My spine stiffened. “I know that.” Izadora had made sure she didn’t give me any preferential treatment, and the rest of the court knew it.
He paused, looking around, and lowered his voice. “Tristan knew what he was doing when he took you to his grandmother. In glamouring you and dressing you in the colors of the Night Court, she has made a statement, putting you under her protection. She has publicly announced that she has accepted you as Izadora’s heir. Everyone will think twice before they dare to harm you.”
My mouth fell open. “Is she so powerful?”
Cade nodded, his face serious. “The Dowager Duchess of the Night Court is one of the fae elders who sit on the Royal Council. No queen can rule Elfi without the backing of the fae elders, and Izadora knows it.”
Tristan had done this for me—he had known exactly what would happen if his grandmother dressed me for the feast. I smiled to myself as Cade led me to the long table where Tristan was already seated. At least I wouldn’t have to worry about Brianna anymore.
I sat down beside Tristan, with Cade on the other side next to Skye.
The long rectangular tables were sumptuously laid with a variety of silver platters that offered honey-roasted vegetables, creamy seafood stew, and fish braised with apples, nuts, and berries. Big bowls of candied walnuts, sugared almonds, and apricots appeared suddenly in front of me.
More and more food kept appearing out of nowhere—it was difficult for me to keep up. On top of that, if I didn’t pick something right away, the food in front of me kept disappearing and ending up on another part of the table, only to be replaced by something more delightful.
Desserts started materializing when the rest of the food had finished. I eyed the towers of fresh pastries and delicate little lemon and lavender cakes, which were like billowy clouds of golden sponge generously topped with dollops of scrumptious buttercream icing and decorated with edible flowers picked from the palace gardens. I took a few more for my plate before they disappeared. These gave a whole new meaning to fairy cakes.
Green-liveried house sprites wandered between the tables, carrying heavy silver pitchers and filling up crystal goblets with an excellent sparkling berry juice while the High Fae chatted and enjoyed themselves at the feast. Looking around, I realized that there wasn’t much of a divide between the courts here. Only the queen and the others of the Elder Council sat at the high table on a raised dais. The rest of the High Fae mingled regardless of which court they belonged to.
Cade and Skye were engrossed in an animated conversation. I leaned over to Tristan. “I thought the Day and Night Courts were rivals?” I asked between mouthfuls. “They all seem very friendly with each other.”
Tristan nodded, taking a sip from his goblet. “The distinction between the courts is now merely symbolic. It is more of a political arrangement. The Grand Dukes of the Day and Night Courts have hereditary titles and lands, which they rule over in the queen’s name. Many of the High Fae families have hereditary magical abilities too, suited to their court. There are some fae creatures who can only be controlled by or pay allegiance to the Night Court, and some whom would not speak to them or fear them. The same goes for the Day Court. Both have different strengths, and the queen uses them to her advantage.”
“Thank you for everything you have done for me,” I said sincerely. I hadn’t thanked him yet for making sure I had the support of one of the Elder Council.
Tristan nodded, and his lip quirked, showing the hint of a grin.
“So, you do know how to smile, Prince Tristan?” I said teasingly.
Cade overheard what I said and laughed, spluttering the contents of his goblet all over the table.
“On occasion.” Tristan scowled at us and went back to frowning at his plate.
I giggled to myself. Under that rough demeanor, the Dark Prince of the Night Court was not so bad after all.
The next morning the Crystal Castle lit up at dawn and sent beams of rainbow-colored light dancing about my room. Cade was waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs when I came down.
“Where’s Tristan?” I asked as Cade led me down a flower-filled open corridor, past a secluded courtyard, and toward the gardens. “I wanted to go to the kitchen to get a bite to eat before going down to the training ground.”
“The dowager duchess has asked to meet with you.” Cade stopped in front of an ornately carved door. “She has requested your presence at breakfast.”
We entered the vast room overlooking the flowering gardens of the fae palace. This was part of the dowager’s suite of rooms. How big was this castle? It seemed to be almost endless with rooms and stairs appearing in places where I could have sworn there were none yesterday. There were some passages extending far back, right into the mountain, and I wondered where they led.
Tristan was already seated at a small round table in the dowager duchess’s breakfast room, talking earnestly with his grandmother. Daylight filtered in through the soft white curtains that fluttered in the morning breeze. He rose when he saw me, scowled as usual, and held a chair for me to sit down.
“You’re late,” said the dowager. “I expect you to be here on time in the future. We have a lot to do.”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, sitting down. I wasn’t that late.
Cade pulled up a chair and sat down too, reaching for the hot pastries that lay in a basket in the center of the table.
The dowager swatted his hand. “Cade, where are your manners?”
Cade looked sheepish and dropped his hands into his lap as the dowager gestured for the pastries to be served. House sprites appeared out of nowhere, dressed in black-and-silver livery, and filled my cup with
