Wicked Prince: Book Two in the Territorial Mates Series

by Twomey, Mary E.

  Des marches up on the stage, which isn’t part of the plan. He’s to remain off to the side with Ronin and Salem, only coming up toward the end when we announce our scandal. He can’t stomach lies as well as the average fae. Worry pinches the edges of my grin, and I debate whether or not to pull him back so he doesn’t do or say something in front of the entire territory he can’t take back. Ronin seems to have the same concerns I do, so when I take a step in Des’ direction, Ronin trots onto the stage, a calm expression in place as if this is all part of the schedule of events.

  Des takes the attention at center stage from Father and gives a polite bow, addressing the nation with boldness blazing in his eyes. “The nation of Drexdenberg has been more than happy to host the General’s daughter while she tried to figure out a way to come home to her loving father.” He pauses for the people’s awkward applause. They like what’s being said, just not the person saying it.

  When the day comes that Ronin hands over the crown, Des will be ready. I can tell by the burning determination in his eyes as he presses on. “Seventy-nine shipments of blood that were promised to us by the fae were never delivered until your heroic Prince Alexavier noticed the oversight and immediately rectified the problem. He values us, and we value the fae so much that I personally assured Lilya’s safe return home. I have great respect for Prince Alexavier, and when I am King of Drexdenberg in less than a year’s time, I look forward to peaceful relations between our territories.” He smiles at Father, who keeps his magnanimous smile in place while screaming with his eyes. “King Fairbucks has so graciously informed us that not only will he replace the seventy-nine blood shipments that he lost, but he’ll also lower the tariffs, so the people of Drexdenberg won’t have to work so hard to keep from starving. Your king values all life, even the lives that seem perhaps less valuable than your own.” Des bows, and I have half a mind to applaud the bastard for his antics, playing the game to the advantage of his kingdom. Father has twisted everything leading up to this, but we’re taking control now.

  The corners of Des’ mouth curve in what can only be viewed as sweet vengeance, from one wicked prince to a corrupt king. “Thank you, King Fairbucks for your generosity. The relations between our kingdom and yours have never been stronger. Perhaps when you come to see us in our castle, you can stay a bit longer next time and really feel the appreciation we have for you.”

  I fight back a laugh. Father and Mother would never dream of setting foot in Drexdenberg. Most meetings of the monarchs are held in Faveda. Getting the people to picture their stainless, flawless rulers traipsing around with vampires plays to our favor. Maybe they’ll be disgusted, but perhaps their minds will start to open, viewing those outside our borders as people, too.

  Ronin stands beside Des and bows to Father. “We are most grateful. What a lovely people. What a lovely day. What a lovely girl.” He turns to Lily, his eyes meeting hers with… something. I hate that nameless something I can’t put my finger on. It bothers me, and by the way she’s attached her affections to him, I can tell their friendship will vex me for years to come. “We were delighted to have her in our home.”

  I do not like him saying things like that to her, but there it is. Lily stands next to the man who was supposed to raise her but tried to kill her, begging with her eyes for Ronin to somehow get her out of this. General Klein’s long fingers are digging into her bicep as they participate in this half-hug it’s clear neither of them can stomach. Her hatred for him is easy to understand, but how a father could ever loathe Lily is beyond me.

  Instead of giving control of the stage back to Father, Ronin hands it to me. He crosses over and claps me on the shoulder, which I know is a clear message to the people that we do this now. We let vampires touch us. “It’s to you, Son,” he says, his mouth set in a firm line.

  Father motions for me to come stand next to him, but it’s too late for that. He’s lost hold of the day. He’s lost hold of his enemy. He’s lost hold of me. So I step forward, declaring who I am and who I’m willing to be for my people, whether or not they respect me for the bitter medicine I’m about to be for them.

