Page 128 of Court of the Fae Princes

I shake my head, looking away from the spot the bird fell, then stare out at the horizon. The early morning glow from the sun is just barely peeking above the treetops. The sight eases something in my chest, even though there’s still an uncomfortable ball in my stomach. It urges me to inspect why a table full of food made me feel so bad.

“But introspection is for the wealthy,” I tell myself, followed by a humorless laugh. Then I turn back to my room. “Or am I wealthy now?”

It’s all too much to think about. Overwhelming in a way I’m not prepared for. Breakfast might be necessary before I continue analyzing myself.

I go back inside and stare at the table in front of me. The breakfast spread is overindulgent, as usual for this palace. There are five different kinds of pastries, eggs cooked in every way imaginable, three different types of toasted bread, and all varieties of bacon and ham that exist.

I don’t need all this food.

Even though not that long ago, I would have given anything for this.

Hands shaking, I make a normal-sized plate, knowing that the house staff might sneak what I don’t finish, and start eating. The instant the food touches my tongue, I groan. Everything tastes delicious. Cook is really on her game today. Speaking of which, I’ll have to go visit her sometime soon. She doesn’t like the royals in her kitchen, but I suspect she’ll make an exception for me.

Halfway through my plate, I come up for air and realize that Lady Nova hasn’t returned yet. She jumped down my throat thirty minutes ago about being concerned about the princes and needing to talk, and now she’s missing in action. Seriously, is this a war fae thing?

Feeling agitated for reasons I don’t understand, I go out on the balcony to finish the rest of the food. I sit in a corner on the floor and just soak in the slight chill of the tile.

Within moments, I sense movement in my bedroom and freeze. A feminine voice slices through the silence. “The princes are definitely gone.” That’s Dessi, a maid I’ve worked with more times than I can count and the best source for any rumors. I’m eager to hear about any rumors if they concern the princes.

“Yeah, but I heard,” this girl, Hanna, lowers her voice, “that they’re not coming back.”

What?

Dessi scoffs. “Who told you that?”

Yeah, who told her that? After all the wooing those four have done, I doubt they’d just take off and abandon me. Maybe they’re just pissed about my rejection of them, if you could even call it that. I wasn’t telling them I never wanted to marry them or never wanted to be with them, just that I needed more time.

I feel a headache forming.

Now it’s Hanna’s turn, and she sounds insulted. “I don’t know where I heard it, but I know the elders are freaking out, all the fae are going nuts, and the elders are assembling a massive party of fae to return the princes. They’re calling the princes fools, saying they’re love sick idiots.”

Love sick idiots, but they left me? I have to hold down a snort of laughter. No. I don’t think so. Something else is happening here.

“What do you think this is going to mean for us?” Dessi asks softly, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

To my surprise, Hanna sounds nervous when she responds, too. “Nothing good. As annoying as the fae royals are, they offer us protection. If something happens to them, the iron demons will flood our lands. And you know what happens then.”

Blood. Death. Destruction. Carnage. The history books paint a pretty damn accurate picture.

“We humans will hurt the most then. We’ll be recruited to fight on the front lines, even though if history is any indicator our bodies will just be there to slow them down,” Dessi says.

My heart aches. She’s right, but it’s not going to come to that. Wherever the princes are, I’m sure they’ll be back soon. They wouldn’t just leave. Not me, or their people.

“Maybe Cassia can do something about it,” Dessi suggests.

I stiffen. Me? What the hell can I do about some runaway princes?

“Depends how much she’s changed since all this queen stuff. Is she like us now, or them? Is she going to care what happens to us when she knows she’s safe?” Hanna’s words feel like a blow. Of course I still care about them! Everyone has to know that if I become queen, I’m never going to forget where I came from. Right?

“We’ll have to wait and see. The fae are trying to go easy on her after her kidnapping. It’s kind of funny. If they had any idea what she was used to, they wouldn’t be coddling her like that.” Dessi’s words end on a tired laugh.

At least she has my back. Sort of.

Hanna laughs too, but the sound is further away. “Having a fae queen who lived a human life hopefully means good things for all of us. Again, if she doesn’t let the royal life change her too much.”

Then there’s silence. I sense that they’re gone, and I slowly finish my plate of food. Rumors are funny things. They usually have some truth in them, but how much is always the question. My gut says the princes left. Maybe because they were angry I turned them down. Maybe just because they needed some space. But they’ll be back. Of course they’ll be back!

Standing, I return to the table full of food and set my plate beside it, careful to make sure to leave everything as neat as possible. Then I sit down in a chair and stare at the spread, wondering what I should do next. Visit my family again? Go find out more about the rumors? Look for Lady Nova?

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