“You will make a wonderful queen,” Raza took my hand and kissed it tenderly.
Queen. Right. I looked out over the unseelie, and had more mixed feelings surge up in my chest. I had grown to love these fairies. Their beauty wasn't as glaringly obvious as the seelie, but once you saw it, it was impossible to ignore. Still, I was Princess of Twilight, and those fairies were family to me. How could I leave my kingdom to rule this one? My father was king, sure. He would care for Twilight in my absence. He'd done so for its entire existence. But I still felt slightly traitorous.
“It will all work out,” Raza said gently, as if he could hear my thoughts.
“I think it will,” I said, surprising the both of us. “There's no way it can't, not after all we've gone through to get here. Thishasto work.”
That's when Killian walked in.
He had a herd of extinguishers with him, and behind them were unseelie fey, the Craos-Teine staff, who were helping to bring in several wooden crates.
Killian strode forward, spread his hands out, and proclaimed, “I have returned!”
“Yes, we can see that,” Raza drawled. “I assume those are the thermal scopes.”
“Yes,” Killian smirked, “and a few iron arrows.”
The assemblage made happy murmurs.
“How many is a few?” Raza stood.
“Just around a hundred, but my guy is making more even as we speak. I can twilight back in the morning and grab them as he completes them,” Killian offered.
Raza shot a look my way, “Perhaps he does have his uses.”
“Raza,” I shook my head.
“Well done, Lord Killian,” Raza declared. Then he spoke to the gathering as a whole, “We have weapons and the means to spy the elves. We shall triumph!”
The hall cheered.
“My thanks to you, Lord Killian, and to all of you men who have helped to bring us these valuable supplies,” Raza nodded to the extinguishers. “Please come in and join us.” He motioned to the castle staff, “food and lodgings for our guests.”
The servants rushed to do their king's bidding.
“You've arrived just in time to join our celebration feast,” Raza added.
“Celebration, eh?” Killian sauntered up to the high table. “What are we celebrating? Besides my triumphant return, that is.”
“A group of seelie have come to offer their swords to our cause,” Raza nodded to the seelie, seated just to the left of the high table. “And Princess Seren has agreed to become my wife.”
Killian's face fell. His gaze shot straight to mine, and I tried to convey that it was a good thing, but he didn't get it. His jaw hardened, his shoulders stiffened, and he nodded crisply.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty,” he nodded to Raza, then to me, “Your Highness.” He turned and went back to the extinguishers who had arrived with him, “See to these, will you? I forgot there was something else I needed to handle.”
Then he began to walk out.
“Damn it, Raza,” I growled. “You want me to run after him, or are you going to call him back?”
“Lord Killian!” Raza shouted, keeping his eyes on me. “Join us at the high table, if you please.”
Killian froze, and then turned around slowly, to glare at us. His jaw clenched as he stalked back up the hall, and then woodenly took the dais stairs two at a time. His boots echoed on the wood, conveying his anger through their booms. Raza indicated a seat beside his, and Killian sat in it heavily. The entire hall was watching us with wary expressions, but as soon as Raza looked out towards the room, the gathering went back to their meal with forced gaiety.
“Killian,” I started.
“It's okay, Seren,” Killian was taking deep breaths. “I get it.”
“No, you don't,” Raza poured Killian a glass of wine and slid it over to him. “Drink up, Lord Killian. You have cause to celebrate as well.”
