Page 6 of A Fate In Moonstone

Shoes scuffed on the stone floor behind me before whoever Rune’s sword aimed at spoke. “There’s no need for that, brute. I was only going to talk to her.”

That voice.

I’d likely hear it later as well. The son of Crysia’s general was a tool who used his father’s position over others. He thought of himself as royalty despite not having a gem core like all true royals had.

Harron had a fox core, and it truly encompassed his looks and personalities. All Fae housed a power of nature in them. Royals were the only ones with a gem, like my mother’s diamond core, or my sapphire one.

Harron pushed his scraggily hair away from his face and watched as I turned around with an unimpressed mask on. He shifted from one foot to another and smiled when our gaze connected. He looked half-tempted to shift into a fox, or at the very least laugh like one.

Rune snarled behind me.

Would he slice Harron up right here in the bakery? I almost had the nerve to test him. But I wouldn’t do Laura the dishonor. Plus, dealing with his father would be too much of a pain.

“What, Harron?” I yawned.

He looked at me, then Rune’s sword, and stepped back.

“Never mind. I’ll talk to you later when this savage isn’t around.” Harron sneered and I heard a few snickers come from the entryway. His little low level guard buddies were here for backup.

Did they not feel the “don’t fuck with Rune” energy cascading off him? It couldn’t be just me.

Harron left with his friends and I stood, my arms reaching up to stretch.

“Laura, thank you for the pastry. You were right, it stole the title of favorite.”

I gave the baker a hug and nodded to the brute sheathing his black sword. It was unique, like the male himself.

“Come on, I need to walk that pastry off before my date and you owe me a good conversation.” I waved Rune on and he shook his head but followed.

He mentioned being here for family business but travelling through the Hallowstags was a choice not many would make.

Usually, people travelled on the stone road and passed through our gates. If travelers came from the human portal, they would be greeted by the tree guards on the Yosemite side.

The only answer I could come up with as we walked around and I told him about the kingdom was he didn’t want to be seen by anyone official.

I should have called the guards, but I wanted to know more. Something in me wouldn’t allow our time to end until it had to.

As we made our trek through the palace, the silver armored guards watched the stranger with me but didn’t say anything when I shot them a look not to.

Not that Rune was super warm, but I didn’t want the dynamic to change. Him to treat me differently if he knew I was the princess.

The roaring of the waterfall soothed the anxious feelings fluttering in my stomach as we neared. “While I love bustling life in Crysia,” I said, “places like this have always been my favorite part of the kingdom.”

Rune looked around the field and the water gushing off the side of a rock wall into the river. During the hot months, I’d come cool off in the deeper sections near the falls with my handmaiden Nyx.

The warrior lowered himself to the ground and I plopped beside him most ungracefully.

“I like this.” He exhaled, and despite not officially knowing what he liked, I nodded. I liked this too. The view was nice, and the company was soothing in a way I couldn’t explain.

A frown formed on his lips and that I didn’t like. He had a nice smile.

“I think we both know that this time is almost over. And I doubt we’ll see each other again. Crysia is big and well… your family business may not be near mine.” I sighed. Explaining the obvious felt silly. It meant nothing. Rune and I were a passing moment in a long immortal life.

He lifted his hand to the three scars on his face. “My father did this.”

The scars? His father?

With Fae speed, I reached out and touched the scars, eyes wide.