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I took my time on my way back to the cottage. When I entered the glen, the fae were already dashing about, getting ready for tonight’s festivities. When Marabel saw me, she grabbed me and ushered me inside without any comment as to my whereabouts. Thankfully, my routine included a morning walk and the timing of my return worked.
Before I had a chance to speak, they were already slipping me into the silky dress and tightening the corset until I could barely breathe. The sky-blue satin shimmered, and I smiled at the image in the mirror, even with my blonde hair windblown and knotted from my morning adventure. I could not envision being led around a dance floor by anyone other than Zachary.
A chair slid against the back of my knees, and I fell into the cushion as the three fae flitted around me.
“Should we braid her hair or curl it?” Felicity started brushing the tangles out with an efficiency that made me wince with each yank.
“Braid,” said Autumn at the same time Marabel said, “Curls.”
Marabel brought out a table with powders and colored chalk and sat right in front of me as if she were going to make me up like the court jester. I put my hand up and shook my head as she brought a powder puff straight toward my face.
“No thank you,” I said to her, knowing it would probably hurt her feelings. But I never got the hang of make-up and I did not want to look strange on my first foray into a royal ball.
“But...” she started.
“She is beautiful without all that fake stuff.” Autumn sided with me for a change.
“I agree,” Felicity added. “Even with her hair a mess, she would be the most stunning girl at the ball.” She yanked at a few strands that framed my face and wrapped them around a tube that she left in place. She did the same with the other side and continued until I looked like a strange version of a porcupine.
She stepped back with a satisfied nod, stepped away for a moment, and when she returned, she had a plate of food that she handed to Marabel.
“Let Marabel feed you so you don’t get anything on the dress, okay?”
“Um. Okay.” I didn’t have much choice in the matter and before I knew it, I was so full that I had to wave off the next pastry Marabel offered. Not a speck fell on the dress, either. If I had been left to eat on my own, I probably would have had at least one stain from a falling bite.
Felicity and Autumn raced about the cottage, dressing in their own clothing suited for court. Felicity returned to me and started pulling the tubes out of my hair. Little ringlets fell, framing my face and falling over my shoulders. She grinned at the effect and then went back to styling my hair.
She finally had Marabel bring a mirror out. She had done a stylish updo that included intricate braids interspersed with corkscrew curls and the effect made me gasp with delight.
“You will outshine the entire royal court!” Felicity said as she studied me.
Heat filled my cheeks. I only wanted to impress one person and he wasn’t going to be there. I wished I could run to the glen where I found him this morning, just to show off this magnificent outfit. Although I was sure by the time I left him, I would be a hot mess.
I smiled at the thought. “Thank you.” I glanced at the three fae.
Before they whisked me out of the cottage, I snuck a swipe of frosting from what was left of the cake on the counter. After all, it was my birthday cake and I wouldn’t be able to have a piece until well into the evening.
At least, if the curse was a farce. Otherwise, I’d never see that sweet cake again.
I sucked the frosting from my finger as we stepped outside. I drew to a halt at the sight of an ornate golden carriage that reminded me of the flecks in Zachary’s eyes. It was far too fancy to be from the modest fae realm we lived in. I had a moment where I thought Zachary would step out and hold the door for me. But that small daydream was ruined when Felicity swung the door open and waved me inside.
A measure of disappointment filled me, but at least my smile didn’t falter. I climbed inside, followed by Autumn, Marabel, and Felicity. Their excitement created static in the air around them, sending little sparks of happiness flying around the inside of the carriage.
We lurched forward and so did my heart. I was headed to the palace. Toward a night with a precarious ending. Tonight, the kingdom would celebrate the princess’s twentieth birthday, and it would either end with too much wine, dance, and song, or it would end in ruin as the curse uttered so long ago blanketed the land.
The closer we got, the quieter the fae got. And the louder the ruckus outside the carriage. People shouted blessings as we passed, devotions for the curse to be lifted and the kingdom spared.
“Why do they shout prayers at us?” I asked the fae.
“They shout at all the carriages that are heading to the celebration in the hopes it will somehow lift the curse.” Marabel’s eyelids fluttered like they had when she told me that the fae had built the barrier between us and the dragons.
