Page 3 of Broken Hearted (Cursed Fae #3)

E lisana put me in a servant’s room, of that I was certain. The only things in the room were a sleeping pallet in the corner and a chamber pot. There wasn’t even a washbasin for me to clean up.

After two hours, a maid finally appeared with a dull brown dress so large I had to rip a strip off the bottom of the skirt to create a sash to keep it in place. It couldn’t have been less flattering. I should have just gone ahead and asked for a potato sack because it would have had more shape. But at least it was light and flowy and allowed air to breeze through it.

The sun had set, offering a little bit of reprieve from the oppressive heat by the time Elisana showed up to bring me to dinner. We ignored each other as we walked the halls of the castle and toward the dining room. Not speaking to this woman was fine by me, but I was curious about her relationship with Adrien, especially since Dawn had hinted that the Ethereum lords were our ‘mates’. I had already taken that to mean that this Zane fellow must be mine, but where did that leave Adrien? Where did that leave Lorelei, the Spring princess?

I shook my head to dislodge the thoughts. It didn’t matter anyway. Even if Zane was my mate, there was zero chance I was ever getting married.

“How long have you known Adrien?” I asked her as we approached a set of open double doors that led to a dining table. I saw that Adrien was already seated with a lavish display of food out before him.

Elisana gave me an annoyed side glance. “A while,” she said shortly and then stepped ahead of me to rush over to her fiancé.

“Sorry I’m late, my love. I had to look my best for you.” She pulled her shoulders back, puffing up her cleavage and turning just so to show off her expertly done hair and make-up, but his gaze only rested on her for a second before it flicked past her to me.

I wore no make-up, my hair was messily tied back, and the dress was not flattering, yet the way he looked at me lit a fire inside of my chest that burned all the way to my belly. It felt like the air was sucked from the room as I was caught up in those blue-green eyes.

“Glazed pork,” Elisana shrieked, and both Adrien and I jerked our heads in her direction.

“Darling, you know that’s my favorite.” Taking a seat next to him, she reached out and stroked his upper arm. And for some wild reason, I felt something ugly flare to life inside of me.

Calm down, Isolde. He’s taken, and you’ve sworn off love .

Adrien sat at the head of the table with Elisana to his right, and so I took the seat to his left, which put me directly across from her. She kept her hand on his upper arm and gave me a glare, letting me know she was marking her territory.

Our meal server entered the room then, and I caught my breath as I stared at the small horns protruding from his forehead.

Unseelie.

I didn’t want to be rude, but I couldn’t stop staring. I’d never seen an unseelie before, obviously, and even knowing this world was filled with the fae folk, I still wasn’t prepared.

The fae came over, poured me a glass of wine and gave me a kind smile. “Enjoy your meal, my lady.”

“Thank you.” I returned the smile, hoping my interest in him wasn’t obvious, as I had no desire to offend him.

When he left the room, we began to eat, and Adrien directed a question at me. “Is it true in Faerie that there are only seelie fae?”

So he had noticed.

I nodded. “It’s true. Our land seems set up similar to yours but instead of north, south, east, and west, we have summer, spring, fall, and,” I pointed to myself, “winter.”

He returned my smile with ease. “I’d like to see Faerie one day.”

I opened my mouth to respond, when Elisana interrupted.

“Darling, did you hear the dreadful news that the floral designer is ill? Could we send the royal healer over to her to make sure she’s ready for our big day?”

He smiled fondly at Elisana. “Of course.”

Then he looked back at me. “May I ask what your powers are? I’ve always wondered—”

“Darling,” Elisana said with a sharpness in her tone, and for the first time, I saw a flash of annoyance appear on Adrien’s face as he glanced over at her.

“Yes?” He asked her with the same sharpness.

Her mouth popped open in shock as if he’d slapped her. “Did you have your tea?” she asked in a tone that made the hair on my arms raise.

What was with this tea? Was he ill? Maybe it was medicinal.

The realization shone on his face, and he laughed. “I totally forgot.”

She relaxed, rolling her eyes. “You are so bad. I’ll just have to make it for you so my love stays healthy for our big day.” She stood, and leaning forward, she planted a slow kiss on his lips.

Nausea roiled in my gut as I watched them. My fingers curled around the meat knife I held, and I envisioned driving it right into her eye.

What was going on with me? Why was I acting like this?

I forced myself to release the knife and looked away to give them privacy.

