Page 26 of Finding Closure

“And sexed up,” Neldor drawled. “Fix your hair, Tams.”

I shot him the look he deserved even as I turned to one of the women on my detail basically asking her to help me. “I have a mate who is going through hell with his family and taking over leadership of his sloth earlier than he expected. He’s worried about it breaking us when most of his father’s crimes were against me. Yes, the comfort turned physical.”

“We all understand, Your Highness,” someone promised. “The prince is simply jealous.”

“Yes, I am. Thank you for stating the obvious and rubbing salt in my wound,” Neldor replied sweetly even as the temperature of the room dropped several degrees. “That helps the mood of the meeting given how serious the topic is.”

“Enough,” I cut in. I gave the person who snarked a warning look. “I appreciate you trying to shield me, but I can handle my own issues, and I don’t appreciate anyone taking shots at my second. Don’t do it in the future.” I didn’t even wait for a response before focusing on Neldor.

“I apologize,” he said sincerely before I could even blast him. “I’m constantly hounding you to take more time for yourself and do better for your stress and mental health and then I pick on you publicly for taking time for your mate. I need to check myself and my behavior. It was over the line.”

“Thank you,” I accepted, studying him closely. “Are you okay?”

No. It was on his face, but he didn’t want to lie to me.

“The prince has gotten an excessive amount of flak from people about the range of ordinances around the dark realm,” Taeral answered for him. “Not that he had anything to do with that or probably realized any of it given he hadn’t even had his wings yet. The people they want to yell at are gone, and what does logic matter when anger is involved?”

I nodded. “You are to soak in my family’s hot spring since yours hasn’t been reactivated yet, and you’re taking the rest of the day off after this meeting.” I raised an eyebrow when he opened his mouth. “That wasn’t a suggestion, Neldor Donovan. It’s an order. And yes, I can. Do it, or I’ll knock you out for a few days to rest and have the demigod sit on you.”

Neldor’s mouth fell open, but several people burst out laughing. He finally agreed, but there was promised retribution in his eyes.

Yeah, yeah, his idea of punishing me was giving me an hour of oral sex.

Punish away.

I sat down and pulled out everything I needed. “Now, there were twenty families who survived and had their holdings of Earth as part of the entities known as the light and dark fairy trusts. Eight light, twelve dark. That is—”

“Yes, and while we understand why you wanted us—” one of the very,veryold men who was the head of one of the dark fairy families interrupted.

“You have clearly lost your sense to cut off the princess,” Neldor said with a chuckle. “Not even the nobles are so brazen and daft.Irarely do it, and I am a royal like her. I suggest you apologize and let her finish.”

“I do apologize, Princess,” the man said, his tone deadpan.

Yeah, right, like he meant it.

Like I cared.

“As I was saying, that is wonderful to hear as originally it was reported all forty families were lost,” I continued. “And yes, I wanted all parties caught up to the world and time to review what had been done with the holdings over these twenty-plus years now. None of it was touched besides paying the very minor human taxes that Geiger worked that way.

“I changed certain investments and rolled things over for the light fairy trust once I was found but never spent anything from the estates besides those confirmed lost. Neldor did the same.” I glanced around the room. “Our involvement gained you a lot. We breathed new life into your investments and expanded your portfolios instead of leaving them stagnant.”

“We had the ability and authorization to per the trust. I want to make that clear that Lord Geiger did exactly as the terms of the trust stipulated and was to oversee everything as it was but not touch it beyond handling any human matters,” Neldor added.

“None of us would think otherwise of Adrian Geiger,” the head of a light fairy family said. She nodded to me. “And what you did was impressive, Your Highness. Truly. Especially for someone who was behind in your schooling at that point as I understand you were. It speaks to your immense intelligence and savviness. All of what you have managed does. Our family thanks you.”

“I’m glad you appreciate it, and I was glad to do it.”

She smiled at me. “But you want us to now pay our fair share.”

There was no reason to deny it. “Yes. The families who didn’t survive basically gave their full estates to me and then Neldor, and we have been funding the reopening of Faerie and supporting our people with all of that. Plus, our own familyfinances. Starting companies and killing ourselves pumping money into Faerie.”

“And you are not receiving the support you were hoping for from the people with the deepest pockets,” she surmised. “But you hope those who were loyal enough to both crowns to put the trusts together at the suggestion of our queens would publicly back you.”

I studied her a moment. “I didn’t really think about whether it was public or not. Honestly, it would be better foryouif it was otherwise, people would assume it’s still all from Neldor and me.”

“The average person is getting fed up that the prince and princess are the only ones putting so much money towards restarting all of Faerie,” Shael said bluntly. “The nobles who lost their positions didn’t lose all of their wealth. They were fined some or whatnot, but they are basically protesting by doing nothing and living lavishly in their castles.

“The princess cannot seize their assets unless they commit crimes. The ones who committed the crimes were arrested and punished, but the whole family wasn’t involved. So it would be seen as overreaching if she did more. Especially after all of the corruption she has already cleaned up.”

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