For some reason, Marabel was not being totally honest, and neither Felicity nor Autumn dared to look at me.
“Am I missing something important?”
“No, no, sweetie.” Marabel patted my leg and the three fae traded tense glances.
“What is it?” The exasperation in my question brought all three pairs of eyes to mine.
Marabel wrung her hands. “It’s just... just that there hasn’t been a big event like this since...” She glanced out the window. “Since the princess was cursed. And I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who are a little on edge.” She gave me a tight smile that I’m sure was supposed to calm me, but it just made this worse.
For the first time, I saw unease in them, and it wasn’t from an ill-timed joke like sometimes happened at the cottage. This was true discomfort. I had no idea how nervous they were about this day until that very moment. “Everything will work out,” I said, and it was my turn to pat her knee.
“Oh, child, I certainly hope so.” She traded a glance with the other fae, who nodded in unison. This time, their smiles were much more natural.
The carriage came to a halt in front of a heavily guarded set of stairs. The door was yanked open by a stern-looking man in chainmail. His other hand stayed on the hilt of his sword. It was a little more than concerning, and I understood the fae’s unease on the ride. It wasn’t until his gaze landed on me that he seemed to soften. He stepped back with a grand bow.
Trumpets blew on the top of the stairs as Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity stepped out of the carriage. The guard offered his hand to help me out and then bowed again as if I were royalty. The steps were empty except for the men standing guard and the road behind us was absent of anymore carriages.
A chill climbed my spine as I navigated the stairs behind the fae. Guards rushed to open the doors and we entered the massive castle throne room that was bigger than anything I had ever seen. The crowd milled on the floor and on a pedestal opposite the grand staircase sat King Henrick and Queen Lila.
Both sported severe expressions, as if they had not had a moment of peace in decades. The queen once may have been beautiful, but she looked like nothing more than a dried husk, with mousy-gray hair and lips as thin as lines. King Henrick didn’t look any more impressive than his queen, with a belly that screamed of excess and a graying beard that looked as if someone had attempted to trim it but had failed. His hair was no better, sticking out in random tufts on an otherwise balding head.
The one endearing thing I noticed was that they held hands. It was such a small detail, but one I noticed right away.
The trumpets blared behind us, so loud I nearly tumbled down the stairs. I turned to see who was entering the grand ballroom, but just like in the street below, no one was behind us. When I turned back, all eyes were on the four of us, and both the king and queen were on their feet.
The dullness that had settled over them when I first laid eyes on them seemed to shatter and the king’s bright smile lit up the room. The queen covered her mouth as if she were truly overwhelmed.
A hush fell over the crowd as the last of the trumpet blare faded and the sea of people parted, leaving a clear path between us and the king’s pedestal. A chair next to the queen’s was empty, and I glanced around trying to guess which face in the crowd was the princess.
“Come.” Felicity grabbed my hand. Autumn grabbed the other and Marabel moved behind me and fluffed my dress so it wouldn’t catch on the stairs.
Everyone stared at me and I tried on a smile, but it felt so foreign. I did not like this attention. Especially with the king and queen rushing across the floor to meet us. The fae must really have done something sensational to get this type of attention.
When I neared the bottom of the stairs, I scanned the curiosity in every face of the crowd, and my gaze landed on a very familiar face. My heart tripped and I stumbled, right into the king’s arms.
A collective gasp filled the air and the heat of embarrassment painted my cheeks. I was sure I was as red as some of the ballgowns. He steadied me back on my feet, and I shot Prince Zachary a quick look. He winked at me with a smirk. I forced my focus back on the king.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” I curtsied.
King Henrick smiled down at me in such a warm manner, it was as if he had wrapped a soothing blanket around me. “You are more beautiful than I ever imagined.” He stepped back and looked me over from crown to toe and back.
I gawked at him like a damn fool but that was abruptly interrupted by the queen as she threw her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. I glanced at the one responsible for me losing my balance. The smile on Prince Zachary’s face faded as his gaze bounced between me, the king, and the queen. The seriousness carved into his features made me want to rush over to him and wrap my arms around him. I wanted that playful smile back, but Zachary seemed just as perplexed as me.
