Page 16 of Fae-King It (Mystical Matchmakers #5)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Immortal fae couldn’t have heart attacks, could they?

Ronan wondered if it was possible despite everything history said because his chest felt so tight that he couldn’t draw breath. His heart pounded behind his ribs, the beat so hard and fast that he saw black around the edges of his vision.

He’d never been so afraid in his life when he realized that Dominique’s parents were planning to poison her right in front of him. He wanted to intervene long before he had, but he needed proof that they were traitors of the crown before he went to his parents.

The Proxa family had wormed their way into his parents’ good graces, and it would take more than gossip and intuition to convince them to banish them.

Very few fairy godmothers were willing to even talk to his parents, much less visit their kingdom. For all their scheming and strategizing, Caden and Bronwyn had difficulty maintaining alliances and friendships. They were too selfish for relationships of any kind, even ones forged for the good of the kingdom, to last.

As he watched her stepfather manhandle her, Ronan realized that he loved Dominique. That the entire reason he’d chosen her for this marriage of convenience was because he’d fallen a bit in love with her as a child and never stopped. That spending time watching her and with her over the past couple of weeks had only made those feelings grow and deepen.

But seeing Zephira again reminded him of his curse. His true love will despise him. The thought made his chest hurt even more. Dominique would never love him in return.

For the first time in thirty years, Ronan wanted to weep. Not just for himself but for Dominique. Knowing that his love wasn’t reciprocated hurt so badly and he didn’t want Dominique to endure this pain.

He stroked her hair again, murmuring quiet words of comfort to her as he rocked her in his lap. When her muscles relaxed against him, allowing her body to melt into his, Ronan found his resolve.

He had overcome obstacle after obstacle over the past few decades. He’d cheated death and escaped impossible situations. He’d also amassed more wealth in the human realm than the entirety of his parents’ fortune here in Magic.

Finding a way around a curse and making Dominique love him in return might be the most difficult task he’d faced, but she was marrying him tomorrow. He would have years to find a way to convince her. He had the time, and he had more than enough determination.

With his thoughts focused on his plans, Ronan didn’t realize Dominique had fallen asleep in his lap until she released a quiet snore. He’d heard the small sounds last night and suppressed a laugh. For such a refined, aloof female, his fiancée had the cutest snore he’d ever heard.

Eventually, he forced himself to carry her to his bed. Using his magic, he released two thin tendrils of shadow and tugged the blankets down since his hands were full of sleeping female fae. Gently, he placed her on the mattress, tugging the blankets back over her. Leaning down, Ronan pressed a kiss to her forehead.

In sleep, she looked softer, warmer. At peace.

With one last look, he exited his room, using his magic to lock the doors. Dominique could leave if she wanted, but no one else could enter except his sister. And even then, she couldn’t do so without his approval.

He didn’t care if it would irritate her. Dominique’s safety was more important than Aisling’s hurt feelings.

He found his parents in their shared office, each of them working at their desk. Their retainers moved about the room, carrying books and papers, appearing busy in general even though Ronan knew none of them truly ever accomplished anything.

“We need to talk,” Ronan stated, his voice loud. “Alone.”

Everyone stopped moving. His parents remained seated at their respective desks, their retainers looking toward the king and queen for final instruction.

“It’s about traitors in our midst.”

Tension and a low hum of whispered conversation and shuffling papers filled the room.

“It’s no one here,” Ronan continued, pitching his voice above the din. “But it’s imperative I speak to you both alone so we can determine what should be done.”

His mother still didn’t move, but his father nodded. “Of course, son,” Caden said. Looking around at the staff, he announced, “Leave us. Return at the usual ending time for lunch.”

Quickly, the retainers filed from the room, their expressions full of blatant curiosity now that they believed they weren’t suspects. Ronan waited until the door shut behind them before he set a magical perimeter to keep spying eyes and ears from hearing the conversation that was about to occur.

