by Terry Spear
The winged fae were usually not known to mix with other fae kind much. Niall surmised that was the reason his aunt had wanted to draw up an agreement to have Micala married off to Serena. As a way to reach out to the kingdom, to forge a new alliance.
“I believe you might have trouble, Welford,” Niall warned. “We ran into men on horseback in the forest a couple of miles from here. I didn’t see more than two, but from all the noise the men made, I assumed others were with them. If they were Duke Tully and his band of merry hostage takers, you might want to lock the gate.”
“Aye.” Welford hurried to drop the portcullis, then closed the massive wooden gates. “Is the lady expecting you, Count Niall? She left no word with us.”
“No. She was not. We hope that we may stay a while if it is at all possible.”
“Aye. The lady, is she injured?” the guard asked, motioning to Serena and the fact that Niall was carrying her carefully in his arms.
“Princess Serena did indeed twist her ankle.”
“Princess.” The man’s eyes widened fractionally. “Lady Sessily will fix her up good in no time.”
“She is a healer?” Serena asked eagerly.
“Oh, aye. I believe sometimes she wished she’d been a healer instead of a master assassin. But now, have you heard, my lord, that she has been accepted into the guild?”
“Aye,” Niall said. “’Tis about time.”
“’Tis said the cobra fae prince had something to do with it. Not that the lady didn’t have the skills. She did. And she should have been qualified thrice over on her own. But that crusty old guild master would not permit a woman to hold the title.”
“Aye, I agree. I often thought that Queen Irenis should have intervened, but her only advice to my cousin was to put the guild master out of his misery, permanently.” Niall smiled at the notion and so did Welford. “I heard it rumored Lady Sessily had wished to retire from the business.” Although Niall couldn’t imagine being a master at her occupation and giving it all up as young as she was.
“Not any longer. She’s on a mission and should be back anytime now, before supper, at the latest.”
Niall wanted to know what had made her change her mind, but he wouldn’t ask a servant in the lady’s employ, although she had good relations with her people. They were more like family than hired hands.
Welford opened the door to the keep for them, and a woman, Sessily’s loyal advisor, Venetia, hurried to greet them, her dark brown eyes widening to see the winged fae in Niall’s arms. “My lord,” she said, quickly curtseying, “and my lady.”
“No word of the lady’s presence here, or of mine, must get back to my family or hers,” Niall warned. He knew that of any staff he had ever known, Serena’s was the most loyal. Loyal to her though, to no one else. He also knew that her people would do nothing except make Serena and him comfortable, until Sessily said what else she wished done. If she agreed to keep their secret, then Lady Sessily’s staff would agree also.
Which was one of the reasons he thought of coming here. And, too, the castle was isolated from the rest of the Denkar, and because of that and her occupation, she didn’t get very many visitors.
“I understand Prince Creshion has taken an interest in your lady,” Niall said, as the woman directed him to a cushioned settee.
“Aye,” Venetia said, smiling as she led them into the library. “He is good to us and good to our lady. I have never seen her so cheerful since her father died. Is your lady injured?”
“Sprained ankle,” Niall offered.
“I’ll get something for it right away. I’m Venetia, Lady Sessily’s advisor,” she said to Serena.
“Princess Serena of the Mabara,” Niall belatedly said.
Venetia offered a quick curtsey again as if the other didn’t count when she thought her a lesser royal subject. “Princess.” Then she gave Niall a disgruntled look, most likely because he hadn’t apprised her of just who Serena was in the beginning. Venetia smiled again at Serena and hurried out of the room.
“I’ll be all right,” Serena said to Niall. “It doesn’t take that long for us to heal.”
He knelt down at her feet and removed her sandal. “Your ankle is swollen now, discoloring, and I know it has to hurt, especially when I see you wincing and—”
A man stalked in, white bearded, green eyes wary, interrupting Niall. He rose from his crouched position and bowed with reverence. “Lord Armonjas, may I present to you, Princess Serena of the Mabara.”