“My dear Aurora, it is so good to finally have you home,” the queen whispered in my ear.
I imagined my face sported the same shock as Zachary’s. I pulled away, nearly falling on the stairs behind me. “Ex...cuse me?” I stuttered and looked to Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity.
“Welcome home,” King Henrick said with a broad grin.
This time, I did sit down on the steps and just stared up at the king and queen, dumbfounded by their words. Home? My home was in the enchanted forest with Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity. Not in this oversized monument.
Autumn knelt before me and took my hands. “Child, you are Princess Aurora, heir to the Kingdom of Light. King Henrick asked that you be protected from the dragon queen until your twentieth birthday.”
“And you couldn’t have given me a warning?” The fae’s duplicity made my skin feel like a million ants were marching across it.
Autumn traded a glance with Marabel and Felicity and then met my gaze. “We were unable to. We took a potion that silenced us whenever we felt the need to divulge your true identity. We were not to speak of it until the king and queen welcomed you back into their home.” She squeezed my hands and the sincerity in her eyes quelled my uneasy itch.
I blinked, still numb from their words. I was the cursed princess? It took a moment to sink in, and then I looked around at the crowd watching this very spectacle.
I glanced back at the king and queen and cleared my throat. “I don’t understand. You are my parents?” I climbed back to my feet, waving away any help from the fairies. I didn’t know whether to be grateful or very angry. They had, after all, abandoned me my whole life and put a gag order on my caretakers.
They nodded. “We needed to ensure your safety after these three very powerful fae countered the dragon queen’s curse. We did not know if she would make good on her threats and neither of us could bear the thought of you being hurt, so we felt you would be safer in their hands.” King Henrick waved to Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity.
I considered his words and the sincerity in his deep-brown eyes. “And you and your armies could not protect me in this fortress?” I waved my hand at the palace surrounding us.
He glanced around. “We are not infallible. The day of your christening taught us that,” he said. “And while it was a hardship on us, you were safe, which is all that truly matters.” He turned around toward the rapt crowd. “Come, it is time for celebration.” His voice boomed in the hall. The music started as we made our way toward the pedestal.
Zachary stepped out of the crowd as we passed. “Princess, may I have this dance?” He offered his hand before any of the guards surrounding us could intervene.
I stopped and took his hand. Just the idea of being in his arms was enough to send my heart racing.
“There are other suitors...” the queen started and pointed toward a group of men nearest the thrones.
“I would like to dance with this suitor.” I smiled and allowed Zachary to lead me to the middle of the dance floor despite the frowns that formed on the king and queen’s faces, as well as the confusion reflected on Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity’s faces.
“Princess,” Zachary said with almost a growl and bowed his head. Then he pulled me against his chest and planted his palm at the small of my back, keeping me in place. He moved with grace as he twirled me around the floor.
My heart thrummed in my chest, and I could not tear my gaze away from his very intense green eyes. This is what I had wished for, but there was a tension in Zachary that hadn’t been there earlier. It bordered on hostility.
We moved around the floor in tight circles, weaving in and out of the other people trying to do the type of dancing I was accustomed to in the fae village. This was not the same. This was something both exciting and dangerous.
“You didn’t know,” he whispered almost accusingly just above the music.
Whatever spell he had on me broke, and the story about his father flooded back into my head. I was the daughter of the man who killed his father. I slowly shook my head. “I didn’t know. As far as I am concerned, the enchanted forest is my home, not this monstrous palace.” I leaned back, studying the tight set of his lips. “Did you?”
The corner of his lip twerked upward, and his eyes softened. “No. I did not have the slightest clue. Had I, you would have been dead either by the acid pool or by my fire, and I would never know this ache in my chest or the fact you cloud my every thought.”
I planted my foot and forced him to stop this maddening spin he’d swept me up in. He pulled me closer, staring down at me. Heat enveloped me as though I had stepped right into the heart of a dragon flame. His eyes shimmered and he licked his lips as his gaze moved from mine down to my mouth and the memory of our kiss flushed my skin.
