by ERIN BEDFORD
Each sweep of his touch ignited a fire in me that left me craving more. My hands grasped his shirt, hoping for something to ground myself, but all it did was spur him on more. I was hopelessly lost in him and I couldn’t have been happier.
CHAPTER 10
Dorian
EXCITEMENT STIRRED IN MY belly as I walked my mother’s garden. Today was the day. My peach would finally come to my home and meet my mother.
I had been exiled to the Seelie Court for over a month, and while I had made progress with my betrothed, she had yet to let me kiss her again. Just thinking about it made my blood stir with desire, and I longed to have her by my side.
I hoped that being in the UnSeelie Court helped her relax a bit. Just like her mother, she was wound so tightly that I worried she would burst from all the words she didn’t say and the feelings she barely suppresses behind her pale eyes.
It pains me to think of her cooped up in her palace. She is like a wildflower that should be free to spread her roots among the masses, not kept down in the dark.
I chuckled to myself. Who would have thought I, a notorious womanizer, would be spouting poetry like some lovesick fool?
But was I a fool? My peach had so easily claimed my heart, I didn’t even know it was happening until I had caught myself smiling just watching her care for her plants. Or even when I would catch her in the library. So engulfed by her reading that no one else in the world mattered. Even the way her face scrunched down in concentration made me hard. Reaper help me, but I was hopeless.
“I hope you are not worrying yourself too much?” my mother’s voice jerked me from my thoughts and I turned to greet her.
I wrapped my arms around her small frame, pressing my lips to her cheek. “Oh, you know me.” I gave a small smile before releasing her.
“Yes, I do. Is this child really all you claim to be?” Her eyes narrowed into a warning look that I knew too well. I hadn’t been a very well behaved child.
“Do not worry, mother.” I placed a hand on her cheek and hoped my expression was reassuring. “You will love her as much as I do. And she is hardly a child. She is almost as old as me.”
“You are not more than a toddler yourself.” My mother sniffed before turning her gaze to her garden.
The pride and joy of the UnSeelie Court was my mother’s flower wonderland. Rows of flowers of all shapes and colors lined the courtyard. A large fountain sat in the middle of a large tree with a man and two women. I had asked about the fountain before but my mother had just smiled that secret smile of hers without ever giving me a real answer. My eyes moved from the fountain to a bush near us.
“They haven’t budded yet,” my mother mused, “they probably won’t be ready until you are wed.”
“That’s all right,” I replied walking over to the bush, “It can be a wedding gift then.”
As soon as I got home from the Seelie Court, I had asked my mother to help me plant a rose bush. White roses for my bride to be. I wanted her to feel welcome in what would soon be our home, and I thought that if she had a plant that was just her own it would help her transition without feeling like an intruder.
“Not that I’m complaining,” my mother started making me roll my eyes, “But why is it that she is moving here and not the other way around?”
I actually didn’t know the answer to that one. When I had asked my peach about it, she had pursed her lips and said, “That is how my mother wants it.”
It made me dislike the Seelie Queen even more. If she cared so little for her daughter’s wellbeing, I could only imagine how much she cared for her own people.
Before I could come up with an answer for my mother, a crash sounded in the distance followed by a high-pitched scream. A horde of opalaughts came charging through the garden.
Mother and I jumped to the side so as not to get run over by the small rabbit-like creatures, matching frowns marred our faces. One opalaught brought up the rear of the group. It was smaller than the rest with ears so long they trailed behind it. When it came upon us, its eyes widened. So interested in my mother and I that it tripped over one of its ears, causing it to fall face first onto the ground.
Reaching down, I scooped the creature up in my arms. It wasn’t very heavy, not much more than a few pounds, but its fur was the softest thing I had ever felt. Its body shook in my hands, obviously terrified.
“Do not worry, little one,” I murmured rubbing a finger between its ears. “I will not hurt you.”
It stared up at me for a few more moments before seeming to decide I was safe enough. It pushed its face into my hand trying to get me to pet it more.
Once I was sure I had its trust, I asked, “Can you tell me, little one, what has caused you to run?”
“Trip runs because of the mean girl, Trip does,” his tiny voice explained, his beady eyes looking toward where he had come from.
“What mean girl?” my mother asked stepping closer to me.
The creature called Trip glanced to my mother, his mouth spreading out to smile. Everyone seemed to love my mother and why wouldn’t they? She was far better than the other option.
“The human,” Trip whispered as if it was a big secret.
My mother made a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. “I told you that child was going to be nothing but a pain. I better go see what she has done now.”
She pushed by me toward where the opalaughts had fled from, her skirts brushing angrily against the stone path. I patted the creature on the head and sat him on the ground.
“Off you go. Let us take care of this.”
Trip’s little cotton tail wiggled behind him. “Of course, of course! Trip will leave it to your Highnesses, he will!”
What a peculiar little creature. I shook my head as it scampered off. I then turned on my heel to follow after my mother who had disappeared behind one of the many large green hedges.
“You must be more careful,” my mother’s voice rang out as I came into range.
