Finn let out a low whistle and strode inside. “I thought all of these rooms were destroyed after her assassination. Keeping it would have been considered treason.”
“King Brannon and Queen Orla were not the type to bow that easily,” Desmond said with a wistful smile. “They left the room as it was, though they kept it hidden tight behind locked doors. No one ever knew it was here, except for a few of their closest guards. And now this room is yours, Princess Norah, daughter of the great Queen Marin.”
I opened my mouth to thank him, but he held up a hand before I could speak. His face went grave, and his eyes were cautious. “I must know, Princess Norah. Do you intend to rule?”
I blinked at him, caught off guard by his question. It was so matter-of-fact and to the point. It took me a moment to find my answer. “Perhaps one day, if the realm will have me.”
“I see.” He gave a nod. “In that case, I would advise you to follow the traditional rules of the court. Otherwise, your actions could be used against you in the future by anyone who opposed your claim to the throne.”
I glanced at Kael. What was Desmond talking about? We hadn’t gotten this far in our studies yet. Our focus had been so much on my physical training that we’d abandoned the reading curricula for the past few weeks.
“You do not know the rules of the court, do you?” Desmond asked, his voice edging with irritation.
“I’m still learning,” I simply said. “And that is why I haven’t yet tried to make my claim. I don’t know enough yet.”
“You should be sure to do your reading. In the meantime, I shall give you a shortened version of what you must know. On hollowed ground, such as this castle, the rules of the courts require that unwed males and females do not share a bed. You do not have to follow these rules, of course. It is your choice. However, I would do so if you truly do want to rule this realm.”
My heart felt torn in two. On the one hand, I wanted nothing more than to feel the strong arms of my mates wrapped around me while I slept...and that wasn’t the only thing I wanted to do in bed with them. But on the other hand, I still had the hope that I might one day follow in my mother’s footsteps, even though it seemed impossible now.
I wouldn’t jeopardize it, not for one night.
With a deep breath, I gave a nod. “Thanks for the advice.”
I tossed and turned in the massive empty bed, my mind flashing with images of chaotic fae towering on a distant hill. The sky bled, and the ground beneath my feet had transformed from dirt into bones. A pair of red eyes met mine from across a smoke-filled valley. Sharp teeth flashed underneath the light of a full moon, and the sky cracked from the force of a monstrous bolt of lightning.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I jumped from the bed. I’d had another one of those damn dreams. And once again, it had felt so real. I could still smell the smoke and the blood from that battlefield. And those eyes. Those horrible bright red eyes. I felt as though they could still see me now.
Well, I certainly wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep now.
Throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I grabbed the thick cloak I’d hung on the back of the chair. I slipped my feet into some shoes and padded over to the door that led out into the rest of the castle. If I couldn’t sleep, I might as well do a little exploring and find out what kind of place this was. I’d always been intrigued by the Winter Court, and I didn’t really know much about it.
With a glance over my shoulder at the closed doors that led to my mates, I pushed out into the long dark hallway. Even in the middle of the night, the flickering sconces still glowed from the light of the flames, and an unexpected warmth filled the space between the stone walls.
I began to make my way down the right side of the building, curiosity driving me back toward the throne room. I wondered if the intimidating seat still stood or if the Hunters had removed it since Viola’s death. Or were they waiting for a Royal to declare himself the ruler of the land? Had my mother ever sat on that throne herself?
So many questions and so few answers.
As I made my way down the hallway, I caught the sound of distant voices. I should probably turn back and return to my room, but my ears picked up the word Marin in the air. Were they talking about my mother? If so, what were they saying?
I probably shouldn’t eavesdrop, but my curiosity got the better of me.
As I grew closer, I recognized Desmond’s deep voice. He was speaking to another male fae, one who didn’t sound familiar.
“I know what Marin would have wanted, but there is no possibility that she foresaw how all of this would turn out,” Desmond said, his voice harsh as if the conversation angered him.
The voice replied, “She has her mother’s blood running through her veins. Isn’t that enough?”
My heart thumped. They weren’t talking about my mother. They were talking about me. And neither one of them sounded particularly happy about it.
“No,” Desmond growled. “She needs to prove herself. She may have defeated Viola, but that isn’t enough. A good fighter does not necessarily make a good ruler. Or else I would be King. She need to prove that she can command. She needs to prove that she can lead. And she needs to prove that she understands the people of this place. Until today, she didn’t even know the traditions that rule our courts.”
My face flamed. Everything Desmond said was so true that my heart hurt hearing the words. I could fight, but I couldn’t lead. And I truly didn’t know how to rule. It was a fact I needed to change. Immediately.
I stepped out from the shadows. Desmond and his fellow Hunter looked startled when I cleared my throat. Immediately, Desmond was down on his knees, bowing his head low to the ground.
“Forgive me, Princess. You must understand. I did not mean to—”
“I understand.” I knelt before him, meeting his lowered gaze. “And you’re right. I need to prove myself, and I need to understand everything I can about this realm. Can you show me to the library?”
Desmond looked surprised, his eyes widening. And then he smiled. “I would be delighted to show you to the library.”