A guard’s hand came into view and landed on his shoulder.
We both stiffened.
“It’s time for the princess to take her rightful seat,” the guard said. There was no leeway in his request, or the tight hold he had on Zachary’s shoulder.
I gripped Zachary’s hand tighter, not willing to let go just yet, especially after his declaration. I tore my eyes away from his and glanced beyond the guard at the king and queen standing in front of their thrones. A chill captured my skin. That man ruthlessly killed Zachary’s father for his own gain. I did not want to have any part of a kingdom built on murder.
“I would like to dance a little more,” I said to the guard, jutting my chin out as if that would make a difference.
Zachary smirked and looked away.
“I’m sorry, Princess. King’s orders.”
My prince stepped back, out of the guard’s grip, and bowed, kissing my knuckles. “I will see you again, Rory,” he said softly, and then disappeared into the crowd.
The guard led me up the steps to where the three thrones sat, and my father stood next to my mother with a frown on his face. Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity cowered behind him, and that vision sent my blood to the boiling point. I was not a child. If they were unhappy with my actions, they had no right to take it out on my true family.
“Why is my fae family hiding behind you as if you have reprimanded them?”
The king’s bushy eyebrows rose, and his face turned red. He swiped his finger toward the chair. “Sit!” he barked.
The music grinded to a halt and once again all eyes were on me. The way Marabel, Autumn, and Felicity looked at me was just shy of visual begging. I stared the king down, ignoring their imploring eyes.
I had heard stories about the dragon queen all my life, but no one except Zachary ever told me why the queen went to such extremes. I wanted to hear my father’s viewpoint on the murder. “Tell me about the dragon king.”
King Henrick blanched and his eyes widened. “Sit,” he hissed.
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently. Although I was raised to respect my elders, I was not used to being ordered around. I did not like it one bit. I glanced at the queen. She did not wear a mask of anger like the king. In fact, if I had to read her expression, it looked like a barely concealed smirk. She nodded toward the seat. Her silent request was much more welcoming.
“I will sit,” I mumbled and crossed to the third throne. It was decorated more for a child with hand painted animals adorning the back, rather than a future queen, but I guess that was to be expected. I settled into the seat as the king waved his hand.
Music filled the ballroom yet again.
The king settled in his seat and snapped his fingers. The suitors formed a line and the first approached. He had greasy black hair that fell over his dark eyes, a thin, almost nonexistent mustache, and was skinnier than a twig.
“Duke of Dewimeth,” a guard announced.
He bowed and then put his hand out in an invitation to dance. The way he eyed me was more as if he were sizing up livestock.
I raised an eyebrow. “No thank you.” I kept my hands folded neatly in my lap.
The queen leaned over. “Aurora, dear, you must dance.”
“I was dancing.” I stood, but instead of accepting the man’s hand, I turned and fled into the vast network of halls. It was as if they were trying to crush my free spirit and shove it into some preconceived idea of who I was supposed to be. I blindly ran, moving as far away from the music as I could. I found a dark and quiet corner and pressed my back to the wall, trying to blend in so I wouldn’t be noticed.
Hushed voices drifted in from the balcony, rising over my ragged breath. I slid closer.
“I won’t be party to your madness!” a man’s voice argued.
“She dies tonight, either by your hand or by the curse. You swore you would follow through. Otherwise, I would not have let you leave the safety of our sanctuary,” a woman hissed.
“I will do what is necessary. Now go, before you are caught,” the man snapped.
The curtains flared out at a sudden shift of air, and I caught the profile of the man as his gaze raised to the sky.
I blinked and gasped. Zachary. A chill skittered down my spine. Zachary’s gaze snapped in my direction, and his eyes widened as they met mine.
He had been sent to kill the princess.
To kill me.
I spun with the intention to flee but a strong hand grabbed my arm and pushed me into the wall face first. He covered my mouth. I glanced over my shoulder, but Zachary was not focused on me. His wide gaze was locked on the window, as if trying to shield me from whomever he had been talking to.
I tried to push him away, but he was as solid as a stone wall. I couldn’t tell whose heart banged harder as he pressed against me. His heartbeat drummed against my back in a frantic beat that matched his hissing breath. A light sheen of sweat broke out on what I could see of his forehead.
