While they’d been afraid to challenge him, my advisors warned the lords might see an opportunity to reclaim power for themselves now that he was dead.
I wasn’t nearly as scary as the old king was.
And people were aware that my father and I were not exactly seeing eye to eye there at the end.
There was also a threat from the other Fae, who were reportedly raring for a shot at ruling the Sixlands.
Thanks to the death of King Pontus the Powerful, the kingdom was ripe for being overthrown or perhaps split into factions again.
Thus, the bond-mate search tonight. I’d put it off as long as I could. Now it was time to do my duty.
“The royal event planner did an excellent job with the decorations,” Mareth commented. “The ballroom really is resplendent tonight… fitting for a new king to find a new love.”
I managed a smile for her. “I’m glad you’re here.”
She smiled back sadly, reaching over to squeeze my hand. “I only wish Pharis was. I know you two fought, but still, I miss him.”
“Me too,” I admitted.
“I wish I’d gotten the chance to know Raewyn,” my sister said. “She must have been quite a woman to drive a wedge between you two… and to inspire Pharis to do what he did to try and save her.”
“I don’t really want to talk about it,” I said.
But of course I couldn’t help but think about Raewyn, especially on a night like this, in the very ballroom where I’d fallen in love with her.
The seams where I’d just begun to cobble together my shattered heart split open, allowing the grief to flow freely again.
Months had passed with no sign or report of her. Though everyone had assured me it was beyond time to give up, I still had men out searching for her and had ordered her image to be posted from one end of the Sixlands to the other.
Honestly, I was losing hope. But I hadn’t lost it entirely.
Something kept driving me to pursue even the slightest possibility Raewyn was still alive.
The searchers were concentrating their efforts up north, where witnesses had seen the dragon fly that day, but really, it could have gone anywhere.
If the creature had crossed the kingdom’s borders and flown all the way to the Icelands, there really was no chance of ever seeing Raewyn again.
For now, the search teams continued to push north and canvas the residents of each village and estate.
In the meantime, I would delay the royal wedding as long as possible, praying they managed to turn up some good news.
“You’re as grumpy as Father these days,” Mareth accused. “I certainly hope you won’t behave like him when it comes to whoIchoose to love and marry.”
“You still haven’t told me who your mysterious beau is. Is he in attendance tonight?”
“Oh no, he’d never come to a gathering like this one,” she said.
The answer startled me. I sat up straighter and twisted to face her.
“Mareth… have you fallen in love with a human as well?”
She gave me a cheeky grin. “Not exactly.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’ll tell you when it’s time to tell you—if that time ever comes. I don’t even know if he loves me back at this point.”
“But you love him?” I asked.
