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“I’m sure Ironhelm City will be full of interesting things to do,” Maywin went on, forcing a note of excitement that I was sure she didn’t feel. “It’s a new adventure for both of us.”
“I don’t want to make friends in Ironhelm City,” I grumbled, grinding my teeth, my shoulders rolling uncomfortably. Despite the cushy leather seats, I was sick of driving and wanted to stretch my legs. “I was happy in Carrottrove.”
That wasn’t a complete lie. I had been happy enough.
“I’m sure the King is wonderful,” Maywin intoned.
“Is there a script you memorized?” I teased, pretending to look her over for one. “Can I get in on this play you’re in?”
Maywin tittered nervously. “No, of course I haven’t been given a script, but you must admit that you’re lucky to be marrying the most eligible bachelor in Ironhelm.”
I pursed my lips together.
She acts like this was a decision borne of love and affection.
“I wouldn’t say I’m lucky. My parents wanted me out of Carrottrove, which is why they arranged the marriage. My magic was wreaking havoc on the crops.” I was only half joking, but Maywin stared at me pityingly.
“I don’t think that’s why this marriage was arranged,” Maywin murmured softly.
“I know why this marriage was arranged,” I mumbled, heat surging to my face. “This union was determined before I was a twinkle in my father’s eye.”
I didn’t need Maywin telling me about the ways of the world and what I needed to do to protect my family’s honor, but it was convenient that I had been packed up and shipped off during a bad time in our small farming town.
Even though the marriage had been destined since my birth, I knew my parents were relieved to get rid of me. The latest floods in my city had been devastating, but I swore I didn’t have anything to do with the rains… this time.
The vehicle slowed, and we craned our necks to peer forward, sensing that we had finally arrived at our destination. Maywin gasped as my eyes popped. Even in the staunch darkness, the sight of Ironhelm Place was breathtaking from the distance.
The palace loomed like a fortress against the black of night, the building itself glistening like an ebony chalet in the clouds. Even though the palace was still technically in Ironhelm City, although it was on the outskirts, I couldn’t see the skyline of the city center.
“Is that it?” I heard myself choke, the palace appearing through a thick night fog. “Is it floating?”
The haze cleared, and I was immediately embarrassed, realizing that it had just been a trick of the darkness, a mirage of the odd lighting and my frayed nerves.
“I think so, Miss Zephyrine. I can’t think of what else it could be,” Maywin replied breathlessly. “But I don’t think it’s floating.”
“This is Ironhelm Place,” Rufus agreed from the driver’s seat, his dusky profile facing me as he nodded, chauffeur cap falling partially over his thick, bushy eyebrows.
“What does one king need with so many rooms?” I sputtered, both awed and offended by the obstinate waste of space. “We could fit all of Carrottrove and half of the Cattails in those halls alone!”
“Maybe he has a big staff?” Maywin suggested weakly, knowing that her words didn’t make the King look any better to me.
I glanced at her, wrinkling my nose in disgust. “For what? One fae king? What can he possibly need so much for? He’s obviously spoiled and wasteful. That’s the only reason for this display. To show off.”
Am I determined to hate him? Is that what this is?
Another bout of contrition washed through me, but there was no one to apologize to this time.
The car drew toward the front of the fortress, and tingles ran down my spine, my hand immediately reaching for Maywin’s.
“I’m sorry I’ve been so rude to you all day,” I whispered, all of my previous fortitude dispersing as we crossed the long, stone bridge which crossed a canal and led to the entrance of the palace.
“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m grateful to be at your side,” Maywin reassured me, squeezing my hand. “You’re understandably nervous, but I’m sure this will be a wonderful experience.”
Guards manned the towers on either side of the extension, and my anxiety mounted. My childhood home was the largest in the county, but nothing could have prepared me for the opulence of the structure before me. I wasn’t used to royal life, even though I had grown up as a noblefae.
Still, I thought the palace would be closer to the hustle and bustle of the city. This area of Ironhelm seemed even more remote than Carrottrove.
I was used to living in a remote area, but I had to admit that seeing the downtown area Ironhelm City, even if I only saw it from the window of the SUV, exhilarated me. Before this morning, I’d only ever left the county I grew up in one time.