Together, we stood, and Desmond led me down the passageways until we reached the library. While I settled into a table and gathered all the history books I could find, Desmond lit the sconces on the walls, filling the dark room with soothing beams of light. He made certain I had everything I needed, and then paused at the door on his way out.
“I think I may have judged you too soon.” And then he was gone.
With a deep breath, I scanned the pile of books before me. I’d gathered about fifty of them from the dusty shelves. It might not be enough, but it was a place to start.
***
A throat cleared, and I groaned as I lifted my head from the table. A piece of paper stuck to my cheek, fluttering onto the stone floor when I squinted my eyes at the blurry face before me.
“Norah.” Kael’s deep melodic voice washed over me. “What in the name of the forest are you doing here? Did you stay up all night to read about...” He picked up the open book and scanned the page. “The History of the Winter Court?”
Squinting against the sun streaming in through the nearby window, I nodded. “I couldn’t sleep, so I thought I might as well make myself useful. I guess I fell asleep at some point. As interested as I am in learning the history of our realm, some of these books are really dry.”
“What’s going on, Norah? Does this have something to do with your research into the Redcaps and the Tithe?”
“No, I’m trying to learn how to rule,” I said. “The first step toward that? Knowledge.”
Kael pursed his lips as he studied me. “What’s brought this on? Back at the Academy, you were much more interested in learning how to fight. If I recall correctly, you were the one who wanted to focus on your powers instead of books.”
I let out a heavy sigh. “Exactly. And I was wrong to do that. The people of this realm will never want me to be Queen if I have no experience. I didn’t g
row up here. I don’t know what the world is like. Did you know that our trek up here was the first time I even realized you have minstrels? I don’t know how our people live. I’ve shut myself off to it, too concerned with learning how to use my powers and practicing how to shoot a target with my bow. That needs to change, Rourke. Especially when I’m going to rule.”
He gave a nod and smiled. “You are far more ready than you think you are, Norah. Most rulers wouldn’t concern themselves with the people’s lives. They would sit on their thrones and rule from afar, much like Queen Viola did.”
“Well, I don’t want to be like Queen Viola when I take the crown.”
“No. And you won’t be.” He smiled and took my hand in his. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’re now saying when and not if when it comes to your rule. Have you decided you want to take the crown?”
I glanced down at the table. “Maybe. But only if I can do it right.”
He squeezed my hand, and a bolt of electricity shot through my veins. “Then, we’ll make sure you do it right. After today’s meeting with the representatives, I’ll take you down to the market. You can see the daily life of the Winter fae. How does that sound?”
“It sounds perfect.”
Chapter Sixteen
After I got myself cleaned up, representatives from the Spring, Summer, and Autumn Courts arrived. We gathered in the throne room along with several of the Hunters from the Winter Court. When I first entered, I took a long moment to stare at the throne that sat high above the rest of the floor. Only a few weeks ago, Viola had chained my mates to that throne, threatening to take them away from me forever.
Shivering, I turned my back on that throne and settled down at the head of a long oak table that the Hunters had brought into the room especially for this meeting.
“Thank you all for coming,” I said, nodding at each representative in turn. The Spring Court had sent one of their Hunters, a tall willowy female with bright white hair. The Summer Court had sent a distant cousin of the former King. He was young, maybe only fifteen, and the scowl on his face was never-ending. And then there was the Autumn fae who had joined our little pow wow. Now, he was someone I very much recognized. He was the male rebel who had approached me that day in the forest, the one who had pointed out the necklace I’d worn. Somehow, he’d known.
Everyone at the table regarded him with suspicion, though I didn’t know if that was because he was a Rebel or because he was an Autumn. There were still so many fae in that court who had been loyal to Viola. But surely not this male.
“I’m surprised the court would send a Rebel as their representative,” I finally said to the Rebel male before me, whose name I had been informed was Ungus.
“Well, you would certainly be correct in that assumption.” The smile he gave me glittered underneath glow of the sconces that lined each wall of the throne room. “But that court no longer exists as it once did. Or have you not heard? The Rebels have taken over the castle. We run things now.”
With a flicker of alarm, I glanced at Rourke. His expression was a mask of indifference, though there was a sharp glint in his eyes at the Rebel’s words. No one had told me the Rebels had taken over the court. Not that anyone could have stopped them. Some of Queen Viola’s men would have fought against the takeover, but plenty more would have fled or joined their cause.
“The news hasn’t spread,” I finally said, turning back to Ungus. “We weren’t aware of the situation.”
The Redcap’s words echoed in my ears. And so did Desmond’s. Ivory tower. Ivory walls. I’d been too tucked away from the reality of it all. Things were changing in the realm already, and I couldn’t keep up unless I was in the middle of it all.
Ungus flashed me a sharp smile. “You sound as if you don’t approve. Would you rather one of Viola’s former Hunters take over? Or perhaps one of her forgotten kin? Then, things can go back to just how they were. Four courts divided, each driven by their own selfish needs, each yearning to take ahold of Marin’s crown.”
