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Bomb dropped, I sat back and waited. As the pause lengthened, I began to doubt myself. Why hadn’t I kept my mouth shut? It had been incredibly stupid to show my cards in the first hour of meeting King Rhys.
Maybe deep inside, I wanted so much to belong, I hoped with all my heart there was a good explanation. Something that would exonerate my family.
I felt the enmity from the mage bodyguard across me. His sharp eyes fixed on my face as he waited for his master’s response. I hoped the king would not harm his granddaughter after finally finding her. The silence went on for so long that I cursed my naivety, thinking I’d blown it.
His voice sounded weary, showing his true age, when he answered. “If we had not done what we did, it would have meant the end for all the Fae.”
There was so much sadness in King Rhys’s voice, my heart went out to him. Yes, I believed his words. There was no excuse for what the Fae were doing to the humans, but I could understand wanting to save your people.
His gaze was far away as he continued, “We have opened negotiations with the humans to come to a trade agreement rather than obtain what we need by force. Soon, we will not need to take your young for our survival.”
The guard’s face relaxed, and the tension left his body. He calmly reached for a piece of bread and dunked it into the sauce on his plate.
His movement distracted me, but when I looked up, I caught the tightening of Prys’s face at his father’s announcement. When he noticed I was looking at him, he forced a smile.
The king’s eyes sparkled with joy and relief. He took my hand again. “I am glad that you are finally home and I can teach you all I know.”
I sat up straighter at his words. “What do you mean?”
King Rhys patted my hand. “My child, I expect you to rule Faerie after my death.”
What?A choked cough came from next to me. The prince’s lips had disappeared into a thin line.
I asked quickly, “What about Prys? Isn’t the prince in line to the throne?”
The king pinned his son with an imperious glare. His next words were aimed at demolishing his previous heir’s expectations. “Yes, Prys is the prince, but his sister was the firstborn and destined to rule after me. So are her children. Prys is only second in his claim.”
The prince murmured, “As always.”
Clearly, he hadn’t expected anybody to hear, and his father ignored his words as if they’d never been uttered. But I had heard them loud and clear, and I did not like what they meant.
I addressed my grandfather, keeping my voice firm and trying not to show the cold terror running through me. “No, I don’t want to cause trouble between you two. The prince has had years, learning to rule. I know nothing about it. Prys can be king when the time comes. All I want to do is to be with my family and save my friends.”
King Rhys’s voice sharpened as he said, “You will learn. You have missed out on years of training. That much is true. Which is why I command you to move into the palace immediately.”
He turned to his other side. “Would you not agree, Prys?”
I kept glancing between father and son. The prince’s expression had become grimmer by the second. My heart sank. He hated me. My uncle hated me. I couldn’t really blame him, either. How would I feel if some stranger suddenly popped up and took my inheritance away, just like that? And what kind of sociopath was his father that he couldn’t see how hurtful his behavior was?
Oh yeah. Same as his son.
Prys got to his feet, bowed, and excused himself. His back was ramrod straight as his furious strides took him away from the table.
The king sighed and shook his head. “He will come around. It is a shock when plans change. But this is for the best of the kingdom. I want you in the palace by week’s end.”
I nodded silently, knowing any resistance would have been waved away by the ruler. Also, wasn’t this what I’d wanted? To find my family and get close to where my friends might be held?
So why did I feel like I’d walked into a lion’s den, a foreign terrain, full of pitfalls and dangers?
Chapter twenty-two
Returningtothetavernwas a hell of a lot less exciting. The king had sent two servant girls along to… I wasn’t sure what. Feed me? Help me pack?
Two armed guards escorted us to ensure our safety. They were probably also supposed to keep an eye on me. For now, they stayed outside the house, guarding the entrance.
I’d told my grandfather there was no need for servants, but he’d ignored my objection. “I shall send them, anyway. You will have some use for them.”
Mistress Olwen still hadn’t returned, and the kitchen was starting to smell. It freaked me out because what I’d seen of the older woman, the tavern was her pride and joy, and there was no way she’d abandon it.
