Page 20 of Deliverance

I’m not sure why this surprises me so much. We hear very little from the city, what with Brine being so far away. I suppose in my mind and in the books that I read, kings are smart and strategic, making plans with their advisors on the best course of action to avoid bad outcomes, or they are more focused on their military might, being strong and organised. Also, for a kingdom that has allied with the Seelie Court, discovering that their leaderhunts the fae is a surprise, especially considering how proudly he has hung the bodies of his kills.

As I stand in his office that overlooks the city, I cannot help but feel uncomfortable at the choice of decorations. Fae of all types are displayed in glass containers, stuffed and exhibited for the king’s pleasure. Pixies, goblins, brownies, and a whole host of other creatures I do not know stare back at me. They are all from smaller fae races, and I find myself grateful there is no one like the prince mounted on the wall. I have never agreed with hunting creatures for sport, and that extends to the fae. Their bodies are not supposed to hang in grotesque demonstrations of masculinity on the wall. The weight of their stares hangs over me, making my chest tight, and although I know they cannot see me, it feels as though I am being watched.

If Alaric and Blaise are offended by the king’s choices, they do not show it, instead keeping their expressions neutral. This is not their first visit to the human king, so the element of surprise is gone.

The room is dark, and the walls are cluttered with fae body parts, detailed diagrams of various creatures, and portraits of the king with his catches. There are no maps of the kingdom or books on strategy to be seen. This is more like the private office of a hunter, not the meeting room for the king.

I am so distracted by the heavy presence in the room that I miss much of what is being said, the voices of those around me slowly sinking in and bringing my focus back to what is happening.

“Leaving my ministers behind is not a good way to keep my trust, prince.” The king’s voice is tight, and he is clearly attempting to keep his anger in check.

This display doesn’t bother the two fae in the slightest. If anything, it seems to amuse Blaise. Alaric raises a brow and crosses his arms over his chest, staring the king down. “It wasa necessity, I can assure you.” The power in his voice is intense, and although he makes no show of force or aggression, it is very obvious that he would wield that power should he need to. “We have found the doe, the female the Unseelie need to break their curse.” He gestures to me, turning his upper body enough so he can glance at me before facing the king once more. “We found the Unseelie trying to capture her, so we fought them off and brought her here to safety. There was no time to get everyone together, since her safety was paramount.”

The king’s body language changes as his eyes land on me with growing interest. “This is her?” Stepping around his desk, he looks me up and down. “She is such a sweet thing. Are you sure she is the one they covet?”

A shudder passes through me. I do not like the way he looks at me, as though I am a possession he needs to own and use. Every instinct I have is warning me to be careful around the king. In this room with the king, Alaric, and Blaise, it is no longer the two fae whom I fear most.

“You will have to trust me on this.” Alaric’s reply is hissed through clenched teeth, as he’s offended by the accusation that he might have gotten this wrong. Fae senses are far sharper than ours, everyone knows this. Is the king ignorant of the way of the fae, or is he doing this on purpose to get a rise from them?

“Hmm…” The king seems to ponder the idea of trusting the fae, and despite their careful masks, I can see that his behaviour is getting to the prince and his companion.

The king claps his hands together, making me jump at the loud noise. He smirks, enjoying my reaction. “Very well. We shall keep her safe here where the Unseelie will never reach her. Thank you for bringing her to us.”

Nodding in a clear dismissal, he waves towards the door.

Startled, I look around with wide eyes before staring at Alaric. My heart pounds in my chest, and I struggle to catch abreath. This cannot be correct. They did not bring me all this way just to leave me here, right? I might still be angry for how they took me from Brine, but they are the closest things to friends that I have right now—not to mention the king doesn’t make me feel safe. If anything, I feel more unsafe in his company than I did in the forest.

“You’re leaving me here?” I ask, my voice cracking with emotion.

Alaric stares at me for a long moment, all noise in the room falling away as I wait for his response. Why am I turning to him? He’s a fae, one of my kind’s natural enemies, only, that does not feel right any longer. My feelings for him are complicated, and I blame it on the stress of the events over the last few days. Everything about my life has changed so quickly that it makes sense I would grab onto the closest safe person. Yes, that is what is happening and why I want to stay with him and not be left here.

He seems to be having his own mental battle, and the only indicator that he has come to a conclusion is the slight narrowing of his eyes. Turning to face the king, Alaric clears his throat. “Your Majesty, while I know she would be safe here, I cannot leave her.”

The fluttering of butterflies inside my stomach fills me with a hope I don’t quite understand. Alaric is just ensuring that I do not get into the hands of the Unseelie, and it has nothing to do with the fact that he was moved by my plea not to be left alone. I know this, yet I cannot seem to separate those two reasons, not when I saw the look on his face.

Tension builds in the room, filling the silence with a pressure that weighs down on us as we await the king’s response. He does not seem like the type who is used to being denied, and I have not quite worked out the relationship between him and the fae. Watching him carefully, I take in the way he seems poised asthough ready to strike as he stares down the prince. Slowly, his gaze shifts to me, and something changes about him.

Smiling, he shifts his weight on his feet, making himself appear non-threatening. “This is no talk for a girl,” he says jovially, waving away the tension with a callous gesture. “Why don’t you go for a walk in the gardens while the prince and I discuss the details?”

There is no room for argument, the order ringing through clearly despite it being posed as a question. For some reason, he doesn’t want me hearing whatever is going to be discussed next. Is it because he doesn’t trust me and is discussing sensitive information, or does he truly believe his own biases?

No talk for a girl.

The comment twinges something within me—some buried, wild part that has been suffocated for many years. I may be young, but that does not affect my worth, and neither does my sex. Part of me believes this is just an excuse for the king to speak freely with the prince, but why does he feel the need to belittle me in the process?

I suppose I should not expect anything more, especially from a king. This is just the way things are in our world. Women do not have the same standing and rights as males, so there is no point in getting worked up about it. What could one woman change?

While I may not have much of an impact on my own, that does not mean I should drop my standards and ideals.

Honestly, I am very eager to leave the room. I trust that Alaric will try to negotiate in my favour, and it is clear that the king would not respect my opinions. However, the idea of wandering around the castle on my own is also terrifying. Everything is so different here, and although I am surrounded by my own kind, I have never felt more out of my depth.

“I shall go with you, I could use some fresh air,” Blaise comments lightly, sounding bored when I know he is stepping in to keep me safe.

Alaric turns his attention to me, watching me closely for a heavy second before dipping his head in agreement. I wish I could read his thoughts so I knew what emotions were causing the intense look on his face. Shifting his gaze to Blaise, he does that strange silent communication the two of them seem to share.

Things appear to move very quickly now as we bow and take our leave, and as warm light filters onto my face, I realise we are no longer in the castle. Somehow, I have managed to walk to the gardens without paying a single ounce of attention to where I was going. Quietly cursing, I shake my head in frustration as I look around the gardens. How do I expect to survive in this new environment if I float through my life here? Sure, Blaise is here to keep me safe now, but he won’t always be.

Enough of that, I will learn from my mistakes.

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