The Fae King's Ruin

The King's Hand and the Birthday Party

“So, Aislin,” Catteline said as she piled peas onto her plate. “What’s Mhoryga like? I find that I adore traveling nowadays and was hoping that perhaps you’d take me for a tour.”

She looked up from cutting her meat and found herself blushing at the sudden question. She glanced at Avery, the only person at the table who’d seen her homeland, albeit not in the circumstances they both wished, but found him smiling a little at her.

Wiping her mouth with the napkin on her lap, she replied, “Mhoryga is a vast world, much similar to Earth before the human innovation of tall buildings and skyscrapers. There are lots of forests and the beaches are wonderfully warm.” She smiled. “Back home in Cetha, there is a glen with a waterfall coming from the highest mountain in the land. Then, it would spill out into this calm pool that juts out to the edge of the mountain where you could see everything from up high.”

“Ooh, maybe we can take a vacation there, cousin. Perhaps after the two of you get married!” Catt suggested, her eyes no longer giving Aislin the awkward, judgy looks. “When’s the big day anyway?”

“They are taking their sweet, bloody time deciding,” Res half-groused. “You do know I need a decision on that as soon as possible.”

Aislin rolled his eyes at him as Avery said, “This date we are talking about is one that we will treasure the most, not just me and Aislin, but also the rest of the Fae race. And yet you refuse to acknowledge the process of actually choosing it. Shame.”

Catteline, in a rare moment of being on Res’ side, said point-blank, “Bull*s**t. I can literally sense that the two of you haven’t actually talked about it.”

“It’s part of the process.”

She chuckled and looked at Res and Catteline. “Fine. You want a date? Avery and I will be getting married on his birthday.”

Golden eyes turned to her. “Are you sure? Don’t listen to a word Res says. We can take as much time as we want in deciding on a date.”

Aislin shook her head, smiling at him assuringly. “We’d just be dragging it out. We already made the announcement that we’ll get married in the spring. Why not do it on a date that’s already special?”

She watched him as the smile on his lips grew. Avery took her hand and kissed her knuckles. With a spark in his eyes, he murmured against her skin, “We’re getting married.”

For the first time since, that extraordinary, life-changing fact began to dawn on her, and Aislin was surprised to actually find that she was excited by it. She was getting married to the King of Alfheim, once and for all uniting their courts under one banner. Most importantly, however, she was marrying the male sitting in front of her, grinning with a childish abandon that infected her, all while he made her heart leap with joy.

“We’re getting married,” she breathed, unable to keep her grin from widening.

Catteline picked up her glass of wine and raised it towards them. “Long live the bride and groom!”

Res repeated the toast at the top of his lungs and opened another bottle of wine with a celebratory ‘pop!’ Aislin and Avery laughed, Catteline even cracked a smile as she sipped on her wine. 

The conversation resumed and both females slowly found their footing with one another. Catteline chatted Aislin up, and by the end of the meal, she was sure that the Lady was done being a bi*tch to her which allowed her to slowly begin warming up to the King’s cousin. 

Turns out, Lady Montfoltier was very much like Avery except with an added particular, natural edge that kept everyone— not just her— on their toes. She acted like Avery’s older sister, and taking turns with Res, took it upon herself to tell Aislin all the wonderful, embarrassing episodes from her betrothed’s life. Aislin laughed so hard she almost felt her abs define themselves again, much to the mock annoyance coming from the King.

Aislin then told them stories of her own— just the happy ones that she could bear to tell, like her own dalliance in the kitchen, growing up with Aelthrys, and one particular birthday where she actually got to ride on a pegasus that everyone envied her for.

Res pouted at his best friend, blue eyes wide and begging. “Why couldn’t you give me that as a birthday present? Why is it that all I get is a lousy birthday party?”

She frowned in question. “A party? What party?”

***

Res’ hundred and twentieth birthday party was, to say the absolute least, wild. Aislin was glad that lunch had been a calmer affair and she had gotten her greetings in then because as soon as they entered the function hall where Avery was hosting a party in honor of him, she only caught the briefest flash of him, the only one dressed head-to-toe in gold at a party that he designated with a black-and-white only dress code, before he was gone with the wind.

