Page 141 of Bride of the Fae Prince

“Of course,” the High King says with a kindly smile. He turns to the rest of the table, saying to no one in particular: “Well, Lulythinar is almost here! The day after tomorrow. It seems to come faster and faster with each turn of the cycle.”

He gestures at the ceiling, which I have avoided looking at since I first entered this room and beheld the murals of fae abusing humans. But now many people glance up and give a surprising cheer.

Sometimes I forget Lulythinar is a celebration, and not the herald of certain doom if the rest of Ash’s plan doesn’t fall into place.

I look up. And blink.

I must have missed it before because of the angle of the ceiling, but seated at the table, I have an unobscured view of a small, circular window into the night sky, and the moon that nearly fills the window. Only a small sliver of night is visible.

The midnight of Lulythinar, the moon must fit perfectly in the window.

Too aware of my vulnerable neck at the many enemies around me, I look down at my plate.

There, lying in a row on a skewer, are four tiny bunnies. I can barely acknowledge the artistic smears of sauce and whatever is arranged in the corner of the plate.

All I can see are four open eyes staring back at me.

I’m going to throw up.

And it won’t be because of poison.

“We’re fortunate to be enjoying a delicacy tonight, imported from the human world.” The High King’s voice curdles my stomach. I look up, find myself met with his smile. “Enjoy.”

And the High King winks.

Chapter 51

The Prince

When Rahk excuses himselffrom the banquet early, a line between his brows, I know what he is going to do. That doesn’t stop me from hurrying to my desk the moment Stella and I return from the banquet ourselves.

My word will only bolster Rahk’s and emphasize the severity of the situation at hand. I dip my quill in its inkwell and begin writing.

Dear Lord and Lady Nothril,

I write to you of an urgent matter. Princess Pelarusa is at risk of becoming a victim of the High King’s wrath due to her association with Princess Listhra—whom the High King has reason to believe has betrayed him. Prince Rahk is also in danger. I believe the situation to be worth your alarm. Neither Princess Pelarusa nor Prince Rahk have done anything meriting the High King’s punishment.

Prince Trenian

I seal the note and give it to Edvear with the urge to have it be delivered to the Nothril Court this very night.

Then suddenly, I’m alone in my study. Alone with my thoughts, with the glowing orb of the lumiral globe.

My beating heart slows as I realize that there is nothing else I need to do tonight. My eyes, which have grown glazed, focus on the pages on my desk, the books on my shelves against the four walls, the books on the floor—

There are no books on the floor.

There is a neat little stack beside one of the shelves, which must contain less than half the books that once decorated the ground.

Edvear might have done it.

But it wasn’t Edvear, was it? It was Stella. She must have done it when I was gone earlier.

I stare at that stack of books, at each spine and smoothed page, the neatness of that stack—as if it is my very life that she has come in and rearranged.

I love you,I finally told her at the banquet.

I don’t want her to leave. If my plan works, she won’t have to. But there is one aspect of my plan that makes me uncomfortable. I already risked Stella’s life by having her impersonate Listhra. This plan, however, would make that stunt look like child’s play.

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