Page 23 of Fey Empire (Fey Lords #5)

Chapter twenty-two

T his pile of letters is not getting any smaller. It is a wonder that it hasn’t toppled over. I’ve been writing for hours, long enough that my hand is cramping, and I haven’t made a dent in it at all.

It is strange to think there are so many eyes on me. My wedding was in the news. It is being talked about in the press. So many people have their opinions. And so many have sent me well wishes.

I imagine there was hate mail too, but thankfully that has been filtered out. As have the gifts that many people are referencing. It is just like Mother to take the gifts and leave me the task of writing the thank-you letters. At least, I’m assuming it was her.

I sigh and lean back in my chair. Rolling my shoulders eases some of the stiffness, but my back remains stubbornly sore.

The pile of letters smirks at me. More promises, pleas and general ass-licking. Mother was right. Marrying one of the new rulers of Earth was the key to unlocking immense status and power.

It’s a shame I don’t care about any of it. Mother’s genes gave me neither her magic nor her ambition .

My only dreams are to spend my days drawing, or in nature, and my nights cuddled up to someone kind.

My stomach swoops. Vivid memories of Selwyn carrying me to the bath and washing my hair, burst into vibrant life. I firmly shut them down before they drift onto what happened next. I do not need to be sitting here thinking dirty thoughts.

But thinking about the care he showed me is nice. I think the ‘having a kind person’ part of my dreams might be coming true.

A blush heats my cheeks, but then a sound derails my thoughts. The sound of scrabbling paws on floorboards. I twist in my chair just in time to see Selwyn walk into the room with a very excited large puppy at his heels.

I throw myself out of the chair and down onto my knees. My arms open wide, and the ball of fluff bounds up to me. She wriggles frantically and licks my face. I laugh and ruffle her thick coat.

She is all grey and white fluff with bright blue eyes. I think she is a husky.

Her pink tongue swipes across my nose. I chuckle again.

“Oh thank you for the kisses, sweetie.”

I look up at Selwyn while trying to hold her back from slobbering all over my face.

“What is her name?”

Selwyn shrugs. “I do not know. You have not chosen one yet.”

I blink. The puppy seizes the advantage of my distraction and gets her tongue into my ear.

“Ew, no more kisses!” I giggle as I push her onto her back and occupy her with tummy rubs .

“You are giving her to me?” I say to Selwyn, even though I must be mistaken.

He grins down at me, and at the puppy on her back by my feet, kicking her legs in the air in glee.

“I’m pretty sure she has chosen that for herself.”

A squeal of pure delight pours out of me. The puppy jumps up and lunges in excitement. Laughing, I fall backwards onto my back and let her attack me. We wrestle for a few moments. Then I stroke her and calm her down. She stretches out beside me and basks in the attention.

I look around the beautiful room. So many things to get her teeth into.

“Oh! We are going to need puppy pads!” I blurt.

Selwyn shakes his head. “She knows to go outside. Just don’t make her wait too long.”

I ruffle her soft fur. “She’s house-trained already? Are you sure? She looks a bit young for that?”

“She’s a dire wolf. They mature differently.”

My eyebrows rise. A dire wolf? My goodness. She doesn’t have a fierce bone in her body, and she seems so dog-like.

“How big will she get?” I say as the thought hits me. Although, since I live in a palace, any size will not be a problem.

Selwyn flashes white teeth. “Big enough to protect you when I’m not by your side.”

My heart flutters against my ribcage as a rush of warmth races through my body. I swallow and lick my lips.

“She’ll need bowls, and toys, and a bed.”

Selwyn nods. “Give Peaony a list and everything you want will be brought to our rooms.”

That sounds simple enough. I wonder if dire wolves eat dog food? Actually, I am a prince consort. If I want my pet wolf brought fresh steak from the kitchens, then I can do exactly that. I don’t think Selwyn will mind. He seems inclined to pamper me in this.

“Am I allowed to walk her in the gardens?”

Selwyn bristles. His shoulders stiffen, and a darkness swirls in his eyes. I hastily bow my head and continue to pet the puppy to keep her calm. I should have known not to overstep.

A sad, heavy sigh echoes around the room. “It is not me you think poorly of, is it? It’s that your mother never allowed you any freedom.”

I look back up at him. He holds my gaze.

His words spin through my mind. I don’t think poorly of him.

And I do understand that Mother’s expectations of me were more than most. I didn’t have a normal childhood at all.

I’m very strange for a human man my age.

I had thought a prince from a different world wouldn’t notice. Apparently, I was wrong.

I bite my bottom lip and nod.

Tension drains away from his shoulders. He gives me a soft smile. “I am learning.”

I wish I was. I wish I knew how to behave in a way that didn’t insult or upset him. But the only thing I can do is to keep trying.

I smile back at him and hope that my promise is showing in my eyes. I’m trying. He definitely is. And if we both keep working on this marriage, then we are bound to get somewhere.

T hese aren’t really gardens anymore. They have been allowed to run wild and return to nature. Lawns are now meadows of wildflowers. Neatly trimmed hedges are now shaggy bushes. Regimented borders are now a riot of colour and shape.

