Page 54 of Finding Love with the Fae King

“Thank you, Cosmo, that will be all.” I waved my hand again for the guards to step in if needed, but he bowed graciously with a smirk on his lips.

“The man doesn’t give up, does he?” Alaneo spoke.

“That he doesn’t. Luckily for me, my birthday isn’t for another two years, and I don’t think my mate will wait that long.” I popped another grape into my mouth and savored the taste.

Other Court members brought me their problems, issues, proposals, and some subjects of the kingdom arrived with requests of help of their own. I paid more courtesy to them than to the Court and tried to help direct them the best I could.

There was a lull in between the next appointment when Leah tinkled silently in my ear. “Your Majesty,”her sweet bells rang.

I slightly grunted for her to continue while she was on my shoulder, not to bring attention to us.

“Melina has found the orphanage. It looks like the funds you have been sending have not been going to the children. She promised Nana, the head of the home, that they would be sure to take care of them, only to be insulted. They called her a meaningless concubine, and she didn’t reject the name-calling.”

My hands tightened around my chair. Alaneo put his hand on my shoulder in warning.

“Anything else, Leah?” I whispered.

“Daphne was there. She might be the one intercepting the money and taxing them on top of it. She was very degrading of Her Majesty.”A snarl left my lips.“They are heading back to the palace now, Your Majesty.”

I nodded my head, and she flew out the nearby window.

That damn woman. Daphne was going to be hard to get rid of. I couldn’t hold her in the dungeons once we took over. She would either be banned from the city, or death would rain on her. No one would talk to the future Queen in that manner.

I only had to keep her secret a little while longer. If word got out now, it would be over. Assassins would storm the castle to try and kill her. If we were mated, no one would dare touch her because to touch her would be to kill me, and the next in line to the throne would ascend, and there really would be an outbreak of war.

Thousands would die in the process, and my plan had the least amount of fatalities. Protect the Queen, protect the kingdom. My brothers were not as sympathetic as I was, even though I acted tough in the Court. They trained with the warriors in Clara’s pack. They could be brutal when they wanted to be, but they were not fit to run a kingdom.

Speaking of the demoness herself, Daphne sauntered up to the throne. She did an obnoxious curtsey and started babbling nonsense about Melina. She must have gotten under her skin if she had come right away after seeing her at the orphanage. Half listening, half daydreaming of feeling Melina’s skin on my fingertips, she asked a question that irked me.

“Is she your concubine?” was the general question.

She had danced around with her words, and now she wanted me to come out and say what Melina meant to me. I had to protect my destined, but saying these words alone made my own heart ache because she was far from it.

“Yes, she is my concubine, a woman to warm my bed, and let me say this she gives me more pleasure than you ever did. I keep her so I can keep you out of my damn hair!” The words stung my heart, the pounding in my chest as I spoke it. It was all lies. I had to protect her. Just a little longer.

“I see, just a tumbleweed in the wind,” she said cunningly.

Walking away, anger flared in my eyes. How dare that woman! She would be the first to go.

“Your Majesty, we have a problem.” Finley walked up behind the throne.

“What is it? Where is Melina?” I stood up, causing the entire room to go silent. Finley leaned in and whispered in my ear.

“She came to see you, to tell you something important, but she heard your conversation with Daphne.”

A deep growl reverberated in my chest and echoed into the room. I felt my fangs growing, but I shook my head and felt my nostrils flare. “Where is she?” I whispered.

“I’m sorry, she ran. I don’t know where she went! Please have mercy!” Finley got on one knee and lowered his head. The crowd saw my distress as I looked around the room. I stared at Alaneo for support, and he quickly stepped up. “This will conclude our meetings for the day. His Majesty has other matters to attend to. Please leave any important documents by the door with the servants. Thank you.”

Alaneo was still talking when I heard his voice fade away. My steps were heavy as I untied my cape, and it fell to the floor. “Where would she go? Where did she go today?” Finley continued to run beside me as I unbuckled my cuff links to roll them up my sleeve.

“We went to the market and the orphanage. She was too upset after what happened at the orphanage to do anything else. Braxton and Everett are out scouting those areas.” We continued walking to the east side of the palace while Peoni and Primrose flew up beside us.

“Your Majesty.” Primrose bowed while still hovering in the air.

“Where is she?” My voice was deep, and there was no playfulness in it.

Primrose shuddered and bowed again. “I’m sorry, I have looked in your chambers as well as the dining room and library, and she is not there.”

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