When they finally broke apart, Elisana sauntered from the room, her hips swaying seductively with every step. Just before leaving, she cast a glance over her shoulder at me, a sly smile curving her lips.

I cast my gaze to Adrien. “So this tea sounds pretty important.”

Something was not right here. It was weird, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

Adrien nodded. “Elisana has been a lifesaver. I was sleeping horribly and dealing with a lot of stress. I would toss and turn, grinding my teeth, and not even the royal healer could help me relax on a nightly basis. Elisana is from the Northern Mountains and grew up learning about herbs and tinctures. She’s studying to be a herbalist. She created a tea that’s taken away all of my symptoms.”

I relaxed a little after hearing that. Okay, so this tea was important, and it made sense, but I still didn’t like her.

“That’s nice,” I said just as Elisana appeared with a steaming mug of tea. The scent hit me, and I inhaled. Notes of rose petals and jasmine tickled my nose. “Oh, that smells lovely. Can I have some? I often have trouble sleeping, too.” And since I was in a foreign land, it would be nice to have some help.

She glared at me. “Sorry, fresh out of this batch, and by the time I make another, you’ll be long gone. So sad,” she mock pouted.

I ate the rest of my meal in silence, shooting eye daggers across the table at Elisana.

* * *

My sleep was fitful, I was nervous about meeting Zane and this whole Shadow Heart thing, and I couldn’t stop thinking about those blue-green eyes and how they bore into mine. It was good that I was leaving soon. Staying here might get me into trouble with Adrien. Or more correctly, Elisana.

After rising, I ate a quick breakfast alone, as Elisana had it delivered to my room and did not invite me to eat with her and Adrien. Even though it might take days for Zane to get to the Southern Kingdom from the Western, I was still ready with my bag packed, hopeful I wouldn’t have to remain in Adrien’s castle for very much longer. After my morning meal, I waited for hours before Elisana finally sent a maid with a note. Apparently, Adrien had somehow contacted his brother directly through some magical means after dinner the night before. Zane was coming down from the Western Kingdom to pick me up but wouldn’t arrive until after nightfall.

I had no idea how Adrien had been able to talk to his brother from a long distance, but maybe that was how the Ethereum lords’ magic worked? In Faerie we didn’t have the means to communicate across long distances besides sending ravens or messengers, but however it was done, apparently, it left Adrien drained. In her note, Elisana complained about the strain, blaming me for Adrien having to recover all day. She said that it would be bothersome for me to be wandering about the castle, and so I should stay in my room for the day.

I prickled at the authoritative tone in her note. I was a princess of Faerie: who was she to order me to stay in my room? But on the other hand, I had no desire to run into her and be forced to endure her sour presence any more than necessary. So I spent the day in the tiny room, pacing the floors until my feet hurt, my mind swirling with thoughts of Zane and Adrien and the curse.

No one had come out and said it, but it was clear the assumption was that Zane was my mate. I could claim I didn’t believe in mates as much as I wanted, but what if it were true? What did that mean? Was I going to be expected to marry him? Because if that was what he thought, he was going to be in for a surprise. I was happy for Dawn and Aribella. They seemed content with their new lives, but I wasn’t going to just shack up with the first Ethereum lord who paid a little extra attention to me because we were supposed “mates”. Especially not after seeing what my own mother and father went through.

Mate or not, my mind was made up. I was only here to help end the curse, then I was going to do everything to get home to my parents and sisters. My life was in the Winter Court, not this foreign land with one of its dark lords.

A knock at the door ripped me from my thoughts.

“Isolde, Zane is here,” Elisana’s annoying voice called from the other side of the door.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder. I was wearing the same baggy dress with ripped sash from yesterday because Elisana hadn’t brought me anything else, but at least I’d had a bath this morning in the bathroom shared with the maids.

When I stepped out into the foyer, Elisana and Adrien were talking to a handsome man that stood a good three or four inches over Adrien, who was already tall himself. He had brownish auburn hair that was shaved on the sides and longer on top. When his gaze met mine, I noticed there was something different about his eyes. They were dark blue with a splash of brown in one of them. Unusual, yet interesting.

Stepping forward, Zane broke out into a grin. “Isolde. It’s so lovely to officially meet you.” He bowed his head a little, which was very sweet considering he was on the same level as I was royalty wise, if not one notch above since he was acting lord where in the Winter Court my mother was still queen.

