The Fae King's Ruin

The King Distracted

Avery could have kicked himself for acting so much like a fool in the presence of the two highest ranking royalty of the Unseelie Fae, both of whom seemed so terribly at a loss because of him when he started blushing and tripping over his own ineptitude and inadequacy. It was just an invitation to dinner, for Ilyn’s sake, not an extension of a marriage proposal!

At least, after the initial shock had run its course, their poker face was better at hiding what they really thought of him.

Though soft and outwardly curious, Princess Aislin’s midnight blue eyes still narrowed in suspicion of him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He would never admit it, but her distrust gave him comfort rather than offense. She was right to be wary; he wouldn’t have thought of her as smart if she wasn’t.

He took the long route back to his office, adding a few stops along the way to the post office to pick up his own correspondences, the outer courtyard to greet a few of his courtiers milling about, and peeked in the kitchens to swipe a tart from one of the trays. When he felt that he’d given it enough time, he slowly climbed the steps up to the private royal wing and came face-to-face with a very put-out Res.

“You.”

“Me?” he asked as he wiped the crumbs off his hands, the front of his suit, and the corners of his mouth.

Res glared at him as he shoved Avery inside his suite before shutting the door with a pretty loud click. “Why didn’t you tell me you’ve got dinner set up with the Unseelie Royals?”

He shoved past him with his shoulder as he took off his suit jacket. “Don’t tell me I can’t invite people for dinner in my own home?”

“Oh, please do be a d**k about it.” Res rolled his eyes. “You didn’t think to let me know so I could have made the necessary preparations?”

Avery threw his head back in a sardonic laugh. “What preparations? We already have dinners in this palace like it’s Yuletide feast every night. No fuss is necessary.”

“‘No fuss is necessary,’ he says. What about dignitaries that should be present? What about security? Location? Where will you be dining? What if they decide to bring the uncle with the constantly sour expression?”

Avery tried to control his cringe at that. That particular uncle of Aislin's seemed to be a piece of work.

“Look,” he leveled, schooling his expression into one of seriousness that he didn’t really feel. “This dinner has been a long time coming, Resyvlo, you know that. We already look bad for not finding the time for them sooner.”

“Yeah?” Res started smirking. “And what’s the real reason, then? You already said it yourself, the invitation has been long overdue; why start now?”

Avery scowled. He wasn’t going to answer that; it was a trap.

“You want the truth?” he drawled. “I am sick and tired of achieving nothing in those meetings that I am willing to work with the only person on the other side of the conversation who seems to be on the same page as I am. I am getting impatient, Res, and I need an ally not from my own court.”

“So you’ll h****k the Great Council with the help of the Princess of the Unseelie Fae?”

He shrugged. “We are the leaders of the two courts involved in the Great Council of the Faes. Do not think of it as hijacking when I merely want to be proactive.”

Res snorted but he no longer seemed angry, and Avery knew he was acquiescing to the dinner.

“Fine, but I am not dealing with the Princess’ horrid uncle.”

“I didn’t invite him, nor do I think that Princess Aislin is very fond of Lord Elrin.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

Avery nodded, thinking back to the last portion of the conversation that the Princess had with her cousin before he so gracefully interrupted. “The Princess had been avoiding him while the General had been acting as some sort of a buffer. I also intend to know what is happening on that front.”

Because he knew how monarchies worked; Aislin would need the unwavering support of the lords of her realm when negotiating peace with people that had been their enemies since the dawn of time. She could not be alone in this, nor have her court be anything less than stable.

He could not imagine how that must feel. While Avery’s ascension to the throne had been quite abrupt, his whole life had been dedicated to learning as much as he could in diplomacy, law, and his own culture. He was not sure if Aislin had the same upbringing. She was first-in-line to the Adamantine Throne, yes, but Unseelie culture was just so different from his own that he did not want to assume where she was concerned. And he needed to be sure that Aislin could do it— that she could lead alongside him without any distractions.

A professional, working relationship.

Without caring for present company, Avery hastily retrieved a pen and a small piece of paper before writing on it in a similar manner. He handed it to Res, whose brows shot up as he read what was in it.

“Don’t bother asking,” he muttered, pouring himself a double shot of whiskey.

His friend’s lips twisted to the side. “Very well, then. She’ll be here within the hour.”

The King only gave him a shallow nod, proceeding to the cold embrace of his balcony.

