Page 115 of Bride of the Fae Prince

Chapter 40

The Prince

She left. She left.She left.

And I can’t go after her. Not if this idea is going to work. Not if we’re to have any hope that the High King will accept my bargain. The idea occurred to me after I sat down—a way to angle this situation.

It was a good thing Stella refused my order to sit in that chair. She would have been fine; I was prepared for the High King’s retaliation. Nevertheless, it was shortsighted and, frankly, stupid.

But this could work in our favor. My apparent indifference toward her. The High King could be tempted to accept my bargain because he senses an opportunity to take Stella from me, which would remove my bargaining chip out of the equation. He wouldn’t feel the need to raze the human world so quickly.

But then sheleft.

How could she be so stupid? She’s going to Rahk. Why else would she have asked me for directions to his room earlier? Rahk isn’t to be trusted now that the High King is using him.And it doesn’t matter that his quarters are so close—it only takes a minute of her being unguarded and stumbling across the wrong person before it’s too late.

I try to keep from crushing my fork in my fist. I need to maintain my composure.

It doesn’t help that the High King seated Princess Oleria next to me. It’s becoming apparent he reads me better than I once thought. Of all the women he tried to get me to marry over the years, she was the only one that I didn’t despise.

Princess Oleria isn’t a fool. I’ve always thought her a breath of fresh air among an army of pretentious, preening peacocks. It was a relief when the High King gave up trying to convince me to marry her. A relief, because Icouldhave liked her.

He apparently hasn’t given up.

Why did Stella have to leave?

I force myselfnotto shoot to my feet,notto chase after her.Find her, Rahk. Keep her safe. Don’t let anyone hurt her. And don’t you dare hurt her, either.

“I hear the air is different in the human lands,” says Oleria beside me. “Are the rumors true?”

I take one bite, chew, swallow. It lands like a rock in my gut. “They’re very true. It’s much more taxing to use magic in the human realm.”

“It’s why we need to purge humanity from us once and for all,” says the High King, taking a long, languid sip of his drink. “The ground must lie fallow for a time to get rid of that constant cycle of death.”

Oleria grins prettily, leaning forward a little. “How interesting! Prince Trenian, would you care to explain something for me, then?”

I take a great draught of wine, sigh, set it down. I turn over a few more sarcastic responses, only to discard them when they’re all lies. “Ask away.”

“Then why have we been slowly expanding our borders?”

The High King doesn’t interject, feigning interest in his food. His attention, however, burns into me. He wonders what explanation I’ll give. I give her a crooked grin, lifting one brow. “Something about how smaller amounts of death are more easily absorbed by the magic in our air than an entire continent of death. My illustrious father would know more on the subject than me.”

Bring up the bargain,I want to snarl at him.Give me your answer.

His answer is the one thing keeping me nailed to this chair. If I get up and go after Stella, he’ll answer a firm no. So I must stay, despite how sick I feel. She would want me to get this answer more than anything.

She’d die for her people.

I hate this.

Oleria says nothing for a few moments, as though waiting for the High King to offer a more detailed explanation. None is given. So she merely smiles and continues eating.

She doesn’t like the High King either.

When she turns to me again, one eyebrow is arched in a mischievous line, even as she keeps a serious expression. “I haven’t had time to offer my condolences for your poisoning. Or that of your wife’s. You both are looking well today, however.”

I wave a hand, forcing a chuckle. “I’m quite certain no condolences are necessary. It was but a minor inconvenience.”

A minor inconvenience whenIwas poisoned.

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