“A winged fae?” The old man’s eyebrows rose, and then he smiled wickedly. “Do you know the best poison to concoct?”
“Princess Serena,” Niall said, ignoring the man’s question, and she got the distinct impression he didn’t want them discussing poisons and such right this instant, “this is Lord Armonjas, Lady Sessily’s father.”
Sessily stared at the wiry elderly man, who didn’t look like a ghost at all. Was this a stepfather and her real father dead?
Chapter 13
Lord Armonjas waved his hand at the introduction Niall had given to Serena and smiled brightly this time. “The potions, lass, do you know a really deadly one that works instantly and cannot be detected?”
A lady wearing black gowns, her dark brown hair coiled high on top of her head, a nearly sheer ebony veil covering it, swept into the room with a poultice in her hands and instantly addressed the old man, “Father, you no longer need to know of such things.” Her dark brown eyes shifted to see Niall.
She smiled. They both greeted one another, and then she glanced at Serena, who wanted to leave the settee and not look like an invalid. Immediately Niall rested his hand on her shoulder and made her stay put.
She would have been annoyed, except for knowing he didn’t want her to injure herself further.
Venetia quickly followed behind her, bringing a footstool and a couple of embroidered cushions to use to elevate her foot.
“It’s so good to see you, Niall,” Sessily said. She smiled at Serena. “And your friend?”
The way she said friend made Serena believe Sessily thought there was more going on than she was letting on.
“Princess Serena of the Mabara.”
“Oh my. Of the osprey fae. How delightful. Rest up, and we will share a meal in a little while.” Sessily turned her attention to Venetia. “Fetch them something to drink. I have to make a report, and I’ll escort them to supper in a little while.”
Serena didn’t realize she’d even dozed off until Lady Sessily returned and said, “Come, would you care to join us for supper?”
Niall offered his hand to Serena, and she reluctantly stood, then looked down at her ankle and realized whatever poultice they’d applied against her twisted ankle had removed the swelling. The skin was still bruised, but even it didn’t look half as bad. And walking didn’t cause her but a twinge of discomfort.
“Your injury appears to be well on the mend,” Sessily said, then ushered them toward narrow stairs that spiraled downward into a narrow corridor that opened up into a great hall. Servants were setting out the dinnerware at a long table.
“This is our cook, Mistress Teramond,” Sessily said with obvious fondness, when the lady greeted them, her soft gray eyes shifting to take in Serena and her wings. “Even Queen Irenis has on numerous occasions attempted to steal her away, offering much more money than I can afford to pay for her services so that Teramond will leave me and work for the queen.”
Niall laughed. “She has a dozen cooks and yet she could never have enough, I surmise.”
Serena had expected Sessily to ask her why she was with Niall, why they were here, just something. Maybe she planned to over dinner, and the lady was still trying to decide how to ask the questions in a polite way.
That’s when a man walked into the great hall, his blue eyes bright with interest, his dark brows arched in question. He bowed to both the ladies and smiled at Sessily in such a warm way, Serena was certain he loved her. He was tall like Niall, dressed fashionably li
ke a royal fae would be, so she assumed this must be the cobra fae who was seeing Lady Sessily.
“Princess Serena, this is Prince Creshion of the cobra fae. And Creshion, this is Princess Serena of the Mabara.”
“My pleasure,” the prince said, his eyes straying from Sessily to Niall.
“My cousin, Count Niall of the major royal house of Denkar,” Sessily said.
“Hmm,” the prince said, bowing his head slightly in greeting. “You’re a companion to Prince Deveron?”
“Aye.”
The point was made. He was supposed to be with Deveron. Why was Niall with the Mabara princess instead?
Wait until they all heard, if they hadn’t already, that she was betrothed to his cousin Micala!
