“My lady,” he says with a sweeping motion toward the castle. My jaw clenches as I bite back my words. She is not his anything. She is my Gwyneth, and I will not share. “May I be the first to welcome you to The Hallowed Palace.”
I glance around. “You are the only one welcoming us.”
Charming’s face tightens. Maybe he needs a horse water closet? I’m still not cleaning it. “Let me show you to your rooms, maidens.” He spits the last word at me.
The guards lead the way with our filled sacks, with the mirror strapped to one of their backs. The mirror man smiles at me. “Fair Diana, most glorious you are amongst the blessed Hallowed.” He darts a look at Charming and tilts his head. It’s a little disconcerting. “A beautiful man for my beautiful lady.”
“Um, no, it’s not my floof he’s trying to get inside.”
I jerk my thumb at Gwyneth. The mirror man swallows, then opens his mouth. Gwyneth raises her hand. “Save it.”
His mouth snaps closed, and he looks down. “You hurt his feelings,” I mutter as I loop my arm through hers.
The gates swing open and we walk across an uneven cobbled courtyard which is empty of shiny Hallowed except for two shirtless men leaning against a giant tree looking suspicious with their heads pushed together as they talk. Damn, they are tall and big. Is it even a thing to have that many muscles? How does one gain them? Do you offer your firstborn to the local witch? Because there is no way they are natural.
The one on the right jerks his head up. His crystal green eyes clash straight into mine and an indecently wicked smile quirks across his lips. He nudges his friend, who also looks up. Twins. We have a few sets of twins in Strongfair, but none of them are sosymmetrical. My heart thumps faster as they stride toward our group.
“Who are they?” I whisper.
Charming sighs as his hand presses against my back and pushes. “Just ignore them.”
“Hey Cruel, who’ve you got there?” the twin on the left asks. I knew it. Prince Crueling is a thing.
I dig my heels in and slow down, wanting to get a good stare at their…eyes. Definitely their eyes.
“Is this the new maiden of the annus?” The right twin asks, tilting his head at me.
“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s not going near my floof.”
The right twin hollers out a loud belly laugh. He seems amused, while his counterpart has a deep scowl etched on his face, like his purpose in life is to suck the joy out of it.
“These are the maidens from Far, Far Away,” Charming decrees. “Lady Gwyneth fit the shoe.”
“I’m her sister,” I add. “Daphne.”
“Oh gracious, glorious, Daphne,” the mirror adds.
I give him a thumbs up. “Dude, you got my name right.”
The mirror man frowns. “I always call you Daphne.” I roll my eyes.
“Your mirror is broken,” the grumpy twin says.
“My mirror is not broken. He’s unique and not blind from all the shininess in the Hallows.”
The grumpy twin opens his mouth to no doubt put my Burgher ass in its place. He doesn’t know me, so he doesn’t realize that putting me in my place will have the opposite effect. The universe will see it as a challenge to insert me everywhere I shouldn’t be.
“Malachi, get your own maidens,” Cruel snaps, pushing harder on my back. I lose my footing and tumble forward. The happy twin catches me and spins me around in his arms. Wow, now this guy smelled delicious—sweetness and light wrapped in something sinful. I could eat him up. In comparison, Charming now stinks like a bucket of bunkum poop.
“I think I’ll just take one of yours. Don’t be greedy, Cruel. You can’t handle a single female, never mind two.”
Charming’s face turns beet red, not an attractive color for the prince. “You want to take your chances with the twins?” he grinds out.
“What? Me?” I shake my head. “No.”
Malachi pouts as he stands me upright and lets me go. He clutches his hands to his chest. “You wound me.” The grumpy twin sighs, grabs Malachi’s arm, and drags him towards the castle doors.
“If you want to continue breathing, I’d advise you to stay clear of the Stirlings,” Charming says as we follow the disappearing twins. “Females don’t survive their brand of affection.”