“Hello, Zane.” I gave him a sheepish smile.

Even though I’d sworn off love I had half expected sparks when I met Zane, but so far there was nothing. He was undoubtedly handsome and seemingly kind, but I didn’t feel any fireworks, as my mother called them.

Good. I didn’t want them.

“Well, you better get going if you want to make good time.” Elisana opened the front door wide, and Zane frowned. “Oh. I thought we might have dinner together or—”

“Oh, we’d love to. Another time though, we’re planning the wedding, remember?” Elisana reminded Zane. “So much to do. And I’m sure you’re eager to get Isolde back to your kingdom.”

Zane glanced at his brother Adrien, who stood still as a statue as Elisana clung to his arm and nodded. “Right. The wedding. I’m excited for that. We won’t bother you then,” Zane said.

Adrien frowned. “You’re not a bother. If my brother wants to stay for dinner before his journey, he stays for dinner.” He yanked his arm out of Elisana’s grip, and Zane and I shared an awkward look.

“You know. I think heading out is probably best,” I added, giving Zane a wide-eyed look. I didn’t want to stay in this house one more minute than I had to.

Zane seemed to catch my meaning. “Right. We should go. Dinner next time, brother. Perhaps when we return for the wedding.”

We? I didn’t think so. I had no desire to ever come back to this castle, let alone watch Adrien and Elisana marry. But I didn’t bother to correct Zane. It wasn’t worth it.

Reaching out, Zane pulled Adrien in for a hug, and all the while Elisana just fixed me with a glare.

When they broke apart, Zane held the door for me. I passed Adrien and curtsied to him. “It was nice meeting you. I wish you well with your wedding and everything,” I finished lamely.

His face fell for a second, like he just realized he’d probably never see me again. “It was nice meeting you too, Isolde.”

I tried to look away then, but suddenly, there was something tangible in the air, something I couldn’t explain. It made it hard to breathe as I was held captive by his gaze. I glanced at his full lips, not able to stop myself from wondering what they might be like to kiss, when Elisana stepped right in front of me and broke our connection.

“Bye,” she said flatly.

It was like someone had doused me in cold water. I turned and fled out of the castle as fast as my feet could carry me. Zane jogged to catch up. There was a carriage up ahead with half a dozen guards on horseback around it.

“She’s horrible,” Zane said behind me, and I couldn’t help but pop a grin.

“The worst. And you almost made us have dinner with her,” I scolded him.

His smile matched my own. “My mistake. It will never happen again.”

He opened the carriage door for me and took the bag off my shoulder. “This is light. Have you no more clothes?” He eyed my baggy dress.

I shook my head. “I’m from the Winter Court, and everything I wore was too warm for this land. I didn’t pack extra clothes because it was assumed that I wouldn’t be staying here long,” I said.

He nodded. “You get the heart and get out.”

My eyes widened at his blunt description. I mean, he wasn’t wrong.

“Sorry, that was a joke.” He gave a nervous laugh, which I matched. He was adorable, and sweet.

He looked at the driver of the carriage. “Take us to the shops and then the train station.”

My eyebrows shot up. “You have trains?”

We had a small train in the Winter Court that went through the ice mountains and carried coal from the mines, but it was rudimentary and not fit for passengers.

I stepped inside the luxurious carriage, and Zane climbed in after me.

“The railroad is what my land is known for. That and coal mining. I’ve been working with my brothers to extend my railroad through all of Ethereum so we can travel with ease. We’re not there yet, but we are getting close. We haven’t connected the tracks all the way to Easteria, the capital of the Eastern Kingdom yet. It will take several more years to finish the big plan of having train stops in every major city, but we have gotten far. It will be nice to leave something behind that the people can benefit from.” He smiled. “We’ve just finished connecting Windreum, the capital of the Western Kingdom where I live, to Soleum, here in the Southern Kingdom. It should cut our trip time by seventy-five percent.”

“It sounds fun. I’ve never ridden on a train.” I told him.

We made small talk then as the carriage took us into the heart of Soleum and stopped at a women’s dress shop.

“Let’s get you at least two weeks’ worth of new clothes,” he declared.

He was taking me shopping? That was so kind and thoughtful.

“You don’t have to do that,” I told him.

He nodded. “I want to.”

It was late, but Zane was able to convince the proprietor to open the store just for us. As she showed me the latest fashions, Zane arranged for food to be brought to me so I wouldn’t go hungry. His care and concern were such a change from how Elisana treated me, that I couldn’t help but warm toward him.

