“I am,” he says with an irritated grumble.
So, he’s affirmed it twice now. Can I believe him? Or is he a delusional fae who only thinks he’s a royal? “If you’re the king, then where is your wealth? Your luxury?”
He lifts a brow as if he can’t comprehend my puzzlement. “I am wealthy.”
“Then why aren’t you dressed like a king? Where is your crown?”
He scoffs. “Why bother? It’s like that human saying…how does it go? You can put rouge on a pig, or some such?”
This, I’m confused by, but I decide not to press further. “And this,” I extend my arms to indicate the room, “is your palace?”
“It’s where I live,” is all he says.
In my mind, I draw up a ledger and create an imaginary column collecting his assets. He’s supposedly wealthy. Has some rundown manor. Now, what are his liabilities? His weaknesses? He can’t lie, but I need more than that to use against him. Which means I need to investigate further. Continue my ruse of an alliance.
Allowing only curiosity to infuse my tone, I say, “I’ve yet to hear your name. Not here, and not in Vernon. Is it true you do not know it?”
“My name is forgotten, both by myself and anyone who dares to think of me. It’s part of the curse, slowly stripping away my memories and those of all fae who remain under my roof. Our names were the first to go.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why are you cursed?”
He meets my gaze for a moment, eyes flashing with indignation. “I killed a human.” He winces, sinking lower in his chair. “Several of them.”
My throat feels dry at the confession. “Why?”
His expression darkens. “They hunted and killed one of my fae brethren, so I took my revenge and killed the entire hunting party. I…I didn’t know the wolf was killed on approved hunting grounds, so my vengeance was unlawful, especially without consent of the Alpha Council.”
I nod, although I feel like I’m barely following. From what I’ve learned, the Alpha Council is the highest level of government in Faerwyvae, consisting of all ruling kings and queens of each court, and acting in alliance with the courts’ human representatives. What I hadn’t known is that there’s such a thing as approved or unapproved hunting grounds. I suppose it makes sense, though, making specific areas safe for the fae, while opening others so humans can continue their hunting activities for sport, survival, or trade. “Were you not informed where the wolf was killed?”
“I knew where he was killed, I just…I hadn’t realized what that land was.”
“Was it not in your own court?”
“It was.”
I raise a brow. “Do you not know your own lands?”
He burns me with a glare. “I once knew my lands like the back of my paw. I ruled Winter—all of it—for hundreds of years. But when my court moved—”
“What do you mean it moved?”
“Do you not know the history of Faerwyvae?” His words are heavy with condescension. “I admit, you look barely older than a pup, but surely you’ve heard about the war.”
“I have heard about both wars, the most recent one ending twenty years ago. I’m just…not originally from here. I just moved a few weeks ago.” I bite the inside of my cheek, hoping I don’t come to regret the confession. I see no benefit in hiding the truth, though.
His expression softens, and his voice takes on an almost conversational tone. “Then perhaps you’ve heard Faerwyvae was once called the Fair Isle and was divided in half. The north was called what our entire isle is named now—Faerwyvae—and the south was called Eisleigh and was ruled by Bretton. When Bretton betrayed the humans and declared war on the isle, it was the fae who saved everyone. We fought the human armies, defeated them, and set up a perimeter wall of standing stones infused with magic. I assume you were escorted between the stones when you arrived?”
“Yes,” I say. In fact, there was an entire fae guard awaiting our arrival at the docks when our ship pulled into the port. Myself, my father, my sister, and the few other humans who’d been granted citizenship, were escorted by two armed guards per person, marching us single file between a pair of enormous, towering stones. There was no fiery blast or shimmering lights to signify the invisible magic barrier we crossed, but the hair stood up on the back of my neck just the same. I shudder at the memory.
The king continues. “For a moment, imagine what the isle was like after the war. The southern half that was previously human land now fell under fae rule. It took years for the Alpha Council to rework the divide of property, determine the new boundary lines. Many of us had to relocate our palaces, our homes, our people. After that, the land had to adapt to the magic and climate of each court. I was one of the unlucky ones, a king forced from his lifelong throne to settle in the south, claiming a land still thick with the stench of iron. I refused to have a palace rebuilt and held court in the mountain caves instead. I paid little heed to the humans or the decisions made by the Alpha Council regarding my land, since I clearly had no say.”
I frown. “As king, aren’t you part of the Alpha Council?”
He grunts a bitter laugh. “I was overruled more often than not. Let’s just say there were—are—many on the council who are not my greatest fans. I’m sure the feeling would be mutual…if I could remember those fools clearly.” He mutters the last part under his breath.
“So, I’m guessing you didn’t pay attention to where the approved hunting regions were?”
He shifts anxiously in his seat, refusing to meet my eyes. “Correct.”