“But I can’t help it. They’re so cute!” a bell-like voice replied.
Coming around the next corner, my eyes landed on the human girl the opalaughts had been so frightened of. She was a tiny thing dressed in a robin egg blue tea dress. She wore little white gloves on her hands and stockings on her legs. Her curly blonde hair bounced around her as she enthusiastically spoke to my mother.
“Hello, I do not believe we have met.” I approached them with caution in my step. The child lifted her head. When her eyes landed on me they widened a fraction and then she was up on her feet and barreling into me.
Startled by the sudden contact, I placed a hand on top of the curly head to keep us both from going down. Her large eyes peered up at me with an innocent grin.
“I am the UnSeelie Prince, and who might you be?”
If possible, her grin expanded even further across her face as she clung to me tighter. “I’m Alice. Alice Liddell.”
CHAPTER 11
Lynne
SEVEN MONTHS. IT HAD been seven months since I had met and fell helplessly in love with my dark prince. My lips slid up into a smile at the thought of the UnSeelie Prince being mine. Giggling, I skipped down the path and out into my soon to be mother-in-law’s garden.
After our initial meeting, it had been decided by both parties that it would be best if I spent some time in the UnSeelie Court as well. I, of course, had been delighted to finally get out from under my mother’s thumb. But the UnSeelie Court was nothing like the palace back home.
For one, the air seemed sweeter. I didn’t know why but each breath I took left a sweet taste on my tongue. It was peculiar for sure but not the only difference.
The moment I had crossed from the Seelie Court to the UnSeelie it was as if a weight had lifted off of me. I was suddenly not worried about how I acted or who saw me. I could smile and laugh without worrying what Fae might be plotting against me.
For once in my life, I felt truly free. I just hoped it would last.
“Wow,” I
murmured to myself as my eyes took in the surrounding garden. I thought mine was something to behold, but this place was like a wonderland of flowers. There were some here that I didn’t even know existed.
My slippers padded against the cobblestone as I made my way around the enclosed area. The heavy scent of the foliage filled my lungs to the brim. There was no place I’d rather be than surrounded by greenery. Well, maybe my library, but the queen’s garden was a close second.
“Do you like it?”
I jumped in place at the voice. I spun on my heel to meet the gaze of the most beautiful Fae I had ever seen. Everyone said my mother was beautiful, and that I was the spitting image of her. Not that I would take that as a compliment most days, but the woman before me now redefined everything I knew about beauty.
Her black hair was so dark blue streaks glinted in the light. It fell over her shoulders and blended into her matching dress causing a waterfall of silk. My hand itched to touch it. Was it as smooth as it looked? I forced my hand to stay put. This was my soon to be mother-in-law it wouldn’t do to act out of place at the beginning.
My dark prince’s eyes were the same as his mother’s. Though his made my stomach twist in delightful knots, hers were full of mirth and a slight darkness that warned me to tread carefully. This was not a woman to trifle with.
“It’s lovely,” I finally answered back, my eyes turning from her to gaze around the garden once more. “I didn’t know you had an affinity for the earth.”
“Among other things.” The queen gave a slight chuckle and moved toward me, her long form-fitting dress sliding around the stone. While most would have looked out of place in such grand attire she seemed to fit the scene perfectly. And of course, she would it was her garden.
She stopped beside me and my body tensed. I was used to my mother. I’d only met the UnSeelie Queen once before and I’d been a baby at that time. Now I didn’t know how to act or speak. Did I call her your highness? Or Queen? This whole no name nonsense made things increasingly more complicated than it needed to be.
“I was looking for my betrothed,” I explained, not wanting her to think I was snooping around. “Have you seen him?”
“He’s in the orchard,” she replied and then to my surprise she looped her arm through mine and began to lead me down the path.
“Where are we going?” I let her guide me toward an opening in the large green hedges surrounding the garden.
“You want to find my son, do you not?”
“Yes, but I just assumed you’d tell me how to get there.” I took in every twist and turn we took in case I had to get back on my own.
She gave my arm a slight squeeze and smiled at me. “What kind of mother-in-law would I be to let you wander alone in a strange place? Besides…” her voice dropped an octave. “The UnSeelie Court is much more dangerous than it seems. I would not care to see you hurt from negligence.”
I nodded not knowing what to say to her warning. So far the UnSeelie Court was much nicer than my own. Though, I hadn’t been outside the palace walls, so my opinion was pretty much null and void.
We turned a few more times before we exited the hedge maze and stepped into a large field full of rows and rows of trees. My mouth dropped open at the sight. I’d never seen anything like it. The more I was in the UnSeelie Court the more at wonder I became.
“My son should be just over that ridge over there.” The queen pointed her finger to the right where there was a slight hill and even more trees.
When she let go of my arm to leave I called out, “Wait? You’re leaving? I thought you didn’t want me wandering alone?”
She paused and gave me a slight smile. “Do not worry, there is nothing here that can harm you. It’s one of the few places you do not have to fear but remember,” her eyes narrowed, “there is much to fear in this world and your heart. Do not let either catch you off guard.”