Prince Creshion helped Sessily to sit at the table, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek while Serena couldn’t help watching. He was extremely attentive to Sessily as if they were newly betrothed and he couldn’t get enough of wanting to please her.
Serena humpfed at that, knowing how much her betrothed, Micala, despised her.
If any two people could be in love, Serena was certain the prince and the lady were. Why couldn’t her mother understand that’s what Serena wanted? Although when she thought about it further, Sir Reginald didn’t treat her anything like Creshion did Sessily either.
Niall helped Serena into her seat, frowning as he saw the pained expression on her face.
“Your ankle still hurts, doesn’t it?” The way he said the words, she knew he intended to carry her to her room at the conclusion of the meal.
And that’s when she realized he acted just like Creshion behaved toward Sessily, only Serena was certain that Sessily had never knocked Creshion out with a sleeping potion first.
“Truly, my ankle is feeling so much better. Thank you, Niall.” She wanted to say, thank you with all of my heart.
She noticed then others of Sessily’s staff had joined them near the foot of the table and everyone watched Niall and Serena’s interactions, which brought a fresh flush of heat to every square inch of her body.
Niall bowed his head in acknowledgement of her dismissal that her ankle was troubling her, but the determined look on his face revealed what he was truly thinking. He would not allow her to walk again until he was certain she was perfectly healed. She couldn’t help but love that aspect of him.
When he took his seat, she turned to Sessily, dying to ask about her potions and get the attention off Niall and her, Serena queried, “Do you know the best forms of poison to make?”
Sessily glanced at Niall and in that moment, something passed between them. Serena wasn’t sure what.
Niall said to Sessily, “Serena makes poisonous potions and sleeping powder. The trade of the Mabara.”
But still something was left unsaid.
Finally, Prince Creshion spoke up, “Are you marrying the young lady, Niall?”
Niall took a deep breath, eyed Serena, and shook his head. “She’s betrothed to Micala.”
“I won’t marry him,” Serena said vehemently. He’d flaunted his interest in that human girl even after she said he’d better not. What did she want with a fae who couldn’t be faithful?
Sessily opened her mouth to speak, then smiled a little to herself and didn’t say anything.
“So the two of you plan to stay with Sessily for...?” Creshion asked, fishing for a timeframe.
“A week, if we could,” Serena quickly said. “I could teach you the best sleeping potions made by the Mabara, Sessily. Ask Niall. He has firsthand knowledge.”
Both Sessily and Creshion glanced at Niall. He avoided looking at anyone while he buttered his bread, his cheeks tinged with color.
“Do you joust?” Serena asked Creshion, realizing belatedly she probably shouldn’t have mentioned that, which was due to her nervousness in their company.
“Aye.” A sparkle lighted Creshion’s blue eyes. “Why do you ask?”
“Niall needs practice.”
Again everyone looked at him. And his face turned even redder.
“He needs practice at jousting?” Creshion asked, as if Niall wasn’t in the room since Serena seemed to be running the show, and the prince seemed a little more than curious.
She wanted Niall to win the joust more than anything she’d ever wanted, which had her rethinking her interest in Reginald all over again. In fact, the only reason she even mentioned Reginald in front of Micala was to irritate him because of his fawning over Cassie. Certainly, she hadn’t wanted to upset Niall.
“Yes, to fight a dragon fae knight. The knight practices constantly and would have an unfair advantage,” Serena explained. “But we don’t want anyone to get word of it.”
Both Sessily and Creshion looked more than intrigued, maybe a little worried.
“Well, it’s not something we want anyone to learn about,” she said again, chastising herself for repeating her words—also indicating how unduly nervous she was.
They both nodded sagely, but they didn’t seem very agreeable, their brows furrowing slightly. Everyone else at the table had stopped eating and conversing and listened to what Serena was saying.
