I guess all of that would be decided today—…my wedding day—…with no groom in sight.
A day of celebration and yet all I wanted to do was crawl back under the covers.
If I’m forced to marry the fae who killed my best friend, I’d use my power to make sure no fae ever harmed another human……including Kane. How many humans had perished under his reign?
How many more would fall?
I wondered what my own king thought.
In Saol, each race paid allegiance to their own king. In total, there were seven ruling houses: King Henry was mine; Kane ruled the fae on the surface while Queen Merelda ruled the dark fae in the Underground; King Braun Shattermaul and Queen Kolmeda Bronzeborn ruled the dwarves; I didn’t know who ruled the elementals; the sabers, the furry two-legged beasts, were ruled by King Masuma and Queen Nari; the mer people by King Neus and Queen Talora; and lastly, all the twisted bowed to the Lich King.
But soon there would be a human on the fae throne, something never done in all of history.
Was King Henry supportive of this marriage? What did he think would happen the moment Kane and I wed? Did he even know I was here?
Did he think I was dead along with everyone else?
Kane’s disbelief in the prophecy echoed my own thoughts. Once I had believed that a marriage between a fae king and a human could bring peace between our kind, but that was before I understood how deep Kane's hatred was. It wasn't just that he disliked humans; he blamed them for the death of his family.
While he had never said those words to me, Liora gave me enough information to surmise my own theories. His father had been murdered, and Kane’s motherand his father’s human mistresses all seemed to be involved. Yet, it was the humanmistresses—or witches as the story says—that poisoned his father’s mind and set off a series of cataclysmic events.
Sitting at the table in my room, I picked at the cheddar biscuits from breakfast, finding it hard to do much more. A squeak came from the corner.
The little mouse that had been my most frequent visitor had brought a friend.
Taking the biscuit, I walked over to the corner of the room and sat on the floor. “You can have the rest. I’m not very hungry today.”
Placing the food down, I pulled my legs under me and stared at the little creatures, wondering if this was how I would spend the rest of my life, sitting in a tower talking to mice.
As they nibbled on the biscuits, I stared at the window. Sunlight beamed through the stained-glass windows, creating a rainbow in the center of the room. “If things had gone differently, maybe I would have enjoyed it here.”
The mouse with the tuft of white on his tail sat on its back legs, holding a crumb and staring at me.
“I know. It’s foolish of me to even think that… but… I was born to be queen, or at least that’s what I was brought up to believe.”
Holding my hand out, I waited for my visitor to scurry closer. “Do you think I would make a good queen?”
With a squeak, it scrambled forward, sniffing at my fingers.
A slow smile crept onto my face. “I wish I had your confidence, but I miss my home, my husband… he was my best friend.”
My bedroom door opened, and Liora walked in carrying a big glittering silver gown.
The mice scurried off, disappearing back into the hole in the wall.
Nausea rolled through my belly.
This is really happening.
By sunset, I would be Queen of the Fae.
Part of me wanted to believe the prophecy was real, and after the unicorn’s blessing, how could I not believe that?
…Though the thought of ruling made me want to leap out the broken window. I knew once I was married, I’d have my magic back, and that meant choices. As queen, I’d have the power to protectmypeople, even if it meant enduring Kane’s world.
Liora gave me a soft smile and brought the gown over to me.
Standing, I looked at the stunning dress she carried. The reality of the moment filled me with uncertainty and fear.
