“Thank you, my liege,” she said.
“Please,” he said. “No titles are needed. Just call me Thane.”
“All right then. Thank you, Thane.”
Standing, he bid Eislyn a good night and headed back to his chambers. In the back of his mind, he could not rid himself of the image of Eislyn’s face. Happy and bright, thrilled that he had agreed to help with the Ruin. And she had given him hope in return.
If only his betrothed made him feel the same.
18
Reyna
Reyna stood in the shadow of the Dagda, watching the High Queen stride up the wide golden steps toward the Adhradh. Daily mass would not begin for another hour. She had been watching the queen for weeks and had noticed that she’d always been seated far before any of the other courtiers arrived. So, Reyna had decided to arrive early herself and see exactly how the High Queen spent her early mornings.
The bronze statue of the Dagda rose high, scraping the bottoms of the bulging grey clouds. He was at least five times larger than a Tir Na Nog fae. On his raised stone platform in front of the towering Adhradh, he stood tall, shoulders thrown back, his powerful fingers clutching a great gleaming staff. Bronze-cast wings flared behind him in an unseen wind.
The Adhradh, the holy building of the Dagda’s worship, loomed even larger than the powerful god himself. It was a great stone building shaped like a battle axe’s curved blade, with a yawning entrance so tall and so wide that the statue could have walked straight inside if it came alive. Even here, the Air Court had left its mark. On either side of the entrance, golden banners hung from the high arching roof, so long that the bottom edges touched the ground.
The High Queen continued up the numerous golden steps. Her deep blue hair had been pulled up into an elaborate bun, the twisting strands dotted with multicoloured jewels. The back of her teal gown cut low, and the long train trailed behind her as she moved.
“You know, I’m not certain the prince would approve of this,” Lorcan said from beside her. The ever-present guard had caught her on her way out of her chambers and insisted on tagging along. At this point, she just considered him her shadow.
Today, the winds were brisk and the air cold. Far colder than it had been in the days past, even if they’d left Winter Solstice behind. Lorcan had donned a cape with bear fur on the shoulders, and it draped over the top of his standard leather armor. Reyna had noticed it the instant she had seen him. She’d made a joking insult, but inside, she thought it suited him quite well. He even looked slightly more handsome than usual. But she would keep that thought to herself.
So, she kept her gaze focused on the queen. “I think he would be pleased if his betrothed showed some interest in the teachings of his god.”
“And that is what you are doing then, yes? Showing an interest in the Dagda?”
“You shouldn’t ask me yes or no questions.” She pressed her lips together. “You know I can’t answer plainly.”
He smiled. “No, youcan, your highness. It would just be unwise.”
She scowled. She always hated it when Lorcan used her title, and she was pretty certain he knew it annoyed her, too. There was always something mocking in his tone. That was why he did it.
At the top of the stairs, the High Queen disappeared through the looming entrance. It felt like it swallowed her whole. And then the doors swung shut behind her.
“We should go inside,” she said.
“I don’t think I can allow you to do that.”
Her hands fisted. “What? Why ever not? Surely I am allowed into the Adhradh to worship our god whenever I please? In fact, I am certain his laws would forbid anyone from preventing my entry.”
“You know very well that you are not entering to worship. You’re spying on the High Queen, princess. Are you truly so stubborn that you cannot see how dangerous that is?”
She propped her fisted hands on her hips and turned on him. “Dangerous enough to get me stabbed by an assassin?”
“Reyna,” he warned.
“What?” She threw up her hands. “It’s been over a week, and not a single thing has been done to discover the culprit behind the attack. My sister could have died, you know. If we hadn’t gotten her to the alchemists so quickly—”
She cut her words short as emotion churned within her. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she refused to cry. Not here. Inside the enemy’s castle. In front of a warrior who made her life a living hell.
She couldn’t go anywhere without him skulking along behind her. She knew he was only doing his duty and what the prince had ordered him to do, but it felt like he enjoyed riling her up and stealing away her privacy. His little comments, tossed in whenever he thought she’d forgotten he was there.
But she wasalwaysaware of his presence.
His eyes softened. “I am sorry about your sister, but she is recovering well. The alchemists believe she will be fully healed in time for the celebration feast.”