  I raise my chin with a bland smile for my people. “My fellow fae, in my rescue of Lilya Klein with Prince Salem of Jacoba and Prince Destino of Drexdenberg, I think you cannot blame me for falling hopelessly in love with this beautiful creature. Isn’t she stunning?” I pause for their cheers and clapping. When I turn to Lily, all I have to do is extend to her my hand. It’s her choice whether or not she takes it, and she practically runs at the offering. She leaves her villain of a father and tucks herself into my side, not hiding behind me, but aligning herself with all that I am, and all we’re about to do. She’s scared, but she still standing, which is sometimes all life requires of us.

  I speak clearly, my grin finally genuine. “I was hoping to present to you my fiancée, but as of last night, I can proudly present to you my bride and yours. We simply couldn’t wait another day to be wed, so we eloped. I want to hear the trumpets blasting and people dancing well into the night because the throne is secure! Behold, your future queen!”

  The crowd is so wild, I’m not sure they’ll ever settle down. This is the greeting she deserves, the accolade my wife should receive for simply existing. Not many can stand in the face of their would-be murderer with grace. Not many would scheme in secret for the betterment of a world that’s going to vilify her for her crimes of compassion.

  Father’s expression is supposed to be joy, but it looks like he’s frozen mid-choke. Mother is stunned, her painted lips parted as she gapes at me with what looks like betrayal. I don’t think she’s upset that I did this, but rather that I stood up to Father without her.

  Ronin and Des step to the side so we can bow and wave, showering the crowd with our adoring expressions as the picturesque power couple we are. The fanfare goes on for whole minutes, and I try to trap this image in my mind, because I know in a heartbeat, it will all turn to rage.

  Lily’s fingers thread through mine. “I want to say something. Can you charm my voice so I can be heard?” she asks while the crowd jumps and cheers for us.

  Though the part of me that is my father’s son rears up and immediately wants to do all the talking so I can control the spin of the day, a glimmer of hope flickers in my chest when I realize that I am my own man. “Of course, Lily-girl. Whatever you like.”

  Though I want to shield her from everything, this is her choice. She is strong enough to rule beside me, so I trust her to speak for herself, since up until this point, she’s been permitted no voice. I will not mute her passion, as Father’s done to my mother.

  After I touch Lily’s throat and murmur the short string of syllables everybody knows, she rolls back her shoulders to address her people. “Thank you. I’m so honored to be welcomed back. I promise to love you all, as I love Drexdenberg.”

  The cheering doesn’t stop completely, but the waves of questioning expressions ripple outward, and eventually the fanfare quiets so she can speak.

  It’s happening. The hairs on my arms stand, and I know the nation is about to change.

  “When Prince Alexavier found me, I couldn’t help my love for him. The same happened when I met Prince Destino of Drexdenberg. So I’ve married them both.” She pauses for the swells of confusion, followed by a mix of nervous laughter and a few cries of outrage. Her hand is shaking against mine but her voice is steady. “One day, I will inherit both crowns. I’ll rule with my husbands, and at that time, our territories will be united.”

  More outrage and less confusion. Salem catches my eye from his hidden spot at the base of the platform. He nods to lend me his strength, knowing that the tides are quickly turning from cheers to impending rage on a massive scale.

  Lily’s voice echoes out, her delicate delivery flawless. “I’m so very grateful that King Fairbucks had the foresight to make good on his oversight of the blood shipments. He is too modest to say so, but he goes on and on over our dinners about his love for the vampires,
and how he longs to ally our territory with theirs. General Klein has even vowed that no vampire will come to harm at the hands of a fae. If we truly think of ourselves as the superior race, we should not stoop to something as common as greed or violence. Hatred is a plague that makes people ugly.”

  I love her, playing to their interests. She’s incredible.

  “I’ve never met a hateful person who looked attractive. Perhaps that’s why we all adore Prince Alexavier, because his love for you and kindness for the shifters and vampires paints him in a heroic light.”

  Des and I flank her, standing with our chests out and a hand each on her back. This is the moment we’ll remember for the rest of our lives. When we’re old men, I will remember gripping Des’ fingers behind Lily’s back so we could stand against a nation too stubborn to change.

