I resist the urge to reach for the white-blonde locks that rest on my shoulder. “My mother and father…What happened to them? Why didn’t they get married? Did my father cheat on Queen Adelaide?”
Am I the bastard princess?
He holds his hands up, palms facing me. “No, you were born before Etta, actually. If you had chosen to be a part of the court, you would have been first in line for the throne.”
That word again: chosen. But I wasn’t given the choice.
Ivan continues before I can ask about that. “It’s a long story, but the short answer is that Adenahall was experiencing a resurgence of witches and black magic around that time. When we offered to help, the Fae Kingdom declined the offer. Unfortunately, the witches’ resurgence was too much of a concern for your grandfather, King Carinu, and he decided that it would no longer be in the court’s best interest for your father to marry Princess Orla. And it was the right choice. Their kingdom fell shortly after that.”
“Why couldn’t they still get married?”
He sighs, almost as if the question has been bugging him for the last twenty-five years, too. “Marriage is different in the royal kingdom. Its purpose is to unify and strengthen courts. By marrying princes and princesses from other courts, we create alliances between the Houses to ensure there is peace throughout the land. Because your grandfather was concerned about the stability of the Fae Kingdom—and rightly so—he called off the engagement and ordered your father to marry Princess Adelaide from House Panthera instead.”
“Ordered?” I ask, one eyebrow raised.
“Yes. Your father was devastated, but there was nothing he could do.”
I frown. There’s always something that can be done. “I take it I was conceived during the courting process?” I ask Ivan. His cheeks turn a light shade of pink, and he shifts in his chair.
He clears his throat. “Yes, that is my best guess. Your parents saw a lot of each other during the courting process. Your father…he didn’t know that Orla was pregnant.”
“How did he find out?”
He pauses, his gaze sharpening at the question. “Willa contacted us.”
Now it’s my turn to freeze. “What do you mean? You said that my father reached out to Willa, not the other way around.”
He hesitates. “Well…yes, but after you were born, Willa brought us a letter from your mother explaining the pregnancy and your true lineage. Your father, unfortunately, did not believe the contents of the letter until years later when he saw you. When he did, he reached back out to Willa and offered to be involved in your life, but she declined the offer.”
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t he believe her?” I ask.
“Your grandfather believed it was a ploy for the Fae to regain their stature.” He winces as the words land.
I had a father. A half-sister. A stepmother. A whole family that I never knew. I always assumed my father abandoned my mother. Turns out, it was me he abandoned.
Ivan clears his throat. “I’m sorry, Mae…I assumed you knew all of this.”
I shake my head and force a smile on my face. “It’s okay. I’m glad I know now.” I table the remaining questions I have and push them to the side to dissect later. “So, I’ll have to marry someone from another court?” I change the subject.
He nods eagerly, likely grateful for the shift in conversation. “Yes. Traditionally, marriages within the royal kingdom are arranged by the ruling king and queen to ensure the most powerful alliances are established. However, because there’s no ruling king or queen, your situation is a bit different.”
“How so?”
“Like I said, normally, your husband would be selected for you by the High King or Queen. Because there is no ruling High King or Queen, you get to choose,” he says, looking at me with a smile, like this is great news. I don’t return it.
“Why do I have to marry someone at all? Why can’t I just rule as High Queen?” I ask.
“Royal law dictates that you must marry. There’s no way around that. Your father was trying to change the way the royal court worked, but he still had a long way to go.”
“Okay…How soon does that have to happen?”
“Ideally, the High Princess would already be married before her coronation and transition to High Queen. The law mandates that you must be married no longer than three months after your coronation.”
“And when is my coronation?”
He grimaces. “It’s in a week.”
I stare at him for several seconds, my jaw clenched tightly so it doesn’t drop to the floor.
