Page 43 of Deliverance

Alaric appears in front of me, blocking me from his father’s biting remarks. It becomes easier for me to breathe now that he’s here, and I grab the back of his shirt. Releasing a shaky breath, I drop my forehead against his back, absorbing his strength to get me through this. Blaise releases me but stays close. I’m unable to put into words how grateful I am for his support in this. Alaric trembles beneath my touch, but it is not from fear like mine is. Our bond is fully open right now, and his emotions are practically being shouted at me, meaning I know how furious he is and how difficult he is finding it to hold back his mate instincts.

“She’s right, Father, and I won’t let you talk to her like this.” His voice shifts between the hissing remarks of a threatened mate and the smooth tone of authority as he stands his ground against his father. “I am the heir to the throne, and she is my mate. Attempting to dissolve the bond will be seen as an aggressive act, and weshallretaliate.”

Witnessing how strong my mate is, I want to stand at his side and show the king that while I may be afraid of him, I will not let him chase me off. Alaric is mine just as much as I am his. I don’t know what this means for our future, but we shall find out together. With a deep breath, I release his shirt and step out from the protection of his body, sliding my hand into his as I face the king.

Alaric’s pride shines through the bond, yet outwardly he keeps his expression firm. “Accept her for who she is and what she is to me,” he continues, leaving no room for argument. “If you cannot do that, then I shall renounce my crown, and you will be without an heir.”

Stunned, I gape up at him. He would do that for me? I would never ask him to do that, and perhaps that is one of the reasons he is happy to do it. My whole life has changed with his presence, forced to leave my home behind and start a new life. Perhaps that is exactly what this would be. There is the slightest trace of regret in our connection. He doesn’t want to give this up, but he will to make sure we are safe and happy.

“Prince,” the king growls, closing his eyes as he attempts to compose himself. When they open once more, he ignores me and looks straight at his son. “Look at the problems she is already causing.” The king’s tone has shifted, trying to sound reasonable in his comments. “As king, I have to make difficult decisions—”

“She can summon butterflies.” The admission sounds strained, coming from Blaise like he didn’t want to say anythingbut had no choice. He looks at Alaric apologetically as he steps forward.

The king suddenly looks at me, his expression calculating, and I can practically see the cogs turning in his mind. “Now that does change things.”

“We don’t know anything for sure yet,” Alaric counters quickly, trying but failing to hide his discomfort on the new subject.

Even if it was true that I was able to somehow summon butterflies, then why does it matter? There is a significance to this that I don’t understand, and even the guards are regarding me differently. Whatever this means, it has changed my importance to the king, and he now seems to deem me worthy of his attention.

“That can be changed,” the king muses, his grey eyes glowing with possibilities, and something tells me that I am not going to like any of them. “I need to think this over. In the meantime, put her somewhere she isn’t going to escape.”

I don’t like the sound of that, and from Alaric’s bristling beside me, I know I’m not the only one.

“Father, she is no prisoner,” my mate grinds out, his hold on my hand firm. “She is a guest here, I promised to keep her safe.”

“That was not your promise to give.” His father smiles, but it is without kindness. “Remember what is at stake here if the Unseelie get their hands on her.” Turning his attention to Blaise, he sneers at the fae then looks back at his son. “Yourfriendcan take her if you do not trust my guards, but I will not take chances until I know anything for sure. My word is final.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I’m sorry about this.” Blaise slumps against the white rock wall, sliding down until he sits, his knees bent. The breath he blows out is full of frustration. “I knew Rex wouldn’t take the news well, but this seems extreme.”

Sitting on the small bed, I smooth down my skirt, giving my hands something to do in the hopes it will help with my anxiety. The door between Blaise and me is open, but I know there is no chance of me leaving without the king’s permission. It was made very clear by the guards who wait outside that I am not free to go anywhere.

When I was brought here with an armed escort, I assumed I would be going straight to the dungeons, but Blaise kept his promise and made sure I was brought somewhere more comfortable.

Deep in the back of the castle are rows of rooms like the one I’m in. Apparently this was part of the old castle, and it’s now rarely used. With one way in and out, it is easily monitored and still gives me some semblance of comfort. The room is carved into the shape of a rough square with a bed against one wall anda couch against the other with a rug on the flood between them. There is even a bookshelf with a selection of books. Someone attempted to make it look nice, placing a vase of flowers on a small coffee table and throw pillows and blankets on the bed. A small bathroom is attached with a curtain hanging in front of the entrance to allow privacy.

I have everything I could need, but really, all I want is Alaric.

Tilting my head to look at the male in the doorway, I try to hold back my agitation. “Is it because I am lower class or human?”

Snorting a laugh, he shakes his head, staring up at the stone ceiling. “Honestly, a bit of both. He’s a snob, but his hatred of humans can overwhelm him and take away all rational thought. It was why Alaric volunteered to meet with the humans for the treaty.”

Subdued, I sit back against the wall. The bond is tight in my chest. I know Alaric is somewhere above me, but there are layers of rock separating us. Down here, we are underground, meaning there are no windows. There are plenty of lanterns lighting up the space, but it feels tight and suffocating.

“Why does he hate us so much?” I don’t know why I’m taking the king’s dislike personally. He is the Seelie king. I was told the Seelie were different to the fae I had been warned about in my human village, and that they believed in nature and light and helping others develop and grow. What I have seen from King Rex is the opposite. He isexactlylike I imagined when I feared the fae.

Blaise sighs, and I lift my head to watch him. Glancing towards the guards, he seems checks that they cannot hear us and leans closer to the room, as close as he can get without physically crossing the border. “A human killed his wife, Alaric’s mother.”

Oh. Well that explains a lot. My heart aches for Alaric at losing someone so close to him in this way, and I can understand the hatred the king feels towards my race. It doesn’t give him an excuse to hurt me, though, when I am completely innocent. Painting all humans with the same brush is wrong. I learned myself that not all fae are the evil monsters I was taught growing up. As a king, I would expect him to have more of an open mind. He is obviously able to see the benefits of working with humans if he allowed Alaric to arrange a treaty with them. Perhaps it is having me here, in his court and bonded to his son, that enhanced his negative feelings towards me.

The comment Alaric made about making sure no one knew about our bond until he spoke to his father makes perfect sense now. I can only imagine the fallout that would have caused. This is clearly a taboo topic judging by the way Blaise whispered to me, so I don’t dig any further into that line of questioning. Besides, that tells me all I need to know about King Rex. Alaric allowed his grief to lead him in creating a treaty with the humans, whereas the king allowed his to turn sour inside him, wanting to be rid of us instead.

Stretching my arms above me, I groan at the stiffness in my limbs. I shuffle off the bed and walk a small circuit of the room, working out the aches and pains. Walking around does seem to help, it’s just a shame I have such a small space to do it in. Seeing as Blaise has nothing better to do than sit with me down here, now is the perfect time to ask the questions that have been burning in the back of my mind.

“Blaise, how do you dissolve a mate bond?”

From his wince, I get the impression I’m not going to like the answer.

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