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“You’ve been busy,” Odette observed. She circled the room, lingering before the throne to gaze upon the stars. “That will garner respect for sure. Bastian?”
“They certainly weren’t from Vern.”
Odette’s laugh rippled. “I still can’t believe you jumped in front of that arrow. What were you thinking?”
I was thinking of the handsome fae king and how to make him happy.
“It was more of an impulse than anything,” I said, averting my eyes. I dabbled at the picture until I was content with the shine of the fae’s hair.
“You should have seen Vern after you left”—Odette smirked—“all worked into a sulk. He hardly spoke to anyone the entire night. It was glorious.”
I smiled despite myself. “Any idea what your cousin may plan in retaliation?”
She twisted the lace hem of her gown between her thin fingers. “Vern can be tricky, but this ought to put him in his place for a while. He takes months to plan tricks, giving us enough time to avoid them.”
“We will do better than avoid them.” Talen’s voice reached us before he did. He swept into the hall waving papers in his hand. “We will trick him back. Every king will be coming tonight.”
My brush lowered as a wave of nerves hit me. “Tell me about them.” I tried to keep my voice from wavering. “I need to know all I can.”
Talen eyed me. “I think you should sleep. You haven’t done that in almost two days.”
My body chose that exact moment to yawn. I did my best to swallow it. “I’m fine. This is more important. This and learning about the kings.”
Odette touched the marble beside my painting. “Between this and the stars, you’re really making the west side more vibrant than the east.”
“That’s the plan. The kings, please.”
“Alright,” she said in an airy tone and settled beside me. “You’ve met King Vern. Next most powerful is King Brock, who doesn’t control many lands nor often participate in games but maintains a fierce loyalty among the fae. You can’t even think of a trap against him without someone telling him. He’s smarter than the rest and is nearly impossible to fool.” She braided the length of her auburn hair as she talked, letting it rest against her cream gown. She was prepared for tonight with gold rings in her nose and crimson lips. I had a lot of work to do, both on the walls and myself, before guests arrived, but Odette could have shown up in a flax sack and outshone me. Any of the fae could.
“Okay, so be careful with Brock.”
“Be careful with all of them,” Talen said. He kept a distance with an expression that said he was still upset about the arrow incident.
“Then King Leonard,” Odette went on. “He is rich, the richest of all, and he hoards that wealth like a dragon, snarling at any who come too close.”
“In regard to him, there has been an interesting development,” Talen remarked. “Leonard made a poor deal two days ago and owes the lion’s share of his wealth to Brock now. That’s why I wanted my queen to align with Brock or Vern, but alas.”
Odette’s brows raised. “Who else knows that?”
Talen’s smile was mischievous. “None other than us. Not even his own bride knows.”
The word bride grabbed my full attention, and I almost dropped my brush. “Are many of the kings married?” I tried to keep my question casual. A wife to a fae king would have to be equally gorgeous and mysterious, even more lovely to behold than those I’d already seen. It was difficult to imagine such a person who saw a different side of the kings.
It would also be a strong alliance for a Mortal Queen to make.
Odette undid her braid to retie it. “Not many kings marry,” she put in. “Leonard and Brock are the only ones. When a fae marries, the alliance can never be broken. Spending thousands of years with someone isn’t an easy choice.”
Even marriage was referred to as an alliance. But to spend thousands of years with a person was almost unimaginable. What were the kings like in the evening when they rolled their sleeves up, poured a glass of spiced wine, and let out all the worries of the day with one long breath? What were they like in the sleepy hours of the morning when their hair was messy and their shirts rumpled?
I attacked my painting more vigorously to clear my thoughts.
Odette tapped her foot against Talen’s. “How did you come by this when no one else knows of Leonard’s deal?”
He shrugged. “I’m a man of many talents. But, of course, Thea is welcome to everything I know. Perhaps that bit of information could be used to trap him.”
Noted. King Brock. Lots of money. “How about the rest of the kings? There are two more?”
“Yes. King Thorn. Young, wise enough, and some call him handsome.” He mumbled that last bit and glanced up.
