Page 50 of Bride of the Fae Prince

“And you are . . .” She trails off, tilting her head, as though searching for the most diplomatic way to express her question. “You are trying to stop him?”

This is the terrifying part to entrust her. I lean forward, clasping my hands together. When I open my mouth, the words don’t want to come. It’s like dragging stones up a hill to say aloud the secret I’ve been keeping for so long. “I am working to overthrow my father from his throne.”

She stares at me, utterly dumbstruck.

“It’s a delicate matter,” I say. “The throne is more like its own sentient entity, forged by the last of the Great Kings to only accept a ruler with his blood who has never broken a lawof Faerie. There are other curses on the throne besides the aforementioned one; any fae who kills the High King will die. Except for me—I will instead forfeit my throne. Thus, I am trying to trick the High King into breaking a law of Faerie, and you are bait for that.”

“Why?” she asks, eventually. “Why are you trying to trick the High King off his throne?”

“Because he’ll kill me the first chance he gets.”

“That’s not why.”

I glare at her. What I said was true . . . if not the entire truth. “No one in Faerieland is safe until he is gone.”

Also true—also not the entire truth.

Her keen eyes narrow, but she doesn’t push the subject, shifting the topic instead. “When we arrived, you . . . changed.”

I clench my jaw. “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Of a cavalier, rebellious prince?”

“Indeed.”

She nods, running her nail down the curved, polished arm of the settee, following the engraved designs. She doesn’t say anything for so long, I tear my eyes away from her and focus my gaze instead upon the embroidered hem of my tunic.

“I want to make a request of you,” says Stella, sitting up straight and fixing me with an intent stare.

I find myself straightening too, leaning just a fraction closer to her as I nod too quickly. “Whatever it is, if it is within my power to grant, I will do it.”

“I’m not asking that you tell me all your secrets. But I want to know each day what I am walking into. I want to be prepared for whatever we face.”

We.Does this mean she will help me? What if she doesn’t need to be my pawn, my tool, or my trophy? What if she could be my true companion and friend?

No, no,my heart says immediately.It will only hurt more when she dies.

But maybe she doesn’t have to die. Maybe, with her help, I can make my moves so that she doesn’thaveto be my collateral.

“And,” she continues, “I will offer any aid I can in exchange for you ensuring that when you become High King, you will end the fae invasion of my lands.” My brain is already spinning as I take this in, but she interrupts my thought process when I don’t answer quickly enough. “Ash?”

I blink and glance at her. “I’m sorry?”

Her lips twitch. “Where’d you go? Will you honor my requests?”

I nod, perhaps just a touch too eagerly as a weight falls off my chest. “Yes, of course. I will do what I can to not blindside you in the future. I also give you my word that I will do whatever is in my power to save your people from my father’s conquest. That was no idle promise of mine that I gave King Roland.”

“Thank you,” she says, and makes to get up, signaling that her interrogation is over. I am so relieved that we’ve worked through this issue that when she goes to walk past me, I catch her hand. She gives a surprised bleat as I press my lips in a brief kiss to her knuckles.

“You, my darling, are going to be the spark that sets this whole world ablaze.”

Chapter 21

The Princess

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