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She wasn’t safe in any of these fairies’ clutches. Even if, in an unexpected turn of events, she was half fairy herself.
We reached the dark dining hall. The King stood at the head of the table. He usually engaged in conversation with guests, offered polite chuckles at their jokes, or listened with thoughtfully placed nods. Now he ignored the group and spoke in a terse whisper with the man who normally stood at his side—Eldrick, I thought his name was.
I slipped apart from Palaria and wove my way to the back of the room, stole a quick glance around the space to make sure no one noticed me, and pushed past a curtain and into the servants’ hall.
One thing growing up in a singing troupe had taught me was that there were two faces to all events. There was the perfect public facade and the army of people you never saw who made the smooth presentation happen. A second thing I’d learned—this one from Lira—was that endearing yourself to staff had benefits.
Margo,I could hear Lira stretching my name out,you can’t be friendly to people to use them.
I’m not using them,I’d smirk as I replied,but if there happen to be perks involved in the relationship, who can blame me for that?
She’d sigh but smile at me, her expression that of an amused mother of a mischievous child. My heart ached. Lira had always been too good for our troupe, and I’d done nothing but let her down. Now I had to make it up to her. I whisked down the hall until I saw Earie—a human kitchen serf with a propensity for gossip who, because of that, I’d immediately clicked with the week before.
“Margo,” she chirped as she shifted trays she carried.
“Busy night?”
She rolled her eyes. “Typical night. What’s got ya down here in yer fancy clothes?”
I smoothed my hands over the waist of the dress and Earie’s eyes followed my fingers. A touch of pink warmed her nose. It was a shame I wasn’t interested in women, or my bed would not be empty later. A wistful sigh left me at that. I leaned in closer to her and whispered. “Do you know what’s going on? The King seemed upset about something.”
“Ah.” She looked over her shoulder and rested the trays against her hip before she dropped her voice low, her breath tickling my cheek. “The Prince is missin’”
“Prince Lennox?”
She gave a bob of her head. “That’s right.”
“I haven’t seen him much since we’ve been here.”
Another serf passed by, bottles of wine in her hands, and she gave Earie a scowl. Earie waited until she passed to speak again. “I s’ppose you’ve picked up that the Prince and his father don’t quite get on?”
“I’ve gathered that.”
“It’s not unusual for him to avoid some events and such. But no one’s seen him ‘bout the palace in several days. The serfs that clean the residential floor say he’s not in his rooms. Plus, there’s a kelpie gone from the stables.”
Lennox had left secretly. Maybe he’d gone after Lira. If that was the case, I didn’t understand why the King would be upset about it. “How strange,” I said.
“Mhmm.” She readjusted her load with a clatter. “I best be gettin’ back. And you too, the bell for dinner will sound in a few minutes.”
“Thanks.”
“Nae bother.” She turned but not before her gaze dropped to the creamy curves of my breasts that were highlighted both by the line of lace and the necklace I’d placed for the purpose. “See you ‘round.”
I turned with a pep in my step. Even if I didn’t return the interest, it felt good to have it. I made my way back down the hall, acknowledging a few other serfs who bustled along the hall before slipping back around the curtain. The dining room had filled in my absence. Palaria had positioned herself next to the King, and it was a relief that a man in a dowdy brown jacket had taken the spot next to her already. I chose a spot at the end of the table.
Through the dinner, I picked at my food as I thought about Lennox. He and Lira together had looked like a matched set. He was her brother. I had given little thought to that. I’d focused so much on her place as the potential heiress of the kingdom that I’d forgotten Prince Lennox likely had feelings over the matter as well.
Near the end of the dinner, the King raised his glass of wine until everyone at the table quieted and turned towards him. “I have an announcement to make.” The rings on his fingers glimmered in a candles’ light. The group had grown so quiet I could distantly make out the hum of serfs down the hall. My mind darted to Earie and her words again.
The Prince and his father didn’t get along, just like Lira and Palaria.
I didn’t know Lennox or King Carrington well enough to judge them, but Lira had liked Lennox. My inclination was to trust her judgment.
“I invited each of you here tonight,” the King said, “because I consider you to be some of the closest members of our court.”
Fairies ducked their heads or smiled at their king. A buzz of appreciation swept through the space. He continued as Palaria watched him with her chin raised. “I have a bit of a shocking announcement. Prince Lennox is not my only child.”
Gasps sounded. The man beside me lifted his napkin and coughed into it.
