The Fae King's Ruin

The Princess and Sirens

Days passed and the winter season had come in full force before the end of December. Inside Alfheim’s patina, snow fell and began to coat every surface it could find, sheathing the fae city in a blanket of sparkling white.

While the temperature outside the Diamond Palace was just barely below freezing, everything inside was as warm and toasty as could be—or at least it was to Aislin and Avery. Every day they would have breakfast like normal. And this time, they would alternate between having it in his suite or hers. It had become part of their daily routine and neither one of them missed it for anything. 

They would eat as they talked. Sometimes, when they had certain meetings or presentations scheduled later in the day, they’d go through it together and improve based on the other’s feedback.

And since that kiss they shared in the middle of the Grand Hall, they’ve added that to their repertoire as well.

Aislin, for one, could hardly believe it. Avery might not have been her first kiss but he definitely was her first real relationship. She had never dated back in Mhoryga. Something about her brother and cousin tended to turn potential suitors off. No one was brave enough to touch her in the intimate way that Avery did which was why she was hesitant with him at first.

She explained to him as much and though Aislin could tell that he was surprised by her lack of proper reference when it came to romantic relationships, he was more than graceful about her lack of intimate experience. 

Avery was careful with her every time their kissing turned into something more passionate. He sought permission before his hand laid on a part of her where she had never been touched before and every contact made Aislin feel like bursting into a pillar of fire.

Never before had Aislin felt so desired, so revered by a person, that even just the sight of Avery’s golden gaze on her left her panting for air. His lips on hers were always soft, never asking for more than what she gave, never taking advantage, even when all Aislin wanted was for him to throw her onto a bed—it did not matter which one—and let Avery have his way with her.

But they haven’t had se*x. Not yet.

Aislin was not exactly clear on why, not that she had ever asked Avery about the matter. Gods, she wouldn’t even know how to start! It was far too embarrassing of a subject to bring up and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to even have se*x with him. Avery never commented on Aislin’s performance as a kisser but she was sure that her skills were clearly below average in that department. In her head, she had to get better at kissing first before she moved on to much bigger, advanced things.

When that might be, she didn’t know.

In other news, it seemed as if Countess Edith had finally learned her lesson on making rumors about Aislin and she didn’t even have to lift a finger. None of her maids had heard any new gossip that came from her which Aislin only took to mean one of the two things: either she’s now thinking twice of crossing the King’s betrothed, or she was planning something else. 

Frankly, Aislin wanted her to try and get on her bad side as soon as possible. She’d promised herself she would stop being petty once she was officially crowned and was hoping that Countess Edith would push her enough so she could make an example out of her.

But that was a happy thought for another time.

She exited the royal library after attending her private tutoring session with the King’s Hand, feeling more than a bit tired from being subjected to her first exam ever. The classes were Great Council mandated, meant for Aislin to become proficient about all things Seelie since she could not very well rule without knowing anything pertinent to her people’s customs and culture.

Avery was taking the same classes too, but Aislin wasn’t envious of his position. At least Res was fun to be around and knew when Aislin needed a break. Aelthrys would no doubt run Avery down to the ground until he was satisfied or Avery was waving a white flag. Whichever came first.

For her first class, Aislin felt very successful. She got full marks on the exam Res provided at the end of the lesson and he even gave her a strawberry-flavored chocolate bar that he got from a Duty Free. She had no idea what a Duty Free was, but their chocolates were very good.

Aislin had made it all the way to the second floor, indulging in her chocolate bar, when she realized she did not want to go back to her rooms just yet. She still had an hour and a half to kill before she needed to get ready for dinner, and she had been here in the palace for more than two months without ever doing some exploring. If this was going to be her home, shouldn’t she be familiar with it as well?

She started on the first floor, right at the massive foyer, and went the opposite way from the Silver Hall which she was more than familiar with, and walked around aimlessly. Aislin followed corridors after corridors, admiring the paintings that greeted her along the way. She opened doors that were not locked and contained smaller bedrooms, broom closets, lavatories, and empty spaces. In rooms guarded by sentries, she asked them what was inside and they let her through when she asked.

Aislin discovered more than a dozen drawing rooms and receiving areas, at least three different state rooms, five smaller dining halls for intimate meals, ten armories scattered about the different floors and wings of the palace, and three smaller libraries that looked so peaceful and quiet. And that didn’t include the solariums, the hundreds of guest suites and bedrooms, and the conference rooms available for use.