My mind buzzed with questions and the longer he kept me in place, the angrier I got. Who did he think he was, handling me this way?
He cocked his head, and then twisted us around with a grip around me that was stronger than his dance pose. “Shh,” he whispered in my ear, his breath hot against my skin. He led me across the room and down the hall until he found a small room with only one door. He pushed me inside, closed the door behind us and let me go.
I turned to face him. “You were sent here to kill me?”
He mopped his face with his hand and shrugged. “I was sent to kill the princess as payback for my father. But I had no idea—”
I struck out and my open hand slammed into his cheek, silencing him. I didn’t want his excuses. “The fact you came here with murder in your heart makes you no different than my father.”
His hand covered the reddening skin and he blinked at me. His mouth formed words, but every time he moved his lips, nothing came forth. He closed his eyes and leaned his back against the door, hanging his head. “Maybe I am no better than he is,” he said. “I admit, I had dark intentions, but...” His eyes opened and zeroed in on me. Hunger and frustration echoed in his irises and he moved forward, pinning me to the nearest wall as his lips crushed down on mine.
I opened my mouth to protest, but his tongue darted in so fast that I froze in place at the desperation in his kiss. I shoved him away.
“No!” I pointed my finger at him. “You lost that right. You chose hate, and I cannot...” I pressed my lips together as a sheen of tears blurred my vision. “I cannot be with someone so intent on taking a life.”
“I’m a dragon. I take life all the time.” His tone hardened as he crossed his arms and stepped back.
His words struck deep inside me and I recoiled. “You... you kill for sport?”
His gaze moved away from me, and his jaw tightened. He shook his head. “No.” He breathed the word as if it were a curse. “I don’t.”
The chill that captured me thawed when he looked back at me. But I wasn’t fooled into melting into his arms.
“So, what does ‘I will do what is necessary’ mean?” I jutted my chin out in defiance. If he was entertaining trying to kill me, dragon or no dragon, he would have a fight on his hands.
His lips pressed together, and he shook his head, raking both hands through his hair. “I don’t know. I didn’t want my mother harmed and if the king finds out she is in his territory, he will have her killed. And the last thing in the world I want to do is harm you.” He waved at me and turned his back, laying his forehead on the wood. “Which puts your father at the top of my target list. But if I kill him, my mother will never forgive me, and neither will you. I am in a lose-lose situation.”
The anguish wrapped around his every word moved my feet and I placed my hand on his back. He didn’t move at first but when he glanced over his shoulder at me, there was a spark in his eye, as if an idea had formed.
“What?” I asked softly.
He inhaled deeply. “Our kingdoms could form an alliance.” He turned toward me. “It would certainly beat being married off to one of those fools who the king assembled just for that purpose.”
I stepped back and crossed my arms. This wasn’t how I ever envisioned being proposed to, but the way Zachary looked at me was exactly the way I wanted to be looked at, with raw desire.
The way the duke had looked at me, along with all the others my father had gathered, was more like someone at a livestock auction. To them, I was just a thing to own. I bit my lip.
Zachary studied my face and a slow smile formed. “Marry me so I can ravage you in the poppy fields like I’ve dreamed of doing since I first caught your scent.”
I cocked an eyebrow. All I seemed to dream about was him as well, but still. He made it sound as though he had been pining for me forever. As a prince, I’m sure he had a line of pretty women throwing themselves at him. He reached for me, and I stepped back.
His eyes sparkled in that thrilling way they had in the field earlier today. Like the predator he was, he stalked forward and took me in his arms.
“Marry me so I can kiss you like this any time I want,” he whispered in a husky voice and then pressed his lips to mine, gently coaxing my lips to part.
This time I did melt into him. The kiss brought a soft moan to his lips, as if he would never be able to get enough of this even if we were together for a thousand years. My entire body tingled with desire, and my arms ensnared him as I deepened the kiss.
He broke away. “Is that a yes?” Hope shined bright in his eyes.
The door banged open.
“Release my daughter at once!” the king growled from behind us.