“We have crossed paths in your palace,” was all I said.
The sea fae woman with the spike in her ear flicked her fingers, but did not smile like the Ever Queen. “He’s not cruel, elven. You can stop looking like you’re about to get your throat slit.”
Livia closed her eyes. “Perhaps this was a bad idea.”
Mira waved her hands. “Allow us to start again. All we wanted was to know you a little better. Jonas is part of us, so that now includes you.”
“Is she still iced over?” Celine was horrid at whispering, but the way she leaned in to the Ever Queen, voice low and husky, she made an attempt to be sly.
Mira tilted her head, fiddling with the end of her long braid. “I heard your magic dims your emotions. True?”
I nodded and avoided their gazes. “It is worse if I use my affinity for cruel reasons.”
Mira nudged my shoulder. “You won’t be treated or used cruelly by Jonas. Not like that light elven sod.”
Part of me yearned to believe her, but she was fae, a royal. They all wanted this alliance to keep threats from the elven away from their lands.
“I wouldn’t lie,” Mira went on, as though reading my thoughts. “If Jonas was a bastard who took delight in harming the hearts of women, Iassure you, I’d hide you away after I buried him with his own cock shoved down his throat.”
“Gods, Mir.” Livia laughed as though such talk was practically expected.
“Don’t let Livie fool you, she’d be there with me.”
“Whether you believe us or not,” Livia said, working on securing one of the ribbons on my underskirts, “you are vowing with one of the most vicious, protective, and loyal hearts in our lands.”
“Forgive me for believing otherwise,” I said. “I have heard folk call him a nightmare prince.”
Mira snorted. “Oh, that’s because of his mesmer magic. Not because he is a nightmare. Well, not always.”
“You recall the guide I gave you of the alver magics?” Livia looked at me in the mirror. “Jonas is an Anomali. Everyone in the royal household is, actually. His ability is fueled by creating the emotion of intense fear of an individual mind. What might frighten me, wouldn’t frighten you. His magic knows that.”
All gods.
“Sander, his twin, is similar,” Mira explained, wholly focused on securing a blue jade pin into my hair. “But he uses pleasant memories and twists them into something horrific. Together the twins can manipulate minds into a bit of maddening terror where folk no longer know what is real. They’re both a good tangle of their mother and father.”
“What do the king and queen do?”
“The alver queen steals memories.” Celine leaned forward, grinning like a wolf. “She can make folk forget how to breathe.”
“She’s quite lovely, though,” Livia said with a warning look at the sea fae.
“Uncle Kase—the king, I mean–uses fear,” Mira said. “It’s fascinating. Anything that is a fear of someone he can grant it. Think of it—most folk fear dying, right? So he can kill with it.”
I blanched. “Truly?”
Livia clicked her tongue, glaring at her fellow royal. “They do not use their abilities unless threatened, like all of us.”
“Right, of course. They’re lovely, Princess. A little broody and tricky at times, but lovely,” Mira said quickly.
Discomposed as I was, the conversation was becoming easier. “Elven have simple summoning affinities; they are powerful but normally peaceful. Ljosalfar summon light and fire through the smallest gleam or flame. Dokkalfar are known to summon healing. But I take. My affinity does not summon or give, it steals and destroys.”
There was a drawn pause for a breath, and I wished I had not spoken. I gave up too much, and I did not truly know anyone in this room.
Not really.
For a time we were quiet. The women painted my lips in a rosy shade, braided small strands of my hair, and smoothed the gown I was to don.
Mira nudged my shoulder, a signal to stand for the dress. “You’re a different sort of elven. Maybe that’s something you have in common with the prince and his house. They are all different.”
