Queen Sonara generously allowed us to stay at Roderick Castle until Adira had recovered. Much to my surprise, Reginald and his daughters remained behind with her, leaving Allsburg in the care of his ruling council in his absence.
I remained stationed in Adira’s room as her personal guard. At least, that was what Fenn told everyone. In truth, I was desperate to be there when Adira awoke. I couldn’t bear the thought of her waking alone and frightened in a strange place.
Two days after we arrived in Tenebor, Adira finally stirred. I straightened in the chair next to her bed, blinking sleep blearily from my eyes. I’d caught a few snatches of sleep here and there, but overall, I hadn’t been able to rest.
“Mango?” Her voice was hoarse as she squinted at me from the bed. Then, she sat bolt upright, eyes flaring wide. “Marek!”
“Shh, it’s all right.” I was by her side in an instant, sitting on the edge of her bed and placing my hands on her shoulders. “We’re at Roderick Castle.”
“Roderick…” she mumbled, frowning. “In Tenebor? Why?”
I quickly filled her in on what had happened. She nodded along with my words, her brow still furrowed as clarity gradually returned to her eyes.
“So my mother is…” she said once I’d finished.
“Gone,” I said. “I don’t know if she survived the blow, but I was in too much of a hurry to get you and your sisters out.”
“Of course.” She squeezed my hand. “Thank you, Marek. My sisters and I would be dead if it weren’t for you.”
I shook my head and grimaced. “You almost were killed because of me.”
Adira’s brows knitted together. “What are you talking about?”
“I took you behind enemy lines, Addie. With no reinforcements. It was foolish and reckless and—”
“Stop talking, Mango,” Adira snapped. “You’re being stupid, and I won’t hear of it.”
“I’m not—”
“I said shut up!” Addie said sharply, her voice rising. My mouth clamped shut in surprise. “If you hadn’t gone with me, Rosalina would have eventually sought me out through my magic. You know this. And are you honestly implying you have any say whatsoever in the choices I make? Would you have forced me to remain locked in my room, away from the danger?” When I said nothing, she raised her eyebrows and prompted, “Well?”
“No,” I mumbled. “But Addie—”
“You were my reinforcements, Marek. I trust you completely. Neither of us knew what we were up against, but we handled the situation to the best of our abilities. And we survived.”
“But what if we hadn’t?” I whispered. “What if you hadn’t? Addie, I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if something happened to you.”
“So, you’re allowed to pursue a dangerous life, but I’m not?” Her chin lifted in defiance. “I am to be queen, after all. And queens face difficulty and danger every day. As you wisely pointed out.”
I sighed, hanging my head. “Addie.” My voice was a weak plea. How could I make her understand?
“How do you think I felt when you left?” Adira asked, her voice soft.
I went perfectly still, but in my chest, a riot of emotions collided.
“You left Allsburg to pursue a life of battle,” Adira went on. “You left with barely a goodbye. I thought for sure you would die and I would hear of it weeks later from a courier bearing the news.” She shook her head, her eyes shining with tears. “I had to make my peace with your choices, Marek. You must make your peace with mine. If you can’t respect my decisions and acknowledge that they are mine and not yours, then this will never work.”
I frowned, snapping out of my thoughts. “What will never work?”
“Did you forget?” She leaned forward, her eyes sparking with desire. “I claimed you for my own, Marek. And you will be mine.”
Half my mouth quirked upward at the resolve in her voice. “That sounds like a threat.”
“It is.” She snatched my collar, dragging me down toward her before her mouth captured mine. I leaned in, bracing my hand on the other side of the bed to keep myself from collapsing on top of her. My tongue swept over her lip, and she sighed into my mouth.
We lay together on her bed for a long while, our lips and tongues exploring, our hands roaming as we took our time enjoying this new space between us—no longer friends separated by distance, but lovers brought together, never to be parted again. We remained fully clothed, not only because she was still recovering, but because we knew we had plenty of time to devote to each other.
Now that we were here, together, we had the rest of our lives to spend worshiping one another in body and spirit.
We finally sat up when Adira’s stomach growled loudly, interrupting our leisurely kisses. She covered her face with her hands. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I laughed as I eased off the bed. “You’ve been unconscious for days. Of course you’re hungry.” I stepped into the hallway to summon a servant, requesting that a meal be brought to Adira’s room. When I returned, I found her standing and wrapping a robe around herself.
“Would you be able to send for my father?” Adira asked, crossing her arms. Her face was solemn, and I knew she was thinking of everything she’d learned of her mother. “I need to speak with him.”
I bowed. “Of course, my queen.”
Her mouth twitched, but her eyes remained somber. I couldn’t blame her. In a single day, she’d learned her mother wasn’t actually dead, but a living fae who had kidnapped her own daughters. It was a heavy burden for Adira to bear.
