Page 35 of How To Woo A Warrior Orc

Ruby draws a deep breath. “The duchess is visiting next week, correct?”

I press a hand against my stomach, nauseous with anxiety all over again. “She is,” I finally manage to confirm.

Ga’Rek’s wide hand rubs gently between my shoulder blades, and I lean on him, comforted.

Oh. That’s what everyone wants me to do.

Lean on them.

Lean on them, receive the support, and feel better.

It’s so simple I nearly feel stupid.

“The duchess is coming next week,” I repeat, my voice stronger.

Ga’Rek’s hand stills on my back.

“She is coming next week.” I take a step away from him, finding my own balance. “And we are going to put on the best autumn festival Wild Oak Woods has ever seen.” I take a deep, shaky breath, meeting each person’s eyes, one after another.

“I need help.” My voice cracks on the last word. “And the fae, if they are planning something, we need to figure that out too, but—” I pause, pushing my hair out of my face. “But I need help with the festival, and we have one week to do it. Will you help me?”

Wren squeals, startling me, then wraps me in her arms. “About time you asked!”

“I knew you could do it,” Nerissa says, smug.

“You’re in charge of food, obviously,” Ruby tells me. “Nerissa, you’re in charge of assigning vendors places. I suggest we tap our Night Market vendors to come in for the weekend. I know a few bards, I’ve already sent word to them for entertainment. Willow, you can work on florals and decorations, right?” Ruby takes a breath, momentarily ceasing her rapid-fire allocations of jobs. “We will plan a tour of the shops in addition to the festival for the duchess and her retinue, and introduce her to all the best things our town has to offer, and we will cap her visit off with a feast and a dance with the bards. We can also plan a magical display as part of the entertainment.” She nods to herself.

Nerissa cuts her gaze to me, her dark eyebrows arched and ruby lips pursed in surprise.

“A magical display will fulfill part of the coven formation guidelines too. We can introduce ourselves as a coven to the town and duchess all in one go. I’ll ask her to sponsor our application, too.” She rubs her hands together.

I blink, just as surprised by Ruby taking charge as Nerissa seems to be.

Willow is the first to talk. “And what of the other royalty we have in Wild Oak Woods? What’s the protocol for dealing with… that?” She waves her hand at where Kieran stands, his arms crossed over his leanly muscled torso.

A strange look crosses his face, a fleeting look of desire and despair that catches me so off-guard and is gone so fast I think I must have imagined it, or misinterpreted it, at the very least.

“The protocol is we aren’t going to do anything about it,” Ga’Rek growls. “Kieran’s status isn’t relevant. There are enough other species here that Caelan and Kieran can blend in. We don’t need to broadcast our location to any of the Underhill’s spies that may want to report back to Her.”

“Blend in…” An idea occurs to me, an idea that I can’t put aside or dismiss now that it’s popped into my head. “Blend in,” I repeat, “or stand out. The party you want to throw as part of the festival,” I nod at Ruby, “which I think is a great idea, by the way—what if we make it costumed? Then anyone who wants to come… who might be afraid of being seen, can blend in?”

Nerissa claps her hands together. “That is a great idea, and I have a costume I’ve been dying to wear.”

“A costume party.” Kieran grimaces as if that’s the worst possible thing in the world.

“If you want to go,” I tell him. “If not, then that’s fine too. But that way you can attend without being as worried, right?”

Kieran looks to Caelan for guidance.

Caelan shrugs. “A magicked illusion is more likely to draw attention than a costume. If She’s even looking for you at all.”

Kieran’s expression shutters, and I wonder how awful it must be for him—forced from his home, and not only that, but his own mother, the Dark Queen, the one to exile him from it.

I would be very, very, sad and upset if I were him.

“We would like for you all to come,” I tell the fae, then glance back at Ga’Rek, who’s quietly closed the space between us.

Something like satisfaction shimmers in Caelan’s eyes, and he inclines his head at me.

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