  Lily leans into our touch, commanding the territory to quiet when she raises her finger. “I’ve chosen my heroes. It’s time for you to do the same. King Ronin, King Fairbucks and General Klein all agree that hatred has done its fair share to make our world ugly. I know you’re ready for the fae to lead the way toward the light.”

  A few brave souls clap, no doubt so turned around that the only thing they can think is to align themselves with whatever the throne says. They may not believe in our cause or even like what we’re doing. But those few thousand clapping hands will follow us.

  I’ll take it.

  13

  The New Way of Things

  Destino

  King Fairbucks is livid, which is usually something he feels but doesn’t properly express. It mostly comes out in veiled threats and underhanded digs accompanied by manipulation to get you back on his course. But once the festival is underway and the people are properly distracted, he snatches Alex and Lily by their upper arms and jerks them into the palace behind the massive platform, growling at Ronin and me to follow. All of their receiving rooms look the same, what with their ivorum floors, gold-painted walls and furniture too delicate to sit on with any real confidence. Queen Kloe beelines past, announcing to us all that she’s been sober long enough.

  The General comes in behind us, along with Salem, who I know will never let Lily’s father near her without him present. “What’s the meaning of this, Fairbucks? A treaty with the vampires? What’s next, a tea party with the shifters?”

  “It wasn’t my idea, and I was strong-armed into it the same moment you were, out in public for the entire territory to see.” King Fairbucks launches Lily and Alex forward, content to see them stumble as they find their footing. While Alex looks surprised to be manhandled by his father, Lily is not. I guess Alex still has that “believe the best in people” quality I hope he never loses. I wonder if Lily lost her optimism back when she was eight years old.

  Salem growls as he steadies the two, standing behind them to make the entire room aware of his menacing bulk.

  The General’s nostrils flare. “And you just agreed to it in front of the nation? Now we have to go along with this? Lower the tariffs and make peace with the vampires? I don’t even know how that would look!”

  Lily finds her footing and her voice first. “It looks like making sure all citizens are on Green Lightning so that no vampire attacks happen and ruin the whole alliance. It looks like owning up to your own words and giving Ronin the blood shipments he’s paid for. It looks like marriages similar to mine and Des’, which shouldn’t have had to happen in secret. It looks like letting the vampires walk around in fae territory without fear of either race being harmed.”

  Maybe it’s because we’re alone, with the staff out at the festival, that makes the General think he has permission to lunge at Lily and grab her around the shoulders. Salem, Alex, Ronin and I all dart to intervene, but Salem gets first crack. The General does little more than shake her before he throws her to the ground when Salem knocks the wind from him.

  In the span of a breath, Salem has the fae general on his belly on the floor, kneeling on his spine with the man’s hands twisted behind his back. It all happens so quickly; I can barely make out how it all happened. General Klein is in his late fifties, while Salem, the shifter army commander, is in his prime. It’s not often the two military men even meet face to face. Seeing them in this poetic position, with Salem dominating as only he can, is a sight I would pay to see. I’m so distracted that Ronin beats me to Lily’s side.

  Ronin pulls up my wife and brushes off her dress, holding her in his arms while she grits her teeth through emotions I can’t fathom the depths of. Whatever notion she may have entertained about her father mutating into a good man over the years is now crushed under the weight of this grim reality. Fae men don’t put their hands on women. Not when there are witnesses around, at least. The fact that he feels at liberty to throw her around in our presence means he’s plotting far worse for when he corners her in private.

  I will not let that happen.

  Ronin spits on the General’s head while he holds Lily tight. His glare connects with King Fairbucks, and it’s then I see him fight for his territory. Fight for us. “I will stay long enough to watch you punish General Klein for his assault on the future Queen of Faveda, and the current Princess of Drexdenberg.”

  Alex’s father has the nerve to scoff, and I’m not sure I’ve ever despised the man more. “I do not intervene on how fathers raise their children. That is not the job of a king.”

