Page 91 of Fortress of Blood and Power

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

“We have a story of a woman cursed to sleep a hundred years.” The teasing feminine voice drew me out of sleep, blinking blearily against the sunlight pouring through the nearby window. “Ah. It’s good to seeyousuffer from no such affliction.”

I jolted upright, finding myself in my bed in my own chambers within the Silverfrost castle, with Aspen perched nearby in her pixie form. She offered me a fierce grin as I met her gaze, her rich brown eyes alight with happiness. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“What happened?” My voice came out like a croak, throat aching. Snatches of the fight returned to me. A one-eyed Preston staggering after me. He and Nerissa breaking my bones. Demons consuming fae. A wolf pierced by my own ice daggers...

Garrick.

My heart twinged, and I bit my lip, trying and failing to stifle my sob.

Aspen leapt up instantly, compassion painted across her face. “Ren...” She set her tiny hand on mine. “Does anything hurt? Kinsey healed you, but with that many broken bones, and the amount of winter magic you wielded, you slept a full day afterward. He was a little worried that your body would be too exhausted to interact properly with his power, and the bones might not set correctly, or...”

“No,” I choked out, tears burning my eyes. And it was true. I felt none of the agony that had consumed me before I’d lost consciousness. “I am unhurt. But Garrick...?”

Aspen squeezed my hand. “He’s alive.”

“What?” I breathed, relief spilling through me.

“He hasn’t woken yet, last I heard,” the pixie continued, her words cautious as she studied my hopeful expression, “but shifter magic protects him. And Kinsey was able to tend to him right after you banished the demons and sealed the underworld.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, soaking in the news. “Will he make a full recovery?”

“We expect so.”

Already, I was swinging my legs over the side of the bed, striding across the cold wood floor toward the door, heedless of the fact I only wore a nightgown. But I’d moved too quickly. My body was weak and my head spun, making me lurch awkwardly. I caught myself on the chair before my vanity as I crumpled.

“You make a terrible invalid,” Aspen scolded, suddenly standing beside me in her high fae form. She seized my arm, gentle yet firm, and guided me back to the bed. “You can see Garrick soon, but first you need to eat and drink. I’ll fill you in on what’s happened since while you do. As our queen, you need to be aware of the state of your kingdom.”

Queen.The sound echoed in my ears, filling me with equal measures of hope and worry.

“My kingdom,” I managed as I sank back against the pillows, letting Aspen tuck me in. My head was spinning, but even more than the monumental news of my impending rule was what she’d shared about Garrick.

Garrick is alive.The knowledge eased my fears and filled me with unending warmth, like an expanding glow in my chest. Nothing could be wrong as long as he was all right. If he wasalive, I could learn how to rule. I could do anything. Anything seemed possible as long as he existed in this world.

I needed to see him. Needed to be there when he awoke, ensure he was healed and well. Needed to tell him how I felt. Needed to be by his side, soaking in our newfound freedom and the future we could now embrace together. After the days we’d been robbed of being able to share our own feelings, I didn’t want to lose a single moment, a single touch.

Aspen rang for a servant, and a fae woman slipped in a few minutes later bearing a tray of steaming stew and a pitcher of water. “Your Majesty,” she said as soon as she saw me, her blue eyes widening. She dipped into a curtsey, carefully keeping the tray poised in her grasp. “It’s good to see you well. Thank you for what you’ve done for Silverfrost.”

Your Majesty.I was too overwhelmed to process it. “I...you’re welcome.” I blinked at her. Were the human servants gone? Had their glamour broken when Preston and Nerissa were banished?

As the servant left and Aspen poured me a glass of water—which I hastily drank down—and then handed me the bowl of stew, urging me to eat, she began talking. “We have fae, many of whom were former rebels, helping staff the palace. Others have been tasked with returning the humans to their homes. They’re confused and afraid. Some served for years under Nerissa and Preston, and were quite disoriented the moment their glamour shattered and they found themselves here.”

I shuddered, imagining what it must have been like for them. Had they been lost in other daydreams, believing themselves to still be in the human world? I couldn’t fathom waking from such an illusion to find I’d been a slave to fae all that time, far from home and with years of my life effectively stolen.

“Charles?” I asked.

Aspen smiled. “Not a very good patient either, to tell you the truth. He’s healed well, already gaining some color in those gaunt cheeks of his from a steady diet and rest. I could hardly get him to leave your rooms to rest though.” She rolled her eyes, but her grin didn’t lessen. “I think he truly is remorseful and wants to right the wrongs between you.”

Grateful tears glistened in my eyes, and I nodded.

“The fighting has ceased. The Ashwoods have ordered their troops to stand down, and now they remain as guests in the castle. The crown prince and princess are committed to witnessing your coronation to display their support of your rule, and then remaining until the three of you can sign an official treaty between kingdoms.”

She sighed. “For now, Silverfrost celebrates. We opened the fortress to the public, allowing all to flood the dungeons and see that the demons are, in fact, banished, and you have saved us all. But I know that in turn, dissenters will make their will known. Either out of loyalty to Preston and Nerissa or hatred of your human side, they will oppose you.” Her expression hardened. “However, you have my surviving rebels at your disposal. They serve already as guards and servants in the castle, and they are prepared to take up places in your court as needed. They will defend you to their dying breaths—I’m sure of it.” Standing suddenly, she knelt at my bedside, studying me earnestly. “And I will serve you, in whatever capacity you desire, Your Majesty.”

Startled at her display of deference, I straightened, setting down my spoon. “Aspen, you’re a friend. There’s no need for formality. I...I don’t even know how to be a queen.”

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