Airlie glances at Prince Soren. “She delivered the Seelie Court’s heir. She saw him safely into the world even after a long labor. Whatever she did in the Northern Lands, they trusted her with their queen.”
Prince Soren stares at me, his eyes cold and hard. Nothing about today has changed his opinion of me, but that wasn't my intention in the first place.
Our fate will unfold whether he likes me or not.
The chamber’s outer doors open and we hear the clink of china before Firna enters the bedroom with a large tray of food. It’s not as much variety as I would like for the princess, but I'm sure it's the best they can do.
Firna places the tray on the small table and glances at the princess before looking over to me. “Is this all okay?”
The princes both snarl with irritation that she has consulted me, but I nod to both women, more than happy to ignore them both while we get the important work here done. Men’s egos have no place in such matters, and I’ll kick them both out of here if they attempt to intervene.
“That's good. Eat as much as you can, Princess, and leave the rest for snacking.”
Firna nods, her mouth drawing up in satisfaction that she has attended her princess well. She fusses with the bedding and moves things around as she puts together a small plate for Airlie. Once the princess is munching on some bread, she straightens back up, turning her back to me so she can address Prince Soren and Prince Tauron once more.
“The witch said that she can help us get herbs for the princess. She wasn't wrong—we don't have a nursemaid available. There aren't any women in the village who can help either, even if we were able to find someone suitable.”
I hate to think what the high fae would deem suitable for a nursemaid, and I stay out of the conversation.
Prince Soren turns to Tauron and says, “Go down and get Tyton. Make sure that he’s alive and unharmed.”
His cousin nods and leaves the room without another word. As he passes, the soldier finally staggers to his feet, his brow furrowing at the scene before him, but he snaps to attention when Prince Soren addresses him.
“Go back down to the barracks, Renly, and join the watch there.” His tone is cutting, as though the soldier did something wrong.
He was always going to be outclassed by me. I could feel pity for him, but I don't have that much empathy left for these people. I’m too certain there’s innocent witch blood on their hands from those caught up in a war they never wanted.
“What's to say that the list of herbs she has for you aren't going to poison or curse you? We have no knowledge of these things, Airlie; she could do anything to you.”
We're going to talk around and around in circles forever, and I don't have the patience within me for such things, not when there’s a baby’s life at stake. I curse under my breath and roll my eyes, but he ignores me, intent on dancing around this topic all the way to Elysium and the Fates themselves.
Airlie shrugs. “We don't have much choice, Soren. There are no nursemaids, and that isn’t true of only this village. You can't have a nursemaid in a starving population. You heard what the witch said—I need to eat to bring my milk in and keep a supply.”
I wouldn't be surprised if there are babies in the village with mothers struggling to keep them fed too. ”What we need is food.”
Airlie turns back to me. “Tell Firna the list of herbs, and she will do what she can to get them.”
When Soren’s jaw clenches, Airlie sighs, the baby rousing a little on her chest before settling once more. “You all kept asking why I was trying for a baby when the curse was on us…my fate was Roan, you all know that, but the rest of my fate was that my son would break the curse.”
My eyebrows slowly inch up my forehead. I wasn't aware that the high fae often got a longer fate than just who they were meant to be with.
I thought that was just Soren and I, bound together in a fearsome destiny.
Soren looks as taken aback as I feel. “Does Roan know this?”
She nods. “I won't tell you his fate, not the rest of it, but my fate said my son would break the curse and become the Prince of Fates Mark. He will survive this. He’ll grow up strong and into a loyal prince of the crown, like his father and his father before him. I felt the curse pressing down on me and reaching desperately for him. I felt the witch protect him, felt her magic hold him and ease him into the world untouched. I felt the moment the curse broke, a war fought over my body, and we won, Soren. Your fate is to marry her and win the war. I do not doubt the Fates. I did for a moment in my grief, but they didn’t falter, and my trust in them has brought my son here. You need to let her out of the dungeon to help Firna. You need to let her care for me and my son and see us through these first few weeks, at the very least.”
She looks down at her son and then swallows, determination settling across her face as she continues, “I know you would do anything for your people, as I would do anything for you, but sometimes the right path looks far more dangerous than the one that leads to ruin. Trust in the Fates, Soren.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
Soren
After I leave Airlie and the witch under the seething guard of Tauron, I call Firna and Tyton into my reception room to question them about the full extent of the damage the witch had done.
Tyton was unharmed and had very little to say. One moment he was staring at the witch, enraged as he was forced to listen to the sounds of Airlie in pain, and the next moment he was waking up on the ground, staring at the cell door blown open by magic.
She was strong enough to break through the iron door, knock two high fae unconscious without harming them, and then break the curse. She’s been sitting in that dirty, dark hole under the ground for weeks, pretending to be at our mercy, and all the while she was playing a game.
