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Simone woke with a start. She looked around, trying to figure out where in the world she was.
She was in a poster bed that had curtains all around it. Her mattress contained the softest feathers, and it felt like she was sleeping on a cloud.
That’s when she remembered she was in a room in Summer Castle in the Dark Fae lands.
Had the rest of the party made it to the castle before dawn? She reached out mentally and felt Andre’s sleeping mind close by. Why hadn’t he come to be with her?
Simone rolled over and pulled aside the bed curtain. Sunlight filled the bedchamber. Someone had left the shutters wide open.
Well, that partially explained Andre’s absence. No sane Nightshade would sleep in a room without making sure no stray bit of sunlight would enter. She still wished he was in bed with her. It was getting really old, not sleeping in the same bed as him.
She wanted to go back to sleep, but her bladder decided it was time for her to rise. Grumbling, she slid out of the bed onto the sun-warmed floors. Looking out the window, she tried to figure out how late in the day it was but gave up quickly when she saw the landscape. She wasn’t familiar enough with Faerie to tell the time by the shadows.
Sighing in resignation, Simone padded into the bathing chamber. She was grateful that Mistress Bronwyn had given her a quick demonstration on using the facilities before she slept because the castle didn’t have the same modern bathing fixtures she was used to.
When she exited a few minutes later, there was another brownie waiting for her. If Simone hadn’t smelled the brownie before she exited, she would have been startled.
“Good morning, Lady Silversbane.” The brownie bobbed a curtsy and turned back to a small table where there was a tray with something that smelled delicious. The food was in a covered basket on the tray.
“Hello. What time is it?” Simone really wanted to investigate the contents of that tray. Her stomach growled in protest.
“About three hours past dawn,” the brownie said, motioning for Simone to take a seat on the chair next to the table. “Mistress Bronwyn said that you would wake from hunger and sent up breakfast for you.”
Simone wanted to find the other brownie and bless her for being so thoughtful. “Please give the mistress my thanks.”
“His Majesty sent you an invitation to a late lunch.” The brownie removed the cover from the basket as Simone sat at the table.
Simone hid her grimace. At any other time, she’d love an invitation from the Dark Fae King, but with her stress from her family deaths and her mother’s kidnapping, she wasn’t feeling it.
The brownie kept prattling on. “Mistress Bronwyn says she’ll have someone wake you in time.”
“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear.” She only packed clothes suitable for traveling via horseback. The plan had never included them visiting the Dark Fae court. And being seen at court without suitable clothing would reflect badly on Andre and Queen Sascha.
“We’ll take care of that, m’lady. Just eat and go back to sleep.” The brownie walked over to the door before pausing. “When you’re done eating, just leave the tray outside the door. Someone will be back to wake you in time for the lunch.” And with those words, the brownie left.
Simone studied the contents of the basket in front of her as she thought of the ramifications of Oberon’s invitation. The basket held a small loaf of bread, some ham, and a couple of boiled eggs. Whoever fixed it knew the appetites of dragons well. It was just enough for a light meal that would allow her to go back to sleep without a stomachache.
What in the world did Oberon want with her? It was no coincidence that he picked a time to meet with her when Andre wouldn’t be available. If it was just a social call, he would wait until Andre could join her.
She didn’t know if the Dragon Council maintained friendly relations with the fae. Her father hadn’t shared council politics with her when she had been at home. And when she was in Chicago, she was too busy with school and social life to worry about politics.
Taking a bite of her bread, she worked out how she would deal with Oberon with no support from Andre. If this wasn’t a simple lunch, there would be a lot riding on what she said. It was time for her to become Lady Silversbane in more than just her name.