Page 41 of Faeling (Monstrous World #4)

The worries found her again by the time they reached camp.

It took several hours of walking and a precarious climb up the cliff face—split between natural outcroppings and a series of ropes—to finally reach the column.

Vallek, Ravenna, Fenna, and a few warriors went on ahead as Mattias and the rest hoisted up Ulrich’s body.

Her heart had only just returned to a normal pace after the terror of scaling the cliff—or, rather, clinging to Vallek as he scaled it—when the column came into view. They were soon noticed, and a great cheer went up from the orcs, relieved to see their king.

Even as he nodded and thanked his people, Vallek caught how her face flicked between her own and her disguise. It was a reflex, her nerves telling her to hide away. She tucked her wings as tightly as she could to her back even unfolded, hoping her long hair hid them.

“You must show them your true face now, sprite.”

That’s what terrified her.

Fingers dug into his tunic, Ravenna sat stiffly in his arms as they walked along the column.

More than a few cheers died when the orcs realized Vallek carried her, their shock evident.

Those in the back of the column had likely only heard rumors about what happened yesterday, too far away to have seen for themselves.

She had to wonder what was said, how outlandish the story had become.

Her nerves strung tighter and tighter the further they went.

Every eye followed her, boring into her skin to ascertain just who it was the king had jumped off a cliff for.

By the time they reached the head of the column, she was no longer stiff but squirming, trying but failing to contain her unease.

Vallek strode confidently on, determined to make a clear statement.

Turning to face his berserkers and staff, their curiosity and eagerness potent, he took a running start to bound up a tall boulder, gaining height.

Ravenna bit down on her squeak of alarm, holding on tight as he came to the top of the rock.

From their height, his voice boomed across the landscape.

“My good people, you have the good fortune of being the first to meet my mate.”

Shocked murmurs met his declaration, and he let them permeate before continuing.

“She is Lady Ravenna of the north. You have known her as the kone, and she has counseled me wisely these years. You behold her now as she truly is—half-fae and my mate.”

More murmurs, and the full weight of the column’s attention turned upon her.

She wanted to shrink. To wither away and hide.

But she couldn’t now.

Her world was different. She was different. Today, she had to start standing beside her azai .

That was the deal.

Although she still kept her wings down, she threw back her shoulders, sitting as regally as she could in his arms. Meeting each stare she came across, she stared down the column of orcs, willing them to at least listen.

“My beast knew her the moment I saw her true face. She has claimed my heart and soul, as is any mate’s right. Any who would dispute this may join Commander Ulrich.”

No murmurs to that, but quite a few of the orcs looked amongst themselves, worry marring their faces.

“I will fight and kill for my mate. Just as any of you would do. She now shares my bed and my life—and upon our return, she will share my throne, too.”

Ravenna worked to keep her face rigid, holding onto a confident placidity despite wanting to wince. She couldn’t tell how the crowd would go, their silence growing ominous.

“I am your king—but this means nothing without your support. Do I have it?” His question was met with that dreadful silence, and she couldn’t help the way her heart sank to her toes.

“ Do I have it? ” he cried.

At first, nothing. But then, something incredible happened.

One by one, one after the other, row by row, the orcs knelt. A wave rippled back through the column, heads bowing as they bent to one knee. Arms crossed over chests to hold right fists over hearts, showing their allegiance.

“King Vallek!” they shouted. “Hail Vallek Far-Sight!”

Vallek bared his teeth in a ferocious smile, and with only a wink as warning, he lifted her high above his head.

“Your queen!” he proclaimed. “Queen Ravenna!”

A cheer broke across the column, the orcs jumping up to stamp their feet and beat their fists on their chests. It deafened her, a resounding din that shook the very ground.

“Queen Ravenna!” they cried, clapping and hooting.

They shouted congratulations, they shouted their names.

She stared out at the sea of tusked faces, not sure if she could believe it.

Ravenna dropped back down into his arms with an oof , leaving her heart somewhere up above his head.

That head dropped down to claim a big, overblown kiss that got the column cheering even louder.

When he pulled back, it was with a smug little grin. She met it with a scowl.

As the cheers continued to ring, filling every gorge and ravine for leagues, Ravenna poked Vallek’s chest and whispered, “If I’m going to be queen, then from now on, we discuss things like this beforehand . Yes?”

