by ERIN BEDFORD
The thought made me smile. It would piss the queen off to no end for sure. A knock on the door drew my attention away from the wardrobe. Before I could answer the door, it was pushed open and a long legged blonde walked in.
“So you’re him, huh?” the unimpressed sneer on her face did nothing to mar her beauty. Long pale hair swung behind her as she strutted into my room. The high slit in the dress she wore gave me a glimpse of her shapely legs when she took a step. The sparkle in her eye when I finally met her gaze told me she knew I was looking, and she knew how good she looked. No way this was the princess.
“And you are?” I gestured to her as she stopped in front of me. Her eyes roamed over me, pausing at my bare chest that I couldn’t help but puff out at the attention.
“Don’t worry about me. It’s you who you should be worried.” She pointed a perfectly shaped nail at me.
“Is that so?” I smirked and crossed my arms over my chest, which drew her attention to my biceps. She gave them a long appreciative look before sniffing.
“You listen here, princey.”
Princey? I laughed to myself but didn’t respond.
“The woman you are going to be marrying isn’t just some slop that you can use once and toss aside.” I opened my mouth to defend myself but she cut me off, “Don’t think we don’t know about your reputation. Women talk, even across realms.” the positively lethal tone of her voice made me flinch.
“She’s worth way more than her mother is trying to sell her off for.” The bitterness that had come into her voice caught my interest. So far everyone loved the princess but hated the mother. It was good information to tuck away for later.
“I am beginning to see that,” I responded, catching her off guard. Slipping one arm and then the other into my shirt I let it hang off of me without buttoning it up. “Your princess seems to have quite the fan base.”
My visitor opened her mouth, but I kept going, “But since you have heard of me. I am sure you are aware of my tendency to win, and while your princess might be fantastic and all, that does not make her immune to my charms.”
This made the woman laugh, but I ignored her and continued, “My mother wishes me to marry the Seelie Princess, so that is what I will do and no one, not even the princess herself will keep me from getting what I want. Do you understand?” I tipped her chin up with a smug grin.
The blonde seemed dumbfounded for a moment before she busted out laughing. Pushing my hand away, she shook her head. “You keep thinking that, princey.” She laughed once more and headed toward the door. Stopping at the doorway, she glanced back at me one more time before chuckling again. “This is going to be fun.” She snickered before closing the door behind her.
Well, that wasn’t encouraging.
CHAPTER 5
Lynne
I SAT IN THE library with my legs thrown over the side of a chair. I was so immersed in my book that I didn’t realize anyone had come in until a pair of hands covered my eyes.
A wide grin spread across my face as I giggled. “Gab!”
“How did you know it was me?” my best friend, Erydesa, also known as Gab, dropped her hands.
Shaking my head, I dropped my legs and closed my book. “Because you are the only one immature enough to do such a thing.”
Ignoring my comment, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out of my seat. “Come on. I know you’ve been in here longer than is healthy. You need to get some fresh air.”
I snorted but let her lead me out of the library and down the hallway and out into the gardens. I had no doubt that she had something up her sleeve. Erydesa rarely did anything for anyone’s good but her own.
“Did you hear? The UnSeelie Prince arrived today.” She wasted no time saying as she walked arm and arm with me along a path in the garden.
“I had heard such news.” More than one person had told me today that the UnSeelie Prince had arrived. Some were delighted to let me know, others more in a cautionary tone. Of course, most of those came from the servants. The High Fae wouldn’t be caught dead showing me their worry.
In fact, the very servant that was assigned to attend to his royal pain in the butt, Gerald, had come to me just before Erydesa had. The quiet Fae had explained everything that had happened with the prince. Including, how he had asked about me. What Gerald had told the prince about me was flattering and not at all true, but I could just imagine what the prince must think of me now. The thought actually made me smile.
Gab chuckled beside me. “Don’t sound so excited about it. Someone will start to think you care about your betrothed.”
“Hardly.” I snorted, playing with the ends of my pale blonde hair. “Everyone knows that this is a marriage of convenience. Nothing more.”
“Sure it is, but have you seen him yet? Don’t you want to know what he looks like?” Smiling at me, Gab trailed a hand along the metal fence lining the garden path.
I quirked a brow at my friend’s mischievous grin. “Why would I want to do that? I’m supposed to marry him whether or not I approve of his appearance.”
“Well, I would want to know whose bed I’ll be warming for the rest of eternity.” Gab stopped in her tracks, pulling me with her. “And as you are my best friend and confidant, I did a little reconnaissance on your behalf.”
“Of course you did.” I rolled my eyes. The younger Fae always needed to know what was going on with everyone in the palace. It was for her own pleasure and hardly a selfless act in the name of friendship.
Gab sniffed. “Well, if you’re going to be like that, I don’t think I’m going to tell you what I found out.” She stuck her nose in the air, pretending to be cross.
“Yes, you will. You can’t help yourself.” I dropped her arm and continued down the path, my attention half on the surrounding flowers.
