Wings of Fate: (Kingdoms of Faerie Book 1)

by Skye Horn

  “You look magnificent.”

  Thea lowered her head in a semi-bow as she said thank you. She wished she had makeup on to hide the red tint that burned her face, but hoped the dress’ blue tone against her skin would do the trick.

  “You two had better get going,” Iris said, returning from the woods with a bundle of wood tucked in her arms. “The king expects you for dinner.”

  Faylon appeared then, bowing low for Thea to mount. Kieran extended his hands for Thea to place her foot in, helping her up onto the unicorn.

  “Try not to tear your dress this time, Princess,” he whispered just low enough for her to hear.

  Thea rolled her eyes, but smiled.

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy the improved style,” she replied, tilting her chin a little tighter. She pulled the dress up so that it sat high on her thighs and would hopefully be less likely to tear. Kieran’s eyes widened at the sight, making Thea smirk.

  Ethel covered her mouth, attempting to hide her giggle, and Thea swore she saw Iris’ eyes roll as she ushered the younger girl inside.

  “I’ll never pretend.” Kieran laughed and then, after one last look at the bare skin of Thea’s legs, took off at a run, his wings extending wide behind him. “Try to keep up this time.”

  Thea gave Faylon a light nudge, just enough to tell him to get going, and they took off after Kieran’s disappearing shape. She watched him soar across the sky and laughed as the falling snow kissed her skin.

  She enjoyed the freedom she felt when riding Faylon, and as they leveled themselves beneath Kieran, she admitted for the first time that she felt like she belonged.

  Chapter 7

  A man dressed in armor greeted them when they arrived at the castle gates. Thea dismounted from Faylon’s back as gracefully as she could manage while Kieran landed beside her in silence. She straightened her thankfully undamaged dress and tucked a few of the loose strands of hair behind her ear. The soldier bowed before Thea without meeting her eyes and placed a fist over the left side of his chest in salute. Thea looked at Kieran, unsure of the proper reaction, but just like on the hilltop, he was calculating their surroundings and not paying attention to her. She knew he was in full soldier mode now and wouldn’t be helping her with her questions on etiquette.

  “Welcome to the castle of Grimwalde, milady,” the soldier said, finally lifting his eyes to meet hers. “The king awaits you in the throne room. If you will both follow me…”

  He turned without waiting for a response, and Kieran offered his arm to Thea, apparently satisfied with her safety for now. She looped her arm through his with a grateful smile and allowed him to lead her through the large entryway as the gate lowered down behind them, sealing them in.

  “It is a p-pleasure to have been invited.” Thea felt this was the proper response to what the soldier had said, but she couldn’t control the slight shake in her voice as she spoke. She cleared her throat, as if that might make it disappear, while they walked across a courtyard toward a set of double doors. Curious whispers echoed around the courtyard from many onlookers. Most of them were dressed like Thea, in fancier clothing, some were soldiers, and others looked like ordinary humans.

  Thea noticed several humans and Fae who dressed more casually. These individuals worked around the courtyard, managing flowers, assisting the more nicely dressed inhabitants, and staring at Thea, just like everyone else.

  “Are they slaves?” Thea whispered to Kieran.

  “No, but they work for the king,” he replied, glancing at her. “Like your mother, King Aragon believes in fair treatment of all beings in his kingdom.”

  As the soldier opened the double doors, they were led into a corridor of magnificent paintings. There were many portraits, but one Fae appeared to have been painted multiple times. She had flowing waves of flaming red hair, much like Thea’s, and was often pictured beside a red mare. Thea recognized her without ever having seen her before. It was the Goddess Ainé. Alongside her portraits and paintings were bloodier murals of a female Fae dressed in a soldier’s armor. Death and destruction often surrounded this Fae, flocks of ravens, and remnants of war—except in one painting where she stood as a child on a lakeside with a much younger-looking Ainé.

  Thea realized the other Fae must be Morrigan, the Goddess of Death, and shivered. The murals raised the hair on the back of her neck, so she tried not to look at them for too long.

