Royally Screwed

by Godiva Glenn

  “Just ask me now, then.”

  “That’s not how it works. I’m just a lowly messenger,” Lorelei explained.

  “Bullshit,” Kerren muttered. “You’re Catriona’s personal page.”

  Brook’s jaw dropped. Whatever they wanted her for, it seemed to be a big deal.

  Lorelei hmphed and slid from the dresser where she’d perched. “Your employer will be handled, and you will incur no repercussions from missing a day of work.”

  “Right,” Brook said sarcastically. She could just imagine Lorelei trying to talk to her piece of work boss.

  Lorelei narrowed her eyes. “Anna Petersburg, senior accountant for Stonewolf Industrial Supply. Your boss has already been notified.”

  “But…”

  Kerren worked a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Brook. If she says it’s handled, it has been. We have some pull here.”

  “Why are you sorry?” she asked.

  “Because we need to go. You can’t ignore a summons. Even I can’t think of a loophole to get you out of it. But I’ll be with you.”

  Frustration bubbled beneath everything else. “Look. Yes, I want to see another world, but I don’t appreciate strangers interfering in my life,” she bristled, looking at Lorelei. “And I definitely didn’t like being ordered around by a royal family I have never even heard of before today!”

  “I’m just the messenger,” Lorelei replied. “I’ll leave and let you make yourself presentable. If Sir shall accompany miss Donovan, then there’s no reason for me to hang around.”

  “See yourself out,” Kerren advised her coldly.

  Lorelei walked out of the bedroom and Kerren shut the door behind her.

  “I don’t know what this is about, Brook, but I promise there’s a reasonable explanation. We’ll get to the bottom of it, and we’ll return here, and we’ll move on from it.”

  “Can she really drag me to Prism? She’s so tiny,” Brook muttered sitting on the edge of the bed.

  He sat next to her. “I don’t know how they’d handle it, to be completely honest. But if they say they can force you to go, it’s possible they would enlist human authorities.”

  “The police?”

  “They work together when necessary, I’d imagine.”

  She ran a hand through her tangled red locks. “I guess I better shower again.”

  “Really…” he whispered, waggling his brows.

  “Nope. Hands off,” she said, clucking her tongue as she rose. “You are not going to make me late.” She went into the bathroom and called out, “If I’m going to meet a King and a Queen today, even if not by choice, I’m going to look good and I’m going to be on time.”

  “Time doesn’t matter,” he said. “Prism doesn’t run on the same clock. I’m sure she just said ‘within the hour’ to sound formal. When we step through the portal, chances are it’ll be night.”

  She peeked through the doorway. “Oh.”

  “Besides, if I’m going to accompany you, we’ll need to stop by my home. I must change into something more befitting the occasion. The rules may bend for you, but I have to dress the part.”

  “A suit isn’t good enough?”

  “Not a human one.”

  * * * *

  Brook sniffed the ladle of water Kerren had handed to her. “I don’t understand.”

  “You drink this, and it allows you to safely pass through the portal.”

  “The portal itself isn’t safe?” she asked.

  “The portal is just a portal. The reflecting pool combines with the portal.”

  She drank the liquid, which was surprisingly sweet, and handed him the scoop. “It doesn’t sound like you know exactly how it works.”

  “I don’t,” he admitted, filling the scoop again for himself. “But I’ve used it hundreds of times.”

  “So, I won’t come out on the other side with two heads?”

  He laughed and drank, closing his eyes and shivering as he swallowed. “I’ll never get used to that chill, though.”

  “What chill? It tastes like fruity water.”

  “Hmm. Maybe it’s different for you. To me, it’s like swallowing ice, and it runs through my veins.”

  She arched a brow. That didn’t seem pleasant. She took a step towards the portal, heart pounding and skin tingling with anticipation. It looked like an arch, the fancy type used for outdoor weddings. Lush purple blossoms hung from a vine wrapping tightly around it, like a cross between a lily and an orchid. It was aurleis, a flower of Prism, Kerren had explained, one cultivated specifically by the royal bloodline.