Having never left the palace, I’d seen them all hundreds of times over. I’d never even seen all of the Seelie Court, but I was supposed to marry a complete stranger, and live with him all for the sake of solidifying our defenses against some shadow creature?
The hope of leaving the palace was the only reason I even considered the sham of a marriage, to begin with. If it gave me the chance to be free, to see new places, and to finally walk through the halls of my own home without the fear of who would lose their heads next. I didn’t need to know what my husband looked like. I’d marry him all the same. Though, I’d be damned if I made it easy for him.
“Oh all right, you’ve talked me into it.” Gab gave an exaggerated sigh and hurried to catch up with me. “You know all you had to do was ask.”
“But I didn’t ask.”
Gab ignored me and continued babbling, “So, I went down to the guest wing where they keep all the important people. Not that UnSeelie royalty is all that important, but anyway, I got stopped by one of his brute guards–”
As she told her story, I could feel the excitement as it radiated off her in waves. She always got this way when she had some juicy tidbit that she wanted to share. It was nearly impossible for her to keep a secret.
“–And then I said, I have as much right to be here as anyone.” She scoffed. “Can you believe that? He actually thought I was a servant! Me! The thought of me cleaning.” She shuddered.
“Maybe he didn’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders, pretending to show interest in her distress.
“Ha! Do I look like a lower Fae? No. Look at these cheekbones.” She gestured toward her face. “Fae have killed to be as pretty as me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Gab, that was one time, and they didn’t die. They only ended up scarred.”
“She might as well have died. I would have committed suicide if I had to go the rest of my life disfigured like that.” Gab made a face at the thought.
“Not everyone cares about appearances.” I offered and then tried to change the subject. “I thought you were going to tell me what he looks like, not his guard.”
“I’m getting there.” She waved me off. “So, I got past the nas
ty guard and into the prince’s sitting room, and low and behold there he was lounging on the couch like some half-breed. Really now, does he have no decorum? It is no surprise he wouldn’t think twice about letting his guard down where anyone could walk in on him.”
“He was in his private rooms, though. No one should have been able to walk in on him,” I pointed out, not really believing much of what she said. Erydesa had a way of adding on to her stories to make them seem more than they were.
“But I did, so anyone else could have as well. I’m just saying, he should be a little more mindful of where he is, even if he is a guest. He is still UnSeelie. He could have–” Gab stopped mid-sentence catching sight of something in the garden. “Oh pooh, I was just getting to the good part.”
I followed her gaze to land on a dark-haired Fae sitting on a bench with a book in his hand. With his attention focused on his book, my eyes trailed down his exquisite form. All thoughts of not caring about looks were smothered by a sudden undeniable need. When he glanced up from his book, my breath caught in my throat.
Eyes the color of the glittering night sky locked onto mine. The fierceness in his gaze froze me in place. There was anger there, but also a hollowed emptiness. I knew at that moment I’d go through with the engagement. Not because I craved freedom or because he made my insides melt, but to make sure those beautiful eyes never gazed at me with such loneliness again.
CHAPTER 6
Dorian
AS FAR AS GARDENS went, the Seelie garden was above average. Nothing compared to the virtual Garden of Eden my mother had at home, but it was nice nonetheless.
Finding my way there had been a challenge though. It was like I was a pariah. No one wanted anything to do with an UnSeelie, even a royal one. I hadn’t felt so unwelcome since I’d walked in on a faerie mating ritual. I shuddered at the memory. Now that was something I never wanted to see again.
When I had finally found it I’d been about to get one of the servants to direct me to the garden, as I’d already been wandering the palace for a good while.
I found the first bench I could and splayed out on it for a bit. I had just started reading my book when the sound of voices filled the area. As they got closer, there was one that I recognized.
The female from earlier.
My brows furrowed and my face hardened. I didn’t take kindly to being laughed at and even more so that she was now talking to her companion like I was a piece of garbage she had stepped on. UnSeelie or not, I was still the crown prince; she needed to show the correct respect to her superiors.
I was all set to put her in her place when they rounded the corner, and I froze. While she had pale hair like the other woman, her blue eyes held an icy stare. This was without a doubt the Seelie Princess. She resonated royalty and was the spitting image of her mother. I realized then why the woman had been laughing at me so much.
This princess was no pushover.
“Why hello again.” The woman from before smiled as they approached, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes that irritated me to no end.
“Hello.” I snapped my book shut and stood to my feet. “I don’t believe I got your name before.”
“Ah,” the blonde seemed to flush before clearing her throat and placing a hand on her chest, “I am Gab.”
I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. Her name was absolutely ridiculous. Of course, it was probably not her real name. The new rule about keeping your birth name secret had spread across the realms, not that everyone had actually followed them. I was bad about it myself.
Clearing my throat, I gave a slight bow. “It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Gab.” Straightening back up, I turned my gaze to the other blonde still clutching her companion’s arm. “And you must be my beautiful betrothed. I have heard so many glorious tales about you that I feel as if I know you already.”
