My Dearest Mango,
Your last letter had me laughing! I had to share the story of the bear cub with Beatrice—I’m sure you remember how much she adores animals.
I always love hearing of your adventures. It makes me yearn to see the other courts, as you do.
I hope this letter finds you quickly because, I must confess, I have an urgent favor to ask of you.
If you are near Allsburg over the next few weeks, could you pay us a visit? I know we saw you last year, and you likely have duties to attend to for Queen Sonara, but… something strange has been happening.
Over the past few nights, the triplets have been out of their beds. I noticed when I rose to take my nightly tonic and realized they were missing. I searched the castle, but I didn’t want to cause alarm, particularly if they were sleeping in one of the guest chambers, which they tend to do on occasion. By morning, they were in their beds once again, albeit a bit more exhausted than normal.
If this were an isolated occurrence, I would think nothing of it. But yesterday, I found their feet were covered in blisters and sores. And occasionally, one of them will stare, unfocused, at nothing in particular, as if they are in a sort of trance, and I cannot snap them out of it. Father says it’s nothing. But I fear he is too busy with court affairs to pay them much attention. As the youngest, the triplets are often overlooked, especially with so many of us taking up attention with our governesses and maids.
I have tried to investigate on my own. Once, I caught them slipping past the hallway and attempted to pursue, but before I could reach them, they had vanished!
I understand if you are too busy. But it would mean the world to me if you would come and help. My sisters are very dear to me, and I’m terrified that some kind of fae magic is involved. With your skills, I know for certain we can uncover the mystery.
If you cannot come, don’t fret! I will look forward to your next letter, as always.
With love,
Addie
I stood in the stables of Roderick Castle, reading over Adira’s neat, elegant script for the hundredth time, my chest constricting with unease. What could possibly be luring her sisters from their beds in the middle of the night? Based on Adira’s description, I agreed; fae magic could be at work here.
Which meant Adira and her sisters were in grave danger. They were humans and had no magic to protect them.
Adira and I both lived in the Star Court, but she lived on the eastern side, known as the Court of Twilight, the human lands ruled by her father, King Reginald. I lived on the western side, known as the Court of Midnight, ruled by Queen Sonara. The queen was full-blooded fae, and, as her guardsman, I knew firsthand that Sonara was a fair and just ruler. For years, the Twilight and Midnight Courts had gotten along fairly well, with very few disputes. As far as fae-human relations went, the arrangement between the two kingdoms had been surprisingly amicable.
Adira and I had played together as children, back when my father had been King Reginald’s captain of the guard. When my father died and I’d enlisted in the Queen’s army to pay for the healing elixirs for my mother’s ailment, Adira and I had kept in touch, corresponding often.
I missed her deeply. More than I cared to admit. More than she could ever know.
She was often on my mind, and I worried for her safety; she was a human in a realm full of deadly fae creatures. Queen Sonara was respectful of the humans, but that didn’t mean all the fae were. There were wild, unseelie fae tribes in the lands between our kingdoms who were known to hunt humans. Could it be that one of those tribes was attacking Adira’s family with their magic?
“What’s this?”
The letter was snatched from my hands, and I stiffened, reaching automatically for it. I faltered when I saw Prince Fennick, heir to the Court of Midnight, dressed in his riding leathers and grinning eagerly. He stood nearly a head taller than me, and his lithe grace made it impossible for me to keep up with him. That, and my bad leg.
“Hello, Fenn,” I said dully, already rubbing my temples from the imminent teasing he would give me after reading Adira’s letter.
“Mango?” Fenn chuckled as he read the top of the page. “What the hell is that?”
My face burned, and I refused to look at him. “A childhood nickname. I once ate a bowl full of mangos from the Summer Court, and my face turned orange for a whole week. She wouldn’t stop calling me Mango after that.”
Fenn snorted in a very un-princely manner, his green eyes full of mirth as he flicked an amused glance at me. “Stars, I would have loved to see that.” When he continued reading the letter, I suppressed a groan.
“Fenn, please.”
“Shh! I’m reading.”
I crossed my arms and leaned against a wooden beam, glaring at the stall where my mare, Giselle, peered at me curiously.
When Fenn was finished, he carefully folded the letter and handed it back to me. I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicious of his uncharacteristic silence. “Well?” I prompted.
“When do we leave?” Fenn asked, eyebrows raised and eyes glinting with a look I knew too well: the thrill of a challenge.
I stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
Fenn waved the paper in my face. “This letter is from Addie. Your Addie. You talk about her all the time, and now she needs your help. Of course you’re going to go.”
“I don’t talk about her all the time!”
Fenn gave me a flat look. “Yes, you do. You’re completely enamored with her.”
“I—There’s no—” I sputtered, my face heating once more as Fenn arched a knowing eyebrow.
There was no use in denying it. Fenn could read me too easily.
With a sigh, I let my hand fall against the thigh of my good leg. “My feelings are irrelevant. I’m a wounded fae soldier. She’s the oldest of twelve princesses and heir to the Court of Twilight—a kingdom of humans.”
“So?” Fenn challenged, crossing his arms. “Just because the kingdom is ruled by humans doesn’t mean fae can’t live there. You lived there. Your father was the king’s captain. And now, you’re in my mother’s employ. You don’t think a marriage alliance between the Twilight and Midnight Courts would be beneficial?”
My face was completely on fire. How did we come to this topic? I couldn’t believe we were discussing the possibility of a marriage alliance between Adira, a crown princess, and me, a lowborn nobody. “If Adira were to choose such an alliance, it would not be with me. It would likely be with another human prince. Or perhaps one of the fae nobles from another court, to secure relations between them.”
Fenn wrinkled his nose. “If those nobles are as stiff as the ones I’ve met, then I pity the ladies who will be shackled to them.”
I laughed, grateful for my friend’s jokes to put me at ease like they always did.
“Marek, I’m serious,” Fenn continued. “My mother is away on holiday. You have nothing to attend to right now. If you want to go to Allsburg, we should go.”
“I’m supposed to be training you,” I quipped.
“Then train me on the road! Besides, hosting the Midnight Prince would be beneficial for Twilight and my family. Mother is always looking to improve relations with the humans.”
I scowled. The last thing I wanted to do was drag Fenn into an unknown and dangerous situation when his mother had hired me with the explicit purpose of keeping him safe.
Besides, traveling with him for days meant he would tease me relentlessly about my feelings for Adira.
But if Adira’s suspicions were correct, and there was fae magic being used against her family, then having the assistance of a fae royal might help.
I jabbed a finger at him. “If we do this, no flirting with the princesses. Reginald has enough trouble with fae royals trying to weasel their way into his court.”
Fenn grinned wickedly, raising his hands palms-out. “No promises.”