The Fae King's Ruin

The Princess and a Bad Weather

Aislin barely got any sleep the night before the Council meeting. Apart from the heavy rain that rolled over Alfheim after the sun went down, the diamond palace made thunder and lightning seem a thousand times scarier this high up.

Furthermore, it was cold. Very cold, in fact, and she had to ask for extra blankets just to keep warm. But even having extra layers on did not help ease the chill. She shivered all through the early hours of dawn, her teeth knocking against each other while she made peace that she wouldn’t be getting a wink of sleep.

And so she was exhausted and cranky the next morning, a pounding headache dulling her thoughts that caused her to bail from breakfast with Avery. She had enough energy to pen a short letter to him and sent Periwinkle to make sure it got to the king’s hands. She sipped her coffee, strong and black and unlike how she usually took it, sitting on her bed with her robe on, and glared at the sun rising in the east.

There was a timid knock on her door, and Aislin sighed before letting whoever it was in. A golden head poked through, with fresh golden eyes peeking up at her through the door with worry.

“You aren’t feeling well?” the King murmured, slowly entering her room but leaving her door ajar. “You look tired.”

Aislin quickly scrambled to get to her feet but gentle and warm hands pushed her back down on her bed. “Please don’t get up,” Avery said, worriedly looking her over.

“You didn’t have to come here,” Aislin said, wrapping her thick robe tighter around her before reaching up to her hair which must look like a haystack right now. “I’m not dressed to receive any guest.”

Avery smirked, shoving his hands into his pocket as he stood at the foot of her bed. “But I’m not just any guest, am I? I’m to be your husband.”

She blushed. “Yes, that may be so, but we are not married yet, are we?”

He lifted a brow. “If you want me to go, Aislin, I can go.”

Her answer should have been instantaneous. He should go because this isn’t how Avery should see her: a disheveled, sleepless monster with an erratic mood that could be set off by just about anything. Aislin currently did not have a good grip on her behavior, least of all her mouth, and yet she couldn’t make herself say the words to make him turn around and walk through that open door.

She wanted him to stay, and that made Aislin equal parts surprised and terrified at the same time.

“You can sit,” she mumbled, pushing her hair back behind her ear. Then she looked at the open door behind him, searching for either one of her maids. “Have you eaten?”

He sat on the edge of her bed, releasing the buttons on his jacket, revealing the crisp white shirt he wore underneath, thinking nothing of it as he shook his head no. Through her muddled thoughts, Aislin marveled at how such clothing hinted at his toned body under all of it. 

“...asked your maids to bring my breakfast here, if that’s all right?”

Aislin blinked, nodding along even if she did not hear a word of what he just said. He smiled though, so her answer must have been the right one. They sat a bit in silence. Aislin tried not to squirm under the scrutinizing gaze Avery had on as his eyes looked around her room once more. They were bright, attentive as if he was looking for something that he might not recognize from the last time he was here.

“Have you talked to Spicer yet?” he asked lightly.

She shook her head no. “I’ve been a bit preoccupied as of late,” Aislin responded drily, swirling the coffee in her cup. “But last night has convinced me that I do need to change rooms. One that preferably has an indoor fire.”

“The Queen’s suite has one,” Avery said, shrugging. “You might as well get a headstart on using it and see which things you’d like to customize to your taste.”

Her head could not have whipped towards him fast enough. Her vision blurred and spun at how fast she looked at him, incredulously breathing a few chuckles.

“You must be joking.” Aislin shook her head. “That would be inappropriate. I am not the queen yet.”

Avery smiled impishly at her. “It was just a thought. There are at least five more suites on my floor reserved for the immediate family that has a fireplace. You can have a pick of one of those.”

Aislin nodded tiredly. “I’ll check on it this morning after breakfast. Periwinkle and the others can move my stuff this afternoon while we’re at the meeting.”

Golden eyes widened. “You’re still going? But you aren’t feeling well!”

“A nap will resolve whatever you think ails me, Your Majesty,” she said, the prospect of sleep pulling a huge yawn out of her. Aislin promptly clamped her hand shut over her mouth. “Sorry.”

Avery shook his head. “No, don’t apologize. I should have known you’d be uncomfortable here.”