I held my hand out to her, waiting for her to place her hand in mine. After a moment or so, it was obvious that she would not be allowing me to kiss her hand as was customary. In fact, she was gazing at me in such an odd manner I feared she might be dumb. Was it possible that everyone loved her so much because of some disability?
No. There was no way the Seelie Queen would allow herself to have a disabled child. A Fae so set on perfection, the very thought of it probably horrified her.
Thankfully, Gab seemed to think that she was behaving oddly as well. The blonde tried to discretely nudge her princess causing her to jolt out of whatever daze she was in.
“Oh, uh, sorry,” the princess stumbled over her words, her face coloring a delightful pink. I fought against the need to grin at her. If it was this easy to get her to blush, I couldn’t wait to see how she would react when I started to woo her. The thought made parts of me harden. My arousal was not unnoticed by the two Fae women. The princess’s face heated even more, but Gab had a smug sort of smile on her face.
Sometimes I wished our senses weren’t so advanced. It was impossible to get away with anything without our scent changing. I’d have to remember in the future to refrain from thinking naughty thoughts that might give me away.
“And obviously, I am delighted to meet you as well.” Pretending not to have given away my position was pointless, so I might as well use it to my advantage. The princess must have a better hold on her hormones, or maybe I just didn’t affect her the same way she affected me.
Nah.
Gab giggled and even when her princess gave her a sharp look she kept laughing. “Are all UnSeelie as overeager as you?”
The accusation was so offensive I didn’t know how to respond. Of course, we weren’t. I was just losing my mind.
“Not that I am aware of. So, can you speak or am I to assume you just don’t want to speak to me?” I tried to turn the subject away from my arousal and back to my mute betrothed.
A slight smile spread across her mouth and my eyes were instantly drawn to her full lips that just begged to be nibbled on and would look fantastic wrapped around a certain appendage.
“I don’t know about her but I find your conversation invigorating.” Gab’s laughter filled her voice, but I ignored her, my eyes solely on my betrothed.
Her pale eyes flickered down and then back up as she chewed on her bottom lip and then she spoke, “Believe me, the pleasure is mine.”
The words were so quiet that I almost didn’t hear them but the voice was clear. Like bells, it tinkled a rhythmic sound that caused my body to tighten even harder. This made Gab laugh even more.
Damn. What was wrong with me? I don’t remember ever being this out of control of my body even when I was an adolescent. Maybe it was the innocent way she blushed at my gaze or the slight quirk of her lips at her friend’s laughter but I had a bad feeling this was going to be harder for me than I thought.
CHAPTER 7
Lynne
“THE PLEASURE IS ALL mine? Really?” I smacked my hand against my face while Erydesa laughed at me from my bed. Glaring, I pointed a finger at her. “And you weren’t any help at all.”
Swallowing her laugh, Erydesa held her hands out to each side. “What? It’s not like I knew you’d freeze up worse than a troll on mating day.”
I rolled my eyes as she burst out laughing again while tossing around on my bed.
“I did not freeze up.”
“Did too! You said not one intelligent word the entire time we were with his royal deliciousness.” Erydesa’s eyes glazed over and she licked her lips. I didn’t need to smell the air to know she was attracted to my betrothed. Not that I blamed her. He was quite something to look at.
It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen my fair share of attractive men. The Seelie Court was littered with them. My mother wouldn’t have it any other way. Beauty was everything to the Seelie Queen. Even the Lower Fae she used as servants had to be a certain level of attractiveness. I didn’t know when she became so shallow or power hungry. I felt like she’d always been that way. Though, my father would argue that.
&nb
sp; “I don’t know what happened,” I mumbled staring out the window. The sky was beginning to darken, which meant my first dinner with my betrothed was quickly approaching. Thankfully, I wouldn’t be alone, but it was a mixed blessing. My parents would be there and that came with a whole other set of problems.
“Well, you better get a hold of yourself quick,” Erydesa said sliding off my bed and approaching me. “I’ve heard about this guy, and he’s a smooth talker. He’ll have you on your back before you even realize you are being seduced. Though,” her eyes twinkled with a wicked gleam, “with how he reacted to your presence alone, I don’t think you will have a problem guessing what’s on his mind.”
We both giggled.
No, I definitely wouldn’t have a problem telling what my Fae prince was thinking. I had only heard rumors about the UnSeelie, but it seemed like the talk was true. The UnSeelie didn’t control their emotions the same way the Seelie did. Which put me at an advantage in a major way.
“So,” Erydesa started, “what are you going to wear to this dinner?” she brushed past me and opened my wardrobe where she thumbed through my clothing and frowned. “Don’t you have anything more… just more?”
“Unlike you,” I pushed in beside her and grabbed one of my better dresses to drape over my arm, “I don’t spend all my time in the company of the opposite sex. So forgive me if my wardrobe is lacking a certain provocative luster.”
Erydesa eyed the pale colored garment in my hand with a disappointed look. “Come, now, your betrothed has given you the perfect weapon against him and you aren’t going to take advantage of it?” She pulled the dress out of my hands and held it up. “At least wear something with a bit of cleavage. This just screams virgin.”
