to keep her in place—there were actual iron shackles for that. Iron, in the heart of a fae castle. While it was a myth that the Sidhe were universally harmed by the metal, no small number were affected to varying degrees. The warrior keeping watch over her must have been, since he’d worn silk gloves when he’d bound her to the wall.

  For those who were allergic, iron usually interfered with magic, but whoever had embedded the short set of chains into the wall must have been immune. Even with her magic blocked, the hum of the shields warding others from the metal’s effects buzzed against her skin. Only the roughened inner portion that touched her wrist was left unguarded.

  Maddy leaned the top portion of her back against the wall, then pushed away as pain surged down her arms. She hadn’t been given any kind of stool or chair, and the chains were too short to sit on the floor. There was no way to get comfortable like this.

  Which was probably part of the point.

  The door opened, and someone else was hauled through. Meren. Her hands clenched against her back at the sight of him, though he looked worse for wear. They weren’t treating him as nicely as they had her, either. Relatively speaking. The general herself marched him in with her sword at his back, two more warriors holding him up on each side.

  He looked like he could barely stand, but they shoved him roughly against the wall perpendicular to hers and chained him anyway. If her hands weren’t behind her back, she could have reached out to touch him, but she’d rather kick him in the balls than check on his health now that the knife wound was somewhat repaired. Though it would have been a cheap shot. He slumped back against the wall despite the pain she knew it caused, and his chest heaved as though he fought for every breath.

  Their healer must not have put much work into it—not that she could blame them.

  The general glared at Maddy. “Do not think to attempt escape. You will be judged by queen and court soon enough.”

  “Faster than the human justice systems, I hope,” Maddy muttered. “If your other prisoner passes out, which seems likely, then he’ll break his arms. And eventually, we’ll have to eat and drink. Are you going to feed us by hand?”

  “You will be properly attended.” Though affront colored the general’s words, she gestured at one of the other warriors. “Ensure he remains upright.”

  As their leader spun on her heel and marched out, the guard tasked with supporting Meren shot Maddy an annoyed look while the other two warriors took their places beside the door. Maddy pretended not to notice the anger radiating off the first guard. She would probably be frustrated at having to hold the bastard up, too.

  But it was the right thing to do.

  She had no idea how much time had passed when Meren finally opened his eyes. He rolled his head enough to glance in her direction, though she wasn’t sure he’d seen her until he spoke. “Why did you help me?”

  “Some of us aren’t assholes,” Maddy snapped.

  “Ah, the crudeness of the human-born tongue.” His mouth curled into a mocking smile. “Forever lacking in polish.”

  Could she stab him again? There had to be a knife somewhere. “What do you have against humans, anyway? Some ancient grudge? My Sidhe father doesn’t hold a grudge about a war fought thousands of years ago. Do you?”

  “A grudge?” Meren’s expression went blank. “No. I may dislike my ancestors’ decision to consign us to the underhills based on a worthless treaty, but I hold no anger toward humans. That half of your bloodline is beneath my regard, useful only as a means to increase my own power. Grudges are in no way involved.”

  Great. The guy was a racist. Faulty logic and misunderstandings had a chance of being smoothed out, but it was harder to sway someone blinded by a sense of superiority. No evidence would prove humans his equal, not even saving his life. He would simply take it as his due.

  “Perfect heritage or not, you still have to face the same queen I do.”

  “I’ll find a way to free myself.” Meren shrugged, the action making the guard tighten his hold. “Water has a way of escaping any barrier.”

  He didn’t say anything about freeing her, but Maddy wouldn’t have run even if it was an option. She wasn’t going to be a fugitive for something she hadn’t done. “Too bad you didn’t free yourself to somewhere besides the Seelie palace the first time. Not that I wanted to be dragged anywhere with you.”

  “It was not intentional,” Meren ground out.

  Maddy stayed silent, hoping he would confirm her suspicions about what had happened. No such luck, though. Whatever messed up spell had gotten them in this situation, he wasn’t sharing any details. It was just as well. If she had to hear too much more of his smug, smarmy voice, she wouldn’t be able to resist kicking him in the balls.

  No telling how the guards would react to that.

  Chapter 33

  Being in the heart of the Unseelie palace was beyond surreal, but Anna did her best not to let it show. Not with so many curious—and sometimes hostile—eyes on her as she and Fen followed the queen out a side door. But even after they reached the isolation of the twisting hallways beyond, she didn’t lower her guard. Fen’s mother hadn’t seemed pleased by his choice of mates, so Anna couldn’t assume she had an ally there.

