Page 69 of Fated or Knot

“You’ll see,” he said with a vague wave.

“He would know. Marius and Kauz are best friends,” Tormund told me, whispering behind his hand. “Most of us don’t spend a lot of time together like we did on the train. We have lives, duties, and friends outside of being brothers. Can you believe it?”

“That makes sense, but no. I’ve only seen you all together,” I said.

“We’ll become a stronger, more unified pack with you at our center, li’l bird. All four of us will want to share your nest.”

Kauz nodded, murmuring in agreement.

“There it is. Home,” Tormund added, pointing. Up ahead, built on a high hill overlooking the rest of the city, was Serian Palace. I’d read somewhere that it’d once been a fortress stronghold built to withstand anything war could bring, and I believed it.

The palace was squat and plain at its core, two stories that were thick and unadorned. But upon abandoning its purpose as a fortress, the Unseelie had artfully sculpted wings and towers into its sides. It wasn’t pretty like the Seelie royal tower, but it had its own charm under a glistening coat of ice and snow.

“Home,” I repeated in a hopeful murmur.

We passed by the last of the shops and homes closest to the palace and wound around to the front gates, which were already open for us. “Why was Fal nervous about being expected?” I asked Tormund in a low voice.

“Mother, or one of our fathers, is probably waiting for us,” he answered.

I felt the color in my face drain away. Stars, he couldn’t have told me this earlier? I gulped a nervous swallow. Well, it may be a joyous thing. The princes were returning together from a long trip to Thelis, after all.

The train of servants we’d brought with us started to head around to enter through the side of the palace while we crossed the frozen grounds. Some special flowers and plants stuck out of the snow and ice, blooming in silvers, grays, and light blues like camouflage. I wondered if they would melt at the barest touch. We rode straight past them and dismounted before a short and narrow staircase leading into the belly of the palace.

Once a set of servants took the horses’ reins, Fal turned to us and said, “We’ll go inside together once Marius gets here.”He fidgeted with his clothes, uncharacteristically anxious. I matched his energy by wringing my fingers while we waited.

Marius arrived with a clatter of horse hooves, dismounting from another hearty, furry steed. I wondered if it was weird for a kelpie to ride a horse—not that I was going to ask. I turned subtly to give him my back, too embarrassed and confused about this morning to even look at him.

They had a short conversation in Serian before heading up the stairs. I was momentarily surprised that none of them carried me. I’d barely used my legs the last couple of days, despite complaining most of the times I was picked up the moment I limped. Well, I got what I wanted.Starsdamned stairs. I brought up the rear of the group.

A pair of guards opened the double doors leading inside and announced something in Serian. There was a commotion, a shuffle of bodies and clothes ahead. Once I was through the threshold, the guards closed the doors behind me.

The area was warm, heated by a large fire crackling at the back of the foyer. It was a smaller space than I’d expected, barely more than a large room, though richly appointed with rugs, upholstered chairs arranged in neat rows, and essence lamps. Several doorways branched off from it, most of them shut with what looked like metal doors lined with seals. Another gift from the palace’s fortress days.

A female no taller than me stood across from Fal, her fists propped on her hips as she took in the four princes. Shehadto be the queen. Her dress was beautiful, black but shimmery, reflecting light like liquid silk. It was tailor-made to hug her figure, with room for the baby bump rounding her middle. The color set off her blue-gray skin tone and vivid sapphire eyes well.

I shuffled in slow, steady movements so I didn’t draw her attention and hid behind Tormund’s bulk. He glanced aroundand patted my shoulder with a little smile. “That’s our mom. She is asking where we’ve been,” he whispered behind his hand.

I nodded but didn’t emerge from his shadow. The last thing I needed was for her to notice me and have our first meeting happen while I was fresh off the magirail.

Queen Nemensia was the first nixie I’d seen in person. She had claws for nails, and small, needle-like fangs. Several rings lined her fingers when she gestured, and she seemed to lack the webbed membranes between her fingers that nixies were said to have. But it was still obvious she was a water fae, from the trailing fins that lay down her back like several sets of pseudo-wings.

They snapped behind her with a whip-like noise as she drew in a deep breath and started saying their names, exaggerating them angrily. “Falundel.” She pointed at Marius. “Mareeus.” Her accusing finger hesitated a moment before landing on Kauz. “Kauzuhden.” She shook that digit at Fal. “Mo leanbh, Tormund.” Her tone softened while she clasped her hands and smiled at him. He preened a bit.

Then he whispered to me, “She is very mad. She forgets our names when she is this mad.”

“What’s happening?” I whispered back. And watched in fascination as the other three princes shrank in the face of the queen’s tone. That was until she started in with Serian too rapid for me to follow and they started exchanging confused looks.

“She’s asking where Princess Glory is,” he explained quietly. “The Queen of Thelis wrote to her and said the princess was missing and that Fal was seen at the masquerade. He’s explaining that we didn’t steal her?—”

“What do you mean, you stole a different pixie?” Queen Nemensia demanded, switching to flawless Theli. “Is she here? I want to see hernow.”

The princes glanced around. Tormund stepped aside, gently nudging me forward. I barely had time to panic before the Queen of Serian was taking my measure across the room. Her brow drew as she looked me top to bottom, and I braced myself for her reaction.

She drew herself up and gasped, eyes sparkling with delight. As she bustled over, her fins fanned out like a gossamer train. Their translucent gray lengths glowed throughout with dark blue lines and spots, sure to seem brighter in the dark or underwater.

Fal followed in her wake. “Mother, I’m happy to introduce you to our mate.”

Queen Nemensia put a hand to her chest. “Oh, my heart. Finally, my sons bring me a new daughter.”

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