Chewing on my lip, apprehension filled my chest. Her words were not comforting. If anything, it made me even more anxious for her to stay. But before I could express my concerns she had reentered the hedge maze leaving me utterly alone.
My eyes searched the area expecting something to jump out at me at any moment. Even though she had said I was safe here, I still didn’t like being left alone in a strange place.
After a moment or so, I took a deep breath and forced my feet forward. Staying here wasn’t going to solve anything. I had come to find my dark prince, and that was exactly what I would do.
It didn’t take long to make my way across the orchard and to the hill the queen had pointed out. When I got to the top of the hill, I found myself slightly out of breath and my dress sticking to my skin. It was a lot steeper than it looked.
At the top of the hill was a tree, much larger than the others with giant balls of fruit decorating its branches. My gaze didn’t stay on the tree for long because below its branches stood my prince talking to a blonde woman.
Her hand touched his arm and a broad smile spread across her face as she laughed at something he said. Jealousy flared inside me as I approached the two. When I was within a few feet, the blonde’s eyes caught sight of me. Whatever she had been saying was cut off causing my prince to turn.
“My peach,” his sultry voice greeted me and he moved from the woman to my side. His arms embraced me filling me with warmth, and for a brief moment I forgot about the unknown woman and just enjoyed his closeness.
“Hello.” I held him tight. “I couldn’t find you at the palace. Your mother brought me here.”
“Of course she would.” He pulled back from the hug and brushed my hair behind my ear. “I am happy you arrived safely. I meant to be there when you arrived but something came up.”
“Something?” My eyes glanced back to the blonde woman that had yet to be introduced.
The dark prince gestured to the woman to come closer and everything inside me screamed for her to stay away. But I held my tongue. I didn’t know this woman or her relationship with my betrothed; I couldn’t hate her just because of my jealousy.
“This is Ms. Liddell. She is visiting from the human world.”
The blonde dipped down in a curtsy, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the one who has captured our dark prince’s heart.”
I didn’t understand the laughter that filled her voice.
“That’s enough out of you.” My prince scowled at her and waved an arm. “The Hatter is no doubt waiting for you.”
Ms. Liddell’s lip puffed out in a pout and she stomped her foot slightly. “Fine, but don’t blame me when you mess it all up.” She flounced away in the direction I’d come from, leaving me completely bewildered.
“What was that all about?”
His hand came to rest on my shoulders and he smiled. “Do not worry your lovely head about her. Humans are even worse than faeries at times. Always putting their nose in where it does not belong. Now,” his arm curled around me drawing me to his side, “let me show you my kingdom.”
As my prince prattled on about the orchard and whatnot something ate at me. I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly. I just knew that something about that woman did not sit right. I didn’t just have the UnSeelie Court to fear but her as well.
CHAPTER 12
Dorian
I THOUGHT OVER ALL that had happened in the last few months as I waited by my favorite tree in the orchard.
It was like a dream that I never wanted to end. My peach was everything I never knew I wanted and more. Sweet and caring but also with a lightning temper that when turned on me only served to make me want her more.
I had been firmly against the marriage arrangement when my mother had first told me about it. Even as I told myself it was for the good of the kingdom, I expected to end up in a loveless marriage with someone I couldn’t stand to be around.
Now, I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.
I had spent the majority of my time with my peach and had been severely lax in m
y duties. I knew we would have to come out of our own little bubble eventually, but I needed more time with her before I returned to overseeing the UnSeelie Court with my mother.
My eyes glanced up to the sky where it had begun to darken. I turned around searching for my blonde goddess’s head but didn’t see it. She should be here by now.
Since it wasn’t exactly appropriate for us to spend alone time in either one of our bedrooms we had taken to meeting up at my favorite spot. Each night, after dinner, I would wait for her to meet me. Usually, it was just before the last light shone.
But tonight she was late.
Growling in frustration, I started down the hill determined to figure out where she was when her voice called out. I paused mid-step and turned my eyes toward the voice.
My peach came running out of the entrance to the hedge maze, out of breath, and slightly worn for wear. A worried frown marred my face.
“Are you all right?” I asked when she stopped before me. Her hair was mussed and her clothing covered in a thin layer of dirt. Even a mess she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on.
“I apologize for being late, but I got lost.” She thumbed back toward the entrance. “Your mother wasn’t kidding when she said the maze had a mind of its own. I thought I was turning the right corner but then the next thing I knew I was in this graveyard like place.”
Oh no. I knew where she had ended up and it was no place for someone of stature to be.
“You didn’t happen to run into any small creatures about this big.” I held my fingers up about three inches apart.
“Yes!” She pointed at my hand. “They kept yelling at me in a language I didn’t understand and then they attacked for no reason whatsoever!”
I sighed. “That would be the Veil of the Faeries. A bunch of pains in my side is what they are. They don’t really need a reason to attack. If you come into their territory, you are free game.”
“Then why don’t you get rid of them?”
