“Stay there!” I order as I climb out of bed.
I grab a hairbrush and some hairpins and ties from the dresser before jumping back into bed, where I move Rhydian about until he is sitting in front of me. He freezes as I touch his last remaining braid.
“Don’t undo it.”
“I know,” I say softly. “I’m just going to tidy you up a bit.”
I hum a simple tune as I work with his gorgeous, glossy hair. I brush a section and then start braiding it up. I may adore him looking far softer than usual, but he has an image and a reputation to maintain. He can look undone with me, but no one else.
“I can’t do the super fancy stuff whoever normally does your hair can, but I can put it up,” I babble out loud. “I wanted to be a hairdresser when I was a kid and mum bought me lots of dolls to practise on. I wanted to do weddings.”
I have no idea why I am telling him all of this, but hopefully, my rambling is calming and soothing.
As for me, getting to do his hair is a dream come true. I twist half of his wonderful mane up in various braids and plaits, and leave the rest loose, in the best approximation of fey style that I can manage.
It doesn’t even take me that long. Maybe he will let me do it again, some other day. I’d like that. I think he’d like it too. He seemed to enjoy me playing with his hair. His shoulders definitely look more relaxed now.
“Thank you,” he says quietly, and my heart does a complete somersault.
“I have to go,” he says.
“Are you sure?”
Is he ready to face the world? It seems awfully cruel that he has to, but then again, that’s the fey world for you. Cruel, heartless. Unforgiving.
“Yes.”
“Okay then,” I say as I wriggle out of the way so he can escape the bed. If he has places to be and people to meet, I trust his judgement that none of it can be avoided or rearranged. This is his world. He knows how it works. And he knows what he is capable of. As much as my heart is bleeding for him.
I watch him go, presumably to his bathroom to get washed and fully dressed for the day. He pauses in the doorway, with his back to me.
“I will be back for dinner.”
My heart flip flops again. Dinner sounds great.
“That’s everything?” exclaims Mabon with obvious disappointment in his glittering purple eyes.
He sighs dramatically as he picks up his teacup.
“Everything,everything?“ he demands with great emphasis on the word. “You simply thought Ninian deserved to get out of here more than you?”
“Yes,” I repeat for what feels like the thousandth time.
Mabon huffs and leans back in his chair. I pop another tiny and delicious cake into my mouth. Havingunexpected visitors isn’t all bad. Pinky puts on a better spread for guests than when it’s just me.
“You really must be enjoying my brother’s cock,” says Mabon.
I inhale cake. It sticks right in my throat, making me cough and splutter until my eyes water. Pinky steps forward and whacks me firmly on the back. I grab a napkin, tidy my face and gulp some tea to wash the remaining traces of cake down.
“Thank you,” I wheeze to Pinky.
She simply nods and disappears again. I turn to glare at Mabon and find him calmly sipping tea as if I didn’t just nearly choke to death because of him. I have a distinct feeling that if I did die, he’d poke my corpse with his pointed shoe to check, then sniff disdainfully before wandering off.
I sigh heavily. He can’t help being the way he is. And I can’t expect fey to behave like humans. They have a different moral compass. If they have morals at all. Which leads me back to the thought that has been circling my mind ever since Mabon arrived unannounced.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
He looks fine, but that doesn’t mean a thing. Rhydian looked glorious this morning when he left our rooms.
