"Hiss?" I query, and she gives me a quick rendition of what happened while I was sick, and I merge it with what my brothers told me. "The fairy with blue wings, right?"
She nods. "But there's something else." She swallows hard, and I see the trepidation in her expression.
"What is it?"
A pounding knock erupts at the door, and she flinches in my arms.
"Let me see who that is. Get under the blankets."
I drag on my pants and stride across the room. Once Guendolyn is covered, I open the door.
My guard stands before me, his gaze never drifting into my room. "You've been summoned by His Highness, Prince Ahren, to his meeting room immediately."
I groan and run a hand through my hair. What the hell now? With a quick nod, I reply, "I'll be there shortly." Then I close the door and turn to my kitten, who again has only her head sticking out from under the blanket in my bed.
"Stay here." I close the distance between us and lean over her, then kiss those full lips. "I'll be back later and bring you some food."
"Sounds like a plan. Don't be long." She snuggles deeper under the blanket like she might go to sleep.
My heart thumps in my chest. What has she done to me?
Fuck!
She's constantly on my mind, and my cock hardens just at the thought of her. I should have known from the first time I went to collect her from Earth she'd captivate me. I insisted my job was just to bring her to Shadow Court, but I'd been fooling myself.
She had always been mine. I just had to admit it to myself.
Chapter 7
Guendolyn
I slide into the scorching hot water before reaching over for grapes from the platter of fruit near the tub while the morning sun shines gloriously. Yesterday, after a while when Deimos hadn’t returned, a maid delivered my early dinner in the room. After which I crashed on the bed and slept all the way through. Deimos still wasn’t in my bed this morning so I decided to get on with the day, starting with a wash.
I made my way down to the baths because I can’t wait around doing nothing.
My guard waits for me outside, and right now it's better I stay low. The princes are most likely talking about the king's funeral, about Ahren taking the throne, so I can wait.
Though it keeps playing on my mind about the king being my real father, and how much I desperately wanted to tell Deimos. But I feel selfish doing so.
The throne is Ahren's, even if he's not the king's son by blood. And if I announce this now, will I come across as someone trying to steal the throne from him? In all honesty, I don't know enough about royal rules and politics to know if that's possible. Can a female take a throne in fae courts?
Regardless, I don't want such a position, and I'm already so close to losing Ahren. I won't do anything to jeopardize pushing him even farther from me.
A stupid thought pops into my mind, one of marriage, and I almost laugh out loud. Right, a court that hates Unseelie will never allow one to rule over them. Even if only half an Unseelie, I don't really belong in their court, now do I? And technically, it means the princes and I are step-siblings.
Nope, I'm not even going there. There is no bloodline shared between us.
It's why I contemplated asking Deimos’ opinion, but is that a smart decision? What’s to stop him from making a big deal of this and telling Ahren?
I slip deeper into the water, deciding to say nothing for now.
Sucking in a deep breath, I relax and think about the incredible time with Deimos and how I don't know what I'd do if I lost him and Luther. It shocks me how quickly they've grown on me. I let myself linger on those thoughts and not what I’m losing.
When the water temperature falls and my fingers resemble prunes, I climb out of the tub and grab a towel. The maids had taken my clothes and left me with a dress. I pick up the deep blue fabric pebbled with tiny crystals and find no underwear. I sigh, tired of going around with no panties. Is this a fae thing?
What I miss desperately are slack pants and a hoodie. These gowns may look spectacular, lift my breasts, cinch in my waist, but they aren't uber comfortable.
Dressed, I pull on the square neckline that sits a bit too low over my chest, then tie up the laced corset across the front, squishing my breasts together. No need for a bra when the ladies are constantly pressed inside a corset or tight dress.
Stepping into a pair of ankle boots, I run the wide-toothed comb through my hair. Then I head into the hall.
Michae greets me with a smile, standing taller. He has a healed cut on his upper lip that only reveals itself when he grins. He’s growing on me, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to. "Where to, Miss?"
"The dining hall, please. I'm thirsty." He nods, and we head through the mansion.
Two maids rush past us, holding their skirts for ease. I glance back to see them vanish around a corner. A man in a black suit pushing a silver food trolley races down the corridor, coming toward us.
He waves a hand for us to get out of the way.
We do, and he's a storm, exploding past us.
"What's going on?" I mumble to myself.
More maids carrying baskets of fruit dart past. Another woman behind them has her arms filled with flowers. Then two men roll more trolleys piled high with beautiful gold plates. Their rattling sounds have me cringing as I
