Eislyn
Eislyn had no idea how many days had passed or even if she was still in the realm of the Air Court. They had stopped to camp several times. The sack had remained over her head at all times, except when they ate and slept, which was far rarer than she would have liked. Sometimes, they would settle on the hard ground for the night, only to rush back out onto the road moments later.
Sometimes, she swore she could hear the sound of a bow being nocked, an arrow whistling through the air. But she did not know if that was merely wishful thinking on her part or her imagination running wild. She wanted to believe that Thane cared enough to come after her, to save Eislyn from his enemies.
But she did not know if he was even still alive.
Suddenly, her horse slowed to a stop. The pungent scent of brine whispered through the burlap sack. Eislyn frowned. Were they by the sea? That made little sense. The wood fae lands were far south, and the road leading there wound through the grasslands. Taking a route along the shore would add weeks to their journey time.
Rough hands ripped the sack off her head. Her face was blasted by a cool, sea-scented breeze. Eislyn did not hate the wind as much as her sister did, but she had yet to grow accustomed to the sting of it against her skin. However, for once, the fresh air brought her back to life and reinvigorated the blood in her veins.
That was until she saw the castle looming before her. She recognized it instantly, having seen drawings of it numerous times in the books she had been pouring through these past weeks. Feurach Fortress, Lord Bowen’s castle where the former king was rumored to be hiding out. It was a harsh grey stone fortress sat atop the cliffs on the edge of the Mag Mell Sea. There was no city spilling out onto the grassy hillsides here. Instead, the only fae who called this castle home were some members of the Selkirk family, and a contingent of the air fae army. It looked about as welcoming as it surely was.
Dark and dreary, the short, squat fortress had four square towers that were linked by ancient stone battlements. The Air Court banner was the only splash of color, the golden sheet rippling in the wind beside the wooden gates. Several warriors stood clustered on the walls, silently watching them from above.
Eyes wide, she glanced at her captors. “Why have you brought me to Feurach Fortress? Aren’t you wood fae?”
Of course, that seemed a silly question now. As they approached the castle, the gates were being opened and not a single warrior on the battlements above rained arrows on their party.
Eislyn’s heart hammered in her chest. She had been wrong about all of this. The wood fae were not taking her captive.
The air fae were.
“Welcome to your new home, Princess Eislyn.” And with that, the sack was shoved back over her head, once again plunging her into darkness.
* * *
Her knees dug into the stone floor where her captors had shoved her down. They were somewhere inside the castle now. From the warm crackle of a nearby fire, she assumed she’d been delivered to someone’s chambers.
Who? And why would a Selkirk capture me?
That hunch was proven right when the sack was yanked over her head once again, revealing a large wooden chair and a familiar fae frowning down at her. Eislyn’s heart flipped at the sight of him. Lord Bowen, Thane’s uncle, the former king’s brother.
An older mirror image of Thane, his golden hair seemed to glow from the light of the fire. He lounged back, crossing one leg over the other, tapping his fingers against the arm of the chair. His eyes seemed to flicker with darkness as he regarded her carefully. She had wondered why he hadn’t been at Thane’s coronation. Now, she knew why.
“Welcome to Feurach Fortress, Princess Eislyn,” he said in that kindly, calm voice of his that had once soothed her nervous soul. Now, everything about him seemed cloaked in darkness, and the calming tremor of his voice sounded false, hiding cruelty beneath. “I apologize your visit could not have been under more…ideal circumstances.”
Holding back her tears, Eislyn glared up at him. “You’ve been working with the Wood Court to take down your own court? How could you? Thane will never forgive you for this.”
“On the contrary, I have been working with some disillusioned wood fae who wish to see an end to the war.” He flashed a smile. “AndIintend to put an end to that war. Unfortunately, you and your sister, along with that miserable queen, Imogen, has made that impossible.”
Eislyn could not help but tremble. “You were the one behind the assassination attempts.”
He nodded. “I do apologize for that. My original intention was not for you to get hurt. The target was your sister, of course. As Thane’s betrothed, she needed to be removed.”
“But why?” Eislyn asked, glancing around at the grand room, full to the brim with soft and luxurious furniture in varying shades of gold. She was stuck kneeling on the floor. “None of this makes any sense.”
“My brother and I, we originally wanted to develop an alliance between the Wood and Air Courts. Thane was to marry Princess Etaine until he insisted he wanted to ally with you ice fae. At first, I thought to turn his sights back onto Princess Etaine by removing Reyna Darragh as an option. Now, I realize that Thane’s affections have shifted elsewhere. To you. And he will never agree to wed the Wood Court princess if I have you killed.”
Eislyn’s heart sped ever faster. “Me? But Thane is betrothed to—”
“Your sister?” He raised a golden eyebrow. “Yes. But my sources inside the castle determined that he planned to switch sisters after his coronation.”
Eislyn could scarcely believe it. Her feelings for Thane had been almost unbearable these past weeks. She had never been bold enough to think he could return her affections. Lord Bowen’s words were everything she had hoped to hear, but not like this. Not trapped and held captive so that…what? Lord Bowen said that he wasn’t going to kill her. So, what was he planning to do with her instead?
“At first, I was going to find a way to have Thane agree to marry the wood fae girl in exchange for your life,” Lord Bowen said with a slight smile. “However, things have changed these past few days. Thane has left Tairngire to rescue you. Aengus now sits on the throne, awaiting Thane’s return. He would be much more agreeable to a wood fae alliance, even as much as I hate the male. So, I will simply be asking for Thane to give up his reign. If he doesn’t agree, well then…I will be forced to kill you both.”
Eislyn felt sick. She did not know if Thane had truly planned on asking her to be his betrothed instead of Reyna, but she did know that he would never give up his rule for her. Whatever feelings he might have, they did not go that deep. His kingdom meant more to him than she ever could.
