Page 4 of Calling of the Crown

I watched as his throat worked to swallow that last word, and instantly, my lungs constricted. Being back had to be hard for him. It surely resurfaced memories of old battles he’d been a part of, as well as memories of his dad, and it was those memories that haunted him the most.

“We’ll change what being here means for you,” I vowed. “We’ll make being here mean something wonderful and beautiful.”

The melancholy cloud surrounding him lifted as he looked down at me. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “We will.”

Akira appeared next to me in a flurry of black-feathered wings, and his warm smile was a familiar and calming sight. “I forgot just how beautiful the Water Fae Kingdom is. What do you think so far, Bria?”

I looked around at the colorful buildings and homes once more. “It’s absolutely amazing. To be honest, I’m still in awe. I never thought something like this could be real.”

He gave an understanding nod. “Just wait until you see the inside of the palace.”

I raised a surprised brow at him. “You’ve been to the palace?”

“Hai,” he answered in Japanese. “Back before things between Land Fae and Water Fae were a complete mess. Back when—” he paused, steeling himself to finish. “Back when Jesiah and I were still together.”

My heart clenched painfully for Akira. Jesiah had been Akira’s lover, despite being from different Fae Kingdoms. When the feud began, they’d separated, and that was something Akira had always regretted.

He had no idea what happened to Jesiah, but I hoped to figure out what happened to him. Jesiah was Water Fae after all. If, and only if, it was good news would I tell Akira what I found. I refused to give him hope only to tear it away once more.

As we neared the palace, a few people appeared from homes on either side of the seashell-crafted street. They immediately gasped and fell to a knee with a hand over their chests, heads bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Oops,” Dallas mumbled. I glanced over my shoulder to see her giving me a sheepish grin. “I forgot to tell the Fae here that you don’t like the formal greeting.” Dallas pushed on my back to keep me walking as she called out for the different Water Fae to return to what they were doing.

I glanced back at the strangers and said, “I thought no one was here.”

“A few Water Fae have stayed here to keep Morardia and the palace secure and to manage the upkeep,” Imani explained. “Those were guards and grounds keepers.”

“Should we have stopped to say hello and introduce everyone?” I asked. I didn’t want to look like a Princess who ignored her people.

“There will be plenty of time for introductions later,” Rance said, slinging his dark, muscular arm around Dallas’s shoulder. “Right now, we need to get you settled in the palace.”

The walk was a long one to the palace, but instead of being winded or drained, I practically buzzed with urgency. I wanted to see inside the expansive pearlescent fortress. I wanted to know what secrets and truths awaited me within its iridescent halls. I wanted to see my home.

Imani and Rance stood on either side of the palace doors, and they watched me with eager smirks as they held the seaweed-shaped handles. Dallas stood directly in front of me, Rune, and the rest of our party.

Smiling, Dallas asked, “Are you ready, Princess?”

I squeezed Rune’s clawed hand tightly and took a deep breath. “Ready.”

Rance and Imani swept the doors open, and my knees buckled as we all walked inside.

The ceiling in the grand entrance had to have been at least one hundred feet tall, and dangling gloriously from the high ceiling was a chandelier made of gems in every possible shade of blue. The gems and silver material brought the image of jellyfish to life, each suspended lower than the last so that their graceful, long tentacles showered the room in reflective light. The walls were made of the same iridescent material as the exterior, yet it felt as strong and firm as marble. Straight ahead were two grand staircases that swept up the sides of the walls and met on the second floor to create a balcony overlooking the entrance. In the center of the room sat a sunken fountain with veins branching off to neighboring rooms, allowing water to flow beneath the surface of the floor and throughout the palace.

Gasps echoed off the walls, but I had zero idea who they came from. Honestly, I was sure that if I turned around, I’d find everyone gazing around with the same open-mouthed, wide-eyed stare I sported.

“It’s …” I fumbled for my words. “It’s …”

“Gorgeous, I know.”

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, I looked toward the hallway formed between the two staircases. Akira inhaled sharply and quickly grabbed my arm to steady himself before I could spot the stranger.

“Akira?” I whispered, reaching out to place my hand on his own, which held onto me tightly. His solid black raven eyes stared straight ahead, wide and unblinking, and his usual pale skin had gone even more ghostly. “Akira, what’s wrong?”

“It’s always fun when new people first see the palace entryway,” the stranger’s deep voice continued.

Finally, I turned my attention to the man who’d just entered the room. His tall, deep brown, and muscular body swept into the space with a confidence that even the most seasoned lawyers would envy. He stared down at a stack of books he held in his robust arms, flipping through some loose papers on top, and as he did, his long, twisted braids fell into his eyes. He finally stopped going through the papers to brush the braids back, and he looked up as he did. His eyes immediately locked with one person.

“A-Akira?” he asked breathlessly, and he nearly dropped the books he held.

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