The Fae King's Ruin

The Princess and the Manor on Bishop Hill

After a late brunch, Aislin and Avery arrived at the Wysterra ancestral home twenty minutes before the ceremony was scheduled to start. The newly-renovated mansion sat atop a hill, looking down imposingly at the sprawling back garden where the wedding was set to take place. While a bit of light snow sprinkled the tops of the forest that shielded the property, the rest of the festivities’ venue was mercifully dry and warm, and despite the gray clouds that hung over them, Aislin had a feeling that everything would stay dry.

Rows and rows of wooden white chairs sat on either side of the aisle that was marked by a hundred-feet long red carpet. The seats would easily accommodate three hundred people which, by the standards of how high-profile weddings go, was already called ‘small’. A band made up of an odd mix of Fallen, Fae, and Merpeople were setting up in the corner closest to a large gazebo with a canopy of wisterias and white lilies. 

At the back, where she and Avery were currently standing waiting in line for their invitations to be verified by uniformed guards, she noted that all the other guests seemed to whisper to one another while casting long looks at the mansion right beside them. 

Craning her neck a bit, Aislin saw Ella was already there, speaking to men she recognized as Safiya’s brothers. She wore a soft and billowy lavender gown with an empire waist and a ruched, strapless top while the upper half of her hair was pinned with angel’s breath and the rest cascaded down in soft waves. Her mate was nowhere in sight, but Aislin knew he’d be right where she was soon. Instead, she glanced back to the whispering line and frowned as they continued.

“It’s not her,” Avery whispered in her ear with a knowing look. “It’s the house.”

She blinked at him in confusion. “The house?” she clarified. Aislin looked back again at the white facade of the wooden, three-story building. “What’s wrong with it? It looks beautiful.”

He shrugged. “Nothing is wrong with it. It’s just not many people have been here when the manor was being used by the Wysterras. And when the witch trials happened, the manor had been left to rot with disuse. So, for them, it kind of feels like walking through a museum.”

“And for you?”

Avery twisted his mouth to the side in a thoughtful manner. “I already know the history that Ella and Xaero had suffered through. These halls are but reminders of what they lost and I have no interest in showing whatever curiosity I might have right now. It isn’t appropriate.”

Others near them had caught the last part of what the King had said and had the grace to look shamefully away from the manor. Aislin glanced back at him and caught a little smirk playing on his lips, staring straight ahead as he handed the guards their invitations.

“Your Majesty,” one guard greeted as he bowed in recognition. “Your Royal Highness. Welcome to Bishop Hill.”

They let both of them through and servers immediately offered them refreshments. Avery declined the champagne but Aislin took one for herself and sipped on it lightly as they walked to the deck where Ella and the Locke brothers were. The Mistress sent them a smile over Ebenezer’s shoulder, who turned and smirked as they approached.

“Nice to see you out of your embroidered jackets, Your Majesty,” he jested. “You actually look dapper. And Princess, lovely as always.”

Avery rolled his eyes at him and bowed to the Mistress, Aislin following in his lead. “Are you regretting yet that he’ll be family officially in a couple of hours?” he asked her.

Ella glanced at Ebenezer with a grin. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m kind of looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble we can both get to.”

“Of course, you would look forward to something like that,” Avery replied, shaking his head as she chuckled. “Where’s Laurie?”

She jerked a thumb back to the double-door entrance to the manor. “In there trying to calm my cousin down.”

“Why?”

One of the brothers that Aislin hadn’t met yet, but resembled his brothers greatly, said with a smirk, “He’s getting married. Why wouldn’t he freak out a little?”

“Narcissus,” Ella chastised lightly. Amethyst-colored eyes shifted to them. “They had just found out that Safiya is actually pregnant with twins. One of the babies was shielding their sibling with magic, for some reason. If I hadn’t cast a diagnostic spell on her myself, none of them would have known.”

Aislin blinked at her. “Twins!” she gasped. “That is amazing.”

Ella nodded, smirking at her. “I know. Now, if you will excuse me, I am going inside to see if my mate had any luck. Enjoy the refreshments and the food table set out. You four,” she pointed to the Locke brothers. “Make yourselves useful and mingle. And if anyone asks, the manor is off-limits.”

Without another word, the Mistress left and the other Locke men scattered off. Ebenezer, however, leaned on the deck railing with a small sigh.

“Just think,” he murmured, “that in a few months, the ones getting married will be you two. Cool date, by the way. Do guests need to give two gifts?”

“Gods, no,” Avery said, shuddering a little. “Sending out ‘thank you’ cards would be a nightmare if that happens.”

Aislin gaped at him. “Avery!” she hissed. “That is a rude thing to say.”

Ebenezer threw his head back and laughed as he pushed off the railing. “You guys are adorable. Come on, let me show you to your seats. I have a feeling that my soon-to-be brother-in-law will come to his senses soon.”