“A dragon?” Reidan scoffed. “They haven't been seen for years. This island has been cut off from all the others. Don't lie to me!” Reidan ground out each word as he walked toward the woman in his study. “How...did..you..get...here.”
The fae king had been alone for many years, having grown accustomed to the silence and solitude of his castle. He could have formed a bond with another person, but the curse had made that difficult. He had accepted his fate of living without a queen and what that meant for his kingdom in the sky. Even if that meant they would all perish soon.
“How dare you enter uninvited,” he said, his voice low and menacing.
The woman's eyes widened in fear. She quickly backed away, her gaze never leaving his.
“Leave now and never return,” he said. “If you ever trespass upon my grounds again, it will be at your own peril.”
She continued to avoid him until her back was against the stone wall beside the fireplace. Tears rimmed her deep brown eyes.
Reidan's eyes wandered down her damp clothing, and for a moment, he felt something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It had been so long since he had spent time around another person that he was out of practice comprehending the behaviors of others. Was this pity? he wondered. It didn't matter. This was his home, and she had intruded.
The woman trembled and grasped her arm with the opposite hand. Her entire body said she feared him, but her eyes held a challenge.
“Where am I to go?” she asked. “Even you just admitted that I can't leave the island, and this was the only building I could get a door to open.”
“It is not my problem,” Reidan said, but something didn't make sense to him. When the witch cursed him, she had turned the entire capital's residents invisible. That had been the trade for helping encourage fate to help him find his queen, but that spell should not have stopped her from entering other buildings. Even if she couldn't see the people who surrounded her, she should have been able to open the doors.
The woman didn't speak. She bit her lower lip and continued to stare at him, waiting for the impossible to happen.
“You will be fine,” he added, even though he didn't entirely believe it himself.
“I did not come here by choice. You know that.”
A shiver ran down Reidan's spine as a light cold breeze brushed across his ear. At one point in time, he would have looked to see what it was, but after a while, he had become accustomed to how the residents of his castle communicated with him now.
“You are not welcome here,” he said louder this time, and frustration began to build inside him.
A low growl escaped the woman's lips as if she couldn't control it. It had come from deep within her, and it was one of the things Reidan hadn't missed about being alone.
“Don't you dare growl at me. Do you know who I am? I am the king, for crying out loud. I demand respect!”
Her eyes grew wide, and for a moment, he thought she might listen to him and leave.
“If you are my king. You are supposed to help me,” she said, her voice quivering as if she were ready to cry.
Fury built inside of Reidan. How dare one of his subjects demand something from him?
A breeze brushed across his other ear, and Reidan swatted at the source. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he understood what the spirit was trying to tell him.
Sheathing his dagger, Reidan pointed to the door. “Fine. You may stay. This is my private space, though. Grab your things and follow me. I will show you to a room.”
He watched her hurry and gather a bag and cloak from a stand that wasn't usually in his study and made a mental note of how his staff was already treating her. She walked towards the door and waited for him.
Reidan cleared his throat and walked out into the hall. “Follow me.”
He led her through the castle, and although he had told her to follow him, she stayed close to him.
He stopped at a closed door.
“This is your room,” he said, pushing the door open for her.
She walked past him, stepped into the room, set her bag down on a bed, and walked to the window.
Reidan watched for a moment as she explored the room. His staff was apparently all too pleased to have her there. A fire was lit, and a small tray of food and tea was already on a small table in the room. He couldn't blame them. They wanted this curse to be broken even if they didn't know the full consequences of what would happen if it wasn't.
“Tomorrow, we will discuss your predicament. I suggest you stay in your room for the night,” he said, quickly turning to leave before she could respond.
When he heard the door close behind him, it took nearly everything in him to not look back. His feet led him back to his study, and with a heavy sigh, Reidan sat down in one of the chairs in front of his fire. Only then did he notice the box sitting on the table next to him.
The scent of mint and chocolate wafted up to his nose, and Reidan quickly plucked the box off the table and examined it. This had to have been from the woman. He chuckled to himself as he realized that he hadn't even asked her her name.
