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Forrest smirks. “Or maybe none will be, and I’ll have a few more years of fun.”
I scoff. His mind is in one place tonight, but I guess I don’t blame him.
A headache slams through me, and I wince, releasing more of my power. Slowly. Feeding the barrier that surrounds the fae lands, protecting our people from the iron demons, until the pressure slowly eases.
My heart thumps wildly, and I see all the fae princes are holding their heads. We all stand straighter, exchanging glances. Once we have our queens, the magic that comes from the bond will help fuel our own, and the headaches and pain will ease. At least, a bit. It’s one of the many reasons for finding our queens.
When we were children, our parents helped feed their magic to keep the boundary strong. But once we hit eighteen, it was our responsibility alone. And when we reached twenty-one, they retired to the nicest lands in their courts and left all the responsibility to us, even without us having all the power.
That’s the way of the fae.
“We need our queens,” Zane whispers.
Forrest nods, rubbing his head one more time before dropping his hand. “Perhaps.”
Looking at the time, my blood runs cold. She needs to come. She has to arrive. I need an arrangement, not a real mate.Where the fuck is she?
Maybe I should go drag her here.
My jaw tightens, but I push the thought aside. I want a willing wife. That’s what this is all about. A willing wife who will act as a partner.If she doesn’t come on her own, then, what’s the point?
But just the thought of the magic choosing a mate for me makes my stomach turn.
I reach for another drink, and pause as a flash of gold catches my eye. My gaze zeroes in on it, and I strain my neck to make out the source of the color. Then, freeze.
Cassia. She came. And she looks…incredible.
She stands on the stairs leading down to the dance floor. Her hand rests on the railing, the bracelet I gave her dangling from her arm. The amber glistens from her neck and wrist, but it’s nothing compared to the woman herself. She looks like sin in flesh form. I might have found her beautiful in her maid’s uniform, but the outfit should be burned now that I see her in all her glory. The dress hugs her large breasts and tiny waist, sliding off her perfect hips. When I saw the slit in the dress, I hadn’t imagined what it’d look like on her, but seeing her leg now, peeking from the slit, makes it hard to breathe.
Is this a mistake?
I rub my face, overwhelmed. I promised her a marriage of convenience, but how can I follow through with such a promise when I can’t even handle seeing her in a dress? Heat rolls through my body, and my dick hardens. I think of her in my bathroom, the way she lingered. The way she seemed to want to see me undressed.
Is that what she wanted? Would she want more than this arrangement?
I reach for the potion in my pocket as she slowly makes her way down the stairs. Marrying her is supposed to solve all my problems, not create them. And the way my thoughts are going now… that’s pure trouble.
My feet start moving before I can stop them. I’ll go to her. I’ll take her in my arms, just like we planned, and I’ll forget the strange ache inside of me that promises nothing but heartbreak and pain. And if ever my thoughts stray from the plan, I’ll remember my mother the day I found her, covered in her own blood. A dagger in her hands. Life gone from her eyes, because it was her only escape from the cruel Summer King.
I willnotbe my father.
SEVEN
Cassia
I can barely convince my feet to continue down the stairs to the ballroom as I adjust my mask. I was so sure about my decision when I left my house, but now my whole body is trembling. Someone is bound to recognize me before I even get to do this whole fake-queen thing, not that I’m important enough for that. It’s just that these fae can probably smell a human instantly.
Taking a deep breath, I try to steady my mind.It’s going to be fine. I can do this.
Continuing down the stairs, I think about my grandmother and father. They’re why I’m here. If I was willing to consider becoming a whore to support them, I shouldn’t be this scared to be a queen instead. Once I become Prince Sulien’s mate, my family will have everything they could ever want and more.
If I just focus on them, I can do anything.
Curling my free hand into a fist, I continue down the stairs, keeping my head down. Hoping to go unnoticed until I find the prince. Keeping the images of my family in my mind, so if the urge to hurl and run from this insane plot comes, I’ll remember why I don’t have that option.
At the bottom of the stairs, I make my way through the crowd with care. Most of the fae are men, but that’s no surprise, there’s more fae men than women by far. But even so, I feel like I’m surrounded by abnormally beautiful women, women who may be the true mate and bride of the prince, not a phony like me. Honestly, any one of these women are pretty enough to be queen, but as a maid I know their dark secrets. I know those of them who can’t wipe their own asses and who throw tantrums when their dresses and jewelry aren’t perfect. I know the ones who have never opened a book in their lives and have heads as empty as their hearts.
Maybe I’m not a beautiful fae, but I can do this. I’m not lesser than them just because I’m not wealthy and gorgeous. Their glamorous and fancy homes don’t change who they are deep inside.
