Page 12 of Fey Empire (Fey Lords #5)

Chapter eleven

I ’m broken. I can’t stop sobbing. I’m a mess of snot and tears. I’m all hot and my throat hurts, yet still I can’t stop weeping.

Dyfri has taken me somewhere. I think I’m in his rooms. It is dark and quiet in here. A cosy little bedchamber with closed thick curtains. I’m curled up on the four poster bed, on top of the embroidered cover, crying like a little baby. And I don’t even know why.

I sniffle again and hold my breath in an effort to stop. In the temporary silence, the sound of voices reaches me. They sound as if they are standing right outside the door.

“What is wrong with this family? This is like Ollie all over again,” says a voice that sounds like Jamie’s.

“Hey!” exclaims Ollie. “I didn’t cry! You just thought I did!”

“Stop bickering,” says Dyfri. “And get in there and do human comfort things.”

“Like I know anything about being nice. Don’t know why you dragged me into this,” huffs Ollie.

Jamie sighs. “Fine. Stay out here.”

The door quietly opens, and Jamie steps in. The heavy door swings shut behind him. I scramble up into a sitting position and frantically rub my face. But it is no good. I’m a mess.

Jamie’s kind brown eyes fill with empathy and sadness, and apparently that is enough to set me off again.

Before I know what is happening, the Crown Prince Consort is on the bed next to me and his arms are holding me.

“I’m so sorry, Laurie. My wedding was completely different. Apparently because I was raised from a pet. I had no idea what they were going to put you through, because as usual my asshole husband didn’t say more than two words.”

Did he really just call his husband an asshole? The shock of that is enough to stop my tears.

His arms tighten around me. “Shall I send someone to fetch your mum?”

My entire body recoils. Mother? Hell no! I can’t imagine anything worse.

“Please don’t!” I gasp, and my voice comes out in a hoarse rasp.

Jamie gives me a sad smile. “Yeah, I got the impression that she wasn’t the maternal type.”

A strange, unhinged-sounding giggle bubbles out of me. Jamie chuckles too.

“I’d lend you my mum, but she is off with rebels somewhere.”

My eyebrows rise. “Your mother is… rebelling against your husband?”

“It’s complicated,” Jamie agrees, but he sounds calm, as if it isn’t too much of a problem. “I did give her a fey to hide, so she didn’t have much choice. ”

I have no idea what to say to that. Zero. And being held is so nice it is making me feel sleepy. It is also stirring memories of Papa and my childhood nanny. She used to hold me and sing me lullabies. Before Mother fired her for being too soft.

I sniff before I can stop myself.

Jamie strokes my hair. “I’m so sorry.”

“You haven’t done anything,” I assure him.

He sighs. “That’s exactly what I am sorry for. I should have listened to Dyfri. You are too young.”

I frown. Luckily, he can’t see me. I’m not too young. I’m an adult. I’ve been trained to be a perfect consort and vessel my whole life. I don’t know why I have fallen apart like this, but it is nobody’s fault.

Suddenly, three loud knocks sound out. I flinch, and it takes me a startled moment to realise that the knocks aren’t on this bedroom door, they are further away. Possibly on the doors that separate Dyfri’s quarters from the rest of the palace.

“Return my consort to me.”

Prince Selwyn’s voice rings out loud and clear. Stern and more than a little frightening.

Jamie’s arms tighten around me.

“As the humans say, Brother dearest,” Dyfri calls out. “Fuck off.”

Jamie lets out a little snort-laugh while I suck in a scandalised gasp. Surely, if Prince Selwyn wants me back, nobody can deny him? They certainly shouldn’t be swearing at him. Dyfri may be a prince, but he is younger than Selwyn. He should show his older brother respect.

“Don’t worry, Laurie. These are Dyfri’s rooms. Selwyn can’t come in without permission. ”

But surely that will just make Selwyn angry?

A long, tense silence drags. A pause and a regroup before battle commences.

“I brought someone to comfort Laurie.”

The words, as well as the tone, shock me. Neither are what I was expecting. It’s a complete change from the booming command of a few heartbeats ago. Selwyn’s voice sounds awfully contrite, but I must just be hearing things.

Jamie jumps off the bed and flings open the bedroom door. A small parlour comes into view. Dyfri and Ollie turn their heads away from the closed main doors to look at Jamie.

“He doesn’t want his mother,” Jamie says quietly to Dyfri.

Dyfri nods. “The ambassador is not welcome here,” he calls out.

“It’s not the ambassador.”

Dyfri, Jamie and Ollie all look at me. I shrug helplessly. I have no idea how Selwyn’s mind works. He could have brought anyone. Maybe it is the servant woman with the wispy hair. She seems nice.

“Send them in, but you are not welcome,” says Dyfri.

One of the double doors opens. A tall human man steps in. He is wearing jeans and a faded tee shirt. There is mud on his knees. As if he has just come in from gardening.

His snow-white hair is tied back in a messy bun. His blue eyes are like mine.

“Monty?” I splutter.

I’m seeing things. I have to be. How can my brother be here?

“Laurie!” he exclaims as he steps towards me with his arms wide. I run to him and fling myself into my big brother’s embrace. His arms wrap around me, and now I’m sobbing again. Harder than ever.

Selwyn found Monty and brought him here? I can’t even begin to process that.

“Oh Laurie. I’m so sorry I couldn’t find you. I tried. I tried so hard. I promise.”

