“What did the council say?” Liam asked Ada. I looked toward Audrey for any sort of context, but she was busy focusing on Ada and Liam.
Ada blew out a tired breath and crossed her arms, “They’re annoyed, but not upset. Additionally, King Ilia denies any involvement.”
“Well, he’s lying. His men were there. But the fact that everyone is onlyannoyedis good.” Audrey placed a hand over her heart in relief. “So what do they want us to do?”
“The good news is they approved her grant, which she should have in the next day or so. You’ll be able to return to your realm soon.”
“Hold up,” I interjected. “I’m stuck here until I get a grant?” Like a money grant?
“A grant is documentation,” Audrey explained. “Think of it like a tourist visa to visit Hyvenmere.”
“Oh.” I nodded. “I won’t get arrested for being here?”
Ada frowned at me and asked, “Did you commit a crime?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but did I accidentally enter this—er—realm ‘illegally?’”
Audrey muttered, “That’s a loaded question.”
Understanding dawned on Ada’s face, and she flicked a glance over to Audrey before explaining to me, “It is not ‘illegal,’” she emphasized the word with air quotes, “to enter Hyvenmere if you are not an official citizen of Hyvenmere. We are not cruel like the human realm seems to be.” I was filled with relief from her words. “Your realm does not know about our realm, as has been the design for hundreds of years. However, because several discussions are going on aboutofficiallyopening the Mellhawn Gates to the human realm again, the council has decided that the humans whoareaware of Hyvenmere and its territories must have proper documentation, so governments can be aware of who is exploring our lands.”
“I—” I shook my head once. “I don’t see myself paying this place a ton of visits.” I didn’t understand how a person traveled between realms. How did we even get here? Was there a bus? A train? A boat? Who the hell knew?
At my words, Audrey’s face fell a little bit, and I immediately wanted to take it back.
But I was still trying to fight off memories of the men who attacked me on my boat, and if those were normal occurrences here, then whatever the hell was going on in Hyvenmere was none of my business.
“That’s fine, but this way, when you carry your grant on you, my court will be notified of your arrival in the realm.”
“Ada is basically vouching for you,” Audrey summarized. “So if you do decide to visit, you’re her responsibility.”
I quirked my lips to the side and slid my gaze over to the Queen of the Fae. “Thank you. That’s nice to do for someone you’ve never met.”
“It’s not without a request of my own.” Ada settled herself on the edge of my bed, folding her hands in her lap as she tilted her head at me. “Would you be willing to tell me what happened? In your own words?”
I inhaled a deep breath before saying, “I don’t know if I even understand what happened, yet.”
“Maybe just start from the beginning.” Audrey kneeled next to me on the bed, resting a hand on my shoulder. I reached up to squeeze her fingers with mine before addressing Queen Ada directly.
“It was nighttime, and I had a drink.” I blew out a breath at the feel of my heart picking up speed, my body remembering the anxiety of the moment all too well. “At first, I thought I was too intoxicated. That’s why the men seemed very tall and very…odd.”
Ada’s blonde brows pinched at my words before she turned to Audrey. “You said it was Leon and Sergei trying to take her?”
Audrey nodded. “Yes. Without a doubt.”
“You don’t happen to have any evidence that it was them?” Ada pressed.
I frowned at her question. “I don’t have security cameras on my boat. Never thought I needed them.”
Ada hummed in understanding. “What happened after they showed up?”
“They were very…I don’t know. Annoyed. The blond specifically acted inconvenienced.”
“Leon.” Audrey chimed in.
“Sure, whatever.” I waved my hand. “They were bickering. Leon sounded like he just wanted to grab me and go. I jutted a thumb over my shoulder. “But the brunet mentioned something about me needing to be…unharmed. He just kept telling me to come with them.”
I still ended up being, what I considered, very much harmed.
