My hands fisted. “I trust Kyle and Declan. They have been with me through… a lot. These other boys seem nice enough, but I’m not willing to put my life in their hands, or their lives in mine, just yet.”
“I would die for you, Princess.” Niall stepped forward, and pounded a fist against his heart in a salute. His face had reddened to his hairline.
A blush heated my cheeks as well. I swallowed and glared at him. “I’m not asking anyone to die for me. In fact, I don’t want anyone to die for me, understood?”
Niall’s eyes went wide then he cast his eyes down. “Of course, Princess, but I mean… That is…”
“What he’s trying to say, Princess, is you can trust us. We will not let you down.” Soft spoken Seamus stepped forward and gave another bow.
I shook my head. It was all too much.
“Fine. We acquiesce to your request. Both Declan and Kyle will accompany you. The journey will begin in the morning, so I suggest you all get a good night’s rest.” The female elder said, waving a hand as she stood.
The elders each stood with her and started for the doorway behind them. The remainder of the Fae in the room all bowed as they exited. Kyle’s father had told me from the start that the princess and future queen should not bow to anyone, so though I might find many that will bow to me and to the elders, I should not return the gesture. So, I stood tall and still, feeling small and insignificant. I’d meant to give the elders a piece of my mind and tell them to shove their quest. Instead, I’d agreed to go on it, and only argued on such a small point they hardly argued about it before giving me what I wanted.
Part of me wondered if that was part of their plan. Had I been manipulated? What if their strategy from the start was to make me argue the small in order to give into the major? I sighed and turned around to head toward the door. Kyle stood, holding it open for me.
I started out the door, noticing that all of the men who I’d entered the room with also followed me out. In some ways it was disheartening. I’d yet to get used to all the attention lavished upon me by the Fae community, but these boys were now a different story. Declan and Kyle made me forget they were my suitors, because they were my friends first and foremost. These new boys might become my friends, but without question they were also my suitors.
As soon as we stepped out from the hallway into the daylight, Henry slammed into me with his whole body, wrapping his arms around my legs. Once I caught him, he looked up at me with his big brown eyes. “Are you ready to go help me find Bunny?”
I didn’t realize how deep my frown had gotten until it melted from my face. I smiled and nodded. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 3
The next morning, I was far from chipper. I had never been much of a morning person, and had grown used to my morning coffee. Who would have thought the Fae didn’t drink coffee? Blah.
After weeks without the morning brew, I still hadn’t gotten used to its absence first thing in the morning. I had barely dressed in jeans and a hoodie, my hair still a mess, when I opened the door from my bedroom to the sitting area just outside my room.
“Princess Flora,” Seamus called my name with a bow, his hands lifted upward with a white porcelain cup in them.
I blinked. What were they doing in my rooms? Then my eyes focused on the cup. For a split second I got excited, until I peered in and found the barely brown concoction I knew was the herbal tea the Fae drank in the mornings. Beside the cup, the saucer also held what looked like a strange cookie.
I pointed at it. “What is that?”
Seamus smiled, rising from his bow, but still holding the cup in extended hands. “It is an energy bar. We use it to help us on our journeys to gain strength and stave off hunger. If you’d rather have a full breakfast, we can order it, but the rest of us have only had this.”
I shook my head and took the saucer from him with a half-smile, half-grimace. “No, this is fine.”
I sat in the nearest unoccupied chair and took a sip of my tea. When I glanced up at Liam, I found him smiling at me with his chin resting on his hand. He looked at me with more mirth than usual. I frowned before taking a bite of my energy bar. “What?”
He lifted his chin, revealing even more of his perfect teeth in a wide grin. “Should we get someone to comb your hair, Princess?”
I stopped, mid-chew. Then I glared at him while finishing the bite I had in my teeth. “No. I’m fine. I may decide to keep my hair this way. Maybe I’ll set a trend.”
His smile softened to a smirk, telling me he understood my sarcasm. “Of course, Princess. Anything you do might become a trend among the commonfae, as they adore you already. But, with caution, I might mention that bedhead is still considered quite sexy for men of impure mind, such as myself.”
I had just taken another bite of my energy bar, and suddenly found it hard to swallow. Blood rushed to my face. I suddenly had the urge to run away from his suggestive gaze.
