Quinn makes a sound of protest. “Could we not talk about me having a baby?”
“Is it true you wanted to come to Valora?” Mother directs the question at her, gracefully changing the subject.
“I’ve asked Kirian to bring me a few times,” she replies diplomatically.
I bite back a grin. Quinn’s learned a few tricks from me. She speaks the truth without revealing my lie. She might be mad at me for bringing her here so abruptly, but she doesn’t want to get me in trouble. Yes, she’ll be a great queen and an even better wife.
“How old are you, dear?” Mother continues her interrogation.
“Eighteen.”
“So young.”
Frustrated, I grunt. “Humans mature faster than fae. Quinn’s an adult.”
My mother lets out a resigned sigh. “I’m aware.”
“And,” I go on. “I’ve known her since I was twelve. It’s not like I just met her today.”
“So, Earth is where you run off to every birthday?”
“It’s your birthday?” Quinn asks sharply.
I might be in trouble. “I suppose I never mentioned that the portals were a birthday gift from a wizard.”
“Nope, you left that out.”
“Birthdays don’t hold as much importance here. Since we live so long, it’d be silly to celebrate every single year,” I tell her, even if my own annual party says differently.
Gia snickers. “Seems like she doesn’t know you that well, Kirian.”
“She knows me better than anyone in all of Valora.” And that’s the truth. In Quinn’s world, I don’t have to overcompensate. Be tougher or smarter than anyone else. I can just be me, a man who likes fantasy books and board games. A faerie who carries a marble in his pocket because it belongs to a certain human girl. “You’d all do well to remember that I am your king.”
I hate to play that card, but I’ll do what I must. Once a king and queen abdicate the throne, they’re moved to the royal council. My parents’ opinion is taken into consideration, but my word is law. Whether Mother and Father agree with this union is irrelevant.
“Of course she’d want to snag the throne,” Gia sneers. “But she doesn’t know our ways. Our customs. Our traditions.”
“She knows more than you think,” I tell her.
“What are you drinking?” Quinn pipes up.
“Honeysuckle wine,” Gia replies.
My woman lets out a knowing hum. “Is it good?”
“Yes.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, you’re welcome. The flowers come from my field,” Quinn announces, and I smile because I know where she’s going with this. “I’ve supplied your honeysuckle for—how long did you say, Kirian?”
“Over two thousand years.”
“That’s right. I’ve never asked for anything in return, but I believe the fae custom says you owe me.”
I cover my laugh with a cough. Of all the times Quinn decides to be done with people’s shit, she does it in front of the royal family.
I’m proud of her.
According to the fae, if you accept a gift from someone who isn’t a family member, you have to give something back in return.
Gia turns her nose up haughtily. “There’s an expiration date on those gifts.”
“A decade,” Quinn agrees, and I know Gia can feel the weight of her debt.
I’ve collected honeysuckle eight out of the last ten visits to Quinn’s field. Gia won’t feel right until she’s repaid them. Of course, my mother has consumed the wine as well. She can split the cost with my sister. Four favors apiece isn’t so bad.
“The ball starts in two hours,” Mother reminds me, going back to her roasted duck and potatoes.
“Fantastic.” I find Quinn’s hand and interlock our fingers. “Alert the staff of the event change. This is no longer a birthday gala. It’s an engagement party.”
Quinn
He’s serious about this. He really thinks we’re getting married.
“I didn’t realize when I asked for my marble back, you were actually going to lose your marbles,” I whisper-yell as Kirian pulls me down a long corridor on the second floor. “I don’t know how it works here, but where I come from, you can’t just caveman your way into a marriage.”
Yeah, I just used caveman as a verb.
“Why not?” Kirian sounds absolutely clueless, and I’m reminded that he has zero experience when it comes to romance.
Neither do I, but as a woman, I feel like I have a general concept of how it’s supposed to work.
Kirian’s still shirtless, which isn’t doing my brain any favors. Thankfully, he pulls a small square out of his back pocket and starts unfolding it. The dark blue material multiplies in size until it’s big enough for him to tug it over his head.
Enchanted clothing. Of course. This shirt is a little different than all the ones I’ve seen him wear. A little more revealing. It’s like a loose tank top, but the back shape is an X, exposing his muscular shoulder blades.
For his wings. The wings I didn’t even know about until today.
The men who first greeted us wore similar clothing. I bet it’s so they’re ready to fly at any moment.
I thought I was self-conscious in my world.
Now, I realize I didn’t know the meaning of the word.
Everyone here is so beautiful. Even the tough guy with the tattooed face could be in a magazine.
My appearance isn’t something I worry about when I’m with Kirian.
But here I am, with the same overalls I’ve had since I was a preteen. I grew out of them a long time ago. In order to make them fit, I adjusted the straps and cut the legs off to make shorts. They’re ratty and stained. My faded pink tank top isn’t much better.
Don’t even get me started on my hair. Before Kirian took me, it was pulled into a neat ponytail. Now it’s a wind-blown mess.
To make matters worse, Gia actually thought my face was the result of some tragic injury. I’m still pissed about that.
“Listen,” I start, trying to reel in my temper. “A little warning about this visit would’ve been nice. I could’ve presented myself a little better.”
“You handled yourself fine. Really put Gia in her place.”
“I don’t
