“I need you to attend an event with me,” he says. “Today.”
“Of course,” I reply smoothly.
I am his consort. We are newly wed. It is not surprising that he needs to be seen with me.
“Do I need to change?”
His eyes rake over me. “No”
My skin prickles. I feel as if I am heating up.
He offers his arm. Oh. The event is happening right now. Carefully, I tuck the two halves of my pencil into my sketchbook, and place it on the window seat next to me. Then, I give Selwyn a smile as I place my arm in his and get to my feet.
His touch is a sensation that rushes through me. His arm is warm and strong. I can feel his muscles through the linen of his billowing shirt. I can also feel something that I cannot name. A tingling awareness of him that sets my blood on fire. I don’t think it is his magic. Whatever it is, it’s alluring. It’s making me want to press all of myself against him in order to feel more of it.
He leads me through the hallways of the fey court while I battle to banish this peculiar feeling.
We arrive at a medium-sized room. Half of the space is occupied by a round table that seats thirteen. Eleven of the seats are taken by fey nobles in court robes. They all stand and bow to Selwyn as we enter.
He nods in acknowledgment and seats me beside him. I keep my head down and do my best to look demure.
Conversation starts. Reports and updates. Oh, this is a business meeting. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.
I continue to listen out of idle curiosity. A lot of the terms and jargon go over my head, but I soon piece enough together. They are talking about energy supplies for the human population. It seems that before the invasion, Britain bought most of its electricity and gas fromoverseas. The fey don't seem to like this arrangement and are working on ways to make Britain energy independent.
Wow. I guess I never considered how conquering a land would involve such boring, mundane planning as this. It is certainly making it seem a lot less glamorous.
The meeting drones on. I allow my mind to wander. I’m not sure why Selwyn needed to bring me. Possibly it’s simply because he hasn’t been seen with me yet and people are starting to talk.
My stomach twists. He hasn’t been seen with me because I burst into tears and spent the first day of our married life hiding in his brother’s rooms. Oh heavens. I am such a terrible consort.
My thoughts are scattered by a parade of neatly liveried servants entering the meeting room with silver trays of wine, cheese and cold meats. The refreshments are efficiently laid out and the servants leave.
The conversation has turned to small talk and gentle gossip. I guess this is an official break.
Selwyn slides a small plate towards me. I pick up a piece of cheese and nibble on it.
The doors open again, and this time, two scantily clad humans walk in. A man and a woman. A slow drumbeat sounds out from somewhere, and the humans start to dance. Gliding over each other very intimately. The hands begin to caress each other.
I nearly choke on my cheese as their hands start doing… things. I grab a glass of wine and gulp it down to wash the cheese down.
Oh my. Mother did say the fey were fond of public sex. I just wasn’t expecting it at a business meeting.
I keep my gaze carefully averted. But it soon becomes clear it is not enough to avoid attention. Several of the fey keep glancing away from the performing humans to give me lascivious looks.
Ice settles in my stomach. Sweet goddess. Is that why Selwyn brought me here? Is he going to show me off? Demonstrate his new possession? Place me in the middle of the performers?
I reach for the wine again, but my hand is shaking too much. I’ll only spill it everywhere. So I snatch my hand back and place it under the table to hide my shaking.
Selwyn stiffens beside me, but I have no idea why.
“Your consort is very pretty, Your Highness,” drawls one of the fey.
“He is,” agrees Selwyn calmly.
My stomach flips all the way over. Please don’t let me throw up everywhere. That would be an unsurvivable humiliation. It would be even worse than having to perform something sexual in front of all these people.
Selwyn’s hand burns on my shoulder. He pushes down. Oh. I understand what he wants. Relief washes over me so intensely it makes me feel giddy.