And she deserved answers from the father she’d thought she could trust.
Reginald came to Adira’s rooms immediately, his face stricken with part worry, part sorrow. I showed him in, prepared to step into the hall to give them privacy, but Adira stopped me.
“No, Marek, please stay.”
Reginald and I both looked at her in surprise. “I—Um—Are you sure?” I sputtered, glancing between Adira and her father.
She stood there, dressed in her shift and a robe, but looking as queenly as ever as she lifted her chin at me. “Yes, Marek. I want you to stay.”
I swallowed hard, my chest tightening with uncertainty. But the look Adira gave me was full of resolve and determination.
I nodded. She wanted me here. So I would stay. I stood in front of the closed door, hands clasped in front of me, as a dutiful guardsman. Reginald stepped closer to Adira, his arms outstretched, but she raised a hand to stop him. He faltered, his shoulders slumping slightly from the rejection.
“Did Marek tell you all that transpired?” Adira asked him. When he nodded, she asked, “And what do you have to say to me?”
Reginald hesitated. “What do you mean?”
“Rosalina told me her side of the story. I’d like to hear yours.”
Reginald flinched at the sound of his wife’s name. “Adira…”
“Don’t patronize me, Father,” Adira said, her voice sharpening. “I need to know everything. You owe me that much.”
Reginald sighed, then nodded. “Very well. The truth is, I didn’t know your mother was fae until after we were married. I started to see light emanating from her hands as she slept. When I confronted her about it, she told me the truth. And she told me she was pregnant.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, my eyes flicking to Adira. But her expression remained stoic as she watched her father.
“She told me she was afraid to reveal who she was, that I would abandon her if I knew,” Reginald went on. “She claimed she loved me and wanted to rule by my side. She swore to do anything I asked as long as I allowed her to stay. By that point, we had already established Allsburg as a peaceful kingdom run by humans. A haven for all humans who felt unsafe around the fae. I couldn’t rule alongside a fae unless I wanted to incite chaos in the kingdom. But I couldn’t turn Rosalina away, either. In truth, I loved her, too. And my child was in her womb.
“So, I told her she could stay as long as she continued to keep her magic a secret. For years, it worked well. I was able to forget about her magic. We raised children together. She did warn me that one day her magic would manifest itself in our daughters, but I was hopeful that my human blood would nullify that magic.
“Then, shortly after the triplets were born, her magic became aggressive and uncontrollable. She blamed it on the pregnancy, insisting her body would return to normal and her magic would settle. But when the triplets reached their first birthday, it had only gotten worse. I fabricated a lie that Rosalina had fallen ill to explain away her absence.”
Reginald paused, his face crumpling in misery, “Then, we discovered the sleeping sickness. And I admit, I was in denial, refusing to believe Rosalina was capable of such a thing. But one night, I caught her sneaking out of her chambers. I followed her to the Moon River where I found her infusing her powers into the water. Her—Her magic was poisoning our kingdom’s drinking water.”
A shudder of horror rippled over me. How could someone do something so terrible? So malicious?
“When I confronted her, she confessed the truth. It was her intention to curse our people with a sickness so devastating they would have no choice but to turn to fae magic to save them. And when Rosalina revealed her true nature, the people would be so grateful for a cure that they would openly accept her as fae. She told me she was tired of living in hiding, and her magic could no longer be contained.
“I told her she had to leave. I could no longer in good conscience keep her on the throne when she was poisoning our people. To my surprise, she agreed. It wasn’t until after she left and we announced her death that I realized why. I think… I think she cast a spell on you, Adira, to awaken your magic. That was when you stopped sleeping. Rosalina couldn’t continue living a lie, but she didn’t want to leave without a way to reach her daughters. With her magic alive in you, Adira, she could summon you to her. She could lure you to her hiding place and poison you, just like she poisoned our people.”
“Stop.” Adira’s voice was soft but firm. Her eyes were cold as she gazed at her father. “I’ve heard enough.” She shook her head, her nostrils flaring. “My magic is not a poison, Father. It’s part of me, whether you like it or not. It’s in my blood. I know Rosalina deceived you, but you forced her to cage a part of herself for years. Her actions were reprehensible, and she deserved to be banished for them. But your actions were no better. You lied to us. To your people. You forced a woman you claim to have loved into shackles. Ask any fae what it would be like to suppress their magic for years, and they would all tell you: it would be torture.
“I know what you were trying to do after she left. You warded the gates with fae enchantments. You put up magical protections around the castle. It was all under the pretense of being more accepting and open to fae customs and ideals, but you were trying to keep her out. You were paranoid she would try to come back.”
“Adira.” Reginald’s eyes sparkled with tears as he drew closer to her, but she stopped him once more, slicing her hand through the air.
