Avenged

♔Chapter 5b

“Of course, my princess. My soul calls for yours. I called for you at the ball.”

“What?”

“Ella, the King asked you a question,” the Queen loudly and impatiently called for my attention.

“I’m sorry, your majesty, I was lost in thought for a moment. I’ve not seen a phoenix up close since I was young. I remembered him differently. I guess as a child, I imagined him much prettier than he really is.”

“Is that so?” the bird whispered in my mind. I swear I heard a note of amusement in his tone.

“You’re not mistaken, my dear. He does look like a scrawny old thing right now. He’s been on the verge of molting for quite a while. When he does, his fresh plumage will come in and he will look young again,” the Queen replied with a flippant wave of her hand, as if indulging my childish concerns.

“That’s not the problem,” Fin muttered. This was so strange, having a voice talking to me directly in my head. This must be what it’s like for shifters. Their animal spirals have permanent residence in their heads.

“I’ll find you a fin. I’ll get you out,” I promised.

“Actually, I think he’s looking a little better lately. At the ball, he looked like stuffed death, but you can see fresh feathers coming in now,” Marissa added.

Fin didn’t look happy that they were talking about him like a stuffed toy. I sense that she didn’t mean to sound as insensitive as she did. She doesn’t know the phoenix can communicate with us. Or just me?

“How does that work?” I ask Fin.

“Later, Princess, you need to focus,” was Fin’s only reply.

“What was your question, my king?” I asked, refocusing my attention as Fin suggested.

“I was asking you if you think your father will agree to a wedding this season. I hear he is suffering from an illness of some kind? It would be best to join our houses soon, don’t you think?”

He must want me to go all squealy and get excited about a royal wedding between my brother and his snake daughter. Not happening. Likely, he wants me on his side to help convince Thorn of the merits of this cursed match. My father would need convincing, too. Did this King really think I was stupid that I wouldn’t see his intentions? Probably. He’s the type that thinks duchesses should focus on being pretty and bearing heirs. Unfortunately for him, very few women are happy to sit back and let their men handle everything for them. Our kingdom has a long history of powerful women ruling beside their mates. We speak for half of it. This King seems to have forgotten that.

“My King, I think it’s a little soon to be planning weddings. Adonis and Ella only just met again a few days ago for the first time in years.”

I wasn’t the only person to almost choke on my food. I shot Thorn a murderous look. Nice deflection, brother. I caught the twitch of his lips as he fought a smirk.

“We’re just friends. Thorn. And I believe the King was referring to your potential engagement,” I sing. You throw me under the carriage, brother dearest, and I’ll pull you down with me. All joking aside, though, this was not the type of thing either of us actually thought was a joking matter. However, my teasing successfully distracted the King from the topic of the Duke of Deven’s illness.

“Yes, yes. That’s correct, young lady. I always thought that Thorndon and Marissa would make a lovely couple.” The King beams, happy I seem to be on board with his idea.

Well, I think, except that time you’d tried to get my father to sign a betrothal contract for Marissa and Tiberius. And when that failed, you pushed my father to formally betroth Adonis and I. My father was a romantic. He was determined to let us choose our own mates rather than force us into political matches. Sure, once the bonding ceremony magically joined our souls, we would be connected on an intimate level that intensified one’s feelings for the other. For couples that did not choose each other, this always resulted in a close friendship, usually allowing love to blossom. At least that’s how it worked in high society.

For most fae, though, formal matings are conducted with someone you chose, that you already love. The bond just strengthens what already existed between the pair. Royalty was rarely that lucky. My parents were the exception and my father was determined that Tiberius and I had the opportunity to choose for ourselves.

“And of course, when they marry, it would increase your chances of finding a suitable husband.” The Queen added like this would make me jump for joy at the prospect. Instinctively, I shot a smile at Adonis. I wasn’t lying at the ball when I told him I wasn’t interested in a husband. I was lying when I said that was why the duke sent me to the capitol this season.

“I have plenty of time for husband finding in the future, my queen. This year I’m just interested in making friends again,” I replied.

“Youth fades, Lady Deven. And beauty is ever fleeting,” the queen drawled, before draining her wine glass. Her second, I think.

“You’re right, my queen,” Thorn interjected. “Marissa is a lovely woman, and more than I deserve as a match. It’s just that I’ve been so dedicated to my people that I haven’t really had time to consider taking a mate. When I do consider marriage, I need to know I have a good enough handle on my responsibility that I could give my mate the time and attention she deserves.” I did not miss the way the King’s lip twitched as Thorn said my people, instead of our people, like he was separating our duchy from the Kingdom. For years there have been rumors that we might either secede from the Kingdom and start our own separate Kingdom, or rebel against this King and claim the whole Kingdom. All of which are thoughts that scare this King gray.

“You want a duchess to help you with your work to help manage your lands and govern your people. Taking a chosen mate sounds like just what you need. Is it true that your father is ill?” The King pressed, ignoring the probably deliberate word substitution from my brother and landing instead on the topic of my father’s rumored illness once again.

“Yes, that was a big part of the reason we got this plan rolling now…” Thorn’s words die on his tongue with the sudden arrival of uninvited several guests.