Page 54 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“Looking forward to it.” I smile at him, knowing it will get under his skin to see me so unaffected.

Before he can raise his hand to me again, Bellamy clears his throat and flares his wings, effectively taking Brutus’ attention off of me. I exhale silently in relief, grateful for Bellamy’s intervention. The bruise on my cheek is yellowing, barely noticeable at this point, but the idea of getting struck in the same spot again has me cowering. I mount Shadow, and we head toward the capital.

After about six hours with no food or rest, we’re approaching the outskirts of Viaria. It’s even colder here since we’re farther north, and I start to shiver, my whole body tense as we ride through the city. There’s nothing particular about the buildings or people here that’s much different from other cities I’ve been in, but things feel darker, like the king’s grief has infected the whole capital. The townspeople stare at us silently as we ride by, adding to my unease.

We arrive in the center of the city at last, a huge iron gate separating us from the castle. Brutus calls out to the guard manning the gate, and a moment later it starts to lift with a resonant scraping sound, and I clench my teeth together to avoid shivering from both cold and nerves. We ride through, under the uplifted fence, entering a courtyard with very few people present. There are knights posted at several stations, but aside from them, the place is eerily quiet, nothing like the castle at the Spring Kingdom on the night of the ball.

Once in front of the castle, which is crafted primarily of obsidian from the looks of it, we dismount and a stablehand comes to retrieve our mounts. His eyes widen slightly upon seeing Shadow’s wings, but he grabs her bridle to lead her away with the rest of the horses. She puts up a fight, not wanting to leave me, but I silently plead with her not to resist, and eventually she calms down enough to follow the stable boy.

I still have my bow and dagger, but I know I’ve only been allowed to carry them thus far because Brutus knew I wouldn’t be stupid enough to actually try to use them. However, upon walking up the huge black steps to the castle door—Brutus’ hand a very unwelcome presence at my elbow—one of the guards standing at the door comes up behind me and removes my bow. I don’t fight him, knowing I don’t have a choice. My dagger is hidden well enough under my cloak, and they either don’t notice it or don’t think I can do much damage with it, so it stays strapped to my thigh. The guards push open the double doors, and Brutus shoves me forward roughly as we walk into the entryway.

Unlike the castle of the Spring Kingdom, which was bright and airy, this entryway is dark and eerie. Upon entering, I realize the castle isn’t made out of obsidian, but rathercarvedfrom it, right into the base of a mountain. Our footsteps echo on the stone floor as torches hanging on the walls guide us down the wide, black hallway. There’s no decor, no windows, no joy. Only glossy, damp stone and darkness. It smells slightly musty, giving the illusion that we’re in a cave underground.

No wonder the king is depressed.

We approach another set of double doors, and the guards there take one look at Brutus and hastily open them for us, the wood creaking as it brushes against the cold stone of the floor to reveal a large throne room, which is once again empty, lifeless. It’s large enough that it could easily fit hundreds of people, but there are only two people in this room besides the knights keeping watch; the king, sitting on his onyx throne at the front of the room, and Finn, seated beside him on a smaller throne. There are two empty chairs to the king’s right, one that was once occupied by the queen, and the other presumably meant Finn’s little brother. Who knows if he ever even got to sit in it…

My eyes find Finn immediately, and my stomach drops upon seeing his face. He’s got dark purple circles under his eyes, his skin is sallow and his hair disheveled, as if he hasn’t bathed or slept for days, despite being in his own home. There's no emotion on his face, no sign of recognition upon seeing me, only darkness and maybe even boredom, as if he can’t wait to get out of here and attend to more important matters.

I put up my emotional armor, preparing for the worst as we finally reach the front of the room. Brutus and the other guards bow deeply, dropping to one knee in front of their king. I remain standing, not out of disrespect, but because I have no allegiance to this kingdom, and I’d frankly rather die than kneel before Finn in this moment with the way he’s looking at me. His eyes scan over my body, his expression completely impassive, as if I meannothingto him. It takes all of my energy to appear strong when inside my head, I’m replaying every moment we shared together. I look away from Finn before I can collapse from my broken heart.

I take a deep breath, locking everything good, any love I might’ve felt for him, away in a box in my mind. With one final silentfuck you,I lock the box and throw away the key, effectively ending my relationship with him.

King Cadogan is a looming presence, even seated. He's got Finn's same black hair, but it's thinning and peppered with gray strands. His irises are black, his jaw covered in a thick gray beard. His knuckles grip his throne, his hands frail and shaking slightly, the only indication that his age is starting to affect his health. He looks me over with curiosity, but no outright distaste, which surprises me, especially compared to the way Brutus looks at me. I hold his stare, trying to control my shaking hands, knowing that he could give the order and end my life right here and now if he chose to.