  “I can’t believe the Landsgate is literally a gateway,” she breathed. “The Landsgate Faerriot. I had no idea, and I know just about everything about this city.”

  “Yeah,” he said, standing beside her and looking at the arch. “They keep the secret well. To anyone else looking at this roof, it’s just like any other. The gate cloaks itself and everything around it.”

  “So, we’re practically invisible right now?”

  He nodded.

  “I’m nervous,” she admitted aloud. “And I still keep going back and forth between excited and a little pissed.”

  He snorted. “Welcome to my life growing up.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Long story,” he muttered. Reaching out, he took her hand. “You may feel a bit… I believe the human term is ‘jet-lagged,’ once the trip is done.”

  “Yay,” she said sarcastically under her breath.

  She adjusted her grip on him, lacing their fingers and squeezing him tight. The one thing she was certain of was that he’d take care of her, though she wasn’t sure how she had such confidence in it. Sure, they’d just met, and yes it wasn’t like her to get naked on a first date—if what they had even counted as a date—but Kerren wasn’t like any guy she’d ever met.

  And somehow, that was a little scarier than stepping through a gateway to another world.

  Holding her breath, she walked forward, Kerren’s hand placed comfortingly on the small of her back. For a moment she seemed to fall, and her muscles tensed to catch herself and land. Then she was standing in the middle of an open field, green blades of wispy grass tickling her ankles.

  She took a step forward, heels sinking into soft dirt. In the distance, she saw trees and colorful flowers. Further away were houses, as if they’d landed in a quaint countryside. It wasn’t night, as Kerren had predicted, but the sun was low on the pink horizon.

  Turning back, she found that the arch was now plain wood and engraved with strange swirling symbols. After a minute, a man walked through it, squinting as if staring into the sun.

  “Kerren?”

  “Yes?”

  Brook stared. Though the voice was the same, much had changed of his appearance. His skin was still the olive hue but now seemed to have an inner golden glow, accenting his aquiline nose and artist-carved perfect cheekbones and strong jaw. His brown eyes were now green and deep, as if peering through an emerald shifting facets in the sun.

  His plain brown hair had transformed to be varying shades of earthy browns and forest greens and was longer, the ends curling around the collar of his shirt.

  In a nutshell, he was magnificent.

  “Ah. I forgot to mention. The reflecting pool adjusts us to fit in wherever we travel.” This is my true appearance.”

  “Wow,” Brook whispered.

  He nodded. “Shocking, I suppose? Does it… upset you?”

  She arched a brow. “Upset me? To know that underneath the human playboy you’re still a magically sexy duke?”

  One side of his mouth twitched into a crooked grin. “Oh. I just assumed a human woman wouldn’t find this side of me appealing.”

  “You’re appealing to me all over again,” she admitted.

  Grinning smugly, he pointed to a path to the left. “Let’s make our way, then.” He crooked his elbow and she took it. “Welcome to Prism, by the way.”

  * * * *

  Brook chewed her
lip anxiously as she walked beside Kerren. Since she’d spent the night with him, she only had the same dress she’d worn the day before. It was one of her favorites, but it seemed a bold choice for the current occasion.

  She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now she guessed that her clothing was like a beacon screaming ‘Hi! I’m a human!’

  They passed a group of women who were chatting in the street. The women wore long flowing dresses of simple cuts, but there was something special about the fabric, as if it shifted colors. Teal became gold then soft petal pink.

  Something she’d noticed was how often faces turned to them and after appraising Brook seemed to subtly acknowledge Kerren.

  “Where are we, exactly?” she asked Kerren.

  “My province,” he replied. “Weylan Barrows. Though, once I return to Earth, it will be absorbed into the kingdom. Or perhaps they’ll pass it to someone else.”

  “When you say ‘yours’ you mean…”

  “I mean that it is actually mine, yes. I inherited this land and my title from my mother.”

