He stepped in front of me. “Okay fine, then think of all the hot sex you could have!”
“If he’s as good-looking as they say, I’ll be disappointed. The attractive ones rely on their looks and make little effort.” Ifrowned at the truth I’d encountered time and time again. “I’ll stick with who and what I know,” I finished and bit into the thick carrot, snapping a section into my mouth.
3
RYDER
The air was thick and warm. It was nearly unbearable, definitely not suitable for a royal, let alone a prince. Reaching up, I opened the vent on the roof, letting the cool ocean air trickle in and marginally relieve me from the misery of waiting. I pulled back the blue-green curtain and scanned the newly formed group outside my carriage. Women and men stood, expecting to see my father or me—I wasn’t sure which.
The marketplace was supposed to be the quickest stop of the day, yet I’d been sitting in the stuffy space for at least thirty minutes. I thrummed my fingers in a simple rhythm against my knee, one I’d often used to get me through the long, boring meetings with my father. It was a simple tic I’d picked up at an early age. The action was strangely comforting when my emotions were bubbling and threatening to spill over.
If my father hadn’t ordered me to attend the last several scouting assignments, I’d have been at the castle relaxing with the pretty little thing I was forced to kick out of my bed that morning. Instead, I was made to wait while my staff confirmed every female in the kingdom had either attended one of the last three balls or would attend the final one. Otherwise, I mightnever find my mate, which was unacceptable in my father’s eyes.
The fact that it had taken as long as it had was mind-boggling. Had I overlooked someone along the way? Maybe I hadn’t given the bond enough time to solidify. Perhaps I’d be one of the many who’d never find their mate at all. I shook my head, pushing the negative thoughts away. Things had to work out. The land offered a mate to all who were worthy and, with my heritage, I had to be given someone—I only needed to find her. And if push came to shove, I’d fake the bond in order to secure the throne. But that would be the last resort.
The door opened, and Roark poked his head in, being sure to block the crowd's view. His black locks dangled over his left eye. “Your Highness?”
“What is it?” I asked, suppressing the brimming frustration. “Are we finished?”
“No—well, yes,” Roark sputtered, “but … no.”
I exhaled. “Get on with it.”
Speaking with Roark was akin to parenting a child who’d barely learned to form a sentence—you had to pull the words out of his underdeveloped brain. While I’d become decent at reading his cues and interpreting his ramblings, it was grueling at times. After many years at my side, he was thankfully going to be reassigned later that week, and someone new would be rotated in.
“One woman refused the invitation.” Roark looked around the carriage, focusing on everything other than me.
I blinked at him. I’d understood the words he’d spoken, but the meaning behind them all strung together made little sense. “Why? Is she crazy? Drunk? Mad?”
Roark shrugged.
“What was the reason she gave?”
“Sh—she didn’t give a reason, Your Highness.” He bit his lip. “She only stated she wouldn’t attend.”
“Nothing else? Is she ill? Suffering? Is she on her deathbed and set to die by the end of the week?” Perhaps a dying mate would be the ultimate gift. We could bond, share magic, and she’d be gone. “Why would she not want to attend? Whowouldn’twant to be there? Did you tell her the ball is in my honor?” I flung out the questions rapidly as the guard looked to still be processing the first.
“Sh—she did say …” he said, hesitating.
I snapped, “Spit it out already!”
“She said if you wanted her to go, then you needed to invite her yourself.”
I flinched at the thought. Surely, she knew who I was. Who my father was. Did she think she was above attending? No amount of beauty could elicit that type of response; at least not from anyone in their right mind.
In my thirty-one years, I’d never had someone turn down a request. I’d even talked playmates into gladly sharing their desserts in my youth—made them think the idea was all their own.
“I suppose I need to meet this woman. Determine if she’s crazed and needs to be evaluated and locked away.” I exited the carriage before he could convince me otherwise.
With a large crowd, it was ill-advised for a royal to walk around without at least a dozen guards. But I wasn’t worried. I didn’t need them to keep me safe—I’d do it myself.
“Take me to her,” I demanded while moving toward the market square.
The group of people parted like the sea to a massive ship. All bowed, several cried, and a few looked at me with fierce disdain. Each reaction I welcomed, even the ones who’d hated me and everything my name stood for. My father always said a sound ruler accepted the abhorrence with the adoration. There was a balance which needed to exist in every great kingdom. To make every fae happy was impossible.
I stopped at the perimeter of the marketplace, where conversations still buzzed through the air. People clearly hadn’t realized they were standing in the presence of royalty. If I had expected to leave the carriage, I would have brought the horn players to announce my arrival.
“Where is she?” I asked Roark.
