Page 12 of Royal Captive
Alm stopped at the doorway and knocked on the edge, poking his head inside. A second later, he popped out. “The overseer will see you now.” He shot me a look. “Do not speak unless spoken to.”
An angry retort bubbled behind my lips, but Ellis’s quick glare in my direction killed it immediately. We walked into a brightly lit room with a large desk. Behind it sat a fae woman with long, red hair and eyes that shone like emeralds in a tunic of amethyst with brown leather boots. She glared at us with complete and utter distaste.
“The allegedmatedpair. Cassus warned me about you.”
My eyes narrowed. Ellis shot me another filthy look. I was going to pinch him if he kept it up.
“I should treat you like we would any other incoming human,” she sneered. The way she made it sound like a threat wasn’t encouraging.
We had nothing to say to that. Her eyes drifted to Alm. “Separate them, just like the others. Humans don’t mate, so the rules don’t apply.” She gave Ellis a long, lingering once over that immediately raised my hackles. “Mated pair, my ass. She’s solarge.”
A small ache opened up in my chest, and I tried to ignore it. I really did. But I was here in a strange place, with strange people, andstillI was being called names and teased because of my size. It didn’t matter if I was home or in the goddamn land of the fae.
I still wasn’t enough, and it hurt.
Alm tilted his head to the side, gesturing toward Ellis. “He isn’t human.”
The fae woman’s eyes narrowed. “Neither is he fae. My ruling stands. Dismissed.”
Alm sighed as if put upon, then whistled with two fingers in his mouth. Two more fae males came into the room, their expressions unreadable. “Take them with the new intakes. No mateship bond is recognized.”
One male with short black hair and a beard grabbed me and tugged me away. I went to kick him in his shins and missed. The other fae had shoulder-length, dark brown hair and grabbed Ellis by his upper arm and hauled him away. Ellis’s eyes were fierce as they connected with mine, and they begged me not to cause trouble.
It was as if he didn’t know me at all.
“Stop it and submit!” the fae guard ordered, trying to twist my arms behind my back.
“Fuck off!” I spun and spat in my fae’s face, which probably wasn’t wise as he was the largest fae I’d ever seen—certainly taller than any man I’d ever met. He had to be over six feet easily … maybe even seven, with glowing gold eyes.
I broke away for a second before he nailed me in the solar plexus with his elbow, stealing all the breath from my lungs and temporarily paralyzing me. He used the opportunity to pick me up and fling me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, despite my height and size. I couldn’t even cry out to Ellis—all I could do was hang there uselessly. Though infuriating, I couldn’t help but feel stunned at how easily he handled me. For the first time, I felt … like the other girls. The ones who would giggle and simper, fluttering their eyes every time a palace guard walked by. The feeling was new and exciting, sending a warmth and pulsating ball of energy down my legs and to the apex of my thighs.
“Don’t think of trying to be a hero. I’ve been dying to try out my new whip,” remarked the fae that was holding Ellis.
My cozy bubble popped at the threat, reminding me of where I was and how high the stakes were. I didn’t doubt for a second the fae would make good on his threat, even if the one holding me grumbled in obvious disapproval. And for once, I was tired of fighting. It felt like all I’d done since the betrothal banquet was fight, fight, fight. For others, for myself, and I was exhausted.
I caught Ellis’s eyes and didn’t look away until my guard rounded the corner, carrying me deep into the depths of the manor and going down flight after flight of wooden steps until the sounds of running water and happy voices floated up to me. My nerves were still on fire from the hit, making it impossible to move, anyway.
And why was I fighting again?
I was being separated from Ellis, and I didn’t want that. Right. Meanwhile, our fae enemies offered our people healers, baths, and food.
Ellis’s family couldn’t claim to have done the same. Nor had any other rulers in the past.
An uncomfortable feeling wormed its way into my gut, burrowing deep into my soul and taking up residence.
It wasn’t Ellis’s fault any more than it wasmine, I argued internally.
Instead of drinking and whoring around, he could have at least tried, the voice in my head argued back.
I made a pathetic sort of sob, my body aching and my heart hurting.
“What are you doing?” my guard asked, brows furrowing as he gave me a shake to ensure I would not fall off his back.
“Fighting with myself,” I muttered vaguely.
The guard huffed. “Who’s winning?”
“Me,” I shot back.
