Page 52 of Finding Love with the Fae King

And I just claimed him. Goddess, help me.

Daphne sauntered over, and my stance didn’t waver. The room went quiet as some little children continued eating their food. “You have more of a backbone now, huh?” She tutted. “What are you, human?” She continued to walk around the table, inspecting the food lying on the table. “We don’t get many of your kind around here, and my job is to make sure”—she picked up a crust of bread from the table and tossed it back down, landing with a small thud—“that the Fae Kingdom stays a pure race, and your polluted blood is going to ruin it. You must be a good lay.”

My fists balled up in anger, but Finley was shaking his head behind her. “You are planning on leaving, correct? Just a tumbleweed in the wind? Just a notch on the King’s bedpost?”This bitch.

“Oh, you mean just like you?” I said sweetly.

I saw irritation in her eyes as she slammed her hand down on the table. “You will not speak to me that way! I am of noble blood, and I can have you ended with the snap of my fingers!” she bellowed.

I gave a little smirk and patted my napkin on my lips before I walked around the table to meet her gaze. “Is someone jealous?” I whispered. “The mighty noble that can’t get the King to put his cock in the same hole again? You must be too loose.” I snickered. “Now a little human comes along and has the King wrapped around her finger. I thought being of noble blood, you would be better at hiding your jealousy.”

The women in the room all clasped their hands to their mouths in unison while the Red Fury,as I’d dubbed the guards, stood in surprise. There was no doubt I was going to get spanked over this, but I would not allow that ugly fae to get the best of me.

Daphne stomped to the door and swung it open. “Nana, just so you know, the donated land taxes were higher this month, and donations by the Fae Kingdom’s subjects weren’t enough to help. You still owe coinage to the Court of Fae.” Daphne slammed the door and shook the overhanging decoration above the door.

Nana looked defeated; her shoulders slumped downward while the sisters looked at me in heartache. “How? We are barely getting by now.” Wind sniffed. “Then we will all go hungry.”

“It’s all her fault!” Eve pointed at me. “If she hadn’t riled her up, then we could still scrape by. Now we are officially screwed!” As she pointed to me, the pang in my heart made me take a step back. Cricket looked up at me with his wide eyes, and I stomped my foot in determination. I’m not giving up yet.

“No, you will make ends meet. There will be enough money for food and help fix up the place. I’ll be sure of it.” I grabbed my cloak, and Peoni and Primrose quickly helped me tie it.

“I think you have done enough,” Nana said solemnly. “Just leave us to our own devices. The King won’t help. He never has. You are only a concubine. Someone not even worth mentioning.” Finley gave her a hard look and stepped forward to say something, but Braxton stopped him with a wave of his hand.

“Nana,” I mumbled. “I know you don’t believe me, but I am going to help. The King has told me personally he was helping all of you. I’m not sure why you don’t see the funds. I’m sorry if I angered her further, but she needed to be knocked off whatever high horse she was on. These children will be clothed and fed with full bellies tomorrow night.” I tightened the knot on my cloak and pulled up the hood.

The children who met me in the alley hugged me. “You will be back, promise?” Cricket held me tightly on my dress.

I sat down on the floor and rubbed his cheek full of butter from his bread. “I promise, Cricket. Everything will be just fine.”

The walk back was quiet. I continued to stew about what Daphne had said to me, as well as Nana. Now every fae woman I had met so far in the blasted kingdom thought I was a harlot. I was far from that. I had done nothing of the sort in my life until I met Osirus.

However, if someone called me that in front of him, would he say anything? He said he was protecting me until I chose this life with him, but right now, I felt like a dirty little secret. Finley stepped up to me and put his hand on my shoulder in comfort.

“Are ya all right, lass?”

I nodded, fearing if I spoke, my voice would crack.

“Listen, don’t pay attention to them. They don’t know who you are, and Daphne is a bitch. She wants the crown more than anything, and putting down others is what she does.” Finley spat out a wad of tobacco. “Everybody hates her. The Court only tolerates her, anyway.”

“I know, but I feel like a dirty secret being hidden away. I should just accept all this so Osirus can claim me, but I can’t help but feel scared. I didn’t grow up with this. I’m used to being alone, and over the years, I kept myself out of relationships so I wouldn’t feel hurt again. My own parents were supposed to love me and care for me and didn’t. What makes me think a bond can keep that together with Osirus?”

“Your Majesty, listen to me.” Finley stopped and tilted my chin up. “Bonding is something you don’t understand because you didn’t grow up with it. Bonds are for eternity. He would never betray or forsake you. Every mated pair I have ever known is still together, and I’ve been around a long time.” Finley smiled and nodded his head slightly.

Maybe I was overthinking. The past few days, I had felt closer to him than even my best friend and her parents. He’d made me feel wanted and cared for. Every morning he buttered my croissant and, for the life of me, I didn’t know how he knew how I liked it. Buttered lightly with a hint of strawberry jam.

His little snores at night were so endearing. Osirus might have been the King, but he looked like a little prince when he slept. My heart would soar when he would say my name while he was dreaming. This had only been a few days. Feeling so strongly about someone shouldn’t have come this easily.

The only thing I could do was open my heart to him. Accept him. Take a chance to love him wholly. Not because I’d been called a whore or harlot, but because it was time to move on and be happy. Time to love and be loved in return and not fear rejection.

Osirus had shown me nothing but kindness and love throughout it all. He never said one thing that hurt my heart, even if it had been a few days of knowing him.

Tugging my cloak closer to myself, we entered the servant’s quarters at the back of the palace. “Finley? Where would Osirus be now?” Finley’s eyes twinkled in amusement, possibly thinking about our recent conversation.

“The throne room. Should I lead you there?” Giving him an enormous smile, he led me down several large hallways and up a few flights of stairs. “This is the backside of the throne room. I figured you didn’t want to walk in with a room full of people.”

“Thank you,” I whispered and opened the back door of the room.

I could see Osirus’s leg swinging on the side of the chair, something he liked to do when he was bored to show how unamused he was. His long hair was dripping off the other side. I couldn’t help but feel giddy to tell him I wanted more, that I wanted to be his mate. He would be excited, and I couldn’t wait to tell him at the end of the day. Sneaking up behind him, I stood behind his chair, getting ready to scare him, when I heard that sickeningly sweet voice.

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