  Finally, they reached a small but richly decorated office with a spectacular view of the u
nderground city beyond the palace. Not that Anna had the time or inclination to study either. The place might be beautiful, but right now, it felt more like a prison keeping her from Maddy. They didn’t have time for some stupid, lengthy discussion.

  Fen apparently agreed. As soon as his mother shut the door behind them, he lifted his hand as though to stop her. “You can argue with me later. We have a bigger problem to deal with.”

  Queen Ara raised one regal brow. “Being my heir does not grant you the right to insolence.”

  “I’m guessing you didn’t pay attention to my speech, then?” Anna tightened her hand around his arm in warning, and Fen took a deep breath. “Listen. We both know I have a good reason my anger with you, and we both know I’m never going to be a model prince. Feel free to produce another heir to replace me. I don’t care. Right now, my other mate is being held captive by the Seelie Sidhe, and I need the weight of my title to help free her.”

  Although the queen’s expression had gone blank when Fen had started speaking, his last words had a rush of color flooding her cheeks. “Your other mate is a criminal?”

  For the first time, Anna couldn’t hold back. “No! Maddy is as law-abiding as they come.”

  Anna half-expected the queen to send her from the room at the very least, but something like admiration moved in her eyes instead. “I see you are not mere decoration. Good. Perhaps you two should explain what is going on. I assume you have formed a triad?”

  “Yes,” Anna said before launching into a quick description of Meren’s current actions. “And Maddy got pulled into Meren’s transport spell when my magic accidentally shoved him into her. We were able to contact Maddy telepathically for a few minutes, and they think she’s with Meren.”

  “I should have killed him years ago,” Ara said, her breath hissing out in anger. “But I imagine your mate will be released without our intervention despite their incorrect supposition. The Seelie might wipe her memory of the fae, but they wouldn’t harm a human.”

  Fen freed his arm from Anna’s hold and lifted his left hand to let the light glint against his ring. “See this? It was a gift from Maddy’s father, Shayan of the Cairdai. He’s full-blooded Sidhe.”

  Ara’s mouth dropped open, and she strode forward to grip Fen’s hand, turning it this way and that to examine the ring. Anna found herself glancing at her own band, smooth and perfect. It was a gorgeous piece, and she couldn’t deny that it had helped them reach Maddy telepathically. But why did it have other fae in such awe?

  “No one commands the work of the Cairdai family,” Ara said, unknowingly answering Anna’s question. “And it is granted rarely. They are a powerful force in the Seelie court, so I cannot imagine your Maddy will come to harm.”

  Some of the tension drained from Fen’s stance, but Anna was not reassured. “They refused to help her find training for her magic, so I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”

  She hated to see her mate’s shoulders draw up again, but they had to consider every angle.

  “That’s right,” Fen said, running his free hand through his hair. “We can’t count on her family for anything. What rank are Anna and Maddy as my mates?”

  The queen’s eyes narrowed. “Whatever I grant them. Is that not standard to human monarchies?”

  “I wouldn’t know. I didn’t grow up with one, and I never paid attention to anything but the basics when it came to other countries.” He shrugged. “Lady? Princess? Duchess? I don’t have a clue.”

  Anna froze, unable to look away from the unexpected argument. How could she when it involved her life so deeply? Queen Ara certainly seemed inclined to give the question a great deal of thought. Anna wanted to scream at her to hurry. Time was so valuable with Maddy held prisoner, but some things couldn’t be rushed.

  Like royalty, apparently.

  After an approximate eternity, Ara glanced from Fen to Anna, then back again. “I will grant each the title of princess, though I worry they lack the knowledge to properly fulfill the role. A lack I will have to correct for all of you.”

  Anna should have been insulted, but there hadn’t been rancor in the queen’s tone. Besides, she was right. Anna had gone from a restaurant server on Earth to an Unseelie princess in a few days, and she wasn’t arrogant enough to think she could easily handle the change. That would be as likely as escaping a gun-wielding murderer with a ballet flat.

  It could happen, but who would believe it?

  A tight smile crossed Fen’s face. “So it’s fair to say the Seelie court has imprisoned an Unseelie princess?”

  “It is.”

  There was nothing about the queen’s expression or tone that hinted at amusement, but Anna got the impression it was there, nonetheless. Ara wasn’t quite what she’d expected, despite the way the woman had acted in the throne room. Away from court politics and prying eyes, there was an odd longing to the way the queen looked at Fen, and her readiness to accept him despite his resistance was telling.

