Page 138 of The Forbidden Fae King

“I know what you are doing, Keira,” Queen Andrea says. “You do not like to sit with the ladies and baronesses, to talk about silly little things while sewing cushions that do not matter, but this is howwehold court. A lord can be gently swayed by his wife, or his temper calmed by her. It is important that we know them well and make sure their petty grievances are heard. That we have them in our pocket for when they are needed.”

I shift uncomfortably in my seat. This is not why I agreed to marry Finan.

Queen Andrea pins me with her stare. “We may be grossly overshadowed by the men in this family, true power may be out of our grasp, but it is our job to make sure all the little things run smoothly. You were over indulged by Lord Appleshield. Led to believe your opinion matters as much as a man’s. To think that he passed over a son, and made his daughter his heir purely because she was his oldest!” The queen laughs.

“This is your life now. You might think things are different between you and Finan. You might think that this won’t happen to you when you become queen, but it will. I was once as strong willed as you are. Finan is exactly like his father, and neither would tolerate it. I say this from a place of kindness: learn your place and learn it fast.”

I gawk at the queen, absolutely dumbfounded. The blood drains from my face.

“You are dismissed for your harp lessons.” She flicks her head to the door.

I get up on unsteady feet and leave.

“Are you okay?” Diarmuid asks from behind me, as we move beneath a columned walkway that is open to a courtyard garden on one side.

“She voiced my worst fear,” I say.

“Don’t worry about the queen. She is old and bitter and gave up decades ago,” he mutters back, but a frown creases his brow.

I give him a sidelong glance. Diarmuid’s mousy brown hair is oiled and reaches his shoulders in the latest court fashion, and it is incredibly strange to see it in a semblance of neatness. To see any druid well put together. I guess he is trying to find his feet here.

There is a sheen of sweat on his face alongside the scattering of freckles. I wonder how he can handle wearing the brown druid’s robe in this heat.

It is the attire of a court druid, tailored to fit like a long surcoat that wraps around his waist, but surely he could wear silk. Some druids, those of the wilds, wear little more than rough cotton rags for their robes and walk barefoot, even on the coldest of days.

We pass through bands of brilliant sunlight and shadow created by the columns, and each time the sun rays hit my skin, beads of sweat prickle across it. There is too much stone baking and no breeze at all in this city.

“I may have lied about the timing of your lesson.” A sly smirk forms on Diarmuid’s lips. “You have at least half an hour to get there. Where would you like to go? The library or the gardens?”

The thought of greenery runs a shiver down my spine. “Definitely the gardens. Take me down the route past Finan’s sitting rooms, so maybe I will cross paths with him.”

We get lost in talk of home as we travel through the portico passageways of the sprawling palace, until we hear someone yelling. I shoot a look at Diarmuid. I quickly realize that we are almost outside Finan’s rooms, and the curses coming from within are shouted by the king.

Diarmuid pulls me into a shadowy alcove that leads into a disused servant’s staircase, and we wait and listen.

“You stupid fool, Finan!” The king roars. “You brought home the wrong sister in your haste!”

“I will not be spoken to like that, father.” Finan’s voice is hard.

“Do you know what this missive says? What my contact there has reported? Appleshield’s oldest daughter is pregnant to the magic. Do you have any understanding of the benefit that would have had for our lineage? But instead you brought back the pretty one that sucks your cock.”

I recoil sharply, but Diarmuid puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’s no surprise to us that the king is an asshole. Don’t let his words affect you.”

“I don’t care that Caitlin is pregnant to the magic.” Finan growls back. “I love Keira, and she is the woman I will marry.”

“We should get out of here,” I whisper to Diarmuid, my heart sinking despite how Finan defends me. “I don’t need to hear this.”

“Agreed,” Diarmuid pulls me away by the elbow.

My mind wanders as much as my feet as we stroll through the garden. I struggle to focus on the harp lesson afterwards. It keeps whirling into the next day, when the king holds court to hear the petitions of the people.

The great hall is filled with royal subjects of all classes, waiting for King Willard to hear their grievances.

His throne of wrought gold and purple velvet is at the center of a white marble dais, raised multiple steps above the rest of the hall. To the king’s right side, the queen sits in a smaller chair, their younger son Niall beside her. On the king’s left sits Finan in a throne that almost matches the king’s. As Finan’s betrothed, I sit on a stool to his side.

It is surreal to be on the dais with the royal family. To hold court with them, even though I cannot speak. My job is to be Finan’s pretty accessory.

Restless people pack into the hall, commoners, merchants and lords alike. Each group is sorted depending on their station, with the poorest at the back.

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