“Just remembering when I met Florence.”
“She will never be queen,” Morgana whispered. “As the future currently is. It’s all I have seen. She ends up engaged to another.”
“Marriage can’t be undone,” I stated. “Unless the king annuls it, which he would. André’s his golden boy.”
Morgana smiled. “Now you know she won’t be in your family forever.”
My lips curled upward. “At least today has had some good news.”
“News you will keep to yourself.”
I watched my brother charming Amara, who had come back to visit the court to talk about another trade deal. She twirled around, her bright-blue skirt billowing outward. Her black, flowing hair shone with scattered contrasting strands of white. Her high cheekbones and round, dark eyes made her irresistible to anyone around her, which was probably why the dark fae king, Azrael, had sent her along with Jasper to solidify deals. After all, who could resist the beauty of a faery?
Morgana stood. “I’m going to get a drink. Would you like anything?”
I shook my head, then watched her walk away. When she reached the drinks table, I caught a menacing grin from Jasper. He was pouring himself a drink and listening to the string quartet playing behind him.
My heart raced. I averted my eyes from his penetrating stare. He was my brother’s best friend, which was unusual, as fae and sorcerers seldom mixed outside of discussing deals. Nonetheless, he and André were like two peas in a pod. They were both charming, charismatic, and had a way of magnetizing the people around them. They could pull on the unseen strings of everyone at court. I wasn’t ignorant to the power André held over the castle, including my parents. It was why I always stayed in his good graces. If I couldn’t get something I wanted, I could count on him to get it for me.
I looked over at the table again. Jasper was still looking at me. My face reddened.
Glasses clinked, silencing the room. I turned my attention to the two thrones. My father was smiling but not his usual public smile, where there was a slight curve to his lips with no crease below the eyes. No, this one was genuine. His eyes shined as his mouth rounded upward, balling his cheeks. The light from the chandelier waved through the silver hues of hair beneath his crown, set with rubies and emeralds. His deep voice rumbled. “Gathered dignitaries, friends, and”—he lifted his glass to André, then in my direction—“family. I am delighted to announce a new, strong relationship today between fae and sorcerers. We will have unity between us for the first time in seven hundred years.”
His words pulsated through the room; no one had expected them. A buzz of anxiety hung over us. How had he managed the impossible?
His voice grew louder with each beat, booming through the absolute silence. “Our alliance will be solidified through the betrothal of my daughter, Winter Mortis, and the crown fae prince, Blaise Lazarus.”
Heads turned in my direction. Chatter rose, and unintelligible whispers surrounded me. Exhaling a shaky breath, I closed my eyes. My father’s discerning gaze was focused on me when I opened them again. He was waiting for my reaction, and in front of everyone who mattered to him, I knew what I needed to do. I forced a smile.
He turned his attention back to the room, and his voice faded out. My ears rang loudly as shock rooted me to the spot. Jasper looked at me from the other side of the hall. He had to have known, which must’ve been why they were visiting. I was the trade deal.
TWO
It is meant to be,” Morgana said calmly as she paced around my quarters. I balled my fists. “Is that all you have to say? He is marrying me off... to Blaise.”
“You wanted purpose. This way, you will be queen. Besides, you’re fifteen. He won’t marry you yet, not until you’re sixteen. You still have time.”
“I don’t care! He’s marrying me to a faery.” I couldn’t hide the annoyance from my face. Here with Morgana, I didn’t have to worry about faking contentment. I loved Magaelor, and while I enjoyed being around the fae and didn’t share my people’s prejudices against them, I didn’t want to marry one or be a part of Niferum, their kingdom beyond the mountains at the northern tip of Magaelor. “It’s an embarrassment,” I whispered. “Everyone in Magaelor will look down on me. You know how they hate the fae from the north. He means to humiliate me.”
She cast her eyes down to the sapphire on my staff. Only those in the Mortis family line had them on their ash wood staffs, carved from the trees of our ancestors. The precious gem was a show of royalty and superiority. “It is your duty.”
I exhaled slowly, flexing my fingers as I did. “You’re right.” I slumped my shoulders. “I’m just...”
“Afraid? No one would blame you. It will be a big adjustment at Lepidus,” she said, referring to the dark fae court.
“I’m not afraid.”
She gave me a look, then walked away. “I will see you tomorrow. Besides, you have a visitor.”
She creaked open the wood door, revealing Jasper Bluelight.
My lips parted. He brushed past Morgana, who hurried down the steps.
I couldn’t pull my gaze away from his. His blue eyes shone as bright as his energy, which made me want to follow him anywhere, but he was too close this time. He’d never been so brazen before as to sneak into my room. It was risky. Rumors were a dangerous thing for a princess, especially an engaged one.
“Who was that?”
“The court seer,” I muttered, then placed my hands on my hips. “But forget that. You knew.” I scowled.
“I know a lot of things.”
Fae couldn’t lie, so in place, they’d mastered evading the truth.
“You had to have known!” The muscle in my jaw ticked. “You could have warned me.”
“Would it have mattered?” He ran his hand through his black hair. “Besides, it wouldn’t have changed anything; you’re engaged,” he stated. “My future queen.”
“Don’t,” I said, ignoring his snide grin. “I still feel nauseated.”
He slipped his fingers between mine. “Don’t be. I’m just playing. You were born to rule.”
“Marriage,” I spluttered. “To Blaise.”
I wanted purpose, not a wedding.
Jasper shrugged. “You can still have fun. The fae court isn’t as stringent as here.”
I hadn’t even thought about where I would be living once I was married. Hell, I’d barely digested the idea of being a wife.
Jasper’s gaze settled on mine, calming me. “I was just as surprised as you. King Azrael never did like you sorcerers much.”
I tapped my finger against my chin. “No. Most curious as to why he would change his mind. He hates my father.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, Azrael and Amos have been fighting to gain superiority since I was a child. At least Blaise seems pleased about the arrangement.”
I puffed out my bottom lip into a pout. “Blaise isn’t exactly the commitment type.”
“None of us are.”
Jasper’s wings protruded from his back. They glistened under the dim light in shades of silver and purple. He didn’t need to show them off, but he knew how much they fascinated me.