  Ara had loved her son enough to mess up both their lives in an attempt to save him from her father, and she loved him enough now to take his anger without complaint. She had to know Fen might never forgive her. He would be justified if he didn’t. But the queen carried on supporting him as best she could.

  Maybe as best she knew how.

  “You realize I might start a war?” Fen asked. “I’m not exactly great at politics. In fact, I’d say there’s a ninety percent chance I’ll tell the Seelie queen to fuck off.”

  “Only ninety?” Anna muttered.

  The queen chuckled. “War between our factions is nothing new, and Vek has done that very thing before, though I’ll grant he had the weight of experience behind him. Do what you must to retrieve our newest princess.”

  “But in the throne room…” Fen shook his head. “I thought you disapproved of my mating.”

  “I was surprised. And I confess I’d had thoughts about the fae houses we might have made marriage alliances with. The Seelie Queen Regent is young and unwed.”

  Instead of feeling jealous at the suggestion, Anna had to hold back laughter at the aghast expression on Fen’s face. If the queen had any idea how shy and awkward Fen could be about relationships, she would have canned that idea even without a mate bond. He never would have survived that many potential courtships.

  Fen tried amusingly to find his voice. “Umm.”

  “I’ll retrieve the Heir’s Circlet for you before you go,” Ara said, kindly ignoring Fen’s embarrassment. “Then I’ll open the portal to the Seelie palace myself.”

  By the time the general returned to the room, Maddy’s entire body ached from her position—or at least the parts that weren’t numb. She could no longer feel her arms, but her shoulders burned relentlessly. If not for her fae blood, she might have had lasting damage to her rotator cuffs.

  And that wasn’t even counting her thighs and ass. She hadn’t considered herself out of shape, but balancing carefully for so long had strained her lower body until her legs trembled. Was there a workout program for being held captive? Because after the last couple of months, it was clear that she needed one.

  A new guard who had entered with the general unlatched Maddy and tugged her forward with a grip strong enough to send pain roaring through her numb muscles. Maddy sucked in a breath, but she didn’t bother to protest. None of them cared. Her own people, treating her like trash to be hauled out.

  This wasn’t going to be the presentation to court that her father had hoped for.

  Maddy didn’t look back to see how Meren fared with the guards. At this point, she almost wished she had let him bleed out, but her conscience never would have allowed it. Were the Seelie so cold about life? They hadn’t been willing to train her healing gift, and they hadn’t been impressed by her urge to help, though they had made sure Meren hadn’t died. A weird choice, really, since they’d probably execute him for treason.

  This time, the walk wasn’t as long. The guard directed her out of the room and up the nearby flight o
f stairs until she stood behind the general, who flung open a heavy wooden door and strode through. Maddy was pulled straight into the throne room, and the space was already clear between the side door and the long carpet stretching up toward the throne.

  There weren’t as many courtiers as she’d expected, but the crowd of regal, richly dressed people reminded her of her grimy state. Why would any of her father’s people claim her, whether they’d given a damn about her before seeing her or not? Her jeans were ripped in several places, her shirt had a massive tear across her stomach, and dirt had dried into clumps all along her clothes and in her hair. These glittering, shining Sidhe would see nothing of value in her ragged, half-human self.

  Their sneering glances tore through her, but she couldn’t do anything besides lift her chin higher and pretend that none of the nobles were there. An attempt unintentionally aided by Meren, who drew every eye as soon as he entered behind her. At least the asshole was good for something.

  More warriors in gleaming gold armor lined the carpet leading to the dais, and ten more stood near the throne, five per side. They really weren’t playing around. That much protection surely wasn’t because of her, but it somehow felt personal. Despite her innocence, Maddy’s stomach fluttered and heaved. The two guards nearest the queen held their swords unsheathed—one wrong move, and they would kill Maddy on the spot.

  The general stopped in front of the dais and knelt, bowing her head. Maddy’s guard jerked her to a halt several paces behind and then shoved down on her shoulder, forcing her to her knees. Like she wouldn’t have done that anyway. Her father had trained her in what to expect if she was ever granted an audience. Without prompting, she lowered her head until her chin touched her chest.

  Under other circumstances, she would have smiled at the guard’s soft, surprised huff.

  Behind them, a scuffling sound broke the silence, followed promptly by a man’s yelp. Maddy could just see over her shoulder if she tilted her head, so she caught sight of Meren being driven to his knees before she forced her chin closer to her chest and ignored him. If she was lucky, her good behavior alone would mark her as no ally of his.