Page 16 of Ruling the Green

She looked at me for a long moment.

“This is not a friendly place,” I told her. “I have found that choosing strategic allies is the only way to survive.”

She watched me for another moment before slipping her arm in mine.

“Good choice,” I said, leading her through the castle.

Everything was bustling, the servants rushing around from one task to the next, perfectly aware that a speck of dust or a meal delayed by five minutes would mean my father’s wrath on a day like this, with important guests in attendance.

“For the time being, I think your safest place will be my quarters, but I will give you a tour once the guests leave and my father… retires.”

He didn’t sleep much anymore.

But his personal advisor ensured that he did his nightly ranting, raving, and pacing in his personal quarters so no one else saw how much he was slipping.

We exited the back door to a round of applause from the guests gathered in groups, speaking or sitting at tables waiting for the meal.

Beside me, my bride stiffened and tightened her grip on my arm. I wasn’t sure if it was the noise or the crowd that bothered her, but she was clearly skittish. Which made sense, I suppose, if she was a former servant to Grimwood. I couldn’t imagine working at his home was a pleasant experience.

Her gaze shot to my profile, drawing my focus.

Those blue eyes of hers were huge, her skin even paler than when I lifted the veil. I’d lived with my father and his terror tactics to know fear when I saw it.

What I didn’t expect was the strange stirring in my chest and gut—something it took a long time to recognize because I wasn’t sure I’d ever felt it before. It was protectiveness. Some part of me wanted to turn to the crowd and growl at them to shut the fuck up and go home.

But I couldn’t do that.

So I did all I could do—I led her over to the table which was unfortunately set up in front of everyone, leaving us on display. But as we sat, the majority of people went back to their conversations.

“Do you work for Grimwood?” I asked.

She shook her head.

Huh.

“Have you known him long?” Another head shake. “Longer than a few days?” Yet another no. “Longer than today?” A shake again. “He brought you in just for this?” She nodded. “He kidnapped you?”

She didn’t move her head at all to that, just shot me a look that was full of misery.

Unable to carry on an actual conversation with her, we sat mostly in silence as we watched the staff bring the platters out to a buffet.

It was Vishen who brought plates up to us.

“What is it?” I asked, when she stiffened and pushed her plate away.

Her eyes were wide and sad as she pointed to the fish on the plate.

“No fish?” Vishen asked, pulling the plate away. He got a head shake. “What about meat? Do you eat meat?” Another shake. “Okay. I will get you a fresh plate,” Vishen said, before shooting me a look.

The upper echelon of Dark fae were the only ones who consumed meat regularly. Could she possibly be a Light fae? Had Grimwood kidnapped a fucking Seelie? As if the Light Court needed more reason to start with us.

My wife’s gaze went to my plate, eyes looking a little watery as she eyed the fish.

I exhaled hard and pushed my plate toward Vishen too. “Another plate for you too?”

“Yeah.”

He shot me a smirk, pouring the contents of my plate onto the other, likely to save for himself once he was done waiting on us. After a lifetime of military rations—which kept the men just short of starving at times—he never missed an opportunity to eat.