The Fae King's Ruin

The King, an Announcement, and a Ring

Through the post and the morning paper, fae from all over the world and other realms received the announcement of the betrothal of Avery and Aislin. Released only two days later after the official approval of the Great Council, it read:

ROYAL WEDDING ANNOUNCED BY THE GREAT COUNCIL

His Majesty the Seelie King, Avery of Alfheim, and the Crown Princess of the Unseelie Fae, Aislin of Cetha, are pleased to announce their engagement.

The wedding will take place sometime in the spring of next year. Further details shall be released to the public as soon as it becomes available.

Both courts, unified under the Great Council of the Faes, have approved of the union unanimously and believe that it will be the beginning of a harmonious relationship between Seelie and Unseelie Fae.

Avery tossed the paper aside, sighing contentedly as he drank his morning coffee. He turned to Aislin, who was quietly eating her breakfast as she read a stack of papers from her advisers, frowning slightly as she did so.

Having breakfast together had quickly become a thing with them, a silent agreement that Avery encouraged for all of a second time before Aislin showed up willingly to his suite, her work for the morning gathered up in her arms, and greeted him with a small smile.

He looked at her now. Hair pinned up in a braid resembling a crow, minimal makeup, only a pair of pearl earrings dangling on her ears. Her dress, a light blue lace thing that reached up to her neck conservatively and delicately. She looked delicately feminine. Pleasant. Beautiful. Most importantly, however, Aislin seemed unguarded at the moment.

It felt like such a great deal to him knowing that Aislin was slowly getting comfortable with spending time with him. Even if they only sat here on his balcony, her quietly reading and him enjoying what might possibly be the only peace he will have during the day, Avery knew he wouldn’t be anywhere else. If anything, he was glad that Aislin was the kind of person who didn’t feel the need to constantly fill the silence with banal chatter. And although one of his goals as of late was to get to know her, it was nice to just sit and be with her.

But he did point to the paper now, making the Princess tear her eyes away momentarily from what she was reading.

“Have you read the paper?” he asked, only a bit curious.

Aislin nodded, a faint rosy tinge staining her cheeks. “My maids were very much enthusiastic when they showed it to me the moment I woke up,” she replied with a smirk. “It was actually Ola’s idea to have a spring wedding.”

Avery smiled at that. “You’re close with your maids?”

“They have been very good to me.” Then she folded her hands on top of her papers. “That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to ask why you felt the need to increase my number of staff or give me a different accommodation.”

He blinked at her in surprise. “Aislin, the room you have now is not appropriate for you as my future wife and lady of this palace,” he reasoned. “I’d feel infinitely better if you moved to one of the rooms on this floor, where the security is much stricter. I spoke to your cousin, and the General is very much in agreement with me.”

She rolled her eyes, those midnight blues sparkling. “Don’t be too pleased with yourself. Aelthrys has been itching about my safety ever since I was born.”

Avery chuckled, then returned to the paper, a finger tapping on the headline. “So? What do you think?”

She glanced at it again, a thoughtful look crossing her features for one second. His stomach clenched slightly as he waited, not expecting that her opinion would bear this much weight to him. 

The princess didn’t seem to notice his anxiety as she answered, “I suppose the tone and length were appropriate enough. I’m only worried how others might perceive it.”

Her answer took him by surprise. “Which one? The wedding or us?”

“Both,” she answered simply. “To speak frankly, I am a noble lady from the losing side of the war. I imagine that I won’t be received well by people who’d suffered through it and still think differently of the Unseelie fae. On the other hand, the Unseelie might have a difficult time accepting a whole new norm.” With pinched lips, she added, “They might even hate me for it. For accepting.”

Avery’s eyes fell back on the day’s newspaper, its bold letters jumping at him from the front page. Because their marriage was majorly all about enabling the Treaty to push forward, he had thought about others’ opinions on his marriage very little. The matter of the Treaty took precedence over public sentiment, and he’d long ago accepted that his actions would be criticized no matter what he did.

But that didn’t mean Aislin would be the same, and her concerns, Avery acknowledged, were valid.

