“You lied last night!” she exclaimed. “Last night, you claimed that you didn’t remember how to use the extent of your magic, so that cuff you’re wearing doesn’t really bother you.” She waved to the glowing blue shackle upon my wrist. “But lo and behold, I’ve since learned from my grandson that you certainly do know how to use your magic, and that cuff, in fact, doesnothingto suppress your abilities. Just like when you were a child. So not only did you lie about not knowing how to use your magic, but you also lied by way of claiming that the cuff suppresses your abilities. And it’s not just my grandson who saw you use magic. Others did too in the maze, so don’t even try to deny it.”
Her chin lifted, and the nobles behind her began murmuring to one another again, then sent accusing glares toward my parents and me. My initial suspicions had been right. They’ddefinitelybeen talking about me, and as word had spread about the attack on the palace, so had the true nature of my magic.
“Is that true, Your Highness?” Lordling Fillingmore asked, his voice rising above the whispers. “I’d heard a few rumors this morning in the capital, but I wasn’t sure if they could be trusted. After all, you said that Timith Hollaran invented a cuff within the last season thatdidsuppress your magic.”
My cheeks heated. I’d made so many flippant comments and hadn’t thought anything of it, but it seemed that doing so hadn’t been wise.
But I ignored the lordling and the other House nobles glaring at me and addressed Nathaniel’s grandmother again. “I’m sorry, Lady Ryderdim. I don’t know, I mean...” I stumbled over my words, but she was right. I’d lied to her last night, simply hoping to put her at ease with my frivolous statement. I hadn’t meantany harm by it, and placing the cuff upon me hadn’t been my idea. I’d been forced to wear it.
I sighed and realized honesty was likely the best way to appease everyone. If they could be appeased.
In a firmer tone, I said, “You’re right. I did say that I couldn’t recall how to use that portion of my magic, but I didn’t mean it as a way to deceive you. I simply didn’t want you to be afraid of me. And this?” I held up the cuff. “You’re right about that too. It’s also a deception. It does nothing to curb my power.”
Her nostrils flared, and she shot an accusing glower at my parents. The king and queen had also dismounted, and both were making their way toward us, their brows furrowed and their energy growing.
“What’s all this about?” my father demanded when they reached us.
“Ask your daughter,” the House leader snapped, but then she cocked her head. “Or perhaps, I should askyou? Did you put that cuff upon her, or was that Primelle’s idea?” Without waiting for an answer, she continued. “And just so you know, your daughter claimed that she didn’t remember how to use her terrible magic, but the events of last night have proven otherwise. So tell me, Your Majesties, what else is going on regarding your daughter that hasn’t been conveyed? Why is she wearing a cuff that doesn’t work on her? And do you have other secrets up your sleeves that could pose a threat to the Houses and fae of our kingdom?”
My mother huffed. “Now, wait one minute, Lady Ryderdim. My daughter?—”
“I shall do no such thing, Your Majesty,” the elderly House leader retorted. “Someone must speak up, and it appears I’m the only one with enough courage to do so, because the truth is your daughter holds magic that could cause great destruction in our kingdom. If she chooses to use it for nefarious purposesor iscoercedto do so”—her glare at my parents let them know that she wasn’t above accusing them of unjust actions either—“then it’s something the king’s council needs to be aware of and discuss.”
Nathaniel jogged toward us, a worried expression on his face. “Princess Primelle, my king and queen.” He bowed when he reached us. “Is something amiss over here?” He eyed his grandmother warily.
I greeted him too, but Lady Ryderdim nodded toward the stables. “Grab your mount, Nathaniel. We’ll be on our way.”
His smile dimmed. “But I wasn’t planning to ride today, Grandmother. I simply came to join in the social gathering.”