After a couple of hours, I left the shop with a full belly and an entire new wardrobe. Even though I’d told Zane I only needed a couple of staple items, he wouldn’t hear of it and now I had enough clothes to last me a very long time. Four full trunks to be exact. Zane had to hire an extra carriage just to get them to the train. It was a mix of dresses, pants, cloaks, and shoes for both warm and cold climates. He’d essentially bought out the entire store in my size, and as we departed, the owners were close to tears, thanking him profusely and telling us to return anytime.

And on top of that, Zane also assured me that he’d have a seamstress fit me for custom gowns when we returned to his kingdom. I told him that wasn’t necessary; I only had plans to stay in Ethereum as long as it took to break the curse and then I would find a way to return to my home in Faerie, but he only smiled and said that it was no trouble.

By the time the carriage brought us to what I assumed was the train station that Zane had told me about, it was well into the evening and my eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. Who knew shopping could be so tiring?

Zane had told me that the trip from Soleum back to his castle in Windreum would take twelve hours, so we could sleep overnight and would arrive in his kingdom in the morning. I marveled at how quickly we would get to his homeland, considering the distance. I’d studied the map of Ethereum before traveling here. It would easily take at least three days of horseback riding, if not more, to travel that far. This train of his was truly a marvel, and he seemed very proud of it.

The train station was a beautiful large brick building that when you stepped inside brought you to a platform that held a gorgeous red train with over twenty cars all linked together. It was nothing like the dinky coal train I’d seen in Faerie. This was brand new, still smelling of fresh paint and varnish. I couldn’t wait to see what it looked like inside.

Zane reached forward and put a steadying hand on my elbow to help me up the steps that led into the train car.

“Thank you,” I told him, and he released me when I reached the top.

I found myself wondering if Zane acted this way to every woman or if he was treating me differently because he believed we were mates. I hoped it was the former because if he expected anything romantic from me, he was going to be disappointed. Which, strangely enough considering I’d just met him, made me feel a little bad for him. He was so attuned to my needs, he’d spent the last few hours making sure I had proper clothing and feeding me, and now he was taking care that I didn’t trip on the steps. If I were to marry anyone, Zane was the kind of partner my mother would dream of me having. He was the biggest sweetheart in the world, but when I looked into his eyes . . . I felt nothing.

No fire. No zest. No oomph, as Seraphina would call it. Not even an inkling of what I felt when I looked at his brother Adrien. The engaged one.

Stop . I scolded myself and forced my brain to think of other things.

Zane smiled at me warmly. “You must be exhausted. Let me show you to your room in the sleeping car.”

“Sleeping car?” I asked, and he nodded.

“We have several small rooms on the train set up for overnight travel.” He gestured for me to move deeper into the car we stood in just as the train started to move.

There were windows on either side and rows of padded seats where fae could sit. As we walked down the aisle and through a few more cars, opening and closing doors between each, Zane explained the name and purpose of each of them.

Besides the sleeping car we were headed toward, the train also had several coach cars to carry passengers, a dining car to eat in, and even an observation car with lots of windows so passengers could enjoy the view. He told me that the train also had storage cars and flatcars to transport materials as well.

Zane’s train was impressive, to say the least, and seemed like a wonderful way to travel. I wished we had something like it in Faerie. Maybe someday we could build a train this grand in my court as well.

When we finally reached the sleeping car, Zane paused in front of an open compartment. Inside was a narrow bed with thick blankets and linens, as well as a towel and basin of water sitting atop a small nightstand for washing up.

The space was lavishly decorated with thick drapes that were currently pulled down over the window for privacy. The walls were lined with rich, dark green fabric, and a black and gold patterned rug covered the floor.

“I know the space is rather small,” Zane said with a wince. “But I hope it will be okay for just tonight.”

“This is perfect. Thank you,” I said, meaning it. Despite the size, it was definitely a step up from the room Eliana had stuck me in at Adrien’s castle.

“Do you need anything before retiring for the night?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m fine, really. I expect to be asleep the second my head touches the pillow.”

He smiled. “Good. Then I’ll leave you alone.” He pointed further down the car. “My room is the last one on the left. If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to get me.”

When he’d left I fell into the bed with my oversized clothes still on, and within minutes the rocking of the train lulled me to sleep.