Page 87 of The Kingdom Cursed By Iron

There are still obstacles between us, though. Still secrets and unknowns. Just an hour ago Lisinder talked about murderers Ruskin pardoned—implied that they were people he let walk free simply because they were Seelie. I don’t know the full story, but the fact that it already fills me with dread shows I don’t trust Ruskin. I can never be sure that the truth about my mother isn’t something to worry about too. I can’t be certain that Ruskin doesn’t have even more skeletons in his closet, waiting to tumble out and make me question who I’ve fallen in love with. The idea I might have no choice in that—must accept it blindly because the universe says so—terrifies me.

“I’m not sure I really believe in fate,” I say. “I mean, the magic’s real, but does that really mean it can decide what we do with our lives? Two aligning true names and what, that’s it? We have no free will?”

I can feel myself starting to ramble, so I stop. When I risk looking back at Ruskin, his face is a mask again, and the sight of it is almost unbearable after so much vulnerability.

“I imagine that’s why you waited so long to tell me, because you didn’t think it meant anything. Is that right?” he asks, bitterness creeping into his voice. I feel my face crumple.

“It wasn’t like that. I didn’t know for sure?—”

“But you did last night, didn’t you? And you suspected before then. But you didn’t think to bring it up until it was useful to you,” he says.

How he can go from being so open one moment and so brutally closed off the next is beyond me. I rise from the water, stepping out of the bathtub and pulling a towel around myself.

“Oh, and you would’ve preferred me to have died down in that pit, is that it?”

He grits his teeth. “Of course not.”

“Then what’s the problem?” I say, aware my voice is mirroring his now, becoming harsher.

“The problem is you’ve kept your suspicions from me for weeks, only to deny the connection now when it should be impossible to ignore. You accuse me of keeping things from you, and yet here you’ve been hiding the biggest secret of all. Even now, you won’t tell your true name, will you? Don’t think I didn’t notice how you left that detail out.”

I open my mouth to retort, but he’s right. It’s hypocritical of me to keep this from him, but I won’t have fate decide what’s right for me. I can’t tell him my true name. According to Destan it would cement the bond between us, and I’m not ready for that. The very idea fills me with fear.

With nothing else to say on the matter, I just shake my head.

“I should go get dressed,” I say. “The king is waiting for us.”

Chapter 27

“Iwas worried that growing up in the Seelie Court might have changed my brother’s son too much,” says Lisinder.

He receives us in a room much less intimidating than the grand cavern, and I wonder how often that throne room is actually used. Part of me suspects it was selected for our arrival specifically to intimidate us. Now we’re seated in velvet chairs beside Lisinder in a room that’s much more comfortable and almost, dare I say it, homey. Or maybe that’s just my impression because of the way I’ve been treated. Lisinder and the others seem to take it as a given that I belong at Ruskin’s side—that I deserve my place there. It’s a welcome change from the snobbery of the fae of the Seelie Court.

“Uncle, if you are speaking of the incident with Riverwings, I certainly have my regrets there.”

I listen carefully, wondering if Ruskin will explain further what happened. But Lisinder shakes his head.

“That is not what we are here to discuss. I can see you still have the Unseelie strength and drive in you, and I am inclined to believe you did not come here for trouble. So tell me,” he demands, “why enter my kingdom and court under such secrecy?”

I meet Ruskin’s gaze, a rare moment of connection since our argument. This meeting is too important to let our personal tension get in the way, so I try to let him see that I’ll follow his lead here—let him decide how much he’s willing to reveal. Our sneaking around was precisely because we didn’t want news of our struggles to reach the Seelie Court’s enemies. But that doesn’t mean Lisinder is one of them. Ruskin’s the one best suited to figure that out.

“The Seelie Court has experienced some misfortune recently and we come here seeking a solution,” Ruskin says.

Lisinder’s brows bunch. Through his usual serious expression, I see a look of genuine concern dawn. “Is it your mother? I know she hasn’t been well recently.”

Recently? Try two hundred years.

But I suppose to Lisinder, that may not be so much time at all. I’m more impressed that Ruskin has managed to keep the extent of her sickness from the Unseelie, not that it matters now.

“My mother is in fact better than she has been for a long time,” Ruskin says.

“I’m glad to hear it. I have long admired the High Queen. She was a good match for Lucan.”

I blink in surprise at the tone of the conversation. While he’s not exactly cuddly, Lisinder is so open—not speaking with double meanings or in vague terms. He cannot lie, and yet he seems to not even want to. It’s refreshing.

“The misfortune that has struck my court is magical in nature. Some believe it to be a curse. You have a man of learning here in your court, an old tutor of mine, whom I wish to consult on the matter. That is why we are here.”

It’s close enough to the truth that Ruskin gets away with it. Technically, I’m the reason we’re here, but by consulting on my power, Ruskin’s tutor will also be giving us answers about the iron eruptions.

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