He eyed the pile of cake and cream, and a mischievous smile spread across his face as he dipped one finger in and brought the small taste to his lips. A sigh of contentment escaped his lips as he savored the small bite.
“It's going to take more than a destroyed cake to win me over,” he muttered to no one in particular. “Of course, if she is who the islands have chosen as their queen, I won't complain about more of this.”
He dipped his finger in for another taste, contemplating the spell Claire had cast. At the ball, he had requested her help finding the queen the kingdom needed. Word had gotten to him that the smaller islands were already having pieces crumble off, and without a queen on the throne, his magic wouldn't be enough to hold the islands together for more than a few years.
He should have listened to her. Even he knew better than to rush fate. It didn't matter how powerful you were. Fate always won.
* * *
Reidan followed his nose as it seemed to lead him toward the source of a most delicious smell. While his staff cooked for him, after the curse had set in, it was as if his cook was punishing him. Not that he could blame her. Bland porridge had been served every morning, a salad or soup for lunch, and unseasoned meat and potatoes for dinner. It wasn’t his intention for everyone to become invisible, but here they all were. At this point, he had all but forgotten what well-seasoned food could taste like, and he had a good idea what this wonderful smell was, but he wasn’t sure until he opened the door to the formal dining room.
His smile brightened at the sight of the meal on the table.
Muffins, eggs, bacon, and other delicacies were spread around the table, filling the room with a tantalizing aroma. He couldn’t help but pause in amazement before quickly dismissing it and taking his seat. Not a moment too soon, for the woman from the night before entered the room and stood quietly by the door.
Reidan turned in his chair, uncertain of how to address her. Before he could figure it out, the woman slowly stepped forward and smiled softly.
“My name is Mortana,” she said in a gentle voice. “We didn’t get off to the best start last night. I apologize.”
He watched her as she placed a bowl of fresh fruit on the table in front of him and sat in a chair beside him. His body tensed at having someone so near, but Reidan did his best to not let it show.
“Neither of us were on our best behavior. I agree,” Reidan said while cutting open a fresh blueberry muffin and spreading butter on the warm center. His mouth watered as he watched it melt into fluffy crumbs before taking a bite.
His eyes closed when the taste hit his tongue, and a happy hum escaped him before he remembered that he was not alone. He sneaked a peek to find Mortana watching him, a twinkle in her eye.
Grabbing a crispy piece of bacon, Mortana waved as she spoke. “Last night, you said you were the king. So I’m going to assume you’re King Reidan. You know, when you disappeared several years ago, you certainly left a mess. The larger islands have all been fighting over who will fill the spot recently as the capital. Several of your more colorful extended family claiming the right to rule.”
Taken back a bit, Reidan contemplated Mortana before speaking. She couldn’t be highborn, or else she wouldn’t be comfortable discussing the matter as she was. She seemed a bit younger than he but carried herself with confidence. Something about the woman made him uncomfortable.
“The political situation was an unfortunate side effect. I had other things to worry about when I disappeared,” he said while taking a long sip of his hot coffee.
“Perhaps, but I am certain you can understand why there is skepticism about you truly returning. Regardless, I’m willing to believe you.”
Reidan sighed, “You want to ask me about what happened, don’t you?”
“That’s right. Why did you disappear? How did it happen? How do we fix it? I have...things I need to get back to as soon as possible.”
A frown twisted Reidan’s features. “Things?”
She picked at her plate a moment before replying, “Responsibilities that could be a problem if left unattended for too long.”
That told him absolutely nothing, but it appeared she wasn’t willing to open up anymore about that for the time being.
“I had asked for help from a friend to find someone,” he said hesitantly.
Mortana’s brows furrowed. “Who?”
Reidan’s fork tapped on the plate as he shook his head. “I can’t tell you; just know that it’s someone significant.” His voice quivered under the weight of the situation, and he swallowed hard. “She cast a powerful spell that flooded the island with an invisible force, and suddenly everyone disappeared, leaving me alone. All access on and off of the island was blocked.”