A knock on the open door alerted the two to Willow’s presence, carrying a breakfast tray for the prince. Aislin’s bed table was big enough for both of their food, only needing to move plates and cups around until everything was settled.

“Will that be all, Your Majesties?” Willow asked innocently, but a blush remained to stain her cheeks.

Avery’s answering smile was brilliant. “One more thing, Willow. Could you please ask the royal physician for a sleeping potion? Something that lasts for three hours that the Princess could take.”

Willow nodded enthusiastically, closing the door behind her with a small smile. Aislin sighed, chuckling at her maid’s antics and apparent support of whatever relationship she had with their king. Avery barely noticed Willow’s overeagerness, probably because he’s used to people responding in a similar manner to his every request with the same amount of enthusiasm.

He began eating his plate of cold-cut sandwiches, one that Aislin realized had been always present on their breakfast table. They seemed to be his favorite, along with the pomegranate tea that always managed to stain his lips but not his teeth. Aislin ate her own toast, slathered with butter and raspberry jam. She had little appetite for anything else and so she hoped the sugar from the jam and fat from the butter could tide her over until lunch.

“Res told me you picked up his lesson on the Council members quite easily.”

Her lips unbiddenly formed a smile. “Your Hand has a very interesting way of going about things,” she said, recalling her lessons yesterday. “Very informative.”

Avery groaned and put down his sandwich. “What did he do this time?”

Aislin then told him of how Res had basically given her the inside scoop on each of the members of the Council of Magic along with some of the real stuff she had to learn. She showed him the photographs, and Avery laughed when he saw his own photo amongst the pile.

“I never had a formal coronation,” he said, explaining why he was incredibly surly in the photo. “We were in the middle of a war but the Royal Gallery kept hounding me for a photo. I gave them just one shot and this was it.”

“Really? Why not have one now, then?”

He shrugged. “I liked the coronation I did have,” Avery said, his smile turning sad. “We just performed the ceremony for my deceased father, letting him go out to sea. I had Ella crown me right then and there, almost waist-deep in the water, in front of everybody. It was far more symbolic than any pomp and circumstance that would be given to me in a formal setting.”

To some degree, Aislin understood. Her brother was crowned in a similar manner, she was told. They said he stood over a pile of his enemies’ bodies in a battle where his father died. He plucked the glittering black crown off his head and put it on himself as he roared his victory.

Aelthrys had been there and assured her it was positively gory. Aislin had been about twelve, barely coming into her own as a lady.

“So,” Avery continued, oblivious to the dark path her mind had gone down to. “That means that we need at least two big parties to host before the wedding itself. An engagement party, something I have yet to think of, and then the wedding.”

Aislin thought about it as she chewed on her toast. “It’ll be the new year soon. What if you hold a party here? Something that even the villagers could participate in.”

“Excellent idea!” Avery exclaimed with a large grin. “We might be cutting it short what with Xaero and Safiya’s wedding on New Year’s Day as well, but I think it can work.”

Her eyes widened. “I’m going to that?”

“Of course.” Avery frowned. “You’re my fiancée.”

There it was again. Why did Avery think it was enough to act on things just because they were betrothed? It made her confused since Aislin had no real reference to the kind of relationship she had with him. It was as foreign to her as his kindness still was, and she hated how apprehensive and suspicious she was of Avery when he had given her nothing to be doubtful of him.

Willow knocked, appearing again with the purple potion in her hands. Avery stood, wiping his mouth on a napkin, and took the vial from her. Willow then took the bed table and quietly disappeared.

“You drink this now,” Avery said, unstoppering the glass vial. “It will give you enough time to pick out a suite and get ready for lunch and the meeting. I’ll personally come and fetch you at around one.”

Aislin took the vial from him and drank its contents in one go, barely flinching at the bland, minty taste of it. The effects were instantaneous and Avery helped her get back under her covers, tucking her in and smoothing her hair down. 

He murmured something that she didn’t hear and he turned for the door. But Aislin grabbed his hand, barely catching his fingers.

“Stay,” she garbled weakly. “Just ‘til I sleep.”

A slow smile curved on his lips, eyes bright like the sun as he sat back down on the bed beside her. Aislin free-fell in and out of consciousness, seeing gold eyes even as she slipped into a peaceful slumber.