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I huffed. "Of course I care. Thank you for making me aware of what has happened."
"We didn't call you here for that," the queen informed me, once more perching on the corner of the shiny wood desk as she regarded me like a cat stalking a bird. "We merely wanted to inform you that your guard will be doubled."
I groaned. "Is that really necessary? It's not me in danger, it's the competitors."
The king gave me a serious look from under his lowered brows. "You may be in danger as well, Kat. Be wary. Be on your guard."
I narrowed my eyes at him, then glanced at the queen. "Why do I feel there is something going on that you aren't sharing with me?"
Queen Iris arched a fiery brow at me. "Someone seems to have a powerful interest in manipulating the outcome of this tournament," she said evenly. "And we intend to find out who that is and exactly what their long game is. More than that, I will not say at the moment. It's no use airing suspicions before we are sure our theories are correct."
The king smiled, slow and humorless. It was the kind of smile that had earned him so many chilling nicknames. "And we wouldn't want to give up the game before the hunt has even begun, now would we?"
I suppressed a shudder. Something bigger was definitely going on here. And I had a feeling it wasn't going to end well for anyone involved. I just wished I could wash my hands of anything to do with the scheming and the dark promises I saw swirling behind the eyes of Elfhaven's two ancient rulers.
Chapter 21
The next evening, the king and queen provided a rustic feast at the champions' encampment. There would be a ball and a lavish formal celebration at the end of the tournament, of course. But the people of Elfhaven never passed up an opportunity for revelry. This feast was a thank you and congratulations for the teams that had made it this far. It was also one last opportunity for everyone, highborn and lowborn alike, to mingle with the men who had captured the attention of the royal family and the entire capital city before the final challenge began.
It was still light out when I arrived, but the sun was sinking toward the horizon, bathing everything in a fiery glow. Decorative torches and more practical fairy lights were being lit along the paths and throughout the encampment area. The camp was less crowded with tents than it had been. The teams were culled previously, their names posted on the board in the middle of the town square and here in the camp by the tournament officials. It took out the very lowest scoring teams, those who had no chance of winning. But a few more cuts would be announced before the final challenge.
The contestants were unaware of how the final score would be tallied, that it would include more than just the sum total of their wins. For now, the remaining teams were all sure of their placings, based purely on their scoring from the previous challenges. Tonight, the remaining teams flew banners from the tops of their tents, bright colors and animal totems proudly displayed. I noticed several musicians passing by as I made my way toward the entrance with my guards in tow while everyone around us prepared for the celebration.
My protection detail had increased to six guards now—Currant and her underlings, plus a few new faces—and their presence chafed. It felt silly to have an escort everywhere I went, let alone this many people. But as silly as I felt about the extra attention, I also knew that the king and queen of Elfhaven didn't do anything without reason. They clearly thought the pranks and sabotage that had occurred were a serious matter—and after Raven team was nearly killed, I heartily agreed with them. I just wished they would let me in on their suspicions instead of leaving me in the dark.
I wasn't born yesterday. I had grown up around nobles and spent enough time with the royal family to know how they operated. They were probably using me as bait to draw out some secret foe.
But it wasn't like there was much I could do about it. And I knew they would never allow any actual harm to come to me. I didn't like it. But I knew Ama's parents were more than met the eye. They were kind to those they liked, fiercely loyal to those they loved. But despite their handsome appearances and forward-thinking political views, they were ancient, powerful highborn fae with wild magic running through their veins. Not all the human legends about the dangers of my brethren were exaggerations. We fae loved our games, and the older the fae, the more dangerous the stakes. They were born in a time when brutality was commonplace, and so was sneaky, terrible magic retaliation.
I took a deep breath and let it out as I crossed under the arched wooden trellis that guarded the campgrounds. Magic tingled faintly at the edges of my awareness, newly reinforced wards that would hopefully keep anyone from causing mayhem tonight. My gaze slid over the sea of masked nobles, gaily dressed common folk, and the odd competitor, and I noted that there were a few extra city guards interspersed throughout as well. A little of the tension left my shoulders. No one was going to try anything here. Still, something inside me just wouldn't settle until I could speak to Raven team, until I could see for myself that they were all alive and unharmed.
I hated that I was the cause of all this drama. That someone thought being my bonded was a prize worth killing for. Not that they knew I was the Prize, but still…it was unfathomable.
I wasn't sure where Raven team would be tonight, but most of the crowd was beginning to congregate around a barbecue pit and an array of big, rustic plank tables in the middle of the grounds. So, I made my way in that direction. My guards quietly surrounded me, spread out in a loose circle because they knew I would feel suffocated otherwise.
We had almost reached the feasting area when a deep voice called my name. I paused and turned toward the man, but I couldn't see who it was because my view was blocked by two sets of broad shoulders clad in the red and black of the royal guard. I huffed an exasperated sigh, and Currant clapped me on the shoulder in sympathy before moving forward to see who was trying to talk to me. It was ridiculous.
Finally, my hovering guards stood down, and I was happy to see Orson, the leader of Bear team, standing before me. The brown-haired fae male held a woven hat all scrunched up in his big hands, as if he had been nervously wringing it while he waited for permission to speak to me. By now, it was no secret that I was here to spy on behalf of the queen—and probably bring information to the Prize as well. I smiled warmly at the poor guy, hating the way he seemed to think maybe he wasn't good enough to speak to the queen’s lackey.
"Hello, Lord Orson," I said in what I hoped was an encouraging voice. I might have my silly preferences about who I'd like to see win this tournament, but that didn't mean I disliked most of the others. They were, by and large, good men. And the men of Bear team had been nothing but kind and courteous to me. "How are you this evening?"
He nodded his head in a brief acknowledgement of my attempt at small talk. "I'm well, mistress. But I hoped I might have a word with you? That you might carry a message to the Prize, if you know her identity, on behalf of Bear team?"
I moved past my guards and stepped closer. The leader of Bear was a broad, burly man, but he wasn't actually much taller than me. I could easily look him in the eyes. I nodded at him to continue. "I will pass our message on to the queen," I said easily sidestepping the question of the Prize’s identity. "And she will keep the Prize informed. She always wants to hear what her champions have to say."
He licked his lips, glanced at the guards around us as if embarrassed, then squared his shoulders. "Thank you, miss Rina. It's only that there were those accusations against my team. And I wanted to tell you in person that my men are not thieves. There's not a dishonest bone in their bodies. Nor mine. And even if there were, we certainly wouldn't steal from such an important charity that helps so many unfortunate hard workers like ourselves. I'm sorry for any shame or hardship these accusations may have brought to the tournament or to the royal family and the Prize."
I huffed a dismissive laugh, laying a hand on his arm, noting how rigid he was. He was still here, so clearly their team had been exonerated of all charges. But he worried that they might still be judged by the nobles regardless. "You have nothing to worry about," I said honestly. "The Prize knows that you and your men are innocent. I have it on good authority that the king himself dismissed those charges as nonsense."
He let out a breath of relief. "Thank you, mistress. It is a relief to hear it." Then he glanced at my guards again and executed a formal bow. "If you should need to talk to me or my men about the incident, we're all more than welcome to share our side of the story. But I won't take up too much of your time. You know how to find us."
Straightening, he nodded to me once more. "Enjoy your evening, miss Rina."
I watched as Orson walked away. He was a good man. A kind man. His entire team were smart, good-looking guys. Hard workers. I would be a lucky woman to have them as my bonded mates. I tried to convince myself that I'd be happy if they won.
But I knew it was a lie.
Chapter 22