“The Proxas have left the kingdom,” Ronan announced. He assumed as much but discovered he was correct on the way to his parents’ office with one call to his sister. She’d sent a couple of members of the Brotherhood of the Dagger after them just to watch and wait until the next course of action was determined.

“Because of the traitors?” his mother asked.

“No, because they are the traitors,” Ronan answered.

His mother scoffed, disregarding his words, but his father knew he wouldn’t lie about something like this. “Explain,” he said.

“Graciella and Jurgen intended to use Dominique to control me after our marriage. They were also planning to assassinate the two of you in order for us to ascend to the throne. Once that was done, they intended to kill Dominique and convince me that one of her elder sisters was my true love. After my second marriage, I too would meet a tragic and untimely death, leaving Graciella and Jurgen to use their daughter as a puppet as they ruled the kingdom from the shadows.”

His father stared at him, his face expressionless. Once again, his mother scoffed. Ronan had no doubt that Bronwyn was more annoyed that her plans to upset Dominique and perhaps even prevent the wedding were disrupted. He knew she wouldn’t believe him, but that didn’t matter. Caden would, and, more importantly, he would act.

“How do you know?” the king asked.

“I followed them all morning until they cornered Dominique in the garden. I heard enough before that time to know that they intended to take the throne at some point, but it wasn’t until they drugged Dominique that I understood exactly what they planned.”

“They drugged their own daughter?” his mother asked, her tone scathing. “Somehow, I doubt that. The little whore had to have been in on the plan.”

Ronan shot his mother a hard look. “That will be the last time you speak of my future wife like that. Am I understood?”

His mother blinked at him. Perhaps she hadn’t believed him earlier when he said he wouldn’t tolerate either of them disrespecting Dominique.

“As I told Father, I know where all the secrets are buried in this castle. Including yours. They’re enough to have the two of you removed and banished, perhaps even start wars with our neighbors. Do not test me on this again.”

His mother’s face turned white as she stared at him. “You would choose her over your family?”

“That is exactly what Graciella asked Dominique when she refused to help them with their plan. And, as my fiancée said, I’m not sure what you are, but you have never been my family.”

Bronwyn’s face turned ashen. She looked genuinely hurt by his words. How that could be, he wasn’t sure. His mother never seemed overly interested in what he and his sister were up to. She always got his academic and extracurricular updates directly from his tutors and private instructors. There was never a moment where she asked, “How was your day?” or “What did you learn today?”

The only time he ever saw his mother was at meals or at events where the presence of the entire family was required. She never tucked him in at night as a child. Never attended sporting events where he competed. Other than calling him once a month, he never heard from her.

“Ronan!” his father snapped. “You will not speak to your mother this way over some…some…female!”

His eyes narrowed as Ronan stared his father down. He was sick to death of pretending to let them manipulate him. Especially since they had done nothing but try to make Dominique uncomfortable since she arrived. A woman who cared about what happened to him and to them. She didn’t want them dead and had actively tried to fight her own parents in order to protect them.

“You will use her name when you speak of her. Dominique was willing to die for you,” Ronan murmured, his voice quiet and rough. “She was willing to die for me and for your daughter as well. So, you will speak of her with nothing but respect from this moment forward.” He flicked his gaze to his mother before focusing on Caden. “I warned you before, so this will be my final one. If you can’t be kind to her, you will at the very least be civil or I will burn this family’s legacy to the ground. Am I clear?”

His father nodded once. Just a sharp jerk of his chin. Ronan shifted his stare to Bronwyn, who looked nearly green. He wondered if it was because she realized how horribly she’d treated a woman who had tried to protect her or if it was because of his threat to ruin their family’s legacy. While Ronan hoped it was the former, experience told him it was likely his threat that did it.

“Now, the wedding will happen tomorrow afternoon. You will both be there, smiling and saying all the right things. She proved her loyalty to this family today, not only in front of me but in front of Aisling and her guards. Word is already spreading through the castle about what she did to keep us all safe. Beyond her status as a fairy godmother, this will cement her as worthy of the title of princess in the eyes of our people. You won’t do anything to damage that.”

