Tension punctuated his words, and Reyna clung tightly to the wooden edges of the tub, scarcely daring to breathe. A roar had built inside of her, desperate to get out, but all she could do was stare at the warrior who stood before her, staring right back.
In a garbled voice, she finally said, “Did you just come here to gawk at me?”
His eyes flickered with heat. “The prince requested that I stop by this morning to ensure you reached your chambers safely.”
Ensure her safety? What an odd request. Why would she be anything but safe inside these castle walls? At the feast, Thane had mentioned that there had been attempts on his life. Had there been another? Did it have anything to do with why he’d run off as soon as they’d arrived in Tairngire?
There were so many questions she wished to ask, but instead, she chose a different route.
“Well, you’ve ensured it now, haven’t you?” she snapped. “You are free to stop gawking now.”
“All right.” He gave a slight bow and turned to go but paused just before he reached the door. “But if I were gawking, princess, you would know.”
* * *
Reyna angrily stood still while her lady’s maid dressed her for the day’s activities. She had been able to shrug off assistance with the bath, but gowns were an entirely different matter. She glared at the wall as Ula cinched the material tight behind her back, going through the last few moments over and over again in her head.
Lorcan had gotten her flustered, and she didn’t like it at all. Who did he think he was? He couldn’t just storm in announced. Did he have no sense of decorum? And then pretending as though he hadn’t been just as aware of her nakedness as she had been.
She had thoughtThanewould be the insufferable one. Turned out it was his warrior instead.
“What do you think, milady?” Ula stood back and motioned toward a mirror.
Reyna stared at her reflection. The sapphire gown was a respectful nod to her ice fae heritage while acknowledging that she had left that court—and its icy blues—behind. The material was much thicker than the hoarfrost silk she usually wore, a soft cotton that hung heavily on her frame. With long sleeves that flared at her wrists, her arms seemed to disappear into the fabric itself. Silver wings had been embroidered along the low-cut bodice, and a soft leather belt cinched her waist. The color brought out the silver of her eyes, and her hair hung around her shoulders in loose waves. Ula had even done something to her cheeks. They were rosier than usual, making it look as though she had just flushed from a particularly nice compliment.
She looked like a princess.
Reyna hated it.
“Milady?” Ula prodded.
“This will certainly make me fit into court well, I believe,” Reyna said. “All I need now is my dagger. I’m certain we can find a spot to hide it in these sleeves.”
Ula peered up at her, frowning. “Milady, your dagger has been taken to thearmory. You have no need for it at court.”
Reyna whirled toward her lady’s maid, her heart pounding in her chest. “What?”
“Milady.” Ula stumbled back, her eyes wide. “It was not my doing.”
“Whose doing was it?”
“The High Queen.”
Reyna’s hands fisted. Not only had the High Queen taken away the one thing she had left to protect herself, but she’d stolen something that was of far greater value than she could ever comprehend. That dagger had belonged to Reyna’s mother.
Seething, Reyna pulled her emotions tight into her chest so that they did not overflow in front of her maid. She could not appear too angry in front of the wrong person. She could not show just how much defiance churned inside her soul. The silent war had begun, and she had not even stepped foot inside the Great Hall yet.
* * *
Reyna had rarely attended mass back home. While the Air and Ice Courts worshipped the same god, the laws surrounding religion were nothing alike. High Kings and Queens of this strange new realm were required to attend daily mass unless extenuating circumstances demanded otherwise. Coronations took place in the sight of their god, and they were required to follow the Dagda’s every law, according to how the air fae had translated them. Many Air Court rulers had been removed from power for not following the laws of the Dagda. Some had even been hanged.
Reyna had never been certain if she truly believed in the teachings of the Dagda. At times, she had looked to her god with hope and wonder, trusting everything her people believed. But if the Dagda had given the fae their magic, then why had he taken it away?
So, she was pleased when daily mass ended quickly and without incident, and soon found herself standing within the extravagant Great Hall with the rest of the courtiers. The expansive space had been decked out in a multitude of thick golden banners that hung along the white stone walls. The ceiling rose high overhead, and dozens of looming arches curved down to form pillars that dotted the room. Two long wooden tables took up a large portion of the space, even if it was not yet time to dine. Several courtiers sat together, heads bent as they no doubt shared the newest gossip of the day. The room was cold and dark, even with the overhead chandelier that held a hundred flickering candles.
Reyna gazed toward the far end where an impressive throne sat empty. It was made of twisting thorns and vines that looked like part of the stone itself, as if the chair had grown out of the ground just as it was. But the High King was nowhere to be seen. Neither was the High Queen. Prince Thane stood in the far corner, speaking to an elegant male who was a mirror image of her betrothed, if Thane were perhaps fifty years older.
She had sat with Eislyn at mass but had lost her on the walk to the Great Hall from the Adhradh, their place of worship. With a frown, she craned her head, searching the crowd.
