Page 99 of Bride of the Fae Prince

“Everyone out,” snarls the High King.

The court shuffles as everyone hurries to obey. I don’t know why they bother to be here, anyway. Surely, they have better things to do than scurry in and out of the throne room at their king’s whim.

When we’re alone, the High King heaves a great sigh. “Prince Trenian. There you are.”

I flash a grin and bend double in a bow. “At your service.”

“Are you?” he shoots back, tenting his fingers under his chin. “I have a military assignment for you.”

Not what I expected. Is he trying to separate me from Stella so he can kill her more easily? I arch an eyebrow as I lean against my customary pillar, arms crossed over my chest. “Oh?”

“Indeed. I’ve been testing the borders of the human lands long enough. They have no interest in retaliation. It’s time. I want you to lead an attack against Aursailles. Starting tomorrow. I expect the kingdom to be captured by Lulythinar.”

A muscle inside my knee jerks. Not what I expected at all. In fact, this quite complicates matters . . .

“I’m afraid I cannot,” I say, drawing on a disinterested air and inspecting my fingernails. “I’m still on my moondust, you see. Or whatever humans call that time of marital seclusion and bliss following a wedding.”

“You reject this assignment, then?” The glint in his eyes unnerves me. Heexpectedme to decline. Of course he did. Now he’ll make me pay.

It’s suddenly so obvious I don’t know how I didn’t see it before. He’s manufactured an opportunity to punish me. Laying a trap.

I let out a long sigh. “Oh Father. When will you ever stop putting words in my mouth? I don’trejectthe assignment. I accept it. I just cannot attack untilafterLulythinar. When my moondust is over.”

“I want you to attack now. The assignment isn’t for after Lulythinar. It’s fornow.”

“Come, come, Father, we both know you can bear to wait five days for your conquest. You’re just trying to kill my wife. Ruses don’t look good on you.”

The High King says nothing for a long moment. As though contemplating the best way to chew me up and spit me back out. Finally, he reclines in his throne. “Do you know why I endeavor to capture the human lands?”

I tap my chin as though considering. “Because peace treaties are far too last millennia?”

“Because that peace treaty gave the humans land that used to beours. The humans negotiated the land that is now Aursailles, Osremer, Enslington, and Algravia. But that land used to beours. Only a weak king would have capitulated so much.”

Or perhaps only a weak king would feel the need to so desperately prove his might. But I withhold that particular thought. “I fail to see what this has to do with why I should go on a rampage against my father-in-law while I am still celebrating my nuptials.”

“You’re not celebrating. The human was poisoned.”

I frown. “The poison has dampened the celebration a bit, true.” No iron coats my tongue, as my statement refers to my own poisoning. By now, it’s second nature to lie without lying.

He lets out a long sigh, wiping his hand down his face. “How did I spawn the most tiresome fae in all the Courts?”

“The mystery of the ages,” I reply dryly, returning my attention to my fingernails. “If we are almost done here, my heart grows anxious to return to my wife.”

“We are not done!” The High King slams his fist down on his throne, rattling a half-filled goblet and the tray of refreshments on a small table beside him. “I should have killed your motherthe moment you were born and raised you like a true son of mine. Then maybe we wouldn’t keep playing these games.”

He thinks he’ll get a rise out of me by mentioning my mother. I merely shrug. “Perhaps. Or perhaps Iama true son of yours, and maybethatis what you don’t like about me.”

The High King lifts his hand and snaps.

Cold washes down my spine, but I don’t let it show. I merely glance over my shoulder, schooling my features into boredom.

“Bring it in, Prince Rahk,” says the High King.

Rahk.

I’m not swift enough to hide my reaction—just a twitch of my fingers. The High King’s gaze burns into me, and in the corner of my eye, his mouth curls into a smile. He knows about my friendship with Rahk. But he also knows he cannot hurt Rahk without angering the loyal and powerful Nothril Court.

Hecancoerce him, however.

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