Page 42 of Royal Ransom

Couldn’t let Janara win. I was the lesser of two evils. Winter needed someone to rule, and I was the only one fit to do it at the moment. Damn it all to hell.

“Don’t look so glum,” Fox said, offering me a cheerful smile. “It’s not so different from the politics you had to play in Portland, just... on a macro scale.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means showing up to key events, reassuring the right people, and always keeping in contact with informants. The rest can be delegated to the lords and ladies of Winter that you trust.”

I still didn’t like it, but it sounded less soul-crushing put that way.

“I can stay here?” I checked.

“Yes,” Fox said tiredly. “You can. I recommend setting up some kind of embassy, and you’ll need a more fortified home than you currently live in. Your enemies will be clever and determined. You have to outfox them, if you’ll pardon the pun. You can’t do it here.”

“I still have—” I started.

“Of course,” Fox interrupted. “And you always will. That’s what it means to be the ruler of a kingdom.”

I almost told him where he could shove his critique of my house. Because he was right, I let it go. I wouldn’t feel safe leaving the boys here after everything that had happened in the past few weeks. A fresh place and a fresh start sounded nice, the more I thought about it.

“Are you staying?” I asked. “I mean, you’re free now, right? No war with Winter. The need for an heir has gotten less urgent now. You could take your time. Travel with Astrid.”

Fox nodded vaguely. “I plan to travel at some point, but a more subdued layover here, in Haven Hollow wouldn’t go amiss. I know Charlotte wants to study to become a doctor. That should be another eight years, at least.”

Eight years with Fox as my neighbor. Egad. Maverick would blow a gasket at the idea. I didn’t like it much either. We’d probably share some shiny faerie embassy in town, but like hell was I living on the same block. He’d be insufferable by the end of the month. I was good at controlling Winter, but the prince could try the patience of a fucking saint. I was about as far from one of those as it got.

“We’re still ending up joint rulers, you know,” Fox said with a wry smile. “Regents, in place of our heirs. They’ll need the guidance.”

I blew out a sigh. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t rub it in. It’s pissing me off enough already.”

At least I hadn’t married him. He’d won the battle, not the war. I still wasn’t a full-time queen of faerie. Not his perfect Sidhe wife. I’d remained me, and that was what mattered.

He laughed, but there wasn’t a lot of life in it. “It’s not how either of us pictured this going, is it?”

“No. I’m glad it happened this way, though, aren’t you?”

Surely he couldn’t still be butt hurt that I’d turned him down? Charlie Rose had gone to bat for him, lying to me about his desire to be rescued. It took guts, and a lot more care than she was willing to admit aloud to do that for someone she’d only just started dating.

Fox looked thoughtful. “I suppose I am. The situation is not ideal, but I suppose that’s the evidence of a good compromise. No one gets exactly what they want. But you’re deflecting, Chief Morgan. How is my nephew doing?”

It was odd to think of Mav as his nephew, though I knew it was true. Maverick took after his mother: dark hair, gray eyes, and smoldering good looks. Astrid leaned more toward her father’s side of the family: sharp, vulpine features, and hair the color of aspen leaves. It was impossible not to see a bit of resemblance in the line of the jaw when I stared at Fox, though. They were family, no matter how much I disliked it.

“They said he’ll pull through. The tricky part is containing the story. I hate having to muddle minds and lie to the nice doctors about what actually happened.”

“Yet it is necessity.”

I nodded, but then cocked my head to the side. “Maybe not. Astrid recently came to me with the idea of bringing in more mundanes to handle the secret. With the massive influx from Misty Hollow, we have more monsters than I know what to do with.”

He winced. “Sorry about that. I knew they’d be safe with you, but it doesn’t make the task any easier, does it?”

I gave him an arched look. “No, it doesn’t. Which means you’re going to do your part when you’re well, or so help me, I’m going to shove my boot up your ass. Astrid shouldn’t have to figure out everything about Blood Rose or any new subjects right away. If you’re sticking around, you’re going to make yourself useful.”

Fox grinned and mimed tipping a hat at me with a flourish. It was impossible not to notice the missing finger on his right hand. “Of course, your highness.”

I chucked a pillow at him. Thankfully, he was too injured to dodge it. It was satisfying to watch him eat goose down, at least until he launched the pillow back with interest.

But all’s fair in mutual tolerance and war, I suppose.

Epilogue

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