by Leia Stone
“Sissy!” she yelled again, her brown hair streaming out behind her, and the pure joy on her face lifted my spirits.
Despite my queenly outfit and heavy mecca crown, I took off toward her, reaching out to scoop her into my arms. We hugged for many long minutes, which was eventually too much for a five year old. She wriggled out of my arms, and with a cheeky grin reached out and tapped me on the hip.
“You’re it!” She took off then, shrieking as she ran. I was right on her tail.
Eyes turned toward us as we dashed through the gardens, more than one person surprised to see the queen threatening her sister with tickle monster fingers. My heart felt light, free. It had been too long since I had these moments with Winnie. There was an uncomfortable feeling in my chest when I thought about things I was going to miss by being so busy. It was my duty, and growing up I had felt that distance from both my mother and the Red Queen, but I didn’t want that for my sister. I wanted her to feel so much love that she never had a moment of loneliness. I wanted to protect her from the harsh realities of life for as long as I could.
Picking up my speed, I caught Winnie and proceeded to tickle her until she couldn’t breathe. Which is what big sisters are for. Afterwards we both lay in the grass staring up at the cloudy sky. There was a smogginess to it, typical of the city, but that didn’t bother me.
“Can you see a crow?” Winnie asked, pointing toward a fluffy white cloud. It had wisps spanning off of it, which did look a lot like wings.
“I see it,” I said. “And look, there’s a boat.”
Winnie followed my pointed finger, and her little face was so peaceful as she stared up, snuggled in next to me. Rhett, her fox familiar, scampered across then and lay by her side. Then a heavy warmth and strong burst of energy dropped beside me.
Finn.
Hey, friend.
He nuzzled into my side, and then his mind went soft and fuzzy, like he was on the verge of sleep.
“We go on the boat tomorrow, Ari. I can’t wait.”
Winnie was coming to the summer festival; it was her second time, but her first time as a true queen heir. Rhett had appeared for her just before her fifth birthday, in October. She now wore similar teeth marks to me on her hand, the moment of their bonding.
“I can’t wait either.” I turned to my side, facing her. “It’s going to be so much fun, you’ll be able to play with the other little heirs, and see all the festivals. Lots of food. Lots of fun. Plus you can wear your costume.”
Winnie was going as a mermaid; she had her fake tail and long red wig. The movie was her current obsession.
“I hope I meet a bear friend like yours,” she said, her little hand snaking out to hold mine. “I like Kade. He’s very nice.”
I froze then, my hand tightly gripping her tiny fingers. “What do you mean? How do you know King Kade?”
With all the innocence of youth, she giggled. “Last time he came for your training session, he took a break outside and Rhett fell into the duck pond. I went in after him and almost drowned. He saved me and told me to call him Kade. Said he was your friend. He smelled like a bear but I liked him very much.”
Damn Kade, even winning over my sister. And saving her from drowning and not even telling me! “You need to call him ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘King Kade,’ Win,” I said as gently as I could. “You know how important protocol is.”
She was silent then, just for a moment, before she burst out with, “I hate protocol, it’s yucky.”
I tried to hide my laughter behind a cough, before I pulled her in for another hug. You and me both, kid, you and me both. Protocol would probably be the death of me.
At least ten thousand wolf shifters made the trip each year to the Island. They came from the three boroughs, and also many from around the world. Calista had warned me there would be even more this year, with a new queen and all. Most of them had already landed and were setting up. There would be tents, motor homes, and all of the rental houses packed full of shifters. The Island’s normal residents were aware of the summer festival; they thought it was a longstanding popular music festival with super exclusive tickets. None of them minded though, they usually left and rented out their homes to make money. Any stray humans that caught sight of any weird goings on would be compelled by a magic born to forget.
Nerves had me all tangled inside, for more than one reason. First summer festival as queen and the fae were probably trying to figure out how to kill us en masse. And here we were gathering together to make it easier. Hopefully the Summer Court’s Prince Caspien was managing to keep his army strong. Violet had recently used the flower to let him know that we had a solid plan for fixing the mecca and that it would happen tonight. He’d been thrilled and passed on the news that they’d managed to retrieve his people’s object of power, which was helping a bit, but that circumstances were still dire.
So much rested on this ritual tonight under the full moon. We were placing so much faith in Sir Baladar and his theory, so much faith in mine and Kade’s abilities to manipulate the mecca. I knew I couldn’t fail – I wouldn’t fail my people. But I would be lying if I said that I was supremely confident about our success.
Being queen … no one told me how hard it actually was. How many ways my time and attention would be scattered. Not only did I have to make decisions that affected all of my people, I had to anticipate things going wrong and make sure they never happened. Easy, right?
I was making my people proud in one way, a way I wished was not part of my life. Word of my taking a mate had gotten around and shifters everywhere were rejoicing. I had exhaustingly gone over the many possible candidates with Calista and narrowed my choice down to three men. They would all be flying out for the festival. Over the next month they would stay in the city so I could take turns getting to know them. I should be excited, I should be thrilled, but I wasn’t. I was depressed. It felt like I was living a lie. One of the men, a very handsome and successful dominant from London had called me on the phone last night. He was polite and had a good sense of humor, making me laugh several times, but … there were no growly undertones to his voice to clench my belly and send the butterflies fluttering. He wasn’t Kade. I shook my head to clear those thoughts when a knock came at my personal door.
