CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
BETH
The cheering and laughing stopped. The only sound was the whispering among the Fae spectators.
Bleddyn let go of me, holding his hands out just in case, ready to catch me. The dizziness receded as I caught my breath. My eyes still wide with terror, I looked to the side, expecting to see the fallen body of the young man. But he was gone as if he’d never existed.
My heart ached with the tragedy and the understanding of how close I’d come to suffer the same fate. When I turned back, Bleddyn was gone, and I was alone. I searched around frantically, scared that without my protector, I’d become prey again. But nobody was paying me any attention, having already moved on to the next entertainment.
A loud knock rang through the hall. Once, twice, three times.
The conversational murmur died down immediately, and everybody fell silent in an expectant hush. The Fae were all around me, blocking my view of what was going on. But like sensing a storm coming, I could feel something was happening without having to see roofs being torn from houses.
The crowd parted, and two courtiers marched toward me. I looked over my shoulder for an exit, and if there’d been a way out, I would have run. Behind me, the Fae stood side by side like a solid barrier, their eyes shining with excitement.
The men reached me, and I braced myself for the next assault. Instead, they bowed as low as they could and addressed me.
“Lady Beth, we would be honored if you followed us.”
Those words stirred more whisperings. This time it didn’t sound gleeful, but concerned. These bastard Fae had seen me and thought I was easy prey. And now they were worried.
Good. If I ever got any power in this place, I’d shut them down and throw them in the dungeon for what they did to that man.
Following the two courtiers, my knees shook under the wide skirt, partly from the recent exertion, but partly with fury. I was still breathing fast, but every step away from my tormentors made my lungs work easier.
I found myself in front of a dais with three steps leading up to a platform, accommodating three chairs. The middle one was made of dark wood, decorated with intricately carved flowers and trees. The bark and leaves were set off with gold leaf, creating an exquisite and imposing throne. On either side of the main chair stood two smaller ones, decked out with similar carvings, but covered in silver.
King Rhys sat on the golden throne with his son to his left. Prince Prys’s lips were pressed together, and his expression grim. The king took no notice of his son’s bad temper. Instead, he declined his head and smiled.
“Welcome to the Faerie Court, my granddaughter.”
The room fell deadly silent. I was so fixated on the king and his son that I hadn’t noticed Bleddyn standing behind the dais with another Fae. Both were dressed in extremely flattering leather uniforms, holding large silver swords. Looked like Bleddyn had pulled guard duty, but still taken out time to save me.
King Rhys interrupting my thoughts and held out both his hands. “Come, dearest Beth, and join me. Sit on my right.”
The murmuring grew louder. I lifted my skirt and ascended the three steps. Taking his hands, I allowed myself to be guided to the chair. As I sat down, I glanced at Bleddyn, who’d moved himself into my field of vision.
He gave me a tiny smile, winking as he did so. Then his face became impassive again as he stared into the crowd, scouting for any sign of trouble. My heart felt much lighter, knowing he was on my side.
For a moment, I imagined the beautiful Fae court in front of me hadn’t just killed a young man as casually as tearing the legs of a spider. But they had, and they’d have done the same to me if Bleddyn hadn’t intervened. These stunning creatures were dangerous, and I’d better not forget it.
The king was still standing, waiting for the murmuring to die down. When it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, he spoke slowly and loudly so the last of his audience would understand him.
“As the High King of the Summerlands, The Seelie Sovereign, the Lord of the Shimmering Veil, and the Green Monarch, I hereby declare that Lady Beth is my granddaughter, the daughter of the Lost Princess Arwen, and the rightful heir to the throne of Faerie. Let it be so.”
Then he sat down, smiling as the room erupted first in gasps and then applause and cheering. The sound was distorted, as if my head was under water. I stared at the first row of the Fae lords and ladies, the whiplash of emotions so intense, fear and relief running shivers across my arms.
With this speech, the king had welcomed me into his family while making it clear that nobody was to toy with me. But his words had changed everything. I’d thought I’d be able to talk to him some more and understand what I’d get myself into if I accepted the role. But apparently, nobody would ask me. I was now the heir to the throne, and I’d just have to deal with it.
There was a lead ball in my stomach, expanding, pushing against my lungs, making it harder to breathe. This was a responsibility I wasn’t born into. I wasn’t raised or trained to be a princess. All I wanted was to find out the truth about my parents’ murderer, free my friends, and get out of here. That was it. Instead, I’d just inherited a kingdom.
I went through the rest of the festivities like a sleepwalker. To me, the food was sawdust and my beloved spiced tea vinegar. I sat with a rictus smile on my face, accepting well wishes and smiling at the many Fae who wanted to curry favor with the new heir.
I didn’t know what to say to them. Soon, I fell into a standard response of “Thank you. Yes, it came as a surprise to me, too. I’m sure I can help you once I’ve settled in.”
After the meal, the music picked up again. This time, I was able to listen to the strange tune without any compulsion to dance. Which was just as well because my feet hurt like they’d been burned. I checked surreptitiously during a lull in the procession. My slippers had holes on the bottom, and the skin peeking through was red and sore-looking.
When the festivities died down, I barely managed to drag myself back to the small apartment I’d been allocated. The same two guards who’d accompanied me to the large hall helped me find the way back. If they hadn’t, I’d have lost my way several times.
When I knocked on the door, Margiad and Delyth took one look at the tattered state of my shoes and gasped. Quickly, Delyth fetched a bowl of warm water while Margiad sat me down and helped me place my feet into it. She kept my dress out of the way while Delyth gently washed the injured skin.
Then she applied some ointment from a decorated earthen jar. She drew a sigil in the air and mumbled in her strange language. Immediately, the cream heated the blistered skin until it became painful. I hissed, pulling my feet back, but just as quickly, the pain stopped. When I bent over the swathes of fabric to take a look, my feet were whole, as if they’d never been hurt.
Margiad got me to stand up, and while I swayed with exhaustion, the two women pulled the precious dress over my head and placed me in a night gown. Finally, I fell into my bed and was out like a light.
After a dreamless night, I woke up to the smell of chai. Margiad stood next to my bed, holding a jar of the hot spiced tea. “Your Highness, please rise. The king has called for you to meet him in the rose garden. The prince will be here soon to accompany you. May we get you ready?”
I scrambled out of the bed, taking the chai from her. Sipping it slowly, I looked around the room for my old clothes. They were nowhere to be found, hopefully burned. Instead, there were new items laid out for me. I handed the empty mug to Margiad and declined her offer to dress me.
After washing, I slipped into a simple, lime-green shirt with white embroidery along the V neck. It was paired with soft cotton pants, held at the waist with a leather band. Its wide legs made them appear like a skirt when I walked. A pair of fine leather slip-on shoes completed the outfit. It was simple, yet elegant, and highly practical.
I was barely dressed when the prince knocked on the door. To my astonishment, Prince Prys entered the room and bowed formally. He’d never treated me with courtesy or deference, but his father’s announcement had clearly put me above him in the pecking order.
He didn’t speak as we made our way to the gardens. The last time I’d been here, it had been full of Fae lords and ladies promenading. Now the gorgeous paths, lined with scented white rose bushes and purple lilac, were deserted in the early morning sunshine. In the distance, a peacock sounded its eerie cry, incongruous with the beautiful surroundings.
Prince Prys’s footsteps stopped crunching behind me, and I turned around. He glanced back over his shoulder, his expression apologetic. “Please forgive me, Princess. My father wanted to see the latest news from the borders. I left them behind. You must not keep him waiting. Please follow the path until you reach the rose garden. I will be right behind you.”