They both nodded again.

“That’s settled, then,” Ronan said. “It’s time to discuss what we’re going to do about the Proxas.”

His father’s expression hardened. “The punishment for treason against the crown is death. No exceptions.”

“I agree, Jurgen and Graciella must die. But what will you do about Frederique and Monique?”

Ronan hated saying their names, hated the sliver of compassion he had for them. But if they’d been treated as Dominique, they deserved the benefit of the doubt.

“What about them?” his father questioned, his tone unyielding.

“They may have been complicit against their will. It seems Graciella and Jurgen have a history of drugging their daughters in order to force them to do what they wanted.”

His father’s answering look said he didn’t believe that. Ronan didn’t either, not based on the way they treated Dominique the day before. But he didn’t want to eradicate Dominique’s entire family without being certain that they were all guilty.

“We will interrogate them,” Caden stated. “And if they were partially or completely unwilling or didn’t have knowledge of their parents’ plans, they will be banished to the human realm.”

“Even if they are completely innocent?”

His father sighed. “This is one of those things you’re going to hate about leading the kingdom. Even if they’re innocent, we can’t allow them to remain in our realm if they’ve been involved at all. It is for their protection as well as ours. Some of our subjects might try to harm them, thinking they are doing the right thing. And allowing them to stay, especially since they are related to your fiancée, will make it seem as though we are weak. It will embolden our enemies, especially those among our bloodlines.”

Ronan echoed his father’s sigh. He didn’t like the resolution, but his father had a point. Dominique’s sisters would be safer in the human realm, even if they were innocent of any wrongdoing.

“Very well,” Ronan said. “I’m going to check on my fiancée. We will be dining in my rooms tonight.”

He turned toward the door, ready to walk away, when his mother’s voice stopped him.

“Will she…”

Bronwyn stopped speaking when he turned around. Ronan knew his expression wasn’t welcoming, but it couldn’t be helped. After all that had happened today, he maintained his patience by the thinnest thread.

“Will she be okay?” Bronwyn asked.

Ronan nodded. “I think so. But she was rightfully upset after nearly being poisoned by her own parents today.”

His mother’s mouth thinned. “I actually understand that feeling better than you realize, son. And I hope you understand that I would never want you to experience that either.”

He wanted to know what she was talking about, but he also didn’t trust that it wasn’t another of her attempts to manipulate him. So, he settled with, “I believe you.”

His mother’s chin jerked down, but her eyes didn’t leave his.

Ronan gave another nod to his father, unlocked the door to the study, and left the room. When he’d come to see them, he had walked, needing the time to calm down and gather his thoughts. Now, he just wanted to get back to his fiancée.

Gathering his magic, Ronan transported his body to the hall just outside his room. It was blessedly empty. He’d expected his sister to show up, demanding to see Dominique, but she seemed to understand his need to have time alone with his woman.

Or so he thought until he stepped into the bedroom. There was a folded piece of parchment on the floor just inside the door. Ronan shut the door behind him and locked it before he leaned down to grab the paper.

I checked on Dominique before I left. She was sleeping peacefully. You chose well, brother. I hope you appreciate her and care for her the way she does for you. As much as you deserve it, so does she.

Ronan set the note to the side, moving to the bed. Dominique had turned over, her back to him, but the steady rate of her breaths told him she was still asleep.

Moving silently, Ronan stripped his boots, shirt, and pants from his body and walked to the bed. With a wave of his hand, he removed Dominique’s dress with magic. He disliked draining his power on mundane tasks like dressing and undressing or transporting himself from one place to another, but today, it felt necessary.

His body and mind fatigued, Ronan climbed into bed behind Dominique, scooting his body closer until his chest was pressed against her back, and his legs and hips were curved around hers. When they were touching as much as possible, he wrapped an arm around her and buried his face in her hair.

Inhaling the warm, sultry scent of her hair and skin, he let himself follow her into slumber.