Page 63 of Kingdom of Betrayal and Unknown

“Now, go home. It is far too cold out here for you to be walking around with only a thin coat on.” He looks thoroughly unimpressed with my choice of clothes.

But it will not deter me from walking out in the forest in winter. I love it too much.

“Go on.” He lets go of my hand. “Go home.”

“And I will see you again?” I can’t help but ask.

He smiles. “You will.”

I turn around and make my way back home, clutching whatever Kieran has put in my hand tightly so I don’t lose it.

“Ah, you’re back,” my mother greets me as I walk into the house.

“Yes, I need to change, then I can help you,” I reply, going straight to my bare room. I have a single dresser for my few clothes and my bed, but nothing else.

The curiosity is burning inside of me. I want to know what I am holding. I want to know why he told me not to look at it until I got home.

I close the door behind me and open my palm, my eyebrows scrunching together as I look at what’s in my hand.

A ring.

CHAPTER 15

The ring has been in my pocket since I first saw it. What am I supposed to do with it?

I’ve thought about putting it on several times, but I know if I do, I’m going to have so many people questioning me. And I don’t want them to ask if I am engaged to the prince.

It appears to have been made for me. Somehow, it’s the perfect size for me.

Another reason I haven’t put it on yet is because I don’t know if it has some type of magic bound to it. What if I put it on and am never able to take it off?

I desperately want to put it on and wear it all the time. No guy has ever given me jewelry before. It’s really sweet, and I want to show him that I appreciate it. Does Kieran think that I am going to wear it?

I never asked that question, and now I’m regretting it. But I didn’t know what it was when he gave it to me so I had no way of asking.

What if he is expecting me to wear it for him. I can’t because everyone will know it came from someone with a lot of money. I can’t risk people thinking it came from Prince Archie and that we are getting married. No. That is not going to happen.

I pull the ring out of my pocket and look at it once more. The stone in the middle is a soft lavender color with rose-gold swirling around it like vines. Absolutely beautiful.

“What are you looking at?” Mother asks me.

I clutch it in my good hand and turn before putting it into my pocket. “I was just looking at how my hand is healing. There are still some spots that are sore or tingle when I move my hand too much. I know it is still healing, but I want to be able to do things again.”

It’s been hard on both of us trying to figure out what I can and can’t manage. It’s limiting me.

“It is going to be sore for a while longer,” Mother gently informs me. “I know that’s not what you want to hear. I’m sorry I didn’t teach you the correct way to eat when you have guests over. But there were far more important things that needed to get done.”

I scoff. “Mother, it’s perfectly fine. I love who I am, I don’t want to change. I won’t need to learn how to properly eat in front of people because the only people I eat in front of are you, Father, and Skylar. We all eat the same. And besides, I know there are more important things to do around here. It’s honestly stupid.”

I understand them wanting me to learn, but I won’t be eating in front of anyone, so it really doesn’t matter.

“It’s not stupid,” Avira states as she walks into the room. She takes a deep breath and looks directly at me, her eyes narrowing. “Have you been near Fae? Why do you smell like one?”

How does she know? I was around Kieran two nights ago, but I’ve taken a bath since then, and she shouldn’t be able to smell him on me. Unless it’s the ring, but I haven’t been able to smell anything on it, which means she shouldn’t be able to either.

“I’m around Fae all the time. When I’m outside, they are too, working, or did you forget that?” I ask.

Avira can’t know that I’ve been meeting up with some of the Fae. If she knew, their lives would end and I would no doubt end up in the jail and get asked too many questions.