“Come in!” My costume seamstresses were right on time. They peeked their heads into my sitting room before wheeling in a large cart with a huge dress lying on top. It was covered in white silk so I couldn’t see the details. They had been over two times in the past week for fittings, but Jenny, the stocky golden-haired one, and Christy, the strawberry blonde, would never let me see the complete finished product. The pair were fun and lively, and we’d become friends in the past few visits, but no amount of friendship or cajoling had convinced them to show me the dress in any of the fittings. They’d even gone as far as to blindfold me.
They couldn’t hold out any longer though. Today was the day.
“Oh, come on, girls. It’s the day of the summer festival. Let me see it!” I pointed to the white silk.
Jenny shook her finger. “Not yet, Your Majesty. Let us put it on you and then you can look.”
I groaned but obliged. Not only did they make me wait until they put it on, but I also had to wait for my full hair and makeup to be done. “Come on, it’s been an hour. Let me see,” I begged as my makeup artist sprinkled some glitter in my hair. It wasn’t the summer festival if you weren’t covered in glitter.
“Okay, Your Highness, you can look now.”
I had no idea why I was so excited. Going crazy over clothes was not my normal personality, but there was a magic to the summer festival. It had always been my favorite time of the year.
Spinning around, my breath caught in my throat as I took a second to stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The upper bodice of the corset was a soft baby pink, laced so tight my breasts were pushed up high into my neck, but because I was naturally small breasted it didn’t look slutty – just made my B’s look like
C’s. The gown then fell out into a large bell shape from there and slowly went from light pink to a deep teal that matched my eyes. As if this weren’t breathtaking enough, I was wearing teal glittering wings, and a mask of shimmering pink had been painted around my eyes, and streaks of my hair were coated in teal glitter.
I was a faerie – ironic, really, considering the war we were fighting, and the information Baladar had spilled about the origin of shifters – but there was no denying that Jenny and Christy had done an amazing job. I couldn’t have chosen better if I’d tried.
“You’re breathtaking,” said Calista from the door, and I turned to meet her gaze. I felt my body relax, and realized I was no longer angry with her. After reprimanding her for talking about my potential mates in front of the king, things had been a bit awkward between us, but seeing her now, her pride as she gazed at me, I put it all to rest.
I turned to my two costume designers. “Thank you.”
They both curtsied. “We will see you tonight, Your Highness,” Christy said as they left with the hair and makeup artists. Then it was just me and Calista. I finally noticed her festival outfit. I had to smile at how amazing she looked in her deep purple mermaid silk gown. She had a fake tail across the bottom of her dress, and shells woven into her hair.
“You look fantastic, Cal,” I said, knowing she’d probably let Winnie choose her costume for her.
She caught me off-guard then when she crossed the room and scooped my hand into hers. What had brought on this sudden break in protocol and show of affection?
She leaned into me. “You’re happy, right, Ari?” I startled when I noticed that her eyes were dancing with tears. Where was this seriousness coming from?
She was just standing there, waiting for my answer, so I thought about her question. Really thought about it. Generally, I’d just answer with an affirmative. Most people didn’t ask that sort of question really wanting to know the answer. It was a throwaway, an attempt to show that you cared without actually having to care. But I knew Calista wasn’t careless with words like that, despite some questionable actions of late. She genuinely wanted to know.
Was I happy?
I was the queen of the wolf shifters, about to be honored at one of the greatest festivals we had, and afterwards I was going to fix the mecca and save everything. All happy things. All things I’d strived for my entire life, successes I could count as my own. But was I happy? A deep part of me shouted “No!” There was a hole inside of me that I feared could never be filled. If I were to fill it, my kingdom would fall into chaos.
I didn’t want to lie to Calista, so I said: “No, but I hope I can be someday.” Then I squeezed her hand and fled from the room before I could cry. This was the summer festival and I would not ruin it with my sorrow.
The boat ride to the Island and following drive up to the royal home was beautiful. It was around noon and the sun shone high in the sky, illuminating all of the breathtaking party décor. People ran out of houses and tents to greet my entourage, and I was so humbled. A new queen and the summer festival – it was a happy time for my people.
Despite the select few alphas I had chosen to share knowledge of the fae with, most shifters didn’t know the true extent of the fae battles being fought behind the scenes, and I would do everything in my power to make sure they never had to find out. I waved until my arms ached, and even leaned out the window to brush against the children’s outstretched hands. People’s smiles were infectious and I couldn’t help but feel my spirits lift. I was causing this happiness in them, my presence. What an amazing thing. I realized then that maybe I had not been completely truthful to Calista – there might be an empty spot inside of me, a sorrow I couldn’t shake, but there was happiness too. My people made me happy, and being their queen was an honor. Maybe there would always be this void inside of me, but I could live with it if I brought such joy to their lives.