It made him helpless to realize that she was right, and he felt shame in not being able to grasp quickly that she might also face backlash from her people about their impending marriage. As a young monarch himself, Avery understood the pressure that came with the position she now held, as well as the new ones brought on by the Treaty’s demands.

He took her hand, the action still sending a warm rush through him as skin met skin. Her gaze shot to his, worry lingering in the edges of her partially hooded eyes. She didn’t retract her hand or move away or even blush in that gloriously pink color that he’d come to associate with her, telling him that underneath her mild expression, this bothered Aislin greatly.

“It won’t be easy,” he said to her honestly. “But I wouldn’t be bothered much if I were you. Opinions are some of the easiest things to change as a public figure. I’ll help you.”

Aislin’s mouth quirked into a small, teasing grin. “Will you include that in your vows?”

He grinned back. “One of the many things on my list, yes.”

“You have a list? Really?”

Avery gave her a wink, before wiping his mouth on a napkin. “I do hope you meet soon with Spicer about relocating to another room. I have to go now and meet with Res to talk about some issue with border patrol,” he said, feeling a bit bad about lying to her. Then he angled his head. “Are you free tomorrow after lunch?”

Her carefully shaped brows pulled together. “Yes,” Aislin answered slowly. “Why?”

He smiled. “You’ve been officially invited to join the Council of Magic. Ella looks forward to meeting you again.”

Aislin’s eyes widened, her mouth popping open slightly in shock. She shifted to the edge of her seat, leaning towards him. “Are you serious?” she whispered in awe.

Avery nodded. “I suggest you come to the meeting with me,” he said. “Try and weigh things before formally accepting, if you aren’t sure about it.”

She bit her lip, and Avery swallowed before focusing his gaze on the space between her brows. “I don’t know anyone there but you. Know nothing of the Council. I’d be like a fish out of water.”

Avery thought about that, his mouth twisting to the side. “I can have Res come and teach you this afternoon about the members. He’s been to meetings with me and he’s friendly with most of them. What time will you be free?”

“I don’t have many things planned today. I can clear my afternoon.”

He smiled. “Perfect. I’ll have him swing by your room.”

Aislin stood, gathering up her papers into a neat pile, Avery following after. She gave him a quick smile and said, “Well, have a good day. I’ll meet with Mr. Spicer when I get back to my room.”

Avery’s smile widened. “Thank you, Aislin.” Again, he reached for her hand and kissed her knuckles. “You have a good day, too.”

Aislin curtsied, just a shallow dip, before gathering her skirts and heading for his door. He heard her quietly thank his staff for opening the door for her, a resounding click following in her absence.

With a sigh, he put on his jacket and proceeded to head out, silently wishing it was morning all over again as it had suddenly become his favorite time of day.

***

He found Res waiting for him in his office, the official one where he usually received diplomats and nobles who’ve come for a private audience, not the one where he actually worked and was far less tidy and spacious than this one. His friend had a mildly bored look on his face as he arrived, his lips pinching into a straight line while Avery approached with a big smile.

Res raised a brown brow, his cerulean eyes mocking. “You have never been a morning person, kicking me out when I invite you to even a late brunch. But when it’s the Princess you are having breakfast with, you’re all smiles even with your eyes still crusty from sleep.”

“All I hear is ‘I’m glad you’re happy this morning, my King’,” Avery replied, widening his smile even further as Res scoffed.

“Kiss my ass.” He nodded his head to the closed office doors. “The jeweler’s already in. Can I leave you now, or do you still want my opinion on whatever you’re commissioning?”

Avery frowned, deciding. “No, I can handle this one. I need to ask you for a favor.”

“Anything.”

“Aislin’s been given a seat on the Council of Magic,” he explained, ignoring the startled look on Res’ face. “Could you teach her a few things about it? Make sure she at least know the people in the room?”

“You want me to tutor her?” Res clarified, hands settling on his hips, before throwing them up with a sigh. “Fine. When?”

“She said she was free in the afternoon.”

