Page 10 of Calling of the Crown

His amber eyes lit with humor. “What? No, I don’t think so.”

“Then why are they acting like that over my hair?”

He glanced from the Water Fae to the blue tips of my hair before finding my eyes. “Maybe it means you’re even more special than we already thought.”

My heart warming a fraction, I fought the smile trying to tug my lips upward. “You think I’m special?”

“Without a doubt, Princess.”

The group stopped at an open set of large coral-shaped doors. The largest room I’d ever seen in my life welcomed us in, and in it I found a massive table stretching the expanse of the room. Delicious aromas filled the air, and foods of every kind littered the length of our dining space—eggs cooked in all styles, meats piled high and steaming, fruits plated in arrays of colors, fresh pastries that scented the room with their sweet filling, golden bread that puffed with fullness, cheeses sliced and diced to perfection.

“I may have gone a bit overboard,” an older gentleman said, appearing from the other side of the room. Wrinkles decorated his tan skin as a constellation of his years, yet his brown eyes shimmered with youthful life and warmth.

“Bria,” Dallas said as she placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “This is Fitan. He’s the head chef here at the palace, or as I like to think of him, the reason it’s so damn hard to stay fit around here.”

Fitan chuckled. “A badge I am happy to wear, my dear. Cooking and feeding brings me immense joy, and since it has been many moons since I’ve had the chance to cook for such a crowd, I fixed an exorbitant amount.” Fitan addressed me warmly. “It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness. Your mother and father were the most wonderful rulers I ever had the opportunity to serve. Please, let me know if there are any foods or flavors that you dislike.”

“Thank you so much, Fitan,” I said, and I meant it with my whole being. Not just for the food, but for what he said about my parents. Hearing that they were beloved by people was a gift. I gestured at the assortment of food. “This all looks amazing.”

We piled into the room and claimed seats around the table. I took one of the head seats at the far end, which faced the entrance of the room, and Rune sat beside me on my left. I was actually pleased to see two seats set side by side at the end of the table instead of only one. It meant the King and Queen were on equal ground, one just as important as the other. For us, it felt like a visual to show that Rune, a Land Fae, was just as valid as me, a Water Fae.

I knew it would take time for some Water Fae to get to the point where they trusted him—and me—but I was confident it would happen. Land and Water Fae could put the past behind them to create a better future for everyone.

Dallas cleared her throat from the seat on my right hand side. “I made sure Fitan knew your favorite food.”

I glanced at the platter directly in front of mine and Rune’s seats to find a tray of fresh, steaming, gooey cinnamon rolls. I suddenly felt famished as my mouth watered and my stomach growled. I snatched one up, not even caring about the slight sting from the hot, dripping icing. I sank my teeth into the soft bun, and the delicious taste exploded in my mouth.

“Oh my God,” I groaned around the mouthful.

Rune chuckled as he reached for his own. Cocking a brow at me, he asked, “Good?”

“I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted,” I practically moaned after another warm bite.

He chewed and swallowed his own. “Definitely high up there. But not the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

My eyes nearly bugged out of my head. “What could be better than that?”

His fanged smirk told me exactly what he was thinking. He placed a kiss on the shell of my ear then resumed eating as if the exchange hadn’t occurred.

“Your Highness.”

My eyes quickly moved to Jesiah, who sat on Rune’s left side. Akira was beside Jesiah, and I noticed that even with the exhaustion clouding the Raven’s solid black eyes, he was practically glowing from the inside. The spark in his eyes shimmered despite the dark circles beneath them, and his mouth never dipped past the hidden smile there. He consistently leaned into Jesiah just enough to make the barest of touches while still being mindful of the large wings behind him.

Seeing my dear friend giddy after being reunited with his lover made my own heart dance with delight. This was what it was all about. This was why I wanted to reunite Land and Water Fae. There could be so much more—love, camaraderie, respect—between our Kingdoms if given the chance.

I refocused on Jesiah as he continued, “I wanted to properly introduce myself this morning. I’m Jesiah Brooks, advisor to the Queen and King and member of the Council of Doctrina. In addition to that role, I’ll also be acting as your tutor while we catch you up to speed on your duties as Queen, Water Fae history, your powers, and all of the stuff in between.”

A note of relief crept into my voice. “It’s nice to know I’ll have someone other than Rune and Dallas to guide me through that stuff. I had no idea where to even start with it all.”

“Why don’t we start with the hair?” Rance offered casually from the other side of Dallas as he popped a piece of bacon in his mouth.

I nervously fingered the tips of my hair, feeling my stomach coil with anticipation. Even before the curiosity that piqued after Dallas’s reaction this morning, I had wondered why my hair had turned bluer at the tips each morning, especially since no one else seemed to have this issue. The only other Water Fae I’d seen with blue hair was my mom.

Mom.

The thought only served to tighten the ball of nerves in my gut.

As I took a deep breath, I noticed that everyone seemed to have grown quiet as they looked to Jesiah for the explanation. It appeared others were just as curious about my hairdo.

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