We rode through the night and arrived early morning, the sun shining at our backs and casting long shadows on the ground. Many people stood outside their homes watching us ride in and some bowing low to the ground. I waved at a few children who rubbed their sleepy eyes.
“The Queen!”
Bordell was a sleepy little place once, but now with Hilde’s reign, it had become dark and desolate. You could feel the fear coming from the small village. That was going to change today.
We rode to the stables and met with the groundkeeper; he knew we would arrive today and waited outside for us.
“You’ll find her in her quarters. She has no idea you were coming today, Your Majesty. She has stayed in her room and hasn’t left,” he explained.
I paid him the money I owed him and he took Midnight, promising to treat him well.
“We have punishment to deliver,” I told Sawyer as he gave the groundskeeper his horse.
“Yes, we do. I can’t wait to see you in action,” he teased me.
I tried to hold my laughter inside, but didn’t have any luck. Sawyer grasped my hand as we walked with my soldiers and met the others that had waited inside the fortress since the day of the battle.
They were happy to see us because that meant they could go home today. Today Hilde’s reign ended for good.
Letting Sawyer’s hand go once we were inside, I missed it immediately. I couldn’t get enough of his company since he woke four weeks ago. We agreed that since I had turned eighteen recently, we could now start planning for our future together. I was giddy with excitement over it all, but first I had to deal with Hilde.
It’s always like this in my life: all the happy endings had to wait because there was always a villain to get rid of first. I wondered absentmindedly if that would ever stop.
We followed the soldiers up the stairs and into a dark hallway. Hilde loved to collect mirrors, because they lined the walls covering up every single inch of space. She also seemed to adore paintings of herself, which we passed too many to count. What a vain creature she was.
A soldier knocked on the door of Hilde’s room, and it was opened by a girl younger than myself.
“She’s asleep,” she whispered to us.
“Perfect,” I said as I pushed my way through. “You may take your leave. Go back to your home. You no longer have to work for the wretched false queen.”
A huge smile erupted on her sullen face and she took off down the hallway rather fast.
“Hilde!” I called out. “It’s time to wake up. We have things to discuss.” I had never met her, but finding her lying in a heap of clothes and hair, I knew I wasn’t missing anything really. She certainly didn’t look like her portraits downstairs, which didn’t surprise me.
Red hair sprawled across her face in a tangled mess as she turned toward me giving me a sneer.
Oh, she definitely had a wonderful painter; one who was willing to paint what she wanted him to instead of what he saw.
She sat up and growled like a dog. Ignoring her anger, I sat at the edge of her bed.
“Well, it’s time for your sentencing and that of your son, Hunter. Where is he by the way?”
I heard a scuffle down the hall and my soldiers pulled him into the room.
They dropped him down on her bedside as he rolled his eyes at me.
“Hello, Hunter. It’s nice to see you again,” I said sarcastically. “Hilde, where is the King of Bordell?”
A laugh erupted from her as she held her belly. “He died last week. Poor fellow.”
Ugh. She was utterly disgusting.
“Well, that’s a shame. My father did like him.” It was because of this friendship that my father had made him king of Bordell, but with him dead that meant I could take over Bordell like it was supposed to be. I didn’t doubt Hilde killed him herself, the wench.
“Hunter, you are to be sent to the outer reaches of our realm and never to return. You will be sentenced to work in the mines of the desert region; I heard they need new workers. You will no longer have any influence here in my kingdom,” I uttered as I bent closer to him. “You should be happy I’m not hanging you for treason.”
His eyes narrowed and then he screamed out in anger.
Working in the mines of the desert region wasn’t going to be easy work for Hunter. He was a young boy and he would work hard for his keep eventually.
He would be forced to start over again as just a regular boy. It was a place I had only seen on a map, and when I thought about this punishment, it sounded perfect for him.
“I have spoken to your new employer, and they are thrilled of your impending arrival. A ship will take you there, and you will be picked up at the docks by him. He’s eagerly awaiting a new worker with such good talents,” I sneered.
“Hilde, unfortunately you will not be with your son, Hunter. You’ll be sent to the Realm of Man. You are allowed to take a change of clothes that I have chosen for you.” I placed a pair of cotton pants and a cotton shirt down on the bed. “You will be forced to find a job and housing without any help from us. I am sure you know someone there who can help you out, right?” Hilde had banished many Fae to the Realm of Man in her time, and I knew they’d just love to show her around. I laughed inside at the thought of them seeing the woman who sent them away from their homeland.
“What about my other son? What is his punishment?” Hilde asked accusingly.
I laughed. Hopefully Prince Aiden was far away by now, living a better life. Inside, I hoped he found the girl he was waiting to find. I knew in my heart he would be just fine, especially without these two in his life.
“Prince Aiden was lost to us in the battle at the Dark Forest. But that is of no concern to you, Hilde. You have utterly disrespected the people of Bordell, and they will live in peace now.” I leaned close to her and said, “I don’t like bullies, Hilde, and you are the worst of them. I think you know what I do to bullies, don’t you? So if I ever hear of you again, you’ll be swiftly taken care of.”