Res paused, frowning. “This afternoon? Wait, when will the meeting be?”

Avery was already opening the door as he answered, “Tomorrow afternoon. Try and get a hold of photographs for her too. Thanks!”

“But I’m supposed to make plans for when your bloody cousin arrives! Dammit, Avery!”

He gave his friend one last wave of his hand before promptly pushing the door shut. He turned to the wide-eyed, curved-backed fae, dressed in a fine suit befitting the royal jeweler. On the wide, antique desk behind him, sat five, flat boxes made of gleaming gold.

“Sir Graypearl,” Avery greeted the old fae politely. “Thank you for coming.”

He bowed his balding head. “Of course, Your Majesty. It is an honor for my services to be called upon. Congratulations on your betrothal.”

Avery smiled. “Thank you.”

Graypearl smiled back wobbly. “It only felt like yesterday when your father called on me to make a ring he could present to your mother. I assume that you will be wanting something similar?”

“That,” he answered, “and a few other things.” From his trouser pocket, he produced a small, ornate silver box and took out the platinum ring inside of it, the large, white diamond sitting on top of the thin band winking in the light. “This was that ring you made, remember?”

The old male gasped, reaching his spotted hand for it. “Oh, I remember, sir!” He laughed. “This diamond was especially beloved by your grandmother. She passed it on when she died, with instructions to your father never to diminish its size.”

Avery grinned, not knowing this story. Graypearl had been making jewelry for his family for years. And for someone already burdened with so many years, he still had a surprisingly good memory.

But not knowing his grandmother’s instructions changed his plans entirely. He had a hunch that the diamond was perhaps too big for Aislin’s taste and wanted to see if Graypearl could make some adjustments. It would seem that he had to change courses entirely. He looked at the boxes on his desk.

“What’s inside those?” he asked.

Graypearl smiled. “These are a selection of rings specifically designed for your betrothed. The late king had these made before his unfortunate death.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, causing Graypearl to frown disapprovingly.

His mother and father never said anything about preparing for a time when he’d marry, or anything about rings he might use to propose to, for that matter. Avery had rarely even heard his parents talk about plans for a betrothal for him when they were alive. He had always assumed that it was because they thought he was far too young to marry when they died. That if it did come down to it, they would be around to celebrate on his wedding day.

His throat tightened at the thought that even if they wouldn’t be around for that day, their presence would be in the form of something else.

He looked to the jeweler. “May I see them?”

Graypearl bowed his head. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

It took Avery about an hour just to sort through the wide selection of rings that had been commissioned for his future wife. There were so many to choose from that it felt impossible to pick the right one. 

He needed something that Aislin would not only like. Her ring had to fit her station, her personality, what she would come to mean to him and to the rest of the Fae race. She would be the first queen to rule both Seelie and Unseelie courts under one banner, the one who would bear an heir to inherit both of their legacies.

Yes, it was jewelry, but its purpose served so much more meaning than just for aesthetics. 

After about another half hour, Graypearl finally decided to put him out of his indecisive misery.

“If I may,” he said, voice scratchy. “Your mother also had some rings commissioned, but they weren’t meant for your betrothed.” Graypearl scratched his beard. “She made me promise not to say anything but the rings she had made were for a daughter she hoped to have in the future. Do you want to look at those, sir?”

Avery blinked, then nodded. Graypearl smiled sympathetically. “I’ll have them brought to you within the day, Your Majesty.”

Swallowing thickly, Avery shook his hand. “Thank you, Sir Graypearl. I also wanted to have you make a custom set of women’s jewelry, as well. Something fit for the future queen.”

“I’d have to meet with her personally, sir. Get to know what she is like.”

He shook his head. “It’s a surprise.” An idea popped into his head. “I’ll send her maids your way. She is close to them and they can tell you what she is like.”

Graypearl bowed. “Very well, Your Majesty.”

Avery bade him well, a butler closing the door and leaving him alone in the big study hall. Graypearl had left the boxes of rings on the desk and Avery looked at them again as he thought of his parents and wished one last time that they could see him now.