Her feet ached as she ended back on the first floor, half-debating whether she should just sit on the diamond steps of the stairs and wait for someone to come along and carry her back to her rooms. The halls were quite deserted now, the people usually straggling about preparing for dinner. She perched on the bottom step and took off her shoes.

And that was when she heard the singing.

It was how she imagined sirens sang in the middle of a sea, luring their prey in by their ethereal voices. She recognized the lyrics as words from the language of the First Faes, one that has been forgotten already by most Seelie and Unseelie fae. Aelthrys’ mother taught her how to speak, read, and write in the language of their forefathers when she was young so she easily followed the lyrics of the hymn they were singing, thanking Ilyn for all the blessings they received.

Guided by the choir, Aislin followed the sound of their voices and found herself in a chapel bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors. Her eyes widened in wonder as she took in the long and narrow hall. The altar had no figures or statues, much like traditional Fae houses of worship, with a chancel high above the altar. 

It was a choir practice, Aislin realized, given that their attires were mismatched and informal. She discreetly sat on one of the back pews, none of the choir members and their conductor noticing her arrival, and let herself be surrounded by the music that tugged at her soul.

She had never been a religious person and Aislin could count all the times she had been inside a chapel of her own volition in just one hand. Deep inside, Aislin had feared her brother’s wrath more than those of the gods. The gods you could plead with and ask for clemency. But when one angered Drakos, there won’t even be a body left to bury.

Aislin knew how to pray though, and sometimes she could feel Ilyn really listening to her when she did even if the god never answered. Hearing the choir now, however, Aislin was moved to tears.

The song the choir was singing spoke of the god’s benevolence and mercy for those souls with battered spirits. It described a god who always knew just what they needed without asking, and gave without expecting anything in return. That Ilyn, the god of mighty wonders, rewarded endurance with gifts beyond their imaginations.

All the while, Aislin wondered if being here in Alfheim was her reward, and if so, why was Ilyn being so generous with her? In all truthfulness, she might not have been an active participant in the crimes of her brother but she also never did anything to try and stop him from becoming the monster that he was turning into; to stop the war he waged before anyone even died.

She knew she wasn’t a good person and that she should just be grateful for all the splendid things she now had and was happening in her life. But there was a part of her that still wondered if perhaps Ilyn had been wrong about her all along. Maybe this was all just one giant mix-up and somewhere in the world, a poor girl was living the miserable life Aislin should have gotten.

Someone who could probably lead better than she ever could. Someone who would rather let grudges go and forgive family members for the sake of peace. One that wasn’t as flawed as she was.

Aislin had been so lost in her own thoughts and emotions that she never even realized that somebody was already sitting beside her.

Avery was looking up at the choir on the chancel, not even at her tear-stained face, but she quickly wiped them off with the sleeves of her dress without any finesse and cursed herself for being so unobservant.

“You understand Innarin?” he casually asked, still focused on the choir.

She sniffed and cleared her throat. “Understand, speak, write.”

He smiled a half-smile that Aislin could only see half of. “Very impressive. I didn’t know Innarin was widely taught in your court.”

“It isn’t, but my aunt, Aelthrys’ mother, was very adamant we do not forget our roots.”

Slowly, Avery looked over at her. Red and yellow lights from the ceiling lit his hair and the top half of his face cast shadows on the other. His smile shifted into something tinged with concern as his hand reached up to cup her cheek. Aislin leaned into his touch, not realizing how much she missed his warmth.

“I won’t ask,” he began to say, “because I want you to be able to tell me things once you’re ready to share them. But I will stay. I might not be able to do anything about what makes you sad, or what pains you, but I’ll never make you go through it alone.”

Fresh tears spilled over Aislin’s eyes and it took a very long time before they stopped. Avery held her patiently, never speaking a word; a strong, reliable rock that she clung to as waves crashed over her repeatedly.

Yet another thing that she was grateful for but felt like she did not deserve.

Aislin and Avery sat there at the back of the chapel even hours after the choir had adjourned. They missed dinner, too. Still, neither of them seemed willing to go or move at all once her tears had dried. 

At one point, Avery began humming the melody of one of the songs the choir sang earlier, making Aislin smile.

“That’s my favorite song in Innarin,” she said, leaning her head on Avery’s shoulder. “Coincidentally, that is the only piece I could play on the pianoforte.”

“And she also plays the pianoforte,” Avery announced, sighing in mock lamentation. “How are you so perfect?”