“Very well. In that case, socialize away, but I forbid you from befriending Princess Primelle any further.” She snapped the reins on her domal, getting a whinny from him. “And this is something I plan to bring up at the next council meeting, Your Majesties, with or without your permission. If you’re to insist that your daughter return to court, with a cuff that does nothing to suppress her frightening magic, all while lying to us about the state of her powers, then there’s much discussion to be had. Much indeed.” With that, she kicked her domal into a canter, and dust from the ground flew up in her wake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Lady Ryderdim is right, you know.” I paced in front of the fire that roared and crackled in my parents’ private sitting chambers. Evening had arrived, and the rest of our family had retired elsewhere in the palace for the night. The only other fairy near us was my assigned Imperial Warrior, but my father had asked Royden to stay in the hall.
I paced more. “Given how quickly word has traveled on the attack, by this time tomorrow, I had no doubt theentirecapital will know that I’ve returned to court with the full extent of my magic. Fae will remember that my magic once created so much fear in our kingdom that someone sought to assassinate me. And they’ll also know that the cuff I was wearing did nothing to curb my abilities then nor now.” I sighed and stopped pacing. “So now what?”
Thankfully, my parents had reached the same conclusion I had about the cuff. They’d removed it earlier in the day, shortly after Lady Ryderdim’s tirade, but the damage had been done.
My mother sagged back in her seat. Her long brown hair hung around her shoulders. “She’s right, Russem. It was foolish to ever put it on her. Now, Lady Ryderdim is stirring up anger over our deception, even though our intention was never meantto trick anyone. It was simply to allow Primelle’s return to court to be less difficult and less stressful on those who remembered her. It was supposed to causecomfort.”
He huffed. “If only Lady Ryderdim would stop trying to cause dissent.”
A reluctant smile lifted my lips. “I may have only just met her, but something tells me that’s not going to happen. And honestly, I can’t help but admire her for it. Even though she now despises me, it took courage for her to stand up to her king and queen. It’s an admirable trait in a leader, and I can see why she heads one of the ten Houses.”
My father grumbled more. “And consequently, she’s been a pain in my arse for more seasons than I’d like to remember.”
I canted my head. “Then why haven’t you removed her from power and assigned another House member to lead? Or removed their family entirely from one of the ten Houses and assigned a different family altogether?”
“Wielding absolute control of others can eventually backfire. Fae tend to fight back when kings have governed that way, and since she’s done nothing wrong, other than irritating me, removing her wouldn’t be wise.” He sighed. “Besides, like you said, she’s a strong leader and has done many acts over the seasons that have increased our kingdom’s strength. For all of her misgivings, Lady Ryderdim has been an asset to our great kingdom, and I will continue to honor that even if she’s intent on causing problems.”
Another smile tugged at my lips, and I was reminded of why I’d always loved these two fae. Even though I was still coming to know them as my parents, I’d known the queen and king as individuals all my life, and the traits I was seeing now in my father were characteristics I’d seen previously when I’d thought he was Roosep. I was relieved to learn it hadn’t all been an act.
I lowered myself to the floor, kneeling with the fire at my back. The soft magenta dress moved easily with me, and I tucked my legs beneath me. “May I please make a suggestion?” I gazed at them imploringly.
My father waved his hand. “You may always speak freely with us, Prim. As much as it looks like we’re trying to control your life, we don’t actually want to. We just wanted you to be safe and happy.”
I squeezed his hand. “I know, and I thank you for that, but we need to change course. I suggest we speak truthfully to the Houses at the next council meeting and share that my magic isnotsuppressed and never was. And let’s also reveal that I’ve been living among them, here in the capital, for many full seasons, yet I’ve never hurt or disturbed anyone.” I scooted closer so I could also lay a palm on my mother’s arm. “I’m not a toddler anymore. Timith and Gwenery taught me to understand my great magic, and perhaps they, along with others who have known me my entire life, can verify that. And then there’s Nathaniel. Even he could be a witness to that fact. In the previous months, he saw me frequently in the Whiteolf Academic Library, before my true identity came to light. He can attest to the fact that I’m harmless.” I took another breath. “Perhaps with enough character witnesses, the House leaders will see that I’m not to be feared.”