She shook her head and laughed, not intimidated by me in anyway.
“Then why don’t you kill me like you did Millie and Raven? Why let me live?”
I sat back and smiled. “Is it death you prefer? I can do that instead if you like.”
Her eyes narrowed. “No.”
“No, what?”
“No, Your Majesty,” she voiced finally as my soldiers picked her up and put a robe on her. Her shackles clanged on the ground as they pulled her and her son from the room.
Hilde was no longer my problem. She would go to the Realm of Man and live out her days doing whatever she wanted. She could continue to boss her humans around for all the rest of her days for all I cared.
“What shall we do with all of her belongings, Sir Sawyer?” The soldier asked.
Sawyer looked around at all of Hilde’s nice things.
“Let the villagers sell it for their own profit. Then burn this fortress to the ground.”
We left then and got our horses from the groundskeeper who was ever so happy to leave and go home to his family. I promised the townspeople that they would never have to fear as long as I was their queen. They would never want for food or happiness while they lived here.
“Who will be in charge while you are away, My Queen?” The groundskeeper asked me before we rode away. “I am sending a few of my councilmen to come decide that. I will be back to visit soon. Those who wish can come to Ancora to find homes if you want to leave Bordell behind. But those who want to stay may do as they like to rebuild it as it once was.”
Sawyer and I rode away and back to the castle to make preparations. We had a future to plan.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Rory
I dressed myself in the dark of night, pulling the gown over my head. My hands were
trembling with nerves. Could I really pull this off? I tried to tie the back of the gown, but found it to be extremely challenging. How could dressing yourself be so hard?
“Would you like some help?”
I turned around, startled, and found my three fairy friends watching from the doorway. I fell on the edge of the bed and sighed.
“You aren’t supposed to be in here,” I told them as they entered anyway, followed by Mona and Clara.
“Clara! Where is your son? Should you be here?”
She smiled. “He’s safely tucked in bed with his father. He’s fine.”
“Yes, now turn and let us help!” Mona ordered.
I turned and let them tie my gown and do my hair. This was supposed to be a secret, but I failed at that apparently. Flora got my shoes ready and Fauna hummed while she made a flower crown.
“I’m not sure I like the color of that dress, Aurora,” Merryweather told me holding nothing back.
“What’s wrong with pink? It’s my favorite color?” I asked as I looked down at my modest dress. I had asked the dressmaker to make it in confidence, not telling anyone. It seemed like the secret got out.
“I like blue best,” Merryweather told me as she held up her hands and waved them toward my dress, causing it to change to a light blue. I looked in the mirror in disbelief.
“How did you do that?”
She smiled and winked at me.
“We fairies have a few tricks up our sleeves.”
“I don’t think Sawyer will appreciate blue as much as he would like pink,” Flora said. She did the same to my dress and turned it back to pink.
“I agree, it must be blue,” said Fauna.
The dress turned blue again, and I threw up my hands in defeat. At this rate I’d never make it to meet him. They’d no doubt follow me the whole way there, changing the colors over and over until the dress was ruined.
I held my hands up and said, “Enough!”
The three fairies stopped mid-wave and looked at me dumbfounded.
“I liked the pink and I liked the blue. So let’s make a compromise. Can we make it both colors? Since, of course, this is so important to you three.”
Mona and Clara giggled and watched the fairies from my couch.
“Oh we can do that,” Merryweather said. “Ready, Flora and Fauna?”
They stood in a line, and on the count of three shot color onto my dress. The result was amazing.
My simple blush pink dress that I had made was no longer simple. It started as pink and blended into a light blue at the bottom. I spun in the mirror watching the colors flow. It was perfect.
“I love it, ladies. Now if you don’t mind I have someone to meet,” I told them as they finished adorning me.
Helping me get outside where a footman waited, they held open a carriage door for me. Once inside I waved goodbye to them as they watched from the door. I was happy they came to see me off; it wouldn’t have been the same without them.
“Are you ready, Your Majesty?” The driver asked.
“Yes, I think I finally am.”
The ride was short, but my nerves made it feel like it lasted forever. I just wanted to see his face, and I honestly think I waited for this day too long. I had to wait months for him to wake and before that I had to hide my love for him, pretending too long to love Phillip, when I really loved Sawyer.
It was always Sawyer. I was not destined to marry anyone else in this realm, and that’s why I would marry him tonight in a small ceremony. It would just be the two of us, like it should be.
We didn’t want the large wedding where people we didn’t know came from places we never went to. We just wanted it to be us, the moon, and the stars above.
The carriage door opened and the driver helped me down.
“He’s just over there, my Queen.”
Peering in the dark, I saw him waiting for me. He hadn’t noticed my arrival yet. I watched for a moment as he paced the forest floor, looking just as nervous as I was.