  When they reached another set of double doors at the end of the hall, the soldier slipped inside to inform the king of their arrival. He returned a moment later, holding the door open for them to pass through. Kieran unhooked his arm from Thea’s and motioned for her to go first. She nodded, desperately wishing she still had his support, and then entered the large, brightly lit room.

  It took a moment for Thea’s eyes to adjust from the darkness of the candlelit hallway to the brightness of the throne room. Skylights lined the ceiling above them, allowing natural rays of sun to warm the room and brighten it. An enormous crimson rug lay upon the floor in front of them, and sparkling gold adorned the walls. She’d never been somewhere so beautiful before, and for a moment, all she could do was stare with her mouth open.

  “Breathtaking, isn’t it?” someone said from the other side of the room. Thea stopped examining the ceiling to look toward the elderly man who’d spoken. He sat upon a stone throne.

  “May I proudly introduce milord, King Aragon of Grimwalde,” the soldier said, bowing low to this king.

  Thea quickly lowered herself into a curtsy of sorts, and Kieran’s face morphed into a soldier’s mask.

  “T-thank you for inviting me to your magnificent home,” Thea said, furious with the unescapable tremble in her throat.

  You are a princess, she reminded herself, but it didn’t help. She felt beyond nervous.

  The king rose from his throne, walking forward to meet them. He used a golden staff to keep his balance, but despite his age, he didn’t appear weak to Thea.

  “Just wait until you see your own kingdom, my dear.” King Aragon reached them, and Kieran bowed low, but Thea remained standing as he held out a hand to her. She placed her hand in his, just as Ethel had motioned her to do with Kieran, and watched as he lifted it to his lips carefully. It was not an uncomfortable moment, but a respectful greeting between two new acquaintances. She understood the meaning behind it, but when she met the king’s gaze all the reminders she’d given herself about being a princess and having manners went out the double doors she’d entered through.

  “Oh!” she gasped before she could stop herself, and King Aragon smiled as Kieran stiffened. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

  The king waved her off and patted the back of her hand assuredly. His eyes were glossed over with clouds of white—endless as the depths of glass.

  “Although my sight has long abandoned me, I still see you, child.” He led her toward the middle of the room and called for someone to bring in a place for them sit. Within seconds, a few men carried in a table with three comfy-looking leather chairs, as if this were a normal occurrence. Adolescents then replaced the men, setting the table with an array of cheeses and meats. Thea’s mouth nearly watered at the smell of coffee being carried out from the kitchens. She’d thought coming to this land meant she’d never have another cup of warm, caffeinated crack, as her mom had once called it, in her life.

  Never having coffee again seemed to be an unreasonably cruel addition to the rest of the changes she was experiencing.

  “Sit, please.” The king motioned them toward the three chairs and Kieran hesitated. “You as well, my boy.”

  “Coffee? Tea?” asked one of the young men serving them. Thea nodded energetically at the cup of coffee and sighed happily as soon as the hot liquid touched her lips, despite the fact that it definitely burned her mouth. Kieran lifted an eyebrow at her, looking as if he were trying not to laugh, before accepting a cup of tea for himself.

  “I’ve heard you wish to be called by your human-given na
me, Thea.” King Aragon took a sip of coffee, coughing a little afterward into a white handkerchief. Thea wondered how in the world he would have heard that, since Kieran hadn’t known she went by Thea until returning from his visit with the king.

  “It’s the only name I’ve ever known,” Thea said, taking a nibble at a piece of cheese she didn’t recognize. It tasted like heaven on her tongue.

  “Well, then Princess Thea you shall be,” said the king. He tapped his staff on the ground like a judge’s gavel and smiled brightly at no one in particular. Thea snapped a cracker in half to follow her cheese and wondered if she should say something else to the king.

  Thankfully, before she could worry too much about it, he spoke again.

