The Fae King's Ruin

The King and The Dam

He was not going to lie. Avery had his doubts about how the night would go but was very glad that Aislin had proved him wrong. It was like everything about her was magic. He was ashamed to admit that he had never had a sit-down meal with any of his staff before and he wished he’d thought of it sooner.

Their table was probably the loudest one in the Grand Hall. They ate excellent food as jokes were exchanged, stories were shared, and not even Edith’s mild, perpetually irritated expression could put a damper on their impromptu dinner party. He almost wished Res was here to make things even more lively. But his job away from the palace was of utmost importance.

Avery sat leaning back on his chair, chewing on roast beef that was his favorite, listening to one of his guards tell a story about how he’d managed to secure his wife for himself while he watched Aislin laugh with the rest of the table.

Sans Countess Edith, of course. Ilyn have mercy on her, she seemed pretty determined to make everyone as miserable as she probably felt for not being the center of attention. Avery had half a mind to just fix her up with somebody just so she could go back to her father’s lands and finally rid her mother of the position of overseer.

Except half of the males in his court already knew what kind of a horror Edith actually was, and the other half was too concerned about the countess’ lands, money, and beauty for Avery to ensure he’d be a good husband to her. He might not like the countess but he also was not a monster. No one deserved to be treated badly, husband or not.

Although whoever indeed would manage to see past the countess’ attitude and love her wholly would be nothing short of a saint.

But if he was truly being honest, Avery had to admit he enjoyed how Aislin acted even remotely jealous whenever Edith managed to finally catch the portion of his attention that wasn’t on his betrothed.

Her cheeks would puff up ever so slightly as her eyes narrowed infinitesimally like an angry pixie. Every time Edith tried to reach out and touch a part of Avery’s body, he could see her stiffen up and turn a shade redder that couldn’t possibly be the fault of alcohol. Avery found her territorial tendencies transforming and highly invigorating.

Of course, he never did anything to make Aislin deliberately jealous. He never reciprocated anything Edith did. At some point, he even made it clear to the countess that he had boundaries when it came to touch. He only hoped Aislin didn’t take anything from the night and see it in the wrong way because Avery never, ever, wanted to be accused of being a flirt and a cheat while being publicly committed to her.

He was that serious about that promise of someday.

At some point in the night, the tables and chairs below their platform were cleared to make way for dancing. The musicians were quick to play songs he’d heard ever since he was young and, as an unexpected but highly appreciated tribute to Aislin and Aelthrys’ Unseelie roots, also played folk songs from their court.

When the first one of those songs played, Aislin, who’d had a little bit to drink, gasped loudly and immediately pulled her maids up to their feet and dragged them to the middle of the floor. Avery watched with rapt attention and unconcealable delight as Aislin taught the dance to everyone who was willing to listen to her instructions. Her students seemed to have caught on rather quickly with the help of the other Unseelie delegates scattered among the throng and were dancing the routine almost flawlessly halfway through the song.

Avery was thrilled to discover that Aislin was an exemplary dancer. Quick and nimble on her feet with the grace of a swan, he stared at her all throughout the dance. He was transfixed by her, unable to look away even for a moment, noting that the level of skill she had was far too advanced for her to only attribute it to dancing lessons she received when she was young.

Aislin liked to dance. Probably even loved it.

The song ended and was replaced by one of Seelie origin. Despite being stuffed full to the brim, Avery stood. He chuckled at the chorus of cheers as he finally participated and shook his head. Making a beeline for Aislin, he was met with a knowing smirk upon reaching her. He held out a hand.

“May I have this dance, Princess?” he asked playfully, bowing with perfect execution.

He heard her giggle and felt her warm fingers take his hand. “I’d be delighted to, King.”

Grinning, Avery gave her hand an unexpected tug that spun her closer to him with her back flush against his and their arms in a loose embrace, bringing them to the dance’s first position. Her shoulders rose and fell quickly as she breathed hard.

“I’m not familiar with this dance, Avery,” he heard her murmur.

Ducking down so his lips were closer to her ear, he whispered, “Just follow me.”

The song was slow but the steps were in rather quick succession. Like most Seelie dances, effort on the females’ part was minimal. Skills and technicalities were ultimately up to the male to lead the female and he had been trained by the best Seelie dance instructors.

Because the music was so loud, he felt rather than heard Aislin gasp once he executed the first few combinations. He hid his smirk in her hair, inhaling the soft scent of jasmine, before spinning her so that she was now facing him. Aislin was grinning from ear-to-ear as he did so, one that he found himself mirroring.

“It seems that you have been holding out on me,” Aislin said to him over the loud band. “What else are you good at, Avery?”

“Are you daring me, Princess?”

“So what if I am?”

Avery chuckled faintly, shaking his head. “You do not want to do that,” he warned her.

She plucked up one perfectly shaped brow. “That is where you are wrong. I thought we were trying to get to know each other better? What happened to that?”

“Dear Ilyn,” he groaned lightly, pulling her close. “You are trouble.”

But Aislin was not having it. As he gently pushed her away for a chaine turn, Avery decided to tweak the routine a bit. The moment he had her back in his arms, he dipped her low.

This close, Avery could see, hear, and feel Aislin acutely. So when he saw her eyes drop to his mouth, wetting her own lips, he took the proverbial plunge.

The moment their lips touched, something snapped inside of him.

No, not a snap; that implied fragility.

It was more like a dam breaking, letting Avery be flooded by a multitude of emotions that he could not name. He did not even know he had all of it within him. His knees threatened to buckle from underneath him as he was hit by the full force of that tidal wave, almost—but not completely—distracting him from Aislin herself.

Aislin’s lips were soft but firm against his and tasted of the chocolate cake they had for dessert, only layered by the bitterness of the Port wine. It was a heady combination and Avery wrestled with his control as his newly awakened instincts threatened to overtake him fully. It was tentative and unlike anything he’s ever experienced in his existence.

He felt her hand land on his cheek, her touch light and hesitant before he withdrew just enough to open his eyes and see her own lashes flutter open. They revealed dilated pupils winking up at him with quiet wonder, and within those midnight-blue orbs, he saw his reflection staring back at him. 

With great difficulty, Avery swallowed. He brought his hand up to her beautiful face, tracing the side of it while barely touching her at all. 

Aislin’s mouth opened and he held his breath, thinking that he was done for. He probably shouldn’t have done that, no matter what he felt or thought she wanted. He’d messed it all up completely and—

“If I had known that daring you was the only way I could get you to kiss me,” she whispered. “I would have done it a long time ago.”

This time, he knew exactly the name of the feeling that coursed through him: relief. They grinned at each other as Avery pulled her upright, keeping her close to him and never ever wanting to let go. She held up their hands, still linked through the dance that they have forgotten. Avery watched as her palm skated across the flat of his hand and intertwined her fingers with his, interlocking them.

Whatever it was that people thought about them and their relationship, Avery didn’t care. Maybe perhaps this was fate; that he was as much destined to unite the Fae race as much as he was destined to find love in the process. It was too good to not be true. Aislin suited him in the most perfect of ways because she was perfect for him, almost as if the Cosmos had made her exactly for Avery because he was sure as hell convinced that no other female but Aislin would survive being married to him for long.

She was kind, yet unwilling to let herself be beaten down. She was strong, had good judgment, and a ton of other qualities that he’d noted ever since she walked into the Silver Hall on that very first day.

Brave. Resilient. Unafraid.

He chuckled and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her pointed ears, wishing a lot of different things involving her in his life. But for now, he was only willing to part with this: “I wish you would have too, Princess. I wish that too.”