Page 9 of Ruling the Green

“From afar, my love,” the father said, voice placating. “No one could ever mistake your beauty up close.”

“It’s an insult. They could have done better.”

“We were pressed for time, my dear. This alliance was forced upon us. I did the best I could do with so short notice. Or have you changed your mind? Would you like to marry the prince after all?”

“Absolutely not.”

“You could not do better.”

“Have you heard the stories of the prince?” the daughter asked.

“All young men are… spirited. A good woman has a way of softening them.”

“Maybe I would consider the prince if the rumors about the king—”

“Do not,” her father cut her off, “speak of the king.” There was warning in his voice, and the daughter looked immediately chastened.

“Well, as things are,” the daughter said, “I will not be joining that family. We certainly don’t need the coin or status.”

“No, but you may miss the social standing. You will not be able to attend the balls, parties, or gatherings you are accustomed to.”

“I have my plans. You know this. Besides, should circumstances change, I can claim my rightful place. And you can… toss that into whatever hole you dragged it from.”

In my mind, I could hear the song of my lake calling me home.

I’ll do everything I can, I sang back to it, but I wasn’t sure how well it could hear me, how far away I was.

“Lake, actually,” the redheaded fae supplied.

“Lake?” the daughter asked, face scrunching.

“Is it a naiad?”

“Don’t think so,” the redhead said. “Maybe just a Daughter of the Lake.”

The daughter sniffed at that.

“Well, you better have the servants get started on it if you want it to be passable to the Unseelie prince.”

With that, she slithered off much the way she came, leaving me once again alone with all three men.

The father regarded me for a long moment, his lips pursed. “Is she dim-witted?” he asked. “Why doesn’t she speak?”

“She screams well enough,” Vrad said, getting a whack from the redheaded fae.

“She’s probably just in shock, Mr. Grimwood,” he said, anxious to smooth over the other fae’s faux pas. “Besides, isn’t silent what the event requires?” he asked. “The bride, after all, doesn’t need to agree to any vows.”

“True. True. Very well. Bring her back into the servant’s quarters. They are waiting for her.”

I was too stunned by their words to resist when I was yanked back upward and swung between the two men as they carried me down a long, wide hallway.

Bride.

I was to be a bride?

A stand-in bride?

To the Unseelie prince?