Chapter 1
Rage of a princess:
The day I always wondered about has arrived.
It waves its banner and shouts, “Come one, come all! It is the happiest day of your life! For I am here to make all your sweet dreams come true!”
But, nay…not for me.
Never for me.
This is my life. Part nightmare, part joke.
What a conundrum. What a mess.
From the bottom…and I mean the very, very bottom…of my cold, shriveled heart: Thanks, Fae. You’re the best. We should discuss your love of me over tea sometime. I’ll make sure yours has an extra dose of sugar.
“I’ve never been so broken. It’s like the veil of night has descended and pulled me down into a stinking pile of shame.” Caspian kicked at a pebble, sending the small rock skittering across the cobblestone street. “Nothing has been so humbling in my life, Trix. I don’t know how this happened.”
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye and tried not to laugh. “I shall guess what has humbled you so.” Then I tapped on my chin with a single finger, pretending to think hard. “Hmm. Performance issues?”
He whispered so quietly I almost didn’t hear him. “Yes…”
A bubble of laughter burst free, unable to be suppressed any longer. I grabbed at my tender stomach and stopped walking so I could double over in my mirth.
“This is not funny!” Caspian’s deep blue eyes blazed down on me with enough heat and rage to rival the sun above us. “I had a bed full of women! And I couldn’t get it up!”
“Caspian…” I sputtered through my laughter and wiped a tear from my eye, ignoring the pain in my lower gut. “Did you eat those mushrooms again from the Caster Kingdom?”
Caspian froze in place with his hands raised in the air. “What… Oh…” His eyebrows pulled together so far that they were almost touching. “They brought treats with them. I wasn’t paying attention to what I ate beforehand. My mind was elsewhere.”
I snorted hard and stood up straight to rest my right hand on his shoulder. “There you go, my friend. The grand mystery of your manhood has been solved. You know how those mushrooms affect you.”
“Fucking Fae.” He breathed out a deep breath, and then his chest puffed out with vitality. “We will never speak of this again.”
“Of course not.” I lifted a red eyebrow, and a sly gleam entered my gaze. “If you will do me a favor.”
“No.”
I patted down my tattered clothing, making sure my disguise still hid my face well enough. “Yes.”
“No.”
“Yes.” I pointed a finger straight at his nose. “It’s needed for our kingdom. It’s not up for debate.”
My cousin cursed under his breath. “What is it?”
I explained bluntly, “Watch our king. Make sure he doesn’t try to kill King Athon.”
His blink was slow. “Ah, fuck. What did you do this time?”
The glare I sent in his direction was fierce. “It wasn’t me. It was my blasted soul mate. I don’t know what he’s really doing, but he has caused issues. So I need you to spy for me.”
“On our king.” It wasn’t a question.
My order was absolute. “Yes.”
Caspian ran his fingers through his white hair, creating a more disheveled look. He stared off to the side, peering at the marketplace. “As you wish.”
