“It’s very fancy, you know,” Mel said as she tossed rose petals into a mug.
“A rare delicacy, I know,” I replied.
Mel grinned and poured steaming water from the kettle into the mug.
“Now, you must let it steep first.”
While we waited, I finger-combed Mel’s hair gently then plaited it like mine. She squirmed for the finger-combing but held still for the braiding.
“Are you hungry?” I asked.
Mel pursed her lips. “What are you making?”
“Gruel.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Mel, you have to eat.”
“Oh, I’ll eat—later.” A mischievous grin twitched over Mel’s lips.
My heart puddled into my stomach knowing what she meant by that. Mother would be devastated if she could see us now: her oldest up at the crack of dawn hunting down our next meal, her youngest a thief, and her prized possessions sold off. After Mother’s death, her parents, my grandparents, had said they were finished with Father and his lazy ways. Too bad my sisters and I had to suffer the consequences alongside him.
A loud pounding on the front door jolted me out of my thoughts.
Mel and I looked at one another wide-eyed. No one besides Jhaeros ever came calling anymore, and he was already here.
The pounding continued.
“Aerith!” Father hollered.
I ground my teeth and counted slowly to three inside my head.
More pounding.
“Aerith, get the door.”
He was closer, but Father would never lower himself to answering the door. No, that lowly duty was only fit for a butler—or a daughter, one in particular.
Mel hopped down from the stool. “I’ll get it,” she said to me.
“No. No way.” That got me hustling out of the kitchen and down the hall.
As I passed the sitting room, I caught Jhaeros’s glower as though I was a disobedient servant. He was only two years older than me, but he acted like a crusty old elf far superior. He would be the perfect son-in-law for my father—if Shalendra accepted him. From a young age she’d had her heart set on leaving Pinemist for the rich and vibrant town of Sweetbell. Jhaeros was well off, but not that well off.
The pounding continued with every footstep. I forgot the pompous elf in the sitting room, fear creeping up my spine. What if it was collectors? Our family would be shamed in broad daylight.
I opened the door only to find two of the most beautiful males I’d ever laid eyes upon. One had long silvery white hair and the other, blond. From behind slanted, steely blue-gray eyes, they regarded me with amused grins. I felt the magic gliding off them as though it were heat radiating off cobblestones beneath the sun. They couldn’t be much older than me, and their ears were pointed, but these weren’t elves—they were Fae. Their fur-trimmed cloaks, pristine leather boots, and jeweled clasps marked them as more than civilian Fae.
“Yes?” I asked, hating that my voice squeaked.
“I am Prince Cirrus, eldest son of Merith Elmray, King of Dahlquist,” the blond Fae announced, placing his hand on his chest. Gold bands and jewels winked from his fingers. “And this is my younger brother, Liri.” He flicked his wrist in his brother’s direction.
The Fae with the long silvery white hair pursed his lips. In the blink of an eye, his lips returned to their amused grin.
Cirrus continued to speak, to share a quick geography and history of their realm. I could only half-listen. I gaped at them, not in wonder, but confusion. Kingdoms, titles, and riches were plentiful in Faerie. They should have everything they needed, so what were they doing in Pinemist? At our house?
A shiver of unease crawled up my toes and spread from my ankles to my legs and up into my arms where the goose pimples returned.
This wasn’t the first time the Fae had come to Pinemist. Six years ago, a Fae prince from Orisis had arrived seeking a bride. They weren’t allowed to spirit elves away without consent, though there were rumors that the same courtesy wasn’t extended to humans in the mortal world. The prince from six years ago had been fifth in line to his father’s throne. I’d never heard of a firstborn prince seeking a bride outside of Faerie. Perhaps he was here to find a bride for his younger brother.
I glanced at Liri, who raised his long, slender eyebrows.
“We wish to speak to the master of the house,” Cirrus said.
I looked from the silvery-haired Fae to Cirrus with hair so blond it was nearly white and a perfectly symmetrical face with a strong jaw, proud nose, and sensual lips. His steely eyes held me in their grip. My mouth gaped open, but no sound emerged, making me feel as though he’d put me under a spell.
“Yes? I am the master of the house.”
I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of my father’s voice directly behind me as though he’d materialized there. Father bumped me aside. Cirrus’s lips twitched.
“Mister—?”
“Heiris. Elred Heiris,” Father announced proudly, puffing up his chest as though he were a high elf. “Would you care for refreshment?” he asked, sweeping an arm grandly into the foyer.
Father missed my glare. What did he expect us to serve these royal Fae? Rose petal tea? Gruel? The last of the deer jerky?
I folded my arms across my chest. Liri caught the movement and winked at me.
“A generous offer, which we must decline,” Cirrus said. “We are on a tight schedule, you see.”
“Oh?” Father asked, leaning forward.
“I have come from Faerie seeking a bride,” Cirrus said. “All eligible and willing maidens are invited to compete in a tournament in the town glade tomorrow afternoon. The family of the elf I choose will be richly rewarded and sent a monthly stipend for the remainder of the union.”
My stomach tightened. Father moistened his lips and leaned forward.
Cirrus smiled smugly. “Are there any eligible maidens in your household?”
Without pause, Father said, “Yes. Aerith. My eldest.” He stepped back only so he could push me forward.
I leaned away, shoving my weight in the opposite direction.
Cirrus looked me up and down with renewed consideration.
Liri folded his arms over his chest. “She looks haggard.”
I might have scowled into his gorgeous face if I weren’t so relieved. Haggard, yes, certainly not fit for a Fae prince.
“That is not of importance,” Cirrus said in a clipped tone. His expression softened a moment later. “Besides, appearances can be easily improved.” His eyes zeroed in on mine. “Very good, Aerith Heiris. I will expect you tomorrow noon at the town glade. Bring your weapon of choice.” When he smiled, his teeth gleamed.
Chapter Two
“Please, Father. Don’t make me go.”
“You are the eldest. It is your duty.”
And what of his duty as a father?
He’d never cared before. It wasn’t about to change now.
We sat around a small wood table with our steaming bowls of gruel. Shortly after the Fae departed, Jhaeros took his leave, but not until Father assured him I would be the only Heiris daughter to compete for the prince of Dahlquist—wherever the heck that was. If I’d known there was a chance I’d be taken from my home, I would have paid closer attention when Cirrus first spoke.