She poked his chest, rolling her eyes. “I only know one song and I’m not even very good at it.”

“And there’s that modesty again.”

They laughed, and the sound bounced off the walls repeatedly, echoing it back to them. Aislin quieted, smiling in wonder.

“Was the choir preparing for an event or something?” she asked curiously.

Avery nodded. “There will be a mass to welcome in the New Year and they’ve been preparing for it.”

Aislin paused. “How many days until New Year’s Eve?”

“Ten.”

She gasped. “We were supposed to hold an engagement party on New Year's Eve! I haven’t prepared!”

He smiled at her rather sheepishly. “I’ve been handling it behind your back since I mentioned it. The decorators and the caterers will handle it and unless you don’t want to, you can check in with them and give some pointers you would like them to add.” At her stunned expression, he shrugged. “We were both busy and I didn’t want the party to give you more stress.”

“But as your fiancée, shouldn’t that job fall squarely on me?”

Again, he shrugged. “If you wanted to do it, great. But we’re monarchs with real jobs and kingdoms to run and we have people who can take that job off our hands.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Very progressive,” Aislin murmured in approval. “Thanks for not sticking me with planning those sorts of things. I suck at it.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“Let me plan your birthday. I guarantee it’ll be the most horrifying event that you would ever attend.”

“But my birthday is not on Halloween. I’m born in the spring.”

Aislin smirked. “I know.”

The King burst out in laughter and the sound that echoed around them was far more beautiful than any melody Aislin has ever heard before. The sound of it locked inside her memory and she tucked it away in the space of her heart that solely belonged to the fair-haired, fair-minded King that she was blessed to soon call her ‘husband’.

Just before midnight, they both exited the chapel in the easy, companionable silence that Aislin loved to have with him. The palace was already quiet and so she savored the rare time she could enjoy walking the halls with only the two of them.

“What did you do all day?” Avery asked all of a sudden, polite inquiry in his tone.

“I explored the palace after my lessons.” Then she grinned. “I aced Res’ exam.”

Avery rolled his eyes and made a face. “Your cousin is a difficult character to work with. And a horrible teacher,” he added without a hint of remorse.

Aislin chuckled deeply. “Yeah, you got the short end of the stick on that one. But unless you want my uncle to be teaching your classes, he’s all you got.”

He glanced at her curiously. “You aren’t very close with him,” he said in observation.

“Well, if he wasn’t such a horrible person, maybe I could stomach being around him more,” she grumbled. “He killed my bunny when I was a child.”

Avery’s eyes widened. She nodded, assuring him she was not lying. “To be fair, the forest we were in at the time had very little wildlife for food to go around. But he didn’t have to eat him in front of me.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

She waved it off. “It was a long time ago. Anyway, that’s why I don’t like owning pets anymore.”

“Huh. I thought that would have made you a vegan.”

A smirk crossed her lips. “You would think that, but I only generally avoid rabbit meat. Have you owned any pets of your own?”

Avery grinned. “The horses in the royal stables are all mine. Do you ride? Maybe we—”

“Gods, there you are! I have been looking everywhere for you. Where have you been, you pisswad?”

Aislin and Avery paused at the landing of the third floor and stared at the female angrily stalking towards their direction. She had long hair as fair as Avery’s, her skin enviously a golden olive tone, and cat-like emerald eyes that were winged with kohl. Her body-hugging turquoise gown flowed behind her as she stomped, hinting at slender legs underneath the soft tulle fabric of her skirts.

“Catteline!” Avery exclaimed in surprise.

Aislin watched as the King ran to the lady and swung her up in his arms, making her giggle loudly. She stared at them with wide eyes, still reeling from how similar they both looked.

“When did you arrive?” Avery still looked at the lady in shock. “You weren’t supposed to be here until a week before New Year’s!”

The lady, Catteline, smirked. “I wanted to join the festivities a little earlier.” Her eyes darted over his shoulder and widened slightly as they met Aislin’s. “Your Highness.”

Aislin blinked, unsure of what to do. Avery smiled, pulling the lady closer to her. “Princess Aislin, this is my cousin, Lady Catteline of Montfoltier. Catt, this is my betrothed, the Crown Princess Aislin.”

Lady Catteline took a step closer to her and Aislin stared, transfixed, as she wet her pouty lips before a slow grin entered her face.

“Hello, Princess Aislin. I’m glad to finally meet you.”

And Aislin swore as a shiver ran down her spine.