Page 52 of Taken By the Fae King

“Why do you think I want to keep it secret?” I ask incredulously. “She would be in even more danger if people thought she was one of the Sanishon spoken of in the prophecy.”

“You already suspected,” he says, his voice tinged with disbelief before his features morph into betrayal. “And you did not tell me.” He clenches his jaw. “How am I supposed to protect you without the truth?”

“As you always have,” I remind him. “Unfailingly.”

“You are making a mistake keeping this secret,” he says. “She is the first Outsider to have a fated bond with one of our kind. She is one of the Sanishon foretold in the ancient tomes of the Lythyrian. The Sanishon will usher in an era of great peace. She is the blessing that every warrior hopes for when they are contemplating battle.” He clenches his jaw. “We have fought against the humans, the Orcs, the Wraith, the Order of Mages…”

He holds up his palms. “My hands have been covered with so much blood, they will never be clean. All I have done, I have done in the hopes that the future generations will never know war.” He shakes his head. “Warriors have died for that hope—that belief that one day our people could finally live in peace.”

Tears shine in his eyes as he clenches his jaw. “Many have fought and died believing in this, Kyven. A dream that we fight for, even knowing that we may never live to see it come to pass.” He shakes his head. “I never thought that world was for us.” He gestures toward the castle. “But to know now that the herald of peace, foretold in the prophecies is here—” He swallows hard. “Warriors would give their very lives to protect her, Kyven.”

He is right about my king’s guard, but as for the rest of our people, I am still uncertain.

As if reading my mind, he adds, “If you do not want to tell the people, at least tell your guards. They were with us on the Wall, Kyven. They are good males, and they will keep your secret if you ask them to.”

“All right,” I tell him. “Inform the guards. But we will keep this from the general public for now.”

He dips his chin.

As I make my way through the hallways of the castle, and back to my mate, I pray to the goddess that I have made the right decision.

CHAPTER30

GRAYCE

When we’re finished eating, one of the servants brings us two cups of tea. I lift it to my face, inhaling the lovely fragrance of peppermint before taking a sip, hoping it will calm my nerves over our ceremony later this week.

“It bodes well for your bonding to be wed under the full moon,” she explains again. “The goddess will bless your union so that your years will be filled with happiness and love,” she sighs again.

Love.I turn the word over in my mind. We have only known each other a handful of days, but it feels as if I’ve known him far longer than this.

Despite my attempts to shield myself, I realize that it is too late. Somehow, Kyven has already broken through the walls I’ve placed around my heart, and he did it so easily that I did not even realize it had happened until this very moment.

Despite this, I cannot help but be nervous about our upcoming ceremony. I may be falling for my Fae husband, and I know the mating flight is part of their tradition, but I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that. Instead of voicing my doubts, I listen as she continues explaining the rest of the ceremony.

“Before the mating flight, the priestess will instruct you to disrobe,” she says, and I spit out my tea.

“What?” I ask incredulously. “In front of everyone?”

“Everyone?” She blinks several times. “That part of the ceremony is private,” she explains. “Only the priestess will remain as witness while you paint the sacred runes on each other.”

“Paint the sacred runes?” I swallow hard. “What does that mean?”

“Do not fret.” She smiles reassuringly. “I will teach them to you. They are easy to learn. Trust me.”

That’s not the part I was worried about, but I keep it to myself.

“Aren told me what happened in Corduin,” she says, changing the subject. “Your encounter with the Orc is all the warriors have been talking about since they returned. By tomorrow, I suspect the entire capital will know of it. By the end of the week… the entire kingdom.”

“Is that a good thing?” I ask.

She nods. “Many of our kind still hold prejudice against yours. The story will do much to instill confidence in your rule as our new queen.”

Because she is Kyven’s sister, I trust her enough to voice my concerns aloud. “Do you think most will accept me?”

She gives me a hesitant look. “It is my hope that most of our people can see beyond preconceived prejudices, but there will undoubtedly be some who cannot.”

I appreciate her honesty. I’ve always valued the truth above all else.

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