  “I am her father, and I demand action be taken against this man!” Ronin thunders, finally drawing a ragged breath from Lily. It’s clear she’s on the verge of breaking down, but she stands taller in his arms, holding herself back because that’s who the world needs her to be in this moment. Ronin snarls down at General Klein. “As Lilya is the future Queen of Drexdenberg, if you do not lock him in your cell, he will be taken to mine to rot for as long as it pleases me. You may not protect your future, but I will.”

  King Fairbucks pinches the bridge of his nose. “You’re honestly behind this? This is what you think is best for the kingdom? That the vampires and fae unite? For what purpose?”

  I can’t stay quiet any longer. This will be my throne someday, and I am more than capable of fighting for my people. “For the purpose that the vampires don’t starve when more blood shipments go suddenly missing. For the purpose of peace, or is that too uncompelling a reason? Are you so very addicted to your small-minded hatred and ignorance?” I move to stand in front of Ronin and Lily. Though I haven’t drawn a weapon, my body is tensed and ready to spring into action. “Believe me, Drexdenberg will be horrified at the prospect of uniting with you fae, too. But it’s time. I’m tired of watching the world crumble and doing nothing about it. This is the chance to build something real. Something that can stand up against the shortsighted hatred that’s keeping the majority stunted and small. The chance to give you more ivorum for your palace and gain a steady supply of blood for my people.”

  King Fairbucks snarls at me. “I have no need for your people or your silly worldview. Faveda quite sustains itself. For all I care, Drexdenberg can starve and die off, and the world would be a better place.”

  I point my finger in his direction. “And that is why your days on the throne are numbered, and when you pass on, no one will mourn your death. They will remember you only by your hatred, and will feel sorry for your tiny imagination that cannot fathom peace or kindness.”

  Alex stands beside me, blocking Lily from view entirely. “Our dungeon or Drexdenberg’s, Father. That’s the only say you get in this. This man attacked my wife in my presence. The Princess of Faveda is a title that far outstrips the General’s. Either you will see to it that order is upheld, or I will. Choose which prison, or I will know you cannot handle the throne any longer.”

  King Fairbucks crosses the room to get in Alex’s face. To his credit, Alex doesn’t flinch or even move. Though it’s clear King Fairbucks wants his son to feel small, in this moment, Alex looks taller, fierce, and ready for the responsibilities of the throne.

  King Fairbucks seeth
es, all semblance of control lost. “The title of king far outstrips prince or princess. There will be no more strong-arming me like what happened out there on that stage. You will respect my rule, or it will be you in the dungeon.”

  Ronin’s voice picks up from behind me. “You are granted full asylum in Drexdenberg, Son. If your father proves himself a madman who can’t see reason, you can live in my castle, under my roof until your father passes on. The whole of Faveda will revolt because they adore you, Alexavier. There is no quicker way to move our plan forward than having it clear your father does not support it.”

  I’m scrambling to keep up, but I see the glimmer of logic in Ronin’s words. Alex is beloved in his homeland. They may not be totally on board with an alliance between Faveda and Drexdenberg yet, but they would storm the castle if Alex was locked inside.

  King Fairbucks seems to understand this truth, so he takes a step back, his voice quieting. “What you’ve done… You have no idea how to rule a kingdom. They are sheep who believe what you tell them. They like being comfortable. They’re scared of the outside world, which makes their ivorum towers feel safe.”

  Alex shakes his head at his father, and suddenly I’m struck with how much more kingly Alex looks than King Fairbucks. More mature, composed. “And that’s why the people need me and my way of thinking. I do not believe they are sheep. I know this will be hard because they have been sold hatred and lies for their entire lives. They will not want to change, but because I love them, they must. You do not love them, so you’re content to let them chew off their own hands while a people on the other side of our borders suffer.” He folds his arms over his chest. “No more. Stay on the throne as long as you like, so long as I get my treaty, and this clown gets locked up.” He kicks lightly at General Klein’s shoulder, adding insult to injury by marring the spotless white of the man’s uniform with the crud on the bottom of his shoe.