Vallek grinned down at her, breezily agreeing. “Of course, skala. ” Of course, because he’d already gotten what he wanted. Ravenna rolled her eyes. Fine. Starting now.

An idea came to her then, making her lips curl with evil delight.

Well, starting in a moment.

Oberon, are you near enough to make a dramatic entrance?

Yes, but you have much explaining to do.

Oh, she was sure. She’d told Oberon the rudiments of what happened, and while he’d wanted to charge in to help last night, she’d warned against it. The orcs would be especially wary without their king, and Vallek was wound tight as an orc defending his mate.

Now, though, she welcomed Oberon’s help.

When the cheers finally began to abate, Vallek called, “Let us leave this place. Move out!”

His order sent the camp into a frenzy of activity. More quietly to her, he said, “I don’t want to linger in this place. We won’t travel far, though, and I will carry you.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

His brows arched in surprise, but before he could say anything, gasps rang out from the back of the column.

“ Unicorns! ”

Vallek’s gaze lifted to see Oberon charging up the line, the three younger unicorns close behind him. Her azai sighed mightily.

This time, it was her who grinned and him who scowled.

Vallek jumped down from their perch in time to meet Oberon. The gray unicorn pawed the earth, horn bobbing through the air.

“Another lift, if you please, mate.”

Vallek huffed a laugh, doing as she asked and boosting her onto Oberon’s back.

She’d just gotten her seat when the unicorn warned, Hold onto me.

Ravenna threw her hands into his mane and leaned forward as Oberon reared onto his hind legs, letting loose a thunderous whinny. His front hooves punched the air, and his horn glittered in the sunlight.

It was a dazzling sight, she was sure, but it was a relief when he came back to standing.

“This is Oberon,” she announced to the stunned orcs. “He is my guardian and means you no harm.”

That remains to be seen.

Please behave. This is all very new to me.

Is that an order from the queen? He snorted a horsey laugh. Now, tell me all about these scrapes and who I need to stab.

They indeed didn’t travel far that day, not by their usual standards, but the landscape was different when afternoon found them, and that was good enough for Vallek. He called for a halt, and as the camp began to spring up around him, he helped his weary mate down from her lofty perch.

The unicorn stallion watched him, his head turned round to pierce Vallek with an eerie liquid amber gaze. He chuffed, tapping Vallek on the shoulder with his horn.

Vallek held perfectly still, ancient instincts to protect his vulnerable bits against that wicked horn riding him hard. Unfazed was his little hellion, though, who merely patted his chest.

“Oberon says I’m your problem for the night.”

He blinked, looking back and forth between his sleepy mate and the unicorn, who Vallek couldn’t help feeling was expecting something from him.

“You can…talk with him?”

“Unfortunately.” She tapped her temple. “In here. Thanks to the bond he forged with my father.” A thought seemed to come to her. “There’s a chance you might start to hear him, too, actually.”

Vallek’s face paled at the prospect, which only made her snort with giggles. She immediately regretted it, hugging her ribs, but couldn’t seem to stop laughing.

Oberon dipped his big head, nipping at her with his lips. They seemed to tease each other, and through the affectionate display, Vallek craned his head this way and that to avoid getting an eye taken out by the waving horn.

“Stop making me laugh,” she groaned.

It was a surreal scene, but Vallek decided to be charmed by it. The love between Ravenna and her father’s mount was obvious. That the stallion had not only followed her deep into orcish territory but actually went east and back again to watch over her…Vallek had only the greatest respect for that.

“Thank you for her,” he told the stallion.

Oberon lifted his head again, piercing Vallek with the full intensity of his unnatural gaze. The stallion regarded him seriously for a long moment, taking Vallek’s measure. To have such a dangerous, ancient being look him over from head to toe had a shudder following in its wake.

Ravenna suddenly let out an exasperated puff of air. Apparently, there was something of an argument going on between the two.

“What does he say?”

Grumbling under her breath, she finally admitted, “I told you so.”

Neighing merrily, Oberon shook out his long mane, the color of starlight. Dipping his head, he pawed the earth again before turning and leading the other unicorns back into the forest.

Vallek watched them go, utterly baffled.

“You’ll get used to him,” Ravenna said, easy as could be.

He gave her a horrified look, mostly to make her laugh again, but he’d be a liar if he said he wasn’t at least mildly perturbed by the notion.