As we reached the royal home, my happy glow dulled at the sight of Selene standing on the porch with Torine and a few other council members. She was decked out in a full gold dress with draping tulle and glitter. She also wore a diamond tiara. Looked like she’d come as a queen. Typical Selene.
I wasn’t exactly surprised to see them all. The royal Island home was spacious and could accommodate Selene and the entire council, but I’d been hoping they would choose to stay elsewhere. As my car drove down the long tree-lined road, we passed half a dozen large motor homes and I spotted Blaine grilling hot dogs with Ben. The guards would stay in the motor homes and surround the property to ensure I was safe. I used to camp with them. We’d never stay in one spot for long, driving our motor homes around the Island, parking in all the best places for the festival. A huge part of me missed those days.
The vehicle pulled up in front of the royal home. The council and Selene bowed in greeting as I exited the SUV. When I was standing before them, my full costume on display, Selene’s eyes narrowed on me. Her features darkened and it was clear she was regretting her costume choice, wishing she was the queen, with access to my amazing seamstresses.
Never going to happen.
“Greetings,” I said to everyone, and I was pretty proud of my sincerity. I actually sounded like I liked them all.
Making my way up the large staircase, I was pleased to not see Selene’s familiar around. She had not forgotten my threat to turn him into a fried snake delicacy. Torine stepped in beside me, taking a look at my gown and smiling. As much as the council was driving me crazy lately, the summer festival was a time of merriment, so I returned his smile.
“How is security?” I asked.
The council was responsible for the security of the event, tasked with keeping the two shifter populations at peace, and keeping prying human eyes from seeing anything otherworldly. They would keep the four magic born close by in case of any incidents. Violet, Sabina, Seamus, and Jesabele were on their way right now. My best friend had my crown in her possession. I’d need it for later when the official ceremonies kicked off.
“Security is top rate, as always. We have no incidents to report, and the bear king has already paid his respects.” He waved a hand as if that was that and I didn’t need to hear anything further.
All I could think about was the fact that Kade was close by. I forced myself to focus.
“Did Violet spell the water?” I asked, wanting the council to know I was staying on top of things. No longer would they be pulling my strings in the background. Not to mention they were stupidly unconcerned about a fae attack during the summer festival.
Torine’s face creased into a look of such arrogance that I wanted to punch him in his straight teeth. “It’s all fine, Your Majesty. Go out and mingle with your people.”
Hah! Just like that I was dismissed, no more useful than an ornament on a Christmas tree. Just hanging around to pretty up the place. Bastard.
Selene was looking rather smug, but that look fell when I cut her with a glare. A blast of warm wind, ancient power, and familiarity trickled in across the porch and I calmed. Finn was near. Turning, I saw him galloping toward me. He reached me in seconds, his warm body brushing up my side.
Fancy meeting you here, I teased.
Interesting choice for costume, Ari. Freudian slip on the seamstresses’ behalf, I think.
Always one step ahead of everyone else, I wasn’t surprised that he’d noted the fae nature of my costume. No one else had yet. Thank God for Finn. I would literally be curled up rocking in a corner without him.
Calista crossed over to me. She’d been organizing all of my things out of the car and into the royal home. “Time for you to mingle, Your Majesty,” she said to me. “The official opening ceremony is in a few hours, but for now you need to be out with the people, reassure them with your presence.”
“Okay, please send Violet to me when she arrives.” I made a point of saying this loud enough for the council to hear.
Calista nodded, and started typing away on her tablet. Within seconds I had a royal conti
ngent of dominants around me. My five inner circle were the closest to me, and at least twenty others streamed out around us.
I shook my head. “I won’t greet my people with a wall of security between me and them. I will take my five, and they can call for backup if anything happens.”
Torine shook his head. “It’s not safe. You’re queen now. Think what would happen if you were to be hurt, or even die here. We cannot allow it.”
Well, that sounded an awful lot like an order.
I stood straighter, a few specks of glitter flying off my arms. “I am the queen, you allow nothing. If you want me to allow you to remain on the council, you will not question me in such a manner. I am neither rash nor stupid. I consider each and every decision. The shifters need reassurance right now, not only because of the death of the Red Queen, but also all the new security measures we have had their alphas implement. They are rattled. Seeing me striding around with more security than the president of America and the queen of England combined is not a great way to reassure them that everything is okay, that we have things under control.”
Before they could utter anything more, I turned and strode off. By the time I was halfway out of the long drive, Finn, Blaine, Monica, Jen, Ben, and Victor were the only ones at my side. My declaration had been heard, and my reasons found sound, since not even Calista argued with me. It was the right decision to make. I hoped so anyway.
You’re a good queen. You put your people first. Don’t question yourself. The council has served their own purposes for too long.
I ran my hand along Finn. He already had on some of his harnesses and glittery adornments. Later he’d be saddled so I could ride him for the opening ceremony. Kade would join me, his familiar Nix by his side. This was how we maintained peace during the summer festival, by showing unity between the two leaders. I tried to remember if I’d seen Kade and the Red Queen last year.