  Trying not to trip from the thought of owning an entire province, Brook glanced to him. “Then why wouldn’t she get it back?”

  “She doesn’t want it. My mother is sweet but flighty. The politics and responsibilities of caring for a people were never meant to be her lot in life.”

  “Oh.”

  “She’s traveling right now, anyhow. She has a direct lineage to the aspect of… I think the best way to describe it would be “flowering.” It gives her a talent for helping areas that struggle to sustain plant life.”

  That probably explained his intimate knowledge of his own planet’s foliage. Brook tried to imagine Kerren’s mother, but it was difficult to not see her as a winged woman, touching things and making them grow. Granted, she hadn’t seen any wings on anyone so far. A few gently pointed ears and strange (to her) shades of skin and hair, but nothing like she’d expected.

  She was thinking Tinkerbell and met nothing of the sort.

  “I’ll change quickly, then we’ll head to the palace. It’s not far. We travel using a bridge… it’s similar to the portal, but it’s really just a connection hub.”

  “Right,” she said, confused.

  “Maybe it’s better if you don’t think about it too much,” he admitted. “I have to imagine that magic must be overwhelming to someone accustomed to science.”

  Chuckling, she shook her head. “It’s not that. Or not that exactly. I’m still reeling from even being here. And honestly, I’m still wondering why you’d leave. Everything is gorgeous, and you’re right about it feeling lighter somehow. The air is just refreshing and uplifting. My brain is stressing, but my body has never felt better.”

  “I’m glad you like it.” He pulled her to a stop at the beginning of a stone walkway and gestured to the massive ivy-covered mansion at the end. “Welcome to my home.”

  Chapter Six

  Kerren did his best to appear calm around Brook, but inside there was nothing but panic flowing through his veins. Humans were so rarely called to appear for the King and Queen, it had never before happened in his lifetime.

  Usually, it had to do with crimes against the court—but Brook had done no such thing. Whatever Artur and Catriona had in mind, it was a mystery.

  Kerren would be lying if he acted as if it wasn’t entertaining to have the opportunity to show Brook the fae world. She’d been fascinated by every little detail he’d shared, and if any human deserved to see it for themselves, it was her.

  He adjusted his dark russet formal coat one last time in the mirror, brushing his fingertips over the embroidered edge of the collar that designated him as the protector of Weylan Barrows. It was a hollow title, really. Since the wars had ended centuries before he was even born, he’d never had to protect anything.

  He owned the land, he respected the people, that was it. Being away had been nice, but since he’d stepped foot into his house he’d immediately begun to wonder what unforeseen consequences could come of him leaving.

  Just because he didn’t think he mattered individually as a leader, didn’t make it accurate.

  Stepping out of his room, he searched for Brook. The amazement in her eyes had been like a bright light, and he’d welcomed her to explore.

  He found her in the library, staring at the expanse of silk-bound books.

  “This is breathtaking,” she said, turning to him.

  “You would be drawn to the section that details fae history, of course,” he pointed out, making note of where she stood.

  She ran her hands along the wooden ledge of the nearest shelf. “I can’t read them, though.”

  “The language of the fae,” he explained. “But it’s easier for humans to learn than for us.”

  “How so?”

  He smirked. “How do you think?”

  “Magic?”

  He nodded and walked to her. She looked him over with a soft expression, one he recognized.

  “You like this, don’t you?”

  “Everything is just… wow.” Her hands landed on his coat and she bit her lower lip. “You look good. Very important and formal.”

  “And you look stunning.”

  Pink bloomed on her cheeks and she looked away. “I feel out of place.”

  “You’re not. There are other humans here. Some from Earth, some from places quite similar,” he reassured her.

  “No, I mean in this house. With you. I guess I didn’t consider it when we met, because I was told that once you were on Earth long enough, you’d no longer be royalty. You’d just be another guy, albeit ridiculously rich. And to be fair, I’ve never seemed to get along with the wealthy. But here, this is you and your life, and it’s an entire world of wow.”

