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AFTER ASHA ANNOUNCED that she wouldn’t marry Corvine, the courtiers erupted into quiet murmurs. This seemingly young girl was defying the six advisors to the throne, one of whom was purportedly her father.
Nicolaia halted the chatter by standing. “I am Lord Nicolaia, one of the late Prince Sindarian’s advisors,” he said and bowed. “May we ask you what your name is, child?”
“I’m Asha Trinity,” she replied and more whispers broke out. King Lod gave him a smug look, as if she’d confirmed something for him.
“You must be exhausted from your journey,” the advisor said. “I’ll have you escorted to your rooms where you can be appropriately clothed. After you’ve rested, we’ll discuss your future.” He smiled indulgently, but he kept flicking gazes between her and the man they’d chosen to be her husband. Corvine wore an arrogant look and clearly felt that she was beneath him.
Nicolaia gestured at one of the liveried servants. They all wore blood red coats and black trousers. The chosen fairy waited for Asha to walk over to him, then led her from the throne room to a hallway that led deeper into the palace. The overall theme seemed to be red and black. Long scarlet drapes hung beside the windows and black marble covered the floor in every room she glanced inside.
She was led to the sleeping quarters and was shown into an opulent room that had its own sitting room and bathroom. Nodding her thanks, she closed the door and slumped back against it. Her bed was gigantic and was easily large enough for several people to sleep in comfortably. The bedspread was as scarlet as the drapes and rug that spread out at the end of the bed. It looked almost like a pool of blood against the black floor.
A huge fireplace sat over to the right. It was also made of black marble. Highly polished furniture in dark brown wood that she didn’t recognize sat here and there, along with ruby colored couches and armchairs. The bathroom had a massive black tub that she could easily drown in and a vanity and basin made out of more black marble.
Olsa and Unwin appeared on the nightstand, wringing their hands in worry. “I don’t like the looks of that warrior, your majesty,” Olsa said. “Do they truly intend for you to marry Corvine?”
“It sure looks like it,” she replied, trying hard not to succumb to tears.
“I doubt he’ll be able to force you to bond with him, mistress,” Unwin said. “We saw what happened to those two fairies who dared to touch you without your permission.”
A trio of brownies appeared on the table beside them. “What did she do to them?” one asked. All were female and darted glances at the girl who would be queen.
“She turned into a goblin and tore them apart,” Unwin said.
“She didn’t tear them apart,” Olsa retorted in exasperation.
“She would have if the trees hadn’t stopped her,” he said sulkily.
“Is it true you plan to free our kind?” one of the other brownies asked shyly.
“Yes,” Asha replied. “If I become Queen, no one is going to be a slave. I’ll have your kin released and you’ll all be free to go.” They seemed skeptical, yet hopeful about her plan.
“Why do you care what happens to us?” the third female asked in confusion. “If you’re half-goblin, aren’t you as evil as the rest of the beings who dwell in this realm?”
She received an elbow in the side from one of her friends, but Asha just smiled. “King Lod might be my father, but my mother is a dryad. I was raised on Earth and we frown on slavery there.”
“Still, we’re just brownies. We’re not important. We’re just servants.”
“Of course you’re important,” Asha said firmly. “Just because you choose to serve others doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have rights and the ability to make your own choices.”
“Tell that to the Unseelie fairies,” Olsa said sadly. “They took away our ability to choose who we would serve when they captured our kin.”
“Where did they send the prisoners?” Asha asked.
“We don’t know,” Unwin replied. “Somewhere far away, we suspect. Wherever they are, we can’t sense them.”
“Do you think King Lod put them in his dungeon?”
“They aren’t there,” one of the females told her. “We’ve spoken to our kin who work in the labyrinth. The captives are somewhere else.”
“I’ll find out where they are,” the dryad vowed. “One way or another, I’ll set them free.” A strange feeling wrapped around her as she stated that quest. She sensed she’d become magically bound to her chosen cause.
“That will have to wait for now,” Olsa said, eyeing her mistress. “We must ensure you are appropriately clothed to meet with the advisors.”
“Don’t put me in any dresses like the courtiers wear,” Asha said with a grimace. She didn’t have any desire to put herself on display like the fairy women did. It would be all too easy for the Unseelie males to succumb to their basest instincts. She’d been on the receiving end of unwanted advances far too often already.
“We wouldn’t dream of it, your highness,” Unwin said. “You are not like the dark fairies. You are sweet and kind.”
“Except when you turn into a gray-skinned goblin,” Olsa added. “Then you’re kind of scary.”
“I know,” Asha said glumly. She was well aware of how horrible she looked when she was in her other form. She was even uglier than her father, if that was possible.
All five brownies huddled together to discuss the wardrobe they would create for her. Eventually, they turned to face her and went to work. Asha stood still while they conjured up outfit after outfit. Some were discarded and others were sent to her closet. All were dresses rather than shirts and pants. It seemed she was going to be dressed far more femininely than she was used to.
Finally happy with their choices, they settled on a simple gold dress with amber, green and brown gems sewn into the bodice. It had capped sleeves and a shallow neckline that covered her modestly and fell to the floor to hide her gold shoes. The shoes had a one inch heel that was comfortable to walk in. They left her long blonde hair to flow around her, but gave it a trim so it wasn’t quite waist length.
“Are you hungry, your majesty?” Olsa asked. Pleased with their work, the trio of females vanished.
“I could eat,” Asha admitted. She took a seat at a small table while Unwin conjured up a platter of fruit and cheese. She ate her fill, then pushed the rest away. “Thanks,” she said and nervous flutters hit her stomach at the meeting she would shortly be attending.
She’d barely had time to use the bathroom when a knock sounded. The door swung open before she could cross to it and another liveried servant stood there. “The advisors are waiting for you,” he said curtly.
“Don’t enter my room without my permission again,” Asha told him, annoyed that he’d barged inside so rudely.
He sneered at her and looked her up and down. “You aren’t our Queen yet, goblin,” he retorted.
“I will be soon,” she said coldly. “What do you think will happen then?” He frowned and she smirked at him. “You’ll be the first servant I get rid of,” she said.
Unable to think of a comeback for that remark, he jerked his head for her to follow him, then stalked off. Asha took her time to follow him, forcing him to stop to wait for her several times as he led her through the halls to a sitting room. “You may go,” she said dismissively before regally sweeping inside.
