Page 66 of The Fae King's Labyrinth

“For later.” Azulin nodded toward the castle above us. “Are Mother and Father prepared for our arrival?”

Sadness darkened Oran’s expression. “Mother will be delighted to see you as always. You are her favorite still. Father…” Oran hesitated as he frowned at the ground. “His temperament and responses are harder to predict these days. Best you meet him and then we talk.”

“Will he be civil?” Azulin asked.

As though by some hidden signal, the brothers turned to continue up the stairs. Unwilling to intrude, I dropped back to follow behind them. The guards organized themselves into an escort, two taking the lead and marching quickly ahead. The remaining two fell into formation behind, leaving me and the fae who had greeted us walking together. Ghost followed on our heels.

“My lady.” The fae bowed to me awkwardly as we walked. “Will the king be staying with us overnight?”

Clearly he hadn’t heard the declaration of my status despite seeing the Azulin’s mating mark.

Before I could reply, Azulin stopped in the path and turned. Striding back to me, he claimed my hand again, lacing our fingers. Wordlessly, he guided me to walk between himself and Oran. Then he squeezed my fingers.

“Stay close.”

Oran fell into step with us as Azulin adjusted his stride for my shorter legs, and then they resumed their discussion over my head as though nothing had happened.

Ghost moved into place between the servant and our group.

Behind him I heard a slight huff of frustration from the servant, but otherwise, the rest of the walk up to the castle passed without further interruption.

As we entered the castle, my breath was taken away at the grandeur that greeted us. Every room we passed through featured high arched ceilings, gold fixtures, and marble floors. Expensive wall hangings of exquisite craftsmanship decorated the walls, and thick carpets and lushly appointed furniture filled even the most common of spaces.

We traveled through a foyer, up a massive staircase, and down a wide corridor where we left the escorting guards. Then, after passing through four rooms in quick succession, our single fae escort scuttled ahead and grandly opened a door before us. Ghost, to my surprise, fell back and took up a guarding position in the corridor.

“King of the Seelie, Master of the Wild Woods, Arista Peaks, and all the lands north and east accompanied by the Royal Prince of the Seelie, and—” The fae stuttered to a halt.

Azulin spoke for him. “My wife, the uncrowned Queen of the Seelie, Mistress of the Wild Woods, Arista Peaks, and all the lands north and east.” He glared at the fae as we passed into the room. “I find myself very disappointed in the training of your staff, brother.”

“Have no doubt the matter will be rectified at the first opportunity.” Oran’s voice promised dire things for the poor fae servants.

“Please don’t,” I whispered, torn between concern for the servant and confusion about this sudden openness about our marriage.

Oran’s eyebrows rose for the briefest moment as he eyed me before his official mask slipped into place again. The brothers were alike in so many ways.

“He slighted you.” Oran spoke softly as he dropped back with me to let Azulin approach the two occupants of the room.

“That is a reflection on him, not me.”

“And if I don’t address it, the lack of repercussions will reflect badly on me and my household. It is his job to know how to announce my guests.”

“Father, Mother.” Azulin bowed his head slightly to his parents as we approached their position at the far end of the room. Oran and I cut off our conversation as we followed his lead and offered our greetings.

I curtsied deeply, choosing overcompensation to avoid the chance of offending my new family members.

“Az!” The woman rose and glided over to Azulin, embracing him warmly. As a high fae, her movements were liquid and lovely. Flawlessly beautiful, her pale skin glowed with health and warmth and luxurious hair fell about her shoulders in dark silken waves. Her features betrayed none of her age. “We have been so worried. Are you well? Have you been resting?” Then she hesitated, studying her son intently. “Something is different.”

“I am well, Mother.” Azulin let a small smile slip across his lips. “It isn’t as though I’ve been in much danger.”

“We both know that is patently false.” She patted him on the cheek as though he were a small child. “The curse has been hounding you for far too long. I know how that kind of burden wears on one.” She gave the subtlest of nods to the fae man sitting behind her, glaring at all of us.

“How is he?” Azulin asked softly.

Pressing her lips together, she appeared to weigh her words. Then in sotto voce, she said, “Today has not been pleasant.”

“Stop mincing words, Mother.” Oran stalked toward the throne where his father waited. “Father has been a regular bear of a nuisance today. He has thrown most everything he’s beenable to get his hands on, brought three servants to tears, and cursed out an end table.”

“Blasted idiots all,” the former king muttered. Yanking on his long coat, the fae turned in his chair to give his younger son a dramatic cold shoulder.

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