Page 52 of Bride of the Fae Prince

I gasp.

Ash shoots a sharp look at me, telling me to be quiet. I clamp my hands over my mouth, refusing to breathe as he pulls something out from behind the pillow.

It’s a small, winged creature that writhes in his grip. It shakes its tiny fist at Ash, its mouth opening and closing as though it’s yelling. No sound comes, however. Did Ash just glamour away the sound like he did when he pulled me aside after we left the throne room?

Ash continues through the room, the one humanoid creature in his fist. He yanks another out from the curtains, and a third from a drawer. Then he marches to one of the windows, unlatches it, and flings the creatures outside, slamming and locking the window shut behind them.

“Well!” he says, brushing off his hands on his trousers. “My apologies for that. I would have rather inspected the roomsbeforeyou came, but alas, it couldn’t be helped.”

I slowly pull my hands away from my mouth as the tension eases out of my body. “What . . .werethose?”

“Oh, just pixies. Someone likely hired them to spy on you and wait in your room until you arrived.”

“Spies?”

“Don’t worry, they wouldn’t have hurt you.”

“But . . . are you sure you got them all?”

“Of course. I learned a long time ago to keep my wits about me. Pixies are good spies, but once you know their smell, it’s impossible to miss them. They’re gone now. And they’re not in any of the other rooms either.” He pauses, studying me, and then lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. “It’s nothing to be afraid of. I will take care of you.”

I nod, accepting his assurance. He has every motivation to keep me alive. I trust he will do everything to keep me safe.

Whether it is enough remains to be seen.

I try to bring my mind back to the room, back to the beauty of the space, the fact that it almost seems made for me. “What is this room for?” I ask, changing the subject.

“You.”

“No, before me.”

He rubs the back of his neck. “For a mistress. Normally, a princess consort would have her own suite, but I didn’t want you to be so far away. Thus, I brought you here.”

I nod again, and when I can think of nothing to say in reply, we end up standing there silent for several minutes.

Finally, he says abruptly, “Your trunks are stacked in my study. I didn’t think you’d want them cluttering your room until you’ve had a chance to sort through them. You can wear your human clothes if you like, but . . .”

“I have no attachment to human fashion,” I reply, glancing down at the beautiful dress I wear. “This is much more comfortable. If you’d prefer that I wear fae fashion, I will oblige.”

He glances at me, and a pleased expression warms his face. “Very well. There are a few spare sets of clothes that should last until we can have more things made for you. For now, I ought to remove your glamour.”

He steps forward, hesitates slightly before taking my face in his hands and resting his forehead against mine. Our breaths mingle, our mouths so close. I still can’t quite bring myself to close my eyes, staring wide-eyed at him as he shuts his own, brow furrowing in concentration.

The beautiful white dress begins to glow, and slowly melts away, revealing my sweltering, fur-lined travel garb from earlier. He pulls back, and I tug at one of the scratchy sleeves.

“Will I have a maid?” I ask.

“If you would like one.”

“I believe I would. If that would not be dangerous.”

“My staff cannot hurt you. They are bound by oaths. I’ll arrange for someone to see to your needs first thing tomorrow. Now, you must get sufficient rest. I’ve heard that humans need plenty of sleep, and I intend to take good care of you.”

With that, he leans down, presses a chaste kiss to the top of my head, and leaves the room, shutting the door behind him.

I blink, suddenly alone.

It takes some time, but eventually I manage my way out of my dress. I find a beautiful light pink nightgown in the drawers on the opposite side of the room and slip it over my head. It falls like butter over my hips, soft and silky but not cold like satin.

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