“You will announce the truth to our people,” Adira said. “They deserve to know.”
Reginald paled. “I cannot—”
“You will. And if they riot, if they call for us to abdicate because of it, then we will turn the throne over to the council to do as they see fit.”
Reginald laughed weakly. “Adira—”
“We serve the people!” Adira said loudly. “Not the other way around! We do what is best for them. And because of your actions, people died from a sickness that could have been prevented. I will be queen of this kingdom soon, and I will not rule on a foundation of lies. I refuse to do it. Now, if the people will allow it, then Marek and I will rule together. If not—”
“Marek?” Reginald spun to face me as if just now realizing I was there.
“Yes,” Adira said. “Marek and I are to be married.”
I resisted the urge to squirm under Reginald’s blank stare. Instead, I tried to emulate the same confidence Adira had. I lifted my chin and met his eyes with determination. I might have balked at the notion of ruling as king, but one thing I was certain in was my love for Adira. Whatever she needed of me, I would provide it. And in this moment, she needed me to be confident alongside her.
“I am in love with your daughter,” I said, my voice level and strong. “I would do anything for her, Your Majesty. Even if it means defying you.”
Reginald’s head jerked back from the force of my words, and he whirled to face Adira again. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” Adira said coldly. “Marek will make a fine king. He will rule with honesty and fairness. Unlike you.”
“This will ignite a civil war,” Reginald said, anger bleeding into his words. “You will tear this kingdom apart!”
“The kingdom was already falling apart when Rosalina was killing its subjects!” Adira cried. “There is no perfect human kingdom, Father. It was all an illusion. One way or another, we will have to face this. I choose to face it with honesty, even if it means I will be deposed.”
Reginald was shaking his head, his expression rigid.
Adira approached him, her steps lithe and graceful. “You have been preparing me for this for years, Father. If you try to stop me, I will expose you for what you have done and force you out of the kingdom just like you did to her.”
Reginald’s spine straightened, his hands curling into fists at his side. “What is my other option? To sit back while you tear our kingdom apart?”
“No. You can rule on the council as my advisor. I still love you and respect you, and as king, you have done good for our people. I want to learn from you. But I refuse to carry on the lie you’ve crafted. I’m ordering you to step down and allow me to take the throne.”
Reginald let out a breath in a low hiss before turning to me once more. “And you agree with this? You are a soldier. You understand battle and war tactics. How can you allow this?”
My eyes narrowed. “I do not allow Adira to do anything. She is my queen and will rule as she sees fit. But, since you asked, yes, I agree with this. Adira is right—the people deserve to know the truth. It will be chaotic, and there will be riots and unrest, but the kingdom will be stronger for it. It will be hard, but nothing worth fighting for is easy, Your Highness.”
Adira’s eyes glimmered with pride, but Reginald scoffed. “Spoken from someone who knows nothing of court politics.”
I huffed a laugh. “You’re right. Thank goodness my future wife knows enough for the both of us.”
“The choice is yours, Father,” Adira said. “Will you stand by me? Or will you abandon your people when things become difficult?”
Reginald ran a hand through his hair, then dropped his arms, his fingers flexing. He grumbled something incoherent and turned away to face the window instead, his face a mask of fury. Adira and I waited in silence as he paced the room, hands balled into fists at his side, muttering to himself.
After several minutes, he sighed, his frame drooping as he turned to face Adira once more. “I will be by your side, daughter. Always.” His voice was resigned and feeble. He sounded nothing like the powerful king I knew him to be.
Perhaps that had been a facade, too.
Adira nodded, allowing a small, relieved smile to lift her mouth. “Thank you, Father. I know this kingdom will be stronger with you by my side.”
Reginald shook his head and turned to leave. I stepped away from the door to let him pass. As he opened it, he paused, then turned to Adira once again. “I am… glad you are well, Adira. I am proud of how you defended your sisters.”
“I appreciate that, Father.”
Reginald inclined his head and left the room, the door shutting behind him.
As soon as we were alone, I turned to Adira and closed the distance between us, encircling her in my arms. She collapsed into my chest as if the discussion with her father had drained every ounce of her strength. Her head nestled into me, and I stroked her golden hair.
“My brave, brave queen,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to her head.
“Gods, that was so hard.” She clutched my tunic, fisting the fabric in her fingers as tears ran down her cheeks. “He will never forgive me.”
“He will,” I assured her. “Just give him time. It will take your subjects time to accept this new regime as well. All of this will be difficult, but we can endure it together.”
She withdrew to smile up at me. “Yes, we can. Together, we can endure anything.”
Warmth blossomed in my chest as she brought her lips to mine.
* * *
Want to read Fenn’s story? In Crown of Slumber, a sleeping curse befalls the kingdom, and Prince Fennick must work alongside an enemy princess to break the enchantment.