I love it. The puppy loves it too. She is bounding along sniffing at everything, while wagging her tail non-stop.

There doesn’t seem to be anyone else around. It’s an overcast summer afternoon. Not chilly, but definitely not sunbathing weather. Though I can’t imagine the fey sunbathe.

Maybe most of court are still asleep? I get the impression that most of the fun and drama happens at night.

Or perhaps they are simply elsewhere in the gardens.

They are vast. I’m pretty sure they are far bigger than the gardens of Buckingham Palace used to be.

Which is something I’m not going to think about because it is far too unsettling.

Buckingham Palace is slap bang in the heart of London, it should be impossible for the gardens to expand.

Not without an awful lot of demolition, which there is zero evidence of. So that leaves only uncanny, unthinkable things.

Anyway, it’s fine. Whatever the reason, the result is I get to be alone with my new puppy friend. And how glorious is that? People always said that walks are great for mental health and wellbeing. I should have listened. I feel practically buoyant.

The puppy stops to thoroughly sniff an unremarkable-looking patch of grass. I stop by her side and watch her with a smile on my face. She really is adorable.

“How about Sweetpea for a name?” I say .

Her ears twitch and her thick coat moves as if she is shuddering.

I laugh. “No, you are right. You are going to grow up to be a huge, terrifying dire wolf. Sweetpea would be a terrible name.”

I think for a moment. Then a name pops into my head, seemingly out of nowhere.

“How about Loki?”

She stops sniffing, and lifts her head to look right at me. Her blue eyes catch the light and glow for a moment.

“You approve? Loki?”

Her tail wags.

“Ok, Loki it is!”

She gives a little yap and bounds off, only to stop and start sniffing at a bush. I follow after her and wait by her side. There is no hurry, and this walk is for her benefit. If she wants to sniff everything in the entire garden, then that’s just fine.

I tilt my head up to the sky and take in a lungful of fresh air. All of a sudden, voices carry on the breeze. It sounds like someone is on the other side of this bush.

“Viscount Bellany, you are so handsome,” a voice giggles. All light and airy and deeply flirtatious.

My eyebrows rise. Viscount Bellany, Mother’s friend and co-conspirator? He really is not handsome. By any stretch of the imagination.

“I cannot wait until we can be together,” coos the same voice.

Wait. Oh my stars, is that Dyfri? Surely not?

“Not long now!” booms Bellany’s loud voice. “You won’t have to wait for much longer. ”

His heavy footsteps crash through the undergrowth and away. Luckily, in the opposite direction from where I am standing.

“Why are you spying on me?”

I yelp and stumble backwards as Dyfri appears right in front of me. Loki lets out a little growl. Then she sniffs Dyfri’s robes, wags her tail, and goes back to inspecting the bush.

Dyfri crosses his arms over his chest, and his dark eyes glare at me.

“I wasn’t! I didn’t! I never heard a thing!” I blurt. “I am walking Loki!” I declare, pointing at the puppy as if Dyfri has somehow not seen her.

Dyfri's eyes narrow. Then he sighs. He glances around as if the deserted gardens are full of unseen things.

“Come, I will walk you back.”

We walk in silence for a few moments, Loki trotting happily by our side. Dyfri reaches down and gives her head a scratch, and she wags her tail. She likes him, and I’m confident all canines are excellent judges of character.

Unlike most people. Which is a fact they never like to hear. But I’m going to have to be brave.

I clear my throat. “I… um… Viscount Bellany is not a nice person.”

Dyfri abruptly stops walking and fixes me with an incredulous look. “By the three! Do you actually think I like the old creep? You must be dumber than a hamster!”

I huff out a sigh of relief. Oh thank goodness. The thought of Dyfri getting tangled up with Bellany was stomach-churning.

“Oh. You are up to something,” I say .

Possibly trying to escape the Crown Prince’s plans to marry him off. That would be my first guess, though I’m not going to say a word. I never should have told him about the marriage rumour in the first place.

Dyfri rolls his eyes and starts walking again. I scurry to keep up.

“I’m always up to something,” he mutters. “Several somethings, all at once. It is quite exhausting.”

I can imagine. I’m getting tired just thinking about plotting and scheming and juggling all those balls and moving all those pieces.

“How are you?” he asks sharply.

“Fantastic! I have a puppy!” I beam.

I’m not a something he needs to worry about. I’m definitely not a something he needs to report back on to those who wish to intervene in my marriage and whisk me away. The full moon is still weeks away. I have time to prove that everything is fine.

“More trinkets,” says Dyfri.

“No!” I exclaim before I can stop myself. “Loki is a wonderful and thoughtful gift. I mentioned I’ve always wanted a dog, one time, and he remembered!”

Dyfri raises one dark eyebrow. I blush, but I don’t look away.

He shakes his head. “Goddess, look at you. All big puppy eyes and clueless. Your face practically compels people to help you.”

I blink in surprise. Then I snort. “Well, it never bloody worked before I came here.”

Both of Dyfri’s eyebrows lift. I’ve shocked him with my little outburst and display of backbone .

A rich, musical laugh bubbles out of him and mischief flashes in his night-dark eyes.

“Be that as it may, it works here. So milk it all you can, child. It is the best weapon you have.”