  He cupped her jaw and tilted her face up to look at him. “This isn’t my life. This is my past.” He combed through her long ruby hair. “It’s nothing to feel slighted by.”

  She leaned into his hand, eyes closed. He wanted to kiss her but knew where that would lead, and they didn’t have time for it. The moment they’d arrived on Prism, word would have spread. They were expected elsewhere.

  As much as he wanted to throw Brook onto his bed, they needed to hurry and get to the bottom of her summoning.

  * * * *

  Two tall fae men stood guard at the entrance to the throne room where Brook would stand before the court.

  “You may head in,” one of them announced the moment they came close.

  Kerren took a deep breath and drew his shoulders back. Brook did the same, then stepped forward, allowing the guards to open the doors before her.

  Kerren followed a few steps behind. He had not been summoned, and was in attendance only in support of her, after all, but he wasn’t going to sit off to the side and leave her alone.

  Brook’s shoes made loud, echoing taps across the ivory marble floor, and she stopped at the engraved emblem at the center of the room as he’d advised her to.

  He quickly scanned the room, noting that almost every seat was filled with royal bloods. His heart raced at the ominous sign. The heads of crown-related houses rarely sat for minor matters. For them to be here meant something big had occurred.

  King Artur shared a look with his wife, who offered a wide smile to Brook. Artur scratched his thick beard, so dark it looked black at a distance. Artur was half forest element, a rare fae, and he looked the part. Rugged and woodsy, even in his formal tunic. The crown couldn’t hide his primal aura. His brown eyes were turned to his wife, and he whispered.

  Seeming to ignore her husband’s whispers, Catriona studied Brook with open admiration. She smoothed a hand over the tightly woven complex braids of gold and russet hair that held up her crown, clearly envying Brook’s long and loose style.

  Catriona’s bright green eyes sparkled, putting Kerren at immediate ease. Though a descendant of a line of fae warriors, she was built small and delicate. Still, Kerren knew that Catriona was capable of laying down the law when needed, an
d he was thankful that unless her mood was deceiving, there would be no punishments tonight.

  “Welcome, dear,” Catriona said loudly.

  “Oh… thank you for the summ—invite.” Brook dipped into a wobbly curtsey, which made the Queen’s smile grow.

  Already, there was the gentle rumble of whispered chatter through the room, and Kerren knew why. Though there was a subtle tremble to Brook, she stood tall and confident. Even not knowing the purpose of this meeting, she revealed no fear and only a hint of anxiousness.

  She was behaving the opposite of how many humans new to Prism behaved, and the fae responded with interest.

  “We only have a few questions,” the Queen explained. “Humans rarely appreciate the nuances of formality, so we will make this ‘painless’ as they say.”

  Brook nodded.

  “How familiar are you with the history of Prism?” she asked.

  “Not at all familiar, your majesty.”

  “How did you learn of the fae and this world?”

  Brook’s head tilted slightly. “I knew the fae existed, but I only really learned of Prism within the last week, when I was asked to be Duke Kerren’s guide.”

  “And how much were you told of the Duke and us?” Artur asked.

  “I was told only the basic facts. That the Duke had decided to move to our world, and that our city was a fair match for him. I didn’t pry into his business, if that’s what you mean.”

  Catriona crossed her legs and gave her husband a look.

  “How dangerous is your city?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure… I suppose not very? Our crime rate is about average, if not below that,” she replied carefully.

  “Did you prepare for these dangers when you decided to offer your services?” Catriona asked.

  Kerren stepped forward to Brook’s side, gently touching her elbow as she frowned and seemed to be flustered at the question.

  “Guide is not her official position in the human world,” he pointed out. “She isn’t responsible for the safety of each human, nor could she possibly be expected to account for them.”

  Artur cleared his throat and leveled a stare at Kerren. “That’s not what we asked. We are aware of Ms. Donovan’s position in her world.”