Page 88 of A Cursed Son

“I’d much rather you had your hands free. Give me that.”

Well, it’s not like I want to keep carrying it all the way to who knows where, so I give it to him. He then points somewhere among the trees, to a high, rocky hill.

“Her castle’s up there. It’s quite majestic, actually. Can you spot the windows from here?”

I can only see a thin strip of the hill from between trees, and there are no obvious windows. If it’s fae glamour or some trick, I don’t know. “I can barely see any castle, husband.”

“True, we’ll see it better once we get close. You’re going to love this. She has one of the oldest libraries on the continent.”

For a moment, I see myself uncovering hidden truths, finding out more about the Tiurians, perhaps finding out something that Krastel doesn’t know. What a silly thought. And I’m surprised that this is what this visit is about. “You’re going there to check some books?”

“If she lets me, yes.”

I look back at him, and see no more overcoat in his hands. Did he just throw it away? I could have done that as well. I wonder what I’ll wear when the weather is cool, but I’ll just trust that he’ll have something.

We keep walking, and I decide to ask a question. “What’s the etiquette?”

“Didn’t you study the Misty Court?”

Is this a test? “I did. They were once as big and important as the Crystal Court, except that they shrunk as the latter grew. A lot of it happened after the River of Tears Treaty, when the human territories were separated.”

“Indeed. How do you think they feel about the Crystal Court?” I don’t know why he’s asking me that.

“I don’t think there’s any enmity, but I could be wrong.” Then I add, “I don’t know much about the fae, Marlak.”

He stops walking and stares at me, eyes wide, as if stunned.

I chuckle. “Yes, make fun of me. I don’t know everything, husband. And I want to learn how I’m supposed to behave. I was never prepared to pretend to be the wife of an exiled prince.”

A huff of air comes out of his mouth, almost as if amused, but not quite. “Disgraced prince. Technically, my brother cannot exile me. Uncrowned king, if you want to be more precise. And you’re not pretending, as I believe you know.”

Uncrowned. So indeed he has never put on that crown—and yet he has it. He must know it doesn’t belong on his head and would kill him.

“Marlak, just tell me what you expect of me during this visit.”

His chuckle is warm and deep and does something to me. “You don’t realize what you just did, do you?”

I don’t know what he means, so I decide to joke about it. “Tons of things. Talked, walked, breathed. My heart’s beating. I’m not aware of everything going on in my body, no.”

“Yes. Too much going on.” He laughs again, a relaxed laugh. “Fae here are not formal. You don’t need to bow or anything.” Interesting. He certainly had no qualms kneeling to the Nymph queen, and yet that wasn’t such a huge secret, or he wouldn’t have revealed it to me. He continues, “Just be yourself, and you’ll be fine.”

Myself? As if I didn’t have at least some ten different versions of it. “Oh, yes, I’ll just act like I usually do when I visit fae courts.”

“Pretend it’s a human kingdom. You trained for it, didn’t you?”

“How do you even know that?” Yes, I could pretend he’s imagining it, but I don’t think it will work. And this question has been gnawing at me since I first met him.

He watches me, then raises a shoulder. “I told you I have magic.”

Magic. Mind magic? By the Almighty Mother. I freeze. Can he read my thoughts? I know what he has seen is quite embarrassing, but the idea that he knows what I’m thinking has never crossed my mind.

He stops and stares at me. “Why are you so pale?” The tone is both mocking and concerned, which only makes it confusing.

“Are you reading… Can you…” I realize the question is stupid. He’s not going to tell me the answer.

I decide then to picture vividly something from my dreams, and imagine myself unbuttoning his trousers.

His light chuckle interrupts the image. “You’re afraid I can see your thoughts? I can only do it when I touch someone, if I have that intention, and I never do it without warning. With you, you’re well aware I couldn’t see a thing. And what is it you’re hiding, anyway?”