  “Ivandor has been in the shadows for far too long,” he said. “But are you sure you wish to be queen? I imagine you have many questions about our culture, our world, and having grown up among humans—”

  “Humans are no different to Fae.” Thea set her coffee cup down with a soft thud, frowning. She realized she was being defensive, but after her conversation with Ethel, she felt a little on edge about the Faerie-human class difference that seemed to exist here.

  She thought of her parents and all they’d done to make sure she’d had a happy life, despite her not even being their own daughter. They’d been the nicest people she had ever known, and they had been human. After their deaths, her boyfriend, Marcus, had also been amazing. He’d taken care of her even when things had ended between them. And then there was Ethel, who, despite being told she was less of a being than the magical creatures around her, strived to please them and fight for what she believed in. “I mean no offense, milord.”

  Thea didn’t know if she was using the proper terms for addressing the king, but she felt angry at him for even insinuating that being raised by humans made her any less capable of becoming queen. She also didn’t like the smirk that was forming on Kieran’s face as she spoke.

  “I told you she was feisty,” he said to the king as if she was not there.

  “You were right, of course.” The king laughed in response, and Thea felt her face growing pink. She obviously was being excluded from whatever conversation the boys were having. “She’s just like her mother.”

  “I’m sitting right here, you know?” she said, with slightly more venom than she’d meant to. The king struck his staff against the ground once more with a booming laugh that made her jump.

  “Just like her mother!”

  Thea took another sip of her coffee and realized the king hadn’t meant to insult her at all. He’d been testing her.

  But had she passed?

  “I know I didn’t grow up here, but I’m here now,” she said, for the first time truly picturing herself as the queen they all hoped she’d be. “I have a long way to go before I can be queen, but I believe in bringing equality to our kingdoms. We need to be united.” Thea didn’t realize until after speaking the words that they hadn’t been her own.

  She felt Ainé’s presence within her mind, the same way she’d felt it before at the hillside in Ireland. It wasn’t as clear this time, but it was definitely there.

  Thea could feel the Goddess’ belief in her as clearly as she felt herself inhaling for breath. Ainé wanted her to unite the four kingdoms, and who was she to refuse? She saw the corruption, she saw the suffering; who would she be if she didn’t at least try to change it?

  “Spoken like a true ruler,” King Aragon said. “Your mother would’ve been very proud of the woman you’ve grown into, and I must say, your human parents must have raised you well.”

  The compliment brought tears to her eyes, and she was glad the king couldn’t see. However, he reached into his pocket and handed her a handkerchief regardless.

  “How did you…” Thea took the handkerchief gratefully and wiped her eyes and nose.

  “King Aragon is a seer,” Kieran explained.

  “Of sorts.” The king laughed, folding his hands into his lap. “I lost my physical sight many years ago, but the Goddess enhanced my other senses to make up for it. The visions are never as life-changing as your mother’s were.”

  “So, you knew both of our mothers, then?” Thea said, unable to contain her curiosity.

  “Yes. As your mother was my god-daughter, I would say I knew her quite well.” The king smiled, but his nostalgic tone led Thea to reach her hand out to touch his. The guards by the door became tense, taking a few steps towards them, but King Aragon lifted his hand and placed it on top of Thea’s. “I don’t know if this will come as pleasant news to you, but your mother did also name me as your great-godfather, my dearest Thea.”

  Thea sniffled but did not cry again as she looked at the old man. She no longer saw only a king. She saw a man who’d been changed by war and age, a man who’d loved and lost. She’d lost so much family that she allowed herself a single moment of happiness at discovering she was not so completely alone in the world. Even if they weren’t related by blood, this man was the closest thing to family she had left, and he was just as closely related to her as her adoptive parents had been.

  “Would you tell me about her?” Thea asked, never letting her hand leave the warmth of King Aragon’s.

  “In time, yes, but first I must ask you what you know of your father.”

  Thea frowned, not wanting to talk about her father. From everything she’d heard so far, she didn’t care if he was her father, she wanted nothing to do with the man.