The brisk air, signaling the slow start of the winter season, and the warmth from the amber liquid in his glass kept his mind foggy when he needed to have a clear head. Res had been right in one regard: this was an important dinner and he needed to be at the top of his game for this.

Distractions could prove to be fatal— for the realm, and the legacy he will leave behind. So, when a knock at his door brought him exactly what he needed to relieve the tension he felt, he did not hesitate.

The green-haired, yellow-eyed girl didn’t seem to mind when he reached for her without even so much as a ‘Hello’ or ‘How do you do?’. It seemed that Madam Carylle had already made it known to her girls that when he called for her particular services, it usually meant he’d be off-point from the kind of person he typically was.

He didn't take longer than what was necessary for him to find release. It was just a f*ck with nothing else involved— his sole goal all along, and that was how it has been for him ever since after the war. He barely had time to think about anything else other than the welfare of the kingdom, least of all his own pleasure.

It was fine this way, he'd managed to convince himself. There would be plenty of time to think about relationships and romance down the line. Perhaps when things weren't so… crazy.

As soon as he was left in peace to shower and prepare for dinner. He was grateful for the cold shower that instantly cleared the cloudy, murky thoughts in his head. He shaved the growing stubble on his face and selected clothes that were not quite in the usual for him to wear to dinner. He still wore Seelie green but in a shade leagues darker than what was traditional to him to honor his guests.

It was not quite black—he had not worn the color since the death of his father as was customary in his culture—but it was closest to what the Unseelie Fae seemed to be comfortable wearing, which was all dark colors that contrasted greatly with their ashen skin.

By the time eight o’clock chimed all around the palace, he sent a butler each to the Princess’ and General’s rooms to direct them to one of the family dining rooms. Avery walked through halls and corridors and barely gave any thought to the directions he was taking. He could get anywhere within the castle with his eyes closed, anyway.

But when he arrived at the second level of the east wing, he was surprised to find that Res, the General, and the Princess were already there waiting for him.

While Res had changed and was dressed in a spectacular blue coat and golden-hued trousers, the General in a modest gray suit, Princess Aislin had worn a gown that matched the color of her eyes: a blue so deep that it brought out the purple in her eyes and made her hair look like starlight falling down her shoulders.

Their eyes met and she smiled when she saw him. Avery actually faltered in his steps. Over her shoulder, Res gave him an almost imperceptible smirk.

He blinked instead and frowned at the closed door. “Is it not available?” he asked, feeling a little awkward as he approached and spoke the query out loud. It was his house, for Ilyn’s sake.

“No, it’s not that, Your Majesty,” Res said. “Did you know that the Unseelie do not enter rooms without the owner of the home inviting them to? Her Royal Highness and the General were adamant they would stay to wait for you and I was more than happy to keep them company.”

Avery smiled in mild surprise. “No, I did not.” He looked at both cousins. “Please, come in. I apologize for having kept you all waiting.”

Princess Aislin bowed her head. “Truly, no apologies are needed, Your Majesty.”

“Really, we are humbled and grateful for your invitation to dine with you amidst your busy schedule,” General Aelthrys said, letting Aislin through before him. “This is a nice change of scenery.”

Avery frowned, taking his seat at the head of the table. “What is?”

Aislin and Aelthrys looked at each other, and he could sense that they were debating telling him something.

“What is it?” His eyes flickered to Res, but even he shrugged.

General Aelthrys looked at him, shrugging. “We have been taking our meals by ourselves since we got here, and meals are not usually taken alone in Unseelie lands. We are lucky to be staying in your home, Your Grace, but members of your court find that they lose their appetites when they dine with an Unseelie.”

He looked at Aislin who sat on his left. “Do you encounter this as well, Princess?”

A tinge of dusty pink bloomed across her cheeks, so unusual for an Unseelie whose blood usually ran blue. “I have never attempted it, Your Majesty.”

Avery closed his eyes briefly in mortification. He was ashamed of how his court had behaved, of course, but he also had not done anything to improve life for them here in the palace. He was king and therefore a role model which his courtiers look up to for cues. Since they have not seen him yet so publicly with the Unseelie, they probably did not know how to proceed with them in public.

He looked up to Res, but even he was frowning at the treatment the two royals have had in his own territory.

Gold eyes narrowed in determination. “I don’t feel like using this room,” he said to them with a slight smirk. “Come. I think a change of venue is something we can all benefit from.”