It didn’t matter. He wouldn’t tell me. As long as I was going to a court where every creature could tell if I was lying, he’d never give me his secrets.
Blaise wasn’t unlike Jasper with his flirtation and charm, but there was something else about him that was different than any dark fae I had ever met. Red had flashed in his menacing stare when I looked at him, something I bet others noticed as well. He had a sharp tongue and a voice that melted like honey. It was a beautiful danger, something to lure in the reckless and needy; a poison that ran through him, one many would willingly drink.
We were the thread that could make Magaelor whole again, and for that reason, he was at the top of my priorities, even if the word marriage instilled fear into me. I had to get back home. If they thought me dead, it wouldn’t be long before they married Blaise to another. The fae were already opposed to it, so me going missing would be the final nail in the coffin. My duties to my people were all that mattered.
A seashell crunched under my heel. An old, rusting sign now in front of me read: Kings Bay Harbor. I walked across the creaking boards to look out over the dark water. I scrunched up my nose as the stench of seaweed and fish hit my nostrils. Sunrays hit the small puddles of water left behind by fishermen getting off their boats.
A man who couldn’t be much older than my father paused to talk to one of the fishermen. He had dropped a pouch tied tightly at the top. It was made of brown leather and had his initials marked on it: ER. I grabbed it before anyone could see, then shoved it down the front of my dress, between my cleavage. A foghorn sounded, making me jump. I looked around. The man was still talking to the fisherman. I hurried along the wooden planks and back onto the cobbled streets toward a more populated area. The town was old; I could tell from the pinstriped awnings over stores and wooden doors that had rotted at the sides. Signs such as “Two for One Body Creams” hung in grimy windows. I walked past them, looking for a clothing store.
The pavement led me around the corner and to a market area. I noticed most of the newspapers that were stacked on racks outside shops discussed a variation of topics, but the main one was Bluewater Times. That had to be the province I was in. We had provinces in Magaelor too, like Wellshadow and Mistbury, and the fae had some in Niferum as well, like Redwinter and Silverwolf. Then there was Inferis which was one of the small islands that had been divided between both.
Fae and solises were mixed within Berovia. They were not divided like Magaelor and Niferum. Morgana had always shed light onto what I had been taught at the academy. Banned papers and books gave me truth and enough information about Berovia to know I was among a different way of life here.
Each table in the small market displayed various items for sale. In between the tables lining both sides of the pavement was a bustling road. My eyes roamed the sand-coated cobbles ahead. One table caught my eye. A woman stood behind it. She had unruly black curls and wore a tight black dress. Beside her was a rail, and on it hung dresses fit for a princess. I wasn’t the only one beckoned by the beautiful fabrics. Four women were crowded at the table, looking through them.
“Hello, dear,” the woman said when I reached her stall. She cocked her head to the side, eyeing me carefully. Wrinkles stretched out from their corners and beside her nose. “Purple would look perfect on you.”
She looked unkempt compared to everyone else around us, but I automatically liked her. I wasn’t sure why. I couldn’t stop myself from leaning in closer.
“What about a nice necklace to go with the dress?”
I nodded my head and watched as she pulled down a purple dress with ruffles on the skirt, which stopped above the knees. It was in typical fae fashion, surprisingly, but I was sure it was a happy accident.
Silver tulle surrounded the bodice, and cotton black roses were sewn across the chest area. It was stunning, unlike anything I had ever owned. My mother would have a heart attack if she saw me in it.
“I’ll take it,” I said, mesmerized. I had loved dressing up since I was a child, but as I got older, the maids on my mother’s commands forbade to wear anything revealing. Everyone else did at court, but I was a princess and therefore the exception to the dress code.
The woman picked out a necklace from the jewelry stand and handed them to me.
“Fifteen gold coins.”
I furrowed my brows. That was awfully expensive. At least, in Magaelor it would be, but perhaps that was the going rate here.
I hesitated enough for her to change her offer.
“I can tell you’re not from around here.” She raised an eyebrow. “I tell you what, I’ll do them for thirteen coins, final offer. You’re practically robbing me.” She guffawed.
I reached down the front of my dress and tugged at the string on the pouch to pull it out. I dangled it in front of me before opening it. She eyed it greedily. I poured out the coins and counted them. I only had fifteen gold pieces. It wasn’t worth it, surely, to spend most of my money on a dress and jewelry, but I was pulled to give in to her.
“Hello, you.”
A hand landed on the small of my back, and the smell of honey and cloves clouded the air around us. Cedric cleared his throat.
“You didn’t make it far.” He arched an eyebrow.
Electricity pulsed through his touch, landing in my stomach.
“How... Did you follow me?” I questioned.
“She’ll give you five coins,” he told the woman, dismissing my query. “Which is already too much for hags like you who take advantage of young girls.”
She ground her teeth and landed herself in a stare-off with him, but she blinked first. She held out her hand, snubbing us both. Cedric reached into my pouch and counted five coins. He placed them into her palm and took the dress.
He threw it over his shoulder, then escorted me away from the table. In his other hand, he was holding a cardboard box large enough to fit a small animal. “You should be more careful.” He wrinkled his nose. “I can’t believe you were about to pay that much for a dress.”
I shuffled my feet. “I was about to haggle her down.” I huffed, looking away so he wouldn’t notice the redness on my face.
“Sure you were.” His eyebrows elevated. “So, where are we going?”
“We?”
“I have a place close to here if you’re looking for somewhere to dress. I told you before, you were placed in my care.”
I paused. I didn’t have anywhere to wash or dress. I supposed he could be useful, and if I were going to feign friendship with anyone, he at least seemed decent enough.
“Thank you. That’d be great.” I eyed the crown on his head. “What’s this about?”
He pointed up, then laughed. “A statement, that’s all.”
They really did have no respect here. In Magaelor, no one would dare wear a crown unless they were royalty. The pebbles massaged my aching feet through my soles. The sun was lowering in the sky, bringing with it a chill to the air. Thatched cottages lined the winding roads that led up to grassy hills.
“That woman...”
He grinned. “Yes. She was a witch.”
I furrowed my brows. I hadn’t heard the term “witch” used for a long time. Especially in that tone.
“Is that bad?”
He shot me a blank look. “Well, yes... You should know. You’re a solis. Witches are bad sorcerers.”