“Of course not,” I snapped. “To be honest, I’m surprised you’d actually make a move for the castle. As far as I can see, you’ve done nothing to help the realm until now. You didn’t fight against Viola. You didn’t help protect the Academy. You just roamed around your forest doing nothing.”
The room fell silent, and a strange tension filled the air. Rourke coughed into his hand, trying to hide his smile. He’d known these Rebels. Hell, he’d been one of them. And he’d left their group because they wouldn’t stand up and fight for what was right. Now, they were trying to claim the court like they’d earned it, but they didn’t deserve a damn thing.
Still, now wasn’t the time for any infighting. We would never survive against what the Dark Fae had planned if we weren’t united.
“Would you rather I leave?” Ungus asked in a low and dangerous voice.
A part of me wondered if we’d be better off without him, but I knew we needed all the fighters we could get.
“No.” A quick shake of my head. “None of that matters now. What matters is that the Dark Fae have returned to Otherworld after centuries away. We don’t know what they have planned, and we don’t know when they’ll make their move. But they want something, and we need to be prepared for whatever it is.”
“The Dark Fae?” The young Summer barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Is this some kind of joke? I can’t believe I came all the way here for this. I thought we were coming together for some kind of meeting about you finally taking the crown. But instead, you’re talking about the Dark Fae?”
I pressed my lips tight together, trying to force down the irritation building up inside my chest. “This is not a joke.”
“I realize you’re not from here, Norah,” the Rebel said with a flash of his teeth. “So, you might not understand how ridiculous this sounds.”
“I am from here,” I said through gritted teeth. “And you know that as well as any. You supported Marin. You told me to stay safe that day we met in the forest.”
“We supported Marin because she was a kind, intelligent, generous ruler, unlike our own Viola.” Ungus met my gaze, his eyes flickering with a deadly fury. “And I have vowed to never support another Queen unless she proves her worth to me. So far, you have done the opposite.”
“I understand.” With a heavy sigh, I stood from the table and scanned the representatives before me. This hadn’t gone anything like the way I’d wanted, and I could practically feel Desmond’s eyes burning holes into my back. “I called you here to warn you about the Dark Fae. Whether you choose to believe me or not, they are coming. I hope you will stay so we can discuss this further. We need to make a plan of attack.”
“Please try not to blame yourself,” Kael said as we wound our way through the streets in the valley below the castle. A small city had been built into the side of the mountain, and Kael had brought me here to get a taste of Winter life.
“How could I not blame myself?” I asked, rubbing my gloved hands together. “They all decided to head back home tomorrow because they don’t believe me. Clearly, I didn’t do a good job of convincing them.”
“It was always going to be difficult to convince the courts that the Dark Fae is returning.” He wrapped an arm around my waist, holding me tight to his side. “Don’t forget. Even Finn, Liam, and Rourke were skeptical until they saw the fae themselves.”
“True,” I said with a sigh. “I just...how are we going to beat the Dark Fae if we don’t have anyone on our side?”
“We’ll figure it out, my love.”
We wound our way through the streets, and my worries dropped away as I lost myself to the noisy clamor of the city. The sun beamed down on the snow-packed ground, sending a warmth down on the bustling market. Males and females of all ages were selling their wares. Pelts for warmth and meat for food. Several stalls held fresh fruit and vegetables. Apples and oranges and pears.
As we passed one of these stalls, I turned to Kael with raised eyebrows
. “How are they growing all this in the cold?”
“Magic,” Kael said with a smile. “Although most of the time, these fae will do trades with fae who live in the other seasons. I believe Finn’s mother has begun trading with the Winter lands.”
I nodded. Of course, it made sense. And this was the kind of thing I knew would be important if I ever sat upon the throne. The fae of this realm needed to be fed and clothed and kept warm. I needed to know how the trade system worked.
“Thank you for bringing me to this place,” I said, smiling up at Kael.
He squeezed my arm. “Thank you for being interested. Queen’s Canyon is one of my favorite places in the realm. I grew up nearby and spent many years helping my father sell his wares here. I always imagined that I would return from the Academy and take up my place as his helper again. It is funny how things can change.”
“You no longer want to do that?”
“Not in the least. My life is you now, Norah. All I want to do is stand by your side and help you rein.”
My feet slowed as we passed a stall with four horses packed tight inside. They were neighing plaintively, stomping their hooves on the ground in clear distress. Frowning, I stared into their eyes and heard their pleas for help. They were terrified.
“What’s this all about?” I asked Kael.
“Sometimes, horses are sold at the market.”
“They don’t seem particularly happy about it.” I took a step closer and rested my hand on the snout of the closest horse. He was a deep golden brown with a white patch between his eyes. Snorting, he brushed up against my hand, his eyes pleading with my soul. “They don’t want to be here.”
“I imagine not,” Kael said. “If they are not bought for riders, then they may be sold as meat.”
I flinched and whirled toward my Winter prince. “Yeah, that’s not happening. How much gold do you have on you?”
“Norah...”
“Kael, please. I can’t let these creatures get slaughtered. How much gold do you have on you?”
A Touch of Starlight Page 12