  Kieran reached over and placed his hand on her knee, catching her by surprise. Despite her desire to hear more now, Thea reminded herself that if she was to be queen, she needed to understand the way the Royal Fae worked behind castle doors. There would be time to discuss her mother later, but this was her first glimpse at her future in the Royal Court, whether she liked it or not.

  “I only know what Kieran has told me,” Thea said. “My father is a monster. He murdered both our mothers in cold blood. My mother sent me away to protect me from him.”

  Kieran nodded his head in agreement, but the king only looked thoughtful, waiting for her to continue.

  “He wants to free Morrigan from her prison so that she can purge this realm of humans.” The words tasted like bile on her lips, but Thea continued on anyway. “My mother knew something—I don’t know what— but somehow, I am the key to releasing the Goddess of Death.”

  Thea didn’t know what else to say, so she just fell back into her chair with a sigh. Her father was a monster, but despite that, she felt an ache at knowing her own flesh and blood had betrayed her, when his job was to protect her.

  “There is a lot more to your father’s history than you have been told, Thea. His upbringing was crueler than many could even begin to imagine, let alone endure.” The king spoke slowly, as if recalling memories from long ago. “Your mother had a kind heart that pitied him because of it.”

  “I will not make the same mistakes that my mother did.” Thea frowned. She hated to think of her mother as making any mistakes, but that was exactly what it had been. She had let a monster into their kingdom and it had gotten her killed. Thea would not allow that fate for herself. She would stop her father from releasing the Goddess of Death and she would make it possible for Kieran and anyone else who’d been forced to flee to return home.

  Surprisingly, it was Kieran who spoke next.

  “A cruel upbringing is no excuse.” He slammed his fist on the table and Thea jumped in surprise. “Some of us grew up without parents at all, and we aren’t out trying to massacre innocent people!”

  Thea took Kieran’s hand off the table and wrapped her fingers through his. Something about his words told her that there was far more to the story than he’d originally told. She didn’t care though, because he was right. A cruel upbringing was no excuse for turning into a monster. She didn’t know what had happened to Kieran’s father, but seeing the fury on his face, she believed that it must have had something to do with her father as well. He was rigid all over, ravenous for a revenge t
hat Thea feared could never be quenched.

  How can he even stand to be around me? she wondered. Don’t I remind him of the very people who ruined his life?

  The questions broke her inside, but she continued to squeeze his hand soothingly, hoping his anger would fade.

  “Aren’t you just as determined to kill Malachi?” the king asked. Thea held her breath, waiting for Kieran to explode with whatever emotion haunted him, but it didn’t come. He seemed to be considering the king’s words carefully, trying to understand what he meant.

  “I don’t wish him dead,” Thea said, her voice steady once more. “He’ll pay for his crimes, but I am not a judge, nor an executioner.”

  Kieran’s entire body was shaking, and Thea feared the darkness that filled him. The kind man she’d seen just hours earlier was fading behind a wall of shadows. She remembered the darkness that had surrounded her when Amara came and feared it now tempted Kieran’s soul.

  “That’s what makes us different from Malachi,” the king finally said. “We won’t risk our souls for the sake of revenge.”

  Kieran didn’t reply, and Thea’s fear only increased. She squeezed his hand, but he shrunk away from her touch, standing and walking out of the room without another word. She stared after him, her lips slightly parted with words left unspoken. The door slammed shut behind him, and she winced as if it had physically hit her.

  Perhaps she’d been right. Perhaps he couldn’t stand being around her.

  “He suffered a great deal under Malachi’s rule. His father went after Malachi after his mother’s death.”

  “What?” Thea looked back at the king with wide-eyed shock. “Ivandor was under my father’s rule though—that would have been a suicide mission!”

  “Exactly…” King Aragon’s voice sounded much older. “His father had no intention of returning. He left his sister with the responsibility of caring for his only son.”

  Thea fought the anger within her. Kieran hadn’t told her this part of the story, but why should he have? They were just starting to get to know each other and this darkness he kept locked away, this sense of abandonment—Thea didn’t know how to help with that.