“Curse?” I barked, making one of my guards jump and lift his sword, feverishly scanning the area for a threat. I flicked my hand his way, assuring him I was fine, before turning back to Faelith. “What curse?”
“Excuse me, my queen?” Faelith’s brow wedged together. “I don’t believe I heard you right.”
“You said all of you were bound by a curse. What curse?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.” Her head tilted, and her face got even tighter, though her eyes had returned to their regular color. “I didn’t sayanysuch thing.” She gasped and spoke quickly. “I mean . . . I should not have scolded you.” Color bloomed in her face. “I wasn’t suggesting anything with my statement, my precious queen, but I said nothing about a curse.”
If she wasn’t looking at me with completehonesty, I’d doubt her. But this woman had given me no reason to suspect she’d tell me an untruth.
“I must’ve misheard,” I said.
Her face smoothed, and she gave me a sweet smile. “I’m sure that’s it. Farris is rather loud, isn’t he, barking as much as he does? My words must’ve sounded different when mixed in with that, my queen.”
“I’m sure that’s it.”
I didn’t believe that one bit. She’d said curse, and I’d stake my life on it.
What curse was holding everyone at Evergorne Court spellbound?
When I returnedto my room, I searched for the book again, but still didn’t find it.
As Moira and Calista helped me dress, arrange my hair, and adorn me with enough jewels to buy a year’s worth of rounds at the fortress bar, I delicately quizzed them about the curse. They each denied knowing about such a thing, and their faces were so open and honest, I couldn’t help but believe them.
When it was time, Moira and Calista escorted me to one of the huge, formal dining rooms. Erisandra and her entourage of six ladies had already been seated, her ladies taking up one side of the table.
I paused in the arched entrance while Moira and Calista smoothed my red gown, and Calista tucked a stray curl back into the arrangement on the top of my head. I felt every bit aqueen, and I couldn’t thank them enough for making me look amazing.
Erisandra studied the blades strapped to my sides with her eyebrows lifted, but she said nothing. Her ladies shared her bemused expression but thankfully, also remained quiet. For now. We’d barely gotten started.
“There you are.” Merrick came up behind me and placed his palms on my shoulders, taking care not to crumple the sleeves of my gown. He leaned around me and kissed the side of my neck.
It was all I could do not to melt back into his embrace, to turn around and drag his mouth down to meet mine.
He stepped up beside me and held out his arm, and from the gleam in his eyes, he was well aware of the effect he had on my equilibrium. “May I escort you to your seat, my queen?”
“Thank you.” I smiled with adoration, partly for Erisandra’s benefit but also because I couldn’t help myself. Whenever Merrick was around, my soul calmed, my pulse roared, and I felt as if I could handle anything.
He guided me into the room with Moira and Calista walking sedately behind us. My guards spread out to encircle the area, placing their backs against the wall and keeping their hands on the hilts of their blades strapped to their sides.
Erisandra watched them, her eyebrows clawing higher.
Merrick pulled out my chair and helped me guide it inward after I sat. While Moira and Calista fluttered around me, placing a napkin on my lap and making sure my gown wasn’t being crushed by a leg of the chair, he took the seat to my right, directly opposite his mother.
“You’re not sitting at the head of the table?” she asked, clearly scandalized.
He lifted my hand sitting on the table and kissed my knuckles. “Why would I when I can sit beside my queen instead?”
She huffed but said nothing further about it, choosing instead to redirect her attack. Her mouth pursed, and she sent a snide look Moira and Calista’s way. “Please tell me that these two lessers will not be serving as our future queen’s ladies-in-waiting?”
A high lady sitting to her right tittered before slapping her hand over her mouth—by herself and not from Merrick’s intervention this time.
“Moira and Calista serve me quite well,” I said softly. “I see no need to replace them.”
“This cannot be allowed.” Erisandra ripped her napkin off her lap and tossed it onto the table. “They’relesser.”
Though I couldn’t see Calista and Moira cringe because they stood behind me, I could feel it as if their dismay raked across my exposed skin.
Merrick looked my way, and I could tell he was ready to intervene if I so much as blinked.