She had arrived dressed in a black, sequined dress that cut to her knees with high-heels that made her calves look great. Avery, who was standing beside her and had escorted her to the party, was dressed in an all-white suit with black detailing on the shoulders and trousers.

But Catteline— she arrived wearing the most daring gown Aislin had ever seen in her life. Which was saying something because all the girls back home in Mhoryga had very little regard for decency when it came to high fashion.

Black and white scraps of sparkly cloth intertwined to cover both her breasts, falling down her front and her backside like a loincloth while everything else was bared to the world. Her hair was up in a sleek ponytail, eyes dark with makeup and darkening her cat-like eyes, and red lipstick that matched her skin tone so well. When she entered with all the confidence of the world, not caring that the entire room paused to practically ogle her, Catteline winked at Aislin.

That was when she realized Res might very well murder Avery’s cousin.

To her surprise, Avery chuckled as soon as Catteline was near them. “How long have you been keeping that dress from your mother?” he asked, smirking.

Catteline blinked up at her cousin with faux innocence. “I don’t know what you mean. But I might need to stay here in the palace for a little while longer. At least until my brothers’ anger simmers down.” Green eyes slid over Aislin with a hum of approval. “Nice calves, Aislin.”

She grinned at him. “Thanks.”

They made their rounds, Catteline flitting in and out of their party of three as she went out of her way to greet some old friends. Aislin met a lot of people that Avery and Catt were both friendly with and found herself actually enjoying the party.

There was an overflow of drinks, the music was loud and never missed a beat, and she danced with both cousins until her feet and calves were groaning in pain. When she complained, Catteline just handed her a pain tonic, dragged her back onto the dance floor, and continued moving her body rather uninhibitedly.

At one point in the night, a massive, seven-tiered cake was wheeled out and everyone began singing ‘happy birthday’. Res basked in the attention, a fake crown somehow finding its way lopsidedly atop his head, conducting his guests as he stood on top of the stage where the band was set up. 

While Res was blowing his candles, Avery excused himself only to return a minute later.

“Hey, birthday boy!” he called out, sliding his hands inside his pockets as everyone turned to him. “I’ve got something for you.”

Res and everyone else followed Avery out of the hall, and out onto the front of the palace despite the cold weather. As they all stood on the front steps of the diamond palace, slightly shivering, the man of the hour frowned at his king and best friend. Catteline actually huddled closer to Aislin.

“It’s fu*cking cold, mate. What is it?”

Avery didn’t say anything. Instead, they all heard the sound of wings beating in the distance before as one, they gasped. A sparkling, white pegasus landed majestically in front of them, neighing and whinnying as he tucked his wings close to his body. Aislin stared at Avery with an open mouth, disbelief written all over everyone’s face.

“No, you did not,” Res whispered in awe, distracted from the cold.

His best friend grinned. “One thing I am not, my friend, is lousy. Also, Haans is not yours. He’s just on loan.”

Res let out a shriek of delighted, exuberant joy as he ran towards the pegasus. The magnificent beast wasn’t even bothered by how loud he was being and was perfectly still as the birthday boy climbed up on his back, settling himself, and hugged the pegasus’ neck so tight it actually huffed in what sounded like annoyance.

“Up, up and away!” the Hand of the King called, whooping like a child, as Haans the Pegasus ran and took flight, taking Res on a ride that Aislin was sure he’d be bragging about for a solid decade.

Avery made his way back to Aislin and Catteline while the rest of the party moved back to the warmth of the palace, smirking at them. 

“How did you arrange that so quickly?” Catteline asked through chattering teeth. 

He looked at his cousin with a fond, if somewhat braggy, smile. “I am the King of the Seelie Fae. I have connections.”

Aislin looked out into the distance, frowning a little. “Shouldn’t we have sent him on that pegasus with a cloak or something? It’s freezing out.”

Avery frowned as if he only realized that bit himself, before waving her concern away. “I already arranged for him to experience what flying on a pegasus is like. Not even I have had the pleasure. I’m sure he can figure the rest out.”

Catteline laughed, throwing her head back in wicked delight. “I hope one of his fingers falls off.”

“A finger?” Aislin chuckled. “Why not hope he falls into an icy lake?”

The cackle that followed soon after echoed into the night.