Page 23

If it weren’t for the slight point of his ears.

Still, I had a suspicion he was not wholly fae. His ears were too curved, and his height was closer to average. But there was something more. Something intangible. Like the way you can read kindness on a face. Something primal.

He returned to his seat and began to heartily dig into his lunch.

"And the king?" I asked again. "Where is he?" I wondered briefly if he was hiding somewhere in his frog form. It must be nice to be able to shift at will.

"He rarely attends breakfast or lunch," Harry replied over a bite of toast.

"A night owl then?" I asked.

"You could say that," he replied in their cryptic way.

"You would think he could manage an appearance after dragging a woman through mortal peril," I grumbled.

He gave a short, sudden laugh and covered his mouth just in time to prevent him from spewing half-chewed toast in her face. "Quite."

A few moments of silence passed between us.

Finally, I asked tentatively, "Are there other humans here?"

"Other humans?" Harry echoed, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

I knew I was pressing my luck. Anything I said could get back the Fae King, and if he knew I was seeking my sister, he would likely be suspicious. "You know," I said with a shrug. "Other stolen brides perhaps?

"Hmm," he said, regarding me carefully. "There are very few humans and even fewer that you would wish to meet."

I nodded, and silence lapsed once more between us. I took the opportunity to pick at the food on my plate. To my surprise, it was quite good. In fact, once I had taken my first bite, I ate like a farmhand.

Harry cleared his plate and looked over at me. "If you have any requests, please feel free to ask. Forrest would want it that way."

"Forrest?" I asked.

"Your betrothed," he said.

I felt a hot blush creeping up my cheeks. I didn’t even know the name of my own betrothed. In fact, I still didn’t. The fae rarely gave out their true names.

I shook it off and asked my most pressing question. "Am I confined to my room?"

He frowned. "Of course not. You are betrothed to the king."

"I haven’t exactly received a royal welcome."

He bowed his head. "My apologies."

I rolled my eyes. "It’s certainly not your fault."

"You have free reign over every nook and cranny of the castle and isle itself. However, if you wish to explore during the day, I beg you to allow me to escort you. The palace halls are not always friendly. A king always has enemies."

I sensed his offer was sincere, so I tried not to roll my eyes at his sage advice. "I’m the daughter of a king, and I’ve been warned about the fae realm since infancy. I understand the dangers, thank you."

He bowed his head again. "I can see I’ve offended you."

I wondered how many of Forrest’s tasks Harry fulfilled. My father would have never tasked his man servant with entertaining and escorting his newly betrothed while he slept the day away.

The marks against Forrest just kept adding up. First, he was fae. Now, he was lazy. I only hoped that would be the end of his vices.

The following day, I did not see the king at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I did not see or hear his movements within his chambers either. I’m not ashamed to admit I held my ear to the door.