I walked over to him and when my foot hit a branch, he turned. His sharp intake of breath took me by surprise.
“Oh my. You look … you look stunning, Rory.”
I smiled and my cheeks reddened.
“Do you like the dress?” I asked as I spun.
He wrapped his arms around me. “Is it okay to say that I like the whole package?”
His lips caressed my ear as he trailed kisses from there down my neck and ending at my shoulder. As his hands grasped mine, he pulled away from me, examining me once more. I let him look for a minute and then pulled him to a beautiful spot in the woods where a priest waited for us.
“Are you ready for this? Are you ready to be my wife, now?” He asked.
I laughed, giddy with excitement that my happy ending was finally coming true. I had waited for this day for too long. I had fought for this ending, and I would take what was mine. Wrapping my arms around him, I looked up to see his face.
“I’ve been ready for longer than you can imagine, Sawyer, so stop talking and just be my husband already.”
He smiled as his eyes changed color in the moonlight.
“I think we’re ready now,” he told the priest, all while never taking his eyes off of mine.
As we said our vows to one another, I felt a presence there with us, watching over us. I knew who it was, and she was only visiting for a moment, just to say that she was happy for both of us, that her death was necessary for this moment to come true.
After we kissed and Sawyer placed the ring on my finger, I looked up to the sky and thanked her silently.
“Did you feel her here too?” Sawyer asked. He had traveled with Gray once long ago, and they had a bond as well. When he learned of her passing, he took it as hard as I did.
“I did. I think that she would be happy for us, don’t you?”
He nodded. “I honestly believe that everything Gray did was for the betterment of everyone’s lives. She never acted selfishly. And I also know she loved you like a daughter.”
Tears spilled down my face as I thought of how much I missed her. I quickly wiped them away before he saw them.
“I have a surprise for you,” I told him, almost forgetting. “Come with me.”
“Where are you taking me, troublemaker?”
It was only a small walk down the glen and across the water, but it was well hidden from any intruders. I had scouted this area weeks before and found it untouched.
The cabin sat back, hidden in the forest covered with red roses that gave off a scent unlike any other. I smiled as I watched Sawyer’s eyes widen in realization of what the cabin was for.
“You did this?” He questioned in disbelief.
I placed my hand on my hip. “What? You think I don’t care about our wedding night?”
The fact was I was more excited about it than I let him know. I couldn’t wait to be his wife, but I especially couldn’t wait for the intimate moments with Sawyer, the times when we would not be a queen and king, but just simply Rory and Sawyer.
Where his kisses could go as far as he wanted and my hands could roam wherever he allowed.
He pulled the door open and a small fire burned in the hearth. He took me in his arms, lifting me over his shoulder. I giggled.
“Aren’t you supposed to carry me in your arms gently?”
He charged inside and closed the door behind him. “I’ve waited too long to be gentle as we cross this threshold, my love.”
He placed me on the floor and we took in the small cabin. A large bed took up most of the space. It was covered in divine satin bedding and white rose petals.
I didn’t look around at much else because all I cared about was standing before me watching me with hungry blue and green eyes.
His lips parted as he took a deep breath. It wasn’t long before those lips were on mine in the most passionate of kisses. My dress slipped to the floor and he laid me gently onto the bed where I was more than happy to be.
****
We stood outside the small cabin, huddled up with the satin blanket around us, watching the red sun come up over the horizon. It was a new day and one for celebration—my lips still numb from our night together. “I don’t want to leave here, ever.”
“We should head back home and tell everyone though. Even if I want to ravage you again,” he said as he kissed along my neck, sending shivers up my spine. “Can we stay for a moment more?”
“You’re the one who said we should head back,” I teased, leaning into him. “But I suppose we have plenty of time to continue this later. Perhaps we will make this cabin ours for moments where we just need to get away.”
I pulled free from the blanket and walked inside to dress in my gown. Sawyer grumbled as he put on his pants and shirt, not ready to leave here just yet.
I looked at him as his hair hung in his eyes. I honestly didn’t know what I did to deserve someone like him in my life. I was a spoiled princess unwilling to marry a man I didn’t know. Deciding one day that I would not settle for anything less than love, I fought my way into Sawyer’s heart and into this life. I would do anything to defend our love now and forever.
“You know I have to make you a king now, don’t you?” I joked.
He sat back and huffed. “Do you have too?”
I smiled and nodded. “I think I do. I did marry you.”
“I think I would like nothing else but being your king for the rest of our days together, Rory.” He stood and pulled me into his arms. “Our mothers are going to love planning my coronation, aren’t they?”
“Oh, I think you’ll enjoy my mother’s constant reminder that the coronation is extremely serious business.”
We laughed and fell onto the bed, rolled over, and began kissing again. We were never going to leave this cabin if we kept this up. Part of me didn’t want to leave here—I could stay forever in this small hut wrapped in his arms—but I had a castle to get back to and a kingdom to protect.
Awaken (Slumber Duology #2) Page 17
