Page 115 of Finding Love with the Fae King

Sean was waiting at the bottom of the tower next to the carriage in wolf form. We weren’t aware how bad off Elaine was and if she could fly, so the carriage was our mode of transportation today. Fluttering down and landing with the most grace I could muster since it had been so many years, Sean opened the carriage door for me.

“I’ll travel in wolf form along with the coachmen. We should arrive within the next hour, Your Majesty.” Sean bowed as his bare chest flexed to show the power his wolf held. He was one of the best trackers in the Crimson Shadows Pack, and I knew I would be in excellent hands if things went awry.

The carriage ride went faster than I expected. Thoughts ran through my head of what I was going to say. Would Elaine come on her own accord? What would she say when she found out her daughter was trying to overthrow an entire kingdom and that her chosen mate had been locked away in the dungeons? Would she be happy? Would Elaine be coherent at all? Over the years, they said one would lose themselves slowly, letting the madness of not finding their true mate slowly kill them since she had no say in the bonding.

Pain ripped through me, thinking about how she was forced. I remember the day vividly as she cried, begging Nyx not to do it. She knew her mother's pain when she mated with her father because he was too impatient. Once he finally found his true mate, he left her birth mother, and she died shortly after, not being strong enough with no bond. Elaine had not had the easiest life; once this was all said and done, I would take her all over Bergarian to search for her mate if he was still alive.

As we pulled closer, the building was more like a cottage. Moss grew over the roof, and vines dangled from the rooftops. It was a single-story building with beautiful roses and butterfly bushes decorating the sides of the cottage. The picket fence was in pristine condition and would be a perfect retirement home for a human.

Stepping out of the carriage, I saw several solemn fae were rocking in chairs, not even looking up to see their unknown visitor. Sean had changed and walked beside me as he took in the sight. Several caretakers came by to make sure they were drinking and eating as they saw us approach.

“Your Majesty!” One of them bowed while the rest in question followed. “This is King Nyx’s wife, former King of the Golden Light Kingdom!” Several others went to bow, but I waved them to stop. I was no longer Queen, only a servant now to my son and his mate.

“Please stand up, and I don’t need any of that. I’m actually here to find someone.” Several of the residents looked up, some with confusion and others with sadness. They knew that my husband allowed chosen mates for fae to climb the social ladder, so I would not blame them if they hated me. I should have done more.

After explaining who I was looking for, the two caretakers speaking with me nodded and led me into the cottage. There was a woman with beautiful, dark purple hair rocking in front of the fire. She had a quilt lying on her lap. Her face was gaunt, she hadn’t been eating, and dark circles hung around her eyes. For someone that shouldn’t age, she looked to be much older. The heavy sigh left her lips as she closed them, rocking her chair a few more times.

“Elaine?” I spoke gently as I put my hand on top of hers. Elaine didn’t advert her eyes as she opened them and stared into the fire.

“What do you want?” Her voice was void and hollow, with no emotion to her words.

“I need your help. It is about your daughter.” Elaine didn’t turn her head as a rogue tear streamed down her face. Her face contorted as she looked at me. My heart sank as her eyes met mine. She had given up on life, and she was almost an empty vessel.

“I will tell you what I told her: leave me. I have lost my chance to find my mate, raped, tortured, and bruised. Let me live what is left of my pathetic life.” Elaine’s eyes returned to the fire, but I pressed on.

“She is trying to protect you. She wants you safe, but she is doing it in all the wrong ways. She wants to take over the kingdom! Daphne is planning to rip the bond between King Osirus and Melina. Help us,” I pleaded with her. Elaine continued to sit in her chair but paused her rocking.

“Is King Osirus Daphne’s mate?” I sat beside her in shock, not knowing what to say.

“No, she is trying to take Osirus as a chosen to protect you and to gain power. Osirus’s true mate is Melina.” An enormous sigh left Elaine’s lips as she gripped the quilt. Using as much strength as she could, her voice grew louder.

“I’ll come with you. She can't do what her father did.” I helped her stand up, thankful she would come along with us.

Men and women eyed us in curiosity, and my heart sunk to the floor. All of them needed help. They just wanted their mates. These people were rejected just before the bond became strong. Their mates took on another instead of waiting, or their mate died after a child was born. They needed a second chance, and if the Goddess granted it worthy, she would deliver. I had faith in her that she would offer these poor souls a second chance.

“You are all coming with me,” I spoke loudly enough for the caretakers to hear. “There is a coronation and binding ceremony at the end of the week, and the entire kingdom and many unmated men and women will be there. I pray the Goddess has a second chance for all of you.” My voice grew weak as my sentence trailed. Many gave a slight smile, and a few still hung their heads in defeat. They had given up, but I wasn’t going to.

I was going to help right the wrongs, and Nyx was going to help me do it. His new attitude and guilt demanded it. “Sean, grab a Messenger fairy and send for more carriages.” Sean beamed and gave a bow as he ran outside to have a message delivered.

The palace would be filled with commotion, but it was the right thing to do, and I knew Melina would have wanted it as well.

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Alaneo

DealingwithOsirus’sfatherwas not on my list of most exciting activities. I told him it would be acceptable to go alone and take a few of our warriors, but Nyx insisted. He tried to be chivalric and say he owed the country that much.

A quiet flight through the countryside was what I was hoping for. All the warriors now donned older uniforms taken to storage before we had to hide our wings. Even though there were at least fifty of us in total, you still could not hear the flapping of our wings, like you would hear the bees that looked for honey.

These were our stealthiest men. They had their arrows, swords, several spears of their choice, and darker camouflaged clothing to be covert enough to hit Vermillion was on point. We made a clear effort to stay away from Vermillion. It was the darker side of Bergarian and could cause a depressed mood in a fae or fairy. We craved the light while they craved the dark. Even though the light sources still shone there, there were just not as bright, with thickly spaced trees and overhanging flora and fauna.

Nyx was struggling to keep up. He had not trained enough over the years, but I would monitor him. Osirus would appreciate that his father was acting like a parent.

Only three hundred years too late.

As we approached the edge of Vermillion, I realized we would have some difficulty maneuvering about with our numbers. Breaking up the large group into several smaller ones and having themselves cloaked with a scent neutralizer, we headed in different directions.

Since having our wings expelled from our bodies only a few days ago, many fae took it upon understanding they could also use each fae’s blessed power. It could be like Osirus, who could take control of people’s bodies and read auras, or something simpler, like being able to frost the foliage. Warriors asked permission, and it was immediately granted. Their power was to render themselves invisible to the opposing race. We could see them, but other races could not; a beneficial gift in their line of work. They would be promoted as soon as this mess was cleared.

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