“I know,” I manage to splutter between great wracking sobs. I always knew he would try.

But it is too late now. Mother has given me to a fey prince, just as she always planned to. I’m married and my magic has been tapped, and there is no going back. I belong to Prince Selwyn now. And nobody can change that.

Slowly, my sobs stop. I’m dried out and hollow. There are no more tears left to spill.

Dyfri leads us into another room. A cosy dining room just big enough for a round table for six.

Dark oak panelling lines the walls, and the one high arched window is latticed.

I have an unsettling feeling that it’s not London on the other side of the thick, old-fashioned glass. At least, not modern-day London.

But Monty has his arm over my shoulders, and I don’t feel as if I need to worry about anything.

We all sit around the table. A servant who looks more like a shadow than anything else, lays out tea, complete with small cakes and sandwiches. Then he silently leaves. I swear he did walk through the door and not the wall, like my eyes are trying to tell me.

Ollie leans forward and pours the tea.

“How is home?” I ask my brother.

Monty beams. “Wonderful! Full of life! Bursting with people. We have turned the lawn into a vegetable patch. The kids love it. ”

“You have kids?” I exclaim.

“Oh no, not directly. Ned and Morgan have three, and Flyn’s sister has a little girl.”

I have no idea who any of these people are, but Monty is speaking of them so fondly, my heart is bursting for him.

“Sounds like quite the found family,” I say.

Monty’s face lights up even more. “It is.”

“How is Pink?”

“Wonderful!” The love in my brother’s eyes makes my heart swell even more. “We got married. We wanted to wait until we found you, but…”

I place my hand over his. “I’m happy you didn’t put your life on hold. And I’m very happy you had the good sense to marry Pink, he is lovely.”

I only met him once, for a few hours, but it was more than enough time to see he was a perfect match for my brother.

I pick up my teacup and take a long sip. Ah, that’s better. Tea is always so soothing. As well as hydrating. I need to replace all the fluids I lost from crying so much.

Monty fixes Dyfri with a stern stare. “May I take my brother home?”

I spill my tea and cough. But it’s fine because all eyes are on Dyfri.

The prince takes a long, unhurried sip of his tea. “If that is what Laurie wishes, then I will not stand in the way. I can’t say the same for Selwyn. Or any of my other brothers.”

“Fuck treaties and alliances,” grumbles Ollie.

Monty turns to me with a deeply earnest expression. Oh heavens. This has got entirely out of hand. I never should have started crying. Just look at all the trouble I have caused.

I swallow. “The treaty is important. Mother won’t lead the nobility into helping the fey maintain peace if she is no longer ambassador.”

Jamie sighs heavily. But he is not disagreeing.

Worry fills Monty's eyes. “We can keep you safe. Gray is a very powerful demon. I think he can keep Selwyn away from the house.”

“At what price?” I state, and I am proud of how calm and sensible I sound. “Besides, who will empty me when my magic becomes ripe?”

Monty stares at me for a moment before slumping in defeat. “Taking you away from Prince Selwyn would probably negate our deal to be left alone as a house of sanctuary.”

My brother has made a deal with the fey? That is certainly daring, but I trust Monty knows what he is doing. He is the smartest person I have ever met. As well as the kindest. I am not at all surprised he has set up a sanctuary.

My hand shakes as I bring my cup to my lips. He can’t throw away everything he has built because of me. I’m not worth it.

“I won’t put so many people in danger just because I’m feeling weepy.”

Especially not children. Monty has children who run around a vegetable patch. That has to be protected. At all costs.

Four pairs of eyes stare at me with varying expressions of skepticism and disbelief .

I take in a deep breath. It is useless to try to fight the heat flooding my cheeks, so it’s best to simply ignore it.

“I think it is just my magic being gone that has made me feel wobbly. I’m so sorry I have caused all this drama.”

Silence.

I have to convince them. I cannot have people risking their safety, well-being and happiness for me. I just can’t. I cannot cause political unrest just because I found my wedding night overwhelming.

“Selwyn didn’t hurt me. He wasn’t cruel.”

My words echo around the table. The silence stretches for an uncomfortably long time.

Dyfri frowns. “When you burst into tears at the breakfast table, he did look extremely distraught. I have never seen him like that.”

Monty pulls a face as if he has an unpleasant taste in his mouth. As if he doesn’t want to admit what he is going to say. “When he popped through the portal to demand I come here, he did look rather frantic.”

My heart flutters. Really? Selwyn is worried? He truly was worried enough to run off and fetch my brother?

“See?” I say with my best smile. “It’s all fine.”

A sea of dubious faces stare back at me.

I take in another breath. Time to negotiate. I am my mother’s son, after all. Deals are in my blood.

“Give me a month. If I’m not completely happy by the next full moon, you can all help me to run away.”

Ollie nods as he shoves a cream cake into his mouth. “I caused all sorts of drama when I first got here. Now I couldn’t be happier.”

Monty turns to Dyfri. “Will he be safe? ”

Dyfri gives him a long, dark look. “My brother is not intentionally cruel. Careless. Heartless as all fey are. But he doesn’t seek fun in cruelty.”

Monty draws in a shuddering breath. He turns back to me. “A month, are you sure?”

I nod. “I’m sure. In a month I will be settled in and perfectly fine.”

Slowly, one by one, everyone nods. It is agreed.

My stomach swoops. Oh sweet goddess. I have one month to pull myself together and convince everyone that I am happy.

Otherwise lives are going to be ruined.