Page 69 of Taken By the Fae King

He follows silently behind me. I’m certain he will voice a protest at my granting the Orcs access to the heart tree. My father always believed him to be a skilled negotiator, especially when dealing with the humans. And he is familiar with the inner workings of the council and the royal court. It is the reason I have kept him as my advisor even though his prejudices against other beings that are not Fae are well-known.

When we reach the Council chambers, I turn to face him. “I’ll not change my mind about the Orc,” I state firmly, trying to head off an argument. Lord Torien can be quite adamant when he believes in something. “Is that what this is about?”

“You would allow that brute to speak with the spirit of the heart tree?” he asks incredulously. “It would be sacrilege, my king.”

I expected his protest, but his words are even more dramatic than I’d envisioned. I arch a brow. “You raised no objections when the Dark Elf and the High Elf King sought the tree for guidance.”

“That was different,” he replies. “They were not Orcs.”

“And what about humans?” I ask, deciding to test him. His answer will tell me if he’ll continue to serve as advisor or not. If he is prejudiced against my mate, I cannot allow him to remain in his position as advisor to the crown. “The queen, as all monarchs who have come before her, will undergo the sacred heart tree ceremony when she receives her crown.”

His face pales. “Surely, you do not mean to take her as your true mate.”

Wrong answer. “Why would I not?” I ask, forcing my expression to remain impassive despite my anger.

“Because she is human,” he says as if it should be obvious. “You married her to secure a treaty. She will be queen in name only, just as was done with your grandmother’s sister when she married the Dark Elf King to create our alliance with them.”

I only saw my grandmother’s sister a few times before she passed from this world, but I remember, even as a child, thinking of how lonely it must have been for her to be queen, but never true mate to her Dark Elf King husband, who took another Dark Elf female as his mate and mother of his children.

Torien continues. “I have already sent word to the four corners of the kingdom, inviting eligible females to the winter solstice ball for your consideration. So that we may find you a Fae true mate to rule by your side and give you heirs. I—”

“Enough!” I snap, anger burning in my veins. “How dare you dishonor my mate in such a way.”

He blinks several times, face paling. “My—my king?” His voice quavers. “I—I thought that—”

“When I wed Princess Grayce, I did so with the intention of making her my queen and my true mate in all ways.”

His jaw drops but he quickly snaps it shut, brow furrowed deeply. “You would muddy the great line of Fae royalty with human genes?”

Curling my hands into fists, a deep growl rises in my throat as I stalk toward him. “Get out of my sight,” I grind out.

“But—but, my king, I—”

“You are relieved of your position as advisor to the crown, Lord Torien.” I clench my jaw. “Leave now before I strip you of your title. The only thing staying me from taking that as well is the knowledge that your mate and children would be shamed along with you.”

He turns on his heels and rushes out the door and into the hallway, knowing better than to try my already thin patience and mercy.

Anger roils deep within, and I drag my claws across the table as I struggle to quiet the rage that burns in my chest.

A muffled sound behind me is Aren’s warning of his approach. He is able to move silently, but he often makes noise when he wants to alert me to his presence.

“I had no choice,” I state firmly, not bothering to turn around. Sighing heavily, I look down at the marks I’ve left on the table. Waving my hand, I conjure magic to repair it. “He does not respect my mate.”

“Not that it is for me to judge you, but I do believe that you did the right thing,” Aren offers. “But people will talk. Lord Torien has many friends on the council. And I am certain he is not the only one to harbor such prejudices against the new queen. I’m sure there are some already whispering about how you have yet to give your mate your mark.”

Resolve fills me and I turn back to face him. “Let them whisper,” I growl low in my throat. “I will not rush Grayce into fully sealing our bond just to quell a few wagging tongues. But Iwillmake certain that everyone knows, without doubt, that any show of disrespect toward my mate will not be tolerated.”

“Invite the public to witness her crowning,” Aren suggests. “The queen is your A’lyra, and a Sanishon. Even the Orc King knows she is special. Lord Torien may have some support among the nobility, but it is the support of the people that matters more. Win them to her side by telling them what she is.”

He continues. “You think you are protecting her by keeping the knowledge of what she is confined to only a few among the guards. But if the people learned she is your fated one, I believe she would be even more protected.”

He has argued this before, and I was not sure about it then, but after what just happened with Lord Torien, I see no way around it.

“It will strengthen the position of your joint rule,” he adds. “The people will know you have been blessed by the gods.”

Yes, I have been blessed, but I also believe that the will of the gods is hardly ever clear. I sought guidance from the heart tree spirit. She is a messenger from the gods, and yet she told me I must keep the secret of who I was from my mate. How can I promise Grayce that she is my equal while I still carry this lie? How can I protect her from harm when I withhold something that could destroy her trust?

On our bonding night, I wanted to claim her, but part of me was also relieved that she wants to wait. As much as I want to seal our bond, it feels wrong to do so without her knowing the truth.

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