Page 52 of Blooms of Darkness

Conversation buzzed around me, and I closed my eyes, aware if I didn’t participate in any way, it would reflect poorly on not only me but my father as well. Besides, after my outburst, I needed to don my princess mask and exude my normal behavior as much as possible. After all, we’d already had two men dare to threaten the legitimacy of the throne tonight.

I offered Edmund an attempt at a more genuine smile, however, I couldn’t be certain if it appeared as forced as it felt. “How are you enjoying your meal thus far?” I asked him.

“Very satisfactory, Your Grace,” Edmund said, lowering his head slightly at his response.

My gaze shifted to Kade, who stared at his plate, smiling. Part of me worried about dining with him, aware of his identity as the cloaked man I had met just a week before. Perhaps, there was more than meets the eye to this asshole, who now knew one of my deepest held secrets.

More to the Fae who saved my life twice now during battle. The drop played in my mind and the callous way he’d spoken of us, the accusations of not caring about our people. It had burned me then and infuriated me now even more as I thought of it. Yet, he had chosen to enter a trial and attempt to marry into the lives of the very people he thought didn’t care.

I needed to use our history to my advantage. I may be able to get information from him. Information like, what the hell he needed aid for in the first place, only to turn up for the marriage trials.

“And you?”

He gestured to himself, lifting his eyebrows as if he were shocked I addressed him at all. “Not as good as back home, but certainly better than average.”

“Where is home again?” I asked as sweetly as I could manage.

He chuckled. The sound, deep and stupidly irresistible, had me yearning to hear it again. My body could not continue reacting to this damn man over and over.

Something deep within me hummed in satisfaction yet left me wanting whenever he was near. A feeling I had not felt, perhaps, ever. However, this feeling may betray my better senses if I could not alleviate the growing need from lack of physical connection. I wondered if I should grab Hale for old times’ sake only to bring myself much-needed relief.

“Brookmere, Princess,” he said. “Brookmere is my home.”

I scoffed, settling my attention back on Edmund before I engaged Kade any further and caused a scene. I shoved a bit of bitter greens and sweet strawberries into my mouth to buy a little time before needing to speak again. The acidic dressing tied it all together into a symphony of flavors on my tongue.

All too soon, Perdot, one of my favorite senior staff members, gently touched my back. He nodded toward an empty chair, signaling this course, and my attempt to avoid Frederich and Lord West had come to an end. I realized too late my decision to avoid the two men backfired, since the main course had arrived.

The longest one.Fates.I had not played my cards right.

I shuddered as subtly as I could after noticing a spinach leaf in Frederich’s mustache, unbeknownst to the oversized man, but I obeyed the request from Perdot and moved down the table to the last seat I had yet to occupy.

“Gentlemen,” I said tersely.

The word was a reach for describing Frederich, and I had yet to observe anything in Lord West’s actions suggesting he respected women. Especially after he eyed my chest and calledme his future wife during our first conversation. Their behavior here tonight only provided me with another reason to find a way to rid them from these trials as soon as possible.

Slices of herb roasted chicken, thyme and rosemary seasoned potatoes, and spears of asparagus rounded out the evening. The scent wafting toward me had my stomach grumbling. I dosed my meal with a luxurious pan gravy before even offering the men a glance again.

“Oh, I do enjoy a woman with a hearty appetite,” Frederich pronounced as he leaned into me. “In all aspects of life.” His eyes unnervingly fixated upon me.

It took all I had to swallow the potato I’d gingerly placed into my mouth without vomiting.

“Frederich, do cease your insufferable innuendos,” Lord West began. “No one has an appetite when it comes toyou. I will not have you defiling my time with Princess Illiana with your ludicrous behavior.” Lord West snickered.

Frederich’s face reddened with anger. “I’ve had less complaints from women than you over the years. Many more willing, too.”

The food in my mouth turned to ash, inedible at the audacity of these men and their presumptuous attitude toward me. Neither of them were proper enough to be considered worthy of the crown. If only my father could hear this conversation. Perhaps he would be so offended he would dismiss them from the trials from disgust alone.

I should have guessed they were conspiring after teaming up with their accusations about Ian, but perhaps both men were only out for blood in the competition. Suddenly, however, observing them bicker instead of falling all over me seemed like a good distraction.

Before either could fling another insult, the doors to the dining hall slammed open, and one of the palace’s healers rantoward the king’s table, tripping once over the gold runner lining the floor. He ignored the stares and required protocols completely, quickly bowing, but not waiting for permission to approach the king. He reached the throne and bent forward, whispering quietly in his ear.

All eyes were on my father and the healer, watching the king’s face fall. He glanced toward Andras but continued listening to the healer.

Finally, when the man drew away from the king’s ear, he bowed again. His entire body trembled as he took a slow step back. Then, with the king’s dismissive wave, he ran right back out of the hall. My mother reached for my father’s hand, providing whatever emotional support she could as she, too, waited to hear the news.

My head whipped from one end of the room back to the other. My father signaled Andras to his side, whose eyes flared wide before returning to his normal snakelike glare. He bowed his head and left the king, stepping off the dais and hastily rushing out of the room as well.

Now I knew something wasn’t just wrong, butreallywrong. Andras would never leave my father in a room full of powerful Fae aiming to take his seat upon the throne.

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