Page 23 of Treasured By the Fae Royal

“You’re worried you’ll be accosted and possibly violated by the males in the receiving hall once you leave here?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m worried about. Give me some assurances that no harm will come to me, and I’ll be as forthcoming as you want about matters of love. I might not have ever been in love myself—yet—but plenty of my friends have, and I have four older sisters who tell me everything that happens in their romantic lives.”

“After you tell me all I want to know, I will escort you to safety outside the castle in secret, to your parents’ home or a friend’s house or anywhere else of your choosing. I will also compensate you for your time and your troubles. How does twenty pieces of silver sound?”

“It’s a deal, sir.”

CHAPTER11

YVETTE

I pickanother pear from the tree and add it to my basket. I’m not certain if it’s due to the continued spread of ussha or Prince Lucas’s lingering magic, but the forest surrounding Aunt Heather’s cottage has been especially fruitful during the last week. Each morning, I discover a new berry bush in full bloom or a tree laden with ripe apples, pears, or oranges.

Furthermore, winter seems to have stalled. I haven’t seen my breath in days, but again, I’m not sure whether it’s because of ussha or the remnants of the prince’s magic.

Paranoia sweeps over me as I gaze around the forest. I keep worrying that he’s watching, spying on me from some secret location in the trees.

Every strange noise puts me on edge, but I can’t confine myself to Aunt Heather’s property and only pick the fruits and vegetables from her garden. It would be ridiculous to ignore the abundance in the forest. If Mama and I are going to continue living with her for a while, the extra food will be needed, as we arrived on her doorstep unexpectedly.

I pick another pear and freeze when footsteps sound behind me. My stomach drops to the ground, but my heart also leaps with excitement. I swallow hard and slowly turn around. But it’s not the prince. It’s a stranger. A young human male wearing dusty overalls. I touch the knife on my belt and give him a direct look.

“State your name and your intentions.” I finger the handle of the knife, ready to pull it free if this stranger proves a threat. After losing my other knife on the roadside during the scuffle with the flesh traders, I recently helped myself to a new one from Aunt Heather’s kitchen.

He holds up his hands and chuckles. “Whoa there, little miss. I’m not going to hurt you.” He smiles wide, revealing crooked yellow teeth. “The name is Cody. I’m one of your aunt’s neighbors. She invited me over to meet you.”

My hackles rise. I’m in no mood to meet Aunt Heather’s eligible neighbors today, but if I’m being honest, my sudden grumpiness stems from my disappointment. When I heard the footsteps, I’d been so certain it was Prince Lucas.

Cody’s smile fades and he nods at my basket. “That’s a lot of pears. Do you like pears?”

I glance toward the cottage, silently cursing my aunt for putting me in this position. I study the farmer, who is handsome enough despite his poor teeth. But he’s no Prince Lucas. He can’t summon golden wings or call up a warm summer breeze. He can’t make me quiver with excitement with just a single glance.

“Hello,” I finally say, though I don’t bother answering his dumb question about pears. Normally, I’m a chatty person when I meet a stranger, but my mind draws a blank as I stare at Cody. I can’t think of a single thing to say to him.

“Fine weather we’re having, don’t you think?” He chuckles again and toys with the straps of his overalls. “I didn’t even need a coat today.”

“Fine weather,” I agree, though I add nothing more. Perhaps if he finds my conversational skills lacking, he’ll return to his farm.

He glances at my hand with narrowed eyes. “Are you planning on stabbing me, little miss?” When he chuckles for a third time, I almost scream.

My teeth grind together. I can’t be certain, but I think there’s a note of condescension in his voice whenever he calls me ‘little miss.’ In any case, I don’t like it, and I wish he would stop. Better yet, I wish he would go away.

“I appreciate you coming to visit me, Cody, but I’m afraid I’m not interested.” I heave the basket of pears onto my hip and take a few steps toward the cottage. “No hard feelings though.” I force a smile and take off at a rapid walk, leaving him stammering in my dust.

Though I’d really like to tell him off for calling me ‘little miss,’ I don’t want to cause Aunt Heather any trouble with her neighbors, especially since she frequently conducts trade with them, so I keep my thoughts to myself as I hurry away.

Thankfully, he doesn’t follow.

I rush into the cottage, close the door behind me, and head for the kitchen. Unfortunately, Mama and Aunt Heather are standing at the counter peeling potatoes, and they glance up with hopeful expressions.

“I’m not going to marry Cody,” I announce as I set the basket down.

My aunt draws back with her lips puckered. “But he’s a nice looking fellow and he’s the oldest son. He’ll inherit a large, prosperous farm from his father one day. Plus, the farm is only about two miles from here. You would be so close to your mama and me, Yvette. It’ll be nice to have family close when you start popping out babies.”

“I’m not popping out babies with Cody the farmer!” I practically shout, only to immediately feel guilty. I sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

“What’s wrong, darling?” Mama asks. “Did Cody say something to upset you?”

“To be honest, I thought he was boring and a little condescending.” I turn to Aunt Heather. “Don’t worry, I wasn’t overly rude to him. I didn’t tell him off like I wanted to.”

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