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“Grey, I drop in on House Mouchard every chance I get, which, these days, is almost weekly. I never announce my visits ahead of time, and I have yet to see any evidence of compromise of the border wall on House Mouchard’s lands,” Jay confirmed, although we all already knew this. Jay spent a lot of time up north visiting his wife, Elizabeth, now that she was pregnant with his heir.
“Gods damn it!” the King exclaimed, pounding his large fist on the table in front of him. “I want all the damn traitors found and killed,” the King barked. “Starting with that bit of filth still remaining from House Tragon,” he demanded, rising from his ornate chair. He smoothed the front of his tunic out like he was soothing his nerves.
“Yes, my King,” we all promised in unison.
“High Lord Preston. What reports do you have for the Crown?” the King inquired, turning to the comely lord.
“All is well on my end. Nothing to report, my King,” High Lord Preston replied proudly.
“Grant,” I interjected. “There is one matter I’d like to take up with you. I’ve heard that you may not take on a liaison from the Golden Court this year?” I phrased my point as a question, giving him the opportunity to make it appear as though I was simply misinformed.
Grant’s eyes slid to High Lord Dumont.
“Come now, Grant. Out with it,” the King demanded.
“Well, I had considered it, especially after a particularly persuasive visit from young Lord Rein and Lady Armand. But I have now been left with the distinct impression that a liaison from the Golden Court does not wish to serve my House,” Grant replied as neutral as possible.
“Drake, then, please enlighten us,” the King said, turning to High Lord Dumont.
“My King,” Drake began in a deferential tone, “those at the Golden Court areveryappreciative of the gifts bestowed upon them by the Crown. So much so that they do not wish to depart from the Golden Court.”
I remained silent. I’d stirred the pot, but I was more than happy to sit back and let this play out a little.
“Drake,” Jay said, cutting in. “You know very well that separate but equal cannot be the yardstick by which we measure our efforts of unification between the high fae and lesser fae.”
“There is nothing wrong with my people enjoying their hard-earnednewliberties,” Drake replied.
“Grant, Drake, Jay is right on this,” the King interjected. “I did away with the ‘don’ classification and then made certain land distributions to lesser fae families to pave the way for more lesser fae to become lords and ladies of this High Court. But in order to do so, they must come and serve at this Court,” the King admonished.
“My people wish to serve, my King. But it is the Crown, and not high fae Houses who they seek to serve,” Drake said, choosing his words carefully.
“Drake, I am not suggesting they come to this Court as servants. They will come to this Court as future lords and ladies and the future of this Kingdom. Now, enough of this. Therewillbeat leastone lesser fae liaison at every House at the Court, including yours, Grant. It is time that the high fae and lesser fae get back to fucking and fighting together as one again,” the King decreed.
“I second that,” Jay affirmed.
“Here, here,” I chimed in.
“Now, is there any further business from the High Council before I depart for the evening? I swear, I’m not sure what is worse. This talk of traitors or the three hours of fittings I’m about to have to sit through for my wedding that is still nearly a year away.” The King grimaced.
5
Alarie
Ihated going back to House Kearing. The walk there, the walk back, everything about it just reminded me of Stefan. Lady Kearing invited me over to give me what turned out to be a useless update on what they had not found out about Stefan. They still knew nothing about where he had run off to. Stefan had fled when he was unable to contain me in his quarters. I’m told he left pretty much everything he owned but his guitar. Luke told me that Jay almost immediately traveled to House Mouchard, Lila Tragon’s maiden House, to personally search for Lila and Stefan. Neither was anywhere to be found.
On my walk back from House Kearing to House Rein, I tried not to think about Stefan or about where I would be right now if he had succeeded in subduing me. An involuntary chill overtook my body, and I shrugged it off, then slipped clumsily on a cobblestone.
Seconds before I would have gracelessly hit the ground, a man caught me, his hands tightly grasping my arms. I stared up into the man’s brown eyes laced with lesser fae gold. I blinked. His eyes were no longer brown. They were the lightest blue and gray now. I shook my head like that would help throw off my confusion.
“What are you?” the man asked, looking down at me.
“Don’t you meanwhoare you?” I laughed, awkwardly righting myself.
“Sure. Let’s start with that,” the man replied, making sure I was steady on my feet before removing his hands that were supporting me.
Taking a step back and getting a view of more than the man’s face, I was surprised to find that he looked primarily lesser fae. Except for his notably light high fae eyes, he showed no other sign of his mixed blood. He was taller than me, but not by much, with spiky blue hair and broad shoulders. His ears were slightly pointed at the top, a characteristic that almost entirely belonged to the lesser fae, not the mixed fae. And I couldn’t place his accent.
“Alarie Armand,” I replied, holding my hand out to him. “Senior counselor to House Dumont. And you are?”