Wringing her hands in her lap underneath the table and not wanting to speak in front of everyone, Serena felt she really had no choice and explained, “A dragon fae knight challenged Niall to joust because Niall kissed me.” She meant to say that the joust was not over anything significant that could result in kingdoms getting involved. But she hadn’t exactly meant to mention the kiss. Although that was certainly some of the reason for the ensuing challenge and she couldn’t think of any other reason off the top of her muddled head to say otherwise. Not when every pair of eyes at the table was focused on her. Even Niall’s. But his blue eyes had turned stormy.
She thought it was because she mentioned his kissing her, but changed her mind when he offered his own explanation.
“Which I only mentioned to the knight because I have every intention of stopping him from getting his greedy hands on you,” Niall said, irritation evident in his voice and expression. “When you are betrothed to Micala.”
Even though everyone tried to hide their gasps with napkins fluttering to their mouths or open mouths quickly clamping shut, she’d heard and seen enough to realize what a shock that was to the collected bodies at the table. She sighed.
So she hadn’t been thinking about the part about being betrothed to Micala either. In fact, she was thinking less and less of it where he was concerned, wishing now someone else might speak up and take his place. Someone who was frowning fiercely at her now.
“Right, but the challenge wasn’t made until you said we kissed that he really got angry,” Serena hotly reminded Niall.
Creshion looked like he was fighting a smile, his mouth quirking a little at one corner. Sessily still looked shocked, her brows marginally raised.
“But Micala is your betrothed?” Sessily said. “We don’t get much news living this far out.”
Serena had to acknowledge that Sessily was Micala’s cousin, too, and the lady probably didn’t approve of Niall’s having kissed Serena for that reason.
“Micala didn’t even know that we were betrothed,” Serena said. “But he’s got a girlfriend, a human girlfriend, and he can have her for all I care.”
“Oh,” Sessily said.
“Did you know about the girl?” Serena asked Sessily.
“No. We really don’t get courtly news out here.”
Serena ate some of her soup, part of a roll, and a few bites of a game hen, then she asked, “Creshion, will you practice jousting with Niall?”
“When is the tourney?” Creshion asked.
“Saturday,” both Serena and Niall said.
“Four days away. Yes, I’ll practice with you,” Creshion said, “but I’m a little rusty. Jousting isn’t my main game.”
“I have to admit jousting isn’t my best game either.”
Sessily stared at Niall in horror. “But you accepted his challenge! Why?”
<
br /> Both of the men shook their heads at her. “A dark fae does not back down from a challenge from a dragon fae,” Niall said.
“Here, here!” all those at the table said, including Prince Creshion, who was a cobra fae. But he looked like he was quickly becoming a member of the dark fae family, as well liked as he seemed to be among Lady Sessily’s people.
“Sessily, I’ll share some of my potions with you, if you’d like,” Serena offered the lady, hoping to smooth things over with her, concerning her cousin, Micala.
Sessily smiled at Niall in a perfectly evil way. “What does Micala think of you jousting against the knight?”
“He doesn’t know about it,” Serena said. “Best if no one does.”
“Only the dragon fae know of this?” Sessily asked, looking at once surprised and concerned again.
“Aye,” Serena said.
“And if Niall should lose?” Creshion asked.
***
As she expected, Niall carried her to the guest chamber after the dinner had concluded, and she had been grateful the conversation at the table had turned to more mundane topics. Although she did object to his carrying her. Her ankle was improving all the time.
But Serena was sorry she’d brought up Niall’s needing to practice before the joust. “I hadn’t meant to mention about the reason for the joust. I really should have left it up to you to ask if Creshion would practice with you before this weekend.”
Niall set her on a chair next to the curtained bed, folded his arms across his chest, and studied her for a moment before he responded. “Why did you?”
“I wanted you to do well at the joust.” The reasoning for her asking Creshion to help Niall seemed clear to her.
An almost imperceptible upward curve of Niall’s lips astonished her. But then his dark look was back, and she thought maybe she had mistaken that he was attempting to hide a smile.