Out of nowhere, the king claps his hands together; the noise echoes off the stone of the massive room as a huge smile spreads over his face.“Welcome, my dear. We’ve been patiently awaiting your arrival.” He walks down the six steps that separate the floor where I’m standing and the thrones. He puts his hands on my shoulders and leans in to kiss both my cheeks, leaving me reeling with shock.

I do curtsy then, lowering my eyes to the floor, if only to have a moment of reprieve from his expectant expression.“Your Majesty,” I say, before standing back up to my full height. Brutus and the others stand as well, remaining completely silent.

“How was the journey? I hope these brutes weren’t too misbehaved.” The king laughs to himself.

I’m truly at a loss. I don’t know what I had been expecting, but it sure as shit wasn’t this. I even sneak a look at Finn, my eyes blazing with questions, but he refuses to look at me, instead spinning a dagger nimbly in his fingers.“The journey was just fine…” I answer hesitantly.“Your Majesty.”

“Marvelous,” King Cadogan says before offering me his elbow. I take it, looking over my shoulder at Bellamy, eyes slightly wide. He gives me a nod, telling me I'm safe, at least for the time being. The king leads me into a separate room, a dining hall by the looks of it. There’s a long, wooden table and a huge hearth with a massive fire already roaring and crackling in its midst.

The king gestures for me to sit, and I do so quickly. Finn sits across from me, still refusing to make eye contact, while his father sits at the head of the table. None of the other guards join us, even though the table is large enough to fit at least fifty people. Multiple servants bring out trays full of food; lamb and potatoes and carrots, biscuits and gravy, all accompanied by a red wine poured into a crystal glass. The smell of the food makes my mouth water and my stomach clench, but I wait for the king to pick up his fork and start eating before I do. I try my best to look ladylike while I eat, but I’m starving, and at some point, instinct takes over.

I don’t notice the king is watching me until he chuckles jovially, his chin resting on the back of his hand while he stares at me.“My, my. I’m glad to see you’re enjoying the food of our beautiful kingdom with such enthusiasm.”

The truth is, I’m barely even tasting the food I’m eating, but I swallow the bite in my mouth and smile at him with my mouth closed.“It’s delicious, Your Majesty. Thank you.”

“Excellent,” he says happily, returning to his own meal. Finn hasn’t even touched his plate, but the king doesn’t seem to notice. We eat in silence for a while, and I’m finished with my plate long before the king is. I practically chug my glass of wine before a servant brings out a chocolate cake for dessert. Even though I’m full from the meal, I can’t resist, especially considering how confused I am about this whole situation. I indulge, slicing myself a huge piece and plopping it down on my plate while a servant refills my wine. I get about halfway through the piece of cake before my stomach won’t allow me to take another bite. I sit back in my chair, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

The king notices that I’ve stopped eating and snaps his fingers, summoning a servant girl who looks to be a few years younger than me.“Please escort Princess Amberheart to her room,” he tells her before turning his attention back to me.“So lovely to finally have made your acquaintance. I look forward to our time together.”

Still unsure what the hell is happening, I stand and curtsy to him again and repeat the only thing I’m apparently capable of saying to him.“Your Majesty.” I follow the servant girl, not even bothering to look back at Finn since he seems happy to pretend I don’t exist. Just as well; he’s dead to me now.

Just like some of the servants in the Spring Kingdom, her head and face are covered by a veil, and she doesn’t look at me or speak. It seems strange, but maybe that’s just because it’s unfamiliar. There are no servants in Staghorn, after all.

She leads me up a huge flight of stairs, carved out of the same stone as the rest of the castle, and down a long hallway of the east wing. She opens the door at the end of the hallway to reveal a ridiculously large room, even bigger than Finn’s guest quarters were at the Spring Kingdom. A huge canopy bed with black satin sheets occupies almost a whole wall on one side of the room, while a large copper bathing tub big enough for two sits in the corner near the hearth. There’s a leather sofa and two chairs directly in front of the fireplace which is burning brightly, and walls and walls of bookshelves, with hundreds of titles. I’m so shocked to be in this room and not in the dungeon that I feel numb.

“Is there anything I can get for you, m’lady?” the servant girl asks me.

Still unsure if this is my last night on this earth, I decide I can be greedy.“A hot bath would be wonderful. And if you have any spare clothes, I would greatly appreciate it. I have none but those on my back.”

“Right away, m’lady.” She bobs in a slight curtsy before disappearing through the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I clamp my hand over my mouth as a hysterical giggle escapes.Edith’s tits, what is my life?I walked into this castle expecting to be thrown in the dungeon and maybe even tortured on the spot, and instead, I find myself in the biggest room I’ve ever stayed in, well-fed, and warm.

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