Page 151 of Blood of the Fairest

"Actually, Anika is fantastic with a sword, so she kicked their asses. She's completely fine, Your Highness."

He's visibly relieved as I walk back to give Wulf new orders. Once again, the Huntsman is not thrilled, but he follows Prince Leif toward the barracks as I at last enter the throne room.

36

Verena

I yawn as the same prim maid escorts me back through the grandiose hallways of Aurefeld Castle.

Her grey skirt swishes softly with every step we take across the polished marble floors. We pass several towering windows letting in the last golden sunlight of a late afternoon.

Greeting King Roderik and Queen Gisela was pretty much what I expected: a formal obligation. Lots of inclining heads, flowery words, acting the way I think a queen would, etcetera.

Personally, I like Aurefeld's monarchs. King Roderik looks like Leif plus twenty years, with a booming voice and all the confidence in the world. Queen Gisela is well-spoken and elegant. She's nearly as pale as Snow White, her light blond hair streaked with greys and her smile kind—but again, not warm towards me.

Because as regal and polite as they were, I can tell those two are not fans of Queen Rhinestone.

I don't blame them one bit. That bitch left a nasty aftertaste in everyone's mouth.

In not so many words, Roderik and Gisela implied once again that they invited me here at the request of Hamelnmark's king. They mentioned no one from that kingdom would be arriving until the second night of the masquerade, thanks to some storm delaying them.

A small part of me wonders what on earth the king of Hamelnmark wants with me. Is he the one who wrote those love notes with sprigs of rosemary? Did he and Queen Rhinestone have some kind of royal fling going on?

Whatever it is, I'm not curious enough to stay for answers. With any luck, I'll meet Cinderella tomorrow night, and she'll be nice enough to have her fairy godmother or magic bird friend help me get back to my world.

I yawn again and try to see where Eris is keeping up with the maid and me.

But he's nowhere to be seen.

I frown. I mean…he does disappear to who-knows-where sometimes. It's not like he's always watching me.

Just almost always.

The fact that my iridescent mirror ghost isn't keeping an eye on me in this unfamiliar place puts me weirdly on edge.

"Your Majesty?" the maid prompts when she sees me pause to check all nearby reflections. "If the splendor is to your liking, I could give you a tour of Aurefeld Castle instead of taking you to retire in your rooms."

As gorgeous as this castle is, I want to cry at the idea of walking around more. I'm just so fucking tired, after getting so little sleep so many nights in a row.

Even worse, that familiar burn in my throat is starting to demand all my attention yet again, even though I downed that entire helmet full of Kool-Aid last night.

I just want to ignore the awful thirst and go to sleep for fourteen hours straight—but damn it, where is Eris? Did he get hurt in the mirror realm somehow? Is something else going on?

Maybe this is just the PTSD making me paranoid again, like the doctors say it does.

Just as I start to tell the maid not to worry about giving me a tour, Eris appears in the glint of a nearby window. His voice is urgent.

"Snow White and her lady's maid went to check on the horses in the guest stables, and a drunken sod followed them. They're all alone with that lascivious brute cornering them."

Fuck.

"Take these to my room, please?" I ask, ripping off my veil and crown to hand to the startled maid.

Hiking up my dark green skirt, I break into a run in the direction Eris is already pointing me.

"Y-your Majesty!" the alarmed maid calls out behind me.

I'm already long gone, tearing around the first corner Eris guides me to.