Grogoch [Bedtime Stories 2]
Page 8
It was perfect at a time I needed such tender care most.
Chapter 11
“Are you sure about this?” I asked the queen the next day at breakfast. She had made an amazing recovery and while still looked ill and weak was able to join us in the dining hall.
“Of course, Cuidi,” she answered as she patted my hand. “I will send guards to Margaret’s house and have them bring her here. They can pack whatever she wants and whether she recovers or not, she is welcome here for as long as she needs.”
“You are a good woman.” I lifted her hand to my lips, hoping she truly felt my relief and gratitude. I gasped and jumped to my feet when I felt snarling anger from someone who thought very differently about the queen. Spinning on my heel, I focused on the maid who was bringing in more refreshments. “What have you done, woman?”
“I know not what you mean, fairy,” she answered, pretending that I wasn’t approaching her. She darted a glance at me and sighed, seemingly put out. “I was just shocked that you could stomach kissing the queen’s hand when you are known to like to be the woman in your relationships.”
“Don’t speak to my mate that way!” Finbar exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. “Cuidi is all man and should be respected for the help he has given this kingdom.”
“For the price of attention no one would give him otherwise,” she threw back. It might have hurt if I didn’t know it was a diversionary tactic. The whole dining hall broke out into chaos and shouting until I whistled loudly.
“You poisoned the queen,” I accused, seeing it very carefully in her mind. I didn’t get real words or thoughts, more like feelings and images on the front of someone’s mind… Normally in regards to me. But she was thinking that she wished she could kill me to keep her secret so it did involve me.
“I did no such thing and you can’t prove it!” She was shaking now with rage and anger. “I don’t need to prove it or have you forgotten who I am?” I asked darkly as I moved close enough that she backed up against the wall. I caught a random thought and glanced at the king. “You courted this woman once before you married the queen?”
“He was supposed to be mine,” she answered in an ugly voice. Pure rage can transform someone into an unrecognizable monster. “He liked me best but she”—the woman pointed to the queen—“tricked him into getting her pregnant so he had to marry her.”
“Are you mad?” the queen asked, her eyes going wide. It kind of seemed like a redundant question to me since the woman obviously was, having tried to kill the queen. “We didn’t have a child until two years into our marriage. I was pure at the time we wed.”
“Lies!” She dove for the queen, trying to shove by me but I wasn’t a pushover. I might have been small but I was powerful. I had her restrained and gagged before anyone could even blink.
“So you courted the crazy bitch and somehow she became your servant and tried to kill the queen decades later?” I surmised out loud, not sure how the pieces all fell into place.
I searched the woman’s memory and found that that she was the daughter of a nobleman who had been on the brink of losing everything. When the king didn’t pick her and save them from destitution, she and her family went to the poor house. As much as it killed her pride, the only job she could get when she was older was a servant at the castle. Years of making sure she was never seen by the royal family left her a bitter shell.
But then a few months ago she was promoted and had to interact directly with the royal family. When the king and queen never recognized her, even though it was decades later, she was insane with jealousy and rage.
“Wow, that’s a lot of drama and crazy in one package,” Finbar mumbled after I was done filling everyone in. He glanced up at me and smiled. “My self-doubt and issues don’t seem like such a big thing anymore.” He came closer and pulled me into his arms. “Can we go home now and take several breaks on the way to make love anyplace we choose?”
“How about I just pop us home and you can have me any way you want in our bed?” My mate raised an eyebrow at the change of plans. “Hey, I’m an old man and you’ve been working me pretty hard. I like the comfort of the bed.”
Everyone had a good laugh at that as Kelvin and another guard took the crazy woman away. I exchanged a look with my old friend. He blew me a kiss and I knew there were no hard feelings. He wanted me to be happy and if Finbar did that, he supported our relationship.
“Anything you want, my mate,” Finbar purred as he lifted me into his arms. I wrapped my body around him, winking to the king and queen.
“We’ll visit soon,” I said with a bright smile.
“I look forward to hearing all about magical dust that is making castle crops grow out of control,” the king replied. We hadn’t gotten around to talking about the gift we had brought.
“It’s dog droppings.” I gave them a wave as Finbar laughed and popped us out of there and to our home. Finbar lowered me to my feet, still holding my hand as we walked into our house, together as we would always be.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joyee dreams of one day living on enough land to have a few horses, and find a couple of cowboys or pool boys of her own. A lover of men, Joyee is all about them in any form in her books; vampire, werewolf, shape-shifter, military... It’s all good! She loves to get lost in fantasy that only books can bring. Her wide interest in reading is reflected in her writings, whether short stories, romance, or mystical. Currently Joyee lives with her dog, Marius, named after a vampire from Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire series.
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